As the sun starts to set a little earlier, and the sky is becoming gradually more overcast - mother nature is alerting us that the end of summer is nigh. But not all is lost, as it also means we are getting closer to the fated End of the Road festival! Set in the fields of Dorset, hundreds of great artists will be setting sail to play there over the last weekend of August, for the final celebration of summer and music before we slip into the grasp of Autumn. And we can’t wait. The lineup poster boasts some big names such as Slowdive, IDLES, Yo la Tengo - however if you’re struggling to make your way through the meaty list of acts towards the bottom, we have compiled a list of 6 of the perhaps lesser-known acts we are desperate to see, and recommend you do too!
(And, if you haven't got your ticket yet, act quickly as they’re down to the last hundred!)
1.Water From Your Eyes
This American indie duo are one of Matador’s most recent signings, and released a brilliant album “Everyone’s Crushed” under them last year. Their collages of electronic and dissonant sounds alongside more rock-y tracks, with mixes of singing and spoken word, are just testament to their versatility as artists. They blend genres and instruments extremely well and I am eager to find out how this arrangement plays out live!
Favourite track: Buy My Product, the final song on Everyone’s Crushed, - a rock-y track with catchy little guitar riffs and a punchy beat which flips into and out of a stripped back bridge. It plays into the New York No Wave 80s feel, and I think this one showcases their versatility really well!
2. Snõõper
Snõõper are one of the coolest exports of Nashville, Tennessee at the moment. Super upbeat, quintessential egg-punk rockers - with a brilliant debut album Super Snõõper released back in 2023 on Third Man Records. Their gigs are notoriously fun - they have quite a theatrical flair, and use props a lot of the time, cardboard puppets etc! Their songs span trivial themes such as bed bugs and company cars - they encourage punk rockers to lighten up and I cant wait to jump around to them in Dorset.
Favourite Track: Music for Spies from Super Snõõper, - a silly track about being in Spy school, learning to fool your friends, hack your pets and creep!
3. ichiko aoba
A change in tune from the first two on the list. This Japanese folk artist is one I’ve admired for years now. Windswept adan is a beautiful transient album that really makes you feel like you’re floating, as if you were the album cover. One of those artists where you really don’t need to understand the language to be able to feel the sentiments. Glimmering flutes and a dulcet voice, the essence of her music is so beautifully translated across sound, rather than lyrics.
Favourite Track: Porcelain from Windswept Adan - this album was conceived as the soundtrack to a nonexistent film. Thoroughly recommend giving the whole thing a listen, but I think this song encapsulates the overall vibe quite well.
4. Brown Horse
Another folk-y one for you, a 6-piece from Norwich, who combine a 70s country twang with 90s rock elements. The vocals are reminiscent of Big Thief, but with the country harmonica to remind you of Bob Dylan. This lovely group have released their debut album Reservoir - one that I can't quite believe was released in 2024. Excited to see them inject vigour into this genre at EOTR!
Favourite Track: Sunfisher - a twangy guitar and country strings with yearning lyrics of changing seasons and losing people.
5. Tara Clerkin Trio
Brilliant electronic synthy-stuff from these guys! With a stereolab/broadcast-y soft voice, and a real variety of songs that stem from trip-hop to ambient or jazzy they are unpredictable. I’ve seen them before supporting The Orielles on tour (a perfect fit for them) - and they are a band who change their set each time - and improvise a lot, a really exciting one to see live and I really recommend doing so in a few weeks!
Favourite Track: The Turning Ground, off their EP with the same name. The repeating guitar riffs and chunky low bass vibrations, with trip-hoppy drums, this song feels almost hypnotic.
6. Mdou Moctar
Mdou Moctar’s Nigerian rock quartet are full of energetic guitar riffs and noise, alongside layered vocals and are unlike much that I’ve heard before. They capture some of the psych-rock that is quite a popular genre coming from some parts of Africa, such as the Zam-Rock scene - but carries inspirations of Tuareg guitar music. Their lyrics are political and discuss the violence in Africa and the frustrations with the US and Europe. These are certainly one to check out at EOTR!
Favourite Track: Chismiten, from their album Afrique Victime, that has psych hints of Hendrix and Zappa - with really intricate riffs and incredible drums, I hope they play this one live!
Charlotte Foulkes
Edited by Alice Beard
Cover image courtesy of End of the Road Festival on Facebook
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