Counting CrowsThe announcements just keep on coming for Bluesfest next Easter, they have given us a bunch more international names to add to the already bulging bill and we couldn't be happier to see some of them on here.
Counting Crows, Ben Harper (Solo), The Lumineers, Taj Mahal, Shuggie Otis, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Ben Howard, Tav Falco & The Panther Burns, JD McPherson, Royal Southern Brotherhood, SOJA, Jake Shimabukuro, Damien Dempsey
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COUNTING CROWS
They are one of the biggest names in rock music from the past 20 years, but Counting Crows are more than just a radio rock band. Their sheer love of music is palpable on their records, particularly this year's Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation); 15 interpretations of songs that they love. The band have never played Bluesfest but seem a pretty perfect fit, so we reckon Tyagarah is going to welcome them with open arms when they pop their cherry in 2013.
BEN HARPER (SOLO)
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We'd already announced that this master of all things Bluesfest was coming back to Australia to perform with a band of some description, well now we can inform you that Ben Harper will also play a very special solo set – just him and his guitar – where fans will get to see his great songs stripped back to their most basic elements. A bit of a trip down memory lane for those who caught him on his first Bluesfest visit.
THE LUMINEERS
These guys are becoming very popular, very quickly. Colorado-based The Lumineers mix old-world stories with contemporary melodies infused with cello and mandolin. And although they've figuratively exploded in the past couple of years, they've been writing songs together for seven years now and are far from a flash-in-the-pan. Not a surprise addition given their already announced sideshows, but a very welcome one.
TAJ MAHAL
One of the great bluesmen of our time and a perennial Bluesfest favourite, Taj Mahal comes back to the festival for what appears to be his eighth year since the event began. He has played with plenty of the greats of blues, folk and rock – hell, he's considered to be a great in his own right – and has a canon of material that makes the blues just that little bit more exciting for a popular audience.
SHUGGIE OTIS
One of the many names we never would have picked to appear on Australian shores, but one that we are very excited about being able to witness is the great Shuggie Otis. The son of the legendary Johnny Otis, Shuggie had a hit with the timeless Strawberry Letter 23 from his killer 1971 record Freedom Flight but has a catalogue of incredible psychedelic soul material that has seen him compared to everyone from Funkadelic to Stevie Wonder and even the likes of George Benson and Elton John. The notoriously reclusive artist will show us what he's all about next Easter.
KITTY DAISY & LEWIS
This British sibling trio has won serious acclaim from all sorts of musicians, media and fans all over the world with their old-style bluesy romps. They have been to Australia a handful of times since the release of their debut had everyone talking and now Kitty, Daisy & Lewis will play a long overdue set at Bluesfest in 2013. We know there have been plenty of people requesting them so they should feel very welcome indeed.
BEN HOWARD
One of the number of folky artists from the UK who blew plenty of people's minds at this year's Splendour In The Grass festival, Ben Howard is one of the fastest rising stars in one of the most popular genres of music at this point in time. Another artist who will appeal to the younger demographic – a demographic the festival are most certainly giving plenty of attention to – and one who we will be hearing plenty more about in the years to come, we imagine.
TAV FALCO & THE PANTHER BURNS
A master of experimental pop, dirty rock'n'roll, blues, psychobilly and countless other genres, Tav Falco has made some pretty fascinating music in his time. Tav Falco & The Panther Burns has been an ongoing concern with something of a revolving line up since 1979, when Falco was inspired to start playing by his contemporaries Alex Chilton and The Cramps. He continues to tour these days, mashing up a whole heap of genres into a dark brand of rock'n'roll that will possibly be one of the more interesting performances at this year's Bluesfest. The band he brings with him includes Giovanna Pizzorno, an original member of the Memphis all-girl band the Hellcats, as well as Peter Mavrogeorgis (aka Peter Dark) and Michael Low.
JD MCPHERSON
One listen to Signs & Signifiers, the debut record from Oklahoma boy JD McPherson, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that he is a soul from another time. His brand of slick-but-still-gritty rock'n'roll has that real old-time kind of feel to it, the recording quality harks back to yesteryear and the songs just sound classic. We're yet to witness what he can do in the live arena but we're very excited to find out!
ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD
They might not be a household name, but Royal Southern Brotherhood will be one band that plenty of musicians and lovers of quality musicianship simply cannot miss. To put it simply, the band is a project headed up by Cyril Neville and Devon Allman of the Neville and Allman Brothers respectively. The band also features some of the absolute best musicians kicking around, boasting Mike Zito on guitar, Charlie Wooton on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums. Their brand of southern rock must not be missed if you're anywhere near Bluesfest next year.
SOJA
The American reggae styles of SOJA may not be all that well known in Australia as yet, but one gets the feeling that a few shows at events like Bluesfest will help them establish a very strong following in our country. The band's smooth and slick styles and socially conscious lyrics have positioned them as one of the finest reggae acts to currently be doing the rounds on the east coast of the US and they'll be bringing those good vibes down to Australia for Bluesfest next year.
JAKE SHIMABUKURO
No one plays the ukulele like Jake Shimabukuro. That's not hyperbole; it's a simple statement of fact. This freakishly talented young man is the most virtuosic uke player that the world has ever seen and a lot of people think that there's every chance he might be the best we ever will see. His technical prowess and the innate musicality that he brings to the songs he plays make him an exciting proposition on the live stage and Bluesfest patrons will lap up his return.
DAMIEN DEMPSEY
Another of the Irish singer-songwriters that has been invited to perform at next year's festival, Damien Dempsey will undoubtedly hold his own alongside his contemporaries without issue. The 37-year-old has been playing for close to 20 years now and this year released his sixth record Almighty Love, another bunch of songs that speak deeply of love, peace and justice from a particularly Irish point of view. He wraps up yet another epic line up announcement for the 2013 event.
