Falls First Announcement: Flaming Lips, SBTRKT, Boy & Bear, Beach House, Best Coast

They said it would be just a handful of acts announced today, but the Falls Music and Arts Festival have really gone for quality over quantity on this first announcement for the 2012 event.

THE FLAMING LIPS
SBTRKT
THE VACCINES
BOY & BEAR
COOLIO
BEST COAST
BEACH HOUSE
SAMPOLOGY

The dates are as follows:

Marion Bay, Tasmania: Dec 29 2012 - Jan 1, 2013
Lorne, Victoria: Dec 28 2012 - Jan 1, 2013

The ticket ballot is now open at the Falls website.

THE FLAMING LIPS:

Is there a better live band on the planet than The Flaming Lips? While they continue to be psychedelic masterminds with all elements of their music and their explosive, multi-faceted visual and aural assaulting live shows, the past decade has seen them find a formula for their performance which really works. Frontman Wayne Coyne leads the throngs of people who flock to see their show on every occasion like some kind of super-friendly musical shaman. If there's a more fun way to bring in the New Year than at a Flaming Lips show, we don't wanna know about it.

BEACH HOUSE:

The Baltimore-based indie darlings seem to be able to do no wrong, with their three most recent records Devotion, Teen Dream and Bloom all raved about for good reason. Victoria Legrand's voice will break your heart, while Alex Scally knows how to make it shine at its brightest, the way way he frames it with his unique compositions. While their dreamy indie-pop music might not immediately scream “festival favourite”, they have proved with their slot on Laneway a couple of years back that it can work in this kind of environment.

BEST COAST:

Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno captured the hearts of so many with their Crazy For You record a couple of years back, a pop record all innocent and naïve that hit so close to home to many. Rather than follow that formula with second album The Only Place, Cosentino has taken stock of where they are in life and written appropriately. Their music is the perfect soundtrack to an Australian summer and their third visit in under two years is well and truly welcome!

COOLIO:

We asked for it, we got it. In the mid-1990s this guy was the coolest man on the pop charts. If you're a certain age you don't just know Gangsta's Paradise, but you know 1234 Sumpin New and maybe even See You When You Get There. We never thought we'd see Coolio live, we're not sure whether he'll be any good, but we're not going to miss it.

THE VACCINES:

We're not sure if they're technically still a “hype band” seeing as they have kind of proven themselves with tours and a pretty decent album. One thing is for sure, if you're a fan of these UK indie wunderkinds then you're gonna be squealing at the prospect of their return. They almost seem like the ultimate festival band, their music just has that sense of frivolity about it that makes you want to get stupid. You'll have that chance at Falls this year.

SBTRKT:

With his self-titled, debut record, this masked man had the world eating out of the palm of his hands. Well, at least the well-dressed younger set. His electro/post-dubstep/house style has come at the perfect time and he pulls it off with aplomb. After a series of epic shows at Laneway, SBTRKT is back and ready to make you dance this New Year's.

BOY & BEAR:

On the local tip, Falls couldn't ask for a band much more adored to be a part of their festival line up this year. Boy & Bear have spent the year conquering the country following the release of their Moonfire record, on top of this they've had a solid crack overseas and it looks like they could well connect with audiences on a large scale in other territories too. A massive regional tour has just finished for these guys and news of their Falls billing has ensured punters have their fix of indie-folk in this first lot of bands.

SAMPOLOGY:

This Brisbane cat is doing the kind of mind blowing stuff you always dreamt about as a little kid but didn't have the patience to actually figure out what to do once you become an adult. His AV/DJ shows are making him renowned the world over and he's planned a very special set for Falls this year, as he takes a look back into the Falls history books for a mighty playlist featuring oh so many memories.