Live Review: Ela Stiles, Primitive Motion, Dollar Bar, J Francis

One of the more intriguing line-ups so far this year kicks off at Electric Playground with the dreamy pop stylings of local outfit J Francis. The five-piece are playing their first gig of the year tonight, however you wouldn't know it from observing their smooth togetherness. The '80s influence definitely shines through in their sound, particularly with the deep, echoing bass which stirs memories of the cult classic TV show Twin Peaks.

Fans of old-school, iconic Brissy talents are offered a rare treat tonight – an exclusive set from heavyweight alt-rockers Dollar Bar, who command the biggest crowd of the evening. First impressions of their inclusion in the line-up are met with confusion, however their light-hearted banter, joyful melodies and celebratory tone inject a much-needed sense of energy and exuberance to proceedings, aided of course by the swarms of adoring friends and fans they've brought along for the ride. Tracks from their latest album Paddington Workers Club get a spin tonight, including Everyone's Everyone's and Diff'rent 4 Gurls with the latter being the standout of the set.

Following this party-like set, Sydney's Ela Stiles turns the volume way down by taking the stage with just a guitar and her voice. From a distance it can be difficult to decipher the words she's singing, however this fact causes no real concern – her vocals are so incomprehensibly angelic and captivating that she could be singing about strangling cats and it would still be beautiful. She rounds out her tantalisingly short set with a breathtaking rendition of one of her latest tracks, Kumbh Mela, using nothing but her vocals, which casts a transfixing spell over the audience through its emotion and serenity. Stiles is a privilege to behold.

Primitive Motion use tonight's performance to unleash some new material, which only further demonstrates the duo's incredible synchronicity, as well as their knack for making minimalistic yet complex art through sound. Sandra Selig leaves synth duties to Leighton Craig tonight, demonstrating her multi-instrumental abilities first with the flute, which adds a beautiful airiness to the first half of the set. We're then treated to the sounds of saxophone, which is played with such delicacy that their tone progresses to complete weightlessness. Experiencing this set, one can't help but feel that their sound is complimented superbly by Electric Playground's acoustics, lighting and obscurity, making for a more dynamic performance than usual. The only real shame here is that half the audience have decided to call it a night bythe time Primitive Motion take the stage, missing the beauty Selig and Craig deliver.