Preview: Benicàssim 2013

Clash highlights a selection of do-not-miss sorts...

This July, hordes of music fans will descend on the Spanish beach resort of Benicàssim, eager for their rock and electronic fixes.

The sandy shores, located in the sweet spot between Valencia and Barcelona, will yet again play host to the genre-straddling Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, a firm favourite fixture on the calendar of music-lovers worldwide.

Established in 1995, the four-dayer boasts a little something for everyone.

July 18-21 will see indie-rock legends rubbing shoulders with a cutting-edge crop of electronica artists for four days of (almost) guaranteed UV rays.

Everything Everything, Miles Kane, AlunaGeorge, Arctic Monkeys, Hurts, Hyetal, CHVRCHES and many more feature on FIB’s 2013 line-up. But here are some highlights-in-waiting that Clash is sure to be catching…

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Queens Of The Stone Age

Rock royalty QOTSA recently returned to record-releasing ways with ‘…Like Clockwork’, the band’s sixth studio set and first since 2007. It finds the Josh Homme-fronted band at the top of its game, with Dave Grohl wielding the drumsticks more than once and the frontman’s vocals drifting hazily over the top. They’re never an outfit to miss live in action – and where better to catch them than the sunny climes of Castellón?

Woodkid

Recent Clash cover star Woodkid will be shipping his orchestral and cinematic sounds to the Spanish shores. We’ll be keeping our ears pricked for ‘Run Boy Run’ and ‘The Golden Age’, tracks that the neo-folk musician and film director sampled almost every instrument in the French National Orchestra for.   

John Talabot (live)

Spanish native and Balearic wizard John Talabot will be rolling out his acclaimed live show for the hands-in-the-air crowd at FIB. The set will undoubtedly include his trademark sweet flavours and warm, ecstatic hits which never fail to disappoint. He’s firmly fixed on Clash’s list of ones not to miss this July.

Beach House

Beach House are to bring their low-key electro-gone-folk notes to the palm-lined stages. Making the journey from Baltimore to the Spanish bash, the dream-pop pair of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand will deliver their lush, euphoric sound, one that has won them widespread admiration from critics and musical royalty such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

Beady Eye

Given they’re our current cover stars, it’d be incredibly remiss of Clash to not spend some time with Liam Gallagher and his Beady Eye posse. The band will be smashing out tunes from their latest album ‘BE’, which is reviewed here.

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To get you prepped for the festival, Clash has put together a preview playlist especially. Featuring all the artists we’re most excited to see, you can listen to it below.

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Tickets and info on FIB 2013, here

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