Having returned in the mid-noughties following an extended breather, London's Camden Crawl again last year took a step back. After a period of re-evaluation, the festival is back this year at over twenty venues in the Camden area. The 2014 line up is headed by the likes of ABC, Atari Teenage Riot, and The Field - we're not so interested in them but have a selection of recommended acts to check out below.
Big Deal
The London duo are now hurtling toward their third album, and we're becoming steadily more impressed with their output. Recent track 'Always Boys' signals their growing confidence, which we imagine is being replicated in the live environment. Plus, we met them once at work, and they were nice.
Cymbals
It's been about four years since we first wrote about Cymbals. We still go back to their cover of Pavement's 'Kennel District' from time to time. That influence seems to have dissipated in terms of their sound, going down more of a New Order route. We remain as intrigued as ever.
Femme
We collared Laura Bettinson as one of our recommendations to catch at The Great Escape earlier this month and she did not disappoint. Hopefully, she'll again be flanked by her backing troupe, the Bullet Girls, to add a vibrant accompaniment to her bold pop.
Jeffrey Lewis & The Jrams
Everything we've seen of Jeffrey Lewis (particularly his comic strips) has suggested he's something of an eccentric. But there's something hypnotic about that notion and we'll be endeavouring to investigate his live set.
Johnny Foreigner
It's perhaps fair to say if you've not enjoyed the JoFo back catalogue, you're probably not going to get on this bandwagon anytime soon. But we'd still urge you to check the band out live, we even proclaimed them as our favourite band of the 2012 Camden Crawl.
Mausi
Everyone (well, most people) likes a bit of a boogie at a festival and Mausi's Passion Pit-meets-Crystal Fighters dancey pop will be your time to shine. I mean they even have a song with a "dance, dance, dance" refrain.
Max Marshall
We didn't know that R&B-tinged Londoner Max Marshall was originally from Baltimore when we caught her recently at The Great Escape, which slightly threw us. Nonetheless, her powerful vocals still impressed and we enjoyed her band's co-ordinated "MM" outfits.
Tall Ships
It's been a long, long time since we last saw Tall Ships. But we thought they were great at the time. So it's likely they're even better now. For a trio, they don't half make a wonderful racket.
Thumpers
Having now finally released their debut album in the UK, the former Pull Tiger Tail members are surely on a bit of a high - regardless, their music reflects a certain joyousness that is perfect for any festival. Glorious escapism.
Purchase weekend tickets for half price for a very limited time from Ticketweb. Find more info on the festival at thecamdencrawl.com.
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