This year Castlepalooza is beefing up its offer, with Aiken Promotions on board offering it a bit more heft when it comes to the line-up. Here are eight acts we reckon you should catch over the weekend
Romare AV live show
No, not the African-American artist who pioneered collage work (well he has been dead for almost 30 years) but the deft DJ and musician inspired directly by his namesake to create free-ranging musical creations. Mixing samples and snippets of audio with his own music and creations, expect this to be an intriguing mixture of art and sound.
Overhead, The Albatross
Have you seen just how good this lot's music videos are? But all the flash shots of Phibsboro in the world aren't much use when it comes to a festival set, are they? Well it's just as well OTA have the musical chops to go with their slick, slick visuals. Gorgeous tunes that aren't afraid to indulge in an extra minute or six, we look forward to a set of mostly instrumental music that's the perfect soundtrack for a whole slate of films that haven't been made yet. Their debut record was a long time in the works, and is well worth the investment of time and effort. Fly lads fly.
Caribou/Daphni
Two Dan Snaith projects for the price of one? He's one of the most reliable festival set-pieces around so expect his headliner stint on Friday to be a thing of beauty. And of course the singalong to the best summer song of two years ago is not only inevitable but also unmissable. Can't do without you. Can't dooooo without yoooouuuuu.
Women of Note/Mná na Notaí exhibition
This exhibition, by photographer Ruth Medjber and pop culture journalist Louise Bruton, celebrates some of the most kick-ass women in Irish music, and first got an airing in the pages of The Irish Times. Well done Castlepalooza on giving it another run. Here's hoping this becomes an annual, updated event by this pair.
Alle Farben
You can never quite predict what Alle Farben is going to slip into a set. Built with solid house and techno foundations, he's spent more than a decade taking little diversions that keeps things surprising and colourful, while keeping the crowd stoked throughout. If he doesn't deliver a whopper set, ask for your money back.
I Have a Tribe
Patrick O'Laoghaire's slow-burning project finally got its debut album in May this year. Beneath A Yellow Moon is a warm, personal collection of songs, but live, IHAT mange to turn it up several notches and delivers sets of class and substance. If you haven't caught them yet, pop along and find out what all the fuss is about.
Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi
Not content with dominating the world of snooker in the 1980s, Steve Davis also has an encyclopaedic knowledge of music, which he puts to fine use on his Phoenix FM radio show that's been running for more than 10 years. Don't let the early-doors set with Kavus Torabi fool you – expect this one to be full of fascinating bits of musical obscurity. Rumours also abound that he'll be playing a bit of pool against anyone foolish enough to try and beat him. Bring your best Paul Newman face so.
Minor Victories
As supergroup line-ups go, for fans of a certain type of post-rock misery, this one seems hard to beat: vocalist Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), guitarists Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) and Justin Lockey (Editors), and film-maker James Lockey of Hand Held Cine Club. You'll be gazing at your shoes galore, while those ethereal vocals and synths wash over you, and who doesn't love a nuclear-level loud guitar solo or bass drum beats that threaten to knock you over?
And the best of the rest ….
Cat Power's shows are often a struggle with her stage fright, but when she gets the upper hand, they can be superb. Villagers rarely fail to provide something sublime. Jurassic 5 have been doing this deal for more than 20 years so they've got it pretty much down at this stage. Polica's brand of political synth pop is particularly potent. And Somerville gets better each time we manage to catch her.
