überlin

“WOO HOO” indeed. Shoegaze originals My Bloody Valentine have just been added to the line-up for Berlin Festival 2013. This year’s festival is already looking pretty incredible, with British bands Blur and the Pet Shop Boys joined by relative newcomers Savages and Dillon, as well as a huge contingent from Ed Banger Records and local heroes Ellen Allien and Fritz Kalkbrenner, brother of Berlin Calling star Paul. Despite all of that, and the promise of more to come, it’s Kevin Shields and co. we’re most excited about seeing. So check out this rough and raw footage of MBV way back in 1989, and join us on Tempelhof field in September to see the real thing:

To find out more visit the Berlin Festival website. And listen to our highlights of last year’s festival here.

Mad love for the PonyDanceClyde girls for hooking me up with Ballet School. They had me at their headline “Nirvana, Madonna and the New Berlin“, and an interview that namechecked James Murphy, David Holmes *and* the Labyrinth soundtrack just sealed the deal. I’m currently listening to this on repeat: a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s bittersweet “Sara”, which strips away the Berlin band’s usual 80s New Wave and leaves just Irish singer Rosie Blair’s pure voice swirling in ambient SWOON. Heart-melting.