It's the tenth anniversary of Knockanstockan and the KS crew have pulled out all the stops with the biggest line up ever. This isn't to say that Knockanstockan has deviated from it's roots of giving up and coming bands their first exposure at festivals as there is still a huge range of new acts in attendance. As ever there is a broad and eclectic mix of music available. Some of the bands may be familiar names  as they have graduated from Knockanstockan onto greater exposure but who is to say that some of this year's alumni won't do the same. We've gone through the line up to pick out fifteen acts you've got to see.

Shrug Life

When Sunday, Dimestore Tent @ 16:00

What To Expect:  Hooks snappier than Conor McGregor’s dress sense and lyrics that stick around long after Shrug Life have finished playing

Highlight: Danny Carroll is an hugely engaging frontman especially when singing about topics such as working on Supermac's or  extolling the virtues of Kevin Kilbane.

What It Will Sound Like:

Chinese Newspaper

When Friday, Dimestore Tent @ 19:00

What To Expect:  A strong reason to get down early on Friday is Chinese Newspaper where you'll find  surf rock breeziness crashing onto with jagged rocks. Expect the benchmark to set high from this point on for Knockanstockan.

Highlight: The hazy turbo charged fuzz out of 'It Follows'

What It Will Sound Like:

Slacker’s Symphony

When Saturday, Dimestore Tent @ 21:00

What To Expect:  A swirling concoction  and juxtaposition of  70, 80’s and 90’s rock that doesn't stick to any era or  genre  and gloriously jumps into each sometimes during in the same song.

Highlight: The glorious elongated intro to 'Episode In Denial' sets high expectations that soars from then on in

What It Will Sound Like:

This Other Kingdom

When: Sunday, Dimestore Tent@ 19:00

What To Expect:  This Other Kingdom are  heady neo psychedelic rock  and that aims for the stratosphere and goes beyond. A band only continuing to get better especially with album number in the works.

Highlight: 'Vacate The Horror' is bone shaking in its unbridled menace and claustrophobic intensity

What It Will Sound Like:

I Am Niamh

When Sunday, Wishbone stage @ 15:15

What To Expect:  Deftly crafted songs that whirl into unexpected directions and delivered with  quirkiness and charm. I Am Niamh stands out from the crowd of singer songwriters by not playing it safe.

Highlight: 'Wait Until The Morning Comes' encapsulates what I Am Niamh is  all about, bewitching and beguiling in equal measure.

What It Will Sound Like: 

MELTYBRAINS?

When: Sunday, The Burrow @ 22:30

What to Expect: This experimental five-piece use their past classical training to push the boundaries of conventionality; partial to found-object lyrical composition (singing the back of a packet of Amber Leaf) vocal distortion and heavily-layered melodies, Meltybrains? are an utterly distinctive and electrifying band, and their live sets are legendary.

Highlight: Throbbing lights, donning matching masks whilst skipping around the stage and vibing off each other’s mad giddiness, the possibility that they will finally explain what “roof ball” is.

What It Will Sound Like:

FARAH ELLE

When: Saturday, Faerie Field @ 17:30

What to Expect: Farah Elle’s brand of alt-pop forgoes the use of much instrumentation; her ambling melodies are propped up solely by her distinctive half-sung-half-spoken vocals and the interesting ways in which she draws upon her Libyan heritage and Irish upbringing.

Highlight: The lilting vocal introduction to Silk soundtracking an orange sunset.

What It Will Sound Like:

THE ALTERED HOURS

When: Saturday, Dimestore Tent  @ 22:00

What to Expect: The Altered Hour’s lo-fi psychedelia is, paradoxically, hypnotic and energizing at the same time. Having released their debut album In Heat Not Sorry earlier this year, the Cork-based five-piece will be bringing both a wealth of fresh material and their much-lauded live-act intensity to Knockanstockan.

Highlight: The swirling guitar riff in Sweet Jelly Roll and the general idea of lazily dancing to fuzzy shoegaze on a balmy night by the lake.

What It Will Sound Like:

SPUD GUN

When: Saturday, Animal Bar @ 22:15

What to Expect: A self proclaimed “psychedelic space goo” act, Spud Gun incorporate Bowie-esque cosmonaut themes and campy theatrics into their live sets, creating a deeply entertaining bizarro variety show that incorporates audience participation, a game show element and (occasionally) a blow up doll.

Highlight: The band’s sheer unpredictability makes it nigh impossible to highlight any one aspect of their shows (for who knows what shall be pulled out of the bag), but they have expressed the intention to give barn animals a “ferocious tickling” at Knockanstockan this year (whatever that should entail)

What It Will Sound Like:

BAD BONES

When: Sunday, The Burrow @ 21:30

What to Expect: Bad Bones (real name Sal Stapleton) brings her brand of ominous electro to Knockanstockan’s Burrow after a string of successful performances and a marathon of video releases (one per month) to accompany her songs. Each video, produced entirely by Stapleton herself, uses stark monochrome and jump cuts to accentuate the visceral, arresting nature of her music.

Highlight: The intense flash of black and white light to accompany the drop in Worship.

What It Will Sound Like:

Raglans

When: Saturday, The Burrow @ 20:00

What To Expect: A huge, welcome-back show for previous the headliners who return to the live scene after too long with some new material to go with their already hook-filled collection of bouncy, indie tunes.

Highlight: The slow build of 'This could be the start of something new' before Digging Holes comes to a rambunctious end.

What It Will Sound Like:

Spines

When: Saturday, Dimestore Tent @ 15:00

What To Expect: Energy. Lots of energy. If you like Hinds, you'll like Spines. The fact their names rhyme can't be coincidental.

Highlight: The whole set. Regular Knockanstockan punters, we believe this is their first time taking to a Stockan stage, so expect a tent rammed with well-wishers and headbangers.

What It Will Sound Like:

Feather

When: Sunday, Faerie Field @ 20:30

What To Expect: A whole hape of spacey, afro-infused tunes from Sierra-Leonean Emma Garnett and her eight-piece band.

Highlight: The delightful, genre-bending Like No Other.

What It Will Sound Like:

Æ Mak

When: Friday, The Burrow @ 21:00

What To Expect:  Two leading ladies whose voices meld in harmony, backed up by an earthy driving rhythm, Æ Mak don’t sound like your average band. They have an otherworldly quality to their music.

Highlight: The gorgeous, harmonious vocals that need to be experienced live to fully appreciate these talented ladies' potential.

What It Will Sound Like:

Áine Cahill

When: Saturday, The Burrow @ 12:30

What To Expect: A less-mopey, umpteen-times-more-energetic Lana Del Rey. Cahill recently made a list of top performances at Glastonbury according to the BBC. The sky is the limit for the Cavan native.

Highlight: Black Dahlia's hard-hitting, soaring vocals. Stunning.

What It Will Sound Like: