While some were disappointed in SnowBall’s change of venue from the snowy Rockies to the concrete jungle of the Mile High and possibly even the lack of diversity of headlining acts, I believe this is once instance where a festival’s lesser-known artists may just steal the spotlight. Below are my picks for sets that aren’t to be missed during SnowBall 2014.
JagwarMa
Aussie duo-turned-trio JagwarMa blends psychedelic elements with hazy vocals and reverberating synth patterns to create danceable tracks again and again. Their debut album Howlin’ received glowing reviews from Pitchfork and they’ve struck the notice of bigger artists like the xx and Foals. Catch their set Sunday at 8:30pm at the Ballroom stage.
You, Me & Apollo
If you’re interested in deviating from the mess of electronic acts, you should definitely head to the Snowball Stage Sunday at 3 pm to catch Colorado-bred indie rock/ soul band You, Me & Apollo. Prepare to be shocked as the massive, gritty vocals of a soul pioneer emerge from the lips of a wiry twenty-something with a disheveled Afro. Brent Crowles’ voice is both surprising and mesmerizing and should be enough of an incentive to catch this set.
Real Magic
Real Magic is the music and art project of Drew Englander. His style layers somber vocals over more upbeat electronic rhythms. His entrancing style is a fresh, human take on electronic music. Head to the Ballroom Stage on Friday at 6pm to hear for yourself.
Lunice
This young Canadian producer has garnered the attention of electronic fans everywhere with his dominating dance floor shakers. He collaborated with producer Hudson Mohawke in 2012 to create the critically-acclaimed TNGHT EP, which features hard-hitting electro-tracks laden with hip hop-beats and intense trap breakdowns.
What So Not
Head to the Groove Tent at 4:15 Sunday for the trap-heavy production of Aussie producers Flume and Imoh Instead. Breakout electro hits such as “Jaguar,” “High You Are” and their most recent banger “Tell Me” featuring RL Grime have been reverberating through speakers all over the world. And [ladies] both guys are pretty easy on the eyes. Try not to break your neck during this set.
Some other acts you shouldn’t miss are: Eminence Ensemble (Sunday at 2pm Ballroom Stage), STRKFR (Saturday at 4:15pm Snowball Stage), Warpaint (Friday at 9pm Ballroom Stage) and heRobust (Friday at 4:30 Groove Tent).
Stay tuned for SnowBall ticket giveaways with 303 Magazine!