Electric Picnic 2009 line-up so far!

• The Electric Picnic line-up so far was revealed yesterday. Acts announced for the three-day festival at Stradbelly in Laois this September 4-6 are:
• Madness, Orbital, Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx, Vagabonds, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, The Klaxons, Bell X1, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Chic, Seasick Steve, 2 Many DJs, Lisa Hannigan, Explosions in the Sky, Damien Dempsey, Alabama 3, Bat for Lashes, Zero 7, Erol Alkan, Roots Manuva, The Sugarhill Gang, Billy Bragg, Lykke Li, Imelda May, Echo and the Bunnymen, Magazine, ESG, Moderat, Simian Mobile Disco, Four Tet, Skream and Benga - Magnetic Man, Noze, Heartbreak, Halfset, Chris Cunningham, Okkervil River, Magnolia Electric Company, Low Anthem, Villagers, Tunng, Jape, Whitest Boy Alive, Michachu and the Shapes, The Walkmen, Michael Nyman, Dublin Gospel Choir, Quantic Soul Orchestra, Jazzanova.
• There is a great deal to look forward to in that list so far, and rumours of acts such as Kraftwerk (who were amazing at the festival in 2005), Morrissey and David Byrne have not been ruled out yet. Out of the Irish acts performing, Villagers should be interesting to see. The new project of The Immediate's Conor O'Brien, Villagers recently released one the best Irish EPs of recent months with 'Hollow Kind'. Jape, the brainchild of Redneck Manifeso's Richie Egan, are always a big attraction at the Picnic, and after winning the Choice Music Award recently for the 'Ritual' album, 2009 should see Jape's biggest billing at the Picnic yet. American electro-pop duo MGMT literally raised the roof at Oxegen 2008 and are certain to do just the same at the Picnic this year. The Festival always has a fine bill of old school acts in the line-up, and 'nutty boys' Madness, '80s white-soul boys ABC, 70s funksters Chic, featuring Nile Rogers, and Hip-Hop pioneers Sugarhill Gang, whose most famous track 'Rappers Delight' featured a sample of Chic's 'Good Times', should all hopefully still have enough juice in the can to keep the weekend party flying. Personally, I'm also very excited to learn that 'the Orson Welles of Punk' Howard Devoto will be bringing his reformed new-wave band Magazine to the Festival. The return of Orbital is certain to be a late-night highlight on whatever night they are certain to top the bill. Overall there's lots to be very excited about, and hopefully lots more to be added to the bill. I'll see you there!