Five of the best acts at Liverpool Sound City 2017

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Celebrating its 10th anniversary in May of this year, Liverpool Sound City has become one of Merseyside's most anticipated events, and will once again bring a stellar cast to the city over the bank holiday weekend.

A glimpse through the festival's previous bills reveals that the event has never struggled to attract big name acts, with a focus on diversity that means the likes of Calvin Harris, Gil Scott Heron, Ed Sheeran, Dexys Midnight Runners, Catfish and The Bottlemen and tonnes more have all featured on the Sound City line up at some point.

This year, to celebrate a decade of existence, the festival throws back to the mid  '00s with two of Saturday's star turns in The Kooks and The Cribs, both major players in the indie boom that graced British music around 10 years ago. Aside from that, Tim Burgess' Tim Peaks Diner will invite talks from both the Charlatans frontman himself and The Velvet Underground's John Cale, while tonnes of other acts will hold court across the weekend. Ahead of all the madness in Merseyside, we've selected the five acts who are set to light up the birthday celebrations. 

Metronomy

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The festival's dalliance with synths this year gets off to a flyer with The Human League and Art of Noise kicking things off on Thursday, but it's Metronomy's stint on the Saturday which is our must-see performance from a headliner.

The group have been behind five albums of lush electronic experimental pop, not least 2011's still mesmerising The English Riviera which provided with their mainstream breakout. The proposition of hearing 'The Bay' whilst overlooking the Mersey estuary is too tantalising a prospect to pass off, which could arguably be the moment of the festival

Jimmy Coultas

Ali Horn 

If you call Liverpool your home then it's probable that you're already familiar with the ambient sounds of Ali Horn as he frequents the streets of the city centre busking to the amiable public. Having played an integral role within Liverpool psych dwellers Strange Collective, who still hold a place in the hearts of garage fans within the city, Horn's solo venture offers more chilled out vibes, as his acoustic guitar is combined with his Southern-tinted vocals. Fans of Mac DeMarco will love this London-turned Liverpudlian lad's sound. 

XamVolo

Rising star XamVolo is a pioneer within the neo-soul genre. Taking inspirations and influences from grime and hip hop as well as classic R&B beats Volo - real name Sam Folorunsho - adds in his own take on jazz and soul to create a truly sensational sound. He's already well known in the Liverpool music scene, hence his invitation to grace the Sound City stage. Having performed at various events across the city including last year's FestEvol, Volo's music is at its peak in a live entity. All while he completes his degree in architecture. 

The Kills

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If you're after a pile-driving display of bluesy garage rock then look no further than The Kills. Formed at the turn of the millennium, members Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince know how to turn things up a notch when they hit the stage with scrappy fretwork and echoing vocals culminating in a bruising end result. Their Sunday slot in Liverpool looks set to be a highlight, not least with 2016 record Ash & Ice still sounding as huge as it did on release.

Henry Lewis

White Lies

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If The Festival Experience with... White Lies is anything to go by, the band love inner city festivals so Liverpool's showpiece event should be right up their street. With indie anthems aplenty, and hot off a huge album tour, the band look set to bring down the house in Merseyside. The enduring appeal of this band come festival season is as undiminished as ever and they look set to conquer one of many festival main-stages this summer when they take on Sound City.

HL

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