ATP 2.0: Nightmare Before Christmas

Swinging erratically between Julian Casablancas-esque crooning and the deadpan snarl of Mark E. Smith, Ought’s Tim Darcy is arguably the most charismatic vocalist in the world right now. Want proof? Check out ‘Beautiful Blue Sky’ – from the quartet’s second LP, Sun Coming Down – during which he wrings euphoria from apathy using a monologue of banal conversation-starters. If you’re a fan of Parquet Courts, Talking Heads or Television, don’t miss the Montreal post-punks in action at ATP.

Braids might have downsized from four members to three, but they’ve certainly grown in confidence in the five years since they first wowed us with Native Speaker. The trio’s latest LP blurs the boundaries between cerebral art-pop and electronic music to thrilling effect, and has received rave reviews for its more accessible sound. There’s a new-found directness to Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s lyrics too, most notably on the startling ‘Miniskirt’, which mercilessly skewers misogyny and male entitlement.

Though still best known as one half of F**k Buttons, Benjamin John Power has been making music as Blanck Mass since 2011. Following the frazzled, ambient soundscapes of his self-titled debut, Power harnessed the percussive thrust and brute aggression of his work with Andy Hung for May’s follow-up, Dumb Flesh. Prepare yourself for a scorched haze of violently-distorted vocal loops, skull-crushing beats and caustic drones, as he performs the highlights live in Prestatyn.