Sled Island Festival Reveals Roster

SLED ISLAND MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FULL LINEUP

JUNE 24TH TO 28TH IN CALGARY, ALBERTA

Sled Island is thrilled to announce its full 2015 lineup.

Joining an already stellar list of artists that includes guest curators Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sled Island is excited to welcome legendary innovative hip-hop act De La Soul, indie rock deity and past Sled Island performer Yo La Tengo, genre- and gender-defying riot act Mykki Blanco, as well as fuzzed-out garage rocker Colleen Green. These artists join a massive berth of talent in the form of brooding acts like Maica Mia, Scattered Clouds and  Neu Balance, indie rippers like Fountain and Beat Cops, furious and heavy bands like Dead Soft, Shooting Guns and  Dead Ranch, hip-hop talent from Tory Lanez, Oseko and Rougies Clique, plus weird pop in the form of  Look Vibrant, Kappa Chow and Quaker Parents. 

As always, a key component of Sled Island is local talent. Among the many great bands included on the lineup, we’d like to mention rising garage-punks The Mandates, club scene and tour circuit favorites 36?, the challenging and rewarding Friesen Waters Duo, doom devils The Weir, flow conscious hip-hop luminary A.Y.E. & The Extraordinary Gentlemen plus newer act Blü Shorts, made up of members of other local favorites.

Over the course of the festival, more than 250 bands will play at over 30 venues across Calgary. Previously announced bands include Television, Drive Like Jehu, Body/Head, Daniel Lanois, Ex Hex, King Tuff, Lightning Bolt, Ben Frost, Jaga Jazzist, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Black Milk, Pentagram, Fu Manchu, Swervedriver, Pissed Jeans, Viet Cong, Iceage, Son Lux, Hundred Waters and Lydia Ainsworth. As part of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s guest curation (which includes Body/Head), they have also invited The Ex, Matana Roberts, Fred & Toody, Carla Bozulich, Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche, Big Brave and David Dondero to join.

Also recently announced: this year’s comedy program will feature Bridget Everett, Chris Locke, Mark Little and Will Weldon. Stay tuned for additions in the weeks to come.

Sled Island’s film program is back as well, and includes docs chronicling music from Montreal to Cambodia, the life and times of punk royalty Danny Fields (in attendance!), plus a loose Tuareg take on Prince’s Purple Rain (starring none other than Sled Island 2015 artist Mdou Moctar). Check out the lineup here.