UKNY for July 30

Back from London and jet-lagged beyond belief, but still thinking back on two festivals I attended last weekend: the Friday edition of Junction 2, back after a four-year hiatus, and the heat-seeking Visions Festival in Hackney on Saturday.

On "UKNY" tonight at 11 p.m., some of those bands and artists I had the good fortune to see at both festivals. The July 21 edition of Junction 2 in Boston Manor Park was a mash-up of electronic music, DJs, and a celebration of influential London record shop Phonica. Headliners were pioneering progressives Underworld on the mainstage, who did a set that not only kicked off with their euphoric 2022 reinvention of "Juanita," but introduced new songs too, including the yet-to-be-released "Denver Luna." Peruvian-born, Berlin-based Sofia Kourtesis, who announced the October release of her debut album, Madres, earlier this week, had a blast with Elkka, the pair splitting a rowdy and joyful B2B set at the Bridge stage, quite literally under a bridge underpass. And Max Cooper, opening for Underworld, also has a pair of new releases from his forthcoming Motif EP, one of which I'll get to tonight.

The Visions Festival, an all-day affair on July 22 that featured headliner Spiritualized and mostly emerging or rising bands playing across five venues in close proximity: Hackney Church, Oslo, Moth Club, Paper Dress Vintage and Hackney Social.

Bouncing from venue to venue on a rainy, chilly day, I tried to see as much as I could within a five-hour stretch, some of which I'll play tonight, including London-based Picture Parlour, who just released their debut single in June (and opened for Bruce Springsteen at BST Hyde Park earlier this month); the explosive punk thrashings of Hastings teenage trio HotWax; Devon synthpop trio Pale Blue Eyes; Manchester's scorching Scalping, and the mesmerizing hush of mui zyu.

There were so many good bands playing at this year's Visions Festival at sadly conflicting stage times (my damn-just-missed list included Katy J Pearson, Clara Mann, Modern Woman, and Isabella Lovestory) that it's impossible to see the bands you wish you could have seen. It was an expansive lineup, a mini Great Escape festival packed into a single day, and a seemingly satisfying venture for the bands involved — Picture Parlour's Katherine Parlour noted that the quartet had long dreamed of playing the Moth Club and now finally had their chance.

Also in tonight's mix, deeper dive into Blur's new album, the ruminative and lovely The Ballad of Darren. And remembering Sinéad O'Connor, a mighty light and inspiration.

A busy London excursion on tonight's "UKNY," Sundays 11p.m.-midnight, on 90.7FM, streaming online, and in the Archives after broadcast.

Songs played:
 

1. Blur, “St. Charles Square,” The Ballad of Darren
2. Blur, “Russian Strings,” The Ballad of Darren
3. Picture Parlour, “Norwegian Wood,” single
4. Pale Blue Eyes, “Hang Out,” This House
5. HotWax, “Treasure,” A Thousand Times EP
6. mui zyu, “Ghost with a Peach Skin,” Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century
7. Scalping feat. Grove, “Remain in Stasis,” Void
8. (Lima, PE-Berlin, DE) Sofia Kourtesis, “Si Te Portas Bonito,” Madres
9. Max Cooper, “Swapped (radio edit),” Motif EP
10. Underworld, “Juanita 2022,” single
11. (Dublin, IE) Sinéad O’Connor, “I Am Enough for Myself,” Gospel Oak EP