Glastonbury 2011: the essential Spotify playlists

New bands, Dance Village fans, the experimental and more

Daniel Fahey, Chris Swindells - 17 May 2011

We’re getting into the Glastonbury mood in VF Towers: drinking strong Somerset cider, staying up until sunrise and blasting out our favourite acts on Spotify. We’ve devised a few playlists to get you in the mood too. Sorry we can’t provide the cider.

But we also want you to create a Reader's Playlist for us too! Scroll down to the bottom of this article and leave a song and track that you want to be added to the list (they must be playing Glastonbury!) and get people to 'Like' your comment. We'll turn the top 15 tracks into a playlist for you to take away. You can also play on the VF Facebook.

Editor’s Picks
Llisten to the Editor’s Picks playlist.

In front of me lays the modern equivalent of a treasure map. There isn’t an X to mark the spot, instead it’s a mess of scrawled notes, scribbled circles and more crossed out mistakes than on Andrew Lansley's original NHS reforms. I am, of course, scrolling over the Glastonbury clash-finder, putting together a highlights package in Spotify playlist form. But what's in there? Well, I've squeezed in two of the best drum breaks around - the 'Tomorrow Never Knows'-esque 'Setting Sun' by The Chemical Brothers and the coolest skin fill ever, '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' by Paul Simon - as well as the folk brilliance of Laura Marling, Dry The River and 'Vincent' by Don McLean, a track that never fails to make a grown man reach for the Kleenex.

Of course Wu-Tang Clan had to be included, courtesy of the horn-heavy 'Uzi (Pinky Ring)', while I killed two birds with one stone by including the Frankie Knuckles remix of 'Blind' by Hercules And Love Affair - not only will they play live but it's a set favourite for disco don Greg Wilson. There is much more else besides, including Glasvegas' 'It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry' for the lyrics alone, the bonkers Gonjasufi, James Blake doing his best Nina Simone impression, Wild Beasts, Battles and much more. I’ve tried to balance it so you feel as if you’ve been to Glastonbury for five days once you finish listening to it, hence the Jamie XX remix of Jack Penate, SBTRKT and Linda Lewis songs. I leave it up to Morrissey to have the final word with a song that sums up the Monday morning blues blissfully. Enjoy!

I’m spending my weekend in the Dance Village
Listen to the Dance Village playlist.

You know what it’s like. There is someone you really want to catch on the Pyramid Stage but you’re dribbling in the Dance Village and the DJ has just dropped another banger. You now won’t be out of the vortex until sunrise, picking up parts of your brain and wandering over to the Hare Krishna tent for some mothering. That’s why we’ve put together a playlist, just for you.

It kicks off with the gurningly great ‘Me & You’ by Nero, before taking a journey as epic as the shuffle up to the Stone Circle from the Acoustic Stage. Krafty Kuts and Plump DJs take care of the breaks, while disco forces itself out from the 70’s by way of Azari III and a remix of The xx by Greg Wilson. Jamie XX has found his bubbling ‘NY Is Killing Me’ bassline onboard too with house legends like Nick Warren, Carl Cox and John Digweed all included as well. Bassheads, don’t fret, we’ve got some dubstep from the untouchable Skream and Benga as well as D&B from Sub Focus and DJ Fresh, while SBTRKT and Zinc bring in the garage. See you at sunrise!

What’s new pussycat?
Listen to the new bands playlist.

Don’t be fooled, there’s about as much fresh blood flowing through Glastobury’s 2011 line up as from Charlie Sheen’s nasal on a good night out. Eavis might be 75 but he can take his free bus pass and hit the streets to get down with the young’uns. What’s on the playlist? One of the most talked about ‘street acts’ Giggs does his thing on the East Dance stage. The police told XL not to sign him and venues not to put him on but now this rapper, once convicted for firearm possession, cannot be contained. See Giggs - he’s like Tyler, but real like.

Yuck make their first Glastonbury appearance under the John Peel Stage, just four months after their debut album arrived. It’s been quite a journey for the four-piece, which feature two old Cajun Dance Party alumni. The shoegazing label doesn’t do the band justice, these are some of the dirtiest, sweet rock numbers you’ll hear this summer. There’s plenty on the bill so magnificent and undiscovered I can’t find the words to expres its. Just listen to the Spotify playlist and make your own favourites.

An alternative Glastonbury
Listen to the alternative Glastonbury playlist.

Glastonbury is the festival of the people and you really can’t find more of a variety of people than on this sacred 900-acre site come 22 June. Its eccentricities, oddities and all round brilliance is mirrored in the musical acts, whether under the G Stage or Pyramid.

If you don’t know your orchestras from your spoken word troupes then this is our playlist of the Glasto 2011 avant-garde highlights. If Battles were ready to be written off after frontman Tyondai Braxton left the band last year, then no on has told them. ‘Gloss Drop’ is a confident, forward-thinking, but most importantly a fun record that has got everything going for it, including a Gary Numan cameo.

We’ve had Rolf, we’ve had Tinchy, now the Pyramid Stage opening slot is surely ready for Fisherman’s Friends. A male singing group from Cornwall with tales of the open sea, long distant shores and pasties (I’d imagine). The Hidden Orchestra, Raghu Dixit and legendary festival cornerstone Gaudi are all in there too. Listen to the playlist and make your own verdict, then share it around.

Don't forget you can win Glastonbury 2011 tickets on Virtual Festivals.

The final Glastonbury 2011 tickets will go on sale tonight (Tuesday) at 7pm. We will be blogging live to keep you in the loop.

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