Friday 24th August at Reading Festival / Saturday 25th August at Leeds Festival

Hot on the heels of his eighth album ‘A + E’, erstwhile Blur guitarist Graham Coxon returns to solo business with a hotly anticipated appearance on the NME / Radio 1 stage. The critics have been positively slavering over this latest outing and will undoubtedly see this appearance over-subscribed.

With the follow up to 2009’s critically acclaimed ‘Manners’ under construction Passion Pit head to this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival. Hailing from Massachusetts, expect a blend of new electro dance tunes and old favourites.

Alternative rock band, The Blackout are Sean Smith, Gavin Butler, Matthew Davies, James Davies , Rhys Lewis and Gareth Lawrence. With a new album scheduled for release in August, these very special shows at Reading & Leeds will give fans a unique preview.

Always a favourite at festivals The Hives are sure to get things jumping with their infectious, thrilling garage rock hits. With new single ‘Go Right Ahead’, a sax-laden, glam-rock stomp hitting the airways now and previewing new album ‘Lex Hives’ due in the summer, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, Nicholaus Arson, Chris Dangerous, Dr. Matt Destruction, and Vigilante Carlstroem will bring the sound of the summer to the NME/Radio 1 Stage.

This year sees Spector graduate from their BBC Introducing Stage debut at last year’s festival with a well merited position on this year’s NME/Radio 1 stage. Nominated for the BBC Sound Of 2012 the band, fronted by one Fred Macpherson, were formed in 2010 and have released a trilogy of singles through Luv Luv Luv. With a debut album slated for later in the year this East London based five-piece bring their melancholic widescreen pop to the stage at Reading & Leeds.

Following inclusion on the BBC’s Sound Of Poll, Brooklyn’s Friends are taking 2012 by storm. Armed with one of the singles of the year, ‘I’m His Girl’, and the captivating follow up ‘Friend Crush’, expect these shows to be the talk of both sites come the August Bank Holiday weekend.

With debut album ‘Breakfast’ unleashed last month, Chiddy Bang are ready to step into the limelight. You’ll have heard their MGMT sampling breakthrough track ‘Opposite Of Adults’, and with time spent touring with Tinie Tempah, are sure to be ready to deliver one of the shows of the year.

Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic make their first foray to Reading & Leeds this year. The band who came to the attention of Nigel Godrich with their 2010 album ‘Pigeons’ have just released the fruits of those joint labours - ‘A Different Ship’ which had Spin Magazine saying “…this is the sort of music that would happen if Paul Simon had made ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’. Yes it’s that good”. Get there early and see what the fuss is all about.

Saturday 25th August at Reading Festival / Sunday 26th August at Leeds Festival

Mastodon have never really done anything the ‘conventional’ way. The Atlanta-based band formulated their own brand of highly-skilled hard rock over a decade ago when others were rehashing 80’s metal, and went on to mastermind a string of complex concept albums. With new album ‘The Hunter’ hitting the Top 10 in the US last year the band are picking up more and more fans – head-banging will be compulsory at this scorching show.

Anticipation is high for the return of Santigold and her new album ‘Master of My Make-Believe’ and this show will be the perfect opportunity to see this high-rising artist. Last year’s collaboration ‘Go’ with Karen O of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs was described as a "brittle and brilliant brawler of a track" by the NME and ‘Disparate Youth’ the first track released from the new album is also picking up plaudits. Citing Aretha Franklin, Devo, James Brown and Siouxsie and the Banshees as influences, this is an eclectic and exciting singer not to be missed.

Set to tear up the festival season this summer, Dry The River are one of the most talked about artists of the year. With three years and over 250 shows already under their belts, they released their debut album ‘Shallow Bed’ to rave reviews last month, with NME declaring they’ve made an “accomplished, luxuriant, expertly crafted” record. Get down to the front early for these sets.

Glasgow’s Twin Atlantic follow a successful 2011 with the release of their Gil Norton produced ‘Free’ album. The quartet cut their collective teeth with slots supporting the likes of Gaslight Anthem, Angels And Airwaves and Taking Back Sunday and as singer Sam McTrusty says “…we’re giving people something to believe in again.” Catch them and believe too…

Formed by ex. Gallows frontman Frank Carter and ex. Hope Conspiracy and Suicide File guitarist Jim Carroll, Pure Love’s debut single ‘Bury My Bones’ has just been previewed on BBC Radio 1. Currently working on their debut album due later this year with producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies), Carter commented "Rock might not have been as popular in recent years, but that's definitely going to change because we haven't released our album yet. I want to make music that's timeless and classic."

Sunday 26th August at Reading Festival / Friday 24th August at Leeds Festival

The legendary vocalist fronting the Mark Lanegan Band has sung with some of the greatest bands of the last two decades. Lanegan formed the Screaming Trees in the 80’s and made some of the finest albums of the grunge scene. He’s worked with the coolest names around since and his distinct baritone voice has been described as "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather”.

Having wowed the Main Stage last year, The Joy Formidable return at the personal request of Foo Fighters to play a very special set. Currently mixing their second album in New York with Andy Wallace, the trio made waves on both sides of the Atlantic with their debut album ‘The Big Roar’ in 2011, NME declaring that ‘its big but it’s certainly clever’ and Rolling Stone thrilling to ‘multi orgasmic crescendoes’. Having recently sold out New York’s Terminal 5, this return to UK shores promises to be a perfect preview of the band’s second album, due later in the year.

Having evolved from various outfits, Camden-based quartet Tribes came to the fore at the start of 2011 and has seen the band accrue plenty of support both in print and on the airwaves. The band’s debut album ‘Baby’ was unleashed earlier this year reaching Top 30 status en route, further embellishing the plaudits already bestowed upon them. If last year’s appearance is anything to go by the tent will be filled to the gills for those to see on of the UK’s finest live acts of recent years.

On its release earlier this year, the self-titled debut album from Django Django was succinctly hailed thus: "It's a dream of the psychedelic tropics, a heady explosion of colours, an album that takes what it means to be in an indie band and gives it a good shake..." This art pop quartet first emerged back in 2009 doing things their way whilst releasing selected tracks, mainlining into the nation's psyche and producing what has been one of the year's highlights.

Young Minneapolis five-piece Howler marked their arrival on this side of the Atlantic last year in a barrage of hysteria. Having rapidly signed to Rough Trade Records, they consequently released the ‘This One’s Different’ EP and supported The Vaccines on their Autumn UK tour. Earlier this year saw the arrival of their debut album ‘America Give Up’ with the band showing few signs of slowing up. This summer’s shows mark their debut at Reading & Leeds and will see further clamoring down the front as they play their biggest shows to date.

Of Monsters And Men’s debut album ‘My Head Is An Animal’ went to Number One on its release in Iceland from where the band hail. Describing themselves as “an amiable group of day dreamers who craft folkie pop songs” they turned into local heroes after winning a yearly battle of the bands competition. This will be one of the first chances to see this highly tipped six-piece.