The Great Escape 2013 - final thoughts

OK, list fans: it's about time we had a top five from TGE13. Billy Bragg has been ruled out of consideration for being too damn good for the competition to have had any chance. Which leaves the following, from a total of 18 acts I saw: 

1. Royal Canoe
2. Mo Kenney
3. Mac DeMarco
4. L'Hereu Escampa
5. Lab Coast

All definitely worthy of closer study. And the best place to start with Royal Canoe is an EP appropriately called Extended Play, which you can download for free here, but which is also available as a nicely collectable 10". (I am the proud owner of #37 of 500, since you ask.) I'm hearing some echoes of their compatriots Brasstronaut on my first listen, which can only be a good thing.

 And, yes, 4 out of 5 in my list are Canadian...