Great Escape Festival

Phil Jackson presents the region's premier new music show South:Live Sunday evenings from 7pm to 9pm on BBC Southern Counties.

"Two of the local bands appearing at the Prince Albert (My Federation and The Drookit Dogs were selected as Best of the Fest last year by the organisers of the annual Brighton Live Festival so you can be sure those nights will be rocking.

"Coming in from slightly further afield are an amazing band from Southampton called Hijera who make the music everyone's been waiting for since Primal Scream's seminal Screamadelica. If their set on the BBC Electric Proms Next Stage was anything to go by, Hijera are a must see.

"Any of the bands playing at the Albert are worth the price of the wristband. Although there's a lot of music to choose from, I know where I'll be at the Great Escape - upstairs at the Albert."

My Federation: Prince Albert, Trafalgar Street, Brighton, Friday, 8pm The Drookit Dogs: Prince Albert, Saturday, 8pm Hijera: Prince Albert, Saturday, 11pm.

Martin Elbourne, event organiser for The Great Escape highlighted Patrick Watson and The Besnard Lakes from the ever-growing pool of talent emerging from Canada in the wake of Arcade Fire's world domination.

"People should also check out all the bands from Norway, Iceland and Sweden as well as Zzz from Holland." he says.

The Besnard Lakes: King And Queen, Marlborough Place, Brighton, Thursday, 10.15pm, and Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, Friday, 9.45pm Patrick Watson: Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, Friday, 9pm Zzz: Funky Fish, Marine Parade, Brighton, Saturday, 9pm.

Olly Hodgson, main event booker for The Great Escape.

"I think everyone should see Chinese angular, post-punk band Re-Tros.

China is such a growth market at present and this act is the most likely to succeed over here.

"My personal favourites also include emerging Sheffieldbased Tiny Dancers, Swedish duo Johnossi, unsigned act The Prayers from San Diego, Aussies electro nutters Damn Arms and SXSW buzz band Foals."

Re-Tros: Funky Fish, Marine Parade, Brighton, Thursday, 8pm Damn Arms: Gloucester, Gloucester Street, Brighton, Friday, 12.30am Foals: Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, Friday, 1.15am Tiny Dancers: Udderbelly, Old Steine, Brighton, Saturday, 8.30pm Johnossi: King and Queen, Marlborough Place, Brighton, Saturday, 9.15pm The Prayers: Audio, Marine Parade, Brighton, Saturday, 8.30pm.

Dave Richards, of Concorde 2 and She Likes Parties promotions, highlighted one of Brighton's up-and-coming talents.

"I love Peggy Sue and the Pirates, I have worked with them and put them on loads of times. They've got a really good thing going for them. There's an anti-folk movement and loads of singer-songwriters about but these two girls and an acoustic guitar have got a different stance on it. They have a storytelling side to them, their lyrics are very descriptive - and they're great fun to watch on stage.

"I really like Reverend and the Makers, I thought they would do a lot more, I don't understand why they haven't. 1990s are another band I thought would be getting bigger, they're like an English Kings Of Leon."

Peggy Sue and the Pirates: The Hope, Queens Road, Brighton, Thursday, 10.15pm 1990s: Audio, Marine Parade, Brighton, Thursday, 8.30pm Reverend and the Makers: The Beach, Kings Road Arches, Brighton, Saturday, 7.45pm.

Pete Pulizzi and Joel Dawes from Rounder Records, in Brighton Square, Brighton, had varying takes on who to see over the three-day festival.

Pete turned his focus to two Brazilian bands: "Bonde Do Role put on a really lively show. I saw them at Audio last year. It's electronic music with a Brazilian flavour, very sort of bootleggy. CSS have a similar sort of sound."

He also tipped new dance act Goose, who he compared to Belgian dance maestros Soulwax.

Joel highlighted new indie band Good Shoes, whose self-titled debut album has been flying out of the shop.

"Does It Offend You, Yeah! are very new wave and Daft Punk inspired. I've heard their music online but I've never seen them, so this will be a good excuse."

He also picked up on local duo Peggy Sue and the Pirates: "They have been compared to Coco Rosie, but they are more song-based and traditional than that. I've never seen them but a good friend of mine manages them."

Goose: Pressure Point, Richmond Place, Brighton, Thursday, 9pm CSS: Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, Thursday, 10pm Bonde Do Role: Pressure Point, Saturday, 8.15pm and Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, Saturday, 1am Good Shoes: Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton, Saturday, 10.45pm Does It Offend You, Yeah?: The Gloucester, Gloucester Road, Brighton, Friday, 10pm Peggy Sue and the Pirates: The Hope, Queens Road, Brighton, Thursday, 10.15pm.

Wayne Imms, organiser of The Space (Southern Performance and Creative Energies), Brighton's media and arts networking event, and presenter of the radio programme of the same name on Radio Reverb at 6pm Wednesdays.

"I saw Monkey Sons recently and this seven-piece has a fresh and uplifting take on hip-hop, mixed with psychedelia and pop. Definitely one to watch, reminding me of The Go! Team and Black Eyed Peas.

"If you're into witty, catchy melodic piano and guitarbased pop, then Paul Steel is highly recommended.

"Prepare to be captivated by tunes such as Honkin' On My Crack and Rust And Dust. Artists the much acclaimed and tightly harmonious Paul has recently supported include Ed Harcourt and The Duke Special."

Monkey Sons: Ocean Rooms, Morley Street, Brighton Thursday, 11.15pm Paul Steel: The Hope, Brighton Saturday, 7.45pm.

Bella Todd, The Guide's own talent spotter, recommends James Yorkston.

"Autumnal warmth, wry beauty and rugged introspection from the East Neuk of Fife. The first time I saw James Yorkston he was supporting the elegantly morose Tindersticks. He sat on a stool in a pullover and shorts and played the banjo.

"Six years on he's one of my favourite live performers, partly because of his perpetual air of gentle amusement and partly because on stage his tinder dry arrangements suddenly catch light.

He calls it whigging out'.

"He's started standing up to play recently (something to do with getting fit) which, in the nu-folk world, is a dramatic new development."

James Yorkston: Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton, Thursday, 9pm.

Shaun Whitehouse is the promoter of The Gilded Palace Of Sin, which is running a night at the Prince Albert in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, the Sunday following The Great Escape with "banjobashing Canadian death trio" Elliott Brood.

"These were easy choices," he says.

"The Besnard Lakes are like the Beach Boys meets My Morning Jacket.

Potentially they are the pick of the whole weekend. Archie Bronson Outfit is easily one of the best live bands around. Heavy, compelling, angry, irresistible music. And with Maps, at last there's a new UK band that deserves the hype.

Beautiful, blissful electronica-meets-shoegaze.

And The Loose Salute are like Mistys Big Adventure or Magic Numbers playing country. Best New Band of the weekend!"

Archie Bronson Outfit: Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton, Thursday, 10.45pm The Besnard Lakes: King And Queen, Marlborough Place, Brighton, Thursday, 10.15pm, and Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, Friday, 9.45pm Maps: Udderbelly, Old Steine, Brighton, Saturday, 9.15pm The Loose Salute: Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, Saturday, 7.30pm.

The promoters behind Melting Vinyl, who have teamed up with The Great Escape to put on a Scandinavian showcase on Thursday, have each picked their favourite for the weekend.

Paul Mcgivern chose Bonde Do Role saying: "CSS meets 2ManyDJs NewYork/Rio in a carnival dance-off, miss them at your peril."

Zoe Inman picked up on The Neon Plastix, who she describes as: "Electro, bubblegum-pop with frantic beats from Doncaster quartet, who take on the likes of the Klaxons and Does This Offend You, Yeah? in the race for the New-rave crown."

And finally, Anna Moulson will be looking out for Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, who she calls: "A young Alexi Sayle on a electro-pop dance tip - very entertaining."

Bonde Do Role: Pressure Point, Saturday (19) 8.15pm and Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, Saturday, 1am The Neon Plastix: Funky Fish, Marine Parade, Brighton, Saturday, 8pm Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip: Pressure Point, Richmond Place, Brighton, Saturday, 7.30pm.