Now that Big Day Out has closed its doors on Auckland, Laneway is the biggest, and by far the best, music festival we have. Since its inception in NZ in 2010, Laneway has gone from strength to strength with stellar lineups every year. For 2013, Laneway boasts its "most forward-thinking and eclectic line-up in NZ to date."

The festival is set for Monday 28th January (Auckland Anniversary Day), and will see some of the newest, hottest and most exciting acts from around the globe arrive on our shores for a day of pure musical ecstasy. Laneway has been moved to the spectacular setting of Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, with the Harbour Bridge and super yachts as the backdrop, and towering silos overhead.

Without further ado, the first announcement for the 2013 Laneway Festival:

Bat for Lashes

Bailterspace

Yeasayer

Of Monsters And Men

Alt-J

Nicolas Jaar

Divine Fits

The Phoenix Foundation

Lawrence Arabia

Jessie Ware

Phelps and Munro

Japandroids

Street Chant

The Men 

Cloud Nothings

Deer Park

Beach Pigs

+ More artists to be announced throughout November / Dec

Now while the artists may not be as instantly familiar as in previous Laneways, lest you think the lineup is stale or underwhelming in any way. Alt-J is one of the best acts of 2012, and their fantastic debut An Awesome Wave will for sure be near the top of my list for best albums of the year. I've had Nicholas Jaar's stunning BBC Essential Mix on repeat for the past month, and I can assure you that the young ambient producer is immensely talented - I beg you to download his mix here:
http://www.gorillavsbear.net/2012/09/12/mp3-nicolas-jaar-the-essential-mix-no-bbc-edit/

Having seen both Yeasayer and Japandroids recently, I will say without hesitation that both acts know how to put on a hell of a show. Iceland imports, Of Monsters and Men have been blowing up the charts around the world, and are sure to be fantastic live. Local favorites The Phoenix Foundation, Street Chant and Lawrence Arabia are consistently solid, and are always fun to see. Plus there's a whole bunch of other musical gems, like the enchanting Jessie Ware and Bat for Lashes.

As usual, Laneway will bring the finest mix of indie and alternative acts – some will be recent discoveries, and others will soon be your favourite. For now, make sure you mark Monday 28th January in your diary for the Auckland Laneway Festival of 2013!

- Tickets are on sale Friday 5th October from lanewayfestival.co.nz
or Ticket Master: ticketmaster.co.nz

- Keep up to date with all Laneway Festival updates at lanewayfestival.co.nz 

Chelsey will keep you updated with all news regarding Laneway. Be sure to check back for exclusive artist interviews, lineup announcements, videos and more.
For now check out a few videos from some of the artists of Laneway 2013: