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Our Top Picks for Sydney Festival

12 January 2016 | 2:36 pm | Caitlin Medcalf

We had a dig through the Sydney Festival lineup to bring you some of our top picks

It's that time of year again, friends. The folks at Sydney Festival HQ have been working tirelessly to bring us some of the most hidden gems and recognisable figures for another culturally expressive year.

I caught the Flaming Lips over the weekend as part of the festival, and aside from being an incredibly well-run event, the vibe was incredible and the acts even more excitable.

We had a dig through the Sydney Festival lineup to bring you some of our top picks. Featuring some of our favourites and some we haven't spoken much about in the past, the lineup this year is one of intense cultural, sonic and perspective difference and this is why these guys are not to be missed.

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DREAMLAND

Bringing together four of Sydney's most innovative minds, Dreamland will see the sickly sweet baritone croons of Jack Ladder, the pervasive guitar stylings of Kirin J CallinanDonny Benet's Italo street funk and Laurence Pike of PVT's eclectic guitar rhythms come together for one heck of a night. Featuring songs, stories and solos, it's going to be an unforgettable evening.

When: January 16, 11.45pm

Where: Hyde Park North (Entry near Archibald Fountain)

Price: GA $25 + fee

DaM-FunK

Pasadena's funk hero DaM-FunK has hit Australian shores to bring his golden, breezy brand of huge funk to Sydney Festival. Starting out as a player in various g-funk hip-hop ensembles, he made the switch to "full-funk" and find his own way. He put his sophomore album Invite the Light out just last year, and to much critical acclaim, has come out on top.

When: January 15, 11.45pm

Where: Hyde Park North (Entry near Archibald Fountain)

Price: GA $39 + fee

Girlpool

LA dynamic duo Girlpool decided to take music into their own hands and have come out the other side with a unique blend of femme punk, and all with little more than a guitar, bass and some hefty vocals. Girlpool don't need percussion, they've got incredible rhythm within their sound regardless. Taking influence from early Bright Eyes and more, the girls' brutally honest lyrics are brought entirely to the fore by their minimal approach to instrumentation.

When: January 26, 8pm

Where: Hyde Park North (Entry near Archibald Fountain)

Price: GA $39 + fee

Outernational! Deadly Dragon Soundsystem ft. Screechy Dan & Lord Echo

Bringing reggae and an incredible groove together, Outernational! will combine the efforts of artists from Kingston, Wellington and New York for this captivating Sydney Festival event. Taking three artists out of their on contexts and into a repurposed one, they'll be seen together combining their relevant experiences to create something altogether new.

When: January 23, 9.45pm

Where: Hyde Park North (Entry near Archibald Fountain)

Price: Licensed, GA $49 + fee

Black Coffee & Okmalumkoolkat

Two of Africa's leading producers Black Coffee and Okmalumkoolkat are coming together for this unique Sydney Festival appearance. Capturing the youthful vibe of South Africa, both producers will express the importance of the place's vibrant electronic scene through their respective sets. Not only that, but the artist's incredible experiences from across the globe will guarantee for a one of a kind experience.

When: January 24, 9.45pm

Where: Hyde Park North (Entry near Archibald Fountain)

Price: GA $49 + fee

Oh and PS. there's now a FREE David Bowie Tribute Event at the festival too. Organisers are encouraging Bowie fans to don their best Bowie outfits and limber up for a night of dancing, because a lineup of DJs are in store to pay tribute to a true artistic hero of the modern age. For more info head to the Sydney Festival website.

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