From returning favourites Arcade Fire and The National to veterans Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello to bright hopes The Middle East and Villagers, JIM CARROLL rounds up the 20 hottest acts playing this summer

JAY-Z
!!! (CHK CHK CHK)
ARCADE FIRE
THE MIDDLE EAST
THE NATIONAL
PHILIP GLASS
GRIZZLY BEAR
ELVIS COSTELLO
VILLAGERS
PAUL McCARTNEY
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
MOUNTAIN MAN
STEVIE WONDER
LONELADY
LEONARD COHEN

P!NK

The exclamation mark didn’t end up in her name by accident. What you get with Alecia Moore is bold, brash pop music with a definite spark and a lot of rebel yells. There’s been a lot of growing up since Get the Party Started showed she could holler with the best of them. But there are still moments on current album Funhouse , such as So What , when she shows she’s still able to cut loose and run for the hills. Live, she’s the real deal, putting on a show that gives real value for money. King’s Hall, Belfast, June 16; RDS, Dublin, June 19; Thomond Park, Limerick, June 20

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY THE CAIRO GANG
O EMPEROR
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD
GORILLAZ

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Source: IrishTimes

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