There aren’t many musicians from Scandinavia (or from Europe, for that matter) whose first artistic steps have attracted such enthusiastic attention from the American bible of popular music, “Rolling Stone.” This side of the pond, “Q” Magazine hailed the Danish duet as one of the most interesting new phenomena on the music scene. With support like this, success is practically a no-brainer. Him and her. The White Stripes, The Kills, The Ting Tings — hard evidence that all it takes is a few catchy notes and a head-on collision between testosterone and estrogen to achieve an exciting result. The Raveonettes are just as perfect an example of a man/woman duet that sparks, charms you, and gets you on your feet. Their greatest success so far has been the album “Pretty in Black” (2005), with the single “Love in a Trashcan,”, but subsequent albums, “Lust Lust Lust” (2007) and ”In and Out of Control” (2009), have proven that these Danes are still in peak form, and are out of control at concerts, in keeping with the title of their last record. 

The British group ART BRUT is no stranger to fans of soccer, as their song “Direct Hit” made it onto the soundtrack of the popular video game “FIFA 08.” Despite the title of their latest album, “Art Brut vs. Satan,” the band doesn’t play black metal, but rather a variety of indie rock that brims with energy. The record was produced by Frank Black, leader of The Pixies, and garnered positive reviews from fans and critics, landing them a slot at Glastonbury and, finally, Katowice’s OFF Festival. 

London’s ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT have returned after six years of silence with the album “Coconut,” released, naturally, on the legendary Domino label. ABO’s psychodelic rock sound is augmented with a sprinkling of dance rhythms and vintage electronics. Pitchfork calls it “exciting new sounds on the horizon.” “New Musical Express” hails the album as a “triumphant return.” 

That’s not the end of the list of international guests invited to the fifth anniversary edition of OFF Festival Katowice.

We are also pleased to announce: CASIOKIDS (Norway) — an electrofunk group from Scandinavia with a name that says it all. This band’s strong point is the unpretentious naïveté of the melodies and sounds that have been lost for decades. Something like Duran Duran on holiday in Morocco, but with the riotous force of rave when performing live. 

DAMON AND NAOMI (USA) — a duo on Sub Pop records, whose roster often expands during live performances, and who budded out of the legendary group Galaxie 500. Dream pop meets psychodelic, new folk, making for one of the OFF Festival’s biggest potential surprises this year. This is one gig you can’t miss! 

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (USA) — if Damon and Naomi lull you to sleep, then APTBR will get you back on your feet: they could wake a corpse. The crushing wall of sound produced by this NYC trio and the monotonous, hypnotizing quality of their compositions has provoked not undeserved comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Swans. 

Don’t forget about Polish bands. We are proud to announce that the strong local independent lineup of the OFF Festival now includes the following: 

APTEKA plays the album “MENDA” — representatives of the Baltic coast’s tri-city are as talented as they are dangerous. They’ve already played at the OFF Festival, and were received warmly, so they’re coming back — this time with a performance of the legendary album ”Menda.” 

KRYZYS — We don’t want to overuse the adjective “legendary,” but how else do you describe Kryzys, the founding fathers and giants of Polish punk? The band’s debut album, “Kryzys komunizmu” just hit the shelves, a good quarter-century too late, so there will be cause for celebration. 

PINK FREUD FEAT. JERZY MILIAN – Few Polish bands in the last few years can be credited with popularizing jazz among rock audiences as much as Pink Freud have. Wojtek Mazolewski’s band has a simple recipe for success — the sound is jazzy, but with a rocking beat. They perform at the OFF Festival with an absolutely exceptional guest, the eminent vibraphonist and composer, Polish jazz mentor Jerzy Milian. 

MUCHY — Although their second album bears the title “Notoryczni debiutanci” (Notorious Debutants), their position on the local stage is well established. After all, few young bands combine an original, alternative perspective on music with a knack for writing catchy melodies and intriguing, nontrivial lyrics. 

KIM NOWAK — Nobody saw this coming. Fisz and Emade flipped the “OFF” switch on their electronic toys and dug their way back into the garage, where they made noise back in their teenage years. Heavy metal riffs, dirty, garage band sounds and great songs. Prepare to rock. 

More stars on the OFF Festival Katowice 2010 lineup will be announced in two weeks.