You should go see James Murphy’s DJ set because the former LCD Soundsystem man’s return to Electric Picnic is one of the more anticipated acts of the weekend. LCD Soundsystem performed one of the all-time great Picnic sets back in 2010 and since the band called it quits over a year ago the goodwill towards Murphy and his cohorts has been almost entirely universal. Shut Up And Play The Hits, the film which documents the final days of LCD Soundsystem, will hit Irish screens next Tuesday and what better precursor for that than seeing the man himself in action?

You should go see The Strypes because the Cavan four-piece’s combined age isn’t a great deal higher than the age of Picnic headliner Robert Smith of The Cure. The band’s retro 60’s beat style of music, coupled with excellent musicianship, makes these guys not just ones to watch for the future but ones to watch for right now.

You should go see Elbow because, quite simply, they’re one of the best bands around at the moment. Frontman Guy Garvey is blessed with one of those ‘once in a generation’ type of singing voices. Add to that incredible songwriting nous and a fine backing band and you have a group who are smack-bang in the middle of their prime at the moment. Elbow should be one of the highlights of this year’s Electric Picnic.

You should go see The Vaccines because their second album Come of Age is released on the very day they play the Picnic, so we imagine the band will be in something of a celebratory mood. We’ve had the pleasure of listening to an advance copy of the record and – trust us – it’s a doozy. Not to be missed.

You should go see Grimes because her latest album Visions is one of the most talked-about albums of 2012. Claire Boucher, as her parents know her, was in town for a show at Forbidden Fruit during the summer and her show that night proved that Grimes isn’t a just flash in the pan but a solid artist just beginning what should be a hugely interesting musical career.