Young upstarts: 10 to catch at Oxegen

Okay, so their names are on the festival poster in much smaller print than Arcade Fire and Jay-Z, but these 10 upcoming acts are well worth catching – and you can say you were there before they became huge, writes Tony Clayton-Lea

KASSIDY

HEINEKEN GREEN SPHERES, TODAY

Glasgow's Kassidy are probably one of the most talked-about new acts this year. Think Crosby, Stills, Nash Young, The Mamas the Papas, Laurel Canyon tunes, patchouli oil, commune-type living quarters, The Big Lebowski-style humour, and utterly terrific tunes. If you miss them at Oxegen, make sure you see them at Whelan's, Dublin, on July 22nd. kassidymusic.com

Not a lot of people know that:They use plastic cutlery and plates – these boys don't like washing up.

LISSIE

HOT PRESS ACADEMY TENT, TODAY

Lissie Maurus, from Rock Island, Illinois, may have made mistakes in the past (the title role of Annie,expulsion from high school for spitting in a teacher's face), but she has made up for it by becoming one of the most hotly tipped female acts of the year. Her 2009 debut EP, Why You Runnin', was produced by Band of Horses member Bill Reynolds and made Pastemagazine's 2009 list of auspicious musical debuts, while her just-released debut album, Catching a Tiger,has impressed many with its gorgeous mix of cafe singer-songwriter and rugged country, rock and soul. lissie.com

Not a lot of people know that:Lissie loves Harry Potter.

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

MAIN STAGE, TOMORROW

One of the best Irish bands of the past few years, from Donaghadee in Co Down. Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird and Sam Halliday have been casually banging about since 2007, but when their MySpace page started getting hit after hit, they gave up their places at university and flung themselves into music full-time. An EP, Four Words to Stand On, was released about 18 months ago, music blogs picked up on them, and then – voila!– they were signed by French label Kitsuné Music. twodoorcinemaclub.com

Not a lot of people know that:They got their name from a mispronunciation of their local Tudor Cinema.

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES

VODAFONE STAGE, TOMORROW

With support slots already clocked up with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Lostprophets, Hundred Reasons, Funeral for a Friend, Stereophonics and New Found Glory, you can guarantee that this Cardiff five-piece will shift asses off the ground. Although viewed in some quarters as a competent festival act, KIGH are gaining commercial ground fast, a fair indication that this time next year they’ll be higher up the bill at more than just Oxegen. kidsinglasshouses.com

Not a lot of people know that:The band's name is inspired by the Glassjaw song Tip Your Bartender.

ELLIE GOULDING

HEINEKEN GREEN SPHERES, TOMORROW

Probably the best-known name on the lower-down-the-bill list, yet it would be fair to say that Goulding hasn't yet capitalised on her surprise topping of the BBC Sound of 2010 poll. That noted, she remains a good starting point for students of contemporary pop, with her debut album Lightsticking all the right indie pop and folktronica boxes. Too much too soon? Possibly, but Goulding is creatively good and commercially smart, as her three co-written songs on Diana Vickers's debut album proves. elliegoulding.co.uk

Not a lot of people know that:Ellie has a Gift Voucher section on her website, for those who "can't decide what to buy".

DAISY DARES YOU

HOT PRESS ACADEMY TENT, TOMORROW

What fresh hell is this? Seventeen-year-old Essex girl Daisy May Coburn may have been nabbed early on by the majors (she’s signed to Jive, a subsidiary of Sony), but she is perhaps more adept at using online social networking to gain fans and up her media profiles. The sugar-rush music, meanwhile, is what perfect teenage electro-pop should be: cheeky, smart, with lyrical concerns that range from deceitful school friends and horrible sisters to boy trouble and zits. Youth? Sometimes, it isn’t wasted on the young at all. daisydaresyou.com

Not a lot of people know that:Daisy's mother was once a backing singer for Duran Duran.

PROFESSOR GREEN

VODAFONE STAGE, SUNDAY

Now that Drake has pulled out of Oxegen (for family reasons – his mother is ill), Hackney's Stephen Manderson (along with Example, see right) is flying the flag for low-on-the-bill-but-not-for-long hip-hop. Formerly signed to Mike Skinner's record label (now to Virgin), Professor Green has just released his major-label debut album, Alive Till I'm Dead, and you can be thankful that it's good enough to offset any old "English Eminem" comparisons. Expect a Plan B-like surge of popularity for this guy's self-deprecating and lyrical rhymes. professorgreen.co.uk

Not a lot of people know that:Manderson is from a part of Hackney known colloquially as Murder Mile.

GENERAL FIASCO

HEINEKEN GREEN SPHERES, SUNDAY

This Belfast band – up for a Kerrang!best British newcomer award this year – have been around for a few years, biding their time and honing their craft while simultaneously picking up friends such as Snow Patrol (who they have supported on several occasions), Zane Lowe, Jenny Huston, and tastemakers at events such as SXSW. Attention-grabbing, often anthemic punk pop is their trademark, and if you happen to cop an earful of their recently released debut album, Buildings,you'll hear clear echoes of The Enemy and The View. generalfiasco.co.uk

Not a lot of people know that:You can buy a General Fiasco tote bag for £10 via their website.

EXAMPLE

HOT PRESS ACADEMY TENT, SUNDAY

Elliot Gleave (28) got into hip-hop by listening to albums by the likes of Wu Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg, but he has long since forged his own singular style, which takes in elements of blues and what he terms "dysfunctional electro-pop". Best known, perhaps, for Vile,his response to Lily Allen's Smile,Gleave has since branched out into film-making and stand-up comedy, leaving him with plenty of career options should his music ambitions go belly-up. trythisforexample.com

Not a lot of people know that:In 1992, while at school, Gleave was bestowed the honour of Royal Mail Poet of the Year, winning his class a new computer.

CÉCILE

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY, SUNDAY

Stepping boldly into infinity and beyond, 21-year-old Italian DJ, producer and musician Cécile (aka Carlo Alberto) may have a background in classical music – he studied piano at Portogruaro's Santa Cecilia Music School – but that hasn't stopped him from creating bangers such as There's No Justice, or getting jiggy with electro-punk. Expect space-synth tunes ( Andromeda) and mellower tracks ( Una Domenica Italiana).

Not a lot of people know that:When he was a child, Carlo broke his grandfather's violin when he tried to play it as a guitar. Oops.