Gird your loins, Swiss music lovers! The inaugural edition of the This Is Tigerr newcomer festival  is about to roll into a town near you, and what a behemoth it is. 40+ bands, 95+ shows, 17 venues, in 9 cities, all in the space of one week. Phew! The majority of the artists and bands have never played in Switzerland before, and none of them have so far played in the towns they will perform in. So, an excellent opportunity to discover some great new music and performances.

There’s a lot to see, in a lot of places, so I’ve gone over the programme with an eagle eye and picked my must-see artists, although to be honest, you could rock up on any night and find something awesome. Just make sure you see something.

Blaudzun – Folky, banjo-pop troubadour from Holland.

The Magnetic North – Windswept dream-pop, with a side order of haunted folklore and mystery.

Toy – Latest UK buzz band. Their debut album of Kraut-rock influenced post-punk has landed them on many a music critic’s Best of 2012 list.

Brns – Don’t let the fact that their name doesn’t contain a vowel put you off – their avant-garde noise-pop is irresistible. You have been warned.

O Children – Dark wave, post-punk.

Garda – Think Germany’s version of The National, ie, very fucking good.

Pale Seas – Dreamy Americana mixed with English self-deprecation.

Ventus Flos – Gothy synth-pop – yes please!

Karin Park - The new Fever Ray.

The Cast of Cheers - Cheeky post-punk garage rock out of Ireland.

Want to check out this festival but the ol’ band account is running on empty? Well, I’ve got 2×2 tix to give away for the This Is Tigerr festival on each of the following days:

Tuesday 25/09/12 Plaza, ZH – Toy, Brns, O Children
Thursday 27/09/12 Stall 6, ZH – Garda, Pale Seas, Clara Luzia

Just tell me the name of your favourite gig venue, and perhaps, perhaps if the planets are aligned in your favour and the wind is blowing in the right direction, the tix are yours!

The inaugural edition of the This Is Tigerr festival will be held from 24-30.09.12, in various locations across Switzerland. Go here for the full programme and details.