Pitchfork

There's never been a better time to discover Groningen, Holland than this coming weekend. For three days, beginning Thursday, January 11, the Dutch city that isn't Amsterdam or the Hague plays host to a pair of music events that should whet your whistle for all things European and up-and-coming.

First up: EuroSonic, going down January 11 and 12, brings together an impressive crop of the latest and lamest (namely, Uffie) acts blowing up the old countries in the new millennium. For those two nights, venues across Groningen will play host to Swede-pop luminaries like Peter Bjorn and John, Loney, Dear, and Hello Saferide, dancefloor-divebombers like Digitalism, Datarock, Styrofoam, Lo-Fi-Fnk, and several Ed Banger cats (SebastiAn, Krazy Baldhead, the afore-dissed Uffie), and genre-benders like Patrick Wolf, Planningtorock, and Tunng.

Also of note: an orgy of UK buzz bands including the Magic Numbers, Hot Club de Paris, Duke Special, Humanzi, Larrikin Love, Shitdisco, and Young Knives, Finland's Islaja, France's Poni Hoax, UK folkie James Yorkston, Swedish songbird Anna Ternheim, and Norwegian studs 120 Days.

The evening after, January 13, 20-year tradition Noorderslag whips the locals into a frenzy over the hottest Dutch talent. These bands are so damn hot we haven't heard of a single one of them (that's a different Boris), but who knows, perhaps nestled amid 16 Bit Lolita's, Hospital Bombers, and De Nieuwe Vrolijkheid is the next Golden Earring.

Check out the complete artist list and venue info here.