The Playlist: Music for Folks

Some say the touring summer music festival experiment has run its course. I would agree with this assertion in regards to the touring behemoths we've seen in recent years; Warped Tour is really the only one of any importance or significance that is still going strong - and though I may not attend annually anymore, I still value it's place in the summer entertainment schedule.

Music festivals in general however, are still cool. The big ones in the US including Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and Coachella are more cultural experiences than simply music festivals, and are all well worth the price and and effort to get there. But if you're on a tight budget, I'm positive there's a local music festival that while maybe not as lucrative on the big headliner end of things, can still provide an awesome musical adventure. For a comprehensive list of festivals in your area check out the following links:

Canada:
http://exclaim.ca/festivals/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Music_festivals_in_Canada
http://ibackpackcanada.com/summer-music-festivals-in-canada/

US:
http://matadornights.com/16-us-music-festivals-not-to-miss-in-2010/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rock_festivals_in_the_United_States
http://www.festivalfinder.com/

In the town where I live, we have a bunch of awesome summer festivals: clickie. Two of the best, IMO are Sled Island, and of course, the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Yesterday was Day 1 of Folk Fest, and a great first day it was... Co-headliners Stars and The Avett Brothers both put on amazing sets, and Regina, SK's Library Voices did a serviceable job in warming up the late afternoon crowd. We've talked a lot about Stars and the Avetts here at the the Fanclub, so I won't gush too much more about those acts - both current favorites of mine. But there are three days left in the festival, so you might be wondering what else might be worth seeing (considering there's about 50 more bands playing and no matter how organized you may be, you won't be able to catch them all.)

Here is a playlist of bands/artists you should check out if yer heading down to Folk Fest this weekend... you can find a schedule of when the acts are playing here.


Delhi 2 Dublin
This is a band I first saw in a tiny little bar in Brandon, Manitoba (of all places) last October. I didn't have any expectations, but was completely blown away by the frenetic energy and unapologetic uniqueness they offered. They mix Celtic, Bollywood (Indian) and Dub sounds into a wall of sound that you just have to hear to believe:




DJ Logic
Legendary Bronx turntablist fluent in any and all genres of music. Soul-jazz and hip hop abound in his solo work, and this guy is one of the giants in the DJ world - don't miss your chance to check him out.




MAN MAN
Um... this band from Philly is weird... but cool... but weird. What do they sound like? Their website says 'experimental rock, viking-vaudeville, and maniac Gypsy Jazz.' Sure, let's go with that...




Dan Mangan
I posted Dan's song Robots about a month ago. Dan is awesome, a rare talent and a cool dude - drop by and say hello to him after his set and see that I'm not lying




St. Vincent
Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens alum Annie Clark is ethereal, spacious and haunting - well, her music is anyways... a great pick for this kind of festival that will leave fans enthralled and newbies wanting more.




The Swell Season
Famous for their 2008 Academy Award winning song 'Falling Slowly', Irish troubadour Glen Hansard and classically-trained Czech pianist/vocalist Marketa Irglova are the real deal - hoping to turn lightening in a bottle into a bulb you'll never want to turn off




Ohbijou
Orchestral pop, a genre that Canadians excel at, is performed with perfection by this act - so cute, you just wanna pinch their cheeks




Hill Country Revue
Featuring members of the North Mississippi Allstars, these Southern rock n' blues hipsters bring the best of the genre to a town that could stand to inject a little soul into its twang.




Ghostkeeper
Local boy makes good... the great staccato vocal delivery works with the proto-punk-folk arrangements. You'll like it - trust me.




The Burning Hell
I've worked with these cats a couple of times, and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. It's eclectic, it's campy cabaret, it's got damn near every instrument under the sun... it's an adventure - which is what music should be.