Photo by Nicola Losik

Father John Misty

The 2013 running of the Basilica Block Party returns to downtown Minneapolis in July. That seems so far away as the snow came down as the names were announced, but it's coming. Cities 97 has rolled out the lineup for the two-day fest, and it's a mix of bands you probably could've seen perform a decade ago (Matchbox Twenty) and newer fare (Father John Misty). There's also a local stage packed with several quality Minnesota acts. It's all under the 2013 slogan of "Praise the Loud," as shown on the newly launched official site.

See Also:
Basilica Block Party Day 1, 7/6/12
Basilica Block Party Day 2, 7/7/12

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Kai Flanders

The Coachella campgrounds are the Wild West of the festival. They are the sort of place you can imagine Hunter S. Thompson running around with his pants around his ankles. Drugs are more plentiful than food and going to bed before 4 a.m. is considered an early night. Campers built incredible structures to house their debaucheries, though not all of them held up in the face of Sunday's sandstorm. Here are some of the most dementedly wonderful Coachella campsites. Hopefully they inspire the Weekend 2 campers to step up their tent game.

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Ten GIFs of dancing girls at Coachella

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Let's hear it for the fair and talented ladies of Coachella out in the California sun. Per usual, they were everywhere, doing their thing like it wasn't a chicken wing, or something. In any case, here are the hottest dancing girls this year -- in GIF form.

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Ten GIFs of Ultra ravers shaking, twerking, and bouncing

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Photo by Steve Cohen

The sixth annual 80/35 Music Festival lineup is here! The yearly downtown Des Moines music event has hit upon some eclectic notes for headlining talent with New York rap heroes Wu-Tang Clan, and the David Byrne & St. Vincent collaboration leading the way in 2013.

The event takes place Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6, with 40+ bands spread over three stages, and the hunt for tickets is on! Check out the initial offering of acts, which also includes Deerhunter, Wavves, and the quite-confusing inclusion of a "psychotic folk" band called Mumford's from Ames, Iowa. You can bet more than a few folks did a double take when seeing that familiar surname at the bottom of the bill.

See Also:
David Byrne & St. Vincent at State Theatre, 9/15/12
Wu-Tang Clan at Epic, 1/7/12

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Reverend Deadeye

The good folks at Bayport BBQ have offered up the lineup for the sixth annual Deep Blues Festival. As expected, this is a grouping of some of the rawest blues and folk players around gathered at Bayport's scenic location next to the St. Croix River.

Last year's running of the Deep Blues Festival birthed a fiery live album, courtesy of L.A. label Alive Naturalsound, so we'll have to see what's up the BBQ proprietor Chris Johnson's sleeve this time around. Running June 21-23, the bash features Indiana blues-rockers Left Lane Cruiser, Tennessee bluesman Mark Porkchop Holder, and revved-up Denver blues strummer Reverend Deadeye -- aka a guy who'll tell ya to "get drunk on Jesus."

See Also:
Bayport BBQ releases live festival album: Deep blues comes to life on this raw, live cut featuring seven bands
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Will Björk visit Minneapolis this summer?

The Pitchfork Music Festival lands at Chicago's Union Park July 19-21, and after the initial tease of R. Kelly, Björk, and Belle & Sebastian, the full lineup is now here!

One of the main curiosities for Twin Cities music fans is how the acts announced might filter into First Avenue's music festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, at Parade Stadium. And so the Pitchfork performers on either Friday or Sunday could be possibles to hit Minneapolis.

Anyhow, this Pitchfork grouping is a lovely mix of noise rock, R&B, hip hop, folk, and even some off-kilter pop. (But not the Walkmen!) Biggies include post-punk pioneers Wire, indie legends Yo La Tengo, M.I.A., Solange Knowles, and our Duluth heroes Low. The Breeders are slated to play Last Splash from front-to-back, and Joanna Newsom seems to be ready for another public push a good three years after Have One on Me. Check out the full schedule of bands below.

See Also:
Lollapalooza 2013 lineup: Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend & more

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Photo by Jacob Katel

Welcome to Ravetopia

Society got the best of ya? Go to Ultra Music Festival and leave the normal world behind. Here, you can feel free to get half-naked, customize your brain, and put some neon in your life.

Deep inside the endless well of bass, you just might find yourself. Here are 13 hardcore ravers who will teach you the ways of Ravetopia, in animated GIF.

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Colin Young-Wolff

By Ben Westhoff

The Coachella lineup is here. It's actually here! There have been ten tons of fakes, some quite convincing, and many of which had the Rolling Stones headlining. (West Coast Sound, however, broke the story that they would not appear.)

But never mind all that! The lineup is here, and the headliners are the Stone Roses and Blur the first night, Phoenix the second night, and Red Hot Chili Peppers the third night. Also, for the locals there is a special treat coming in the form of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon reviving the Shouting Matches, his side project with Peter Wolf Crier drummer Brian Moen and Megafaun's Phil Cook.

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Justin Vernon sings the blues in the Shouting Matches

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Photo by Erik Hess

Here's Macklemore surfing the Soundset 2012 throngs.

Rhymesayers Entertainment has announced the date for the 2013 running of Soundset, its yearly hip-hop festival.

Now in its sixth year, the gathering has established itself as one of Minnesota's largest showcases of music and culture, and one of the strongest within the hip-hop realm anywhere. We detailed the lead-up to this past year's Soundset in a City Pages cover story (Also: Behind the Soundset cover) back in May.

See Also:
Review: Soundset battled extreme weather at Canterbury Park, 5/27/12
Soundset photos 2012: Performers, people, the evacuation, the after party, and more
How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival: Minnesota's biggest annual hip-hop showcase enters its fifth year
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Photo by Anna Gulbrandsen from Summer Set 2012: The People

Ready for another Summer Set?!

Just as winter begins to rear its icy stare at us, there is hope for the a future season of humidity, outdoor revelry, and a LOT of music festivals in and around the Twin Cities. Yes, the Summer Set Music & Camping Festival is set to return in 2013, and it'll fall at a familiar time of year.

As you might recall, Summer Set turned out to be the centerpiece multi-genre music festival at Somerset Amphitheater just over the border in Wisconsin after the second running of SoundTown was canceled. With a mix of electronic, jam, hip-hop, and indie music, this was a schizophrenic dance party with Nas fans stirred up with Matt & Kim devotees and Umphrey's McGee faithfuls. (Wraps of day one and day two.)

See Also:
Summer Set Festival 2012 lineup
Summer Set's Jack Trash on SoundTown, EDM, and building Midwest memories
SoundTown and Minnesota's music festival fatigue


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