The summer is almost here. And you know what that means: music festivals!

ROCK THE VINE 3
June 9, 2012 12 PM to 8 PM
$15 (presale)/$75 (VIP)
Stillwater, Minnesota
irockthecause.org

In its third annual Rock the Vine series, Rock the Cause is joining forces with Compatible Technology International to help fight global world hunger.

Musicians scheduled to play:

Halloween, Alaska
Solid Gold
White Light Riot
Farewell Milwaukee
Johnnyrook
Lynhurst
Savannah Smith
Old Soul

And surprise guest: Haley Bonar! (Just recently added).

The admission price is very affordable, prices range from $15 to a five beers tickets with admission for $35 to the wine-sampling/VIP access for $75 (full details listed on irockthecause.org). The $35 + beer sounds like the best deal, in my opinion. You must be 21 + with ID.

I’ve been to so many festivals that you have to buy “food tickets” to get food. Then you’re left with like one or two orphan tickets that basically can’t afford you anything. So you end up throwing away money. Say goodbye to that at Rock the Vine, you just pay with cash with 100% of the net profit going to supporting Compatible Technology International and Rock the Cause.

PS, bicyclists: Thrifty Hipster is offering bike-trail action.

TRAVERSE CITY WINE & ART FESTIVAL
June 30, 2012
$20
Traverse City, Michigan
traversecitywinefestival.com

Speaking of wine, check out Michigan’s wine coast at the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival this June 30th. There are 27 area wineries, and restaurants and performers, and their headliner is a Platinum recording artist Rusted Root.

Festival organizer Laura Herd gives more details, “This is the one event that brings nearly all the wineries of our region together to celebrate the sights, sounds and tastes of Northern Michigan. What really sets our festival apart is how we combine culinary and cultural artistry to stimulate and excite your palate, letting you enjoy the fantastic wines and ciders our region has to offer as you dance, dine, and watch extraordinary performers in the gorgeous and historic arboretum of the Grand Traverse Commons.”

Other entertainers: Orpheum Bell, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, and the Naughty Neighbors. If you’re interested in attending, see poster.

NXNE 2012
June 11-17, 2012
$50 (full)/$250 (priority pass)
Toronto, Canada
nxne.com

I went to NXNE last year, had a great time. From my experience with it, I wish the venues were closer together. Your best bet is to get a weekend subway pass to get around. As I recall, the prices for the festival was affordable as well, but if you really have to see a band, I suggest getting there early because there were a couple of shows that sold out.

Last year, we saw Devo and Men Without Hats, this year the headliner is Flaming Lips. Remember, this is early on, we’ll hear more announcements and confirmations as we inch toward the festival in June.

According to their website, they are hosting over 650 bands. That’s pretty insane. Here are bands confirmed:

LOUNGE ON THE FARM
6th – 8th July 2012
£ 121.50 (1 Adult)/£ 320.00 (Family)
Merton Farm, Canterbury, Kent
loungeonthefarm.co.uk

Lounge on the Farm Festival recently announced new additions to their 2012 line-up, including British 80s pop super group Dexys, who will be making only one other festival appearance this summer.

Other headliners includes, The Charlatans, Emeli Sandé (she’ll be touring with Coldplay in the US this year!) and The Wombats.

Complete Line Up:

Aluna George, Bastille, Beans On Toast, Caspa, Cave Painting, Charli XCX, Chic, Clean Bandit, Dani Groombridge, David Rodigan, Dexys, Disclosure, Dismantle, Dub Pistols, Emeli Sandé, Escapist, Fake Blood, Fountains, Gemini, Ghostpoet, Goldie, Greater Varsa, Herve, Jagga, Jake Bugg, Jaymo and Andy George, Jess Mills, Karima Francis, Kito, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Man Like Me, Murray James, Mystery Jets, Niki and the Dove, Pale Seas, Pantomime Villains, Peace, Rae Morris, Roni Size, Roots Manuva, Roska and Jamie George, Rudimental, Sam Sure & Giacomo, Scott McFarnon, Scratch Perverts, Seye, Slow Club, Sound of Guns, Spector, Stay+, Swiss Lips, Syd Arthur, The Charlatans, The Good Natured, The Heatwave, The Jacobs, The Milk, The Other Tribe, The Wombats, The Wildes, Theme Park, Toddla T, Troumaca, Vadoinmessico, Various Cruelties, yOB, and Zinc

UNDERAGE FESTIVAL
31 Aug 2012
£19.50 (Earlybird)
Shoreditch Park, London
www.underagefestivals.com

This may be the first music festival that I’ve heard of that is targeted to underage music fans (ages 13-17). I believe you have to be between that age range to attend. I could be wrong, but it makes sense to keep out the ‘creepy uncle’ factor.

By the way, do you remember what music you liked back then? It wasn’t good, I’ll tell you! Looking over their music guests, man oh man, I’m really out of touch:

BIGKids, Dry The River, Fixers, Iceage, Maverick Sabre, Outfit, Pulled Apart By Horses, Rustie, Spector, Summer Camp, Theme Park

HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL
Sep 6-8, 2012
$55 (1 day)/$165 (VIP)
Raleigh, North Carolina
hopscotchmusicfest.com

The Independent Weekly is bringing its third annual Hopscotch Music Festival to North Carolina. Like SXSW, this is a scattered venue event with 15 participating venues and over 175 bands officially listed to play.

Headliners are Built to Spill, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Roots. Since the pre-sale went on sale last December, only 200 VIP wristbands are left.

Lineup:

Airstrip, Altar of Plagues, Altos, Alvarius B, Amen Dunes, Arnold Dreyblatt & Megafaun, Balam Acab, Baroness, Big Troubles, Bill Orcutt, Bio Ritmo, Birds of Avalon, Black Skies, Boy Friend, Built to Spill, Burglar Fucker, Calico Haunts, Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan, Carlos Giffoni, Charlie Parr, Charles Latham, Cheater Slicks, Chelsea Crowell, Chris Corsano, Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp, Chuck Johnson, Cities Aviv, Class Actress, CO LA, Colin Stetson, Corrosion of Conformity, Curtis Eller,Damien Jurado, Dan Deacon, Danny Brown, David Pajo/Papa M, Death Grips, Deerhoof, Delicate Steve, Doldrums, Donovan Quinn, Dope Body, Drique London, Duchess Says, Ducktails, Elephant Micah, Escort, EXITmusic, feltbattery, Field Report, Flesh Wounds, Flosstradamus, Free Electric State, Frustrations, G-Side, Glenn Jones, Grohg, Gross Ghost, Guardian Alien, Guinea Worms, Hacienda, Heads on Sticks, High Wolf, Hiss Golden Messenger, Holograms, Hubble (Lag World Premiere), Hume, Hundred Waters, ITAL, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Jacaszek, Jackie Chain, Jane Jane Pollock, Jason Kutchma & the 5 Fifths, Jenny Besetzt, Joint D≠, Jon Mueller’s Death Blues, Julia Holter, Kenny Roby, Kevin Drumm, Lambchop, Lazy Janes, Laurel Halo, Left Outlet, Liars, Lilac Shadows, Lizzy Ross Band, Little Hollow, Mac McCaughan, Marc McGuire, MAKE, Matthew E. White: One Incantation Under God, Mark Holland, Midtown Dickens, Minor Stars, Mirel Wagner, My Best Fiend, Nails, Naked Gods, Nerves Junior, Nests, Nick Catchdubs, No BS Brass Band, Nobunny, Odonis Odonis, Oneida, Oren Ambarchi, Paint Fumes, Pallbearer, Phil Cook & His Feat, Pipe, Pop. 1280, Quiet Evenings, Roman Candle, Roomrunner, Samantha Crain, Savage Knights, Say Brother, Screaming Females, Secret Cities, Secret Mountains, Shark Quest, Shirlette & the Dynamite Brothers, Shovels & Rope, Silver Swans, Sinful Savage Tigers, Sister Crayon, Some Army, STAG, Starlings, TN, Strand of Oaks, Sunn O))), Sutekh Hexen, T0W3RS, Tomas Phillips & Craig Hilton, Tom Maxwell, Tenement, Thee Oh Sees, The Atlas Moth, the band in Heaven, The Beast, The Beat Report, The Bronzed Chorus, The dB’s, The Future Kings of Nowhere, The Hot at Nights, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Mountain Goats, The Roots, The Spits, The Toddlers, Toon & The Real Laww, The Weather Station, Valient Thorr, Vattnet Viskar, Versus, Whatever Brains, White Hills, Withered, Wood Ear, Work Clothes, Wowser Bowser, Wye Oak, Wylie Hunter & the Cazadores, Yo La Tengo, Young and in the Way, Young Magic, Zack Mexico, Zammuto, Zeus, Zola Jesus