WAKARUSA: Guide to Friday's bands

To learn more about Wakarusa Music Festival, which runs this Thursday, May 31 through Sunday, June 3 just north of Ozark on Mulberry Mountain, visit http://www.carrollconews.com/blogs/livem....

Dank Sinatra -- Formed in the spring of 2010, the Athens, GA based sextet, Dank Sinatra, has been making some noise around the Southeast over the past two years. Blending countless different genres into a melting pot of music, Dank Sinatra's sound is something that can only be described once it has been experienced

The Stone Sugar Shakedown -- The Stone Sugar Shakedown, a 4-piece band from St. Louis, Missouri, blends earth-rooted, traditional music and contemporary, spacious sounds. Their multi-dimensional music and live performances captivate the listener and create a funk-filled atmosphere, both sonically and visually

SPEKTR -- Spektr is an experimental black metal duo formed in 2000, in Paris, France. They are currently signed to Candlelight Records and have released two full-length albums to date. The bands sound is a mix of raw black metal à la Darkthrone with elements of industrial and dark ambient, which has drawn comparisons to the more recent works of fellow countrymen Blut Aus Nord.

Monophonics -- Psychedelic Soul, sometimes called black Rock, is a sub-genre of Soul music, which mixes the characteristics of Soul with Psychedelic Rock. It came to prominence in the late 1960s and continued into the 1970s, playing a major role in the development of Soul and Funk music.

Dumptruck Butterlips -- Dumptruck Butterlips wants you to join their foursome for a night and let them entertain you. With their potent mix of downhome country and funky soul music, they bring audiences to their knees, pleading for a second round.

Cadillac Jackson -- Fayetteville-based Waka Winter Classic winner Cadillac Jackson would best be described as a funk band that taps into rock, pop, hip-hop, reggae, dance, and even bluegrass genres to create a truly unique stew.

Elfkowitz -- Elfkowitz, better known as Ian Lefkowitz, is a Detroit native, and has been producing music for over 7 years. Ian jumped from genre to genre, slowly finding his true passion: bass. In 2009, Ian moved back to Chicago, and using his continually-expanding network, has become a regular act on the Chicago scene.

Gaelic Storm -- Gaelic Storm has continued to broaden the Celtic music genre since the band was formed nearly ten years ago. They create compelling originals and fresh arrangements steeped in Irish traditional melody and acoustic instrumentation combined with their unique blend of world rhythms.

Snarky Puppy -- Made up mostly of former music students from the highly esteemed University of North Texas (affectionately referred to as "the Juilliard of the South"), the band effortlessly blends a strong sense of musicality and virtuosity with raw, organic musical instincts.

Mountain Sprout -- Eureka Springs-based speed-grass / hillbilly-acid musical sensation that will tickle your funny bone and energize your dancin' shoes all at the same time; hysterical lyrics full of backwoods, party-animal spunk and a sensibility for high-speed, on-the-mark bluegrass music that'll melt eardrums!

VibeSquaD -- Though his legendary live sets may cause whiplash and heart attacks in the unsuspecting bystander, those prepared to launch get much more than they bargained for. Aaron's music defies typical genre-labels and covers tempos from slow 'n hard lowriding krunkadelics to mid-tempo barnstormers all in a seamlessly flowing soulful mash- dirty and beautiful as life itself.

MarchFourth Marching Band -- A 30-member, mobile, big-band spectacular, propelled by electric bass, a diverse percussion ensemble and brassy horn section. Visually enhanced by costumed beauties, acrobatic stilt walkers, fire arts, hula hoops and more theatrics, MarchFourth invokes dancing in the aisles and impromptu fan parades through the festival grounds on a regular basis. To read more on what to expect at MarchFourth's performance, check out the full preview blog article at http://www.carrollconews.com/blogs/livem...

Assembly of Dust -- Assembly of Dust (also known as AOD) is a rock band formed in 2002 by former Strangefolk frontman Reid Genauer. Genauer formed the band while enrolled in the MBA program at Cornell University. The band has played at Bonnaroo, Langerado, 10KLF, Wakarusa, All Good Music Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Newport Folk Festival, and countless Wormtown Trading Co. events

Split Lip Rayfield -- see Thursday's list

That 1 Guy -- For Berkeley, CA-based Mike Silverman, better known by his alter ego That 1 Guy, when it comes to making music, necessity is the mother of invention.

A classically trained upright bassist who won several jazz scholarships and competitions, Mike became one of the most original and in-demand upright bass players in the 90's progressive jazz scene. At the peak of his powers, Mike was developing and utilizing techniques that were previously thought impossible on the upright bass. Often getting hired as a one-man-rhythm-section, he would function as a bassist, drummer, and entire mini orchestra simultaneously.

Lance Herbstrong -- See Thursday's list

Rubblebucket -- See Thursday's list

Royal Family Ball featuring Soulive & Lettuce -- Lettuce, the seven-person all-star collective originally formed in 1992, returns to the funk jazz forefront with its third album, RAGE!, a hyper-charged outing of tunes that are equal parts artsy and party. Not many bands can say they've recorded with Chaka Khan, Dave Matthews, Talib Kweli and John Scofield. Nor can many bands open for The Rolling Stones on one tour and have Stevie Wonder sit in with them on the next. And Soulive is equally acclaimed -- this is gonna be a DO NOT MISS set!

Lyrics Born -- see Thursday's list

The Devil Makes Three -- Mixing styles from the ragtime and country music of the 1920s and '30s to the rock and roll and punk music of their adolescence, The Devil Makes Three pushes the boundaries of acoustic music.

The Delta Saints -- As if the warm familiar melody of rootsy porch music has been plugged in and turned up: The Delta Saints are driving listeners from the comforting recline of their porch swings right to the edge of their seats. It's a fusion of traditional southern soul and funk-inspired power, all layered with furious harmonica lines that simultaneously tie the group together and threaten to unseat it all in one sweep.

Wick-it the Instigator -- His roots are in hip hop/turntablism, but in the last couple years, electronic music has vastly made it's way into his repertoire as well. Wick-it is all about the party, and despite the style or approach with each individual track, serious crowd rocking fun is the goal.

The Motet -- see Thursday's list

Heartless Bastards -- see Thursday's list

Blitzen Trapper -- Blitzen Trapper is a Portland, Oregon-based experimental country/folk band signed to Sub Pop Records. Blitzen Trapper released its third album, Wild Mountain Nation, in 2007 to much critical acclaim from critics such as Pitchfork Media, The Nerve, and Spin Magazine. The group signed to Sub Pop Records in the summer of 2007. The release of Furr in 2008 was a high-water mark for the group as their eclectic new songs received a two-page feature in Rolling Stone. The album was ranked #13 on Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 2008 while the title track was ranked #4 on the magazine's Best Singles of 2008.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros -- An American band led by Alex Ebert, vocalist of the power pop group Ima Robot. Their song "Home" has been featured in many TV shows, videos and commercials, including a trailer for the film Cyrus, the closing credits for the film Jesus Henry Christ, NBC's Community, Fox's "Raising Hope", season 4, episode 10 of ABC's Ugly Betty, and season 3, episode 6 of The CW's Gossip Girl. It also was featured in commercials for the NFL during the summer and fall of 2011.

Break Science -- Raised in the cultural hotbed of New York City, Break Science's Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee fuse the city's rich musical legacy--jazz, funk, soul-- with a deep-rooted connection to its hip-hop heritage to create their own take on modern electronic music.

New Monsoon -- See Thursday's list!

Mosey West -- Mosey West is a sonic folk band from Fort Collins, CO. The three members of Mosey West met through playing music with friends around Fort Collins and formed the band in the fall of 2010. They each shared an addiction for live music and a passion for creating their own.

Railroad Earth -- See Thursday's list!

The Avett Brothers -- Its 13 songs are delivered in a style that defies pigeonholing but might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop -- even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there.

Perpetual Groove -- See Thursday's list

Shedding Watts -- Shedding Watts is a band formed of pure energy. Transformed from the previous 4stardaydream band, Shedding Watts has formed a new musical evolution that is focused on solid song writing, and high energy performance

Umphrey's McGee -- Lauded by critics and adored by fans, the band continues to draw in new listeners with their singular style: virtuoso playing and acrobatic tempo changes and rhythmic shifts complemented by dazzling song craft and composition, memorable hooks, anthemic guitar lines and rock solid rhythms.

Balkan Beat Box -- Accomplished with tools and disciplines (extreme instrumentalism, DJ'ing accross the globe) and a strong urge to create a new musical breed that surpasses the old reality borders and takes just people and culture in their extended roots from East to South, From Romania to Yemen, Balkans to North Africa, Ramallah to Tel Aviv, around our little Mediterranean pond there is more common to us then the news and politicians let people think

Girl Talk -- Girl Talk celebrates pop to the extreme and continues his sonic evolution towards his party-infested live shows. Throughout eight years of dedicating himself to creating sample-based music, Gillis has focused on the art of sampling and developing new tracks that have their own character, and surpass the original elements.

Tribal Seeds -- With heavy influence from Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, and Midnite, this new and unique group will re-introduce Roots ROCK Reggae to the popular music scene.

R/D -- Dripping with angst and desire, R/D's compositions can be at times dizzyingly beautiful, heartbreaking in their melancholy and dancefloor-crushing all at once.

Ghostland Observatory -- With their spectral blend of electronics, drums, guitar and vocals, they have emerged with a sound that is the culmination of past influence and present inspiration, and can only be described as BALLSY.

MiM0SA -- Fans know MiM0SA as someone who brings a good-time energy that is as fierce as it is friendly, taking them on a space-age psychedelic journey through urban chaos and ecstasy.

Love and Light -- Composing music that touches their hearts and elevates their souls, the duo takes pride in their goal to uplift people across the world. Bursting with melodic synth lines, complex chord structure, intricate rhythms, and funky chunk bass lines

Nobody Beats The Drum -- Together, the trio delivers a uniquely unforgettable live audio/visual experience that has brought them high praise from trendsetters such as Kanye West, Vice Magazine and more.

Michal Menert -- His sound combines obscure vintage samples from both Eastern European and Western vinyl with rich analog synthesis and organic hard hitting beats. It is a fusion of yesterday's elements and tomorrow's ideas.

Clandestine -- Formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, Clandestine has been redefining progressive rock/metal and making waves in the underground scene.