The Summer festival season is upon us, and no summer is complete without the diverse oddities emanating from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN. Each year the small town grows to 8x its usual population for 3 days of music, art, and good eats against a rural backdrop. This year marks the 14th incarnation of the festival which has launched many acts into the stratosphere. Headliners this year will include Pearl Jam, two sets from Dead & Company and LCD Soundsystem. For those just catching up, Dead & Company consists of Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir along with singer/guitarist John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. We’ve got your list of the emerging acts on the cusp of something big.
Blood Orange:
Also known as Lightspeed Champion, and Dev Hynes, Blood Orange is a singer and producer from England. Blood Orange has written for a variety of artists over his career including Florence and the Machine, The Chemical Brothers, and Kylie Minogue.
Kamasi Washington:
Kamasi Washington is an American saxophonist, composer, and songwriter known for his spot-on tenor sax, and diverse musicianship. The LA native has played with Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, and Herbie Hancock as well as on the Grammy award winning Kendrick Lamar album To Pimp a Butterfly.
Dai Burger:
Dai Burger began her career as a backup dancer appearing in Beyoncé’s “Party” video. She received her break on Junglepussy’s mixtape MyMixxxytape in 2010 and has since put out 2 well received records in 2011’s Raw burger, and 2014’s In Ya’ Mouf.
https://youtu.be/CTOAqPhhR90
Sha Sha Kimbo:
The American DJ and Producer resides in Los Angeles and has been finding a good niche audience with her own style and demeanor. Fans can hear her at worldwide festivals as well as monthly at her night #CyberSonicLA on the West Coast.
Wet:
The American pop band from New York, NY was named the most promising group in music by The Fader in 2015, and has released an EP along with their latest record of dreamy, shoegaze, pop entitled Don’t You.
Mail the Horse:
Mail the Horse is a basement, psychedelic-tinged, barn burners with definite 70’s leanings. Their sing-along choruses have been enraging crowds since 2010. Their new EP Magnolia is due out June 10th.
Quaildogs:
Quaildogs are an Atlanta, GA band that blur the line between country and southern rock. The 6 piece has been raging since 2011 with their 2014 release The Getting Old Factory quickly turning heads. The band has since opened for acts as diverse as Moon Taxi and The Handsome Family.
Sun Club:
Sun Club are a catchy punch of summer love waiting to be opened. Their new record The Dongo Durango is inviting, as it is obnoxious and funny.
The Knocks:
The Knocks are an electronic duo whose debut record 55 was released early in 2016. Their name refers to early in their career when neighbors would knock on their door for playing too loud. The group has produced beats for Katy Perry, Flo-Rida, and Ellie Goulding.
Papadosio:
The Athens, OH band recently released their 4th studio album entitled Extras in a Movie with a genre-defining sound and a sonic ambience rivaled only by their live show.
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