Animal Collective: Harder Than You Think?

Pitchfork media announced that Public Enemy and Animal Collective will be among some of the acts to play the Pitchfork Festival, which is held in July annually in Union Park in Chicago. Other performers of note (at least the ones I'm excited about) include grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal and singer-songwriter M. Ward. Quite an eclectic and talented line-up; if you need a two-day crash course in indie music-with a side of Flava-Flav- this is the fest this summer to attend. And for just $50 dollars for the whole weekend, let those Bonnaroo-goers this year eat cake!

I'm not one to diss the 'Roo; I was a loyal attendee for three years in a row, but this summer's selection of festivals is pretty impressive even without Bonnaroo. Michigan's Rothbury has somehow managed to book the likes of Snoop Dogg along with the Allman Brothers and John Mayer (Primus was the act that most excited me on that roster); in August the nation's armpit (also known as New Jersey) will host Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Cat Power, Girl Talk and others at All Points West. One of my favorite live acts, The Flaming Lips, will be festival hopping from Summer Camp to Wakarusa. If you've got some time and a hankerin' for good live shows and warm weather, summer 2008 should treat you well even if you can't make it down to Manchester, Tennesee.

Sorry, Lars Ulrich.