On Fri., Aug. 5, festival-goers at this year's Lollapalooza will have some hard choices: Coldplay, Ratatat, Muse and Girl Talk all play at the same time. Thankfully, All Good attendees don't have such serious decisions to make -- there are no overlapping sets the entire weekend, just one band after another on two stages. (Plus, no Coldplay!) Still, it doesn't hurt to know who to wake up -- or stay awake -- for. Here are some bands to watch for on the mountain.
Sound Tribe Sector 9: STS9 fans often identify themselves by carrying crystals -- not a bad representation of the music, either. The band plays complex, sparkling and endlessly evolving electro-ambient jams, this year at 2 a.m.
Papadosio: This band was the one to beat at last year's All Good -- its mid-afternoon set, melding electronics with slithering rock, had the entire festival talking. Back for a second year, the band hits the stage Saturday night.
Everyone Orchestra: The name isn't just a nicety; bandleader Matt Butler drafts a different lineup for almost every performance (made of other bands, previously including Phish and String Cheese Incident members) and serves as conductor.
Pretty Lights: For our money, the best of the crop of electronic, quasi-dub artists, Pretty Lights loops thick, layered soul samples deep inside truly massive beats.
Toots and the Maytals: Outside of The Wailers, is there a more influential reggae band out there?
