www.freepresssumerfest.com

There is a 2-day festival coming to town in a few weeks and the top-billed artists are below. Any of them worth seeing:

Broken Social Scene
Explosions In The Sky
Of Montreal
The Sword
Octopus Project
Voxtrot
What Made Milwaukee Famous
Ume

the only band i've really heard of is the Sword. They're a doom metal band who opened for metallica on their latest us tour. They prob sound closest to early sabbath
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I've heard some Of Montreal and I liked it. Explosions In The Sky is supposed to be a really emotional experience, live.

BSS is awesome

I don't care for Of Montreal, but if you do see them, be prepared for bizarre costumes (or no costumes at all) and some pretty weird theatrics on stage.

If it were me, I'd try to see the Sword and Explosions In the Sky.

The college rock crowd love BSS, EITS, OM and WMMW

Broken Social Scene is great live. I first heard them at a festival a couple years back and bought all their albums the next day.

I saw Of Montreal two years ago and loved them, but that's when they were promoting Hissing Fauna, which was a great album. I really disliked Skeletal Lamping and would probably not enjoy a live set focused on that album. They do put on a bizarre show. The lead singer spent a good portion of the set on what had to be 10-foot stilts, wearing a dress and gaudy make-up.

http://www.freepresssummerfest.com/

There are two M's in "Summer."

Anyways, of the bands you mentioned that I've heard (about half) I personally like all of 'em, so I'd recommend it. Broken Social Scene, Explosions in the Sky and Of Montreal is kind of like the Indie Rock equivalent of getting The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin together for a festival.

And there's 2 e's in zeppelin.

Are you F'n serious? I am so jealous I can't believe you even have to ask about these bands. The Sword are 27 different kinds of awesome! IMO they are definitely not a "doom-metal" band though as someone posted. Very weird that they are playing with those other bands though. Broken Social Scene are fantastic, Voxtrot are great, Of Montreal IMO are extremely overrated but very popular & What Made Milwaukee Famous put on a fantastic live show.

The Sword rock, plain and simple. I'd go for them alone, although I also haven't heard any of the other bands.

The best part is that a 2-day pass is only $12.

I saw one of their videos and I liked it. I don't have any of their cd's yet
but i'd like to try them out. They seem like they're a band that I would like.
They're the only ones on your list that I know of.

If you have iTunes, go to the All Songs Considered Concert Podcast, and download the "Of Montreal" concert from October 14, 2008 and "Broken Social Scene" from November 20, 2007.

Will show you what two of the bands are like.

for $10 admission - I just wish I lived close to Houston.

I'd see Explosions in the Sky.

I love Of Montreal. The only Sword song I know is from Rock Band 2.

Yeah, The Sword's first album "Age of Winters" is their best (thus far) IMO, it has much more of a heavy 70's groove than their second, which is more just straight forward metal. They are very good live too.

The Sword is badass as previously mentioned. Explosions in the Sky are some pretty awesome post-rock.

If I didn't hate festivals, I might consider going to that.

$12? I would certainly go.

The only thing that may keep me from going is that it is in Houston in August. Brutal.

The Sword

BSS and Of Montreal are both bands that Pitchfork and NPR seem to go gaga over. I've heard and enjoyed both. I'm sure I'd appreciate them even more if I ever saw them live.

Explosions in the Sky are instrumental post rock, not a dark as Godspeed You Black Emperor, not as organic as Tortoise. Their releases have been hit or miss for me, but I'd definitely see them live if I ever had the chance.

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned anything about Octopus Project. I got their "Hello, Avalanche" album through eMusic and fell in love with it. Frantic, light, fun, instrumental music. It's like fireworks going off in your brain.

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Oh, and did I mention Theremin solos?

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Personally, if I was going to that festival, their stage is the one I'd make a beeline for.

... and that's really the sole reason I hate festivals.

Haha... you know, until now I had always assumed that both words were intentionally spelled wrong. Then I realized I was thinking of Def Leppard.

$7 (pre-sale) for Prince Paul, Explosions In The Sky and The Sword is a steal.