They get bigger and bigger and more plentiful every year. Plan a weekend (or week) getaway around one these festivals. Many have other components attached such as film festivals, comedy line-ups, digital showcases and more. Where furnished, click on the artist links below for more information and free mp3s.





Noise Pop 2011
February 22-27
San Francisco, California
[website]

COST: $150.00 - $160.00

Noise Pop attracts upwards of 20,000 fans to San Francisco’s most renowned venues for intimate live performances, film screenings, and special events.

Partial line-up:
A Place to Bury Strangers
Admiral Radley
Aesop Rock
Alexi Murdoch
*Asobi Seksu
Avi Buffalo
*Band of Skulls
Ben Gibbard
*Best Coast
Black Lips
Cat Power
Devedra Banhart
*Dominant Legs
Film School
*Grizzly Bear
*Tommy Guerrero
Kimya Dawson
*Monotonix
*Neon Indian
*The New Pornographers
Peanut Butter Wolf
*The Ruby Suns
*She & Him
*Spoon
*Surfer Blood
*The Tallest Man On Earth
*The Thermals
*Vampire Weekend
*John Vanderslice
Ted Leo
Telekinesis
The Growlers
The Stone Foxes
Versus
*Wavves
*The xx
*Yo La Tengo









Never Say Never Festival 2011
March 15-16
Mission, Texas
[website]

COST: $90 - $145

The Never Say Never Music and Arts Festival is a two-day, multi-stage festival held in Mission, Texas every March. Now in its third year.

Partial line-up:
Das Racist    
*Fences
LMFAO    
Mac Miller    
Neon Trees    
Of Mice and Men    









SXSW 2011
March 16-20
Austin, Texas
[website]

COST: $595 - $750

One of the most famous music festivals in the world. Some of today's biggest acts were discovered at SXSW. There SEVERAL events and performances that take place throughout Austin during the festival not mentioned on the official website. Pretty much anyone who's anyone part of the current indie music scene is in Austin this week.

Just a tiny portion of the line-up:
*Ancient Astronauts
Anna Calvi
*Asobi Seksu
*Balmorhea
The Black Lips    
*Bright Eyes  
Damien Jurado    
Das Racist    
Dum Dum Girls     
Erykah Badu    
Fitz and the Tantrums    
*Fujiya & Miyagi   
*Gayngs     
*John Vanderslice   
Low     
*Maps & Atlases
Menomena    
Mexican Institute of Sound    
Neon Trees    
Noah and the Whale    
*Pepper Rabbit
Portugal. the Man     
Say Hi    
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin    
*Surfer Blood
Tapes'N Tapes     
Telekinesis    
*Wye Oak









Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2011
April 15-17
Indio, California
[website]

COST: Passes are no longer available. Scalpers?

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival  features many genres of music including alternative rock, hip hop, and electronic music as well as large sculptural art.

Just a tiny portion of the line-up:
!!!    
Animal Collective    
*Arcade Fire
*Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
*Bomba Estéreo
*Bright Eyes
*Broken Social Scene
Erykah Badu
*The Drums
Freelance Whales    
*Gayngs
Gogol Bordello    
*HEALTH
*Here We Go Magic
Jenny and Johnny    
Jimmy Eat World        
Kele    
Lauryn Hill    
Menomena
*Mount Kimbie
*The National
Neon Trees
*Nosaj Thing  
*Phantogram
PJ Harvey    
*Ratatat   
*Sleigh Bells
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down    
*The National
*The Tallest Man On Earth
*Titus Andronicus









Never Say Never Festival 2011
March 15-16
Mission, Texas
[website]

COST: $90 - $145

The Bamboozle is a three-day music festival held in New Jersey. The lineup usually includes a mix of alternative AND punk bands along with DJs and rappers.

Partial line-up:
Chiddy Bang    
Das Racist    
Gatsby's American Dream         
Lil Wayne    
LMFAO