Hidden Track

Just one week from today the Langerado Music Festival kicks off at Big Cypress in the Florida Everglades. I’ve attended the last two Langerado festivals, but this year’s lineup takes things to a new level. As someone who doesn’t get to many festivals, I think the best part of going is the enjoyment I get from checking out artists I haven’t seen before. Here’s the second part of my list of ten bands I’m excited to see for the first time at Langerado:

1. The Avett Brothers - North Carolina’s Avett Brothers play deeply spiritual music that seems to appeal to a diverse range of music fans. The songs that Seth and Scott Avett write are gritty tales of life played on basic acoustic instruments. Their most recent release, Emotionalism, shows the wide range of styles in the fellas’ music. Within one song on the album you may hear elements of Calypso followed closely by a bluegrass stomp. I’m very interested to see how they pull of this melange of styles live. Read on for more on the Avetts and four other bands….

The Avetts will perform on the Swamp Stage at 3:30 PM on Saturday afternoon. Here’s a video for the melancholy If It’s The Beaches, which was recorded live last year:

2. Martin Sexton - A couple of months ago I discovered the music of Martin Sexton, and I just can’t stop listening to his latest CD. Marty’s got the voice of an angel, and the dude probably has more soul in his finger than most bands have as a unit. Sexton writes thought provoking songs, which are never too serious that you can’t enjoy ‘em.

In concert I can see Martin’s exuberance keeping many audiences spellbound. He’s played solo, with a duo, a trio and with a full band. It remains to be seen who he’ll bring up to the stage at Big Cypress. Sexton rocks the Sunset Stage on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM. Here’s a video of Martin playing Hey Joe backstage before a concert:

3. Arrested Development - Oh man I just can’t wait to see what happens when Gob and Buster take the stage together for an epic version of Careless Whisper. Oh wait… wrong Arrested Development. Actually, I really use to dig Arrested Development back in the days of their big hits. MC Speech has an interesting delivery, and these guys put great grooves behind their words. I’ve always wondered what the deal was with the really old dude in the band, so I look forward to seein’ what that’s all about. Arrested Development takes the Sunset Stage at 3:30 PM on Saturday afternoon. Here’s hoping they play Tennessee and Mr. Wendell. Speaking of which, here’s the video for the former…

4. Dr. Dog - I’ve been listening to the Psychedelic sounds of Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog for a few years now, but I’ve never seen them live. Dr. Dog combine sweet melodies with fuzz-driven music to create a unique sound of their own. These guys are a throwback, and would have probably fit in nicely back in the AM radio days. A couple of good friends, who’s opinion I always trust, tell me these guys sound even better live. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

Look for Dr. Dog at the Chickee Hut on Saturday afternoon at 5 PM. Here’s a video of the band performing My Old Ways on The Late Show with David Letterman:

5. New Mastersounds - If you’ve been reading this rag for a while you probably know we’re big fans of Brit-funksters The New Mastersounds. The boys from Leeds will make their way down to South Florida for Langerado, and I’ll finally get a chance to see them in action. If you like your funk played tight and straight, you’re gonna love The New Mastersounds. These guys pick up where James Brown left off when he fired Bootsy Collins.

The Mastersounds are taking a break from recording a new album to play at Cypress. You can see them perform at the Chickee Hut on Saturday afternoon at 3:15 PM. Here’s a clip of the fellas banging out a stellar version of 3 on the B to give you an idea of what to expect:

Are you heading down to Big Cypress for Langerado? What bands are you most interested in seeing for the first time? I’ve showed you mine, now you show me yours by leaving a comment below…