Sasquatch Festival 2009 (Sat)

Sasquatch concert festival is at end of the month! Although I won't be able to attend this year, I thought I would select some of the highlights and guide for this year's performers. Saturday's headliner is Kings of Leon, who is finally getting the recognition they deserve in their home country, US (they are already a headliner act in UK). If any of you go, please let me know which act shined on the stage!

	Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It Album: 3 Rounds And A Sound Blind Pilot consists of Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski from Portland, Oregon. They create nice laid back folkish music, reminiscent of younger days of Death Cab For Cuties. This particular song was a free single on iTunes last year. Once they toured from Bellingham to San Diego on a bicycle (though the equipment was carried in a van)
	M. Ward - Chinese Translation Album: Post-War Even though M. Ward is a contemporary artist, his songs sound like it could've been a hit 30 years ago, or better yet, would feel comfortable on Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack. The music video for the song has old Chinese style animation, which is pretty cool.
	Ra Ra Riot - Ghosts Under Rocks Album: The Rhumb Line Not many rock bands have both cellist and violinist in a group (at least not in the official lineup). Ra Ra Riot hails from New York, and they released their debut album last year. This particular track showcases the strength of the string section.
	The Decemberists - O Valencia! Album: The Crane Wife Here's another band from Portland, Oregon that also sounds like Death Cab For Cuties. I never got into their music (maybe because they sound like Death Cab, and I'm not a huge fan of their music), but they have quite a big following, without having any big radio hit.
	Mos Def - Life In Marvelous Times Album: Life In Marvelous Times Mos Def is supposed to release a new album titled The Ecstatic in early June of this year, but considering that his releases tend to get delayed, who knows if it will actually happen. Since Mos Def doesn't have any top 40 hits, many people may not be familiar with his work, but he raps about socially conscious issues, and is a great live performer.
	Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Runaway Album: It's Blitz! Their current upbeat single, "Zero" is still doing well on the rock chart. I like the haunting piano on this song. Lead singer Karen O proves that she can do these slower ballad just as well as the danceable track like "Zero."
	Kings Of Leon - Fans Album: Because Of The Times Nashville band, Kings of Leon has been more popular in UK, but finally they are getting the popularity they deserve in the US. I first saw them over five years ago at Summersonic in Japan when they had only released one album. I would like to see them again now that they have released so many hits. This particular track was a top 20 hit in UK, but didn't get any reception in the US.