Preview: Bumbershoot 2012 Sunday September 2

It’s nearly Labor Day weekend and we couldn’t be more excited about spending it in our favorite Seattle location – the Seattle Center for the Bumbershoot 2012 Music Festival! Going on its 42nd year, Bumbershoot is known for bringing a diverse blend of music, film, comedy, dance, spoken word, visual art and more over three days to Seattle, and this year they continue to deliver. Check out a few of the musical acts we suggest for Day 2 – Sunday, September, 2 below:

Photo courtesy of Sub Pop

Niki & The Dove - 9/2 | 3:30pm | Sub Pop Stage

Preview by Bebe Besch:

Sub Pop Record’s artist list grew infinitely cooler with the addition in 2010 of Swedish pop duo Niki & The Dove. With perhaps the best pop record of this year, the ambitious duo finally dropped their debut full length Instinct, feeding fans who were starving for more after hearing the unbelievably catchy “DJ Ease My Mind,” “Under Bridges” and favorite “Mother Protect.” With Malin Dahstrom’s colorful vocals and an electronic space-age sound, their pop not only feels relevant, but is destined for dancing to. At Bumbershoot, the Sub Pop stage will consistently provide you with quality acts worth checking out, but Niki & The Dove is ultimately a priority for your weekend’s schedule.

Photo courtesy of The Bay Bridge

WHY? - 9/2 | 1:00pm | Exhibition Hall Stage

Preview by Bebe Besch:

After an unexpected tour cancellation last year when WHY? front man Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Wolf broke his hand in multiple places, the alternative hip hop outlet returns to Seattle, and with a new EP under their belt. WHY?’s Sod in the Seed EP was released this month, which plays to the strengths of WHY?’s past with Yoni’s unique rap/sung vocal mixture and experimental tempos. Also prominent on the new EP is the xylophone, adding a bit of whimsy to their already experimental sound. Though WHY’s set is one of the first on Sunday at Bumbershoot 2012, it’s definitely one of few you absolutely should lose sleep over in order to attend.

Image via Facebook

Fruit Bats - 9/2 | 5:00 pm | Sub Pop Stage

Forming in Chicago in 1997, Fruit Bats began as a solo project for singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson (The Shins, Vetiver.) In 2001 they released their debut record Echolocation as a full band on Perishable Records and signed to Sub Pop shortly after. Fruit Bats are obviously influenced by the folk pop of the 70s with light-hearted and catchy melodies. Their song “When U Love Somebody” was on the soundtrack for the 2010 motion picture Youth In Revolt and Johnson wrote the score for the 2011 Paul Rudd film My Idiot Brother.

Image via Jade Tree

The Promise Ring - 9/2 | 6:15 pm | Exhibition Hall Stage

Emo veterans The Promise Ring broke up in 2002 but reunited late last year to play a slew of festivals and shows starting in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wis. In the late 90s, The Promise Ring took pop-punk guitar and sensitive lyrics to mainstream the Midwestern indie emo movement along side bands like The Get Up Kids, Braid and Jimmy Eat World. Their last studio release was Wood/Water in 2002.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Ty Curtis Band - 9/2 | 12:15pm | Starbucks Stage

Preview by Melissa Daniels:

Ty Curtis, a 25 year old singer-songwriter from Salem, OR, is ready to sing away your blues and rock you through the good times. With his bluesy rock, Curtis mixes in funk, soul and a whole lot of heart into his music. Tapping into his experiences with divorce, lost relationships and painful family experiences, Curtis’s lyrics provide an honest picture into the heart that makes the music. But the frontman isn’t the only talent on stage. He’s backed by a band who’s played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Tracey Chapman and Sheryl Crow. Together, they might be one of the few bands that have effortlessly mastered a complimentary mix of acoustic and electric styles as of late.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Eldrige Gravy & The Court Supreme - 9/2 | 12:15pm | Tunein Stage

Preview by Melissa Daniels:

If you’re looking for some psychedelic funk to help you get down on the dance floor, Eldrige Gravy & The Court Supreme is sure to deliver. Frontman Gravy, is backed by a 12 person orchestra that lights up the stage with their late ’60s sound and catchy hooks. The band formed in early 2007 as a result of a one-time gig playing together for a moving-out party, but the next morning, amongst broken tables, glass and a torn up house, they knew they had something special.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

The Young Evils – 9/2 | 7:30pm | Vera/Free Yr Radio Stage

Preview by Melissa Daniels:

The Young Evils July release of their second EP entitled Foreign Spells is quite a bit different than the band’s first gander. Known for their strong male-female harmonies, The Young Evils have turned a cheek to the light, and headed down the darker side of the pop-terminal mixing ’60s Doo-Wop with rowdy guitar and percussions. And it’s not just the sound that’s turned dark; the band’s lyrics are hardly rainbows and sunshine. The band sings about turning into deceased creatures in “Dead Animals,” which lines right up with the impudent tunes found on the 4-track EP.

Photo credit: Autumn de Wilde

Wanda Jackson & The Dusty 45′s – 9/2 | 9:30pm | Starbucks Stage

Preview by: Lindsey Scully

The Queen of Rockabilly will be gracing the Starbucks stage Sunday at Bumbershoot. Wanda Jackson has been a icon for over 50 years in the country and rockabilly scene. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influencer in 2008, being the first addition in nine years. Jackson partnered with Jack White to put out her album This Party Ain’t Over in 2011 which received rave reviews and put her onto the national tour status again. The Queen is now collaborating with Justin Townes Earle on her next album which will be released October 9, titled Unfinished Business. Wanda Jackson will be performing with Seattle local rockabilly band The Dusty 45′s.

Image via Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – 9/2 | 1:45pm | Main Stage

Preview by: Lindsey Scully

When Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings perform, the world takes notice. Not only due to their 11-piece band, but lead singer Sharon Jones commands the audience with her strong soulful vocals. The funky soul group will make every Bumbershoot attendee gravitate to the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon and not leave for their entire sweaty set. The band exemplifies what 60s and 70s soul music was about with heavy basslines, trumpets, percussion, and backing vocalists like The Dapettes. The group has released all of their albums through Daptone Records, which member Gabriel Roth helped form and has released music from Charles Bradley and Lee Fields as well. The Dap-Kings themselves have made quite the name, collaborating on various projects from Amy Winehouse’s Back In Black to St Vincent & David Byrne’s latest release Love This Giant. Both Jackson and Sharon Jones &The Dap-Kings took part in an Amy Winehouse tribute for VH1′s 2011 Divas Live.