Soulsavers feat. Mark LaneganEverything is better when Mark Lanegan’s involved. Screaming Trees, of course. Queens of the Stone Age. Twilight Singers. Gutter Twins. Even ex-Belle and Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell’s solo career. And so it is with Soulsavers, a band masterminded by British producers Rich Machin and Ian Glover. With Lanegan’s sepulchral growl leading the way, the band makes deliciously moody, late-night, guitar-dappled, electronic-tinged gospel soul-rock that often sounds like U.N.K.L.E. crossed with Spiritualized. The group’s new Broken also features vocals from Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce, Mike Patton, Will Oldham, and the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes, so you never know what surprise guests might turn up. Broad Street Stage, 7:45 p.m. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Franz Ferdinand Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand first won us over five years ago with the sexually charged anthem Take Me Out. But having an acclaimed debut album under their belt quickly went from being a blessing to a curse when the quartet’s highly anticipated sophomore effort failed to take off outside the U.K. Fortunately, Franz Ferdinand redeemed itself with a third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, that is its best to date. The band has spiced up its trademark rock sound with Jamaican dub beats and disco funk, while retaining its brazen lyrical content (Flick your cigarette, then kiss me/ Kiss me where your eye won’t meet me.) Lead singer Alex Kapranos saunters his way through subjects like getting high, hooking up at bars, and feeling remorseful the morning after with such ease that you get the feeling he and his band mates have engaged in more than their fair share of debauched behavior. Samsung Mobile Mainstage, 7:45 p.m. Note by ERIKA HOBART

WallpaperThe members of Wallpaper have repeatedly stated that they are not your typical Seattle hipsters. All three members are from Lake Tapps–down in Pierce County–so they’re detached from any Capitol Hill influences. And the band shuns heavy use of guitar pedals or manufactured beats, aiming for a Velvet Underground-meets-Buddy Holly sort of vibe. It’s fine if Wallpaper wants to shirk labels but–let’s be honest here–this is sort of music that hipsters cream themselves over. It’s bouncy, infectious, and full of 90s’ apathy; plus, the band members look like they’re auditioning for a remake of Harold and Maude. (Not to mention Wallpaper was discovered by Calvin Johnson of uber-hip K Records’ fame.) Sure, hipster is sometimes a four-letter-word, but in Wallpaper’s case, it means that the band has comfortably found its niche: making tight pop songs that the kids on Capitol Hill will love. EMP Sky Church, 6:15 p.m. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

Dead Confederate. From left, Brantley Senn (Vocals, Bass), Hardy Morris (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), John Watkins (Vocals, Piano/Organ), Walker Howle (Lead/Slide Guitar) and Jason Scarboro (Drums). credit: Razor and Tie

MirahMirah Zeitlyn is in no hurry to make music. This year marked the release of (a)spera, her first solo full-length since 2004’s critically adored C’mon Miracle. In that gap, the Portland-based singer-songwriter spent her time collaborating with Spectratone International, a multimedia project commissioned by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Seattle International Children’s Festival, remixing some songs, and releasing an album of rarities. Mirah is the sort of musician who revels in the creative process, and you can hear it in her music–especially the the lo-fi, lyrically-driven songs like Jerusalem off C’mon Miracle. But even the booming, beating, electro-influenced songs like Garden, are deliberate and well-crafted. Mirah’s songs ooze confidence, and she knows there is no need to rush perfection. Broad Street Stage, 4:15 p.m. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears claim both deceased N.W.A. frontman Eazy-E and seminal punk band Rocket from the Tombs as influences, and it definitely shows in both attitude and energy, if not sound. The Austin-based, eight-piece band is classic soul through and through, but delivered with a modern edginess that only strengthens the allure of their vintage jams. Stylish, sexy and absolutely kinetic in a live context, Lewis and his Honeybears are the festival’s sleeper secret. Starbucks Stage, 3:15 p.m. Note by HANNAH LEVIN

Point Juncture, WAAt first listen, Point Juncture, WA’s third full-length record, Heart to Elk, is a saccharine synthpop record as cloying and airy as cotton candy; give it another spin, and you’ll find that these guys leave more than a fleeting aftertaste. On disc, the band’s sound is ethereal, and a little too timid–particularly Amanda Spring’s voice. Live, though, Spring belts it out from the gut, and the general impression is more chocolate stout than cotton candy. It’s still sweet, but it’s got some bite to it, as well. EMP Sky Church, 1:45 p.m. Note by SARA BRICKNER

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7:Vampires & Robots Quick: In a battle between the mechanical and the eternal, who would prevail? Vampires have sharp teeth, but robots don’t bleed. (Also: encased in metal.) Vampires fight (and bite) best at night, but robots have infrared vision. Local author Kevin Emerson (of the Oliver Nocturne YA fiction series) will here debate Daniel Wilson, responsible for How to Build a Robot Army and How to Survive a Robot Uprising (among other robo-centric works). Wait, here’s another thing: Vampires can fly, but only after they turn themselves into bats. And bats might be much more agile than big, lumbering, rocket-powered robots. And while vampires are scared of garlic, here’s a little-known fact: Robots are afraid of canned beets. Really, I read it on Wikipedia, so it must be true. Unless those damn vampires are just making shit up again. Literary Arts Stage, 12-1:15 p.m. Note by BRIAN MILLER

DJ Spooky DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, takes Norman Mailer’s advice to approach women like cats, from the side, and applies it to music. Spooky is some kind of mad scientist, throwing chemicals together in the beakers and waiting for a reaction. Drums of Death, his collaboration with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, is all bang and bluster and haunted house yowlings, while Optometry saw the D.C.-native tapping progressive jazz artists such as William Parker. Sense a pattern? Didn’t think so. There isn’t one with Spook, save for this: the guy thinks harder about the possibilities of turntablism, of DJ as post-millennial auteur, than anybody else. His music can be too theoretical, true, but when you’re trying something new all the fucking time, you’re bound to fall down on occasion. The important thing is to pick yourself back up–and DJ Spooky always does. EMP Sky Church, 9:30 p.m. Note by KEVIN CAPP

MSTRKRFTIt took them about three years, but Canadian electro-house duo MSTRKRT finally released the follow-up to their acclaimed debut, The Looks. Titled Fist of God, Jesse F. Keeler and Al-P’s sophomore disc delivered hard, grimy beats punctuated by good ol’ American rock and fresh cameos by MCs such as Ghostface Killah and E-40. At times, the hockey-mask wearing jocks/producers take too much glee in journeying to the dark heart of the matter, as evidenced by the torturous breakdown of Vuvuvu. But on other tracks, such as album closer 1,000 Cigarettes, the Metallica-like guitar riffs and the propulsive street chants of guest MC Freeway combine to make for a delicious hardcore romp. Rockstar Stage, 8:30 p.m. Note by KEVIN CAPP

Roy AyersWhile there are various artists of today that try to mimic or recreate the sound of ’70s soul music, very few if any seem to remember the importance of the vibraphone. During the ’70s and early ’80s, Roy Ayers dominated the acid jazz/soul jazz realm while using the instrument on classic songs like We Live in Brooklyn, Baby and Everybody Loves the Sunshine. Ayers’ funky yet jazz-rooted approach as a vibraphone player was so emblematic of the time period that he even scored the 1973 blaxploitation film Coffy. These days, he’s still making music and collaborating with contemporary artists, but expect a set of sweet jams that are hip enough to make fans of mellow grooves and more upbeat funk enthusiasts happy at the same time. Fisher Green Stage, 7:30 p.m. Note by JONATHAN CUNNINGHAM

Vivian GirlsThe blonde bombshell, fun-loving redhead, and frumpy brunette… to say the Vivian Girls can come off contrived would be an understatement. They could easily pass as a physical manifestation of the fictional band the Archies (well, if they kicked out the dudes and hired Cheryl Blossom). Yet the Brooklyn garage-rock trio has become a subject of fascination in the indie music circuit–and fetishized as well. Still, critics loved their eponymous debut album. It was far from polished; the band make music that sounds like demo tapes the Shangri Las or the Wipers might have recorded before making it big in the ’60s. It’s catchy. But it’s also scrappy as hell. Broad Street Stage, 6 p.m. Note by ERIKA HOBART

Common MarketRa Scion is the James Agee to Sabzi’s Walker Evans. Together, the Seattle-based MC and his producer create elegiac tone poems to the sepia-toned working poor that is music’s, and this generation’s, equivalent of Agee and Walker’s Depression-era exploration Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Although the duo’s 2008 effort, Tobacco Road, probably won’t rise to canonical status (life isn’t fair, and nobody knows it better than Scion and Sabzi), there are songs on it that are as heartfelt and inventive and just plain listenable as anything in contemporary mainstream hip-hop. Weather Vane finds them at their best, with Scion performing linguistic jujitsu as Sabzi backs him up with a cold, key-laden production. Their newer material finds the socially-conscious pair exploring the sounds of the Crescent City–perfect fodder for these local treasures. Fisher Green Stage, 5:45 p.m. Note by KEVIN CAPP

Sera CahooneThough she’s earned her indie cred drumming in indie bands like Carissa’s Weird and Band of Horses–and tried her hand at fronting her own, Prim Rosa–there’s no denying that Sera Cahoone’s dusky voice ultimately lends itself best to folk music. Her latest record and first official Sub Pop release, Only As the Day Is Long, is a somber album of languid, heart-rending, guitar-driven songs laced with plaintive harmonica. And it makes a powerful case for all the drummers who quietly yearn to move to the front of the stage to go ahead and do so. If she follows the path of former drummers Neko Case and Mark Pickerel, Cahoone should soon find herself better-known for her own tunes than the bands she was in before. Starbucks Stage, 5 p.m. Note by SARA BRICKNER

Bumbershoot has been happening at Seattle Center in one form or another since 1971.

Parenthetical GirlsListening to Portland’s experimental pop outfit Parenthetical Girls is sort of like understanding the theory of quantum physics presented in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. If you think about it too much–like that scene where Bill and Ted find a set of keys they planted outside a police station using a time machine days before they discovered time travel or knew they would need the keys–it stops making sense and gives you a headache. But if you just relax and give yourself over the music, you realize that you’re hearing something imaginative, innovative and potentially groundbreaking. The haunting strings throughout Windmills of the Your Mind echo the up-and-down pitch of Zac Pennington and Rachael Jensen’s vocals, creating a complete pop symphony with no guitars or drums. The same goes for a song like The Weight She Fell Under, where the dominant instrument is a xylophone. In words of Bill and Ted, this is truly excellent music. EMP Sky Church, 3:30 p.m. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

Yeah Yeah YeahsYou may be doubting whether or not a three-piece art rock band whose collective weight is equal to one Midwestern dad has the, shall we say, the kazoongas to hold a big festival main stage. After seeing them live at Lollapalooza recently, the answer is, well, yeah. Times three. How many of the bands Brooklyn puked across America in 2003 can you even remember the names of right now? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ music, which in itself carries enough charge to light up a stadium, is only enhanced by natural born rock star Karen O. With a voice like Chrissy’s, Debbie’s swagger and Polly Jean’s raw fury, she’s got all the makings of a legendary diva–and her flair for costumes proves there’s a whole lotta Cher in there too. Samsung Mobile Mainstage, 2:30 p.m. Note by MA’CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR

Picture & Sound: Music Videos In a festival packed full of music, why would you want to sit indoors and watch music videos? Because a) most of these bands aren’t playing Bumbershoot this year, and b) there’s some cool short-form filmmaking being done here. For instance, The Fleet Foxes’ White Water Hymnal is set to a whimsical claymation short directed by none other than Sean Pecknold, brother of Foxes singer Robin. Seasons change, plants sprout and die, and the stars wheel overhead under the power of a giant hand crank. But like water, you can’t always control time. Local director Matt Daniels turns Damien Jurado’s Caskets into a haunting prairie tragedy, like a cross between Terrence Malick and an old Daguerreotype come to life. Also featured are efforts for Modest Mouse and Radiohead, and you know that Radiohead isn’t playing Bumbershoot this year. Or ever. SIFF Cinema (McCaw Hall), 2-3 p.m. Note by BRIAN MILLER

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6:The Dusty 45sBest kept secret is a term tossed around far too liberally, but it’s safe to say that Billy Joe and the Dusty 45s are one of those secrets in Seattle. Straight out of the juke joints of Seattle, Dusty 45s are a raucous modern take on some old familiar sounds. The band makes no excuses of their love of ’50s sock-hop rock, reverb-soaked surf-twang, and the occasional vamping venture into lounge-y territory. While ’50s rockabilly and surf may have a little bit of a stale, mothball smell to it, The Dusty 45s have the rare ability to rejuvenate some classics alongside some soon-to-be classics of their own. Starbucks Stage, 1:30 p.m. Note by GREG FRANKLIN

De La SoulHard as is it to believe, it’s been twenty years since New York hip-hop trio De La Soul unleashed its groundbreaking, eye-popping debut 3 Feet High and Rising. Its jazz-inflected grooves, conscious lyrics, and clever skits and interludes helped usher in hip-hop’s Native Tongues positivity era, and influenced (and opened doors for) countless rappers both mainstream and underground. Granted, their subsequent recordings — while mostly impressive artistically — haven’t earned quite the same props or sales, but Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo continue to look forward even as they celebrate the past by spotlighting 3 Feet High and Rising material for this set. Fisher Green Stage, 9:30 p.m. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

World PartyMuch like Scritti Politti leader Green Gartside, World Party founder-nucleus Karl Wallinger demonstrates the innate ability of British musicians to apply American soul influences with both originality and taste. Wallinger couldn’t be more obvious about wanting to sound like Curtis Mayfield, but even as he sings here comes the future through a haze of vintage funk, his flowery optimism still rings more true than his American counterparts. Now in its 25th year, World Party’s skillful, production-heavy grafting of classic soul music with ’80s-style pop still comes across surprisingly fresh. Starbucks Stage, 8:45 p.m. Note by SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Otep A welcome antidote to the tired male angst that continues to plague heavy music, Otep bashes your head in…from a female perspective. But don’t get the wrong idea: there’s nothing kinder or gentler at work here. Frontwoman-howler Otep Shamaya has a knack for being herself without making a point of being herself. She doesn’t make a spectacle of the fact that she’s an out lesbian, but instead sticks to her convictions with unyielding certainty of purpose. Meanwhile, the band swerves from death metal to industrial and even touches on hip hop without screeching into the rap-metal ditch. Rockstar Stage, 8:45 p.m. Note by SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Elvis Perkins in Dearland Festivals have their roots in folk music, you know, and the roots-folk music of Elvis Perkins in Dearland has been well honed during the past year thanks to the band’s lengthy touring schedule. Their soothing-yet-stirring compositions — be it poppy track While You Were Sleeping, roots party jam Hey, the workingman vibe of Shampoo or the bittersweet 1 2 3 Goodbye — make a great soundtrack for a cool, late-summer night. After the manufactured kinetics of Katy Perry, energy drink-sponsored skate punks, and improv comedy, Elvis Perkins in Dearland should prove a pleasant, end-of-day tonic. Northwest Court Stage, 8:30 p.m. Note by ROSE MARTELLI

Os MutantesWatching Os Mutantes in 2009 on American soil necessarily entails a separation from the social context in which they first emerged. But that might actually be an ideal way to witness the band in action. Because, even 40 years after the fact, and even without a nuanced understanding of the Brazilian cultural revolution that Os Mutantes were an integral part of, their work still delivers a clear, invigorating musical message. The band’s verve, funky outfits and obvious elements of psychedelic rock need no explanation. Still, Os Mutantes suggest that the Tropicalia movement was no mere flash in the pan. Fisher Green Stage, 7:30 p.m. Note by SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Gang Gang DanceNaming Brooklyn band Gang Gang Dance’s 2008 album of techy jams after Saint Dymphna, the patron saint of confusion and madness, sums up the band’s penchant for sonic chaos more aptly than any other two words in the English language ever could. Gang Gang Dance’s sound resides in the magical fairyland where math rock and house music intersect, a place where Battles’ perfectly-measured, booming rockers, Animal Collective’s frantic pop experimentalism and Deerhoof’s adorably indecipherable vocals fuse into an uninhibited, precisely messy melee. Gang Gang Dance’s avant-antics are a perfect product of their time, amassing all the most interesting elements of contemporary pop music into an unbelievably hypnotic display of glorious madness. This will, no doubt, be the best set of the day–if not the whole damn festival. Rockstar Stage, 7 p.m. Note by SARA BRICKNER

The Whore MoansThe Whore Moans present : The Black Atom is not the death metal opus chronicling the end of the world one would expect from the title. In fact, these local rockers have decide to a show off their chops in a more theatrical fashion while bringing it back home Stax style. Expect these boys to be dreamily dressed to the nines while delivering stripped down and reworked renditions of some of the best songs on their last two albums, along with newbies from their next record The Black Atom. Borrowing back up singers from the Cute Lepers and organist and horns from the Hands, this show promises to deliver the Whore Moans like you’ve never seen them before. EMP Sky Church, 6:30 p.m. Note by MA’CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR

The Animated LifeWordless, as any short film about animals should be, Kyle Bell’s The Mouse That Soared is an absolute charmer among this package of cartoons. The humor and CG animation owe a debt to Pixar, but that’s a sign of quality, not plagiarism. From circus ring to treetop, we learn how an orphaned mouse was adopted by the unlikely surrogate mother of a bird. And since birds fly, yes, the mother does everything possible to coax her adorable mouse baby out of the nest. Aided by a fellow member of her flock, various flying contraptions are attempted, many of them worthy of Wile E. Coyote for their sheer lunatic implausibility and–your kids will be delighted–reckless disregard for safety. This ugly duckling is a very daring rodent. SIFF Cinema (McCaw Hall), 5:30-6:30 p.m. Note by BRIAN MILLER

CorderoWhile the initial line-up for Ani Cordero’s self-titled band included members of Calexico and Giant Sand, it wasn’t until Ani Cordero moved to New York City that the band’s haunting Latin pop tunes, which Ani C. sings in both Spanish and English, shot to prominence. Like Belle & Sebastian channeling Sergio Mendes, bright, brassy horns, ba-da-ba pseudo-scatting and lounge guitar take the best attributes of Ani Cordero’s Puerto Rican heritage (and Latin music in general) and combine them with the hip New York indie scene she left Tucson for almost ten years ago. Northwest Court Stage, 5 p.m. Note by SARA BRICKNER

Past Lives It’s damn near impossible to talk about Seattle’s Past Lives without mentioning (ahem) their past life as 3/5ths of the Blood Brothers. Some of the hyperactive bombast and acid-throated growl of the Brothers Blood is still there, but Past Lives are a bit less bratty and more focused. Unafraid of building up a tidal wave of gorgeous atmosphere or tossing in a pop hook now and again, Past Lives seem a lot less interested in starting a shouting match and more interested in starting a danceable riot. EMP Sky Church, 3:30 p.m. Note by GREG FRANKLIN