The 2nd annual Deep Blues Festival will go down July 18th-20th at the Washington County Fairgrounds, Lake Elmo, MN. Did anyone make it to last year’s festival?

One of the most intimate summer festival settings (capacity is limited to 2,000 fans each day) will feature 46 bands and film festival screenings over the course of the weekend. The line up features some of out of the way greatness that you won’t find at any of the larger festivals this summer.

I’ve enjoyed navigating the site in search of new music and found favorites with the Black Eyed Snakes, Jimmy Duck Holmes, .357 String Band, Jawbone, Black Diamond Heavies, just the tip of the festival iceberg. Actually, I could use your help navigating the line up, drop me a comment with some of your favorites that I should check out.

Tickets: $30 Single Day Ticket / $75 Weekend Pass

Myspace: Deep Blues Festival

In effort to raise awareness about upcoming releases as well as finding a place for the numerous submissions we get, this post continues our weekly purging of free and legal MP3′s for your listening enjoyment. The number of tracks will fluctuate each week depending on the songs uncovered or sent.

It’s our hope that you’ll find a new favorite or another release to keep your eyes on.

MP3: Love Psychedelico – “Standing Bird”
[from This Is Love Psychedelico; now available on Hacktone]

MP3: A Night In The Box – “The Rich Man’s Table”
[from Last Days At The Lodge; now available on Afternoon Records]

MP3: Doveman – “With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead”
[from With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead; now available on Brassland]

MP3: Sigur Ros – “Gobbledigook”
[from Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust; out 6/23/08 on XL]

MP3: Ed Harcourt – ” Revolution Of The Heart”
[from The Beautiful Lie; out 6/3/08 on Dovecoat Records]

Daytrotter: The Mountain Goats

Find more MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

Sunny skies, green grass, cold beer. Summer is finally back! Now how to get the dance party started? Well, whether or not you know it, the perfect summer weekend soundtrack dropped this past Tuesday, for free at that. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and head over to visit our friends The Hood Internet and download their latest effort, The Hood Internet Vs. Chicago. The 24-track mix is the third installment of Chicago’s own DJ STV SLV and ABX, mashing up an impressive resume of Chicago based artists ranging from Kid Sister, The Cool Kids, Common, May or May Not, Smashing Pumpkins, Mahjongg, Lupe Fiasco and several others. You can download the tape for free either as a whole mix or individual tracks. I gotta give props to Cakecide, the Hollywood Holt/The Prairie Cartel number and the ridiculously danceable Watch My Big Feet, the Dude N Nem/Twista/Office mash. But my favorite? Superbowl Jesus, hands down—nobody can mess with Mr. West, Wilco and the 1985 Chicago Bears—mad rhyming skillz indeed.Download this mixtape. Now.

You can check their Mixtape release party at Sonotheque on June 19 and DJ STV SLV spin a set at Schuba’s on June 27.

I had a great time at Cafe Montmartre checking out The Everybodyfields last night. Some genuine folk tunes that reminded me a lot of Johnny and June Carter. That slide guitar action sure brought the southern sound right to the heart of our city. Hooked up another installment of our 5 Questions with Muzzle of Bees with Jill Andrews that I’ll be sharing with everyone sometime soon. Until then, go ahead and wrap your eyes and ears around their gorgeous take on Neil Young’s “Helpless” to end their set last night.

The Everybodyfields – “Helpless” (Neil Young)

They’ve got a plethora of tour dates this summer, do yourself a favor and find a way to be in the crowd.

Myspace: The Everybodyfields
MP3: The Everybodyfields – “Aeroplane”

Find more MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

Ok, I fully expect some indie kids to faint or spill on their American Apparel t-shirt with this announcement. After all, this band was the group who, based on your comments, one-upped The New Pornographers at the Orpheum here in Madison last month. They seem to make a habit of that. Anybody remember their blistering opening set before the Decemberists at the Barrymore a few years back? I do.

Okkervil River will play the Barrymore Theatre on Sunday, September 14th. This show comes only a week after the group releases The Stand Ins via Jagjaguwar on September 9th.

Tickets: $16.50 Advance / $18.50 Day of Show
On Sale: Thursday, June 5 at 10am

Previously: 5 Questions with Will Sheff of Okkervil River

Photo: Ed Oliver
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Myspace: Okkervil River
MP3: Okkervil River – “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”

Find more MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

+Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

Prepare yourself for Benji Hughes, whose upcoming A Little Extreme EP on New West Records has landed in heavy rotation here at MoB HQ. Channeling comparisons to Beck and an upbeat version of Eels make this the perfect artist to leave you with for the weekend and in preparation for the summer.

Truth be told, the aforementioned EP is just a teaser to an upcoming double disc long player A Love Extreme on the same label. If these six tracks are the jump off for Benji Hughes material, consider me ready and willing to dive right into anything else he releases. For now, get your taste with the two free and legal MP3′s below and pick up A Love Extreme on June 22nd.

Photo: Dylan Chorneau
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Myspace: Benji Hughes
MP3: Benji Hughes – “So Well”
MP3: Benji Hughes – “You Stood Me Up”

Find more MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic