Who's Playing at Joshua Tree this May?

The lineup for the spring edition of the Joshua Tree Music Festival was just released - pretty cool - and with a three day pass only taking $100 from your wallet - quite affordable. One day we will make it out.

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papadosio asheville saturday 10:30 – midnight Powerful live electronica ! Elevated songwriting showcases improvisational interludes and refreshing vocal harmonies with an amplified message of transcendence, unity, and universal understanding. Their potent ive set will stir the heart and fuel the mind. papadosio.com/tetios/tetios.html

ganga giri australia sunday 6 – 7:30pm Ganga mixes red natural elements with fat tribal beats and dirty funky bass lines to create a unique tribal-technological deep earth dance experience. If you experienced his shows in Joshua Tree in ’05, ’07 & ’09, you are hip to his magical musical madness ! gangagiri.com

bang data oakland friday 8:45 – 10:15pm From Samba-Ska-Cumbia and Electro-Bossanova to a Synth-Bass Heavy-Stooges infested beat. Melodic guitars and gritty bass, over bang electro-acoustic rhythms make this the perfect canvas for Deuce Eclipses bilingual rhymes and melodies. Bang Data’s sound is a hard driving futuristic vision of Latin Alternative music bangdata.weebly.com

the egg uk friday 10:30 – midnight Like New Order floating on a cloud. The Egg play live house, rocktronic, funk and ambient influenced dance music, using electronic and live instruments, video triggering, samples and live and vocoded vocals. Their music is inspired by artists such as Pink Floyd, Groove Armada, The Beloved, New Order, & Underworld. theegg.org.uk

janka nabay & the bubu gang sierra leone saturday 5:30 – 6:45pm Janka Nabay is the undisputed king of "bubu music," a frantically-paced dance music from Sierra Leone. Bubu music is traditional music originally used in witchcraft ceremonies, then later it evolved into a popular processional style played during Ramadan. Janka modernized the sound by adding electric studio instrumentation, infusing a broader range of musical stylings, and has evolved into an inspired band-leader and MC in the tradition of James Brown and Fela. luakabop.com/janka-nabay

ArtOfficial miami friday 7 – 8:30pm Funky, organic hip hop at its finest. A seamless marriage of unyielding, unapologetic urban poetry with an unflinching array of jazz melodies ala the Roots & Soulive. artofficialmusic.net

dogon lights guinea/cuba/south africa/us saturday 8:45 – 10:15pm Redefining world fusion by creating a funky, energetic dance atmosphere that takes listeners straight to the stars, using traditional skin and wood instruments played over grooves and inspired traditional vocals. Featuring Bongo Sidibe from Guinea, Jaqueline Laporte of Cuba and members of the award winning band Hamsa Lila (Ian "Inx" Herman, Vir McCoy, Evan Fraser and John Schroeder). The word, "Dogon" comes from the Dogon people of Mali who believe they are descendants of the Sirians- thus the Dogon Lights. dogonlights.com

m.a.k.u. soundsystem colombia/nyc saturday 3:45 – 5:15pm MAKU takes tradtional Colombian folkloric music screaming into the future, infusing it with psychedelic rock, punk, reggae and soul. Their unique, uplifting sounds are a Party for the People. www.makusoundsystem.com

liberation movement us/peru sunday 4:20 – 5:50pm Led by Resurrector of Heavyweight Dub Champion (HDC) and Sasha Rose, officially sanctioned by representatives the Shipibo Tribe of Amazonian Peru, Liberation Movement (LM) is a collective transmutational experience fusing ancient technology with modern ritual, invoking truth to pierce through illusion. liberationmovement.bandcamp.com

the main squeeze bloomington, in saturday 7 – 8:30pm A raging funk experience that meld soulful vocals, intricate jams, tight grooves, and ripping solos into a powerful live show that incites dance floor nirvana ! mainsqueezemusic.com

rising appalachia the south saturday 12:30 – 2pm Sisters Leah and Chloe tear into sound with sensual prowess as stages ignite revolutions and words light up spirit fires.  Listen to their beautiful sound for poetic harmonies, soul singing, spoken word rallies, banjos, fiddles, many beats of drums, kalimbas, washboard rants, groove, and community building through SOUND. risingappalachia.com

globesonic sound system la/nyc friday 5:15 – 6:45pm sunday 7:30 - ?? Modernizing world music, Globesonic Sound System (DJ's Fabian Alsultany & Derek Beres) creates a high energy ecstatic dance celebration of the earth's musical heritage, weaving traditional music with modern aesthetics. Says Fabian, "The music is a reflection of the commonalities between cultures. Our work is not only to get the dance floor moving, but to also stimulate a deep sense of planetary unity through music and dance." globesonic.com

jaliba kuyateh & the kumareh band gambia sunday 11:50am – 1:05pm Jaliba is a master Kora player who deftly manipulates all 21 strings of the ancient african instrument. The 'King of the Kora' is also a UNICEF Ambassador and Gambia's 'Man of the Year' with larger than life charm. Jaliba can sing in 3 languages and 7 octaves. Mad skills !  Joined by the Kumareh Band, their performance is an uplifting global call for peace and unity.  kingofkora.com

miner los angeles saturday 2:15 – 3:30pm Folk rock revivalists, Miner, have sipped from the same well as fellow "joie de folkers" the Mumfords and Edward Sharpes. It's the kind of revivalism that feels as comfortable as bare feet on a freshly mowed lawn. This family affair (husband, wife, brother, cousin & friends) will have you California Dreaming. thisisminer.com

robbi & kripa’s third ear experience south africa/joshua tree saturday Midnight - ?? African acid rock meets primal tribal dance trance therapy. A magical carpet ride for the body & soulful !

jelly bread reno sunday 1:15 – 2:30pm Dirty ensemble chops, rich vocal dexterity, a pumping rhythm section and solid lyrical flows make a Jelly Bread show monstrously funktastic ! These cats are steeped in roots, wallowing in funk, and marinated in soul. www.jellybread.net

mexico 68 la sunday 2:40 – 4:10pm This 12 strong band of musicians juxtapose Chicano funk with the body moving and elucidating vibes of Fela’s polyrhythmic afrobeat. www.mexico68music.com

whoolilicious! santa barbara saturday 11am – 12:15pm This one man band (plus drums) layers bass lines, keys, guitar, vocals, and sax live and on the spot creating funky soul, rock 'n roll, world music and dance tracks right before your ears and eyes. A seasoned vocalist, instrumentalist and producer, W! melds the live band and DJ worlds together as one.

ian winters santa cruz friday midnight to ?? This certified Booty Propulsion Specialist provides a non-stop dancefloor experience designed for sweaty, smiley, booty-drenched release. Relax your mind, let your conscience be free and step your vibrations into a new dimension of funk. mixcloud.com/ianwinters73

chicano batman los angeles friday 3:30 – 5pm Chicano Batman draws from a broad range of 60s and early 70s Brazilian bossa nova and samba, spacey psychedelia, slow-jam soul with a pinch of surf-rock cumbia.  Chicano Batman is more than a musical force but an adventurous and opinionated superhero who feeds off of community, afro-centricity and bolillos, on a mission to bring the overlooked to the forefront. chicanobatman.com

lily of the valley joshua tree sunday 10:15 – 11:45am Angels on earth. Heavenly harmonies. These soaring soul sisters of the high desert will be serving up some sunday morning goosebumps at the Cafe Stage.