Now in its fourth year, the 4Knots Music Festival is one of the most intimate of the summer festivals. Instead of being held in massive open field, 4Knots sets up shop on the water at South Street Seaport, offering great views and hopefully a cool breeze. Here’s a look at some of the bands in this year’s lineup.
Dinosaur Jr.
Of all the alternative acts from the ’80s and ’90s to reunite, Dinosaur Jr.’s reunion has been the most musically successful. The three albums it has made since 2007 fit in right alongside its original catalog, combining classic rock, punk and metal.
Mac DeMarco
DeMarco writes breezy indie-pop songs. His catalog balances goofiness, such as covering Limp Bizkit and Metallica, with disarming sincerity about romance and growing up.
Speedy Ortiz
One of the best of the recent crop of bands that are reviving the ’90s alternative rock that Dinosaur Jr. helped define, Speedy Ortiz’s latest release, an EP entitled “Real Hair,” adds pop hooks to the band’s noisy, guitar-driven crunch.
Radkey
Radkey is an aggressive yet melodic punk band made up of three brothers from Missouri. The home-schooled brothers were inspired to play guitar after seeing Jack Black’s movie “School of Rock.”
Those Darlins
A Nashville trio, Those Darlins meld country, punk and ’60s girl group music. While their latest album sands down some of their rough edges in favor of a poppier approach, they’re still known for putting on raucous live performances.
If you go: The Village Voice 4Knots Music Festival is on Saturday, July 12 at South Street Seaport from 1-8 p.m., FREE
