Pitchfork

Once a year, BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank has brought a few of his favorite record-makers-- and many thousands of ticketholding onlookers-- to the Isle of Wight for a late-summer Bestival. But September is far away, and Rob da Bank's party planning instincts have already got the best of him. So, then, there's the first-ever Camp Bestival, which goes off July 18-20 at Dorset, England's Lulworth Castle.

Camp Bestival shares a lot with its elder sibling, and not just a few record collection touchstones. Like Bestival proper, there's readings, spoken word events (this one hosted by noted talker Scroobius Pip), a mess of comedians and comediennes, and a whole bunch of other unique fantasy world wackiness. There's also a petting zoo!

But, oh, the music: Camp Bestival has nabbed the likes of the Flaming Lips, Chuck Berry, Hercules and Love Affair, Billy Bragg, Black Kids, dan le sac and the aforementioned Scroobius Pip, Kid Creosote, and Kate Nash, among others. Billy Bragg won't just be doing his solo stuff; he'll perform in a Brit-folk supergroup along with Martin and Eliza Carthy, Sheila Chandra, and Chris Wood.

And, this being a DJ-curated festival, there'll be platters spinning damn near constantly, highlighted by appearances from Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners, Andrew Weatherall, DJ Yoda, Gilles Peterson, Idjut Boys, Queens of Noise, and a four hour psychedelic/prog DJ set from Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve (Erol Alkan and Richard Norris). Please avoid the brown Emerson, Lake and Palmer.