Those are the two words HARD Events, the producers of HARD SUMMER, have been sharing since announcing the major music festival was returning to Los Angeles State Historic Park August 3-4, 2012, as a two-day event for the first time in its 5-year history.

Gent Jazz Festival (July 5-14, Bijloke site) announces new names for the eleventh edition of the festival: Paco de Lucia, Damien Rice, D’Angelo, Melody Gardot, Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A., Jim Hall-Scott Colley Duo, Gabriel Rios Solo, Amatorski, Tindersticks…

For the first time in its history, Bear Creek will welcome guest curators Daptone Records and Royal Family Records to schedule the Bear Creek Stage lineup. The Daptone Super Soul Revue will feature Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, The Budos Band, The Sugarman 3 and The Como Mamas.

Nearing the two-month countdown until SONIC BLOOM 2012 we have a barrage of new artists confirmed!  Newest additions to the list of performing acts are: PANTyRAiD, Welder, 

Coinciding with the evenings & weekends of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the inaugural Nolafunk Jazzfest Series 2012 lineup is now complete with the addition of Daptone Records’ Budos Band who, along with Hairy Apes BMX and special guests, will be a part of the Oddity Faire After-Party at Republic. (The Oddity Faire features headliner Primus at the nearby Sugarmill.)

The 29th edition of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival will be held from June 1-10, 2012.

C3 Presents and MCP Presents have joined forces to bring CounterPoint, a new two-day music and arts festival, to Atlanta, Georgia this September 28 and 29, 2012. The multi-stage festival with camping options will be held at the location of 2007's The Echo Project, a 350-acre, scenic Chattahoochee river front property just south of metropolitan Atlanta. Partnering with local businesses, restaurants, artists and more, CounterPoint is expanding upon the format of its pr

Camp Euforia is pleased to announce William Elliott Whitmore as the final addition to the 2012 lineup. CE12 is primed to be the best and most environmentally-friendly Camp Euforia yet.

For the first time Wanee 2012 Music Festival will host one of the premier music workshops in the country, Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, featuring Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge, Warren Haynes, and more guests yet to be confirmed. There will be both intimate workshops and general session Q&A’s April 19 – 21.

Suwannee Springfest, held March 22-25 at the beautiful Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak, Florida was the rainiest, most violently stormy festival I have ever attended, but it was still a great time and the show went on.  It rained off and on and then just on until late afternoon Saturday. After lightening struck by our tent and the crescendo of its thunder rang in our ears, the sun did come out in all its glory.