HILLSIDE 2016!! thirty three years in and the Guelph Lake Island based festival, this year running July 22 to 24 continues to have its finger on the pulse of new music. The festival provides a stage for its own local homies as well as rolling out the green carpet for headliners. This year's announced line-up includes Buffy St. Marie and The Sadies as well as the Milk Carton Kids.

Readers of SlowCity.ca will be familiar with other cats announced, among them some of our faves, including Evening Hymns, Dizzy, Land of Talk, Northcote, PUP, Nap Eyes, Repartee, TUNS and Donovan Woods. The full list is available of course on their website and there are more acts to be announced.

With camping, Children's Area, Performer Workshops, local craft arts, brews and food vendors, and a green festival mandate that is years ahead of other festivals, whats not to love? Tickets go on sale April 30 via Ticketbreak. Encore Records in Kitchener and Soundscapes in Toronto and the Hillside Office in Guelph will be also be selling and starting The Bookshelf, also in Guelph will have some too.

I have had the very good fortune to attend Hillside for several years but this still remains my favourite time at the fest. It was electric.