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One of the finer points of living in the New York City area is the vast array of free shows to attend. The grandest of them all is the Village Voice's yearly offering, the Siren Festival, and as you may know, this could be the last summer for the recreational destination in Brooklyn. The coveted Astroland amusement park and surrounding areas were sold to developers, leaving the future for Siren is uncertain.

Voxtrot, by Chris C. | We Are Scientists, by Chris C.

Opening the day 30-minutes behind schedule (due to technical difficulties) was Scottish nu-gazers The Twilight Sad. And so Siren opened with lead singer James Graham proclaiming, "It's about fucking time." Indeed. Dueling stages made navigating between the hotly-tipped acts become an Olympic event where you had to dodge families with strollers, beach bums, and circus folk in order to catch what you wanted. M.I.A. vs. Voxtrot, We Are Scientists vs. Matt & Kim, Dr. Dog vs. Elvis Perkins. Thankfully, we won the gold.

At the Stillwell Stage, local boys and recent Late Show performers White Rabbits kicked things off. With their clash of eclectic styles from straight forward indie rock mixed with Latin percussions and a lot old-fashioned, good-time music, the Rabbits proved why they're a highly sought after touring partner. However, the best discovery at the fest was Philadelphia act Dr. Dog. Far from being the next My Morning Jacket, the bearded and flannel shirt wearing rock act added some southern rock influences and captivating harmonies to the proceedings. While the Philly guys were kicking out the jams by the Cyclone rollercoaster, folk impresario Elvis Perkins displayed his deeply personally lyrics set to acoustic guitars, organ and upright bass two blocks away.

The Noisettes, by Chris C. | Black Lips, by Chris C.

The Noisettes provided some much need funk and soul to the brothers and sisters in the crowd. Combining the stage presence of Courtney Love and the vocal stylings of Donita Sparks and Grace Jones, frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa packs more personality into a live Noisettes performance than you're likely to see from any other three-piece. Their slamming bass and guitar riffs and drums that make your ribcage shake prove their music is a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, if you wanted some music to cruise up and down Surf Ave., The Detriot Cobras came armed (as always) with killer 60s garage rock riffs and plenty of bad-ass attitude.

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