ArtBeat by day: Sat., July 17th

Music on the Seven Hills Park Stage

12:00pm — Tony the Bookie Orchestra (psych-country gospel)
Raw and revelatory country rock in the vein of Hank Sr., George Jones and Steppenwolf, the Tony the Bookie Orchestra mines the same territory of traditional American music forged with Rock and Roll as The Band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Fleetwood Mac. The music is dark, authentic and modern, often as loud and fast as a steam train, yet usually plaintive and lonesome—and always tied deeply to the traditions of American songwriting.

1:00pm — Grupo Norteño San Miguel (Tex-Mex)
Releasing their first CD in 200, Grupo Norteño San Miguel combines various genres of music, including ranchera style folk and modern pop music to bring you Tejano (also known as Tex-Mex). Norteño San Miguel’s unique sound, which includes an accordian, will get you swaying to the Tex-Mex beats in no time.

2:00pm — Nina Violet (indie/folk)
Hailing from the island of Martha’s Vineyard, and classically trained from childhood on viola, Nina per forms on and arranges for the entire family of string instruments as well as guitar. Her voice, melody and lyric writing have taken center stage on her albums and live shows. She per forms solo and with her full band, an adventurous blend of drums, percussion, guitar, trumpet, viola and vocals. Nina’s music organically combines poetic lyrics, lush orchestration and even punk sensibility into music that is timeless and original.

3:00pm — Obbini Tumbao (Cuban dance music)
Delivering a double shot of high-energy music that makes audiences want to get up and dance, pianist Rebecca Cline and percussionist Anita Quinto Cuban-infl uenced popular songs highlight New England’s best Latin horn section and a smoking rhythm section of congas, timbales, bongos, piano and bass. Fronted by the area’s most in-demand lead vocalists and the two dynamic co-leaders, Obbini Tumbao leaves audiences feeling enthralled and hungry for more.

4:00pm — Macrotones (Afrobeat)
The Macrotones’ imperial afrofunk assault aims to slay. While rooted in groove-fertile afrobeat, the 10-strong militia’s heart pounds with a more sinister urgency. Their commanding horns, drilling percussion section and puzzle-piece precise ideal of songcraft propels minds and dancing feet alike. Placed on bills with reggae, hip-hop and math-rock defenders, the Macrotones have found common ground among devotees of all jams.

5:00pm — Hands and Knees
Hands and Knees are Joe, Carina, Scott and Nick from Boston and Western Massachusetts. They are an unfussy songwriting band that has been characterized as a piquant, Americana-tinged low-fi act with beautifully dissonant melodies and distorted bouncy low-fi power pop from the future. Mixing a touch of punk, a bit of country glam and a dash of Brit-pop, this indie quartet has just fi nished recording its third album in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.