FRF_crowdBelow you’ll find some of my music recommendations, but first off, a few nuggets of advice:

What to remember:

- Don’t forget sun protection (hat, extra sunglasses and sunblock). And if you use them like I do, bring your own genki drinks for an added late-night boost. Despite all the stalls at Fujirock, I’ve only rarely seen these on sale.

- Walk the entire length of the fest grounds at least once. That’s right: from the Red Marquee all the way to Cabaret Fiesta and back. At sunset or after dark is best, and make sure to take the boardwalk. Try not to look at your watch. You’ll be glad you did.

- Take the Dragondola up to the Day Dreaming stage at the top of the mountain, even if you just turn around and come back. The view, the fresh air and thrity minutes off your feet will do you good.

What to see:

Trying to point out a handful of shows at Fujirock is like recommending only one dish at your favorite restaurant: the entire menu is delicious, but you only have so much room in your stomach. It’s a foregone conclusion that bands like LCD Sound System, Broken Social Scene and One Day as a Lion will be mind-blowingly great live experiences, so I’ll try to point out some of lineup further down the marquee:

My list after the jump

FRIDAY:

Miike Snow (Red Marquee, 2:50pm): Producers more than performers, it will be interesting to hear how this trio translates their near-perfect electo-pop gems into a live band format. The Red Marquee’s speakers should be up to the task. See their strange video.

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis / Baby Soul (Palace of Wonder, 1:30am & 2:15am, respectively) :  These three teenagers play a folksy style of rockabilly that fits the Crystal Palace perfectly. Baby Soul’s shack-shaking, honkytonking set of jump blues and R&B with serve as an excellent companion.

Z-trip (Red Marquee 3:30am): Mixing and matching musical genres into the bombastic beat of hip hop, DJs were already some of the most postmodern performers on the planet. Mashup artists took it further. DJ Z-Trip crafts these better than just about anyone anywhere.He puts the “PARTY” in postmodernism.

SATURDAY:

Bloodthirsty Butchers (White Stage, 12:50pm): This four-piece from Sapporo aims for the rafters with loud, feedback-laden drone-punk.

Trombone Shorty & the Orleans Avenue (Field of Heaven, 6:00pm) : New Orleans funk on steroids, The album, Backatown, has crunchy guitar riffs that border on metal – should be phenomenal live.

Boy Noize (Red Marquee, 1:30am): German hyper-electro, incorporating manipulated voice clips into infectious beats.

SUNDAY:

Mountain Mocha Kilamanjaro (Field of Heaven, 1:00pm): A Tokyo 6-piece that lays down some of the best original funk you’ll hear in Japan.

Alberta Cross (Red Marquee, 1:55pm): Alt-country comes in all shapes and sizes nowadays. Alberta Cross flirts with country in similar ways to contemporaries My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, but the overall sound soars in ways that only epic stadium rock can. Phil’s piece here.

Cumbias Cumbias Cumbias (Palace of Wonder, 12:45am): Taking the stage just after Ozomatli, this DJ team features two of Tokyo’s greatest Latin fusion selectors as well as Jason Mayal, whose own collection of South American vinyl is drool-worthy.

What have I missed?