Green Music Fest lineup
tapes ’n tapes, Art Brut, Murder By Death among the performers

Green Music Fest likes to think its bands are environmentally conscious, but we’ve got a bigger concern: Do they rock? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Here’s your cheat sheet.

Saturday

2:30 p.m. Brilliant Pebbles They’re still relatively new to the Chicago scene, but the Pebbles’ new wave space-glam has earned them a rep as a spectacular spectacle.

3:20 p.m. Elsinore Champaign is just far enough away of a home base to separate these catchy popsters from the locals.

4:25 p.m. Sybris These pleasantly nostalgic-sounding locals have been working the club circuit for five years and shine brightest on big stages like this.

5:30 p.m. Maritime It might finally be possible to mention these Wisco post-rockers without name-dropping frontman Davey von Bohlen’s previous band, The Promise Ring. (OK, maybe not.)

6:35 p.m. Say Hi (…) Say Hi’s brand of smart Seattle indie-rock is only getting better with every record… and every tour. Welcome back, guys.

7:40 p.m. tapes ’n tapes T&T was seemingly destined for Band of the Moment a few summers back, but the Minnesotans’ classic indie-pop has proven longevity.

9 p.m. Art Brut In the lyrically narrative tradition of American acts such as the Hold Steady, these Brit rockers bring pop sensibilities to a hard-hitting set.

Sunday

2:30 p.m. Canasta If it were up to us, we’d have put these lovely, local melodic popsters somewhere around dusk, when their piano plinks could blend nicely into the setting sun.

3:20 p.m. The Minneapolis Henrys It’s unclear what, exactly, the Henrys are aiming for (their songs fall somewhere between earnest angst-rock and Adult Album Alternative territory), but they seem hell-bent on working toward it.

4:25 p.m. The Saps Positively underrated, these locals use quirky lyrics and classic pop sensibilities to charm the pants off all us suckers.

5:30 p.m. Catfish Haven We’ve watched these soul-rockers grow from a stripped-down three-piece to full-fledged entertainers complete with a horn section and back-up soul singers. They bring it.

6:35 p.m. These United States These dudes are all over the place, and we’re not sure where they’ll land on Sunday.

7:40 p.m. Murder By Death After an early-career name change and tons and tons (and tons) of touring, Bloomington, Ind.’s MBD have found their groove as a strong contender in the crowded Midwestern indie-rock scene.

9 p.m. Lucero Country-rock, punk-twang, Southern rock -- call it what you will, Memphis’ Lucero’s got it goin’ on. And it’s good.

— Lauren Viera, Chicago Tribune, August 14, 2009