New York Dolls, MIA, Twilight Sad Join Siren Festival Line-Up

Free summer music doesn’t get much better than the Siren Festival, held every year on the boardwalk at Coney Island in the heat of summer and the roar of the cyclone. This year's edition, on July 21st, has a special poignance because developers have finally noticed that Coney Island is, duh, on the water, and are planning massive gentrification and upscaling that may quash things like Siren from now on. The not-quite-final line-up includes an interesting mix of hipster favorites, one historic icon and a number of bands that, optimistically speaking, have not yet had a chance to break. (These are always my favorites…what’s the point of discovering MIA at this late date?)So, far on the schedule:MIACURSIVEVOXTROTWHITE RABBITS*NEW YORK DOLLS*WE ARE SCIENTISTS MATT AND KIM THE BLACK LIPS DR. DOG NOISETTES*LAVENDER DIAMOND* THE DETROIT COBRAS*ELVIS PERKINS THE TWILIGHT SAD**I’m especially psyched about these.And because it’s Coney Island, you also have a shot at riding one of the last remaining wooden frame rollercoasters (the “Cyclone”), dipping your toes in the surf, and scarfing a hot dog at the justly famous Nathan’s….it’s free, but if you don’t have a press pass (okay, gloating a little), you should get there early and bring a bottle of water and something to read. A good spot must be guarded. And sunscreen, that’s crucial, too. There’s very little shade.I covered Siren 2004 without a press pass and had a hell of a good time, despite not being able to leave my spot, right by the fence in the left-hand corner, for three solid hours. What can I say? I wanted to see Mission of Burma, not just hear about it from the back of the pack. You can read about it here, if you want: http://www.splendidmagazine.com/departments/liveline/siren2004/So, are you in or out? Let’s get a dog and a beer afterwards and argue about which bands killed and which merely survived…it’ll be fun.