STS9

Dance and jam music have always made deceptively compatible bedfellows, complete with crossover audiences to match. And few bands tickle the sweet spot between the two similar-but-different genres quite like Sound Tribe Sector 9. Born out of Atlanta in 2001 and currently based in L.A., the band’s hybrid of jazz, trance, psychedelia and electronic music has endeared itself to fans across a wide swath of genres, from fans of Radiohead’s new millennium post-rock to those more partial to the expansive musicianship of bands like Soulive. Furthermore, they’ve become bona-fide festival fixtures, popping up everywhere from heavy hitters like Coachella and Lollapalooza to smaller, independent festivals and residencies around the world. The band headlines North Coast’s Friday stage this year in support of their latest effort, When The Dust Settles, released in 2011 through their own 1320 Records imprint. (Friday, 8:30-10, Coast Stage) –text: Ryan Bray