Behold, 15 music festivals you should actually attend:

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It's easy to hate music festivals. Some have grown so enormous and commercialized that you're more likely to encounter the stench of crowds and branded merchandise than to actually bask in the glow of good music.

Confronted with the same lineup over and over again, the monotony of festival season can be too overwhelming for even the most dedicated of music lovers. Why brave the expanses of a celebrity-riddled carnival when you can sink into a good set of headphones and let the rhythm take you over, as Enrique Iglesias once advised us.

1. Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2. Bumbershoot 3. Hopscotch 4. Mysteryland 5. Gathering of the Vibes 6. Forecastle 8. Newport Folk Festival 9. Pickathon

But, all cynicism aside, there are good festivals out there, that cater to niche audiences and transport the sweet sounds of folk or jazz or EDM to beautiful corners of the United States. As the summer months fall upon us, and your eagerness to partake in outdoor activities increases, your weariness of the summer festival may subside and you'll be in need of a guide to navigating the sea of musical possibilities.

10. Merge 25

Behold, 15 music festivals you should actually attend:

11. Osheaga Music and Arts Festival 12. Hudson Music Project 13. Afropunk

What: Everything, mostly indie and alternativeWhen: August 1-3, 2014Where: Happy Valley, OregonWhy: Happy Valley? We want to go to there.Who: Nickel Creek, Warpaint, Foxygen, Parquet Courts, Angel Olsen, Robbie Fulks and much, much more

What: Merge Records bandsWhen: July 23-26, 2014Where: Carrboro, North CarolinaWhy: It's an indie/alternative party! Wax nostalgic on 25 years of Merge-dom.Who: Lambchop, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bob Mould, Superchunk (!!!), Eleanor Friedberger and much, much more

What: Punk and alternativeWhen: August 23-24, 2014Where: Brooklyn, New YorkWhy: Last year had Mykki Blanco and Saul Williams, so we're pretty excited to see what this summer brings.Who: TBD

Entities 0 Name: Robbie Fulks Count: 1 1 Name: Osheaga Music and Arts Festival Count: 1 2 Name: Forecastle Count: 1 3 Name: Mykki Blanco Count: 1 4 Name: Bumbershoot Count: 1 5 Name: Bob Mould Count: 1 6 Name: Hudson Music Project Count: 1 7 Name: Angel Olsen Count: 1 8 Name: Saul Williams Count: 1 9 Name: Eleanor Friedberger Count: 1 10 Name: Oregon Count: 1 11 Name: Brooklyn Count: 1 12 Name: Neutral Milk Hotel Count: 1 13 Name: Carrboro Count: 1 14 Name: Nickel Creek Count: 1 15 Name: United States Count: 1 16 Name: Enrique Iglesias Count: 1 17 Name: Happy Valley Count: 1 18 Name: Superchunk Count: 1 19 Name: North Carolina Count: 1 20 Name: New York Count: 1 21 Name: Newport Folk Festival Count: 1 22 Name: Foxygen Count: 1 23 Name: Telluride Bluegrass Festival Count: 1 24 Name: Lambchop Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1sZbiA7 Title: Event-o-Rama: 10 Must-Dos in June Description: There are some amazing events on tap all over the world, all the time. Here's a taste of what you can see and do in June: What do a giant head, a larger-than-life house, and a flying ship have in common? They will be on display at the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (June 20-28) in London.