Roadtrips

One of the common criticisms of electronic music, whether it be house, drum 'n' bass, or ambient, is that it's cold, calculated, and rigid -- that it lacks the human element of warmth, feel, and flexibility. Toronto's the New Deal may be the best argument that electronica is not immune to humanization. The trio specialize in creating live, ambient "drum-break-house" (their term, not ours) with an improvised, jazzy sensibility, and they aim to maintain a natural, organic feel even though the equipment they rely on is all quite digital in nature. They'll demonstrate with headlining gigs tonight (August 10) at Lilli's (617-591-1661) in Somerville and on August 12 at the Stone Coast Brewery (207-773-2337) in Portland.

In between, on August 11, the New Deal are on the bill for the opening day of the mammoth Berkshire Mountain Music Fest, a three-day extravaganza at Butternut Basin (888-513-FEST), in Great Barrington. Also on Friday: Boston roots stars the Tarbox Ramblers, second-generation Afro-funk legend Femi Kuti (who plays the Newport Jazz fest on Saturday), Michael Franti's Spearhead, and the String Cheese Incident. Saturday's bill is especially jam-friendly, with Béla Fleck (fresh off last week's Newport Folk Festival), moe., the Slip, and Jiggle the Handle. And Sunday's line-up includes Galactic, Deep Banana Blackout (who play the Newport Jazz Fest on Saturday), and modern jazz-funk faves Medeski Martin & Wood. Fleck and MMW team up tonight (August 10) at the Cape Cod Melody Tent (508-775-9100) in Hyannis, and Spearhead headline the House of Blues (617-491-BLUE) in Cambridge on August 13.

Elsewhere, it's a veritable festival of fests. The Pines Folk Festival, on August 12 at the Pines Theatre (800-843-8425) in Northampton, includes John Gorka, Patty Larkin, the Nields, and Melissa Ferrick. And the traveling edition of the Montreaux Jazz Festival brings Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, and David Sanborn to the FleetBoston Pavilion (617-931-2000) in Boston on August 15. Meanwhile, the Wellfleet Beachcomber (508-349-6055) hosts New Orleans workhorses the Radiators on August 10 and 11; the irrepressible funk sideman turned touring machine Maceo Parker on August 14; and Tex-Mex garage-rockers the Iguanas on August 16.

August 16, as it happens, is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. And though we don't recall ever hearing anyone refer to Joan Jett -- as she is referred to in a release promoting her free gig on August 16 at the Mohegan Sun Casino's Wolf Den (880-204-8000) -- as "the girl Elvis," it's not a wholly inappropriate association: leader of the bad-girl pack with the Runaways, a solo rock-and-roll lover, the den mother of riot grrrls and trash punks. Beats rotting on the potty, no?
-- Carly Carioli