The cartoon cover artwork to the latest album by Fat Freddy’s Drop pays homage to classic dub records of the late ’70s and early ’80s—a mad scientist stirs up a concoction of guitars, cassette tapes and band members—but the red-hot New Zealand band put a decidedly modern soul stamp on their electronic manipulations. Logical heirs to groups like Massive Attack, Fat Freddy’s Drop combine R&B vocals, reggae atmospherics and trip-hop beats currently hypnotizing the jam-band populace and inspiring booking battles among local summertime festivals. They headline Saturday night at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, which also features Baba Maal, Don Carlos, Barrington Levy, Max Romeo, the Skatalites and many more on Friday–Sunday, June 18–20, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds. 14400 Hwy. 128, Boonville. $55–$75 daily; $160 weekend pass. 916.777.5550.
.June 18-20: Fat Freddy’s Drop at Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
