Festival season is here and that means so many great things–and one awful thing. Schedule conflicts. Look, no one likes to talk about it but this is the reality–scheduling conflicts are a real thing that affects real people. Thankfully, we are here to help you with that. Thank us later, really. 

At this weekend’s Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, the same one that threw a indie rock summit last year, there are many quality acts aside from the headlining trio of My Morning Jacket, Florence and the Machine and Jane’s Addiction. You’ve got a couple of pilars in the rock and roll landscape like Deftones and At the Drive-In to complement budding acts Foals, Explosions in the Sky, Phosphorescent and others. 

BUT. Conflict exists and it needs to be addressed. Let’s go day by day. 

Friday, May 13th

Matchup: Brian Fallon vs. Matthew Logan Vasquez

Ah, yes. The frontmen-gone-temporarily-solo battle. Here you have The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon delivering tracks from his cathartic and sometimes anthemic Painkillers and on the other side, the folksy tendencies of Delta Spirit’s Matthew Logan Vasquez and his debut solo effort, Solicitors Return.

As far as sets to ease into the afternoon with, as both play from 2:30-3:15, maybe you’re best digesting that slice of Spicy Pie you definitely shouldn’t have eaten with the whimsical sounds of Vasquez. If you’re more into screaming through your feelings, find Fallon on the Ponce de Leon stage. 

Verdict: Fallon gets the edge.

Saturday, May 14th

Matchup: The Decemberists vs. Foals vs. Silversun Pickups

Your pre-My Morning Jacket plans (or Walk the Moon, if that’s your thing) on Saturday night will most certainly find you dabbling in the alt-rock category as three bands similar in genre but drastically different in approach will hit the stage on Saturday evening. 

There’s really something for everyone here, as Colin Meloy and The Decemberists bring their Northwest weirdo rock to Atlanta. Meanwhile, brit-rockers Foals seem to be looking more and more like future festival headliners behind their stellar LP What Went Down. The wildcard here is LA rockers Silversun Pickups, who are finding themselves on numerous festival bills this summer. 

Verdict: In an upset, Foals by a nose over Silversun Pickups and The Decemberists. 

Sunday, May 15th

Matchup: Frightened Rabbit vs. The Orwells

Maybe the toughest of the entire festival and one that’ll surely have people finding a position in between both stages that allow you to hear both sets simultaneously. On one hand we have Frightened Rabbits, the slick veteran rockers. On the other, the unrefined beauty of The Orwells, the young punks from Illinois carrying on the spirit of The Ramones. 

Both sets are guaranteed to thrill you. It all depends on what you’re looking for on an early Sunday afternoon. Something tells me an energy boost is in order.

Verdict: This one is heartbreaking, but Orwells, I think. Yeah, Orwells. 

Matchup: The Head and the Heart vs. Deftones

Contrasting styles? Absolutely. But there is no question that these two west coast bands bring a whole of substance, making this a true  “choose your own adventure” pick. Seattle’s The Head and the Heart are still working off of their stellar 2013 effort Let’s Be Still, with a third record hopefully in the balance sometime soon. Meanwhile, alt-metal kinds Deftones are still going strong with Gore, a sludgy metal fusion record that marks their first in four years. 

Verdict: Deftones are just what you need before a rather mellow end to the festival. 

Matchup: Young the Giant vs. Explosions in the Sky vs. The Shelters

A triple-bill to close out your weekend in Atlanta as a trio of young, budding acts in a variety of genres as festival regulars Young the Giant return along with the atmospheric post-rock of Explosions in the Sky, who bring with them new material from The Wilderness. 

Then there is the wildcard: Los Angeles-bred and Tom Petty-raised rockers The Shelters, who offer a throwback style you don’t see all that much these days. The songwriting and craftsmanship from their first record is something to cherish in this EDM-driven music world we live in now. 

Verdict: Explosions in the Sky rank as one of the most dynamic live bands you can see on the festival circuit this year. Give them the edge.