The Bumbershoot planning folks have really outdone themselves this year. The result is that we attendees need to be extra diligent in our planning. Here are three picks we can't imagine missing:

Friday, Sept. 2 - New York Dolls
Sure, thirty years have passed since their heyday and the original line-up is no more-but hearing the trash-to-glam classic "Personality Crisis" performed by the folks that made it famous will complete your Indie Rock 101 coursework. There is a 90% chance that the New York Dolls is the band that inspired your favorite band, and for that alone you need to plant yourself in front of the Mainstage on Friday night.

Saturday, September 3 - Sarah Vowell
Reading Sarah Vowell's work is like drinking the perfect pot of tea: her words perk you up, inspire you to pause and ponder, and most importantly, set you at ease with warm familiarity. It doesn't matter whether her roadtrip adventures take us to Presidential assassins or Fastbacks shows; all that matters once Sarah's voice enters your head is that you're certain you will be BBF one day.

Monday, September 5 - The Decemberists
The Decemberists reside in the small space between medieval literature and drama class. Colin Meloy's songwriting colors the stories of yesteryear (more like yestercentury) backed with whimsical instrumentation and bleating vocals. So sit down with your milk and cookies, Indie Rocker, it's story time with the Northwest's epitome of drama-pop bands..

Three Imaginary Girls cover tons of local music and host live events, from music showcases to rockstar karaoke. Check out threeimaginarygirls.com for more info.