It’s the end of the line in our pre-coverage of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival, which can only mean one thing: It’s here! That’s right - tomorrow night kicks off the 2008 TNK week, and we know you’re well-prepared for the rockness.

The Walkmen keep throwing it back to the original foundations of rock music: gravel-coated riffs, fuzzy ballads, and lots and lots of sweat on stage. While they have yet to come up with anything as strutting, ballsy, and soul shaking as 2004’s Bows and Arrows (and especially first single “The Rat”), there’s nary another band out there who can match the Walkmen’s sheer devotion to upholding the good (bad?) name of rocknroll. We’ll forgive them that weird Harry Nilsson Pussycats debacle a couple of years ago on the strength of their all-in, frenetic live shows.

MP3: The Walkmen - New Year’s Eve

Brooklyn-by-way-of-St. Louis lads White Rabbits made my top live shows list for 2007, and with good reason - the two-drummer attack and perfectly crafted, catchy-slash-quirky pop songs should serve as a “how to make indie rock” guide for the rest of Brooklyn’s basement bands.

MP3: White Rabbits - Kid On My Shoulders

Texas’ White Denim are all like, disjointed and shit. Their crafty, grimey rocknroll heaves all over the place like a drunk on 6th Street in Austin, yet maintains a quirkiness that aligns it perfectly with the rest of this bill. Luckily for the dirbags in the crowd, there’s plenty of chuzpah and Lone Star scuzz to carry you through this set.

MP3: White Denim - Dark Sided Computer Mouth

Aracdias are the DJ duo of Darren and Rob, by day member of Chicago mainstays The Changes. Behind the decks, they play the feel-good stuff you want to hear when it’s after midnight on the last evening of a kickass festival.

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