Outside Lands books Kendrick Lamar, D’Angelo, Sam Smith

Outside Lands -- San Francisco’s colder, more surge-price-prone cousin to Coachella -- just announced its 2015 lineup. Even the hardiest Los Angeles festival partisan would have to doff their straw sunhat in praise of it.

The festival booked a few of winter’s most talked-about artists as headliners. Top-billed acts include Kendrick Lamar (which kind of stings, to be honest, considering how his last L.A. festival appearance was such a mess), the returned and rejuvenated D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Grammy almost-clean-sweeper Sam Smith, Elton John and the newly banjo-shedding Mumford & Sons.

There’s a few interesting acts on the undercard as well, from rising indie heroes Alvvays and the soulful Natalie Prass to the newly rocking Laura Marling to their own festival paterfamilias Billy Idol (don’t act like you won’t stop by to see him). It’s a little dude-heavy at the top (St. Vincent is the highest billed female-fronted act), but all in all a strong showing.

While we can all admire San Francisco’s archtitecture and groundbreaking food-delivery mechanisms, we never thought we’d be jealous of their contemporary music festival prowess. Well done, Bay Area.

The annual fest takes place in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 7-9. Tickets go on sale Thursday. So, San Francisco, enjoy yourselves and just try to keep the place clean for once in your lives.

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