By: Anand Harsh

Perhaps even more anticipated than the Wave 2 lineup which dropped today, SONIC BLOOM's announcement that it will be returning to Hummingbird Ranch in Spanish Peaks Country (or Rye, CO on some maps) from June 16-19 for a second year.

Fans enjoyed the shady camping spots, the creek which flowed through the ranch, and the beautiful surroundings of Bloom's new home. Located halfway between Denver and Santa Fe, the festival also opened up to expand into the southwest as its capacity has also grown. SONIC BLOOM sold out last year, marking its 10th anniversary with a full house.

Of course, the Wave 2 lineup is pretty good, too. Ahead of his Denver play at Cervantes on March 25, FKJ has been added to the bill. The multi-instrumentalist French Kiwi Juice is burning up the underground and mainstream festival plays, and will be joined by British downtempo artist Phaeleh, Dirtybird mainstay J.Phlip, and party-starters Fort Knox Five with special guest QDUP.

For those who like their bass weird, The Widdler and NastyNasty will be making appearances, as well as the all-star Rocky Mountain crew of The Mile High Sound Movement Collective. Artists from The Untz Festival joining the bill include Bass Physics and Greener Grounds. There's even a supergroup formed from members of Big Gigantic and The Motet who will be performing a Herbie Hancock tribute, which is pretty rad.

For those still hoping to join the SONIC BLOOM lineup, there's always The Untz Challenge VII, which will not only win you a spot on the Bloom roster, but six other major summer festivals this year.

These acts all join Tipper, Bonobo, The OPIUO Band, EOTO, Michal Menert & The Pretty Fantastics, Nightmares on Wax, Justin Martin, and so many more headliners on that SONIC BLOOM lineup. Remember, this is only Wave 2, so there are several more acts waiting to be added. A special headliner is coming in May, so look forward to that.

SONIC BLOOM has announced its official pre-parties, as well. The Unified Field has expanded to three days, as things kick off April 28 at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, CO and continue April 29-30 at Cervantes in Denver, CO with acts like Phutureprimitive, CloZee, Whitebear, Giraffage, Louis The Child, and more. It was also recently announced that SONIC BLOOM has joined forces with StarTribe to present the EARTH HEART LIVE SHOW dates May 21-22 in Taos, NM at the Taos Mesa Brewing earthship amphitheater, which will feature Desert Dwellers Live Experience and Kalya Scintilla & Eve Olution Stage Show among other special guests at a 2-day mini-festival.

Remarkably, there are still some Tier 1 tickets available for SONIC BLOOM, but those are going quickly. Make sure to visit sonicbloomfestival.com to snag those before they're gone!