Just in time to close out the outdoor concert season, Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010 will take over Merriweather Post Pavilion on September 25. In addition to the two main stages, which will feature Thievery Corporation, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Matt & Kim, and others, the festival will also include a “Dance Forest” soundtracked by Chromeo, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian, Modeselektor and Die Antwoord. As if that weren’t enough, Trombone Shorty (featured on HBO’s Treme) will lead a second line march from stage to stage, a unique tradition from his hometown of New Orleans.

Not only is the line-up out-of-this-world awesome, the show is also free. Yes, free. So start buttering up your friends with cars because this mini-festival is worth the trip.

Tickets go “on free” Saturday, July 24 at 10 AM on Ticketfly, who is waiving all service fees for the occasion. If you miss out on the free tickets, Virgin Mobile is offering up a limited set of premium tickets, which gives access to pavilion seating. As an added bonus, Rusko has produced a mini mix featuring many of the artists on the line-up, which is available for $5. Proceeds from premium ticket sales and the mini mix will be donated to charities supporting homeless youth.

With good weather comes outdoor concerts, barbecues and cruises. The Rocks Off Concert Cruise is back in full effect, bringing Chicago-based duo Flosstradamus on June 16. Autobot and J2K (Kid Sister’s brother) will bring their unique mix of club, hip-hop, house and juke aboard the Temptress as she sails around New York City for a three-hour tour.

The cruise boards at 7 PM and departs at 8 PM from West 41st Street. CLICK HERE for tickets and more info, and check out the Flosstradamus remix of Matt & Kim’s “Yeah Yeah” below.

Matt & Kim – “Yeah Yeah” (Flosstradamus Remix)

After seeing Coachella‘s initial line-up, we might just have to add it to our jam-packed spring schedule. Jay-Z, Muse, and Gorillaz are set to headline the three-day festival, now in its 11th year.

The massive line-up of over 130 artists includes Major Lazer, Vampire Weekend, Flying Lotus, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Miike Snow, Matt & Kim, Rusko, Deadmau5, Passion Pit, Phoenix, La Roux, Faith No More, MGMT… we could go on forever.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, who is listed on the flier as “Thom Yorke ????”,  is indeed confirmed for Sunday. The question marks next to his name refer to the backing band he had assembled to play in Los Angeles last fall: Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich,  and session hands Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco.

This year, Coachella will offer expanded camping options to include cars and RVs, in addition to traditional tent camping. This is also the first year that the festival will allow in-and-out privileges for all attendees.

Coachella will take place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA from Friday, April 16 – Sunday April 18. Tickets will be available starting Friday, January 22 at 10 AM. For those of us strapped for cash, they are offering a layaway payment plan. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Coachella is also teaming up with Valley Music Travel to provide exclusive deals and packages that include travel, local hotel shuttle transportation, and private home rentals with VIP access to the festival.

Check out the full line-up after the jump…

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Matt & Kim performed in front of an energetic crowd on Friday at Street Scene. Their banter between songs was so inclusive, it felt like you were watching a friends’ band in your backyard. I have to admit, I was lukewarm about their recorded music, but they definitely changed my mind with their live performance. Kim’s face while she played the drums was the picture of sheer joy. Obviously not the singer of the band, she gave ample warning to the audience before taking the mic for one song. Matt is also tons of fun on the keyboard and vocals, standing to amp up the audience whenever he had a break.

Matt and Kim first caught our attention when they hopped on stage for a surprise performance on the NYC stop of the Bacardi B-Live tour. Fitting, since their song “Daylight” is featured in a recent Bacardi commercial. Their simple tunes, created by Matt on the keyboard and Kim on the drums, were a welcome change of pace during the hard-core electrofest.

With the release of their sophomore album, Grand, a Bacardi commercial, and an international tour, the duo has already had quite a year. So how do they top that? With a VMA nomination for Breakthrough Video, naturally.

Click here to vote for “Lessons Learned”, and don’t miss their performance next Friday at Street Scene in San Diego. If you’re waiting for them to come to NYC you may be out of luck – the Brooklyn natives don’t have any upcoming tour dates in the Big Apple.