A freeform project merging music, art, new media, social involvement and community values, Bassnectar is the Bay Area danceworld's answer to a constantly-evolving ethos of collaborative creation, self-reinvention and boundary-pushing experimentation. While existing as a mutating collaborative effort, Bassnectar is traditionally the amorphous music project of Lorin Ashton, a San Francisco based musician, producer and DJ.

Algerian-born Cheb i Sabbah is a world-renowned artist, composer and producer who blends music from all over the world into kaleidoscopic, dance-floor mixes. Sabbah views dance music as a uniting force and as “one way all people [can] have some sort of communion that's not present in Western society.”

The Ginger Ninjas describe themselves as "Mind shaking love groove folkfunk roots explosive mountain music for a pleasant revolution." Last year, they toured with fellow car-free folkers SHAKE YOUR PEACE! on a 5,000 mile odyssey from Northern California to the pyramids of Southern Mexico, exploring the frontiers of pedal-generated electricity, using their own bikes to power a hyper-efficient sound system. Originally conceived as a one-time adventure/statement/experiment, the band became addicted to low-impact touring, and now does so exclusively.

A green record label bringing you the "taste of fractured folk, infectious alt-country noir soaked in Americana," Portland's Stumptown Records got bit by the good green bug a few years ago. Today, the eco label utilizes 100 percent post consumer recycled packaging for all its releases, prints liner notes in non toxic soy ink, runs its fleet of vehicles on biodiesel, and sells only sweatshop free, organic free trade cotton merch. Two percent of profits from artists and bands are donated to environmental causes, so you can groove to this track from Kasey Anderson (hailed by Punk Planet as "one to watch in the alt country scene") with a clean conscience.

The Ditty Bops bewitch their listeners with iridescent golden harmonies, playful storytelling, visionary lyrical worldview and genre-defying tunes. As environmental activists, the girls creatively explore inspiring ways to live responsibly in today’s world, including touring by bicycle, raising money for farmers and converting their concrete driveway at home into an edible garden. This track, Skinny Bones, is off their new self-released album Summer Rains, a special collectible cd package incorporating elements of storybook pop up and printed on recycled paper.

Brett Dennen's soulful sound belies his mere 28 years on earth — beneath his baby face and stocky exterior is a man dutifully dedicated to social change and environmental causes. Brett works with youth to bridge the gaps between races and classes via San Francisco's Mosaic Project and strives to raise awareness for community nonprofits through his Love Speaks initiative.

Jef Stott is a producer-composer who has deftly navigated the realm of global remix for over a decade. As a musical anthropologist, he has studied with master musicians from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iran and Turkey which led him to become accomplished on several traditional stringed and percussion instruments of the Middle East.

Blending hip-hop with funk, reggae, jazz, folk and rock, the undefinable group that is Michael Franti and Spearhead extends their outspoken stance on peace and social justice issues to sustaining our planet. Their annual Power to the Peaceful festival in Golden Gate Park this September should be a testament to the bands green-fueled staying power. Word around the campfire is that Franti's got a new album releasing then too, but for now, enjoy "Hello Bonjour" off the Yell Fire album and dream of grooves to come.

Dubbed the female Jack Johnson, former Roxy model and avid surfer Tristan Prettyman delivers lovely low-fi campfire-on-the-beach tunes about life and love. This summer she’s joining forces with the Surfrider Foundation for the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project that will help to rescue, renew and restore four new beaches.

The Apple Trees join the ranks of carbon conscious musicians on the newly released compilation from Green Owl Records, A Benefit For Energy Action. 100% of the profits made from the album, on sale on Amazon and at Whole Foods nationwide, will be given to support the Energy Action Center, to support the people on the ground in the EAC while raising environmental awareness in the communities it serves. Green Owl is a new record label "by artists for artists" that made its goal "to put out great music while respecting the planet." If you like what you hear, check out GreenOwlRecords.com.