If you are becoming jaded by the countless music festival posters staring at you from every wall, announcing virtually indistinguishable lineups playing at remote locations, maybe it's time to perk up. The charmingly titled Love Planet festival, being held just 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Prague in the small 15th-century town of Tábor, has something that other local music events don't: namely, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It's been a while since Nick Cave last played in the Czech Republic, and seeing his band perform in a festival setting should be a real treat. The Bad Seeds have recently put out a new album, Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, which many fans regard as one of their finest works.

Some of the other bands scheduled to play aren't all that shabby, either. The lineup includes Sisters of Mercy, Stereo MCs, Kosheen, Nana Zorin, Khoiba, Sunshine, Svihadlo, Ohm Square, Tata Bojs and Umakart, among others. "We tried to include something for everyone," says one of the festival promoters, Martina Reková. "Rather than focusing on any particular genre, we wanted a selection of high-quality bands in which everyone will find something appealing." The result is a fine-tuned mix of dance, pop rock and indie, but also it's a chiaroscuro of the gloomy — led by Nick Cave himself — and the light.

One of the bands on the light end of the spectrum, the popular Czech reggae group Svihadlo, has been playing together for over 20 years. During that period, they have evolved from a guitar-driven, melody-based sound to the highly danceable, bouncy reggae that they play today. Vincent Richards, who is originally from Jamaica and who has been playing with the band ever since they invited him to jam with them at a festival in 1989, says he's been pushing for a more rhythm-based sound.

"I've been fighting them all these years — with every album, it's a constant struggle between rhythm and melody," he says with a chuckle. "But rhythm is winning."

Svihadlo's music is most often described as sunny and laid-back. The band Sunshine, on the other hand, plays moody, dark, electronic guitar pop. "Obviously, our name was intended to be ironic," says lead singer Kay, a.k.a. Karel Burianek. "When we started out 10 years ago, our music was very dark and abrasive, even more so than now, so we thought the name would be kind of funny. And now we're pretty much stuck with it."

Burianek cites punk and new wave bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Dead Kennedys and the Cure as some of their early influences. And, indeed, at times these early inspirations show through in Sunshine's music. In some of their songs, for instance, Burianek affects a convincing Robert Smith-like wail. At other times, Sunshine sounds like a Czech version of the Bravery. If that sends you running, hang on just a bit. Beneath the gloomy veneer lurks a distinct sense of humor and some very danceable tunes. You might just catch yourself tapping your toes to such songs as "Velvet Suicide" or "Moonshower and Razorblades," the latter also being the title of Sunshine's latest album.

Sunshine hails from Tábor and Burianek says the group is looking forward to playing on its home turf. Although, as he points out, with so many international stars, you could easily forget that you are in Tábor — or anywhere in the Czech Republic, for that matter.

Sunshine members are international stars in their own right, having toured Europe and North America extensively after signing to an American label. Some local fans have been pointing fingers and crying "sellout." But band members claim they haven't lost touch with their punk roots. Which is why they are especially looking forward to hearing one of their early inspirations play at Love Planet.