The Capitol Hill Block Party is one of Puget Sound’s hippest summer music festivals. And today and Saturday it will bring more than 50 bands to four stages around Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

And just to help you sort all that out, here are five acts you shouldn’t miss.

The Hold Steady (9 p.m. Saturday, main stage): It was all good and well to catch one of America’s best party bands’ last year at the University of Washington’s sterile HUB Ballroom. But with rowdy tunes about booze, drugs and reckless youth, the Hold Steady sound is better enjoyed with a tall cool one in hand. The Minnesota-bred outfit wears its Springsteen influences, circa “Born to Run,” on its collective sleeve on new album “Stay Positive.”

Vampire Weekend (10:45 p.m. today, main stage): Talk about a meteoric rise. These clean-cut, Ivy league-educated lads were virtually unknown a year ago, built a fan base for their Afro-pop inspired rock online and found themselves on the cover of Spin early this year. The band’s self-titled debut is one of this year’s most compelling releases, and singer Ezra Koenig’s voice may remind you of a young Sting.

Thee Emergency (7:45 p.m. today, Neumos): This squad may be from Seattle, but its foundation is built on grimy Detroit garage rock, circa 1969 – you know, the MC5, the Stooges – with captivating singer Dita Vox putting a soulful, R&B spin on that sound. Sure, their recent Bob’s Java Jive gig got called off, but they’re worth the drive tonight.

Kimya Dawson (4:30 p.m. Saturday, main stage): The soundtrack for “Juno” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this year. And Olympia’s Dawson is the motormouthed voice behind “Loose Lips,” “Tire Swing” and other quirky folk numbers you might remember from the film.

DeVotchKa (10:30 p.m. Saturday, main stage): Speaking of soundtracks, you may remember this band’s Gypsy- and cabaret-influenced sounds from the Steve Carrell film “Little Miss Sunshine” a couple of years ago. This year, the band has been out on the road promoting its latest album, “A Mad and Truthful Telling.”

Ernest Jasmin: 253-274-7389