SF’s second annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival is just days away. We can hardly wait for the weekend, and we’re especially excited for this year’s OSL night shows (details to come later today) to quench our thirst until Friday. But speaking of Friday, here are our picks for Friday’s must-see acts at Outside Lands. We recommend getting well acquainted with the stage layouts before showing up and running around. It’s going to be a tight schedule, so make sure you plan who you want to see beforehand. Here are our picks for the best of  Friday.

West Indian Girl, Twin Peaks Stage, 1:00-1:45pm: The recent and sudden departure of lead singer (and Trent Reznor’s fiancée), Mariqueen Maandig has left West Indian Girl on an American Idol-type hunt for her replacement. But don’t fear, their temporary fill-in for OSL happens to be the very reputable and talented Miranda Lee Richards and we’re excited to see what she brings to their stage show.

Akron/Family, Sutro Stage, 1:45-2:30pm: The folk-inspired, psychedelic rock trio have really pulled out all the stops on their May released album, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free. Known for their extreme improv and not-set-in-stone instrument roles, we’re eager to see which one takes the drums, bass, and guitar for this set.

Built To Spill, Lands End Stage, 2:30-3:30pm: These veteran indie rockers have been on the cutting edge of indie since the early 90s. So it’s probably no surprise that a huge crowd will flock to see these guys in hopes of a sneak-peak of new material from their forthcoming album, There Is No Enemy, due out in October. Cross your fingers.

The Dodos, Sutro Stage, 3:20-4:10pm: There has been a huge surge of synth-infused psych rock coming straight out of San Francisco, and we can’t help but thank The Dodos for their gigantic contributions to the movement. Support your city and make sure you stop by to see these local favorites.

Midnite, Twin Peaks Stage, 4:05-5:05pm: All the way from St. Croix, Midnite takes a very relaxed approach to roots reggae. For a break between bands, make it a point to peep at one of the most influential frontrunners of conscious reggae.

Silversun Pickups, Lands End Stage, 4:15-5:15pm: LA-based indie-poppers, Silversun Pickups, have taken every radio station on the planet by storm, or so it seems. You’ve probably heard, and overheard their summer hit “Panic Switch” at least 3 times today. They have a very promising future so see them here while you can.

The National, Sutro Stage, 5:00-6:00pm: Brooklyn-based indie legends, The National, have a unique style and their lead singer, Matt Berninger has one of the most recognizable voices to date. Their last album, Boxer, was released in 2007 and fans eagerly await their newest album rumored to be released in early 2010. It will be interesting to see how they present their old material and if any new stuff pops up.

Q-Tip, Twin Peaks Stage, 5:50-6:50pm:Q-Tip, most famously known as an MC from A Tribe Called Quest, has been keeping busy producing, acting, singing etc. We like to think of him as the full package. His unreleased album deemed “un-commercial” from 2002, Kamaal The Abstract, is set to release September 15, which is exciting news for Q-Tip who has been fighting for the rights to the masters with Arista for years. Hopefully his excitement will shine through in his performance. We’re sure he won’t disappoint.

Kinky, Panhandle Solar Stage, 6:50-7:35pm: Latin-infused, electronica from Nuevo León, Mexico. These guys are in every way loveable and already hyped up on Nissan commercials and TV shows like Kingpin, Kinky shows no signs of stopping in the near future.

Thievery Corporation, Twin Peaks Stage, 7:40-9:00pm: Probably one of the most promising and sure-to-amaze acts here on Friday. Thievery Corporation has a way of fusing genres that seemingly don’t belong together onto one, beautifully cohesive track. Their live show is even better than their records, so the real task will be up to Outside Lands acoustic and sound boards to hold their weight because we know this show will be good. 

Pearl Jam, Lands End Stage, 7:50-9:50pm: Do we really need to explain the cultural relevance of Pearl Jam and their effects of music in society today as we know it? Lead singer Eddie Vedder brings a reputation that precedes him and this will definitely be the main draw and biggest celebrity act at OSL on Friday. We suggest stopping by after Thievery Corporation to enjoy the last hour or so.