Coinciding with this weekend’s Folk Fest is alternative folk pop band PHOX, which will per- form at the Cat in the Cream Saturday at 9 p.m. Hailing from Baraboo, WI, the sextet — who have been friends since high school — boasts whimsical tunes featuring exquisite, wistful vocals from singer Monica Martin. The band has played several high-profile events, including Lollapalooza and the iTunes Music Festival in London.

College junior Annika Hansteen Izora, who booked PHOX, says she has been a fan of the group’s music ever since she saw them featured on the blog Afropunk. “The band has a beautiful polyrhythmic, sugar pop, indie rock, funk sound,” Izora said. “They have a warm, soft vibe. … It’s gorgeous.”

The Cat has increased the number of femme women of color it books this year. Martin’s per- formance with PHOX will continue this trend, one Izora is determined to keep up next year. “[Martin] is a fantastic artist and speaks on be- ing a Black woman in a largely white male-dominated music genre,” Izora said. “It’s powerful to see her presence.”

Oberlin’s annual Folk Fest begins tonight at the Cat at 6 p.m. It will feature performances by local artists, as well as banjo-fiddle duo Richie and Rosie, English traditional artist Brian Peters and indie folk artist Chris Pureka. Folk musicians will take to the Tappan Square Bandstand Saturday morning and afternoon, and performances will continue into the evening in Finney Chapel with sets from Sweet Potato Spoon, Austin Walkin’ Cane and the Hanneke Cassel Band.