The Unofficial Guide to Coachella, 2008

Coachella has become a national institution of such renown for the concertgoer, that he sometimes dedicates three days of his year to picking its fruits. For bands, the Coachella platform is used for reuniting, for anchoring a tour, or for kicking off a tour. This year, 125+ musical acts will be performing on five stages, from April 25-27, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, ranging in tenure from North Hollywood’s Vas Defrans to the $4 million dollar late addition of Prince. Here’s a guide with information on the bands playing this year’s festival, as well as where to see them, when. Stay hydrated!

FRIDAY, APRIL 25

Don’t Miss

Aesop Rock 

This Long Island-born Def Jux rhyme slayer has been pushing the boundaries of indie hip-hop for so long that he might as well declare himself a sovereign genre. He’s sonic Marcel Duchamp, mixing elements of seemingly random verbal imagery to weave together a chaotic narrative that reaffirms the beauty in disorder. (PF) 

8:20-9:10, Mojave Tent

Aphex Twin

A late add to the Coachella line-up but surely a welcome one, as who other than Richard D. James himself would bring the proper mixture of intellectually creepy electronica to the to the festival? Bring your teddy bear or other security item. (RV)

8:00-9:00, Sahara 

Battles 

Early Pink Floyd, no, but early Darren Aronofsky possibly. Battles are as afraid of rock ennui as the next guy, but unlike the next guy they do something about it through an instrumental scramble of pedals, guitars, drums, laptops, keys, elevated crash cymbals and other devices, while pogoing up and down like brats on a spring bed. The kids call this sort of thing math rock but, hating to pigeonhole bands like Battles into genres, why not let’s just say it’s bats. (CM)

3:00-3:45, Gobi 

Black Kids

Drawing obligatory comparisons to Bowie and The Cure because of their synth-driven pop melodies—yet harmonizing those two-part vocals better than anything Robert Smith could dream of pulling out of his lipstick-smeared pretense hole—this band just lays down indie-inspired dance tunes that’ll make you wriggle right out of those skinny jeans, which is probably the point. (PF)

3:25-3:45, Mojave Tent

The Breeders

Kim Deal returns to the Coachella stage, this time flanked by her sweetie sis Kellie in The Breeders (opposed to being flanked by three middle-aged musos for a Pixies reunion a few years earlier). Their Coachella appearance is just one in a long string of dates that’ll find these native Ohioans all over the US, plus dates in Spain, Australia, Japan and the UK. Now, chances are, you probably remember the Breeders from their one MTV/KROQ hit “Cannonball” in the mid-’90s, and probably not much else. That’s fine, ‘cause even after 15 years it all still sounds the same, so if that’s your expectation, you’re still right on the money. (WR)

5:00-5:50, Coachella Stage

Cut Copy

Indie dance pop never sounded so good. (PF)

4:00-4:50, Gobi

Dan Deacon 

Dan Deacon is often labeled as rainbow rock, although the term does nothing to actually describe the noise that’s made when Deacon starts blasting out his tunes. His music is everything awesome from your childhood—8-bit Nintendo games, Woody Woodpecker, The Muppet Show—and runs it through a melting Fisher-Price speaker, replete with senselessly gleeful, fuzzy vocals and plenty of nostalgia that leaves the musical landscape feeling a bit rosier.  (PF)    

4:00-4:50, Gobi

Dan le Sac Versus Scroobius Pip

The Beatles? Just a band. Led Zeppelin? Just a band. The Beach Boys? Just a band. The Sex Pistols? Just a band. Scroobius Pip? Just a band, but a refreshing one to kick out the pedestals of idols like that. This is poet rap from a British dude who doesn’t read a lick; all the more compelling. (BL)

6:30-7:20, Gobi

Datarock 

This is feel good music at its feelgoodiest. If you spend much time with a joystick, you’ve no doubt heard the duo’s Devo-derived quirkiness, which comes to full fruition on hits like 2005’s “Computer Camp Love.” They’re our favorite red tracksuit wearing, Breakfast Club-loving, Casio MT-64 keyboard playing Norwegians, by far. (AOT)

9:00-9:45, Gobi Stage

Fatboy Slim

Big Beat DJ Norman Cook is always a blast in concert, pogoing to the tunes he’s mixing and wearing some garish shirt. “The Rockefeller Skank” (key line: “right about now/the funk soul brother”) and “Praise You” are sure to prompt a sweaty, dancing frenzy. (GAP)

10:45-11:30, Sahara 

Jens Lekman

At long last, Secretly Canadian has let the cat out of the bag.

4:35-5:25. Mojave

Les Savy Fav 

Let’s Stay Friends Forever was one of the best albums of 2007 and proof that Les Savy Fav loves us and wants us to be happy. (PF)

3:10-4:00, Outdoor Theatre

Luckyiam

Luckyiam was one of the co-founders of Living Legends, and eschews the whole guns, bling and hos and instead creates intelligent hip-hop that you can dance to. It’s a lot less pretentious than it sounds. Promise. (PF)

2:00-2:50, Outdoor Theatre

Professor Murder (must see)

They might be the feel-fun band of Coachella, hammy as Oingo Boingo and as drum-centric as Pearl Street in Boulder, and Professor Murder has something you probably don’t—awful hanks of unbraided nipple hair. (BL)

11:10-Midnight, Gobi 

Redd Kross 

The McDonald brothers—Jeff and Steve—have been rockin’ SoCal for 30 years, influencing generations throughout the ‘80s punk scene, ‘90s Alternative Nation groups, and into the current garage rock circles. It’s something that only three decades of experience can bring. It’s time to pay homage! (WR)

2:15-3:05. Mohave 

Santogold 

Electronic beats mixed with new-wave synth-n-dub give this Philly girl some serious beef to her eclectic, inimitable bass-hugging vocal style. She’s on fire. This will be the gig to give the you-should-have-been-there jabs to the wusses who wouldn’t tough it out in the desert. (AOT)

7:45-8:35, Gobi 

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings 

You’re a straight up sucker if you miss out on Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. This is maximum soul at its funky best. James Brown may have left this Earth, but in Jones we truly have a kindred, hard working spirit. And as for the Dap-Kings? They’re the real deal, session artists at their finest, and ones you may just recognize as Amy Winehouse’s back-up band on the album that made her a household name. Or was that the crack? Either way, don’t be a sucker, sucker. (AOT)

9:35-10:25, Mojave 

Spank Rock 

“Shake that ass, let me see what ya got.” With songs like “Pu$$y” and “Bitch,” Spank Rock are the least likely to be embraced by feminist craftster magazine Bust, but that is just the power of Spank Rock. The mag just named rapper Naeem Juwan, the main man behind the moniker, one of its annual “Men We Love.” If 2 Live Crew and Beck had a love child, that little monster would be Spank Rock. And you’d love him unconditionally. And in a special two-for-one deal, you just might get Santogold for her guest spot on “Booty” since she’s in town. (AOT)

10:05-10:45, Gobi 

The Swell Season 

Of course, by now we all know what happens when you mix a cherubic Irish busker with a plain-faced Czech pianist—an Academy Award for best original song from the movie, Once. The Frames frontman Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová will be performing mostly platonic songs that are so completely benign and forgiving, songs that are so contemplatively open to all the world’s travesties and ills, songs that are so acoustically gentle and mellifluous, that you’ll want to curl up with them like kittens in a litter. This can’t be said of every band at Coachella. (CM)

8:25-9:15, Outdoor Theatre

Serj Tankian 

Serj Tankian’s solo outing simply sounds like a stack of System Of A Down B-sides. Sure, it might be a little kookier, a tad spookier and a smidge extra zany (think Mr. Bungle-esque), but in the end, Tankian’s inimitable, manic vocal qualities make it hard for one to divorce the System association. Therefore, if you’re a System fan, you’d best get your ass to the stage when Serj appears. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you! (WR)

9:55-10:45, Outdoor Theatre

Tegan and Sara 

Twin lesbians who rock? Awwyeaaaah. And a million members of the music press singing their praises can’t be wrong either. (AOT)

6:15-7:05, Coachella Stage

Vampire Weekend 

Ivy League soukous fans make good with a debut album so highly anticipated they hardly had enough time to release one to catch up with the buzz. Catch VW before the industry sucks the life out of ‘em. It’s peppy Afro-pop with a Kinks backbeat. (AOT)

5:40-6:30, Outdoor Theatre

The Verve

If ponderous and majestic rock tunes are your thing, then this reunion (after a decade-long hiatus) should be pure bliss. For a short time in ‘90s, these Brits were on top of the world with The Stones’ sampling “Bittersweet Symphony” single and memorable CD “Urban Hymns.” Then it all came crashing down in a haze of drugs and infighting. Coldplay’s Chris Martin sang the band’s praises in recent years. Hopefully, leader Richard Ashcroft still possesses that shaman vibe onstage. (GAP)

9:00-10:00, Coachella Stage

Coin Flip

American Bang

Channeling all the energy of punk’s forbearers like Iggy Pop and MC5, these guys owe as much to the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd as they do to Marc Bolan. The sound isn’t anything new, but American Bang skips the long, boring ballads of their forbearers in favor of balls-out, hard-drinkin’, hip swingin’ rock. (PF)

1:15-1:55, Mojave 

Busy P 

Busy P isn’t a misnomer: Managing Daft Punk, Justice and Cassius and running Ed Banger Records probably doesn’t leave this French electro-house producer/DJ with a whole lot of time, but somehow he finds it and remixes every song that comes out, ever. And he still has time to conquer the electronic music world with his own tracks, which only displays that Busy P’s got lots of love for what he does. And lots of coffee. (PF)

3:40-4:40, Sahara 

John Butler Trio 

Let’s do some math here: John Butler Trio > Hannah Montana > Dave Matthews Band > William Hung > Creed. (WR)

2:30-3:20, Coachella Stage

Sandra Collins 

As one of the most famous female DJs in the world, Collins’ electronic trance has sent many a young heart tripling through antemeridian hours with a feeling of bionic power. Her sound manipulations play out as all danceable artifice, and remind us of the one thing we already know—that the world is desperate to dance. (BL)

5:50-7:00, Sahara

Adam Freeland 

Freeland gave The Doors’ “Hello I Love You,” a song traditionally thought to have a backbeat narrow and hard to master, a masterful backbeat that other DJ poachers have warmed their hands to. Kid knows his tables. (BL)  

4:40-5:50, Sahara

Goldfrapp 

Not since Stevie Nicks has a gold dust woman been so glamorous. Vocalist Alison Goldfrapp and synthesist Will Frapp have been sexing up electronic music since 1999, most recently transforming their pop-influenced electronic sound into a mix of ambient, down tempo glamorous veg out music. Goldfrapp started her career as a guest vocalist with Tricky and Orbital, and has since become known as much for her over-the-top costumes and stage personas drawing from surrealism and mythical creatures as her ethereal vocals. Depending on the timing, this could be a wonderful afternoon delight to recharge for the headliners. (AOT)

7:10-8:00, Mojave

Midnight Juggernauts 

In a world of existential crisis, it’s easy to understand a YouTube comment like this left on the “Road to Recovery” video: “fuck me these are good!!! Love it!!!” One can imagine if these weren’t good what a listener would want done to them, but Melbourne’s Midnight Juggernauts have shown some Kraftwerk-like promise with their debut album Dystopia and those thumping beats are surely sexy insinuations to the “unsuspecting public” they tender. (CM)

2:00-2:50, Sahara

The National

“Boxer,” a dark, atmospheric album with brooding baritone vocals akin to Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen, was justifiably one of the best-reviewed releases of 2007. But can the Brooklyn-based indie rockers’ understated tunes translate equally well outdoors? (GAP)  

6:55-7:45, Coachella Stage

Pendulum

We go back and forth on this one. (CM)

9:20-10:20, Sahara

Porter

Eh.

2:00-2:40, Gobi

The Raconteurs

Although it’s probably a good idea to support anything that feature’s Jack White’s blistering retro-blues rock guitar work, The Raconteurs’ songs sound a bit pieced together from miscellaneous parts, kind of like a rock & roll Mr. Potato Head, only with less accessories. The energy and talent is definitely there, and maybe the band will grow out of its cut-and-paste approach to song writing, but the defect is terminal in their current batch of tunes. (PF)

7:30-8:30, Coachella Stage

Rogue Wave 

Check out Rogue Wave’s dreamy harmonies layered over a razor sharp musicianship, if you like that sort of thing. If you do, you’re in luck. The soundtrack-ready songs deliver feel-good melodies along with earnest lyrics. Not for cynics, or those looking for the party. (AOT)

1:30-2:15, Coachella Stage

Slightly Stoopid 

No offense, really, ‘cause we kind of like these guys. But how they landed on the more eclectic, fringe roster of Coachella, we’ll never really know. Sublime loyalists in attendance are freakin’ stoked. (WR)

3:45-4:35, Coachella Stage

Piss Break

Architecture in Helsinki 

It’s impossible to know for sure if this glockenspiel-heavy Australian act intentionally ripped off the Music Box Orchestra (the famed house band for the Baby Einstein vehicle), but one suspects. Unless handclapping in empty space describes the actual architecture in Helsinki, one also suspects that somebody’s full of hooey. Enjoy your piss break! (CM)

4:25-5:15, Outdoor Theatre

Black Lips

Bands shouldn’t make out on stage, ever. Fortheloveoffuckinggod, please stop it. Their ’60s-inspired, raucous singalong punk tunes are plenty good to carry their live show without the dumb stage gimmicks—but maybe your time would be better spent someplace else, like searching for your car. (PF)

10:50-11:40, Mojave Tent

Diplo 

Diplo is short for Diplodocus, a very long, quadrupedal, veggie-munching dinosaur that went extinct about 150 million years ago, but the moniker harkens back to this Philadelphia-based DJ/producer’s childhood dinophilia, not the fact that his tunes are a bit outdated . . . or that he has an inhumanly huge neck. His tunes aren’t ancient and his neck is average-sized. Which gets more disappointing the more we comment. (PF)

7:00-8:00, Sahara 

Jack Johnson

Mr. Hawaii’s massive popularity is baffling (latest disc Sleep Through the Static debuted at No. 1 a couple months ago). Most of the laid-back surfer dude’s acoustic guitar-based pop catalog is interchangeable and snoozeworthy, so you probably won’t miss much by breaking away to get some business done or wait in line for a Churro. (GAP)

10:45-Midnight, Coachella Stage

Múm 

If it hasn’t occurred to you yet that Icelandic bands are not really “experimental” so much as “geographically institutionalized and therefore just sort of fucked up,” then you still think that Björk showing up in that swan dress was a sign of genius. Archivists of Icelandic behavior might do themselves a favor and check out Múm, the latest in a never-ending line of blipsy-glitchy electro currents that put hallucinatory movements to the dancing Aurora Borealis. When the next Johnny Cash comes out of Iceland, wake us up, otherwise we’ll assume this kind of shtick is the mainstream over there. (CM)

5:50-6:45, Mojave

SATURDAY, APRIL 26

Don’t Miss

Animal Collective 

Though all bands are experimenting technically, this one is known for it even after eight American albums. There was a big article in the New Yorker about this East Coast collective, by the venerable Sasha Frere-Jones, did you see it?, about how they like the collision of accidental sounds that could never be performed intentionally, things like a fork assaulting a bell, and how it seemed improvised and was the music equivalent to a de Kooning painting and the sounds of jet planes taking off, etc, and it occurred to us when we finally saw them, this band doesn’t know what the fuck it’s doing. And that’s ten times more admirable, still. (CM)

8:25-9:15, Mojave

The Bird and the Bee 

Inara George, known around Los Angeles for years as a solo artist, has joined forces with Greg Kurstin, producer extraordinaire and a classically trained keyboardist, to bring Astrid Gilberto-style lyrics to the hipster masses. You’ve already heard their first hit single, “Fucking Boyfriend,” and presumably you love, love, love it, so check out the stage show and see what all the, er, buzz is about. (AOT)

12:30-1:10, Mojave

Boys Noize 

Producer and DJ of amazing electro-tech, Boys Noize has also gone by the name 909d1sco, which of course is named after the seminal drum machine made by Roland and not the geographic area, but it’s still a cool coincidence. (PF)

4:00-5:00, Sahara

Carbon/Silicon 

Mick Jones and Tony James. Hell. Yeah. (PF)

1:45-2:35, Gobi

Cold War Kids 

It’s like Sunday sermon without all the lackluster hymnals by bored parishioners. Orange County’s Cold War Kids offer up a distinctive blues-based rock sound so intense you’ll feel compelled to order your falafel while speaking in tongues. Frontman Nathan Willet’s rhapsodic piano playing along with his high-pitched, pulsating vocals never fail to get people riled. (AOT)

4:00-4:50, Coachella Stage

Death Cab for Cutie 

Maybe the only guy who can make grown men cry by singing about the emergency room stench of piss and 409, Ben Gibbard and bandmates from Death Cab for Cutie are a surefire crowd pleaser. With the band’s new album about to drop weeks after Coachella, this show should be killer. (AOT)

6:30-7:20, Coachella Stage

DeVotchKa 

Denver in the hey-ouse! Or at least in the desert, and this Sybil band (mariachi, bolero, Greek, among its personalities) may be the single greatest excuse to go ahead and dehydrate and perish out there. The harmonious sounds of the bouzouki have never struck such familiar notes with the accordion in the history of recording. A Mad and Faithful Telling is the band’s latest and greatest, and will be the play list its directive, no doubt. (BL)

3:35-4:25, Outdoor Theatre

Dredg 

This terrific experimental outfit from Northern California continues to blur the lines between the post-hardcore fare of the ‘80s and ‘90s, alterna-metalers like Tool, and even the careful fragility that’s found in acts like Muse and Radiohead. (WR)

2:20-3:10, Outdoor Theatre

Hot Chip 

No two Hot Chip shows are ever the same, and it’s always a hipster hot ticket. Hot? Probably sizzling. (AOT)

6:10-7:00, Sahara

Junkie XL 

Junkie XL isn’t just an extra big junkie for epic electronic beats with a sharp rock edge—his new album Booming Back At You combines mellow groove moments and the classic electronic sound of acts akin to The Chemical Brothers, JXL gives you tunes are simultaneously accessible and smart that’ll force your feet to cut some grooves into the desert floor. (PF)

7:05-8:05, Sahara

Rilo Kiley 

Vocalist Jenny Lewis and guitarist Blake Sennett sing sweet, sweet love songs for the sexed-up masses, and they may be the perfect anecdote to the sweltering heat. And when Lewis shakes her moneymaker as the rhythm section bumps and grinds through the hits from last year’s Under the Blacklight. And that’s not such bad news. (AOT)

7:20-8:10, Outdoor Theatre

Kraftwerk

Watching middle-aged men clad in identical uniforms all lined up with their laptops doesn’t exactly equal excitement. But for this pioneering German electronic music group from the ‘70s, it’s all about the mesmerizing visuals and enthralling soundscapes. For proof, grab a copy of 2005 live CD Minimum-Maximum and hear how they’ve influenced countless acts from Bowie to Depeche Mode on seminal tracks like “Computer World,” “Trans Europe Express” and “Autobahn.” Thanks to a mystique surrounding the concert shy Dusseldorf musicians, the Sahara Tent was packed for their Coachella 2004 performance. Expect a similar reaction this weekend at the Coachella Stage. (GAP)

7:50-8:50, Coachella Stage

MGMT 

The song “Time To Pretend” is impossibly good (and probably lucky) for this Brooklyn-hubbed group of ratty lads to come up with, but did you see those Dracula capes they wore on Letterman? Yeah. Not only infectious, not only impervious to internal age-gained cynicism, but stylish to boot. If you saw them at SXSW, you know that this band just embarrassed the hell out of the emo genre by using actual consciences. (CM)

3:40-4:30, Mojave

Kate Nash 

Known as the girl who likes her ex’s friends because they are much “fittah” in her hit song “Foundations,” as well as for her MySpace success story, the British 20-year-old has gone from working fast food to slinging her saucy slang-filled songs at huge music festivals in a little more than two years. See her now before she’s either selling out everywhere or fading into obscurity. (AOT)

4:55-5:45, Mojave

Prince 

Minneapolis royalty is gracing Coachella this year—AS IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD!! Everybody, we mean everybody, is talking about this show. People who abandoned ambitions to attend Coachella this year all fell to the ground in excruciating pain when they heard the news. Ha ha, suckers! That’s the beauty of Coachella. You just never know who is going to show up. And this year, it’s the purple prince, Prince Roger Nelson! And we think if he belts out “Let’s Go Crazy,” you won’t need much prodding. He’s inspired everyone from Alicia Keys to Tipper Gore (Remember “Darling Nikki” bringing about Gore’s push for the Parental Advisory stickers!), and Miles Davis has called him the most exciting artist of his time. He was even voted by PETA as the world’s sexiest vegetarian. And you know you’re hot if you decide that no one can call you by your name anymore, and they do it. He’s a girly-shoe wearing, high-kickin’, no meat eatin’, Jehovah Witness funky badass. Respect. (AOT)

10:45-whenever, Coachella Stage

Mark Ronson 

The British DJ-turned-producer struck gold in 2007 with ace efforts by Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. Then Ronson proved his mettle as an artist with Version, including deft takes on Coldplay, Smiths, Charlatans UK, Ryan Adams and Britney Spears tunes by the likes of Winehouse, Allen, Robbie Williams, new R&B discovery Daniel Merriweather and others. Maybe some celeb singers will turn up in Indio. Even a Ronson DJ set would be cool. (GAP)

8:35-9:25, Outdoor Theatre

Scars on Broadway 

Serj Tankian might’ve carried the System Of A Down torch through to his solo effort, but Scars On Broadway—featuring System guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan—appear to be taking a notable tangent from their original band’s famed fare, instead delving into the more pop end of the spectrum. Therefore, if you’re a System fan, you’d best get your ass to the stage when Daron and John appear. Just don’t say we didn’t warn ya . . . again! (WR)

6:10-6:45, Mojave

St. Vincent 

Annie Clark sings, plays guitar, bass, piano, synthesizers and more on her most recent album, Marry Me, so we’re not sure what to expect once she hits the stage. We know this: she is a former member of the Polyphonic Spree and toured with Sufjan Stevens. She’s got a knack for melodies, and spins a good yarn into songs that resonate. (AOT)

5:20-6:10, Gobi

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks 

Now that Malkmus has former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss on staff, the Jicks newest release, Real Emotional Trash, is the most solid the band has produced yet. Malkmus’ prog-like, jazz fused jangly guitar meshed with his trademark quirky non sequiturs and colorful characters come through strong, making for perfect nighttime Coachella entertainment. Oh, and Malkmus was the mastermind behind Pavement, “the” indie band of the 1990s. If you didn’t know that, maybe you should just skip Coachella altogether. (AOT)

4:50-5:40, Outdoor Theatre

Yo! Majesty 

These girls from attack the mic like a modern 2-Live Crew—a comparison that would fit like a snugger Lifestyles condom, except that they’re not dumb enough to be 2-Live crew. They’re still every bit as nasty, though, and they throw all that nastiness over an infectious electro beat. (PF)

7:40-8:20, Gobi

Dwight Yoakam 

Last year, Willie Nelson appeared at both Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals. The veteran hillbilly doing double duty in ‘08 has a reputation for high-energy shows. Yoakam’s no stranger to rock ‘n’ roll, having covered Queen, Elvis Presley and Clash numbers and toured with The Blasters, Los Lobos and X. Yoakam pays tribute to mentor and idol Buck Owens on winsome covers collection “Dwight Sings Buck.” (GAP)

6:05-6:55, Outdoor Theater

Coin Flip

Above & Beyond 

These three Brits are famous for their progressive vocal trance remixes, mostly Chakra’s “Home” that hit number one on the UK club charts and Madonna’s “What if Feels Like for a Girl.” But they’re not just good at mixing up other artists’ stuff: The DJ act’s first original composition, “Far From in Love,” has become a dance anthem. They’ve won over many a tranceaphobe, and were even named number six on DJ Mag’s Top 100, a rag known for their disdain for the stuff. (AOT)

11:10-???, Sahara

Akron/Family

This Brooklyn-based folk noise six piece was originally constructed from two three-piece experimental bands that decided to unify into one colossal mega-confused chantiffic electro-hype low-centigrade meta-hippie assemblage with no handlebars. So there’s that. (DT)

8:40-9:30, Gobi

Bonde Do Role

Diplo described this Brazil-based band’s sound to Rolling Stone as “little children screaming about drugs over a Smiths loop and a break beat.” That sounds about right. They’re supposed to have really dumb, dirty lyrics, and we wish we could verify that, but we don’t speak Portuguese. (PF) 

4:05-4:55, Gobi

Erol Alkan 

The mastermind behind the now-defunct London club night Trash, Erol Alkan achieved some mainstream notoriety for his mash-ups of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You out of My Head” and New Order’s “Blue Monday.” You’ve probably heard his stuff and don’t even know it. (AOT)

5:00-6:00, Sahara

Café Tacvba 

Eclectic Latin/alternative rock, served piping hot from south of the border. You’ll hear elements of The Flaming Lips (producer Dave Fridmann worked on records by both Café Tacvba and the Lips), Pinback, Starflyer 59 and even traditional Mexican musical flavors, all rolled up in one delectable serving. (WR)

5:15-6:05, Coachella Stage

The Cinematic Orchestra

Fittingly, after releasing their debut album, 1999’s Motion, TCO was asked to perform at the Director’s Guild Awards ceremony for the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to film director Stanley Kubrick. They played the soporific, very Rufus Wainwrighty classic, “To Build A Home”—and that’s when we knew that electro-drowse was the all the vogue. This here’s your come down. (DT)

6:35-7:20, Gobi

Curses! 

Brooklyn’s Curses! knows how to brings the drama. Bass notable Drop the Lime helps produce throwbacks to early ’90s mutated house music. Electro synths and breakneck beats with chopped up female vocals pump up the jams for a new generation of those looking to not only cut a rug, but pretty much disseminate it. Perfect for when you have a Red Bull and vodka late afternoon pick-me-up and get just a little too high. Better than running laps! (AOT)

Doors-1:30, Sahara

Jupiter’s Ring

Your guess is as good as ours. (BL)

12:30-1:00, Outdoor Theatre

Flogging Molly

On a good day, Irish ex-pat Dave King leads his charges through a fiery set of Celtic punk. On a bad one (like a local Warped Tour stop I caught a few years back), they can appear to be going through the motions in the wilting heat. Fortunately, the LA-based band is touring behind the strong Float, so odds are good. (GAP)   

9:50-10:40, Outdoor Theatre

Calvin Harris 

Uptempo electroclash by a young Brit, inspired by his love for ’80s music. It may have been, as one of his songs declares, acceptable in the ’80s, but it’s not as ironic if you enjoyed it the first time around. (AOT)

9:55-10:45, Gobi

Islands

If you’ve ever listened to the Unicorns and thought that they’d be a million times better if they jettisoned some of the goofy shtick and focused on writing mellow, poppy tunes, not only were you right, but you envisioned Islands. They sound so much like The Unicorns because most of the band played in The Unicorns, but that doesn’t mean they tread on the same ground. Islands is less awkward, less shrill, less grating, more or less awesome. (PF)

7:10-8:00, Mojave

Little Brother 

One of the few hip-hop acts on the big blue poster, North Carolina’s Little Brother picks up where Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul left off. It’s booty shaking without the (quite-as crass) big booty lyrics. (AOT)

1:15-2:00, Outdoor Theatre

Minus the Bear

Hailing from rainy Seattle, Washington, these experimental indie rockers bring an intense, melancholy touch to the festival lineup. Having released their third album this past August, Planet of Ice, Minus the Bear will only leave you wanting more with their set. With slow, hypnotic songs such as “Ice Monster” working as a sedative for your state of mind, the band can just as easily pull the ol’ bait-n-switch on the crowd and roll out a trumped up, blissful number—as they do with “Pachuca Sunrise.” (DT)

2:45-3:35, Coachella Stage

120 Days 

Experidementia . . . from Oslo (formerly Christiania) with active bangs and pop leanings . . . where human drummers aren’t allowed ’cept in death metal clubs  . . . but, but . . . it’s always fun trying to figure out what capable singer-songwriter Jonas Dahl is on about. He’s that continents Aaron Espinoza. (CM)

3:00-3:45, Gobi

Portishead

Ah, the big question mark at Coachella. It’s been a decade since the UK trip-hop trio put out new material or even toured. Best known for the eerie hit “Sour Times” here, the 1994 debut Dummy is considered a classic of the genre in some quarters. They aim to make up for lost time with Third, due out next week. Whether the luxurious, unsettling tunes sung by honey-voiced Beth Gibbons can still translate outdoors on the main stage is anyone’s guess. (GAP)   

9:15-10:15, Coachella Stage

The Teenagers 

Singing synthpop hormones, that’s what these little Frenchies are, but we mean that in the best way possible. We’re also very entertained. (AOT)

1:30-2:10, Mojave

VHS Or Beta 

Their name might suggest that these southern boys are some kind of ’80s nostalgia act in the Calvin Harris vein—and you know what, their name betrays them. They lay down some seriously danceable punky electro and French house that’ll make you want to show up early, ’cos they play in the afternoon, when the sun’s the hottest. Don’t let that deter your dancing, though. (PF)

1:35-2:20, Coachella Stage

Yelle 

When you’ve got GrandMarnier on your drums, it’s easy to transcend any notion of being the electro-pop Salt N Pepa of France. For most Dude Americans, the chick-singing-in-French will entice your fantasy life, but as Yelle’s hit single “A Cause Des Garçons” suggests, she knows that. Give a listen to “Ce Jeu” and tell me it wouldn’t fit handsomely behind a Pop Tart commercial! (CM)

9:30-10:20, Mojave

Yoav 

At his best, Yoav approaches the air space of Portishead or Jeff Buckley, but at his core he’s more of a David Gray with the poetry of Seal (ahem) dawning over his all-too-serious face. One can also see his admiration of Trent Reznor is no passing fancy. People in Santa Monica would love to hear the breathy strum of his “travails,” but for people with real problems this’ll seem like strong solipsistic whine. (CM)

1:00-1:30, Gobi

Piss Break

Enter Shikari 

These English hardcore kids lay it down heavy and fast, but they don’t skimp on the melodic choruses and interludes. And while they can transition from face-meltingly fast to those tonal harmonics about as effortlessly as they walk, their synth-laden blasts might be a bit polished for those looking to relive their crusty hardcore days. (PF)

10:45-11:35, Mojave

Kavinsky 

Whatever happened to the Paris that Cendrars knew? Kavinsky’s music could easily be the intro for Bruce Banner, or Quincy MD. It’ll take a pretty strong drug to make this seem like art. It’d be better to listen to somebody clip their nails. (CM)

2:20-3:10, Sahara

Man Man 

More like “Circus Circus.” (WR)

2:30-3:15, Mojave

Orgasmic 

Unless you just haven’t had enough of French DJs this round of Coachella, you’re probably safe skipping this one . . . if you can decipher who’s who in the Institubes collective. (AOT)

Doors-1:30, Sahara

Sasha and John Digweed 

Goddamn, you people love the repetition. Goddamn, you people love the repetition. The former Twilo residents are back, and if they had it their way they’d put off electronic emissions for several hours, boo-bah, boo-bah, boo-bah. Goddamn you people love repetition. (BL)

9:10-11:10, Sahara

Surkin 

God knows what’s happening with Institubes, but here thinks it’ll be like a sonic bloody Mary. (AOT)

Doors-1:30, Sahara

Uffie, featuring DJ Mehdi 

Say, wasn’t this slot supposed to go to Does it Offend You, Yeah? 

1:30-2:20. Sahara

James Zabiela 

If you really, really like house music, then you should stop by this Brit’s set. But we won’t be there. (AOT)

3:10-4:00, Sahara

SUNDAY, APRIL 27

Don’t Miss

Perry Ferrell

Most famous kook ever invented. (RV)

2:00-2:45, Sahara

Grand Ole Party 

Conjuring up images more in line with whiskey swilling rock & roll swagger than one-drink-maximum conservative politics, these cats bring a grand ole party, indeed. (PF)

1:20-2:05, Outdoor Theatre

Holy Fuck 

Although this fest is a bit heavy on the electronic music, Holy Fuck sits high atop the mountain of blown speakers and melted circuit boards. This duo blasts out chaotic electronic tunes that don’t use any samples, splicing, programming, loops or anything that rock-snobs consider cheating. They use everything from keys to toy laser guns to make their sounds, and their discordant live show will have you carrying them up that pile of sacrificed electronics to their rightful place on its throne. (PF)

2:50-3:35, Gobi 

I’m From Barcelona

When a lot of bands disintegrate, they watch as their dreams of superstardom are dashed to pieces against the perilous realities of creative differences, and record collections the world over are overwrought with their orphan EPs and singles. With that in mind, it’s amazing that Swedish indie-pop ensemble I’m From Barcelona can manage to find a consensus among its 29 various members. They’re not a super group, but the brainchild of Emmanuel Lundgren, whose IFB’s principle songwriter and resident brilliant guy. (PF)  

2:45-3:30, Mojave

Linton Kwesi Johnson 

The venerable (and literal) Reggae poet that Bob Marley called the inspiration of the genre. Nobody stands up there all Adam’s apple and sincere conviction quite like this legend, whose presence is large enough that a capella feels more thunderous than a nine-piece orchestra. (CM)

1:25-2:10, Gobi

Love and Rockets 

It’s been about ten years since Love and Rockets last played a full set of songs. And this re-emergence is something that’s seriously worth getting excited about. OK, truthfully, we’d rather see Bauhaus, but hey, it’s like the next best thing. (WR)

7:30-8:25, Outdoor Theatre

Manchester Orchestra 

Andy Hull, who fronts Atlanta’s own Manchester Orchestra, looks like David Bazan with a toupee—you wouldn’t think such yearn could emit from the burl. Drummer Jeremiah Edmond is the next Keith Moon. Just a monstrously good band of youngthings, and the best rock act to come out of the South since Remy Zero. (BL)

3:45-4:35, Outdoor Theatre

M.I.A.

Have you seen them? 

8:20-9:10, Sahara

Murs 

Murs is a member of Living Legends and also writes tunes with Slug under the moniker Felt, but this underground icon has said recently that he wants to be the purveyor of his own fine tunes. He wants all that creative control, and he uses it well. Instead of pumping out a bunch of boring backing tracks with amazing rhymes, Murs delivers the whole package where so many other indie rappers monotonously fall short. (PF)

9:00-9:50, Mojave

My Morning Jacket

This Kentucky quintet is equally amazing in outdoor festivals and nightclubs. Singer/guitarist Jim James and company really know how to kick out the rock jams without coming across as self-indulgent or boring. Coming off the excellent reverb-drenched “Z” and album No. 5 on the way (Evil Urges), festival-goers should be prepared for some mind-blowing music. (GAP)

7:00-8:00, Coachella Stage

Plasticines 

Plasticines are the most likely to invoke sins at Coachella for three reasons: A) they will be the envy of all the females in the audience (no split ends), B) they will be the covet of every man’s lust (hot-hot-hot), and C) they will perform “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” encouraging aspiring artists to steal anything that can be further sexified. (CM)

1:00-1:30, Mojave

Simian Mobile Disco 

With songs like “Tits and Acid,” “Hustler,” and “Hot Dog,” it’s hard to fathom why this remix tandem are ten times more miraculous than childbirth, but they fucking are. They are that wickedly fucking cool, man. Perhaps it should be mentioned also that some of these beats are tap-danceable, if you only have it in yourself to try. (CM)

9:00-9:50, Sahara

Roger Waters

Since David Gilmour won’t get off his butt and bury the hatchet (outside that Live 8 gig), Waters’ faithful recreation of Dark Side of the Moon and beyond is the closest many young classic rock fans will get to seeing Pink Floyd live. Visually and musically stunning, this is quite a production if you haven’t witnessed it before (I caught an Irvine stop last year). And Gilmour is barely missed with the small army onstage and more than capable guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low handling several prominent leads. (GAP)

8:30-11:00, Coachella Stage

Coin Flip

Annuals 

We know what you’re thinking . . . you mean there’s more to Raleigh, North Carolina than the Hurricanes of the NHL? Yes, and what a blissfully melodic youthful harmonious socially conscience creative assemblage it is, with enough sap on the bark to nourish your ailing (electro-numb) soul. (BL)

1:45-2:25, Mojave

AUSTIN TV

With few or no lyrics, all of which are in Spanish, this Mexico City band and its alternative, progressive style, add yet another diverse sound to the three-day long festival. Wearing disguises and uniforms onstage, AUSTIN TV dish up leisurely paced music with titles like “Flores Sobre las Piedras (Flowers Over the Rocks).” Cuidado: Next thing you know, you’re humming along.  (DT)

1:00-1:45, Coachella Stage

Autolux

On paper, LA’s Autolux read like an intriguing combo. You’ve got Greg Edwards, who hails from one of the most spectacular alt-rock groups of the ’90s, Failure, combined with Carla Azar, the innovative drummer who arrived from Ednaswap (and yeah, the same band that wrote “Torn” which pop star Natalie Imbruglia made a hit). Oh, and there’s some dude named Eugene in the mix, too. And what emerges is artsy, disjointed, experimental, occasionally poppy, and well, intriguing. It’s actually very well suited for the Coachella concertgoer seeking a fresh experience. (WR)

5:00-5:50, Outdoor Theatre

Black Mountain 

If we had any say, we’d totally rather have Chino Hills’ Iron Mtn play Coachella, but these thick-riffed Canadians ain’t all that bad. Still, let’s just say that if Iron Mtn were Black Sabbath, then Black Mountain would be Led Zeppelin, or more like Deep Purple, two bands of which they pretty much sound like anyways (bad acid trips not included). (WR)

10:15-11:05, Mojave

Booka Shade 

Originally written off as a generic early ’90s synth-pop duo, Booka Shade has proven their staying power by consistently churning out minimal German electro-house that’s perfect for relaxing, but less so for dancing. (PF)  

5:00-5:50, Sahara

Brett Dennen 

Social commentary about humanity, set to the simple chords of a singer-songwriter-observer . . . sort of like Dylan or a less gruff Bruce Hazel, all of it of course meant to lend momentum to those hunches you have about the benevolence of mankind being so much garbage. Come on, you know what he’s on about; there ain’t no reason to lie. (BL)

12:30-1:15, Gobi

Chromeo

Electro-funk that’s heavy on the vocorder and thumping’ bass lines, these guys can pack a dance floor as sure as cocaine and disco balls and the duo touts themselves as the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time (of course a paradox, as time never began). They’d be a must-see, except that the lyrics border on bad pick-up lines, but we’ll try to ignore them and just dance. (PF)

10:00-10:50, Sahara

The Cool Kids

Are they the Ironic Cool? No. 

2:00-2:40, Coachella Stage

Duffy 

Duffy can belt. She has indisputably the sickest pipes since Aretha, which is certainly just what the world under the dark canopy of American Idol (in this case Wawffactor) needs. Another set of sick pipes. As evidenced by her nearly seven million views on YouTube, a small colony of insatiable gluttons for sick pipes have spoken. We’re personally begging for mercy. (BL)

3:55-4:40, Mojave

Gogol Bordello

Mixing punk with various traditional folk music was, at one time, really fresh, but it’s become about as tedious (and not nearly as rewarding) as 19th century Russian literature. The band’s got plenty of energy and a decent live show, but like the author of their namesake, their genius fades with the eroding tides of passing time. Dead Souls, anyone? (PF)

5:30-6:20, Coachella Stage

Justice 

Like a smoggier, rock-laced Junior Senior, Justice has been tearing up clubs and Christian iconography since 2003, but didn’t actually pump out a live, non-turntable based show until last year’s Coachella. Even though they don’t break any new musical ground, they don’t have to. Their danceable, catchy tunes are enough to keep feet moving. We just wish people would stop remixing dance, already. (PF)  

11:00-whenever, Sahara

Sean Penn

Holy Fuck! Actually, he goes on directly before Holy Fuck. 

2:10-2:40, Gobi

Shout Out Louds

Scandinavian bands rule—especially this one. On the melancholy “Our Ill Wills,” produced by Bjorn of Peter Bjorn & John, the indie pop songs recall the best of Belle & Sebastian and the Go-Betweens. Total sway-worthy material here, folks. (GAP)     

3:00-3:50, Coachella Stage

Sia

A former backup singer for Jamiroquai and Zero 7 collaborator, Sia first gained fame when her intense tune “Breathe Me” was prominently featured in the finale of HBO’s Six Feet Under. Then she became a darling of the KCRW and Starbucks crowds. Beck guests on latest CD Some People Have Real Problems, which includes more pop-oriented fare than previous electronica-fueled releases. Depending on her mood, the Aussie chanteuse can be quite a chatty nutter live (think Tori Amos). (GAP)

7:45-8:35, Mojave

Spiritualized

Shoegazers rejoice! Jason Pierce has finally re-emerged after five years in hibernation to provide another batch of epic, laser guided melodies that will have you floating in space (Songs in A & E is due in June). So light up and trip out. (GAP)

6:20-7:20, Mojave

Danny Tenaglia 

Some journalists call this DJ’s body of work “progressive garage,” but that’s kind of shortsighted and backwards. Tenaglia’s so-called “advancesive Jazzercision” literally works on the body, music that coerces the gluteus maximus into intercepting (and thereby redirecting) transmissions from the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in generating an instantaneous boogie-step. There’s a distinctive difference there, albeit slight. (CM)

5:50-7:50, Sahara

Vas Defrans

Though they were a free agent act signed late to the line-up, this NoHo psychedelic free-for-all will shiver those timbers. (CM)

12:45-1:10, Outdoor Theatre