This is something that we don’t like to see. Two Coachella acts have been removed from the line up and poster. The first to go was La Roux who posted this message on her website:
“I’m gutted that we cannot play at my favourite festival. The show we played there in 2010 was one of the best I’ve ever done. Things are progressing well with the new record but I just don’t have the time to finish it AND prepare a new set for Coachella. If they’ll have us back we’d love to see you there.”
The next that we saw removed from the line up poster was one that we’re really sad to see go, and that’s Cat Power. While so far no statement has been made from the band, they no longer show on Coachella’s “line up” section or on the poster. You can see the new poster reflecting the changes in the line up below. We’re hoping that there will also be some good additions to the line up in the near future or that either of these acts decide to return to the fest.
We’re going to continue featuring some of the lesser known bands listed on the 2012 Coachella line up that we think you ought to know about before you head out to Indio. The Head and The Heart was one of my favorite live acts of 2011, and their performance at last years FYF Fest was what really sealed the deal. The debut self-titled album was re-issued by Sub Pop after a ton of word-of-mouth buzz started to fly around, and thousands of copies were sold when it was just a self-release album by the band. The band went on to open for acts like Vampire Weekend and Dave Matthews, that alone gave The Head and The Heart massive exposure and helped them gain new fans. The album itself goes for a feel-good indie folk sound that is filled with very heartfelt, sincere and nostalgic lyrics. This band carries everything that I love about Mumford and Sons minus that damn banjo. I highly recommend downloading “Chasing A Ghost” and “Down In The Valley” which happen to be my personal favorites off of the album. Catch The Head and The Heart when they perform at this years Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 14th and 21st.
Check out their live performance on KCRW (HERE) or watch it (HERE).
AraabMuzik is one electronic/hip hop producer that will definitely stand out amongst the DJ’s at Coachella. Because while others may spin some records or mix digital tracks, AraabMuzik performs all of his tracks live off of his prized MPC drum machine. As you can see in the video above, his drum patterns are complex and his performance is flawless. The way his hands move to mash down on all of these pre-recorded sounds is almost robotic, and you can see how he completely zones out into what he’s playing in front of him. I gave his latest release “Electronic Dream” a quick listen and while you can hear his signature rapid hi-hats and percussion beats, the actual trance/dub step/electronic music is nothing out of the ordinary. But it’s in his live performance where AraabMuzik really shines at his best and how he is supposed to be experienced. Check him out when he plays at this years Coachella Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 15th and 22nd.
Here is another band that may not be high on the long list of Coachella acts but is definitely worth getting to know.
Yuck released their self-titled debut album in 2011 with some great reviews and landed on many “Best of” lists. They have been compared to a lot of classic bands such as Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and even Pavement. But instead of comparing them to bands that Yuck may sound like we would rather mention that their sound does reflect a 90’s era influence. They played a couple small sold out shows in L.A. but it was their performance at this past years FYF Fest that made me a fan. Yuck not only came out with a solid album but proved that they can command attention on stage. If you’re into watching bands like No Age and Best Coast play live then we suggest that you add Yuck to your Coachella schedule on Friday, April 13th and 20th. In case you need some more convincing, check out their single and my favorite track on the album “Georgia” below.
We’re looking forward to another season at the Hollywood Bowl this summer, and now that the schedule has been released there are plenty of highlights to look forward to enjoying at the outdoor venue. You can expect to see some amazing acts including the return of Hot Chip to the Hollywood Bowl stage but this time Passion Pit will be opening the show. Animal Collective will headline the Bowl for the first time along with Huun Huur Tu. Other acts included on the schedule are BB King, Neville Brothers, Norah Jones, Juanes, Carlos Santana, Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley and man many more. You can see the full Hollywood Bowl schedule after the jump below.
The season will kick off on Friday, June 22nd with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins. Single tickets will start to go on sale starting on Saturday, May 5th. But you can also become a subscriber and get early access to ticket sales before the public, ticket discounts at Hollywood Bowl and Disney Concert Hall and other perks. You can start subscribing today, Tuesday, January 24th at 10am through the venues website. We’re already getting our picnig baskets ready, hope to see you there!
To help make your Coachella experience a little better we’re going through some of the lesser known bands on the line up to help you get more familiar with them.
The four piece band known as Wild Flag brings in some of the best female indie rockers. Members of the band include Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, The Spells, Portlandia), Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Bright Eyes), Mary Timony (Helium, Autoclave) and Rebecca Cole (The Minders). Their self-titled debut album made it’s way into many “best of” lists for 2011 including Pitchfork and Rollingstone. But when it comes down to it, these girls can rock. Brownstein has always been known for being able to rip a guitar and she proved it when Wild Flag sold out two shows at the Troubadour last year. While they might be one of the opening acts at Coachella they are going to be a good shot of adrenaline to start your day off right. Check out their singles “Romance” above and another favorite of ours “Future Crimes” streaming below. Catch Wild Flag when they perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 15th and 22nd.
We’re back to highlight yet another artist on the Coachella 2012 line up. We know that at times it can be tough to know EVERY name on the poster but thats why we want to help you get a little more familiar with some of the bands that will be opening the days up.
Once we saw that Austin up and comer Gary Clark Jr. was on the line up we already knew that catching him play live at the festival would be a must. This singer/guitarist is a master at his craft and can easily be compared to the such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Hendrix. If you’re a fan of the blues sounds that bands like The Black Keys crank out then sprinkle on a little more R&B soul to it and you’ll get Gary Clark Jr. He played a very small Los Angeles show in the previous year at Bardot in support of his latest EP “The Bright Lights”, but we’re guessing that after he tears up the stage at Coachella that there will be a LOT more fans wanting more.
Watch his video for “Bright Lights” above and if you were lucky enough to score a ticket to the sold out Coachella Music and Arts Festival then make your way to see him play live on Saturday, April 14th and 21st.
Now that the Coachella line up has finally been announced this week, we think that you should familiarize yourself more with some of the names that are sitting on the bottom rows. Because while the headliners are great there is a lot more to discover.
Wu Lyf generated a lot of buzz last year after the release of their debut album “Go Tell Fire To The Mountain” and when they came to town selling out two Los Angeles shows. The Manchester based band have also been known to avoid press interviews, leave cryptic messages online and even allegedly snubbed Michel Gondry when he tried to contact them (who does that?). More importantly the music should and does speak for itself, so take a listen before anyone labels it as just “hype”. Their album received plenty of positive recognition online in the blog world, most calling it one of the best of 2011. The best way that I can describe this band is a cross between HEALTH and early Modest Mouse. The vocals are a bit unconventional and at times I find myself wondering what the hell he just said as the the lead singer grunts through a song.
Take a listen to “Lyf” above and get ready to see Wu Lyf when they perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 13th and 20th.Tickets go on sale tomorrow Friday, January 13th at 10am PST through the Coachella website.
