Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Coachella 2010 - Friday, April 16th


The goal of Dissecting Coachella 2010 is to provide a basic, brief description of the artists playing each night of Coachella 2010 in order to make some sense of who you will choose to see. Given the diversity of this year's line up it is no easy choice. Along with descriptions mostly taken from existing biographies, I'll provide a link to videos of either the most recent or best known works of each artist.

Coachella 2010 is definitely one for the music geek in all of us, with choices ranging from massively influential bands that have reunited to play the festival, established artists in modern day music and up and coming bands that are just starting to shine.

Logically, I will start with the Friday lineup beginning with the headlining acts.



Friday, April 16th

Headliners


Jay-Z

A perhaps controversial headliner due to his commercial success and image, Jay-Z is indeed a rock star brimming with talent and energy. His music draws in fans across the world who give him a nod despite their primary taste in music. Jay-Z is an american rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists in the world, selling over 30 million copies of his albums in the USA alone and receiving several Grammy awards for his music.

Married to Beyonce Knowles (formerly of Destiny's Child), his performance style has been described as "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained"

His most recent album is 2009's "The Blueprint 3" At Coachella, it is rumored(uncomfirmed) that he will bring special guests for his performance such as Alicia Keys. One thing for sure, it should be a great performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjsXo9l6I8 "Empire State of Mind" feat. Alicia Keys


LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem is the musical project of producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. The music of LCD Soundsystem is a mix of dance music and punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. LCD Soundsystem is particularly popular in Britain, with two albums reaching the top 40 of the UK Albums Chart.

On 18 November 2008 Al Doyle seemed to suggest in an interview with 6 Music that the band would soon be discontinued. However the following day both Doyle and James Murphy quashed this rumour, with Murphy indicating a new LCD Soundsystem album was on the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIH_CV1tMpw "Tribulations"


Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures is a rock supergroup that was formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones(original bassist and keyboardist for Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl(Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Probot) and Josh Homme(Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss). The group also features Alain Johannes in live performances.

The band began recording in July 2009, and performed their first gig on August 9, 2009 in Chicago, followed by a European debut on August 19. On October 1 the group embarked on a worldwide tour titled Deserve the Future with dates going into 2010. The band's first single "New Fang" was released in October 2009, followed by the group's self-titled debut album the following month, debuting at number 12 on the Billboard 200. The group is reported to be recording a follow up album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7_vH3H8LPI&feature=PlayList&p=85EFBA6EEA08EC03&index=0&playnext=1 "New Fang"


Subheadliners

Vampire Weekend
The band claims to be influenced by both African popular music and Western classical music, describing their genre of music as "Upper West Side Soweto", with such songs as "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" referencing Congolese soukous music.

The members of the band met while attending Columbia University; they then self-produced their first album after graduation while concurrently working full-time jobs.


The band's second album, Contra, was released on January 11, 2010 in the UK and the following day in the US. On October 5, 2009, The album's first single, "Cousins," was released on November 17, 2009. Contra was the band's first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0u11rgd9Q - "Cousins"


Deadmau5
deadmau5 (pronounced "Dead Mouse"; real name Joel Zimmerman) is a progressive house and electro house producer from Toronto, Canada.


In the United States, deadmau5's collaboration with Kaskade, "Move for Me", reached number one on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Airplay chart in its September 6, 2008 issue. In 2009, he was nominated for Grammy Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical ("The Longest Road" (deadmau5 Remix) by Morgan Page featuring Lissie).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnEUfeiSKt0 "Faxing Berlin"



Public Image Limited (veteran act)
Public Image Ltd. (PiL) are an English musical group formed in 1978 by vocalist John Lydon (AKA Johnny Rotten), guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes.

Rising from the ashes of the pivotal punk rock group the Sex Pistols, PiL branched out to a more experimental sound, and their early work is often regarded as some of the most challenging and innovative music of the post-punk era: PiL has been described as "arguably the first post-rock group".

Their later music would be somewhat more conventional, and although PiL have been inactive since 1992, Lydon (the band's only constant member) considers the group "on hiatus" rather than broken up. In September 2009, it was announced that Lydon would reform the group in December 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzNjmIWbns4 "Rise"



The Specials (veteran act)
The Specials (sometimes called The Special AKA) are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combined a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups.

After seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1981, the band broke up. In 2008, it was announced that the band would reform and embark on a 30th anniversary tour in 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxHcx7FO8nI&feature=PlayList&p=77422642D4A713AF&index=0&playnext=1 "Too Much Too Young"


Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band who's 2009 release "Veckatimist" made it to many critic's 2009 top ten album lists. The band employs traditional and electronic instruments. Their sound has been categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental, and is dominated by the use of acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. The band is one of the few non-electronic artists signed to Warp Records.

In summer of 2008, Grizzly Bear opened for Radiohead on the second leg of their North American tour. In Toronto, on their last date of the tour together, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood spoke of his love for Grizzly Bear, on stage, calling them his favorite band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ "Two Weeks"



Passion Pit
Passion Pit is an American electronic band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Formed in 2007. The slang Passion Pit is derived from traditional Variety-speak used in the Hollywood industry publication. The trade used the slang to refer to drive-in theatres, because of their privacy and romantic allure for teenagers.

Passion Pit was originally formed in late 2007 by Michael Angelakos in Buffalo, New York, as a project to write a few songs for his girlfriend as a Valentine's Day present. On February 24, 2009, the American iTunes store released "Sleepyhead" as a discovery download song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zherMkcXdo "Sleepyhead"


Echo & the Bunnymen (veteran act)
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk group, formed in Liverpool in 1978. Their debut album, Crocodiles, met with critical acclaim and made the UK Top 20. The band's cult status was followed by mainstream success in the mid-1980s, as they scored a UK Top 10 hit with "The Cutter", and the attendant album, Porcupine (1983), reached number 2 in the UK. Their next release, Ocean Rain (1984), continued the band's UK chart success, and has since been regarded as their landmark release.

After working together as Electrafixion, band members McCulloch and Sergeant regrouped with Pattinson in 1997 and returned as Echo & the Bunnymen with the UK Top 10 hit "Nothing Lasts Forever". An album of new material, Evergreen, was greeted enthusiastically by critics and the band made a successful return to the live arena. Though Pattinson left the group for a second time, McCulloch and Sergeant have continued to issue new material as Echo & the Bunnymen, including the albums What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001), Siberia (2005) and The Fountain (2009).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9hGWaCBb0Q "Ocean Rain"


Benny Benassi
Benny Benassi (born Marco Benassi on July 13, 1967) is an Italian disc jockey and producer of electro house music. He is best known for his 2002 summer club hit "Satisfaction". Benny Benassi ranks as the 12th most popular DJ in the world according to the The DJ List website.

Some of his singles have charted high in the United Kingdom and have been played worldwide in clubs. Remixes for OutKast, Goldfrapp, and Felix da Housecat followed. Benassi also remixes the music of his contemporaries, such as Tomcraft and Fischerspooner. His latest album Rock 'n' Rave was released on June 16, 2008. The first single from the album is "I Am Not Drunk."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZiVRChHLu4 "I Feel So Fine"


Fever Ray
What would you do if, one decade into your career, you suddenly saw your latest release named album of the year by one of the world’s most influential music websites? If you’re Karin Dreijer Andersson, formerly singer with ‘90s pop hopes Honey Is Cool and now one half of The Knife, the answer is to take a couple of years off and return as a solo artist under a new name.

Fever Ray is constructed on electronic foundations and embellished with traditional instrumentation (guitar here, congas there), Fever Ray is stark, moody, and in places quite sombre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-CpE73o2M "When I Grow Up"



Grace Jones (veteran act)
Before becoming a successful model in New York City and Paris, Jones studied theater at Onondaga Community College. She went on to star in various movie roles, including a spot as a Bond girl in the 007 escapade "A View to a Kill"


Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits and a large gay following. The three disco albums she recorded—Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979)—generated considerable success in that market. These albums consisted of pop melodies set to a disco beat (such as "All on a Summer's Night" and "Do or Die,") and standards (such as "What I Did for Love," "Autumn Leaves," and "Send in the Clowns").

During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, who photographed her extensively.
Her new album was scheduled for release on October 27, 2008, on Wall of Sound/PIAS Records and is called Hurricane, with Jones touring the UK and headlining the Secret Garden Party and Latitude Festival in 2008, to promote the album's release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHTJ-CwicVk&feature=related "Slave to the Rythym"


She & Him

She & Him is an American indie folk band consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, banjo) and M. Ward (guitar, production). The band's first album, Volume One, was released on Merge Records in March, 2008. The duo is augmented by session musicians Rachel Blumberg (drums), Mike Mogis (pedal steel guitar, mandolin) and Mike Coykendall (bass, guitar).

Ward, having heard Deschanel sing previously in the film Elf, was surprised to learn that she wrote songs herself, but hadn't pursued a career in music. Deschanel had actually done years worth of home demos, but was shy about becoming a big-name celebrity. On a whim, she decided to send them to Ward. Ward called her a short time later, telling her that he would like to record her songs properly, and their band She & Him was formed.

In addition, Paste Magazine recently declared the She & Him's debut the #1 album of the year. Another of the magazine's articles reveals plans for a second album, entitled Volume Two.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkzRyHa9a6g&feature=fvst "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan is a London-based electro DJ of Cypriot Turkish descent. He was resident DJ and founder of London nightclub Trash. He released a series of mash-ups using the alias Kurtis Rush in the early 2000s, including a mix of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You out of My Head" and New Order's "Blue Monday", which was performed by Minogue at the Brit Awards. Erol also uses the alias Mustapha 3000, and is half of the psycho-balearic act Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve, along with Richard Norris.

In 2007 Alkan founded his own label, named Phantasy Sound. In mid 2009 he collaborated with German DJ and producer Boys Noize, producing two tracks titled "Death Suite" and "Waves", these marked the first of Alkans original releases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUf459p5i-A "Waves"

The Avett Brothers
the Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones."

The group itself eschews labels, feeling that "none would do the music the justice. It's simply left up to each person to extract his or her own account from the Avetts' music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE7rkSELM3I "Murder in the City"

Calle 13
Although most people have labeled Calle 13's music as reggaetón, they have tried to distance themselves from the style. Visitante, being a professional musician, tries to fuse diverse styles in the group's songs. Early cuts featured elements from jazz, bossa nova and salsa, while recent songs feature cumbia, tango, electronica and others.

Singer Residente is reluctant to label their music in a specific genre, instead calling it plain urban style. He has a clear preference of hip hop over traditional reggaeton and both he and his brother justify it by saying that only three songs out of fifteen songs in their eponymous debut album, as well as four out of fifteen songs in their album "Residente o Visitante", feature reggaetón beats. On October 15, 2009, Calle 13 won the Premios MTV Latinoamérica for "Best Urban Artist".



The Whitest Boy Alive
The Whitest Boy Alive is a musical group based in Berlin. The band comprises singer/guitarist Erlend Øye, who is also a member of the band Kings of Convenience, bassist Marcin Öz, drummer Sebastian Maschat, and Daniel Nentwig on Rhodes piano and Crumar.

The Whitest Boy Alive started as an electronic dance music project in 2003 in Berlin, but have since slowly developed into a band with no programmed elements. The band released their second album Rules in March 2009. It was recorded in a newly built studio located on Punta Burros, Nayarit, Mexico.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOP37A1EhEs "Golden Cage"

The Cribs
The Cribs are an English 4-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consist of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. Recently they have been joined by ex-The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr who has been made a formal member of the group since 2008.

The band, who first became active on the concert circuit in 2002, were initially tied to other like-minded UK bands of that time, most notably The Libertines, by a British music press that were looking for a 'British rearguard' to the wave of popular US indie rock bands of the time. In 2008, Q magazine described the band as "The biggest cult band in the UK".

The band's forth album Ignore The Ignorant was recorded with legendary post-punk producer Nick Launay at Los Angeles's Seedy Underbelly studios and released in the United States on 7 September 2009, preceded by first single "Cheat On Me".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkJDKdOlUGQ&feature=channel "Cheat on Me"

La Roux
La Roux (pronounced /læˈɹu/ in English, French pronunciation: [la'ʁu]) are an English Electropop/Synthpop band made up of singer Eleanor Jackson (born 8 March 1988), and synth player, co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their respective roles as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also recognizing that it often can "look like a solo act".

Their music is influenced by 1980s synthpop including Yazoo, Erasure, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Heaven 17, and Blancmange. The band's name originates from Jackson's red hair; she has said.

La Roux is scheduled to start writing material for their second album during Christmas at their manager's home. Elly Jackson said that "I think there will be a natural instrument or two on there though, which will make a change from the first record." Jackson said that because of limited time "I don't think there will be anything in terms of a second record for a while."

La Roux has received 2010 Brit Award nominations in the categories of British Breakthrough Act and British Single for In for the Kill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ1Mi77nogQ "In For the Kill"


Yeasayer
Yeasayer is an experimental band based in Brooklyn, New York. Live performances sometimes include psychedelic visuals projected in the background. Their music has been self-described as "Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel". Yeasayer toured with MGMT and Man Man during the spring of 2008 in the United States and Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GziH8s7ksMo "Tightrope"

Lucero
Lucero’s sixth studio album and major label debut, 1372 Overton Park, was released October 6th, 2009 on Universal Republic Records. Produced by Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem) and featuring horn arrangements by legendary Memphis session player Jim Spake (Al Green, John Hiatt, Solomon Burke, Cat Power), the record marks a decided turn toward the Memphis soul sound that has long informed the band’s records from afar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-RhFaRFB1g "Sweet Little Thing"


DJ Lance Rock
Lance Robertson is a Los Angeles-based musician, DJ, and actor also known as "DJ Lance Rock" on the award-winning Nick Jr show, Yo Gabba Gabba!.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Robertson is a 1983 graduate of Hazelwood East High School. He was the vocalist for a local electronic band My Other Self in the 1990s, and he was the owner of a record store called Deep Grooves.

Robertson later relocated to Los Angeles. While working a day job at Amoeba Records, he became well known in the local indie rock scene through his band, The Raymakers. During this time, he met Scottie Schultz of the Orange County indie pop band Majestic, and they eventually played a couple of shows together. Years later, when Schultz was co-creating the show Yo Gabba Gabba!, Lance was asked to serve as host.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn25XBMb3Lg&feature=related "Yo Gabba Gabba"

The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Liam Wilson, vocalist Greg Puciato, guitarist Jeff Tuttle and drummer Billy Rymer. Their band name is derived from the famous convicted bank robber John Dillinger.

The Dillinger Escape Plan was founded in 1997, the band emerged from a hardcore punk trio named Arcane. During this time period, The Dillinger Escape Plan gained notoriety in the hardcore punk scene for the intensity of their performances. Their performances were increasingly wild, and often violent. These elaborate performances, as well as the creative, technical approach of their music led a record executive of Relapse Records to offer the band a multi-record contract.

On May 27, 2009, it was reported that the band started their own label, Party Smasher Inc, which is a collaboration with French record label Season of Mist. After having fulfilled their contract with Relapse, The Dillinger Escape Plan will release their fourth studio album in early 2010 through Party Smasher Inc and recorded by Steve Evetts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMEYLlDThZU "Milk Lizard"

Proxy
This is one act I know little of, as I do more research in the coming days I will try to update the blog. I do believe I've found a video or two of theirs. If this proves true, they are an electro/dubstep outfit. Quite good! If anyone has more information, please contact me and tell me if I am way off here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26-SmPa2hVk "Dancing In the Dark"

Ra Ra Riot
Ra Ra Riot formed in 2006, playing at houses and venues around the Syracuse University campus. The band started to attract attention due to their energetic live shows, enough to gain an appearance at the CMJ Music Marathon, fewer than six months after their formation. Following this appearance, their live show received the first of several favorable reviews from SPIN.com, who called them "one of the best young bands we've heard in a really long time".

They went on to open for Art Brut and Bow Wow Wow in New York City, toured the UK twice on their own, then returned, opening for the Editors. They have also toured in support of Tokyo Police Club.

On May 19, 2008, the band announced that they had signed to Barsuk Records. Their debut album The Rhumb Line was released on August 19, 2008 in the United States and Canada. It was released in Europe via V2/Cooperative Music on September 22, 2008.

The music video for "Can You Tell" won Best Music Video in the 2009 Finger Lakes Film Festival on November 7, 2009.

The band has been in the studio working on a new album that is slated for a Summer 2010 release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asY08yquddo "Can You Tell"

Deer Tick
Deer Tick is an American indie folk band from Providence, Rhode Island led by guitarist and singer-songwriter John McCauley.[1] The band began as McCauley's solo project in December 2004. Beginning his touring career with a lot of help from Brendon Massei (Viking Moses) McCauley ended up in almost every city in the United States by the age of 19.

With hardly any time to record he managed to release 3 tapes and numerous CD-Rs in this time period eventually settling into what is now known as Deertick. After almost one year of continuous touring McCauley came home to Providence, Rhode Island with a new found confidence and great songs to back it up, such as "Dirty Dishes", " Art Isn't Real (City Of Sin)" and "Ashamed".

McCauley explained that he was hiking in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest near Bloomington, IN and noticed an actual Deer Tick arachnid on his body at the end of the hike. This inspired him to name his band after the parasite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTMz23U67UQ "Easy"


Wolfgang Gartner
OM records recording artist, Wolfgang Gartner wishes you to file him under Downtempo / Chill, House, Deep House, Funky House. In the often serious world of dance music, it’s good to see somebody still having a bit of fun. Meet Wolfgang Gartner, or as he's known to his parents; Joey Youngman. At first glance the name Wolfgang Gartner is a fairly recent blip on dance music’s collective radar, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover a robust discography, amassed by a seasoned veteran of the music industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9otm9rgkNY "Wolfgang's Fifth Symphony"

Aeroplane
Aeroplane's Myspace page describes them as psychadelic, emo, italian pop. A duo hailing from Brussels Belgium. Definitely a strong electronic element to their music. A wealth of remixes can be found on their Myspace page, all worth checking out. Again, I do not know too much about this act besides them being serial remixers, but I'm liking what I've heard. Below is one of their remixes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yRmRcn6xqY&feature=PlayList&p=6FBB2DA74A4E16FC&index=0 Coyote - Too hard (aeroplane remix)

Iglu & Hartley
Formed by University of Colorado students Jarvis Anderson (keyboards, vocals), Sam Martin (keyboards, vocals), and Simon Katz (guitar), new wave revivalists Iglu & Hartly came together after the three relocated to California to pursue their musical aspirations. Soon after, they were joined by Chicago drummer Luis Rosiles and Los Angeles native Michael Bucher on bass.

The group released its debut single, Violent and Young, on U.K. label Another Music = Another Kitchen in June 2008; Iglu & Hartly signed to Mercury soon after and made plans to release their next single, In This City, in September that same year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUF-IlF1UW0 "In This City"

Sleigh Bells
The initial meeting between Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells sounds almost like a scene out of a movie: He was working at a Brooklyn restaurant during the summer; she, a fifth grade public school teacher, was one of his customers and by chance they started talking about music. A mere week later they were recording together and thus, Sleigh Bells were formed.

To make matters even more interesting, the two come from very different musical backgrounds, with Derek playing hardcore and Alexis being part of a pop group during her teens. Their differences seem to have merged though as their current music is a bit of a mix between soft and hard. What really got my attention though were the beats. The beats...mmm good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z8ppcFGPlY "Crown on the Ground"

P.O.S.
Stefon Alexander, hailing from Minneapolis is better known by his stage name; P.O.S. An American rapper, P.O.S. is signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment and a founding member of Doomtree. His roots being in punk music, at first hostile to hip-hop, Alexander soon decided that rap was an alternative, valid method of expression. He began creating music that was increasingly influenced by the genre, despite having very little respect for mainstream rap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OpHJUJIrpU "Optimist"

Baroness
Relapse record recording artists. Baroness is a sludge metal band from Savannah, Georgia, whose members grew up together in Lexington, Virginia. If you like sludge metal with talented musicianship, check these guys out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb3ep6YW0JI "Wanderlust"

Hockey
Besides having a name that makes it extremely hard to find their biography or related band news, I was able to find a little bit about this group thanks to a NME magazine article. Hockey is an American new wave band from Portland, Oregon.

The band is comprised of singer Benjamin Grubin, guitarist Brian White, bassist Jeremy Reynolds, drummer Anthony Stassi and touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver, and have been compared in their sound to bands such as The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmLJVKzlinY "Too Fake"

Little Dragon
Little Dragon is an electronic music band, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. A city better known for it's consistant production of metal bands. They will be featured on the new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach on tracks "Empire Ants" and "To Binge". So a good chance they will join Damon and co (Gorillaz) on stage Sunday night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmP2ULBJGYQ "Constant Surprises"

White Rabbits
This Brooklyn NY group put out one of my favorite albums of 2009 with their full length release "It's Frightening"(produced by Spoon's Britt Daniels).

A sextet featuring two drummers and a piano player, the White Rabbits refer to their music as "honky tonk calypso," and their cheerful blend of calypso, reggae and ska rhythms, plus secondhand music hall influences and big pop hooks, strongly recalls vintage Madness circa "Our House" and the moodier, more experimental side of the Specials and Fun Boy Three, via Ted Leo & the Pharmacists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IClBpch9vmM "Percussion Gun"

Wale
The self-proclaimed "Ambassador of Rap for the Capital," Washington, D.C.-based rapper Wale (pronounced "wah-lay") was able to transcend his local sensation status and become a national rap contender using go-go-inspired hip-hop as the vehicle for his lyricism and clever wordplay.

After a bidding war that included Epic, Atlantic, and Def Jam, Interscope finally grabbed Wale for its roster in early 2008. The full-length Attention Deficit followed in 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9M7XpHqeP0 "Chillin" (Feat Lady GaGa)

Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Miller-Heidke (born 16 November 1981) is a singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. Although classically trained, she has followed a career in alternative pop music. Her record label in Australia is Sony Music.

Miller-Heidke's second album, Curiouser, was released in Australia on 18 October, 2008. The album was recorded in Los Angeles, with Miller-Heidke working with co-producers Nuttall and Mickey Petralia, who has also produced albums for Beck and Flight of the Conchords. The songs on the album were mostly written over a two-month period with creative collaborator and partner Nuttall. The album's first single, "Can't Shake It", debuted exclusively on Nova Radio in Australia on 21 September, 2008. "Can't Shake It" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart, on the first week at number 38, making it Miller-Heidke's first top 40 song. Curiouser was also her first top 10 album, debuting at number 8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lOvuGNtdZ8 "Can't Shake It"


As Tall As Lions
Rock quartet As Tall as Lions formed in 2002 in Long Island, NY, after its members had been playing in a previous incarnation called Sundaze. After recording the Blood and Aphorisms EP, the bandmates soon landed a deal with Triple Crown Records and released the Lafcadio LP in spring 2004. A self-titled follow-up album arrived in August 2006, followed by dates with Sparta and Sound Team.

The band's third album, You Can't Take It with You, appeared three years later, finding the group focusing more heavily on dark and moody R&B-influenced songcraft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeXpw4iuz8U "Maybe I'm Just Tired"

Jets Overhead
Jets Overhead are a five pieace Canadian rock band who formed in 2003 and are based in Victoria, British Columbia. The band have at present released two full-length albums, as well as one EP and a compilation disc. Some beautiful melodic ballads are to be found here. Fresh and honest music with great vocals. File under ambient rock. Self described influences are Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel, Radiohead, The Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine, Doves, The Mamas and the Papas, Daniel Lanois.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fbwmgCHDe0 "Where did you go?"

Alana Grace
An American actress and singer-songwriter who is best known for her song "Black Roses Red" featured on the soundtrack of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She released her new album, With One Word, on Fragile Heart Records on April 10, 2009.

Alana Grace was born in December 20, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, but moved with her family to Nashville, Tennessee when she was very young. Music has been a tradition in her family (with both her father and grandfather having worked as performers) - and music was a focal point in her upbringing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idfP2u0UGRo "Black Roses Red"

Pablo Hassan
Taken from Pablo's Myspace page, I think this best describes Pablo Hassan from what i've seen. "Dubstep, drum & bass / jungle, hooligan house, 4/4, bassline, house, grime, ragga breaks, grindcore, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Ramones, Bad Brains, Massive Attack, Portishead, Jamaican soundsystems, anything that makes ya move."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_15BxSwFBho "live set, playing @ SMOG at respect"




There you have Friday's line-up. Hope this was helpful to you. Writing this blog happily forced me to hear a few new artists that I hadn't come across otherwise. There are going to be some tough choices made with scheduling conflicts, I have no doubt. Too early to tell as the schedule isn't announced yet.

Stay tuned for Saturday's and Sunday's Coachella line-up. I'm really liking what i've heard so far.