Wild Flag

Wild Flag

Who is Wild Flag: Wild Flag is an indie-rock outfit from Portland consisting of Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Mary Timony, and Rebecca Cole. Two of its members (Carrie and Janet) were part of Sleater-Kinney before they went on hiatus. Wild Flag has released their self-titled album last year.

When do they play: Sunday 4/15 & 4/22.
Sounds like: riot grrrl indie rock. Any Sleater-Kinney fans will be pleased to know that Wild Flag is essentially Sleater-Kinney 2.0.

Thoughts: There's nothing much to say other than I find their songs to be very fun. Then again, I'm a bit biased since I like anything off Sleater-Kinney.

What should I listen: "Romance", "Endless Talk", "Future Crimes"

Cat Power

Cat Power

Who is Cat Power: Cat Power is the stage name of singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. It used to be the name of her band in the 90s but is now a name for her musical project with various backing bands. She has produced eight albums since the 1990s as well as one live album and two EPs. Her music would be described as powerful indie rock songwriters (a la early Liz Phair) to the more sultry blues artist in her later works. Many years ago, she was known for her bizarre on-stage performance; whether it be cutting sets abruptly with no explanation to going on rants. Chan Marshall would later explain that these bizarre performances were a result of shyness and substance abuse. It wasn't until Cat Power's tour of "The Greatest" (thanks to having the Memphis Rhythm Band backing her) did she gain the confidence to perform live.

When does she play: Friday 4/13 & 4/20.
What does she sound like: lo-fi 90s indie rock (some blues influence) with her recent material as a wonderful tribute to southern soul music.

Thoughts: Anyone who is a fan of southern soul, blues music shouldn't miss out on Cat Power. Unlike her fellow Matador label mate Liz Phair, Chan Marshall evolved from the blues-like lo fi indie rock to soul music. To me, her music is incredibly fresh compared to the usual suspects of female indie singer songwriters, going beyond the lo-fi indie rock sound. And might I add she has an incredible voice.

She hasn't done an album of original material since her 2006 album "The Greatest" so I'd imagine her set will be a mixture of new material (which will soon be released later this year) and a reworking of songs from her previous albums and a cover of songs. I haven't seen her since 2006 (which would be the last Coachella) so I don't know if she'll be bringing back her Memphis Blues Band for this current tour. All I can say is that expect to see a confident, charismatic set from Cat Power.

What Should I listen to: "Nude as News", "Cross Bones Style", "Werewolf", "Names", "The Greatest". As for albums, I'd definitely recommend either starting off with "You Are Free" or "Moon Pix". Her 2006 album "The Greatest" is the probably the best album to give you an idea of her current direction with her music.

Breakbot

Breakbot

When do they play: Friday 4/13 & 4/20
Breakbot sounds like: Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, and Justice when they are at their best (which I'm afraid doesn't happen to often).

Thoughts: Breakbot is a French producer and DJ. He has done a few remixes and singles off the Ed Banger label. With all this bro-step and dubstep hard-on by the current wave of e-tards, it's nice to hear a DJ who remembers that bass and rhythm are the key ingredients into making a great dance pop track. Out of the Ed Banger artists, Breakbot is the least offensive as he doesn't have that godawful filter (the one that makes a pop tune sound like a fucking metal song) in his music that is typical of his label mates. I'm sure he'll be bumping. He hasn't done too many original tracks, so expect him to do some funky remixes.

What should I listen to: Pnau's "Baby (Breakbot remix)", Royksopp's "Happy Up Here (Breakbot remix)", "Baby I'm Yours", "Fantasy".

tUnE-yArDs

tUnE-yArDs

When do they play: Saturday 4/14 & 4/21
tUnE-yArDs sound like: Afro-beat; stuff like Fela Kuti. White girl's take on the history of traditional African music(think Paul Simon).

Thoughts: Tune-yards is the project of New England native Merrill Garbus. She has done two albums, with her recent work "Who Kill" giving her wider attention.

As described by Merrill, "Who Kill" is an exploration on the power struggle that are risen from inequality and injustice, rooted from issues of privilege around race, gender, and class. Who Kill's theme is expounded by its African musical tradition, from R&B and free jazz to Afro-beat. Funny enough, a white girl is doing all this. So there are times I forget that Merrill isn't black.

Anyway, Tune-Yards released one of my favorite albums of 2011. I would describe "Who Kill" as a chaotic, funky, and fun album, that is characteristic of African music. She has an incredible vocal range with some fantastic instrumentation. So anyone who is a fan of African percussion, then definitely check out her work. I haven't seen her live but I imagine her sets will be fun and interesting. Her recent tour have a saxophone section, so that probably would flesh out the sound besides her typical sample loops.

What should I listen: "Bizness", "Gangsta". Pretty much anything off "Who Kill".

Amon Tobin

Amon Tobin

When do they play: 4/13 & 4/20 Friday
Amon Tobin sounds like: drum and bass with a hint of jazz. Without sounding like an idiot, I think his music is a sort of a succession to free jazz.

Thoughts: If you ever play the Splinter Cell games, then you've probably come across the music of Amon Tobin. The soundtrack is moody, trippy, and even full of tension in its quiet moments. That is the sound of Amon Tobin. He does interesting things with the drum and bass genre by adding trumpet and jazz drumming samples. There are times where I think that his work comes off as free jazz: chaotic and absurd.

Amon Tobin is one of three electronic acts I want to see for this year's lineup. From what I've heard, Amon Tobin is bringing back his ISAM art installation setup, so expect a crazy light show. Unfortunately, the light celebration is probably going to draw all the etards since they are attracted with bass and crazy light shows. Why can't they appreciate the music for what it is (I know, I'm grossly generalizing the dance crowd). Expect to see me there.

note: It's pretty sad that Coachella has been a few years behind with their EDM lineup. A lot of the electronic lineup is trash compared to previous years. I blame the EDC crowd for this.

What Should I Listen: His 1997 album "Bricolage" and his 2000 album "Supermodified". I'd imagine he'll be spinning stuff from his recent album "ISAM" so don't go holding your breath to hearing anything off his earlier records.

James

James

When do they play: Friday 4/13 & 4/20
What do they sound like: They started off their career as a Madchester type band (Stone Roses and Happy Mondays) but they branched into more REM-like territory during the 90s.

Thoughts: A long time ago, James were one of the few English groups during the 90s to achieve some sort of success. The song "Laid" gave the group significant popularity amongst college students in the mid 90s. They broke up in the early part of the 2000's but have recently reformed in 2007. Enough background for now.

Personally, I only like a few songs from James. Maybe I wasn't an angsty teen in the 90s. Or maybe most of their songs come off as similar to each other. I wouldn't know considering I've only listen to their stuff recently. I probably should give them another go. Despite the somewhat lackluster output, the songs that I love are certainly some of the finest pop music I've heard. I think that simply outweighs their bad stuff. Definitely check them out when you get a chance. I wouldn't lose any sleep if they conflicted with another artist that I really love on Friday.

What should I listen to: "Laid", "She's A Star", "Sometimes", "Sit Down"; I'd check out James: The Best of since all their good songs are off that compilation.

Girls

Girls

When do they perform: Friday, 4/13 & 4/20
What do they sound like: If Elvis Costello was emotionally vulnerable when it came to writing music. Great for anyone who's into great guitar pop.

Thoughts: The San Francisco pop group Girls and I have a terrible relationship. I had so many opportunities to see them but conflicts (whether it be school or another show I wanted to see) prevented me from seeing them. I guess we weren't meant to be. So I'll go out on a whim and say that I may not see them because of my curse. Regardless, I think that Girls may be my favorite indie pop group as of recent. Unlike most bands from recent, I'm glad that there's a group like Girls who finds songwriting is just as important as creating a great pop sound. Their songs are a rich palette of motions: from songs about isolation and despair to songs about being loved. They are wonderful with wordplay. So yeah, hopefully this'll be the year I get to check them out.

What Should I listen to: "Hellhole Ratrace", "Laura" and "Lust For Life" from the first album since the rest of the songs are filler. Then I'd check out their EP "Broken Dreams Club" and their 2011 album "Father, Son, Holy Ghost".

Madness

Madness

When do they perform: 4/13 4/20.
what do they sound like: 2-tone ska, but more or less pop since they did record "Our House".

Thoughts: Back in 2008, Madness was on the initial lineup. As it turns out, their management mentioned that they weren't confirmed to perform that year, so that left me a bit heartbroken. Four years later, I'm excited to see that they are finally confirmed for this year's festivities. If you are into 2-tone ska groups like The Specials and The Beat, then you should really check them out. For those who are not familiar with their work, I'm sure you've heard them before with such huge hits "It Must Be Love" and "Our House". Anyway, they are known to be really fun live. So check them out.

What should I listen: One Step Beyond, their first album. I would then check out their famous singles like "Our House", "It Must Be Love", "Michael Caine", "Tomorrow's Just Another Day".

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff

When does he perform: 04/13 and 4/20
Genre: Reggae
Famous for: popularizing reggae to the West with the film "The Harder They Come" back in the 1970s.

Thoughts:If you're into reggae, I truly recommend checking out Jimmy Cliff. To be fair, I may be overrating Jimmy Cliff because I am into the old school reggae.

What should I listen: I'd say start off with "The Harder They Come" since that's what he is famous for. If you want a general overview of his work, I'd check out Many Rivers to Cross. I'd imagine his set would be mostly of the songs he's known for, so check it out.

Introduction

Always wondered who to look for in the Coachella 2012 lineup but don't know where to start. This is the blog. I'll admit that I don't know everyone on the lineup, but I will try my best to make recommendations for those who are attending. Anyone who has a better knowledge of the artists should feel free to contact me and help out with this blog.

Thanks