Coachella Artist: Against Me!

Against Me! is so cool that they freaking punctuated their own name. I am a sucker for punctuation, I. absolutely. love. it. Combine that with folk-punk that makes you want to raise your fist and go all anti- and you have pure magic.

You may ask, “what is folk-punk?” Taking the raw sound of folk: strumming guitars and raspy voices, and kicking its ass to include anthemic power chords and melodic bass lines under songs that describe the American experience of love, life on the road, and politics.

Tom Gabel, the lead singer of Against Me! began with just himself and an acoustic guitar, and after the adding and subtracting of band members, grew it into the family it is today. They released a lot of their earlier stuff on legendary Fat Wreck Chords, and caused fans to cry “sellout!” when in 2005, they signed to a major label for their third full-length, Searching for a Former Clarity. The sheer brilliance of the album silenced the criticism.

I was lucky enough to see Against Me! a year ago when they toured with Alkaline Trio, and I will never forget the amazing snot rocket Tom blew out of his nose. I will also never forget seeing the most charismatic four guys that really know how to work as a team to give the audience a great experience.

I guess I should tell you a little bit about what they sound like. Gabel’s voice is one of the most unmistakable around, a gravelly hoarseness that alternates between talking and almost yelping. I know this sounds totally unpleasing, but whatever it is, it sounds amazing. It's just different enough to set them apart, yet not distracting or annoying.

Warren Oakes is an extremely talented drummer, quick with the sticks and heavy on the bass, giving the music it’s heartbeat. Check out the witty "No Warren Iraq" t-shirt he is known for wearing. James sings and plays guitar while Andrew plays bass, completing the amalgam of punk and folk and just general goodness.

For a good time, check these out:

Video: Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists. Just an all-around awesome video to a song that makes you re-think your daily existence. Plus, Tom is quite the looker.

Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (Live) on purevolume.

Sink, Florida, Sink on Myspace.

From Her Lips To God’s Ears (The Energizer) from Searching for a Former Clarity

Rice and Bread from As the Eternal Cowboy

If you are skittish of the punk rock, check out their 5-song Acoustic E.P.

Sorry this got to be a little long…Can you tell I am obsessed?

Against Me! is scheduled to perform Sunday, April 29, 2007.

Coachella Artist: Interpol

Jelle Wagenaar © 2005

Interpol is one of those bands that makes me want to dance like a naughty robot, or at least have the ability to do so.

They hail from New York and debuted on indie favorite Matador Records, but have moved to Columbia Records for their upcoming album.

To me, lead singer Paul Banks’ voice just drips with monotone sexiness, often using subtle note changes and pleading, soaring crescendos to create a distinct mood with their bass-heavy sound.

Choppy guitar riffs and distinct snare lines constantly drive Interpol’s songs forward, giving them a sense of motion and urgency.

Their clothes generally match the color scheme of their albums… red, white and lots of black. Ties, dress shirts and slacks… keep an eye out for those, Coachella-goers.

After their album Antics came out last summer, it was hard not to turn on the radio and hear their song “Slow Hands”, but for those looking to delve deeper into iTunes for a good song, I recommend:

NARC, from Antics (posted on myspace)

Specialist, b-side (posted on purevolume)

Obstacle 1 and Hands Away, both from Turn on the Bright Lights

Interpol is scheduled to perform on Friday, April 27th.

Music fiends…

In Sam and Tiffany's fashion, here is a little info about myself... I'm Bettina, a photographer for The State Press newspaper here. I am a native Phoenician and have had an interest in music since the third grade, when I would sing Mariah Carey songs to my classmates on the playground… that soon evolved into getting smashed around at Warped Tour in the blistering heat and high school trips to the Nile Theatre in Mesa to see ridiculous bands. Now I am in college and my earned dollars are divided between three things: music, photo equipment and the bar… but I probably shouldn’t go into that here.

Unfortunately, I have never been to Coachella and cannot afford it this year, but I propose that next year, all ASU students should rise up and petition the university to make finals one week earlier, so that Coachella falls after all of our finals are over and not in the middle of it. We should also try to get them to subsidize our tickets to the show... think about it, A New American Concert Festival Experience… tell me what you think.

If you are going, I hope that your appreciation is piqued by our quasi-intelligent commentary; if you aren’t going, then you’re a poor schmuck like me.

We don't pretend to be music experts, so if you think we are full of it, shoot us a comment. We're just journalism geeks.

Much love,

Bettina Hansen

Coachella Artist: Blonde Redhead

photo from blonde-redhead.com

The first time I heard Blonde Redhead I wanted to rip my ears off. Two years later, I heard them again on accident via a friend, and two months later, we went on a road trip to Hollywood to see them live, and again to Tucson a few months after that.

The band consists of three members: Kazu Mikino and Italian twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace. A unique mix of high-pitched vocals set over drum beats and melodies, Blonde Redhead's sound stays stuck in your head for days. And that's okay with me.

The 2007 record, titled "23" is set to be released on April 10. But for now, here are some of my favorite tracks to check out:

• Equus (Misery Is A Butterfly)
• In Particular (Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons)
• Violence (La Mia Vita Violenta)

MP3: Artist Direct features a free download/stream of their new single, 23.

Blonde Redhead is scheduled to perform on Saturday, April 28th.

Introduction: Tiffany

Just to follow Sam's lead ...

I'm Tiffany, and... I've never been to Coachella; I'm also not going this year.

Now that I've probably lost your interest because Sam has not only exceeded the number of times I've made the journey to Indio by three, but because his musical knowledge is far beyond mine. And that's why I asked him to collaborate with me for this blog.

Closer to the date, we'll have tips and suggestions for the road trip up here, so keep visiting back. If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line on the comment feature, we'll be more than happy to help answer your question (if we can).

Cheers.

Coachella Artist: the Arcade Fire

photo by flickr user kathryn

It's been said that Coachella made the Arcade Fire the stars they are today. Their legendary 2005 second-stage set was nearly a full-scale riot. I remember the huge crowd, although I didn't join the masses that year - I think M.I.A. may have been playing at the same time?

Anyway, even your dad knows who the Arcade Fire is at this point, but just because the NPR crowd thinks they're the best thing ever doesn't mean they aren't. When historians are working on the encyclopedia entry for "indie rock", the picture next to it will be of the Arcade Fire. They're really that good.

Check my review of Neon Bible here.

(Yes, the Arcade Fire is Canadian. Leah proves your favorite band is from Canada on the Maple Minutes, every Thursday at 2pm on The Blaze 1260 AM.)

The Arcade Fire plays the festival's second day, Saturday, April 28. This will be their second Coachella appearance, their first since 2005.

MP3: Arcade Fire - "Intervention"

Coachella Artist: DJ Shadow

photo from djshadow.com

Let's not waste time arguing about it - DJ Shadow is a living legend.

Endtroducing..... was rightly heralded as an instant-classic album that pushed forward the art of sampling in hip-hop. The Private Press was arguably even better, a more expansive and accessible record that includes some of Shadow's best work.

So when DJ Shadow released The Outsider last summer, pretty much everyone's head spun. Gone were the dusty breakbeats and samples. The first half of the album was dominated by ludicrously bouncy hyphy beats and Bay Area rappers like Keak da Sneak, Turf Talk and Nump. The second half sounded like a bad Radiohead cover band. None of it sounded like, well, DJ Shadow.

To say the man's new stuff doesn't fit well with his older work is an understatement. Luckily, reports are coming in that Shadow's live show is just as spellbinding as ever, with wall-to-wall screens soundtracking arguably the best DJ in the world. Here's hoping Keak da Sneak shows up too.

(For one of the few places in the Valley to hear DJ Shadow on the radio, plus more instrumental hip-hop and live freestyles, check Tyler T's show The Round Table Thursday nights at 10pm on The Blaze 1260 AM.)

DJ Shadow is playing the first day of the festival, Friday, April 27. This will be his second time at Coachella, his first since the festival began in 1999.

MP3: DJ Shadow - "Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)"