Ticket Update: On Sale, Again

I have no idea why, but I'm not complaining: Coachella 3-day passes are on sale again. Go get them before they're gone!

Coachella Artist: Justice

Remember how amazing Daft Punk's legendary Coachella set was last year? The one that left people raving how it was the absolute best set they've ever seen? The one I missed because I went home early?

Justice is this year's Daft Punk.


The Ed Banger stable of artists is maybe the most exciting label lineup in recent history: DJ Mehdi, SebastiAn, Mr Flash, Vicarious Bliss, Krazy Baldhead, Busy P, So Me, Feadz and the infamous Uffie all reside on the roster. (Ed Banger Records founder Pedro Winter (aka Busy P) knows his business - he's also Daft Punk's manager.) Two volumes of the Ed Rec compilation series, the newest just out last week, showcase the label sound: a collision of gritty house, goofy disco, futuristic hip-hop and searing guitar punk.



But Justice are the stars. Their instant-classic remix of Simian's "Never Be Alone" is the absolute peak-time monster - mute it and watch the crowd sing it for you. "Waters of Nazareth" turns distortion, static and church organs into a dancefloor killer. New single "D.A.N.C.E" somehow finds the Jackson 5 somewhere in between.

Justice are internationally known for their massive DJ sets - so good there's even rumors that Justice is actually Daft Punk without the robot suits (!) - and Coachella is the last US date on their tour.

This is not something you or I can miss, period.

"D.A.N.C.E" is out April 23, and the full-length album † comes out July 10. Yes, it's called †. No, I don't know how to pronounce it.

EDIT: Just caught word that this will be Justice's first live show - not a DJ set - ever. Justice will play a 45-minute set at 8:30, then LCD Soundsystem will take the stage at 9:15. Busy P and DJ Mehdi will start their set at 6:45.

MP3: The Yellow Stereo has two Justice-soaked posts, including "Never Be Alone" here and here - study up so you can scream along! Grab their remix of Franz Ferdinand over at Vice.

Justice will play their first Coachella set on the last night of the festival. Even though they're not on the official lineup poster, Busy P and DJ Mehdi will spin before Justice.

Coachella Artist: Peter, Bjorn and John

photo from coachella.com

Peter, Bjorn and John is a band you can whistle to. The tunes get stuck in your head and you constantly find yourself humming and whistling, without noticing you are doing so until someone else walks into the room and starts whistling the same song. I call them a whistle band.

Their most recent and 3rd release, Writer's Block, really shows a new direction the band is heading towards. They experiment with different beats, odd synths and electronics and fun drum beats.

You can sort of tell by now that I don't write music reviews, but I find myself recommending Peter, Bjorn and John to all of my friends. Put them on your list at the festival on Saturday, April 28.

Check out: http://www.myspace.com/peterbjornandjohn
Amsterdam' isn't on their MySpace player, and it's my favorite song. Check it out.

Countdown: 1 week left.

Coachella Artists: Just Added!

Just added to Friday:

Satellite Party

(Perry Farrell featuring members of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, New Order and Hybrid)

Flosstradamus featuring Kid Sister

No Portishead or anything, but these'll do for now. Go add your picks for late Coachella adds here.

photo credits: EXPN, flickr user soundfromwayout

Coachella Tips: Water!

From the latest Coachella MySpace bulletin:

"New for 2007...Recycle your empties. Bring us 10 empty water bottles you find laying around the polo field and redeem them for 1 new free bottle of water. Please help keep the polo field clean, Recycle and stay hydrated all at the same time."

In simple terms:


...which hopefully means less of this:


Bottled water bought at the festival is $2, which is entirely reasonable and doesn't require too much waiting in line. You can still try to bring in sealed bottled water or an empty water bottle - neither is technically forbidden, so it's up to how much of a jerk your particular security guard is. (Bota bags and camelpacks are not allowed.)

Smart festivalgoers spend the 5-10 minutes in line to refill their container of choice at one of the free water stations spread out across the grounds. Look for one of these:

Sometimes the fountains work, other times you get a hippie with a hose.

Either way, it's free water, and you should be drinking a bottle or two every couple hours anyway. The desert heat can get pretty brutal - even for those of us used to Arizona summers - so don't forget to stay hydrated and sunscreened... at least until it gets dark. Then you can get totally drunk with everybody else.

photo credits: maine.gov, flickr users larskristian, verbatim, lhl, czjd