Coachella Liveblog: Justice

Coachella Liveblog: Justice, originally uploaded by G3K.

Epic!!!

Coachella Liveblog: Arctic Monkeys

Coachella Liveblog: Arctic Monkeys, originally uploaded by G3K.

Arctic Monkeys: They really are only twelve years old!

Coachella Alert: Weekend Weather

Pack some sunscreen, bring cash and a sense of environmental responsibility for water and stuff your underpants full of ice cubes, because it's gonna be a hot one.

For the record, the AT&T blue room tent is the best instance of festival corporate sponsorship ever. It's got air conditioning, a giant big-screen with live set feeds, a bunch of places to charge your cell phone, and computers so you can post on your LiveJournal about how hot and tired you are but it's so worth it.

And it is worth it - the heat, the hipsters, the hassle and the drunk people - because the music is so good. But every festival needs a chillout tent, and one with minimal corporate interference (like the rest of the festival) is pretty great.

For those of you who are unlucky enough to be sitting at home this weekend, check the blue room site for webcasts of the following artists:

Friday, April 27
Bjork
Arctic Monkeys
Brazilian Girls
Stephen Marley featuring Jr. Gong
Noisettes

Saturday, April 28
Arcade Fire
Ozomatli
Regina Spektor

Sunday, April 29
Crowded House
The Lemonheads
Kaiser Chiefs
Fair to Midland
Damien Rice

and keep watching this space for live and post-mortem updates on each day of the festival.

And wherever you are... stay hydrated.

Test Post: Bands Not Playing Coachella

Test Post: Bands Not Playing Coachella, originally uploaded by G3K.

This picture is of Lit's A.Jay Popoff and Everclear's Art Alexakis dueting at the Tempe Music Festival. Neither of them is playing Coachella, ever has, or ever will.

(This is a test post from my Sidekick camera. I'll be blogging live from the festival if I can get reception, and I'll be posting updates with pics from my point-and-shoot camera at the end of each day. No more Everclear, I promise.)

Coachella Tickets

Is anyone looking for a 3-day pass? Leave me a comment, or e-mail me at tiffany.tcheng@asu.edu. I might be able to help.

I'm sending two photographers out to the festival for Saturday with a medium format Holga and a fisheye lomography camera. Also, some point-and-shoots since you aren't allowed to bring anything in with a detachable lens. I'm excited to see the results. Stay tuned for a photo essay in the State Press, and also, extra photos on this blog and on the ASU Web Devil.

One more day!

Coachella Alert: Set Times Announced!

Set times are up!

A few reactions:

• Since it has the smallest (and weakest) lineup of the three days, the first act on Friday doesn't start until 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday follow the tradition of starting at or around noon.
• The set time graphics almost actually make sense this year. Usually, the sizes of the boxes representing set length are completely contrary to the time they actually run. Most of them are proportional this year, although they're not perfect (see Jose Gonzales vs. Placebo on Sunday.)
• The "CoaChooser" scheduler is useful for the first time ever and is much easier to read than the official set times. Check it here.

And some comments on how the sets stack up each day:

• Friday is pretty barren, so why stick two of the bands I most want to see - Silversun Pickups and Of Montreal - playing at almost the same time? Also, scheduling two of the biggest British hype acts in recent years - Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse - concurrently is also a mistake. Good thing Amy Winehouse is incredibly overrated.

• Saturday's cool - putting Justice, LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture one after another in the Sahara tent is a dream lineup by itself. Shame Blonde Redhead and Girl Talk have to be cross-programmed against Justice - shouldn't Girl Talk be in the dance tent anyhow?

• Oh, Sunday. Soulwax, the Roots, Junior Boys and Rodrigo y Gabriela all playing at the same time? That is cruel and unusual punishment. Same with Placebo vs. Klaxons vs. Jose Gonzalez. Spank Rock's a good pick to close, though.

My picks pre-consultation with the girlfriend:

FRIDAY
Comedians of Comedy
Satellite Party
Of Montreal (leave early)
Silversun Pickups
Arctic Monkeys
Benny Benassi
Interpol
DJ Shadow

SATURDAY
Fields
Steve Aoki
Fountains of Wayne
(the end of) the Fratellis
Hot Chip
Travis
!!!
Arcade Fire
Justice
LCD Soundsystem
the Rapture

SUNDAY
Lupe Fiasco
the Kooks
Explosions in the Sky
Soulwax Nite Versions
(the end of) the Roots
Konono No.1
(the end of) Willie Nelson
Jose Gonzalez
Lily Allen
Manu Chao
Rage Against The Machine (leave early)
Spank Rock

Who are you going to see?

Coachella Artist: Spank Rock

photo credit: flickr user neil365

Spank Rock is a ridiculous, gleefully vulgar electro-rap outfit fronted by the MC of the same name and backed by producers Armani XXXChange and Chris Rockswell.

Spank Rock's 2006 release YoYoYoYoYo was as lyrically filthy as it was expertly produced. Somehow the charismatic MC (real name: Naeem Juwan) can get away with saying pretty much anything with a flow like his over beats like these. (Find the instrumentals if you can - they're incredible even on their own.)

For a good sense of the outer limits of Spank Rock's lyrical genius, I present to you Exhibit A: his legendary collaboration with Pase Rock, "Lindsay Lohan's Revenge". It is perhaps the most offensive song ever recorded. Don't listen if you're at work, are in the presence of small children or your elders, have delicate sensibilities or suffer from heart problems or high blood pressure. And do not under any means watch the video. Seriously.

MP3: "Sweet Talk" courtesy of music like dirt. Motel de Moka has album standout "Backyard Betty" plus tracks from a few other Coachella bands.

Spank Rock will close the Gobi Tent Sunday, the last night of the festival, starting at 11:05 p.m.