ASU Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Coachella Liveblog: Jose Gonzales

2007-04-29T22:24:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Jose Gonzales, originally uploaded by G3K.

Spellbinding cover of Masive Attack's "Teardrop". Best vibes of the

festival, save arguably those for Willie Nelson earlier.

Next: Lily!

Coachella Liveblog: Lily Allen

2007-04-29T22:23:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Lily Allen, originally uploaded by G3K.

Lily-isms:

"I'm not drinking or doing anything bad, but I did have a couple spliffs

today..."

"This next song is about guys with small penises!" (It really was!)

"I'm forgetting all my fucking words, aren't I?"

Also covered Blondie's "Heart Of Glass", with the crowd on

"ooh-ooh-ooh-ahh"s. Awesome.

Coachella Liveblog: Protest Art

2007-04-29T19:23:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Protest Art, originally uploaded by G3K.

Seriously.

The Roots were great - segue from "Don't Feel Right" into "The Next

Movement" was a highlight. On to Willie Nelson and maybe some dangerous

bicycle-related art installations! Jose Gonzales and Lily Allen later

on.

Coachella Liveblog: Soulwax (Nite Versions)

2007-04-29T18:21:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Soulwax (Nite Versions), originally uploaded by G3K.

Soulwax is peerless as a rock band, but when you decide to recreate your

middling remix album so faithfully that you rename your live act after

it, you're setting this hardcore fan up for a pretty big letdown.

Good thing Junior Boys are right next door!

Later: the Roots and Willie Nelson. Keep watching, complainers!

Coachella Kinda-Liveblog: Technical Difficulties

2007-04-29T15:22:00.001-06:00

Coachella Kinda-Liveblog: Technical Difficulties, originally uploaded by G3K.

Techsplosionstravaganza 07!

Initially my camera and Sidekick wouldn't connect, then our hotel

internet crapped out, now the computer won't even start.

Long story short, Coachella is fun but malfunctioning technology (and

parking!) sucks. We'll try again tonight; until then, look for sporadic

blurry phone pictures throughout the evening. Ciao!

Coachella Liveblog: Justice

2007-04-28T21:36:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Justice, originally uploaded by G3K.

Epic!!!

Coachella Liveblog: Arctic Monkeys

2007-04-27T19:37:00.001-06:00

Coachella Liveblog: Arctic Monkeys, originally uploaded by G3K.

Arctic Monkeys: They really are only twelve years old!

Coachella Alert: Weekend Weather

2007-04-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-26T05:16:00.001-06:00

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

2007-04-25T22:48:00.001-06:00

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!

2007-04-24T03:25:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-23T03:56:00.000-06:00

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.

Ticket Update: On Sale, Again

2007-04-21T22:16:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-19T20:20:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-04-18T04:38:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-04-16T04:07:00.000-06:00

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

3-day tickets released!

2007-04-13T15:50:00.000-06:00

TICKET UPDATE: A limited number of three-day passes has been released at Ticketmaster... go here to get them before it's too late!

All gone, sorry!

Coachella Artist: CocoRosie

2007-04-13T04:02:00.000-06:00

CocoRosie is a band comprised of two sisters that make dreamy, atmospheric compositions that utilize toy instruments and strange noises to accompany their haunting, scratchy voices.

The end result is something romantic, or at least it seems so at first listen; but they can tackle some heavy feelings in their ballads. I will never forget the first time I heard the line “I’d wear your black eyes…bake you apple pies…I won’t ask why…” in their song By Your Side. It stirred up so many disturbing feelings that to this day I still get chills when I hear it.

Bianca and Sierra Casady create understandably offbeat music for their upbringing. They are American born, but their parents divorced at a young age and shuffled them around the country, their father being a Shaman and mother being an artist. They were separated for nearly 10 years and Sierra moved across the Atlantic to study opera in Rome. She was living in France when one day in 2003, her sister Bianca showed up on her doorstep and they started recording as CocoRosie.

They just released their third full-length album earlier this month, entitled The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn, and have been branching out to work with other artists and other mediums of art.

For starters, check out the live video for By Your Side.

Their official website is a little slow, but has cool animation and art.

Ever wonder what happens when kazoos, toy recorders and classical harp collide in Hairnet Paradise?

The last song on their cd Noah's Ark is short and amazing: Honey or Tar.

First time listeners: let us know your thoughts. Pleasantly odd or just plain weird?

CocoRosie is scheduled to wow the crowd with awesomeness on Saturday, April 28th.

Coachella Artist: Cornelius

2007-04-12T01:19:00.000-06:00

photo from flickr user joi

CHRISTOPHER ATWOOD
GUEST WRITER

Cornelius is a Japanese electro funk DJ/singer whose real name is Keigo Oyamada.

I first heard about him in high school when my friend Jimmy (who goes by the name Kid Vicious these days) got his debut album “Fantasma” from Eastside Records. “He’s amazing,” he told me. “just think of him as the Asian Beck.” This turned out to be a pretty accurate description, his music is a kind of semi folk-alternative blend of cartoon samples, acoustic guitars, drum beats and glitch hop.

Much like Beck, he has the ability to transcend genres as he redefines them. That said, I’m told his couple of albums haven’t really been up to par with the first. Having not heard them myself I can’t really say. I downloaded a version of the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic “Brazil” recently that was badass. Classic bossa nova remixed with modern hip hop style; what more could you want?

Make your own Coachella schedule!

2007-04-10T03:12:00.000-06:00

Use the new Coachella scheduler here!

No, set times haven't been posted yet, but you can start picking bands and it'll fill in the schedule once it's posted.

See mine here, and share yours in the comments!

Burning Question: Should Coachella Add More Bands?

2007-04-09T19:38:00.000-06:00

photo from mtv.com

Today's bonus post dredges up the perennial Coachella debate: who will be added at the last minute?

Late additions have been a classic part of past Coachella lineups, most recently the surprise announcement of Kanye West as a Saturday headliner in 2006. Kanye was added so late he didn't even make the official poster, but a week's notice was enough to completely sell out the festival.

This year is Coachella's first as a three-day event. Sold-out Saturday boasts a dance-punk utopia (!!!, LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Justice, MSTRKRFT, the Rapture) plus inexplicable main-stage mainstay Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sunday headliners Rage Against the Machine's first performance in almost seven years could have sold out the whole day on its own, but acts like Lily Allen, the Roots and Willie Nelson are just a few of the many highlights.

However, Coachella's first Friday boasts fewer bands and a weaker lineup, and is the only day that hasn't sold out. (Single-day tickets are still available here.) It would make sense for Coachella promoters Goldenvoice to add more bands on Friday to bolster the lineup and sell out the entire festival. Yet even though artists are still being added to Saturday and Sunday, I don't believe anyone's been added to Friday!

I've been getting emails from readers with their votes for who should be last-minute adds, and asking what mine are. So here are my picks, and some of yours, for artists who could and should make Friday better than it already is:

MY WISH LIST:

Mew - great live act, huge buzz, actively trying to break the U.S.
Maxïmo Park - new album, great fit with current lineup, desperately deserves U.S. attention
The Chemical Brothers - new album, huge draw at past Coachellas
M.I.A. - new album, best performance of Coachella 2004
The Shins - hugely popular, current U.S. tour ends just in time for Coachella

READER WISH LIST:

Portishead - perennial rumor, finally playing live again
Underworld - perennial rumor, new album soon
David Bowie - huge Arcade Fire fan, generally pretty awesome
Modest Mouse - new album, but scheduled East Coast dates during Coachella

Add your picks in the comments!

Coachella Artist: Silversun Pickups

2007-04-09T19:15:00.000-06:00

photo by flickr user thewongway

Past the obvious Smashing Pumpkins comparisons - frontman Brian Aubert sounds like Billy Corgan with more hair, less ego and twice the demonic wit - Silversun Pickups are carving out a melodic-indie-rock niche all their own.

Their 2005 Pikul EP showed fantastic promise, with full-scale freakouts like "Comeback Kid" and the stellar "Kissing Families" even worthy of comparison to Radiohead. Sweet harmonies from bassist Nikki Monninger balanced often-unsettling lyrics.

Debut record Carnavas sounds a little softer but stretches much farther, with gems like "Lazy Eye" entrancing larger audiences daily. I've missed their live show at least twice, so that's added reason to catch their set, sure to be one of the few highlights of star-starved Friday.

MP3: Music Is Art has "Kissing Families", "Lazy Eye" and another Carnavas track here.

Silversun Pickups take the stage Friday, the first day of the festival, for their first Coachella performance.

Coachella Artist: Against Me!

2007-04-07T04:13:00.000-06:00

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

2007-04-05T00:49:00.000-06:00

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.