The Top 9 Acts on the Coachella lineup that I'm the Most Excited About

So all the hoopla last week was about the finally official Coachella lineup. This week, I dedicate the Top 9 to the 9 Acts I'm most pumped up to see. Enough babble, here's the list:

9. The Whitest Boy Alive - My buddy Blake tipped me on the Kings of Convenience while I was travelling and I immediately liked it. The Whitest Boy Alive is Kings frontman Erlend Oye's (its a crazy Norwegian "O" in "Oye") other project. And while he does bear a striking resemblance to Napoleon Dynamite, his music is so mellow and relaxing...I'm really into both projects right now.




8. Vampire Weekend - 'Contra' is the album everyone is talking about. I nearly took the roof off my car bouncing to "Diplomat's Son" this week. Pretty fuckin catchy indie-pop and a lot of fun...They were also #1 on the Billboard chart last week...Crazy, huh?


7. Hot Chip - When am I not stoked to see Hot Chip? I think Chris Trenchard and I are gonna have to develop a new dance routine to impress the nearby bystanders when Hot Chip drops "Out at the Pictures". I'm liking the new stuff that's slowly being leaked too. Hot Chip is one of the livest, most electronically orgasmic and move your ass non-stop, bands I've ever heard. Dont miss 'em.




6. De La Soul - Have you ever seen De La Soul live? Soo consistently good. One of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time rocks it live, in superimpressive fashion. Old stuff and new stuff...you'll always have a good time. Check it out.



5. Grizzly Bear - Ok....the makers of my Album of the Year have eluded me so far, hence my excitement. I'll be looking to unwind when I check them out and I'll be thinking of Michael MacDonald during "While You Wait for the Others".



4. Dirty Projectors - Girlie harmonies and refined melodies await me during this set. Another fantabulous band who'll pick me up for the booty shakin i'm gonna crave as the night unwinds.


That's a pretty good band photo, but is it as good as this?:


I didn't think so...


3. The XX - I cannot get enough of this band right now. These 4 twenty somethings from London have got me hooked. The expiration of their youth wanes as they come into their own as artists with beautifully written songs that hum and whisper sweet nothings in your ear from start to finish.




2. Fever Ray - My current obsession is with Karin Andersson and anything she touches. She is so strangely creative, oddly enchanting, just plain weird and I am completely intrigued. She cast a spell on me and I cant get her out of my brain. It's not a go around singing type of spell, but a go around thinking about her creations and oddities and never being able to fully understand where she comes up with this shit. Point is...I'm really fucking curious. Plain and simple. She's become the indie shock-value chick. Think Lady Gaga, but in a twisted electronica, "i dont give a crap what is going on around me cause i'm weirder than everyone" type of way. By the way, here's a link to the new album by The Knife, Karin's other project: http://theknife.net/




1. LCD Soundsystem - Yup...This is my #1. One of the most important American bands, who've shaped and influenced the indie-electro scene as we know it today. They've done everything from uncontrollably, control-surrendering jams, to reminding us that they're not Brits, but rather "North American scum!" When it's all said and done, I think LCD has something really big cooked up for Coachella and is my dark horse pick for the "IT" performance of the festival.

This guy is gonna rock the bajesus out of you (I'm serious):



Ok...So sorry if I missed your favorite band or some shit, but at least I laid it out.. I'm also pretty stoked on the Passion Pit, Orbital, Flying Lotus, Phoenix, Mew, Echo & the Bunnymen, DEVO, MGMT and Gorillaz of the world (et al.) Overall, Goldenvoice put on a pretty formidable party and its gonna be crackin'. As for no more single day passes being sold, phooey to that, but it'll ultimately lead to a more hardcore 3-day crowd. Which is what we really want, right? Not a bunch of 16yr olds floating around on Saturday just to see Tiesto... Party On Wayne!