20 Must-See Artists, Old and New. Coachella kicks off Friday — here are the artists, from the Black Keys to the Weeknd to Kendrick Lamar When Coachella kicks off Friday, it will mark the music festival's biggest year ever — and not just because it will stretch over two weekends for the first time ever. Nearly 150 acts will perform across five stages, with not just the biggest rock band of the year — the Black Keys — but a lengthy list of upcoming indie darlings like the Weeknd, tUnE-yArDs and Kendrick Lamar.
And in between, a rap act for the ages (Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg), Radiohead and a heavy emphasis on DJs like David Guetta and Afrojack. How to filter through all the noise? Let's start with Friday's headliner, the Keys, because it's important to remember where these big festivals began – with rock 'n' roll. When the Black Keys (1) headline Friday, they will cement their status as the year’s most critically beloved band but also — along with Saturday's headliner Radiohead — one of the biggest. Childish Gambino (5). St. Coachella: The Hives know better than to call it quits. The Hives play Coachella, known for reunions, for the first time since 2003, but they've stayed together, unlike many of their peers.
‘Lex Hives' is out June 5. When the Hives last played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the appearance could have been considered a victory lap for the band. It was 2003, and the practitioners of lean, fashionable rock 'n' roll had a year earlier seen their air-guitar-ready scolder “Hate to Say I Told You So” crack the top-100 on the U.S. pop charts.
The success of the song ultimately led the band to a multi-album global deal with Universal Music U.K. said to be worth seven figures. Rock 'n' roll, it seemed, had been very, very good to the Hives. The Swedish quintet weren't the only ones. Along with the likes of the Strokes, the White Stripes, the Von Bondies and the Libertines — the latter three of which were also on the Coachella 2003 roster — the Hives were swept up in the turn of the century's garage rock revival. -- Todd Martens. Coachella Fest: Le Butcherettes & Ximena Sariñana to Perform Among Other Latinos. Of the over 100 artists performing at this year’s 13th annual indie-music desert rager, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which begins Friday, not many Latino acts are on the lineup. But of the few that are, one is hugely anticipated, and several others will rock the venue for the first time hoping to create lifelong fans and careers.
Performing on the bill with superstars like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, and Florence and the Machine, and Radiohead, are 1990s El Paso, Texas post hard-core rock band At The Drive-In. The group is back together for a rare performance after an 11-year hiatus on both Sundays, April 15th and 22nd. The band received its first bursts of attention with the release of their studio recording entitled Hell Paso, a 7-inch EP issued in November 1994. Guitar, bass, and piano player Jose Borunda of the Mexico City band Hello Seahorse! Hello Seahorse’s new album is slated to finish by the end of the year.
Coachella 2012: Thirty must-see bands. Coachella 2012 Other Lives Gobi tent: Sat. 2:05 p.m. If you’re a Radiohead fan, go see Other Lives. You'll be blown away, but not because they sound all that much like them. Rather, because Other Lives captures the similar wonder of collaborative music creation. Photo: Jesse Tabish of the Oklahoma-based band Other Lives performs at Coachella 2012. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times Kendrick Lamar Coachella stage: Fri. 2:40 p.m. Pulp Coachella stage: Fri. 7:50 p.m. Swedish House Mafia Coachella stage: Fri. 11:30 p.m. Mazzy Star Coachella stage: Fri. 8:50 p.m. Amon Tobin Mojave tent: 11:59 p.m. Refused Outdoor stage: Fri. 11:20 p.m. Radiohead Coachella stage: Sat. 11:05 p.m.
Flying Lotus Gobi tent: Sat. 9:00 p.m. Childish Gambino Coachella stage: Sat. 2:50 p.m. SBTRKT Gobi tent: Sat. 10:15 p.m. Dan Bejar makes strange, often baroque pop music and may have a hard time convincing testosterone-fueled dudes to get on board. Dr. Critic's Notebook: Dance lineup misstep? When the lineup for the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was announced in January, the reaction among a particular demographic of electronic dance music fans was swift and merciless, best captured on the festival's message board by one user: "It's like a VIP-bottle Las Vegas casino nightclub has taken over the Sahara.
" Translated: Many dance music snobs are disgruntled about the offerings in the big dance tent and elsewhere on the pitch. That sentiment has since been echoed often, and with good reason: The presence of superstar DJs like David Guetta, Kaskade, Martin Solveig, Swedish House Mafia — all mainstream dance producers who have taken over the top of the Billboard charts or have sold out mega-tours in the past year — suggests to many that Coachella has lost sight of the dance music vanguard, running counter to the festival's philosophy of bringing the best forward-thinking music to the desert. FULL COVERAGE: Coachella 2012. Seven Lesser-Known Acts You'd Be Silly to Miss. Coachella is here! Between the fuzzy boots, spicy drug cocktails and sweltering heat, one can actually forget that there's music going on. In fact, we believe this year's lineup is quite strong. While headliners Radiohead, the Black Keys, Snoop Dogg and Dr.
Dre need no introduction, here are seven under-the-radar acts well worth catching. Just make sure you don't get too inebriated and catch something else! Dragonette Canadian electro-pop outfit Dragonette mix urbane sensuality, rocker grit and dance-floor credibility. Drummer Joel Stouffer rounds out the trio, probably best known for sleazy anthem "I Get Around," which sounds like Gwen Stefani lusting for bad men rather than Japanese purses, and "Easy," a slinky, '80s-style ode to a difficult but exciting guy. We Are Augustines If Billy McCarthy sounds like a motivational speaker with his Brooklyn band We Are Augustines, it's because the frontman has been through the ringer himself.
Azealia Banks Gary Clark Jr. Death Grips Wolf Gang Wu Lyf. Dr Dre to bring Tupac Shakur and Nate Dogg to life during Coachella set. April 13, 2012 8:44 Dre is also set to be joined by Eminem, Warren G and Wiz Khalifa during his headline set this Sunday (April 15) More Dr Dre news, reviews, videos and tour dates Buy Dr Dre music from Amazon Photo: PA Dr. Dre is reportedly planning to bring and Nate Dogg 'back to life' during his headline set at this weekend's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. The rapper headlines the festival on Sunday (April 15) and again on the following Sunday (April 22) and is reportedly planning to include holograms of the dead hip-hop stars in his set. According to Los Angeles radio station KROQ , Tupac will appear during a performance of his 1995 hit 'California Love', which Dre produced. It is also reported that Dre will be joined by a series of living guest stars during his show, including Eminem , Wiz Khalifa and Warren G.
Dr Dre is still yet to release his long-awaited new album 'Detox'. Previous: Mumford & Sons to stage two festivals this summer - ticket details.