With more than 90 bands on five stages,it's hard to sort out all the great acts at the two-day Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Coachella, in a nutshell: The rock fest's two-day lineup embraces both popular bands (Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails) and emerging acts (The Bravery, Eisley, The Futureheads). Since it lasts a full weekend, many attendees camp on site, Woodstock-style.
Why it matters: Big things can happen at this little summer fest. Last year's most talked-about Coachella performance by reunited alt-rockers The Pixies resulted in new material and a nationwide tour. Who knows what will happen this year?
Who's playing?: Some of the big-name artists at this year's fest include Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Bright Eyes, New Order, Bauhaus, Keane and Wilco.
Other performers include The Prodigy, Bloc Party, The Chemical Brothers, Rilo Kiley, Gang of Four, The Arcade Fire, Jem, Mercury Rev, The Futureheads, The Bravery and dozens more. (See the full lineup at coachella.com.)The Arcade Fire: (Sunday) Fronted by husband-and-wife team Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, this Canadian indie outfit is drawing kudos.
Jamie Cullum: (Saturday) The biggest-selling U.K. jazz artist ever, Cullum seamlessly mixes rock, New Orleans r&b and show tunes.
Jean Grae: (Saturday) Daughter of jazz musicians, indie hip-hop up-and-comer Grae has a grasp of multiple genres.
Jem: (Sunday) The Welsh singer-songwriter's acclaimed debut, "Finally Woken," is an eclectic mix of trip-hop, urban beats and reggae-tinged sounds.
Katie Melua: (Saturday) The 20-year-old guitar-wielding hottie from Georgia (in the former U.S.S.R.) recently signed a five-album recording deal.
The Prodigy: (Sunday) Gods in the U.K.'s underground dance scene, the Prodigy brings reinvented funk-punk and manic acid house rhythms.
Sage Francis: (Saturday) A fiery, quick-tongued emcee who labels his gigs "performance art."
Armin Van Buuren: (Sunday) This trance master wows with blends of progressive, tribal, techno and other cutting-edge dance styles.
OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Along with much-anticipated sets from Weezer and Bauhaus, other not-to-be-missed acts Saturday include Los Angeles alt-pop quartet Rilo Kiley, garage-rock duo The Kills, mixologist Josh Wink, dream-rockers M83 and London's witty post-punkers Bloc Party.
Sunday brings a recharged New Order, fey crit-pick Bright Eyes and, perhaps most interestingly, a reunion of the original four members of Gang of Four, the late-1970s/early-'80s U.K. post-punk quartet that mixed socialism, dub reggae and jagged funk rhythms. Also worth noting Sunday is a DJ set from Everything but the Girl's Ben Watt, '80s revivalists The Bravery and the stormy noise of British Sea Power.
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