Kevin Bronson on April 14th, 2011

3

Is it me, or does Coachella feel more than ever like a Los Angeles home game this year? Rock bands, folk bands, denizens of L.A.’s robust beat scene, the odd group of rappers – I count no fewer than two dozen SoCal artists on this year’s bill. If you’re a regular show-goer orbiting around the 213 area code, you’ll be torn between supporting your local faves and trying something new on for size.

Overall, the sold-out festival has one of its best lineups ever, from mainstream main-stage attractions, to cutting edge electronic and dance artists, to bands on the cusp of busting out of the niches that birthed them. To invoke a line from the legendary Mr. T, pity the fool who thumbs his nose at the Coachella lineup.

What follows is my list-y take on this year’s festival. If you’re going, be safe and hydrate, respect your fellow attendees, read up on the rules and don’t buy anything resembling a ticket from sketchy scalpers – I saw so many kids outside the festival grounds in tears last year because they’d shelled out money for forgeries. Have fun:

Five artists I don’t want to miss

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (Friday in the Sahara Tent) – If SXSW wasn’t, this is Tyler, the Creator and gang’s big coming-out party.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Friday in the Mojave Tent) – Be still my twee heart.
Thao With the Get Down Stay Down (Saturday at the Outdoor Theatre) – Maybe not the perfect festival performer, but a uniquely original voice with a lot to say.
The London Suede (Saturday in the Mojave Tent) – They never should have gone away.
The National (Sunday at the Outdoor Theatre) – Where they go I follow.

Five veterans besides Suede deserving of a bow or three

Flogging Molly (Friday at the Outdoor Theatre) – Oi to the world.
The Aquabats (Friday in the Mojave Tent) – Hey, Orange Countians.
Wire (Saturday in the Mojave Tent) – Does their set really have to overlap Big Audio Dynamite’s?
Big Audio Dynamite (Saturday at the Outdoor Theatre) – Mick Jones returns to Coachella.
OFF! (Sunday in the Gobi Tent) – If you haven’t seen Keith Morris and crew, it is a moral imperative.

Seven L.A. artists you could see consecutively on Friday

Tokimonsta (12:30 in the Sahara Tent)
Moving Units (2:30 on the main stage)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (3:15 in the Gobi Tent)
Ozomatli (3:35 on the main stage)
Warpaint (4:40 at the Outdoor Theatre)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (5:45 in the Gobi Tent)
Cold War Kids (7 at the Outdoor Theatre)

Five artists I want to see for the first time

Skrillex (Friday in the Sahara Tent) – L.A. dude collaborating with Korn?
Sleigh Bells (Friday in the Mojave Tent) – Seem to have always missed them. Not this time.
Two Door Cinema Club (Saturday in the Mojave Tent) – Irish guitar rockers with a good single? Sure.
Wiz Khalifa (Sunday on the main stage) – I need to become conversant.
Ellie Goulding (Sunday in the Gobi Tent) – Kind of a sucker for “Starry Eyed,” for some reason.

Five really agonizing scheduling conflicts

Warpaint vs. the Morning Benders vs. Odd Future, at 4:30 p.m. Friday
The Joy Formidable vs. the Henry Clay People, at 1 p.m. Saturday
Wire vs. Big Audio Dynamite, at 9 p.m. Saturday
The Radio Dept. vs. Delta Spirit, at 4:05 p.m. Saturday
Duran Duran vs. the National, at 7:25 p.m. Sunday

Five bands you’re probably more excited about than I am

YACHT (Friday in the Mojave Tent)
Gayngs (Friday in the Mojave Tent)
Animal Collective (Saturday on the main stage)
Best Coast (Sunday at the Outdoor Theatre)
Death From Above 1979 (Sunday on the main stage)

Five bands I wouldn’t listen to with your ears

The Drums (Friday in the Mojave Tent) – The times I’ve seen them I can’t stop laughing.
Electric Touch (Saturday in the Gobi Tent) – Pass.
Freelance Whales (Saturday in the Mojave Tent) – Precious.
Fistful of Mercy (Sunday in the Mojave Tent) – Side project fallen flat.
Neon Trees (Sunday in the Gobi Tent) – Old friends from last year’s Lollapalooza.

Five reasons (on Saturday alone) to skip the day parties and actually attend the festival

Mariachi El Bronx (noon in the Mojave Tent)
The Love Language (noon at the Outdoor Theatre)
The Joy Formidable (12:55 in the Gobi Tent)
The Henry Clay People (1 p.m. in the Mojave Tent)
Foals (3:15 in the Mojave Tent)

Five artists (I haven’t already mentioned) whom I’ve seen live and highly recommend

Robyn (Friday in the Mojave Tent)
Erykah Badu (Saturday on the main stage)
Bright Eyes (Saturday on the main stage)
Daedelus (Saturday in the Gobi Tent)
PJ Harvey (Sunday at the Outdoor Theatre)

Five artists that deserve better set times/stages

!!! (2:20 p.m. Friday at the Outdoor Theatre) – In the midafternoon sun?
Bomba Estereo (2:30 Saturday on the main stage) – Would have been nice to give our Colombian visitors a shadier spot.
Elbow (7 p.m. Saturday in the Mojave Tent) – Expansive music deserves a bigger stage.
MEN (2:20 p.m. Sunday in the Mojave Tent) – People will dance, sweat, collapse.
Delorean (2 p.m. Sunday in the Gobi Tent) – That tent will be packed.

Five good local gigs this weekend if you aren’t going to Coachella

The Damselles’ record-release party on Friday at the Echo
So Many Wizards on Friday at Lot 1 Cafe
F*cked Up on Saturday at the Echoplex
Yuck and the Lonely Forest on Saturday at the Detroit Bar
Spirit Vine on Sunday at the Satellite

Buzz Bands LA will have a small squad filing items every night from Coachella. Follow us on Twitter: @krbronson, @seraphina_l, @buzzbandsla.