Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure will headline the 10th Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival as the top of the bill continues to move toward acts that have had mainstream commercial success.
As was the case last year, when indie rock fans were shocked to see Jack Johnson and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters as the closing acts, the inclusion of McCartney both attracts a different element to the crowd and attempts to get the youngsters to discover how great an influence the ex-Beatle has had on contemporary music. That's wonderful thinking but too many kids don't head to a music show for an education. 

Another aspect being repeated from last year concerns the middle of the bill, Coachella's bread-and-butter, which once again is a primo collection of artists. It's also an indication how much the fest needs those mega-headliners on the bill to deliver a sell-out. Four or five years ago, that second set of artists that fest organizers are using to promote the lineup would have been enough to sell plenty of tickets: Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, the reunion of My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen first appearnace in ages, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Thievery Corporation and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The added bonus is the presence of Amy Winehouse, who has not performed a full set on these shores since her five Grammy wins last year.

The number one issue is how to make sure that now sound bleed affescts Cohen's show. Last year the Swell Season could barely be heard on the second stage and Cohen is even softer than the "Once" duo.

The L.A. Times had the exclusive today and writer Geoff Boucher raised an interesting point:
What remains to be seen is whether the choice will cost the festival credibility with its core clientele: young fans who are more likely to listen to the White Stripes than the "White Album" and who are far more familiar with Rage Against the Machine than "Band on the Run."

That core group of fans, though, might well ignore the mainstage late Friday night and an entirely different group of people will be on hand.
Four years ago, a good seat to see Macca was $250. A ticket to just the Friday show is $103. To some, that sounds like a bargain.

My list of must-sees are followed by the full lineups: 

FRIDAY APRIL 17: The opportunity to see McCartney and Cohen, but also Beirut, which has a new album being released just prior to the fest, the much-hyped Girl Talk, two of my favorite young songwriters, M. Ward and Ryan Bingham, Gustavo Santaolalla's cool elecronic tango outfit Bajofondo and Los Campesinos!

SATURDAY, APRIL 18: This is one of Coachella's strongest lineups as all the acts give rock-solid performances. Well, the two times I have seen Winehouse were excellent. Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT’s, Calexico and Henry Rollins. Three acts I have never seen that intrigue me immensely: Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison and Tinariwen. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 19: My Bloody Valentine, Paul Weller, Antony & the Johnsons, Jenny Lewis, Okkervil River, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Vivian Girls, Gaslight Anthem. Crazy, they sneak Public Enemy in there with no fanfare. When was the last we saw them on a bill with rock acts? The U2 tour that hit Dodger Stadium? I stand corrected.

Tickets are on sale now and they are offering the same layaway plan that Goldenvoice used for Stagecoach.

The full bills:
FRIDAY APRIL 17: Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, The Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel, M. Ward, The Presets, The Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers, Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo, Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, The Bug, Alberta Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui Boratto, Steve Aoki, The Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, The Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the Headlights.  

SATURDAY, APRIL 18: The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon, TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT’s, Amanda Palmer, The Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One (Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch, Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy, Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen. 

SUNDAY, APRIL 19: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li, The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier, Fucked Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K’naan, Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, The Knux, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Night Marchers, Marshall Barnes.

Interview by Matt Kivel

Baltimore music maverick Dan Deacon has had quite a year. After toiling in the indie underground for the better part of a decade, his schizophrenic dance music finally caught on with bloggers and casual music fans alike. Deacon went from playing Pehrspace (a tiny 60 person venue in Echo Park) to a packed tent at Coachella  and an equally rabid crowd at the El Rey Theatre in January. Musically restless and defiantly broad in his tastes and artistic endeavors, Dan Deacon will perform this Sunday at an undisclosed location as the headliner, and final act of the F Yeah Festival .

Q: How did you come to be involved with the F Yeah fest?

A: I really like playing LA and I was asked to play the fest last year, but I was already on tour elsewhere -- I think on my first tour of the UK. So here I am this year! What a crazy world!!!!

 Q: What do you think of the LA music scene? Do you see similarities between the artistic community you are a part of in Baltimore and the tightly-knit collection of bands here?

A: LA is just so massive. It’s hard to compare a city like Baltimore with LA, but I think what’s going on in LA is wonderful. They have a great collection of venues and a really strong, supportive community of people. Also, Kyle Mabson  is there, so it’s of course the best. Community is the most important part of anything. The most important aspect of the DIY and independent scene is the community it breeds. To a lot of casual "members of the scene" shows are just a place to meet people and get laid or be "seen" but to people who devote their lives to it, it’s a lot more. It’s about bringing people together and being proud of our city, neighborhood and the people who inhabit it. I know this sounds really dorky or like I'm giving the piece sign while cumming on a tree, but it’s true.

 Q: At your El Rey show earlier this year you chose Health and Abe Vigoda as openers -- bands one wouldn't normally associate with the type of music you make -- do you think pairing disparate bands on a bill makes for a rich and more rewarding concert experience?

A:Weird, I would think my music would be associated with theirs. I guess I'm made out to play dance music in the press, but all of my shows starting up were with noise-based bands. While our immediate sounds are different, I think we are based in a similar root idea. That idea being expanding upon pop music with large levels of dissonance and arhythmic sounds over a steady rhythmic pattern. I do think a diverse bill makes for a better show, but again, I think the only thing making my music so different from Health's is the perception the has been attached to it. Health and I have been playing shows for years. It still blows my mind that people say I write dance music. Sorry, I'm venting. I think your question is valid, but I just disagree with thinking that we are vastly different bands. I think it’s weirder when I play a show with just DJs. Health and I played a show at Perhspace in June of last year before either of us were very well known. It was awesome. That was one of my favorite shows. I guess the main difference is that I play music you can "dance" to. Most of it isn't dance music and I don't think most people dance to it, they move around really fast. I don't know, I can't really see what’s going on when I play. I have the worst seat in the whole room.

Q: You've done a number of shows with Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk ), what artistic ground do you two share and what separates you as musicians/producers?

A: I guess we are most similar as performers. We both are very focused around the audience as being the major part of the event. After that our approach to music creation is very different. We use a very different pallet of sounds and instruments. Gregg and I met in Pittsbugh years ago. He was one of the only people who went to my shows there. The night we met we both got completely wasted and went to this bar called Gooski's and almost got the shit beaten out of us on several occasions. Luckily our friend Lord Grunge is a well respected and HUGE man.

Q:    Do you have plans for more video projects in the vein of "Ultimate Reality" ? How did the experience of touring a visually-projected show differ from your standard touring experience?

A: The tour I do in 2009 for “Bromst” [Forthcoming album] will be a large scale production with a full ensemble and a large visual aspect to it. Now that the show has grown in size and I'm playing facilities that have really nice PA systems, lighting rigs and lots of open space it’s fun to experiment with those aspects. It’s still fun to play a house show or a warehouse, but it’s also a lot of fun to have technology at my disposal and also to do performances in large, open rooms. That’s more of the direction I want to go in. Fancy, ritzy-ditsy places, but still push it to the limits.

Q: What were your intentions with "Ultimate Reality?" There was an obvious political message – what was the dynamic between you and Jimmy Joe Roche as collaborators?

A: Jimmy and I are really old friends and have worked together on many projects. As for my intentions with the music, I just wanted to create something that was vast and would fill the space with sound -- very intense but at the same time really droning. The main thing I like to accomplish as a performance artist is to re-contextualize the space with my work. I sound like such a pompous dick-head, but isn’t that what interviews are all about?

Q: What can we expect from you, in terms of album releases and new projects, in the coming year?

A: I'm working on “Bromst” right now, which is my next full length record. I've been working on it for a long time now and I'm going to miss working on it. But I'm really excited about it coming out. I've been drifting away from computer music and electronics as the main instruments I compose for. I've started writing more for small and large mixed ensembles, but in the same sort of pop based, dance-tempo style I'm known for. This album is mainly live instruments with a focus on marimba, glockenspiel, drum kit, and player piano. There is also a much larger lyrical aspect to the record. Most of the songs are about becoming a ghost and my views on the coming dark age of the future -- the ancient past getting older as a positive thing. I guess it’s mainly about cycles and balance. It’s the first album I've worked on like this and I'm really happy with how it’s coming out. The tour of the record is going to be with a full ensemble so that everything will be performed live. I'll still do most of the old stuff solo -- I hate when a solo artist (or duo or whatever) that normally plays solo gets a band and then never goes back. I still really like playing solo but if I did only that forever I would go insane. After “Bromst” I'd like to start working on more site-specific compositions and sound installations. When I tour I want it to be a production that’s worth coming out to see.

(Photo by Uli Loski)

Missing from Coachella: Prince and Roger Waters in duet on "When Pigs Fly."
Also missing from Coachella: Waters' pig.
Coachella Fest organizers are offering a $10,000 reward and four Coachella tickets for life for the return of an inflatable pig that  broke loose while flying over  Waters' performance Sunday.
The pig was emblazoned with the words "Don't be led to the slaughter" and "Fear builds  walls." The underside read "Obama" as if on a checked ballot.
First Waters litters greater Indio with Obama propaganda printed on fortune-cookie fortunes and then he sends his longtime flying companion into the ether. Maybe it will land in Chicago and some longhairs will decide to see if it can be elected president.
If the pig has landed in your yard, e-mail fest organizers at lostpig@coachella.com.

HOURS AT THE POLO FIELD: 9.5 hours (2 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.)
TEMPERATURE: I think we made it to 100.
ACTS SEEN: 12
THE BEST: Black Mountain (pictured), Gogol Bordello
THE DISAPPOINTMENT: Duffy
T-SHIRT SPOTTING: Relatively few really cool band t-shirts in the crowd, but plenty of pop culture miscellanea: Shirts displaying Carlton from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and the Michael J. Fox-friendly "Marty McFly is Teen Wolf" were both seen. One shirt summed up life in general: "Rad, Dope, Awesome, Fresh." There were tees with religious slogans ("My First Jesus Shirt" and "God Hates Techno") and the ever-present Americana trilogy -- "I Love NY," "Virginia is for Lovers" and "Don't Mess With Texas." Best of all was the shirt that answered an age-old question. It read, simply, "I let the dogs out."
RANDOM THOUGHT: It was a long, hot, awesome weekend. The delicious chicken skewers were a victim of inflation: They started at $6 on Friday and, by the end of Sunday, they were $8. Also, should Roger Waters really be sending giant inflatable pigs and noxious gasses from his fire-spouting pyro display into the atmosphere just one week after Earth Day?

Read the complete review of Day Three here.

Posted by David Lewis.

One of the fest's biggest letdowns came Saturday evening when Kraftwerk played the main stage. The German electronic legends had performed in the smaller Sahara tent in 2004 with much greater impact. Their set Saturday included most of the same songs, but lacked the freshness that seeing them on tour four years ago had. Plus, founding member Florian Schneider was not on hand (though it makes little difference to the group's actual sound). The foursome stood on stage, each facing his own laptop and they beeped, clicked and twittered through an hour's worth of ahead-of-its-time minimalist techno. Each song was matched to simple graphics displayed on the three videos screens, with their biggest hit "Autobahn" featuring vintage photos and film footage of the titular German expressway. Part of the problem was that the videos were far less entertaining than those they had on earlier tours. At the 2004 Coachella, Kraftwerk wore light-up suits that blended them in with the fast-moving images...here everything was mostly static.

Still promoting the alluring/fearful prospect of man and machine becoming one, it would be interesting if the group integrated new technologies into their model: Where are the allusions to such ubiquitous technologies as cell phones, Blackberries and the Internet, all of which may be bringing humankind closer to a fully digitized state each passing day? Now that Daft Punk has taken the same "Man v. Machine" manifesto and expanded it to include robot masks and a highly elaborate 3-D stage show, a live Kraftwerk performance seems quaint, though their music is still interesting and intelligent and their influence is incalculable.

Posted by David Lewis.

There's no doubt about it: M.I.A. is a going to be huge. Well, huge-er. The Sahara tent was at its most packed for her inconsistent performance Saturday night. This was definitely a "get to know your neighbors" set, with thousands crammed into the tent, trying to to get a glimpse of the blonde-haired Brit rapper. People were literally climbing the tent's side supports to see the stage. The video screens were no help as they were showing pre-recorded video clips and were often blocked by security guards (who definitely had their hands full with the chaotic crowd). The problem was there wasn't much to see.

M.I.A. was backed by a small troop of dancers and MCs, and she brought at least 100 crowd members onstage during one of her songs (she only played maybe 5 songs in her hourlong set). The DJ uses a cool gunshot effect for songs like her hit "Paper Planes," but he used it incessantly, making it sound like someone was watching a John Woo movie backstage. The diminutive MC also fully stopped her performance for at least five minutes as she asked the stagehands to turn off the lights. She kept shouting the request over and over, and added to the constant refrain of automatic gunfire sounds, the show took on a comic, even surreal, effect.

What she did play sounded great. Sassy Brit hip-hop meshed with reggae, Latin beats and whatever else you got. From her debut, M.I.A. played "Galang" and "Hombre", while her latest LP provided "Boyz" and a sloppy reading of the stellar "Paper Planes."

Posted by David Lewis.

Purveyors of sleazy electro-rock, the U.K.'s Does it Offend You, Yeah? have been building an ever-increasing buzz over the last few months and they made quite a fun debut at Coachella on Sunday. They seem to have an affinity for various levels of trashy art (their debut "You Have No Idea Wat You're Getting Yourself Into" has three tracks named after cult films -- "Dawn of the Dead," "Weird Science" and "Battle Royale"), and their rambunctious, dancey mix of garage and club sounds has drawn accurate comparisons to LCD Soundsystem, !!! and the Klaxons. They also crib from '80s synthpop and, like many groups on display, Daft Punk. In one of the few "political" statements of the day, the group dedicated their insanely catchy "Let's Make Out" to shamed NY governor Elliot Spitzer.

Posted by David Lewis.

On-again-off-again Bauhaus spin-off Love and Rockets (still a staple on L.A, modern rock stations) closed the outdoor theater stage on Sunday, ending just before Roger Waters took the main stage a few hundred yards away. A light, glammy antidote to Bauhaus' doom and gloom (they played Coachella in '05), L&R looked and sounded young and fit in their hourlong performance. Singers Daniel Ash and David J. could pass for 30 (at least far away) and the trio sounded like they were having a lot of nostalgic fun, playing late '80s and early '90s tracks like "Haunted When the Minutes Drag," "No New Tale to Tell" and "An American Dream."

I didn't hear them play their smash hit "So Alive," but I was in a hurry to check out Waters.

Love and Rockets dedicated "Holiday on the Moon" (with its lyric "I couldn't really say that I wish you were here") to Waters, who was setting up at the main stage across the field. In the interest of not playing favorites, the next tune, the Jesus and Mary Chain-soundalike "Kundalini Express," was dedicated to the another Pink Floyd alum -- the late, great Syd Barrett.

If you missed them at Coachella, you can catch them at Lollapalooza in Chicago in August.

Posted by David Lewis.

Click here for Variety's complete Coachella coverage, including photo galleries and more reviews.

The toughest part about covering a festival such as Coachella is separating the fan from the critic. The fan in mind can't get enough of Jens Lekman, Jack White or Mick Jones and perhaps that shows when one attempts to critically analyze two days of music and make some greater sense of what one observed.   
My key points:
The 1970s have become a central reference point across all genres;
The Raconteurs, Cafe Tacuba and Prince performed in superstar fashion;
The Swell Season, Minus the Bear, Rilo Kiley, Lekman and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings were impressive, too;
and Portishead is a question mark.
Here is my review for Variety.

From the acts seen on days one and two, here is who  played what:
Prince: The Beatles' "Come Together," Radiohead's "Creep," Santana's "Soul Sacrifice"
Carbon//Silicon: Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away"
The Bird and the Bee: Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love"
Dwight Yoakam: Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"
Swell Season: Pixies' "Cactus," Kraftwerk's "Model"
St. Vincent: The Beatles' "I Dig a Pony"
Raconteurs: Terry Reid's "Rich Kid Blues"
The Breeders: The Beatles' "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

Day Two at a Glance:

HOURS AT THE POLO FIELD: 12 hours (11:15 a.m.-11:45 p.m.)

TEMPERATURE: A high of 99 tempered by a frequent cool wind beginning around 3:30

ACTS SEEN: 14

THE BEST: Cafe Tacuba

RUNNER UP: Carbon Silicon

MOST INSPIRED: DeVotchKa

THE DISAPPOINTMENT: Portishead

BALL CAP ROUNDUP: Not sure if it's a sign of team spirit or regional representation, but Major League Baseball caps far outdistanced the number of NBA and NFL caps. Observed between the hours of 2 and 6 on Saturday were these: 10 Dodgers; eight Giants; five Angels; three each of Red Sox, A's, Blue Jays, A's and Padres; two each for Pirates, Cubs, Cards and Tigers; and one each f Yankees, Nationals, Orioles and Brewers (me).

RANDOM THOUGHT: The '70s are everywhere.  Most obvious are the bookings of Kraftwerk and Mick Jones' new band with Gen X's Tony James, Carbon/Silicon. But it's in the Pink Floyd-style relationship between soothing vocals and intricately weaved instrumentation of Minus the Bear; the Elvis show band  style of Dwight Yoakam, the  CTI Records meets Terry Collier soul-folk in Cinematic Orchestra; and the irony free cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" by the Bird and the Bee.

Posted by Phil Gallo

“Coachella! I am here!” So began the 2-hour closing set of the second day of Coachella. This speaker was, of course, Prince. The rock icon was a late addition to the lineup and many are crediting the addition with lifting a mediocre lineup to something more in-line with previous editions’ headliners. And rumor has it, the artist is taking home a paycheck well into the seven figures. Whatever the case, Prince came to party, and party he did. If Coachella had a roof, it would’ve been blown clean off.

It started out strangely, as Prince used his chance to headline a massive event by bringing out some old friends to perform. Morris Day (of the newly reunited The Time) and his sidekick Jerome played two Prince-penned ‘80s hits and offered some “Purple Rain” schtick while Prince playfully hid behind some amps. Former Prince protégé Sheila E. then took to the drums for her hit song “The Glamorous Life” (also a Prince composition) and a short solo. The band consisted of mostly new faces (some of whom played with him at his 2007 shows), including a five-piece horn section and three female backup singers. No Maceo Parker or Wendy and Lisa. Up to this point in the show, the crowd seemed confused, even a little agitated with the supporting role that Prince was playing.

Any fears of a phoned-in performance were allayed as soon as the opening bars to “1999” were heard. Starting with that classic tune, the diminutive pop star burned through a dozen songs, mostly sticking to the hits and all but ignoring his post-millennial work. There were some surprises too, including two leftfield cover choices. For months before the Coachella lineup was solidified, rumors were rampant that Radiohead would play. They aren’t, of course, but in a nod to Tom Yorke and co., Prince did a faithful rendition of the U.K. band’s first hit, “Creep.” Covers of pop songs have never been Prince’s strong suit (he’s covered, among others, Sheryl Crow, Joan Osborne and Led Zeppelin), but “Creep” was suitably royal in this version. Later, worked as a medley with “7,” Prince tackled another sacred rock text -- the Beatles’ “Come Together” (there were many a Beatles cover this weekend).

Never completely comfortable with hip-hop (remember Tony M.?), Prince performed an awkward rap about the evils of corporate record companies during an extended take on “Musicology.” He didn't play any of his custom made guitars, opting instead for a pair of worn Telecasters and two slightly newer-looking Strats.

The 1 a.m. encore included two familiar standbys: "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy." He left the starstruck crowd with this: "From now on, this is PRINCE'S HOUSE!" No arguments there. Coachella may never be the same.

Prince's complete Coachella Set List:

The Bird (performed by Morris Day) / Jungle Love (performed by Morris Day) /  Glamorous Life (performed by Sheila E.) / Instrumental Jam / 1999 / I Feel For U / Controversy (with snippet of “Housequake”) / Little Red Corvette / Musicology / Cream / U Got the Look / Shh / Anotherloverholeinyourhead / Creep (Radiohead cover) / The Arms of an Angel (Sarah McLachlan cover performed by backup singers) / 7 --> Come Together (Beatles Cover) / Purple Rain / Let's Go Crazy

Check out all of Variety's coverage at www.variety.com/coachella

Posted by David Lewis

Texas' St. Vincent, fronted by wide-eyed waif Annie Clark, today turned in one of of the very best sets of the fest so far.

An associate of both the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens (equal to a having PhD in indie rock), Clark took the stage in a babydoll dress and adorable sunglasses, but don't let her good looks and theatrical stage presence fool you -- she's got a sly sense of humor and is quite the fearsome guitar shredder.

St. Vincent's songs are quirky and complex while remaining generally poppy. At times, the band sounds like a noisier Andrew Bird (they even have a whistling violin player). "Now Now" was made overly complex on Saturday and suffered a bit for it. The rest of the tunes fared better, including the amusing "Jesus Saves, I Spend" and an absolutely killer cover of the Beatles' "Dig a Pony." The song was played with just her and a distorted guitar (one burst of feedback surprised even her).

Check out Variety's complete Coachella coverage here.

Posted by David Lewis

The worst time slot? 4 o'clock outside. Today, DeVotchKa got it - 3:35-4:25 - and fought their way through a potential wilting. They showed up in full regalia - heavy black outfits - and the earlygoing was  a bit sluggish. But singer-guitarist Nick Urata sparked the Denver gypsy-punk outfit with a gorgeous croon on the swelling, romantic ditty "I Cried Myself Silly." "Transliterator," with its spinning chorus of "say what you mean/mean what you say,"  elevated the power level another step. And a pair of aerialists climbing and spinning on hanging sheets of fabric, one red and the other black, brought rare visual excitement to a daytime festival set.
They get bonus credit for having the most eclectic instrumentation on a tune: violin, sousaphone, electric guitar, Theremin and drums.   

• Coachella photos

Mick Jones was in a talkative mood during his early afternoon set with Carbon/Silicon, the band the former Clash guitarist-singer-songwriter formed with Gen X guitarist Tony James. This was the last date on their eight-week U.S. tour and Jones, wearing a suit and hat, said he was not at all prepared for the heat.
Their approach could well teach the youngsters a thing or two about performance. Jones and James,fun-loving guys that they are, concentrate on the performance at hand, not replicating the sound of their album "The Last Post." They come off as  British edition of Crazy Horse and veer very close to "Clash City Rockers"; while Jones may say he has no business playing the blues, he does a pretty mean imitation of Buddy Guy.
Jones and James have concentrated on making the new effort not about their previous bands, though Jones slid in one reference in their set. The set list:
Magic Suitcase / Not Fade Away / The War on Culture / Soylent Green / What the Fuck / The Good News / Really the Blues / Why Do Men Fight > Police on My Back > Why Do Men Fight

(Posted by Phil Gallo)

Every record executive in the world should want an artist like Jack White on their label. Whether with the White Stripes or the Raconteurs, White is a fiery, passionate and inventive performer, approaching a show with a life or death commitment. He's the type who makes audiences believe in rock 'n' roll and there just are not enough of his type around anymore.
The Raconteurs demonstrated how to command a large stage with nothing more than performance and material; its was gritty and intense, paced impeccably and balanced between nuanced hard rock and modern extensions of the blues. It was a set that should be remembered for years.

The Raconteurs' set list (or so my notes say):
Consoler of the Lonely / You Don't Understand me / Top Yourself / Old Enough / Yellow Sun / Blue Veins / Level / Attention / Hands / Many Shades of Black / Salute Your Solution / Steady as She Goes / Rich Kid Blues / Carolina Drama

• Coachella photos

Sound seepage is a common problem at Coachella and Glen Hansard found himself in the thick of it when he started the Swell Season's outdoor stage set solo with just an acoustic guitar. Rock from the mainstage and beats from the tents gave him pause.
"How to be louder than the Raconteurs? You turn it up," he said midsong, and indeed the PA was boosted a good 20-30% louder. Thrilled when Jack White and company finished, he half joked " now all we've got to worry about is Aphex Twin."
Not only did Hansard, who won the best song Oscar this year with his partner Marketa Irglova, handle it all in stride, he turned the Swell Season set into a Coachella celebration. He recruited the National's drummer Bryan Devendorf and played covers of other acts' songs: in honor of meeting Kim Deal, she was here with the Breeders, Hansard and Irglova dueted on the Pixies "Cactus," and with the full band did an impressive version of Kraftwerk's "Model."   
Posted by Phil Gallo

New York’s instrumental titans Battles sounded as if their set was mixed by the guys at THX, as they played to an overflowing afternoon crowd in the Gobi tent. The quartet’s musical skills were sharp enough to slice through anything. Playing tunes from their debut full-length “Mirrored,” Battles perfromed a precise time piece, playing through difficult time signatures and stop-on-a-dime experiments. They may have been a bit too precise – robbing some of the spontaneity and fun from the live event.

Check out all the coverage at www.variety.com/coachella.

Posted by David Lewis.

Day One at a Glance:

HOURS AT THE POLO FIELD: Nine (2-11 p.m.)

TEMPERATURE: A very tolerable 95 or so

DRIVING & PARKING:Two hours and 10 minutes for the first 132 miles; one hour and 10 minutes for the final 2 miles

ACTS SEEN: 11

THE BEST: The Raconteurs

RUNNER UP: Jens Lekman

MOST INSPIRED: Swell Season

THE DISAPPOINTMENT: Battles

RANDOM THOUGHTS: A truth about rock 'n' roll since the early days remains true today: You have to have a good, steady drummer to be a great band. ... The difference between drawing on influences and being dragged down by the music that inspired you: the Raconteurs and Slightly Stoopid. ... Like the old TV ad strategy to get people to watch reruns, plenty of acts on Friday's bill are living off the premise of "it's new to you." Echoes of the Smiths (specifically Morissey's detached vocal style) and the Cure dominate, but early disco, Led Zeppelin and Robert Fripp held sway over a fair amount of the music.

Posted by Phil Gallo

HOURS AT THE POLO FIELD: 9

TEMPERATURE: Around 90, but hotter in the tents.

DRIVING & PARKING: Arriving there was no problem, leaving at midnight was a nightmare -- it tooks two hours to get out of the parking lot. This is the worst I've seen it since 2001.

ACTS SEEN: 12, plus snippets of others.

THE BEST: The Breeders, Aphex Twin.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT: Spank Rock.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: It was nice to see Coachella offer (limited) free water; they also continued last year's successful 10-for-1 deal (trade in 10 empty water bottles, get one new one for free. The video coverage of the mainstage acts got better as the day went on -- Jack Johnson's coverage was positively cinematic. Prior to Aesop Rock's set in the Mojave tent, the DJ played a Raconteurs song -- meanwhile, Jack White and the boys were performing on the mainstage.

Posted by David Lewis

Friday closed on a very mellow note, as Hawaii’s singer-songwriter Jack Johnson played his patently chillaxed tunes, many from his recent No. 1 album “Sleep Through the Static.” Playing acoustic guitar, and a bit of ukulele, Johnson’s mellow music wasn’t suited for all tastes (many audience members chose to check out Fatboy Slim and/or Black Lips at other venues), but his likable demeanor and unobjectionable (mostly bland) music was a good way to bring down the crowd. Johnson brought similarly-minded guests Matt Costa and Mason Jennings to the stage, each for a song. Johnson’s doing the festival marathon this summer, playing Bonnaroo (in Tennessee), All Points West (N.J.) and Outside Lands Fest in S.F.

Check out all of Variety's coverage at www.variety.com/coachella.

Posted by David Lewis.

One of Friday’s most anticipated performances came from the Breeders, who haven’t toured since 2002. Front woman Kim Deal is considered rock royalty for her time with the Pixies, and the crowd fawned over her – and her twin sis Kelley, whose guitar skills have increased exponentially since she first joined the band in the early ‘90s – and her songs. Even the false start that kicked off the gig was met with rapturous applause.

The quartet – with an added guitar player ("Cheryl from Florida" was how she was introduced) started out on the rough side, with some technical glitches, but they rebounded nicely and hit their stride with a particularly driving take on "No Aloha," followed by the winning "Pacer" (from Kim Deal’s side project, the Amps). The dated "Iris," however, nearly brought things to a halt, with Kim even noting that the tune may be "too heavy for a festival." They bounced back with the closing number, the ode-to-summer "Saints" from "Last Splash." Funny side note: Bassist Mando Lopez translated some of the Deal sisters’ banter into Spanish.

Check out all of Variety's coverage at www.variety.com/coachella.

Posted by David Lewis.

The day’s biggest disappointment came with the news that Spank Rock frontman/MC – also, somewhat confusingly, called Spank Rock – called in sick. In place of their usual dirty club rap extravaganza, the remaining group members (including DJ Exxxchange and singer/rapper Amanda Blank, pictured) soldiered on and gave a spirited, if disappointing performance, starting with a mini-DJ set and evolving into a performance by Blank. This is the equivalent of Cat Power performing without Chan Marshall. There was a mass exodus following the announcement, which is a shame, because this year Spank Rock attracted a lot more folks than last year (when they played at the same time as Rage Against the Machine). Not to mention the fact that, under ideal settings, Spank Rock is a fantastic live act. There’s always next year…

Check out all of Variety's coverage at www.variety.com/coachella.

Posted by David Lewis.

As has become customary at Coachella, this year’s fest offered a reunion of a beloved band from the not-too-distant past. On Friday, it was The Verve (from Wigan, U.K.), who broke up in 1999, after scoring a hit with “Bittersweet Symphony.” While they mostly stuck to old, familiar tunes (“Sonnet, ”Space and Time”), the quartet’s front man Richard Ashcroft (who doesn’t appear to have aged a day in their time away from the limelight), made sure the audience knew that they weren’t only in it for the money. “Most bands, when they reform, don’t make new music,” he said, “but that’s what this band is about.” They then played the brand new cut “Sit and Wonder,” a solid song that nonethelesss wouldn’t have sounded out of place on any of their ‘90s albums. Despite their well-oiled condition, too many of the songs in the set were mid-tempo ballads that killed the pace. Things were redeemed by a smoking take on the crowd-pleasing “Bittersweet.” The song’s infectious violin part was a sample. It might not be worth bringing an entire string section over for one song, but it would’ve been pretty cool.

Coachella photo gallery

Check out all of Variety's coverage at www.variety.com/coachella.

Posted by David Lewis.

APHEX TWIN
The great thing about Coachella (and other like-minded fests) is that it offers the chance for casual fans to explore genres they otherwise may not experience live. Among this year’s electronic acts were such heavyweights as Fatboy Slim and Aphex Twin. The latter, in an increasingly rare live appearance, wowed the Sahara tent in an early, one-hour set. Aphex Twin (nee Richard James) had a simple setup, with James pushing buttons and using a laptop, flanked by stacks of amps and two video screens and a monster sound system. Known for exploring all the corners (even the darkest of them) of electronic music, James alternated between house cuts, drum and bass and some pure noise, all to a mostly thrilling effect that got the packed tent moving.

BLACK KIDS
Florida’s buzzy Black Kids brought youthful exuberance to their suitable sloppy new wave throwbacks . With two synths and a singer that sounds unmistakably like The Cure’s Robert Smith, the interracial, unisex quintet played through a somewhat shoddy sound mix and some off-key backing vocals. The Cure’s influence is immediate, but they also take cues from disco and Prince (sample lyric: “Listen to your body tonight, it’s gonna treat you right.”)

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI
The Australian collective aren’t just globally minded when it comes to their name, the septet bring a hippie vibe to predominantly electronic pop, and they add everything else as well – Caribbean sounds, congas, a horn section, etc. Ultimately, it’s all too much – a cutesy cacophony that just doesn’t add up to much. Humorously, the lead singer revealed that he went to Coachella 2004, noting “It’s weird to be here (pointing onstage), when last time I was there (pointing to the crowd)”.

Posted by David Lewis

Coachella has about 90 acts that a reviewer might see, which sends publicists to craft emails that just might make the difference in getting a reviewer to show up for an act's set. Many of these freshly touted acts are flying way under the radar or have not developed an audience beyond their chosen genre or home country. Other pitches are reminders that you have the opportunity to see the single greatest band in the world. Ahem.
Having already had a chance to give my take on the festival lineup, as a public service, I am passing along tips from the people hired to tip the press about their acts – in their own words. Direct from the publicists to you, here are 11 randomly chosen Coachella performers:

ACT: John Butler Trio
TIME/PLACE: 2:30 Friday, Mainstage
WHAT THEY DO: He started a fund called JB Seed that assists up and coming indie musicians; is environmentally conscious; and last year won an Aria (the Oz equivalent of a Grammy) last year for Best Independent Artist.
THE PRAISE: “A string wizard, moving from 11-string guitar and Weissenborn lap steel, to nylon-string acoustic guitar, ukulele, and banjo” - Boston Globe

ACT: Black Kids
TIME/PLACE: 3:25 Friday, Mojave
WHAT THEY DO: Since forming in 2006, Black Kids have been creating driving, dance-inducing music that’s been winning over music fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
THE PRAISE: Named one of ’10 Bands to Watch in 2008’ by Rolling Stone

ACT: Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
TIME/PLACE: 6:30 Friday, Gobi
WHAT THEY DO: One of the U.K.’s hottest hip-hop acts
THE PRAISE: None. They’re working on their debut full-length, due out later this year.

Saturday and Sunday are after the jump.

The seemingly endless wait for set times for this weekend's Coachella Festival is finally over.
The two and a half hours allotted to Roger Waters to perform an album that clocks in around 45 minute seems a bit excessive, but fortunately there are only a few funky overlaps. The most curious one might be M.I.A. and Mark Ronson performing at the same time  on Saturday. I would think they would attract much of the same audience.
On Friday, the Sophie's choice is Raconteurs, the National and Goldfrapp; to a lesser extent, Sharon Jones and Spank Rock.
Saturday has a tough one: One of my favorite bands, DeVotchKa, playing at the same time as an act I have increasingly become fond of, MGMT. There are times at festival when you just want to remove the critic's hat and just be a fan.
Other toughies on day two: St. Vincent and Cafe Tacuba, and as if M.I.A./Ronson was not tough enough, Akron Family is playing then, too.
Sunday, one wonders how much of an audience will be tuning in for Sia and Love & Rockets. They're up against My Morning Jacket.
Bizarrely, as I assembled a plan for the weekend, I wind up with no headliners on my lists of acts to catch.
FRIDAY: Rogue Wave (1:30, Mainstage); Redd Kross (2:15, Mojave); Battles (3, Gobi); Black Kids (3:30, Mojave); Jens Lekman (4:35, Mojave); Vampire Weekend (5:40, Outdoor); Tegan & Sara (6:20, Mainstage); the National (6:55, Outdoor); Raconteurs (7:30, Mainstage); Swell Season (Outdoor, 8:25); Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (9:35, Mojave)
SATURDAY: The Bird & the Bee (12:30, Mojave); Little Brother (Outdoor, 1:15); Carbon/Silicon (1:45, Gobi); Minus the Bear (2:45, Mainstage); DeVotchKa (3:35, Outdoor); Cold War Kids (4:25, Mainstage); Cafe Tacuba (5:15, Mainstage); Hot Chip (6:10, Sahara) alternating with Scars on Broadway (6:10, Mojave);   Rilo Kiley (7:10, Outdoor); Kraftwerk (7:50, Mainstage); Akron Family (8:40, Gobi); Portishead (9:15, Mainstage)
SUNDAY: Linton Kwesi Johnson (1:25, Gobi); Cool Kids (2, Mainstage); I'm From Barcelona (2:45 Mojave) alternating with Holy F*ck (2:45, Gobi); Duffy  (3:55, Mojave); Stars (4:35, Mainstage); Gogol Bordello (5:30, Mainstage); Spiritualized (6:20, Mojave); My Morning Jacket (7, Mainstage); Sia (8, Mojave); Simian Mobile Disco (9, Shara); Black Mountain (10:15, Mojave)

California's upcoming Coachella festival just got a little bit more festive. The already-set-to-burst lineup has been expanded to include two major British electronic acts -- Aphex Twin (first U.S. show since 2002) and Goldfrapp (just released a new album). System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, L.A. power-poppers Redd Kross, and buzzy U.K. singer Adele have also been added to the three-day event.

Rather than wait until Tuesday and compete with the Oscars, the Coachella fest organizers have made it official: Jack Johnson headlines Friday; Portishead is Saturday; and Waters performing "Dark Side of the Moon" is Sunday's closer. The poster is on the fest website. While it does point out that Waters is performing "Dark Side," it does not note if the great reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson will be reading or singing his politically charged works. 
If heat, exhaustion and sobriety are not an issue, here's my must-see list, provided I don't catch any of these acts before then:
FRIDAY
Rogue Wave, the Bees, Black Lips, Vampire Weekend, Jens Lekman, Minus the bear, Stars, Sharon Jones & the DapKings, the National, Raconteurs.
SATURDAY
New Young Pony Club, Bird & the Bee, MGMT, St,. Vincent, VHS or Beta, Mark Ronson, DeVotchKa, Hot Chip, Rilo Kiley, Cafe Tacuba, Portishead.
SUNDAY
Shout Out Louds, Manchester Orchestra, I'm From Barcelona, Black Mountain, Black Kids, Sia, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Gogol Bordello, My Morning Jacket

Roger Waters, late of Pink Floyd, may well be the most surprising name on this year's Coachella fest lineup.
The talk from Mexico City, where the Coachella promoters are gathered to make the first announcement, has the former Floyd bassist doing his concert version of "Dark Side of the Moon" as one of the headliners. It's also looking like Jack Johnson will be headlining one of the three nights at the Indio, Calif., polo field April 25-27. Full lineups and days of performances are expected to be announced Tuesday.
From the land of the reunited are Portishead, which has eight Europe date sbefore the festival, Love and Rockets, Kraftwerk, Madness, Sasha and Digweed and the Breeders. On the other end of the spectrum, the bill's heavily hyped rookie acts include the Black Kids, Datarock, Vampire Weekend and VHS or Beta.
Acts whose albums were among the best of 2007's releases: Sharon Jones, Battles, Rogue Wave, Jens Lekman, Justice and M.I.A.
Among the other confirmed performers: The Verve, Raconteurs, Animal Collective, Tegan and Sara, Mum, Fatboy Slim, Stars, Sia, Black Mountain, I'm From Barcelona, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Stephen Malkmus, Metric, the Streets, Spiritualized and Cafe Tacuba. There will be 125 bands in all including a few from Mexico.
Rumored performers Prince, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine and Muse are not part of this year's festival.
This summer will be the festival's ninth edition and one can already hear the twentysomethings griping that it's not like it used to be.