Name: Hot Chip
Genre: Dance
Day: Saturday

Wikipedia sez: “Hot Chip are an English electro-pop band. Their debut album, Coming on Strong, was released in 2004. Band member Al Doyle comes from Leeds and the others are from London. The band have played many live shows, including appearances at Glastonbury, Sónar, Benicassim, Electric Picnic, Bestival, Lovebox, the Reading and Leeds Festivals, the Summer Sundae festival and the Big Day Out festival as well as playing several North American, European and UK tours over the last three years. They have had two UK top forty singles - “Over and Over” in March 2006 and “And I Was A Boy From School” in May 2006. They received plaudits for the music video for “Over and Over”, which was directed by Nima Nourizadeh.”

Hot Chip have been getting rave reviews in the local press for the last few months (I’m guessing due to their touring more then anything), but it’s not without merit. If songs like Over and Over don’t get your head nodding chances are you don’t have a pulse. Hot Chip successfully combine live instruments with samplers and keyboards to create a funky mis-mash of indie rock and dance-pop.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: It will depend on clashes more then anything, but they are in with a chance.

Read on to view Hot Chip live videos…

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Name: Happy Mondays
Genre: Alternative
Day: Sunday

Wikipedia sez: “Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1985, the band’s original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day (aka “Moose” or “Cowhead”), keyboardist Paul Davis (aka P.D), and drummer Gary Whelan. Bez would later join the band onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun Ryder (known to him as “X”) and served as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta Satchell joined the band to provide backing vocals in the early 90s. They have stated that the band name is a take on the title of New Order’s song Blue Monday.”

Maybe it’s due to all the dance stuff I’ve listened to, but I can’t imagine Happy Mondays being a group you heard when going to a rave. Yet, they were at the forefront of the Madchester movement, making friendly wishy-washy indie rock. I don’t mind the odd track from the eighties, but I can safely say that I can go without this group.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: I’ll pass.

Read on to view Happy Mondays live videos…

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Name: Grizzly Bear
Genre: Indie
Day: Sunday

Wikipedia sez: “Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band on Warp Records. Grizzly Bear consists of Daniel Rossen (songwriting/guitar) Ed Droste (songwriting/guitar), Chris Taylor (clarinet/production) and Christopher Bear (drums). The band employs traditional and electronic instruments, ranging from a recorder to a laptop, and all four members contribute vocals.”

Despite only releasing their first album in 2006, I get the idea that Grizzly Bear will be “that” band. The band that plays sometime in the late afternoon on Sunday, and I won’t be able to get away from them despite the fact that I feel like shit, am burnt, dehydrated and tired due to facing three days of live music in the desert. Like the White Stripes, Grizzly Bear keep their tunes simple allowing for harmonic rhythms to attack your eardrums while overlapping simultaneous vocals work perfectly for all four band members.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: Yes, yes!

Read on to view Grizzly Bear live videos…

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Name: Gotan Project
Genre: Electronic
Day: Saturday

Wikipedia sez: “Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Philippe Cohen Solal (French), Eduardo Makaroff (Argentine) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss, former member of Touch El Arab). They formed in 1999. Their first release was Vuelvo Al Sur/El Capitalismo Foraneo in 2000, followed by the album La Revancha del Tango in 2001. Their music is clearly tango, but also uses electronic elements such as samples, beats and breaks.”

It would be a great idea to make tango music based on samples and breaks, but Gotan Project don’t make this.? What you do get is a piano & string based tango tune with some lovely singing and the odd sample thrown in too. While I can see this being popular with some, I can’t say that it appeals to my ear much, mainly because the tango music doesn’t blend well with the various breaks and beats. Not for me.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: Afraid not.

Read on to view Gotan Project live videos…

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Name: Gogol Bordello
Genre: Rock
Day: Friday

Wikipedia sez: “Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of New York City that formed in 1999. They are renowned for their frenetic, theatrical stage shows. Much of their sound is inspired by Gypsy music, as most of their members are immigrants from Eastern Europe. The band incorporates minor-key accordion and fiddle (and on some of their albums, saxophone) mixed with cabaret, punk, and dub.”

Gogol Bordello, geez where to start. They look crazy and act even crazier. Their music ranges from something that sounds in place for a Greek wedding (Start Wearing Purple) to rockabilly with accordions (60 Revolutions) right down to a British punk stylings (Never Young). Frontman Eugene Hutz is Ukraine’s answer to Freddy Mercury, and does everything short of flying on stage. They have been playing the live festival circuit for the past few years and videos such as the few linked below show that all members have their craft down to a tee. Gogol Bordello are one band I’m happy that I stumbled onto.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: Sure am!

Read on to view Gogol Bordello live videos…

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Name: Girl Talk
Genre: Electronic
Day: Saturday

Wikipedia sez: “Girl Talk is the stage name of electronic music producer Gregg Gillis. He has released three CD albums on Illegal Art and vinyl releases on 333 and 12 Apostles. He specializes in sample-based remixes where he cuts up at least a dozen elements from different songs to create a new song. His live show is known for its antics, as he is often seen jumping up and down, half naked, gyrating around his laptop.”

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but I remember when I really was into mashups, checking GYBO every day to hear someone stick Missy Elliot’s Get Your Freak On with something else that didn’t really work well together. Eventually I listened to less and less until I stopped listening to them completely. Then while driving home one day, I heard a track from Night Ripper and was stunned. Song into song over song weaved with song featuring song. Girl Talk managed to put a mash-up album that had never been at such a level before (except for The Kleptones’ A Night at the Hip-Hopera which was nowhere near as good as Night Ripper). Girl Talk has copped a fair bit of flack on the Coachella boards over his talent, and I admit that if I had to choose between seeing Girl Talk live or DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist live I’d choose the latter every time, but if his past performances are anything to go on Girl Talk will put on a high-energy show pumped full of radio friendly hits.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: Yes

Read on to view Girl Talk live videos…

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Name: Gillian Welch
Genre: Country
Day: Friday

Wikipedia sez: “Gillian Welch (born October 2, 1967 in New York City) is a singer-songwriter whose musical style combines elements of bluegrass, neotraditional country, Americana, old time string band music and folk into a rustic style that she dubs “American Primitive”. All of her recordings feature the close-harmonies and unconventional guitar work of her musical partner, David Rawlings. Her music is often described as haunting or soothing.”

So I guess the obvious gag would be to point out that Gillian Wech is infact American, and not Welsh. Ugh. Back to the music - I guess you could call it soothing, although it sounds just like straight vanilla country music to me. Nothing wrong with that, but I find it really hard to listen to country and like it. Then again, who knows!? I may just be wandering past and suddenly get into it. Right now however, it’s a pass.

Likelyhood of Seeing at Coachella: Doubt it.

Read on to view Gillian Welch live videos…

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