A version of my story originally appeared in Foothills Magazine.
Each April, the crème of the alternative rock, electronic, hip-hop
crops and more head to Indio for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Both weekends are sold out, but a dozen acts will do their own headlining gigs in
our area between appearances at the world-renowned event.
Below are some highlights:
The Postal Service
A decade ago, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Jenny Lewis
of Rilo Kiley and Jimmy Tamborello put out the indie pop/electronica-tinged CD “Give
Up.” The platinum seller (second only to Nirvana in Sub Pop Records’ sales history)
spawned three hits, including “Such Great Heights.” A deluxe reissue just
arrived in stores.
How to Destroy Angels
The industrial music project from Nine Inch Nails’ Trent
Reznor, his wife/former West Indian Girl singer Mariqueen Maandig, Reznor’s longtime
collaborator Atticus Ross (the pair won an Oscar and Golden Globe for “The
Social Network” score) and Rob Sheridan finally released full-length effort “Welcome
Oblivion” this year.
The xx
This acclaimed London rock trio won the UK’s Mercury Music
Prize for their brooding 2009 self-titled bow; latest effort “Co-exist” continued
a minimalist approach.
Modest Mouse
Emerging in 1993, the quirky Washington State band led by
Isaac Brock found major success in the 2000s via the top 10 modern rock radio hits
“Float On” and “Dashboard.” The latter, from chart topping CD “We Were Dead
Before the Ship Even Sank,” featured ex-Smiths guitarist/short term member
Johnny Marr.
Vampire Weekend
A mainstay on college and modern rock radio, the scholarly
indie rock quartet from New York City updated Paul Simon’s Eighties Afro-pop
sound on its eponymous 2008 debut and a follow up two years later. Highly
anticipated album “Modern Vampires of the City” is due in May.
Dinosaur Jr.
Formed nearly 30 years ago in Massachusetts, this noise rock
trio was an early influence on Nirvana and The Pixies. It lured a broader audience on the heels of
the mid-‘90s Seattle grunge explosion with the CDs “Where You Been” and “Without
a Sound” before fizzling at decade’s end. Returning to active duty in the late
2000s, the band unveiled “I Bet on Sky” in 2012.
The Selecter
Pauline Black fronts the seminal 2Tone ska band from
England, whose 1980 debut “Too Much Pressure” is considered a genre classic. Initially together for just three years, they later
inspired and toured with No Doubt in the ‘90s. The latest incarnation has
released albums on a more regular basis lately, including the newest digital
one, “String Theory.”
The Three O’Clock
Recently reunited, this L.A. group was a leading light of
the 1980s Paisley Underground scene with The Bangles and others. Fusing power
pop and garage rock, they were best known for the KROQ fave “Jet Fighter” and
put out a final album through Prince’s Paisley Park label.
301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona; www.foxpomona.com
April 10 – How to Destroy Angels
April 15 – The Postal Service
April 16 – Modest Mouse
April 17 – The xx
April 18 – Vampire Weekend
THE GLASS HOUSE
200 W. Second St., Pomona; www.theglasshouse.us
April 6 – The Three O’Clock
April 10 – Beach House
April 11 – Yeasayer
April 15 – The Selecter, Lee “Scratch” Perry
April 16 – The Makeup
April 17 – Dinosaur Jr., King Tuff
April 18 – Portugal The Man, Lord Huron
April 22 – Japandroids, Cloud Nothings
COACHELLA
Empire Polo Club, 81-800 Avenue 51, Indio
April 12 & 19 – The Stone Roses, Blur, Yeah Yeah Yeahs,
Modest Mouse, Jurassic 5, Passion Pit, How to Destroy Angels,
Grinderman
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April 13 & 20 – Phoenix, New Order, The xx, The Postal
Service, Sigur Ros, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, Franz Ferdinand
April 14 & 21 – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Cave and the
Bad Seeds, Vampire Weekend, Social Distortion, Wu-Tang Clan, the Lumineers,
Dead Can Dance, James Blake
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