Coachella 2012 Lineup Announced

I love Coachella.  Love, love, love it! It's my "adult spring break" and something that I definitely look forward to every year.  All of my friends and I make our annual pilgrimage to Palm Springs, rent a house, lay out in the sun, drinks lots, see great bands and have the BEST TIME EVER. Some of my favorite concert memories have been at Coachella.  My favorite year had to be when the Pixies reunited, which was also the same year that Radiohead and The Cure played.  I had a photo pass that year, so I got to be front and center for the first three songs of all of them.  I seriously almost cried like ten times. 

So, I'm really excited that after months of speculation the 2012 lineup has finally been announced.  When I looked at the line-up initially, it seemed pretty good.  But, then I looked again....meh?  Where's the big "get" for the reunited band this year?  At the Drive-In is awesome, but they're no My Bloody Valentine.  No Pixies.  And, certainly no Smiths (which I have been praying for forever).  And, I'm a little annoyed by this "two weeks" bullshit.  Is everyone I know planning on going the same weekend?  Which weekend will be the best?  At the end of the day, I do want to go and will definitely do what I can to try to go.  But, with my recent "employment financial freedom," I have more to consider.  I've already seen most of the bands that I want to see.  And, I am willing to say that the ones that I haven't seen will be back and at a smaller venue.  Is that worth $1,000 to go out to Palm Springs for the weekend?  Does my hesitation mean I'm getting old?  (DON'T ANSWER THAT!!!) 

After I host a car wash to raise money to go, these are the bands I definitely want to see:

Friday, April 13 & 20

The Black Keys
Pulp
Refused
Mazzy Star
M83
Girls
The Rapture
The Horrors
Frank Ocean
James
Dawes
WU LYF
Other Lives

Saturday, April 14 & 21
Radiohead
Bon Iver
The Head and the Heart
The Big Pink
The Vaccines
Grouplove

Sunday, April 15 & 22
Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (DUH)
At the Drive-In
Weeknd
Girl Talk
Gotye?

COACHELLA OR BUST?!

New Music: The Horrors

When I first heard The Horrors, it was because I fell in love with their gothy dark antics on their 2009 album Primary Colors.  It was in the tradition of those Joy Division influenced bands that I can't seem to get enough of and I was into it.  Critics loved it too and it was even nominated for a Mercury Prize in the UK.  Many times, this kind of pressure fucks with bands' heads and they try to recreate the same thing for their follow-up.  Not with The Horrors.  Instead, they took what was good and made it better, creating one of my favorite records this year, Skying. 

I literally cannot get enough of this record.  It makes my big black soul smile and brings a sort of moodiness to the summer days that makes me feel like I'm in Northern England on a winter day.  The evolution of their sound, while still dark and moody, almost makes Primary Colors seem boilerplate.  There's balance between the shoegazy crushing guitars and the rich psychedelic landscape of melody and romance, resulting in a sort of brit-poppiness and hooks that are catchy as hell.  I can't help but hear an homage to Psychedelic Furs and Echo & the Bunnymen alongside bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Sonic Youth. 

Skying is like a sonic roller coaster; it takes you really high, really low and surprises you along the way.  Opener "Changing the Rain" is slow and steady with luscious serenading keyboards that suck you in, creating a sense of calm and peacefulness. This peacefulness continues until "I Can See Through You," which is like a giant wave of synth, bowling you over. God, I love that song!  Then there's "Endless Blue" which tricks you with a soft melody and suddenly rips into banging, crushing guitars.**

**Note from Jeannie:  I'm not sure if The Horrors know of The Wedding Present, but this song is so reminiscent of David Gedge's patented crushing guitars, that they might owe him a big giant "Thank You."  Just sayin.

That said, it's probably my favorite song on the record.  A close second, tied with "I Can See Through You," is the first single "Still Life."  It's one of those songs that you can listen to over and over and not get sick of. And, it's what I like to call Jeannie-Emo or "Jemo."

"Under a sky, no one sees
Waiting, watching it happening
Don’t hurry give it time
Things are the way they have to be
Slow down, give it time
Still life, you know I’m listening
The moment that you want is coming if you give it time

When you wake up
When you wake up
You will find me

When you wake up
When you wake up
You will find me"

Seriously?  Love it.  Other favorites are "Wild Eyed" and "Moving Further Away."   But, I have to say that the record as a whole is pretty freaking fantastic and I've been listening to it NON-STOP since they started streaming it pre-release.  Now I am just looking forward to September when they are hitting the US to tour.  Gloomy FTW!