Among the many artists making their Coachella debuts this year, Mavis Staples undoubtedly has the most storied résumé. As a solo artist and former member of The Staples Singers, the 76-year-old’s powerful voice has graced over five decades of soul classics, including “I’ll Take You There,” “Let’s Do It Again” and…
Of all the iconic artists to leave us so far this year, the loss of Prince was perhaps the most shocking, and certainly the more honored at this year’s second round of Coachella. For as little time as people had to process the news of his passing — Prince died the…
Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are making the trip from Germany to the stateside this year, and they will be making a stop in Phoenix. Kraftwerk is scheduled to play Orpheum Theatre on September 15. The tour is part of a nine-city run in the U.S. that will feature the band’s…
The sight of bacon-wrapped hot dogs sizzling atop metal trays, their fatty aroma intermingling with desert dust and the odor of dead grass, has been a familiar part of the Coachella Valley Music Festival for many years. But not this year. Where they once could be found along any entry…
Allah-Las – Monday, April 25 – Valley Bar If one had to guess the birthplace of the Allah-Las simply based on a few musical interludes, somewhere on the sunshine-y California coast makes for an easy choice. It’s accurate too, as this Los Angeles band co-mingles all the salty goodness of a…
Every year, we travel out to the desert to capture the stories that make the Coachella experience so unique and infamous. Sometimes these tales are touching; other times, frustrating; but without a doubt, the crowd at Coachella is always hilarious. Here are 25 of the strangest, funniest, most memorable things…
Like many of you, we’re still very much in shock over the untimely passing of Prince – and probably will be for some time. And we’re probably not the only ones who have been blasting “His Royal Badness” nonstop while dealing with the unfathomable sorrow over the silencing of one…
Hyper Vessels, the fourth full-length by Fullterton, California, rockers Audacity, is the kind fizzy, ebullient album that can only be crafted by 20-something weirdos fueled by youthful, crazed energy. But a deeper listen reveals a melodic sensibility that — while not “refined,” per se — sounds mature and developed. The…
Calling Holy Holy merely a David Bowie cover band would be an insult. The project had Bowie’s seal of approval. The group — dare we call it a supergroup, as it includes bassist longtime Bowie producer Tony Visconti and and Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey — sold out venues…
Dale Watson is about as country music as it gets. Dapper in classic western attire, complete with Stetson, big belt buckle, and boots, his shock-white pompadour and rich, deep tenor lend an air of authenticity. Watson is the archetypical country-music artist. There’s a reason he’s often referred to as the “real…
Thao Nguyen, the singer-songwriter behind the group Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, tells me that I need to give the hit Comedy Central show Broad City another chance. I admit to her I haven’t picked up on the vibe of the show yet. “You got to dig in…
Armed with an accordion and a double platinum record, Phoenix band KONGOS re-entered the music world Friday with their recent single, “Take It From Me.” KONGOS, a band of four brothers and Arizona natives, are tying up their sequel to their widely successful 2012 album “Lunatics.” But the new album,…
Coachella, man. Wow. Like a fine wine, you just keep getting better with age. After gorging ourselves on Sumo Dogs and indie-pop, dancing ourselves dusty, head-banging to Death Grips and “Welcome to the Jungle,” and maybe drinking a beer or seven, we sifted through the rubble and our reporter’s notebooks…
Even the most casual radio listener could sing along with a chorus or two during an Ellie Goulding show. The hit-filled set switched gears faster than you could say “Goodness Gracious” to show off Goulding’s skill in carrying out completely different genres and to remind everyone exactly how she has…
“Internal fixation.” That’s how Axl Rose’s good-looking foot specialist Dr. Rachel Triche described the lead-singer’s broken foot on April 8. Her ESPN-esque medical update, in which she sat in front of all her various credentials, was both great reality TV and evidence of Team GNR’s belief that rock & roll…
Only elderly shamans and energy healers can remember the dark ages before the Coachella Music Festival first bloomed out of the polo field–riddled deserts east of Los Angeles. Popular lore holds it was founded in 1999, when Beck, Rage Against the Machine and Morrissey united for worshippers fearing imminent global…
Escape the Fate – Monday, April 18 – Joe’s Grotto The funny thing about the music of Escape the Fate is that it’s basically pure pop that’s been gussied up with hard rock and emo trappings. Songs like “Issues” and “Gorgeous Nightmare” could easily be hits for Lady Gaga —…
Not lucky (or well moneyed) enough to get to Coachella this year? You’re not alone. Granted, thousands of Valley residents will be making the five-hour trek to Indio to attend this year’s version of the high-profile music festival, which kicks off today. Melanie Martinez – Friday, April 15 – Marquee Theatre …
In the classic Japanese film Rashomon, four characters tell the same story from four completely different perspectives, giving accounts so conflicting that it’s impossible to know what really happened. Coachella is kind of the same way, times about 20,000 perspectives. When we asked L.A. Weekly writers to name their all-time…
Guns N’ Roses is playing Coachella this weekend. Had the Rolling Stones played Coachella in 2013, which would have been their first U.S. festival since Altamont in 1969, there would have been similar buzz. But nothing like this. For many — and I mean the vast majority of the 100,000…
Okay, so you blew your tax refund on a ticket to Coachella. How do you make these the best three days of your life while on a budget? It’s not easy. Last year, writer Marc Ballon asked a bunch of people how the hell they afforded Coachella. Most estimated they…
Most bands would take not developing much of a fan base over their early years, let alone eight early years, as a sign to throw in the towel. This is certainly not the case for NOFX. What started off as a hardcore punk band in the early ’80s slowly developed…
