COACHELLA 2011: A Playlist

April 11. 2011 | By Trina Starke

As the days countdown to Coachella inevitably I am asked, almost every single day, “Who are you most excited to see?” And every time I’m stoopified by the question because my answer isn’t as simple as “oh you know, The Strokes.” There are artists I’m excited to see that I’ve never seen before (Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Phantogram), artists I’m excited to see again (The National, Ellie Goulding, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), and artists I’m excited to explore (MEN, Daedelus, New Pants).

So how do I decide which artists to see at Coachella (or any big-ass festie for that matter)? With over 150 artists there are a crap-load of bands that are under the radar that I’ve not yet discovered. Enter: My Coachella Science. This is very serious business as my friends that know my OCD tendencies will attest to. First, I start by creating a spreadsheet with rows of artists and columns separated by genre, similar artist, and finally ranking. Second, I listen to a playlist over and over such as: The Owl Mag Rdio Coachella playlist (in this case day 1 or Friday). Third, I rank artists using the following guidelines: 5 = fo sho, 4 = prolly, 3 = mayyybe, 2 = meh, 1 = hell no. Then finally, when on that beautiful grassy polo field in the middle of the desert, I toss back a couple+ cold ones and bounce from tent to tent on my happy-music high throwing caution to the wind because it’s all music and I’m just effing happy to be celebrating the holiday! Oh yes… it is a holiday!

Happy Coachella!

CULTS – You Know What I Mean
MARINA & THE DIAMONDS – I Am Not A Robot
DAEDELUS –
COLD CAVE – The Great Pan is Dead
FRANCIS AND THE LIGHTS – For Days
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART – Belong
HERE WE GO MAGIC – Hands In The Sky
GAYNGS – Faded High
THE DRUMS – Me and the Moon
JENNY & JOHNNY – Big Wave
PHANTOGRAM – When I’m Small
CSS – Rat is Dead
PJ HARVEY – The Colour of the Earth
THE MORNING BENDERS –
FUN. – All the Pretty Girls
PAUL VAN DYK – Revolver
GLASSER – Home
JACK BEATS – Up All Night
GOOD OLD WAR – That’s What’s Wrong
SCISSOR SISTERS – Kiss You Off
KELE – On the Lam
JACK’S MANNEQUIN – The Mixed Tape
DELOREAN – Stay Close
THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN – Bag of Hammers
ELIZA DOOLITTLE – Pack it Up
THE FELICE BROTHERS – Frankies Gun
TWIN SHADOW – Love Sick Teenagers (Bear in Heaven remix)
MOVING UNITS – Paris, New Mexico
CITY & COLOUR – The Girl
THE JOY FORMIDABLE – Whirring
ANGUS & JULIA STONE – You’re The One That I Want
DUCK SAUCE – I Like It
THE LOVE LANGUAGE – Heart to Tell
ROBYN – Call your Girlfriend (Kaskade remix)
AXWELL – Heart is King
MEN – Simultaneously
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – Moves
SCALA & KOLACNY BROTHERS – Our Last Fight
THE RADIO DEPT. – Ewan
THE PRESETS – This Boy’s in Love
WARPAINT – Undertow
TITUS ANDRICONICUS – No Future Part 3: Escape from No Future
YACHT – Dystopia
YELLE – Que Veux Tu (Maedon Remix)

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