Los Angeles – It’s time for Coachella. It seems that every year it gets harder and harder to figure out where you want to be and who you want to see.
We’ve come up with some recommendations to help you find some new bands to include in the mix. We’ve seen most of these bands already and we think you might like them.
Obviously, there are a lot of great new bands at the festival that deserve mention, more than we can accommodate here. So, in an effort to mention a few more, we’ll be doing a Part 2 of this list next week. If we missed someone you think absolutely must be mentioned, give us a shout.
A$AP Ferg
Photo By Erik Perkins
The excitable Harlem emcee rotates his lyrical content from ghetto prophet on “Hood Pope” to misogynistic terror on “Dump Dump.” Every step of the way though Ferg commands the crowd like a hip-hop veteran. Despite Trap Lord being Ferg’s only full-length release he looks poised to make the same jump Rocky made with 2011’s critically acclaimed Live. Love. ASAP. (Ian Joulain)
Capital Cities
Serious and quirky, the duo have taken electro-pop and made it smarter with their insightful lyrics and complicated, yet fun and danceable.
With catchy tunes and a lively stage show, it’s impossible to not like these guys, especially when there aren’t many bands doing what they are. With Modern Rock and AAA radio taking notice, don’t be surprised if Capital Cities conquer the traditional methods as well. Not bad for a two dudes who met on Craigslist. (Daniel Kohn)
Chvrches
Photo By Justin Yee
Glasgow, Scotland-based Chvrches only met in 2011. Their debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe, was released in September and their synth pop sounds have been generating plenty of buzz worldwide, including BestNewBands.com: we named the trio 2013’s Best New Band (amid some strong competition).
Chvrches began an international tour on January 25 is taking them to the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and of course Coachella. (Greg Brodsky)
Courtney Barnett
This indie-folk rocker hails from Melbourne, Australia, and has garnered a serious and devoted following in her yet brief career. Barnett’s participation in the 2013 CMJ Music Marathon won her stellar reviews from both Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and every show she delivers seemingly solidifies her rising stardom.
Performing live, her charm is more apparent than ever. This is a singer-songwriter with an impossible amount of magnetism, whose imperturbable demeanor and warm smile betrays a starry-eyed sense of wonderment at the “all eyes on her” scenario she has landed in. (Liz Rowley)
The 1975
For such a young band, it’s been a long journey for The 1975. Getting together in their early teens, the boys have been through more name changes than Prince, all the while working on a body of material for what became their self-titled debut album which topped the U.K. album chart when it was finally released in September 2013.
After a manic year of touring and promotion, you’d think that Matty, George, Adam and Ross deserved to enjoy the spoils of their hard work. However, not resting on their laurels for a second, the artists formally known as Drive Like I Do, BIG SLEEP, TALKHOUSE and THESLOWDOWN are back on tour and coming to Coachella. (James Somerside)
