What's so good?
By bryantpham | April 19th, 2011
I’ve been told that 2011 is the year of dubstep. Unfortunately, this year I was only able to catch one dubstep act at Coachella, and it was a severe letdown. Don’t get me wrong — I agreed with Skrillex being on the list of Top 5 Electronic acts to catch at Coachella 2011 — but after watching his set I couldn’t help but lament about how poorly it was put together and how sloppily it was executed.
Fortunately, the rest of the weekend was filled with amazing artists and amazing live shows. This list contains *my* top 5 performances. Note that due to overlapping schedules, naps, water breaks and general idiocy, I was unable to see all the groups that I wish I could have. Of those I did see, these 5 really blew my mind:
"The Twelves - Two Door Cinima Club - Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix)"
This Brazilian DJ/Producer duo was what I was most excited to see at Coachella and they did not disappoint. Their set was wonderfully constructed of feel good indie dance songs and remixes that made me and the rest of the crowd smile and dance. Their closing song, Daft Punk's Aerodynamic gave the entire Sahara tent their Daft fix that they were craving the whole weekend and the crowd reciprocated by chanting Ole long after the two exited the stage.
Download from:
IndieShuffle (right click save as)
Note: In many cases we can't share a track for free. So, we either link to sites that can, or provide purchase links (e.g., iTunes).
"Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"
Any band that can make the crowd of the main Coachella Stage dance like they're in the Sahara tent deserves a round of applause. Arcade Fire had amazing energy, a flawless performance and beautifully weaved tracks off of Funeral and The Suburbs together, making it my favorite live act of the weekend.
Download from:
IndieShuffle (right click save as)
Note: In many cases we can't share a track for free. So, we either link to sites that can, or provide purchase links (e.g., iTunes).
"Chromeo - I Could Be Wrong Feat. Ezra Koenig"
I saw Chromeo at Coachella back in 2008 and I was not impressed. Being the forgiving fellow that I am, I decided to give them another chance and was pleasantly surprised. My favorite part of their performance was when Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend was brought out for the song "I Could Be Wrong." The two frontmen played off of each other seamlessly and had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Plus, who doesn't love a sax solo?
Download from:
IndieShuffle (right click save as)
Note: In many cases we can't share a track for free. So, we either link to sites that can, or provide purchase links (e.g., iTunes).
"Ratatat - Wildcat"
This was my first time seeing Ratatat and they really surprised me by doing something that most electronic artists rarely do...play real instruments. While I was only able to stay for a short amount of time because I wanted to catch Chromeo, their live show proved to be both auditorily and visually stimulating.
Download from:
IndieShuffle (right click save as)
Note: In many cases we can't share a track for free. So, we either link to sites that can, or provide purchase links (e.g., iTunes).
"Cold War Kids - Royal Blue"
Day 1: After a quick pitstop at base camp, I reentered the Polo Fields halfway through my favorite song "Royal Blue," off of their new album Mine is Yours. While missing part of it was mildly disappointing, the rest of the show definitely kept my spirits high. Nathan Willet's soulful voice and talented keyboard playing set the perfect tone as the sun set on the first day of the festival.
Download from:
IndieShuffle (right click save as)
Note: In many cases we can't share a track for free. So, we either link to sites that can, or provide purchase links (e.g., iTunes).
