With legendary music festival Coachella kicking off today, over 175 acts will take to the stage in sunny Palm Springs, California. Thankfully for the rest of us, we can catch all the acts LIVE on the dedicated Coachella YouTube Channel. The Brits are out in force tonight with headliners The Stone Roses and Blur, but excluding headliners, here are my ‘Top Acts’ for Day 1 of Coachella.
Friday – April 12th
Headliners: The Stone Roses, Blur
Dillon Francis: 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Sahara
American electronic music producer & DJ Dillon Francis, has been leading the pack championing Moombahton. Having previously been signed to Diplo’s Mad Decent Label collaborating on ‘Que Que‘ and releasing ‘Masta Blasta‘ (The Rebirth), Dillon has since gone on to release ‘Bootleg Firework‘ through Calvin Harris’ label ‘Fly Eye Records’. Now currently signed to Skrilex’s label OWSLA , Dillon is fast becoming one of the most exciting acts in EDM. Check out his latest single ‘Messages’ ft Simon Lord and his upcoming gig with Flosstradamus (aptly titled Dillstradamus) at London’s XOYO May 5th.
Jake Bugg: 3:05pm – 3:50pm | Mojave
2013 has been a massive year for Jake Bugg, who’s self titled debut album shot to no 1 in the UK. The 19 year old singer/songwriter has been greatly influenced by classic artists such as ‘The Beatles’, ‘Oasis’, ‘Jimi Hendrix’ and ‘Bob Dylan’ and transports us back to sounds of the 60′s with tracks such as ‘Lighting Bolt’, ‘Taste It’, ‘Two Fingers‘ and ‘Seen It All‘. You can catch Jake at plenty of upcoming festivals this summer including Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight, T in the Park, Longitude and Benicassim.
Of Monsters and Men: 5:45pm – 6:35pm | Outdoor
Icelandic indie-folk group Of Monsters And Men are fresh off their sold out European Tour. With the success of their 2011 album ‘My Head Is An Animal‘ and singles ‘Little Talks’, ‘Dirty Paws’, ‘Mountain Sound‘ and ‘King and Lionheart’, the multi-talented group have managed to make folk music more accessible and exciting. Their anthemic style chorus and trademark HEY’s will go down a treat at Coachella.
Purity Ring: 9:40pm – 10:30pm | Gobi
Canadian eletro duo Purity Ring released their debut album ‘Shrines‘ in 2012, which featured tracks such as ‘Lofticries‘ and ‘Fineshrines‘ and the most recent cover of Soulja Boy’s ‘Grammy‘. The duo are known for their unique live performances and use a tree-shaped instrument for sound and lighting effects. Definitely one set to check out. Upcoming UK dates include Latitude and Love Box Festival.
TNGHT: 8:35pm – 9:20pm | Gobi
TNGHT get a lot of love on this blog so it’s no surprise they’re one of my top acts for Day 1 of Coachella. Since the release of their debut collaborative EP, which represented the best of UK underground bass and trap sounds, Hudson Mohawke has been snapped up by Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music label and Luncie to Diplo’s Mad Decent label. Combined, the duo seem unstoppable and their latest single ‘Acrylics’ will no doubt wreak havoc at Coachella. A must watch set! Upcoming dates include Pitchfork Festival, Sonar and London’s Field Day.
So there you have it – my Top acts for Day 1 of Coachella. Fridays line-up was particular difficult to narrow down, especially when you have acts like Foals, The Neighbourhood, Palma Violets, Alt J, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Passion Pit and Modestep.
Check back tomorrow for my ‘Top Acts’ for Saturday!