I have to be honest and admit my hesitancy when my editor asked me if I would be interested in reviewing Matisyahu’s performance at Club Nokia last Sunday evening, a few thoughts immediately crossed my mind, the first being, “He still makes music?” and immediately after,“Wow, Club Nokia’s a pretty big deal, maybe I’m underestimating Matisyahu.” So I suppose you could say that it was primarily curiosity that pushed me to accept her offer.

When Matisyahu debuted on the hip-hop scene a few years ago, I was as surprised as everyone else to see something that had previously been unheard of; he was a Hasidic Jew who spliced Jewish themes into his reggae-rap music and, even more surprisingly, was doing it well and gaining enormous popularity amongst all types of demographics.

Matisyahu’s most recent album was released just under a year ago, but from the size and enthusiasm of the crowd at Club Nokia,  one would have thought that he had a current top 40 single. The crowd was eclectic, much like the native Pennsylvanian, and seemed to lose themselves in the uplifting, reggae-inspired beats.  I even found that I was more familiar with Matisyahu’s music than I have previously realized. The song ‘One Day’ was featured on NBC during the 2009 Winter Olympics and it has been rumored that it will be the 2010 Olympics official theme song.  One widespread theme in Matisyahu’s music that is often found in reggae is the overall positive, uplifting and inspirational tone within the lyrics.  The lyrics in ‘One Day’ seem to be almost a call to arms as he passionately cries out, “All my life I’ve been waiting for/ I’ve been praying for/ For the people to say/ That we don’t wanna fight no more/ They’ll be no more wars.” In these turbulent times, it’s refreshing to see an artist that is not afraid to challenge the political climate and encourage citizens to make a difference.

What began as curiosity developed into full-fledged fandom by the end of the night and I found myself scouring the aisles of Amoeba the following morning, anxious to get my hands on Matisyahu’s Light album.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Related posts:

1. 50 Cent @ Club Nokia
2. Kid Cudi @ Club Nokia
3. Boyz II Men @ Club Nokia

The pair arrived onstage, Robin Hannibal, the producer picking up his bass guitar and settling into the background while Coco C., the lead singer, took center stage draped in a billowing emerald-green feathered coat that appeared inappropriate for the 90 degree weather, but looked fabulous on.

The crowd was fairly small as they were only the second set of the day, but they managed to seize the attention of all those who were in attendance. Coco’s voice floated mellifluously above the jazzy beats and her playful lyrics echoed to the far corners of the park. The band has the experimental edge of a band such as Little Dragon, while still paying homage to classic R&B. Quadron released their debut self-titled album in late March and their catchy beats accompanied with whimsical lyrics promise to continue to win audiences over.

“Pressure,” the first single on the album, infuses a horn-heavy jazz beat with motown-style vocals and appeared to be a real fan favorite, many concert-goers rising from their coveted shaded picnics to shimmy and shake alongside the upbeat song. If this festival is any indication of what is to come, listeners can expect to see heartfelt, energetic live performances from the duo and to be amazed by Coco C.’s  uniquely delicate soprano voice.

Read our review of Quadron – Self-Titled

Related posts:

1. Quadron’s Self-Titled Debut Album is a Hit!
2. Dead Country – Self-Titled EP
3. Avi Buffalo @ The Echo

Leslie Loh’s album ‘Metamothosis’ managed to tame my inner toddler for about 35 minutes, a fair amount of time, but obviously, no Radiohead either. The album begins strong with the song ‘Prey’, and as the title indicates, Loh’s vocals come across as predatory and strong, her voice seems to growl as she threatens, “Don’t fight the bite, I’ll take what’s mine.” However, as the album progresses Loh seems to lose her intensity and the songs begin to sound a bit run of the mill, sounding more like odes to past lovers than the electro-infused power ballad that introduced the album. Loh, originally from Hong Kong, but raised internationally, is a classically trained musician and composed the majority of the album herself.

Though in some instances her vocals fail to inspire, she is a skilled piano player and displays this talent on several tracks, including ‘Bishop Takes King’. Another noteworthy track on ‘Metamothosis’ would be ‘Through My Fingers’ and though it’s not as powerful as ‘Prey’, it invokes emotion that appears to be missing throughout the majority of the album, the singer sounds desperate as she pleads in the chorus, “The tighter I keep holding on, the more I lose my grip, you’re slipping through my fingers…”

Overall, ‘Metamothosis’ is an easy listen and while Loh’s voice may fall flat in some aspects and the album is not quite as fun and upbeat as most of the current pop music we hear, the few promising songs on the album guarantee that Leslie Loh’s potential has not yet been achieved and that perhaps with a bit more guidance, listeners can anticipate a more organized, consistent release from the singer in the future.

Also, can someone tell me what a ‘Methamothosis’ is? Even Wikipedia is stumped.

**Editor’s Note: Goddamn good question Danielle! You can find the answer in my interview with Leslie Loh.

Label: Nymphaea/LRT – Rating: out of

Buy This Album On:

Related posts:

1. Leslie Loh – Secret Agent, Or Songstress?
2. Kate Miller-Heidke EP
3. Rogue Wave – Permalight

MoZella grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and it’s clear that the city responsible for birthing the Motown music genre has left it’s mark on the singer. MoZella’s voice is raspy in the quality of Joss Stone, but her lyrics are playful and light-hearted in the spirit of Colbie Caillat. One thing that sets MoZella apart from her peers is the consistency and cohesiveness amongst her songs and her ability to tell a story within her album. The album, Belle Isle begins with mirthful love songs, such as the track “Stay” that teases, “Why don’t you stay and watch my heart break?” and “Luv Sik,” which suggests sarcasm with its incorrect spelling while the upbeat tinkering of the piano and blaring horns give the impression that she is laughing behind her lyrics.

However, the album seems to mature as it progresses and MoZella’s songs become imperceptibly more empowering. Where she was once begging, “Why don’t you stay…” she replaces with the insistence that, “Let’s stop calling it love…” The album, although most of it’s songs seem directed towards a love interest or former flame, is not saturated with grief or regret, but instead seems to be almost poking fun at love and is sprinkled throughout with sarcasm: a fresh perspective amongst a class of female musicians who seem to have no problem telling their audience how much they need a man in order to achieve happiness. On the contrary, MoZella’s album ends with a tone of closure, in her song “Thank You” she enthuses, “Thank you for the good times…” but it appears clear that the fair beauty has long since moved on.  Hover to watch Mozella – Hurry Up & Choose.

On ‘Twilight Girls,’ the final song on ‘Belle Isle’, MoZella’s voice turns melancholy with a tinge of hopefulness as she encourages her peers, “Twilight girls, don’t give your hearts away/Remember theres a part of you/That no amount of pain can ever break.”

Overall, MoZella’s album is upbeat and light with surprisingly substantial lyrics that will ponder your mind long after her songs have finished playing.

Label: Universal/Motown – Rating: out of

Buy This Album On:

Like MoZella? Check out: Joss Stone, Nelly Furtado

Related posts:

1. Last November – Tug O’ War
2. Shout Out Louds – Work
3. Colin Smith – The Wilderness

According to wikipedia, a rogue wave is a relatively large and spontaneous ocean wave that can threaten large ships and ocean liners. Now that, I decreed, sounds a little more bad-ass, and as I settled in, a bit more clearheaded, to give Rogue Wave’s album Permalight a thorough listen, I realized that it was a pretty accurate description of their music. Rogue Wave’s album is a fresh blend of upbeat pop and alternative songs and, amongst their competition, which tends to fall flat and lack originality, proves to be a bit “rogue” and surprisingly soulful.

Zack Schwartz, lead singer of Rogue Wave decided to start a band after he lost his job in the dot-com bust in 2002. ‘Wow!’ I thought upon reading this, if only more of us could be brave enough to pursue that unlikely creative endeavor when faced with a daunting professional setback. It seems to have paid off for the band, as they have recently released their fourth album and seem to be gaining quite a stable of fans. Just this week the band was featured as Last.fm’s artist of the week.

Permalight, which has a different, upbeat and more lighthearted sound than their previous work, is decidedly California indie rock. I picture myself listening to the album while cruising down Pacific Coast highway with Zach’s voice crooning in my ear, “From life to death we are reborn/ Fueled by some unwritten line/ We steal the sun.” While in some places, the lyrics begin to sound a little cringe-worthy and Zach Schwartz’s vocal talents leave a bit to be desired (it makes sense that he chose this career in a quarter-life crisis and was not bred to be a classical musician) the lyrics are fun and carefree and serve as the perfect background soundtrack for summer.

Label: Brushfire Records – Rating: out of

Buy This Album On:

Like Rogue Wave? Check out: Fruit Bats,  Sea Wolf

Related posts:

1. Rogue Wave @ The El Rey
2. NoisePop Part 1 – Rogue Wave
3. Male Bonding – Nothing Hurts

Excruciating Bliss is Laufer’s fourth album and, while most artists begin to lose their audience or sound repetitious at this point in their career, I have a feeling that Laufer’s musical career will only escalate from this point on. Now, just how far his career will escalate is up for debate, as a few of the songs of his album sound a bit kitschy, I have to remind myself that this is pop music, not necessarily made to enlighten me or move me to tears, but to get a crowd to their feet and clapping their hands. That, it most definitely achieves.

The album is diverse, songs such as “Come on, Sunshine” and “Lonesome Love” sounding more influenced by The Beatles era, while “New Life” and “Bad Math” are sang more woefully in the style of the blues. I chuckle to myself as I remember his own description of his sound as, “spiral.” While the description may be more of a yearning than a reality, Rob Laufer is obviously meticulous and passionate about his music, it is unfortunate that the content within his lyrics and the overall sound throughout his album is not one that I think will resonate throughout the masses. However, if he remains consistent, I would not be surprised to see Laufer opening for a headliner such as The Who, and who ever complained about being in that position?

The sad truth of it is that songs with lyrics such as those on “Faith,” which repeat, “Keep us through the night” during the chorus, simply don’t resonate with my peers and myself. We like metaphors that we don’t understand, lyrics that are fragmented and without rhyme, songs that require a few listens before a meaning is unveiled. Even the title, ‘Excruciating Bliss’ makes me cringe a bit. We are the generation of angst, we like to tell strangers how Incubus really “helped us get through a hard time in high school.” Bliss? What’s that? And Excruciating Bliss at that? Who, under the age of 30 would admit (willfully) to ever feeling that?

Overall, when listening to Excruciating Bliss, I found myself distracted a couple of times, mindlessly checking my phone and Facebook during dull rifts, but my foot continually tapped to the beat and throughout the album I was reminded of Rob Laufer’s easy laugh and approachable demeanor, and of the way, during his live show, he seemed to curl around his guitar as though it were an extension of his body. I am sure that, regardless of whether he ends up on any billboard chart or simply playing at a local cafe on Friday nights, he is enjoying the ride.

Read Danielle’s interview with Rob Laufer.

Label: Eye Records – Rating: out of

Buy This Album On:

Like Rob Laufer? Check out: James Shimoji, Weekend Excursion.

Related posts:

1. Rob Laufer @ Silverlake Lounge Feb 24th
2. Rob Laufer Gearing Up For New Album
3. Rob Laufer Interview @ Silverlake Lounge

If Thursday and Friday at Coachella are similar to the giddy anticipation of the first day of kindergarden, then Sunday is commencement of high school. We entered the campgrounds and waved to familiar faces, we moved through the crowd with a practiced ease and most importantly, we completely swamped the merchandise tent and spent our electric bill money on simple cotton sweatshirts marked up 500 percent because they were emblazoned with the word ‘COACHELLA.’

King Kahn and The Shrines set the tone for the day when the lead, King Kahn arrived on stage adorned in a glittering gold blouse and feathered crowd. To the left of him was a woman dressed as a cheerleader with pom poms who danced throughout their entire set. King Kahn and The Shrines are reminiscent of motown music and favor the impassioned, soulful lyrics sang in the style of James Brown. At one point he invited the Yo Gabba Gabba characters on stage to the delight of the crowd. During the song, ‘Welfare Bread’ he managed to convince most of the audience to hold up dollar bills and burn them with lighters. For a brief moment, I came out of my musical trance in the fear that the tent would catch fire, but thankfully, aside from the smell of wilting dollar bills, no harm was done.

With Friday and Saturday, it was fairly easy to choose which acts were most enjoyable live, but Sunday the expectations continued to rise throughout the day. I doubted that the crowd participation and lively energy that King Kahn and the Shrines possessed would be possible to match, but I was proven wrong by Mayer Hawthorne, a slender, yet attractive young man snappily dressed in a cream-colored suit with black-framed glasses. It makes sense that Mayer Hawthorne is from Detroit, Michigan, the city responsible for launching the motown movement and home to some of the most well-known soul singers such as Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross. He immediately impressed the crowd with his warbling velveteen vocals and received full participation when he covered the famous late 80’s hit, ‘Just a Friend’ by Biz Markie.

Florence and the Machine followed Mayer Hawthorne’s set and like The xx, she was one of the musicians that originally sold me on whether I would be attending Coachella. She has the sort of echoing, powerful voice that is in likeness with Alanis Morisette, the type of voice that hums in our ears pleasantly even after she’s released her final note. She was amicable and chatty, but did not hold back when belting out the lyrics to the songs from her album, ‘Lungs’, her fiery red hair swinging around her face dramatically. She seemed particularly enthused to bring out Nathan Willett, lead singer of the band Cold War Kids and to sing one of his band’s songs, ‘Hospital Beds.’

I was not sure what to expect from Jonsi, singer in the Icelandic band Sigur Ros and recent solo musician. I was not sure if his show would be canceled due to his flight being held over and I was not sure, if he did arrive without complications, how the raucous crowd would receive his ambient, lowkey performance. Jonsi performed on one of the larger outdoor stages and as soon as he began his first song, the audience became still and almost reverent. The music was soothing and I think would have been more appropriate following Phoenix rather than opening for them, given the similarities between Jonsi’s style of music and Thom Yorke’s.

I was not previously a huge fan of Phoenix. In my opinion, the album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus’ began to feel a touch repetitive and although their sound is somewhat unique, I didn’t hear much diversity within their songs. If I had been able to walk, I probably would have taken the opportunity to see Miike Snow (who I heard was amazing). However, in the end, I am glad I gave Phoenix the opportunity to prove me wrong. The band’s light technician was detained in Europe and the frontman declared before beginning, “We’re just gonna go simple and make it about the music.” The band was full of energy and managed to get the crowd, who had been previously calmed by Jonsi’s lulling set, back to their feet and dancing. Plus, there is something to be said for the enjoyment of being able to recite a band’s lyrics alongside them.

Thom Yorke’s was the only performance where I found myself unable to take pictures or notes. How can one describe in words, words that oftentimes can be misinterpreted or limiting, the experience of seeing a practiced, prolific musician such as Thom Yorke, live? It would be akin to describing a rainbow to someone wihout sight. Alas, this is part of my job description so I will make my best attempt. Atoms for Peace is comprised of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Yorke began with the popular single, “Eraser” and his show escalated from that point on, never once diminishing in energy or range. He sang the majority of his songs with Atoms for Peace, but to the crowd’s delight he performed Radiohead’s ‘Everything in it’s Right Place’ and a never before heard single ‘Giving up the Ghost.’

I cannot say this with enough emphasis: If you have the opportunity to see Radiohead or Atoms for Peace live, DO IT! As King Kahn showed us during his set, money burns so you might as well spend it on something worthwhile.

The Gorillaz, who, like bears, have been hiberating since the release of their sophomore album, ‘Demon Days’ in 2005, emerged this spring with a new diverse, progressive album entitled ‘Plastic Beach’. The Gorillaz are famous for the virtual characters that represent the band members and have released only cartoon music videos, their performances often feature hollograms and projected animated images, but rarely are the actual musicians ever seen. They unveiled themselves at Coachella and looked, surprisingly, fairly normal and nondescript. Like many performers this weekend, they chose not to distract the audience with light shows and effects and rather made the experience solely about the music. Snoop Dogg appeared on the stage screens to accompany the first song and Bobby Womack was in tow as well to help lend his vocals to the two tracks that he is featured on. Overall, the Gorillaz proved to be worth the anticipation and the perfect send off home, which for some, was as close as Los Angeles, California, but for others was on the other side of the continent in Melbourne, Australia. Coachella Music Festival shows us that, in three days, in the middle of the piping hot desert, they can bring people of all cultures, upbringings, ages and backgrounds together for the pure experience of enjoying good music.

Pavement review by Vanessa Franko of Inland Social. Like Phoenix, Pavement’s previous stop at Coachella didn’t go so well. It was the debut year, in 1999, and the band was splitting at the seams. However, Sunday night went differently for the band on the Coachella stage as the reunited band, who played the Fox in Pomona a few nights ago, smiled, joked and generally looked like they were enjoying themselves. With strings of lights hung above the band on the stage, Pavement reminded the small, but appreciative crowd why indie rock still matters. It was fun and the band had a sense of humor, much like Faith No More, one of the festival’s other big reunion acts, on Saturday night.

While Pavement didn’t opt for ridiculous cover songs that were beautifully done, it was clear that the band had fun on stage and enjoyed being there.

“You happy to see Pavement again?” they asked the crowd. “We’re happy to see you.”

I was on the case of Sly Stone (who is still delayed at this point), so I wasn’t able to get close for the first few songs of the set, but caught them at the beginning of “Shady Lane.” The band also showed a sense of place, namedropping Indio High School, Palm Springs High and Twentynine Palms (something about acid iguanas).

The band then went into “Range Life.” I didn’t see who it was, but someone in the band said, “We’re Pavement, back from the dead.” Then singer Stephen Malkmus spoke to the crowd some more, “Do you guys get the breeze out there? It’s really nice,” he said before going into a few bars of the ’70s AM radio hit “Summer Breeze” and then the Pavement song “Trigger Cut.”

The band sounded great, but Malkmus’ voice was shaky at times through the performance. He acknowledged it, either in jest or seriously, after “Starlings of the Slipstream.”

“Yes, I hit every one of those notes,” he said.

It didn’t matter, the set was a lot of fun for those who were there and weren’t staking out a spot to worship one of the godfathers of Coachella, Thom Yorke.

Up next was “Summer Babe” followed by “Unfair.” “That was pretty much the ’90s in a nutshell,” Malkmus said after the latter. The band ended the set with its closest thing to a hit, “Cut Your Hair,” which had people dancing and singing along as they made their way to Thom Yorke. Malkmus told everyone to enjoy Yorke, Gorillaz and everything else.

“It’s gonna be pretty good and I don’t even work for this festival,” he said.

The only mis-booking of day 3 was the fact they put the 60,000-fan drawing Phoenix on the second stage. Here’s a picture of their trailer.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Related posts:

1. Coachella 2010
2. Coachella – Day 1
3. Coachella – Day 2

After security pilfered our bag of snack foods and we had returned to the car to quickly scarf them down, we arrived at the campgrounds just in time to see Portugal. The Man’s performance. I fell in love with this band about a year ago and was very close to driving to Portland a few months ago for one of their only US tour dates, so you can imagine my delight when finding out that they would be attending Coachella. That, coupled with the fact that they were playing earlier in the day when the crowds would be minimal pretty much sold me. Although the campgrounds themselves were fairly sparse with concert-goers, it was as though everyone who had arrived early had done so specifically to see Portugal. The Man’s set. I was impressed to see them doing their own sound check. It is rare that you see such humble, dedicated musicians who are so meticulous with their sound. They surprised the crowd with a superb cover of David Bowie’s ‘Monage Daydream’and though they did not banter with the audience in between songs and said little outside of introducing themselves, the passion and skill that seemed to engulf them during the show said far more than words and showed the audience how truly appreciated they were.

Camera Obscura, an indie pop band from Glasgow, Scotland was our next stop and it seemed as though the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief when the band stepped onto stage, grateful that they had not been detained in Europe as The Cribs had been as a result of the Icelandic volcano. Though it is before my time, Camera Obscura reminds me of a band that would have performed on American Bandstand. The men were dappar in black suits and the two women, one on keyboard and the other, the lead singer were in matching floral-print dresses. As I gazed across the tent from my vantage point on the riser I noticed attendees shimmying  in a fashion that was most popular 30 or 40 years ago, but did not seem out of place whatsoever. Camera Obscura’s music, much like She & Him’s, is sang in a whimsical, upbeat tune although their lyrics, which can be decidedly heartbreaking, greatly differ. The band performed their most recent single, “French Navy”
and managed to throw the audience into a tizzy of laughing, jumping and dancing to the beat.

Coachella is set up so that even if you want to  take a break and relax for an hour or eat, you will be enjoying music the entire time. As I went from tent to tent I heard interludes from Gil Scott-Heron and Vampire Weekend and when I sat down for lunch before Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, I managed to see most of The Temper Trap’s set. If Passion Pit’s lead singer has an impressive range, it is nothing in comparison to the lead from The Temper Trap whose atmospheric vocals rang out across the campground, serving as the perfect background as I ate my $20 burger and fries.

If ever a circus could double as a folk band, it would be Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I have recently become intrigued with the band, who has songs that range from alternative to pop to alt-country. The stage became crowded as the troupe of musicians filled the large outdoor stage and I saw quite a few people do-see-do’ing and square dancing when the band performed their popular, kitschy song “Home.”

More than one person told me that it was the band, The xx that had been the deciding factor for whether they would attend Coachella. I must admit that the same is true for me and that the band’s self-titled debut album released just last year was one of my favorite albums of 2009. The songs aren’t love songs so much as they appear to be an exchange between two lovers, each expressing in soothing, lilting tones how they have hurt and loved one another. Romy, the female lead, has a raspy, seductive voice that is befitting with lyrics that promise, “Maybe I have said, something that was wrong, can I make it better, with the lights turned off?” I thought their performance exceeded expectations, but a friend pointed out that they lacked stage presence. In my opinion, their set was ill-placed and they should not have followed a high energy band such as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

I was grateful that Saturday did not require much moving and I was able to relax near the outdoor stage for the majority of my day. Overall, Saturday was a beautiful day, overcast, but still fairly warm and by the time Hot Chip arrived to open for MGMT, the sun was setting over the mountains and darkness was settling in. Hot Chip’s stage included totem pole tribal-like structures that seemed to compliment their afro-beat driven sound. The band, who admitted to being Coachella veterans, played with fervor, as though it were their first time attending the festival.

I’ve never played any instruments, sang, performed or been in a band (although I have dreams of reigniting the tambourine girl trend), but I’d like to offer MGMT some unsolicited advice from a concert goer’s point of view: Never begin your set with two brand new songs when your album was released less than a month ago. Unless you’re Prince or Michael Jackson, you’re giving yourself too much credit, no one has memorized your songs by that point. You lose the crowd this way as well. Everyone who had been previously ready to launch into dance to “Electric Feel” or “The Youth” or “Kids” (which they DIDN’T play, what’s up with that?) was halted as they turned to each other murmuring, “Oh, I guess this is on their new album.” Aside from that, the band came across as arrogant and unenthused, they played their instruments well and sang the correct notes, but it was equivalent to being at a band practice. What really annoyed me though, was that one of the only things that the lead singer deigned to say to us was the commandment to buy their new album. I thought it was awfully audacious of him to suggest such a thing after giving such a lifeless, mediocre performance.

Jack White is a musical genius. I am not ashamed to say that every few months I find myself googling him just to find out what new projects he’s working on. You can imagine my delight in finding out that less than a year after The Dead Weather’s debut they are releasing their sophomore album on May 11th, entitled ‘Sea of Cowards.’ The band also includes Alison Mosshart, lead singer of the Kills, who shares lead vocals with White. Mosshart gave an impressive performance, her diminuitive, petite stature in no way indicative of her talent. She was full of energy, constantly throwing her hair in her face as she nodded her head emphatically to the beat. The band performed a couple of songs off of their new album, but one of my favorite moments of Saturday was watching The Dead Weather perform ‘Will There Be Enough Water?’, Jack White and Alison Mosshart leaning into the mic until their foreheads touched, their haunting vocals ringing out in unison.

Muse review by Inand Social Blog. Muse headlined the second night of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and showed exactly why they’re one of the only relatively new bands that can pack real stadiums. It’s updated, loud arena rock from talented and technically proficient musicians. The good news is that the band sounded great. Loud, but great. The bad news is that I felt it lacked that special Coachella moment. It seemed like a set Muse would play anywhere, except with more lasers.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled over the years, but I want to feel like the Coachella performance was different than what the band did in some other city two months ago. I think audiences want those real moments when they can have a connection–like the moment where Prince played “Creep” in 2008, or when The Cure kept playing after the plug was pulled in 2009 or even watching Jay-Z with Beyonce on Friday night. There was nothing wrong with the show in any way. The band played its hits, the video background looked cool and we even had some pyro during “Starlight,” when a shower of sparks came down on the stage during the chorus.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Related posts:

1. Coachella – Day 1
2. Coachella 2010 – Day 3
3. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Royce Hall

I should preface this review with the information that about one month before attending Coachella, I broke my ankle in two places. I do not say this for sympathy or pity, but rather to let the readers know that my experience, while still amazing, is undoubtedly different from the perspective of someone who was able to walk around as they pleased, as opposed to being pushed in a wheelchair for the entirety of the festival. I might also mention that this was my first time attending Coachella and that much like an innocent newborn, I arrived in wonderment of the vast plains of desert that stretched before me, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the bright sun overhead.

Friday, April 16th was the first day of the 3-day music festival and for many, was not unlike the first day of kindergarden. Attendees were giddy with anticipation, unsure of what to expect and most importantly, had unrealistic expectations of how many performances they would be attending.

I began my musical journey with DJ Lance Rock, the host of the popular Nickelodeon kid’s show, “Yo Gabba Gabba.” Indeed, he did not disappoint, he skipped onto stage befitted in an orange and yellow body suit. I was not terribly familiar with the show Yo Gabba Gabba or DJ Lance Rock’s usual performances and was surprised to find out that he performed the same Yo Gabba Gabba tunes that are so beloved amongst pre-schoolers. He was full of energy as he welcomed onto stage the characters from the show and managed to receive full participation when performing the song and dance routine, “I like to Dance.”

One thing that no one really mentions about Coachella is the fact that you will not see every band that you had previously planned on seeing. Even after the website released the set times and we were able to see which sets were conflicting, most of us overestimated how much we would be willing to walk amongst a crowd of highly inebriated people in the 90 degree desert weather. Lucky for my companion and myself, Yeasayer played in the next tent over about an hour after DJ Lance Rock and because it was Friday, people were still only just arriving to the campgrounds.

My prediction for Yeasayer, after seeing their live show for the first time (and being an avid listener of their previous albums), is that in no more than three years, they will be performing on one of the larger outdoor stages opening for a main headliner, perhaps a band fronted by Jack White (how can we predict who or what Jack White will be playing with in a couple of years? The man is an fluctuant genius). The experimental Brooklyn band drew an enormous crowd, the attendees spilling out of the tent, standing on their toes to catch a glimpse as purple lights cast shadows across the lead singer’s face and his haunting voice echoed off the walls of the tent.

While I am not usually a fan of celebrities who fleetingly decide that being a famous, prolific actor is not enough and that they need to start a band, despite whatever vocal talent that they may or may not possess (I’m looking at you, Jared Leto and Regis Philbin), I have become a huge fan of She & Him in the past couple of years.

Zooey Deschanel, best known for her roles in Almost Famous and (500) Days of Summer, has a whimsical, delicate voice and the music that she records with M. Ward is upbeat with innocent lyrics that invoke thoughts of a simpler time. M. Ward once again proved his prowess over the guitar when he covered Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” and Zooey impressed us all when she effortlessly dropped her voice several octaves and gave the crowd an impressing rendition of the popular cover, “I Put a Spell on You.”

Luckily for my handler and me, Passion Pit performed on the same large outdoor stage following She & Him, so jostling through the crowd, which at this point was suffocating, was unnecessary. I have heard mixed reviews of Passion Pit’s live shows and in fact was not sold on seeing them, but as is often the case, convenience won me over. To my delight, Passion Pit proved to be enjoyable and energetic, the lead singer’s voice rising dexterously in pitch to sing his songs in the identical notes that are heard on their album. The electro inspired group was a nice medium in between She & Him and Grizzly Bear, whose sets were considerably more mellow.

If I had known then what I knew Saturday about getting through Coachella crowds (in a wheelchair) I probably would have sat Grizzly Bear’s show out and opted for someone playing at a closer tent. However, I am grateful that I had not yet acquired this information and though my arms ached from weaving my wheelchair in and out of the crowds, the live Grizzly Bear show was well worth it. They began their set with a fan favorite, ‘Southern Point’ and the show only escalated in dynamism from there. The lead singer had a mellifluous, soothing voice that rang out into the still desert night and hushed the crowd like a lullaby. That, contrasted with their skilled application of instruments, made for an incredible performance.

What can I say about LCD Soundsystem? I love the diversity of their catalogue and they opened for Jay-z at the larger outdoor stage, so I suppose convenience played a factor in our decision to see them. James Murphy arrived on stage in a fairly lucid state appearing belligerently happy as he announced that this was the band’s fourth time performing at the music festival. Murphy took liberal swigs from a champagne bottle throughout their performance and launched into a diatribe about music piracy during his piece, ‘I’m Losing My Edge.’ Overall, in spite of Murphy’s obvious inebriated state and his rantings in between songs about his missing set list, the band performed well and ended their set with the popular single, “New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down.”

The crowd closed in and seemed to pulse with tension and excitement as the hour before Jay-Z’s set shrank until a timer appeared on two of the stage’s enormous screens, large red numbers flashed 10:00 and counted down until the crowd was giddy, at which point Jay-Z emerged from a hidden platform, rising onto the stage like magic. Jay-z immediately introduced his hype man, Memphis Bleek and they launched into the billboard hit, “Run This Town.” The two hour set included both recent and vintage work, going as far back as ‘Big Pimpin’. The stage was constructed into a makeshift skyline and different images flashed across them as pertaining to the song. When ‘99 Problems’ was performed, we were able to see the Miranda rights emblazoned across the famous buildings. The highlight of the entire night was the surprise vocal performance by his wife, Beyonce Knowles, who sang the chorus of his recent single, ‘Forever Young.’

Though the sun beat against our backs mercilessly and the crowd scattered aimlessly from one tent to another, Friday’s performances set the tone for the weekend and we vowed to come back in the morning, a little earlier, a little wiser and with new ways of outsmarting security and sneaking water bottles and snacks into the campgrounds.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Related posts:

1. Coachella 2010 – Day 3
2. Coachella – Day 2
3. Coachella 2010

I have never been one to deny making a wrong assumption or a misjudgment, as was the case with Quadron. One might imagine my surprise as I settled in to give the self-titled debut album a listen, only to be greeted with a harmonic female soprano and electronic-influenced jazz beats. After hearing the smooth soulful voice behind Quadron, I scoured the internet for more information regarding the artists. All that could be found was a brief description of its Danish members, Coco O., the woman responsible for the soft-spoken, sweet vocals, and Robin Hannibal, the producer.

Upon a quick listen, one might be inclined to group Quadron’s jazz influence with that of Sade, but throughout the album they are committed to proving their diversity, with songs such as ‘Jeans’, a track that melds funk and soul together with sassy lyrics and ‘Pressure’,  which immediately induces nostalgia with its retro feel and catchy horn-heavy beat.

Quadron far exceeds my original expectations with their jazz and neo-soul inspired sound and leaves me anticipatory of what we can next expect to see or hear from the experimental duo.

Label: Plug Research – Rating: out of

Buy This Album On:

Like Quadron? Check out: Little Dragon, J*Davey, Muhsinah

Related posts:

1. Quadron @ UCLA’s Reggae/JazzFest
2. Dead Country – Self-Titled EP
3. Avi Buffalo – Self-Titled