Go-In-Deep Music.com

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#16. Savages

Are you starting to see a pattern here?  Great bands that I’ve seen before at Coachella, that I’m going to see again at Coachella.

Savages are an all-female post-punk band based in London. The ladies have been making some serious noise since 2011.

In 2012 the group introduced themselves to world by dropping the singles “Husbands” and “Flying to Berlin.”  After one listen to those two gems, the woman ended up on every Bands-On-The-Come list known to mankind.

Their critically acclaimed debut Silence Yourself arrived in the spring of 2013, and deservingly finished the year on many of those fun Top Albums Of The Year lists, including mine.  The highly-anticipated sophomore release Adore Life came out in January.

I think it might be time for the girls to graduate to the Main Stage.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#17: Lord Huron

Lord Huron is another band on my list that I was planning on seeing again in theatre playing a full set, not at Coachella. Oh well.

The band’s been around since 2010, originally from Michigan, now based in Los Angeles.  They’ve released two studio albums, the 2012 offering Lonesome Dream, and 2015’s hugely underrated effort Strange Trails.  I played the shit out of that CD last year.

I remember the band playing a delightful indie folk set in the Mojave Tent back in 2013, not quite sure how I remember that, with all the Jack that got drank that morning.  Furthermore, I still have the setlist from that show, written up on a paper towel.

Are they big enough to play sundown on the main stage? That remains to be seen.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#18. Pete Yorn

The night my eyes hit the 2016 Coachella poster for the first time, the name that came popping off the screen, even in its tiny font, was Pete Yorn.  I thought to myself, Pete Yorn, where in the hell did he come from?

Well, he came from is Montville, New Jersey.  Since the turn of the century, Mr. Yorn’s occupation has been singer-songwriter.  He’s released six studio albums, four of which, when I wasn’t paying attention.

Back in 2001, I had his debut album musicforthemormingafter in heavy rotation in my compact disc player, I had one of those fancy 6-disc changers, come to think of it, I still do.  If I ever get around to ranking my top tracks of the zero’s decade, Yorn’s “Life On A Chain” will be on that list.

His sophomore album Day I Forgot arrived in 2003.  Ironically, that was around the same Day I Forgot about Pete Yorn.

If had more time, I would give you lots fun facts, everyone loves fun facts.  Like, Peter Buck of R.E.M. worked on many of Yorn’s recordings, including the single “Strange Conditions.” Here’s another, he worked with some record producer named Ken Andrews of the band Failure.  How fun!

About a month ago, he released Arranging Time, his first album in six years.  I have no idea where Pete will fall when the stages and set times are release.  I’m just hoping I’ll be Arranging Time for his Sunday performance.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#19. M83

Still no package.  I wonder if Goldenvoice is upset with this list?

I wasn’t playing with myself nearly as much in 2012, as I do today.  The Top 40 game was trending and becoming a country-wide phenomenon.  It was being played by as many people as I could pressure into playing, all for my ultimate enjoyment.  As silly as this game may seem, I know everyone had a small guilty pleasure in playing along, not to mention, playing by the rules.  Rules, you ask? Yep, there were rules, my rules, and lots of them.

In 2012, the French electronic act M83 finished at #1 on my Top 40 Must-See Coachella 2012 Bands list.  Additionally, the Anthony Gonzalez fronted band would finish at #3 on The Twist, right behind The Shins at #2, and Radiohead at #1.

The Twist is a project developed by deepster19, Owner and Editor-In Chief of the indie music blog Goindeepmusic.com.  Its origin traces back to 2009.  The game is played by actual people, within the game these people are known as the players.  The players are planning on, or pretending to, attend the Coachella Music Festival.  Each day, for 40 consecutive days leading up to the festival, the players text out their must-see Coachella bands to the other players in the game. Sound fun?  Bands would receive points based on where they landed on each player’s list, for example, 1 point for #40, 2 points for #39, 3 points for #38, and so on.  You can stream the 2012 Coachella Twist Mixtape here.

In the end, players that endured the game would receive a commemorative compact disc mixtape to celebrate their misery, and their Top 19 bands.  Each player would receive an additional disc to honor the group’s Top 19, which is eloquently known as The Twist.  Said discs would be part of the “welcome” packet at Motel 6, distributed on Arrival Day (Thursday).

On Reflection Day (Monday), the Top 40 game players would toss the compact discs out of the car window on their way back home, usually depositing them somewhere along the I-10 freeway.  This silent gesture was their way of saying:

“He’s not making me play that silly game again next year.”

Oddly, everyone was back for more fun and games the following year, that is until 2015…

The backlash over the game was brutal, to the extreme that some people stopped going to Coachella altogether.  Who knew?

Maybe the array of splash colors weren’t resilient enough.  Maybe the frequent update wasn’t updated frequently enough.  Maybe there was nowhere to play a physical compact disc anymore.

Or maybe… It wasn’t the game, it was Coachella!

Maybe the Spicy Pie wasn’t as tasty. Maybe the Toaster Pastries weren’t up to standard. Maybe the dead animal had become a tired act.  Maybe there wasn’t enough time being wasted at Panera.  Maybe it was “the lineup.”  Maybe the coffee wasn’t being stirred correctly.  Maybe there was just way too much left over Pub Mix, Pringles, and Gatorade.  Maybe the Sharpie jokes were no longer funny. Maybe the handicapped porta potty  wasn’t clean enough.  Maybe it was the cymbal.  Maybe it was The 1975.  Or maybe, the fear of catching bed bugs is real.  Who knows?

Back to M83, they’re now based in Los Angeles and are planning to release Junk, the follow-up to the commercially successful 2011 double-album Hurry Up, Were Dreaming on April 8. The new material has received less-than-stellar reviews.  Joziah Lambert, music critic and DJ at North America’s Indie Rock Channel Sirius XMU, compares the first single “Do It Try It” to the first time you heard “Flash Delirium” by MGMT.  Junk will be the band’s seventh studio album, and hopefully it’s not junk.

Mr. Gonzalez recently conducted tryouts for a new female vocalist.  Kaela Sinclair won the American Idol style contest and will replace the lovely Morgan Kibby.  The 2012 Coachella performance in the Mojave Tent was a great show.  I always envisioned myself seeing M83 again, in a theatre playing a full set, not at Coachella.  You take what you can get, if set times dictate my presence, I will be there.

I really enjoy the band’s earlier shoegazing influenced style that showed up on 2003’s Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts and 2005’s Before The Dawn Heals Us.  To a lesser extent, but equally as good, the 2008 release Saturdays = Youth.

As for the game, join in right here with your #19 band, or join in whenever you want.  If not, it makes no difference to me.  I’ll still shoot out #18 tomorrow, as I sit here and patiently wait for my package to come.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#20. HAELOS

Before I move on to #20 on my list, here’s a quick update on my package, it didn’t come.

HAELOS is an East London trip hop trio that have been around since 2014.  Recently, the band was placed on many of those bands-on-the-come-up lists.

They’re cut from the same mold as a Portishead or Massive Attack.

The debut album Full Circle arrived last Friday with decent reviews.

They were originally known as Halos, but probably saw the fun things that the Brooklyn-based indie pop band HAERTS did with their name, and said, if they can get away with it, so can we.

HAELOS is one of my most interesting discoveries on the Coachella 2016 poster.

I wouldn’t be surprised if HAELOS kicks off my Weekend 2 experience with an early afternoon set in the Mojave Tent.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#21. Ex Hex

Ex Hex is a indie rock trio from Washington D.C.

The band was formed by guitarist Mary Timony (Helium, Wild Flag) when her band Wild Flag went on permanent hiatus in 2013.  Ms. Timony recruited drummer Laura Harris (Benjy Ferree) and Betsy Wright (Fire Tapes) to play bass.

The trio came together with former Let’s Active founding member and record producer (R.E.M.) Mitch Easter, to record the debut album Rips in 2014.

Look for the ladies to play a loud mid-afternoon set on the Outdoor Stage.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#22. Melody’s Echo Chamber

Melody Prochet is the woman behind the French dream pop project Melody’s Echo Chamber.

Originally, she was known as My Bee’s Garden, that is, until she met and collaborated with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala in 2010.  Since 2012, her new material has been released under the moniker Melody’s Echo Chamber.

So far, Ms. Prochet has only released one studio album, a 2012 self-titled effort.  In 2014 she released the single “Shirim,” along with rumors that a sophomore album would soon follow, still nothing. Maybe when it gets real quiet between songs during her Coachella set, I will yell “where the hell is the new album?”

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#23. The Heavy

The Heavy are a British rock band that formed in 2007, they call Bath, England home.  The band’s sound has influences from funk, soul, hip hop and garage rock, neo-soul if you will.

The group’s fourth studio album Hurt & The Merciless drops this coming Friday, and will include the badass tune “What Happened to The Love,” which surfaced a few days ago.

The band is probably best known for the tune “How You Like Me Now?” which has been used in a shitload of TV shows, movies, and commercials.  I hear it everyday on the MLB Network show Intentional Talk.

If Present-Tense was going to Coachella this year, I bet he would have The Heavy in his Top 10, just sayin.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#24. The Last Shadow Puppets

The Last Shadow Puppets are an English indie rock supergroup formed in 2007 by Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals.  They would later recruit James Ford from Simian Mobile Disco and Zach Dawes (no relation to the shitty folk-rock band Dawes) from Mini Mansions to complete the quartet.  Turner and Kane met when Kane’s former band Little Flames were supporting the Arctic Monkeys on their 2005 tour.

The group released their baroque pop debut album The Age Of Understatement four days before the Coachella Music Festival in 2008.  Since 2009, both Turner and Kane threatened to record a second TLSP album, but nothing ever materialized.  Late last year, the band finally announced plans to drop the follow-up album, and have since released three singles from it.  You may have heard Sirius XMU overplaying “Bad Habit” and the title track “Everything You’ve Come To Expect.”  Recently, the third single “Aviation” surfaced.  Jenny LSQ and her colleagues haven’t had enough time to ruin that one yet.  The sophomore album will be in record stores next Friday.

I would’ve rather had the Arctic Monkeys, but I don’t make the poster, I just pretend to make the poster.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#25. Young Fathers

Young Fathers are the pride and joy of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The lo-fi R&B trio formed in 2008 and have two albums in their discography.  Their debut full-length Dead won the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize back in 2014.  The sophomore effort White Men Are Black Men Too was released last year to critical acclaim.

Besides lo-fi R&B, their sound could also be categorized as hip hop pop, indie pop, electronic, or, wait for it… reggae. I don’t care what it is because I dig it, reminds me a lot like TV On The Radio.

The band’s name comes from all three members having their fathers’ names.  Fun fact are fun!

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#26. The Arcs

Just when you thought The Black Keys’ streak of playing the Coachella Music Festival would come to an end at twelve years in a row, this happens.

Apparently, Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach pulled the wool over the eyes of everyone down at Goldenvoice.  Folks, I regret to announce that The Black Keys will playing the festival again this year, this time under the moniker The Arcs.  What’s more, they’re showing up with an outfit of six members.  Furthermore, they even have an album available if you’re interested in hearing what The Black Keys would sound like if they toured under the name The Arcs.  Recently, “The Arcs” have been releasing singles one after another, those tunes are sure to show up on the next Black Keys’ album.

This appearance by The Black Keys will tie them with DJ Deep with thirteen consecutive Coachella’s.

Unbelievable, you can’t make this shit up, even if you tried.

Enjoy some music below from “The Arcs.”

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#27. The Damned

Before I unveil my #27 must-see band, I can’t help but wonder when my package will come.

The Damned are an English gothic punk heritage act that formed way back in 1976.  The band has had a gazillion lineup changes, countless break ups/reformations, and a myriad of studio albums.

The one constant member has been frontman Dave Vanian who’s been around for the entire ride.  Beside an eleven year break from 1985 to 1996 to work on a solo career, co-founding member Captain Sensible is another mainstay.  The current lineup of Vanian, Sensible, Monty Oxymoron, Pinch, and Stu West have been together since 2004, most recently releasing the album So, Who’s Paranoid? in 2008.

Coachella is always good for a heritage act or two on the poster every year, some years are better than others.  Someday when there’s more time, I’ll list them all out.

The Damned will probably play the Gobi Tent at quarter past midnight to a room of 25 people. Just sayin’.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here,

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#28. Alvvays

The Toronto-based jangle pop quintet Alvvays (pronounced Always) comes in at #28 on my list of Coachella 2016 must-see acts.

I originally had Alvvays much higher on my list until they were announced as the opening act for the sold out CHVRCHES show on April 13 in San Diego.  In the event I run into traffic or my dinner goes too late and I miss Alvvays’ opening act, I’ll catch them at the Empire Polo Field.

First it was deer-bands, next it was beach-bands, and now the ridiculous trend seems to be V-bands.  When does all this nonsense stop?

The group released their self-titled full-length debut back in 2014.  They’re currently working on new music which I’m sure they plan on sampling in the desert next month.  By now you know my opinion on new music that’s not supported with an EP or LP…. If I wanted to hear your new music, I would go and see you next year.

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to Coachella mixtapes here.

#29. Bob Moses

Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance are the Vancouver-based DJ/production duo that make up Bob Moses.

Thanks to Sirius XMU, Bobbie Moses’ deep house style is now part of the indie mainstream.  However, Julia “Cunningham” and company have managed to ruin the infectious hit single “Tearing Me Up” by playing it nearly as much as a Grimes tune, nice work Joziah.

The duo named themselves after indie urban planning legend Robert Moses, best known for his work designing the modern New York City.

The duo released their debut full-length Days Gone By in 2015.  The LP was preceded by two critically acclaimed EP’s that have since been compiled into the 2015 release All In All.

Rumor has Bobbie Moses making their Coachella debut in the Yuma Tent this year. That would suck, I’ve been to Coachella thirteen straight years and have no idea where to find the Yuma Tent.

Enjoy a little Bobbie Moses below:

GoINDEEpMusic

View the Top 40 here.

Listen to the Coachella mixtapes here.

#30. The Dead Ships

Until I started exploring the 2016 Coachella poster, I never heard of The Dead Ships.  The Los Angeles garage rock trio have been around since 2011.  They’ve released two extended plays, both produced by Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene.

DoLA and Grimy Goods named The Dead Ships as one of LA’s best live bands.  It’s good to see that some loud indie rock is still welcome at the Coachella Festival.

The Dead Ships make their Coachella debut in 2016 on Saturday’s lineup.  Look for these dudes to play the Main Stage early in the afternoon.

GoINDEEpMusic