Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Coachella for short) is returning in April with a killer lineup. Headlining are The Stone Roses, Blur, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Madchester pioneers 'The Stone Roses' and Brit pop legends 'Blur' will headline the Friday of the festival, with artists such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Johnny Marr, Lou Reed, Modest Mouse, Jake Bugg, Alt-J and Palma Violets.
Taking on the second night are alternative rock band 'Phoenix' (although they are from France; not the American city). The XX, New Order, Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, Ben Howard, Biffy Clyro and more artists will also perform thoroughout the Saturday.
Finally on the final night Californian rock Gods 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' will take to the stage. I am a massive fan of this band, so I'm really excited to see the setlist. Also on the Sunday you can catch sets from: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala, The Lumineers, The Gaslight Anthem, Jessie Ware, Deap Vally and James McCartney.
However, despite the stellar lineup, complaints of confusion have started to flood in from American festival fans who are unsure as to who the Friday headliners are. A blog has been set up www.whoarethestoneroses.tumblr.com which documents screenshots of twitter users taking to the site to vent their thoughts. It seems as if 'The Rolling Stones' were expected instead of 'The Stone Roses' who aren't as famous over there.
The first week of the Christmas holiday is almost over, and it has been hectic!
Fortunately, I did not have to go in to work on Christmas Eve, so I had a relaxing day watching Christmas movies and being festive. I managed to get in a few hours of revision too - January exams are coming up and I would feel guilty if I didn't revise as much as possible.
On Christmas Day I consumed too much food (but it's Christmas so that's fine) and had a lovely morning opening presents, giving other people their gifts, watching more movies and sitting down to a lovely Christmas roast. It was back to work on Boxing Day and the restaurant was quite busy due to the sales.
Here is what I have been listening to this week.
The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
The Killers are one of those bands who I like but sometimes find myself unimpressed by. Honestly, I didn't really like their latest album 'Battle Born' although their first album 'Hot Fuss' and 2008's effort 'Day & Age' were great. I think that with 'Battle Born' the songs were overplayed and there was so much hype that it never met people's expectations.
For fans of: Muse, U2, The Strokes, Green Day and Snow Patrol.
The Courteeners - Lose Control
I started listening to this band towards the start of 2012, although I lost interest in them for a while. This is their latest single which I heard on the radio recently, and it was this song that got me back into their music.
For fans of: The Twang, The View, The Enemy, The Cribs and The Maccabees.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Especially In Michigan
RHCP are one of my absolute favourite bands and I adore this song. I have been listening to it a lot more lately and you should too. Give it a listen.
For fans of: Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, Pink Floyd and Guns N' Roses.
Palma Violets - Best of Friends
This song has been floating around for a while now, and was the initial sound that got the underground scene's hottest band noticed. These guys are tipped for big things next year; watch out for their debut album.
For fans of: Peace, The Vaccines, The Cribs, The Libertines and The Strokes.
I Am Kloot - These Days Are Mine
I have heard this song around a few places and it has stuck been stuck in my head. The band have a new album expected for release in January 2013.
For fans of: Elbow, The Coral, Supergrass, The Zutons and Doves.
I skipped posting a playlist last week, so here is a longer edition - hope you enjoy.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
I've liked RHCP for years but I was never a major fan or anything, this changed last week when I decided to give them a proper listen. I listened to every album back to back and fell in love, I really did. Mother's Milk and I'm With You are my favourite albums, but they're all good and I did have a hard time picking my favourites. I urge you to give this band a listen as they will change your life. You have probably heard some of their songs before and just hadn't realised it was them.
For fans of: Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses and Led Zeppelin.
Daughter - Youth
I discovered this band a few days ago due to NME's recommendations and I love them. Combining folksy elements with soulful melodies, Daughter are a relaxing band to chill out and forget about your day to. The three piece haven't been together long, but already they have mastered their latest single at Abbey Road Studios. The band also hope to release their debut album in January.
For fans of: The XX, Laura Marling, Ben Howard, Bon Iver, Lucy Rose and Alt-J.
Haim - Forever
I found out about Haim when I learnt Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys frontman) had been spotted, at one of their gigs in Los Angeles. I checked them out instantly and my life was complete. I recognised their song 'Forever' upon listening, as XFM have played it a few times before. They are extremely underrated right now, and I hope in future they receive the media recognition they deserve.
For fans of: Jessie Ware, Florence And The Machine, Lana Del Rey and The Pierces.
Peace - Bloodshake
You have probably seen my previous post from last week about this band, but they had to be included on this playlist as I really love their sound. Playing up to the image on the EP (a watermelon cut into shapes, strongly resembling the international sign for peace) Bloodshake has a fruity core with killer guitar riffs. This is one song you have to listen to. It's upbeat, it's clever but more than anything it's a game changer.
For fans of: Two Door Cinema Club, Dog Is Dead, Foals, Foster the People, Tribes, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Maccabees.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
I've known about this band since late September/early October, when I picked up a copy of Grazia and saw they were mentioned briefly. XFM have been amongst the first to give them airplay, but it won't be long before the rest catch up and this is a band who will be huge in a few months.
For fans of: Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Alabama Shakes.
Alt-J - Fitzpleasure
Having recently won the Mercury Prize things are looking good for Alt-J, who earlier this year were virtually unknown. I bought their debut album 'An Awesome Wave' in July and loved every song. Fitzpleasure is my personal highlight, therefore I thought I would share it with you.
For fans of: Django Django, Zulu Winter, Breton, Daughter and Bastille.
Django Django - Default
Similar to Alt-J, this band seemingly appeared out of nowhere earlier in the year. Their debut album was released in January 2012, however I've only just got into their music. Described as a "psychedelic art pop quartet" they were nominated for this year's Mercury Prize but unfortunately lost out. However things are going well so far for them and 2013 is set to be their year.
For fans of: Alt-J, Cloud Control, Howler, The 2 Bears, Tame Impala and Eugene McGuinness.
Have you listened to any of these artists before? Who is your favourite and why? What bands should I listen to next? Comment below.
