Coachella offers hidden gems beyond headlining stars
As the months between now and April draw to a close, it’s time to prepare those flower crowns and lacy tops; Coachella is almost upon us. The lineup was announced earlier this month and if you were lucky enough to grab tickets before the ever-beloved festival sold out, you have probably been planning a clever strategy to catch all your favorite artists. But for those of you who are hoping to avoid the masses upon masses who will be stampeding to see Drake or AC/DC, fear not; the smaller-print bands show incredible promise for some good tunes and great performances.
Though AC/DC is a classic, day one offers many other opportunities to rock out without having to squint at Angus Young from behind 70 rows of people precariously atop shoulders. In fact, you don’t even have to look too far — another Angus is performing the very same day. Angus & Julia Stone is a brother-sister folk band from Australia.
Their newest album sees them reunite after going solo. But the time apart seems only to have increased the haunting way her pixie vocals and his husky voice combine. Their affinity for poetic simplicity is a quality that should be widely envied in the industry. Their lyrics are effortlessly relatable but what truly resonates is the way they sing their songs. Emotion bleeds through every word; you can feel everything they express and everything they’re holding back. In one of their newest songs, “All This Love,” Julia repeats “I will follow you” and while it’s probably not what she had in mind, it’s a good way to describe their music. It follows you, whether it’s playing softly in the background as you clean your room or if it’s playing surround sound as you lay in bed. Their performances promises to be an even better version of their normal gigs. Their live performances display their complete devotion to their music. Just as their songs burrow into the listeners soul, it seems to live in theirs. Watching the pair on stage means watching them lose themselves in the music but not distancing the audience, instead, inviting the audience to get lost with them. If you want beautiful music or just to be able to slowly sway about for an hour, make sure to stop by the duo’s stage.
If mellow indie doesn’t call out to you, partially hidden in the obscure small print of day two’s line up is French electro-pop trio Yelle. Its lyrics aren’t ones I recommend you repeat to your French professor in class, but they are perfect for dancing around to and echoing at the top of your lungs. The group is led by lead singer Julie Budet for whom the band is named. While time has brought Yelle from playful lyrics over synth beats to a more melodic focus, dancing is still always at the pinnacle of its album. Its performances are marked by a mixture of robotic, choreographed moves and wacky struts across the stage. Yelle attracts international fans who are ready to get down and funky. Why go to a jam-packed headliner when you can join part two of the French Revolution?
To end your celebration of small print, big parties is the progressive-pop kings, Saint Motel. The band has only just signed to Elektra Records after having toured with big names such as Arctic Monkeys, Weezer and Imagine Dragons. This means its Coachella debut is your chance to jump on its bandwagon and maintain your hipster credibility before they hit it big. The band proves to be a well-organized, ecstatic mess of sweet harmonies and ’80s-like glam pop synth wrapped up in the upbeat indie sound this generation has come to love. Its music and intoxicating lyrics are impossible not to dance and clap to. Its past albums and EP’s boast songs that range from a malicious and seductive indie rock to playful pop and everything in-between, but the magic comes from the fact that no matter where on the music-genre spectrum they are, they never lose their core sound. The band is always recognizable; not just because of its love of clapping and chanting in its music, but because its sound never sounds forced.
Everyone loves the headliners — they’re headliners for a reason — but lesser-known bands are sure to show that it’s not the size of the font that matters. Angus and Julia Stone will provide the perfect place to bemoan lost loves and the general heartbreaks of life without actually thrusting listeners into a state of depression. Yelle and Saint Motel will attract those who are ready to dance, which means fun memories of sore limbs from dancing so long. Whether you’re there for the Top 100 hits or the obscurity of the unknowns, you’re in for a wild ride at Coachella this year.