By now, you’ve probably picked up your jaw after reading the lineup for this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Well, good for you. You’re ahead of the game. My jaw is still somewhere under the couch, collecting dust and being nibbled on by ants. I’ve just been too busy with travel plans to go and fetch it. That’s how shocking all this comes to me. So, why am I acting like a six-year old at Disney World? The truth is, there hasn’t been a line up of this caliber in years, quite possibly in decades, and it’s exciting to the ‘nth degree. Some may think otherwise, but seriously, let’s take a closer look. (Note: This is where you keep reading, even if you’re ready to throw a brick at my head.)

Okay, so on first glance…Paul McCartney. Yep, Goldenvoice managed to snag a former Beatle. Already they’re ahead of the game, and any other organizer (C3 Presents, for one) is probably kicking their children at this point. C’mon! You might not like the guy’s solo work (Memory Almost Full is somewhat weak, I’ll give you that.), but this is the guy who wrote “Hey Jude”, “The Night Before”, and “Helter Skelter”. He’s the Brit who penned “Maybe I’m Amazed”, and dueted with Michael Jackson on “The Girl is Mine”. Okay, so maybe that last part won’t sell you, but how can you not be psyched, if not impressed, at this headliner? We’re pretty ecstatic about ol’ Macca being there, but it’s not like we haven’t been excited for weeks now.

But, what’s that? There’s a truck load of other winning artists, too? Oh, right! How can we forget Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, The Cure and My Bloody Valentine? At this point in the glance over, I’m about ready to pass out. That’s enough to sell me on the festival alone, even if Macca wasn’t there! The twist? We haven’t even begun to focus on the real juice of the squeeze. Take a closer look and you’ll see The Bob Mould Band, Henry Rollins, and Paul Weller. Considering seeing Bob Mould is like having Hüsker Dü on the bill, and the same can be said of Weller and The Jam, those are two elements to throw in, as well.

Then there’s the modern talent, too. Among the ’80′s heroes, we can’t ignore the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Okkervil River, TV on the Radio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Peter Bjorn and John! Take a breath, Mike. Then you can look again and find newer festival favorites like Girl Talk, Lupe Fiasco, The Black Keys, and Atmosphere.  Somehow, Goldenvoice happened to steal Amy Winehouse from the crazy house, too. That seems to be a miracle in itself. You might even write that off as a form of public service.

Really, I could go on and on about this line up. Are there negatives? Sure there are! Nothing’s perfect. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a couple of drawbacks. For one, there isn’t a big “reunion” act here. In a perfect, idealistic world, The Replacements would have been a trophy addition, and even the inclusion of Paul Westerberg would have sufficed, but we live in reality, unfortunately. Goldenvoice can’t do it all, so maybe that will give some leeway for Superfly and C3 Presents (‘Mats for Lolla ’09?). As for other concerns, that collection on Saturday sticks out some. A few might fret and complain that The Killers aren’t even in the same league as both McCartney and The Cure, and they’d be right, so there’s that to scoff at. Then again, to play the Devil’s advocate, you have to consider that Goldenvoice typically has a heavy, late addition to the game. That’s not to say The Killers aren’t headlining, they probably are, but a lucky guess would bet that something is on the horizon for Saturday. What might that be? That’s a good topic to flirt about, but I’ll leave that to Alex.

So what’s next?

Once you digested the lineup, which I did half-consciously at 4:00 a.m. this morning, it’s pretty evident that there is more to come, and if Coachella’s history says anything (see: Prince), that more should be pretty big.

Obviously, the biggest area needing improvement is the electro-friendly Sahara Tent, which at this point, seems to be lacking a few big names. In years past, the area has featured the likes of such heavy hitters as Daft Punk, Justice, Fatboy Slim, Tiësto, Paul van Dyk, and someone named Madonna. Needless to say, Goldenvoice has set a pretty high standard for Sahara and with Thievery Corporation, The Crystal Method, MSTRKRFT, and Girl Talk highlighting the list of probable acts this year, it definitely seems likely, and has been rumored since this morning’s announcement, that a couple more additions are coming.

So who are some names to consider? Well, Orbital just got back together, while Basement Jaxx and The Chemical Brothers were two names filling everyone’s wishlist in the weeks leading up to the announcement. Of course, there’s always Moby and the Plump DJs, pending visa issues. And if all else fails, Perry Farrell is on the lineup and has been to known to spin at times.

As for those hoping for another mainstage headliner – you know, someone to stop Brandon Flowers and Co. from closing out Saturday night – one would have to guess something is coming, whether in the form of Neil Young, whose appearance was heavily rumored, but is currently noticeably absent on the lineup, or a high-profile reunion, such as Pavement. Other possibilities? Outkast or Nine Inch Nails seem like reasonable options, and while of course, The Smiths probably aren’t, as long as Morrissey is on the bill, there’s always a possibility Johnny Marr could hop on the plane destined for Indio.

All in all, if I had to guess, I would say the coming weeks will bring a few high-profile additions – Neil Young for Saturday headliner, Orbital for the Sahara Tent – and a slew of solid mid-tier acts, like Flight of the Conchords, Neko Case, and Keane. And maybe, just maybe, if we get lucky, a nice reunion mixed in; after all, if you don’t feel like ponying up the cash for Pavement, Mr. Westerberg and Co. are always available…