Hip-hop icons De La Soul have always undertaken new, highly conceptualized projects, be it as microphone plugs from Mars or by releasing the morose-sounding De La Soul Is Dead. Now, two-thirds of the group (Plug 2/Dave and Plug 1/Pos) are undertaking a new endeavor with the creation of First Serve.

A press release describes First Serve as a “dynamic hip-hop group, an album, a concept, the soundtrack to a movie that has yet to be made and a fable for our times.” The overarching storyline sees the MCs take on the roles of up and coming Queens rappers Jacob “Pop Life” Barrow (Plug 1) and Deen Whitter (Plug 2), working to make their names in the rap game. Explains the aforementioned press release:

The First Serve album tells the story of two dreamers in a basement struggling to start their musical career, the battles they face, through to the point that they eventually release their debut single, ‘make it big’ and their hard work and persistence finally pays off. As we know that is rarely where the story ends and the story of First Serve is no different. Taking place in an animated world that could have been imagined by Hawley Pratt on Magic Mushrooms, the high spirited and often hilarious journey is pure old school hip-hop; skits, disco, beats, funk, quips, burns and hustlin’ all included.

As an introduction into the highly intricate world they’ve crafted, the duo has released the music video for “Must B The Music”, the LP’s first single and first installment of the story a-large. Sonically speaking, the pair have forged a sound similar in veil to De La Soul: catchy rhymes and slick wordplay piled on top of processed strings and a disco groove. Visually, they pay homage to an era where hip-hop imagery was much goofier and cartoonish, telling the story of life hanging out in the basement to signing a deal and blowing up with backdrops ripped from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Watch the video below.

First Serve hits stores on April 2nd via PIAS Recordings. Late last month, the group also released The Goon Time Mixtape, which acts as yet another intro to the First Serve concept. Stream it below.

The Goon Time Mixtape Tracklist:
01. We Made It (Interlude)
02. Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along (First Serve vs Aloe Blacc)
03. Whatchu Want (Notorious B.I.G. vs De La Soul)
04. Untitled (Krs-ONE vs 2&4)
05. 99 Problems (Jay-Z) (Prodigy Remix)
06. The Work/Walk This Way (First Serve vs Run DMC)
07. It’s Like That (Run DMC vs Jason Navins)
08. Girls Money (Theophilus London)
09. Must B the Music (2&4 vs Akil [of Jurassic 5], Busta) (Remix)
10. Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out (First Serve vs Eminem)
11. Coming Up (Lupe Fiasco feat. MDMA)
12. Bright Lights, Bigger City (Cee-Lo)
13. The Message (Grandmaster Flash) (2&4 Mashup)
14. Bouncin’ Back (Mystikal)
15. The Influence (Jurassic 5) (2&4 Mashup)
16. Get Dirty (Redman vs. DJ Quick) (2&4 Remix)
17. La Saga (IAM) (2&4 Mash Up)
18. Must B the Music
19. Mashup (The Beatles vs Joan Jett vs Cypress Hill vs House Of Pain vs RATM)
20. Boom Boom Boom (B.B. King) (Remix)
21. Say No Saturday (De La Soul)
22. Made You Look (Nas) (Remix)
23. Here Comes the Hotstepper (Ini Kamoze vs Naughty By Nature)
24. Move ‘Em In, Move ‘Em Out (Demo Version)

On October 18th, witness the controversy-inducing rise and fall of A Tribe Called Quest when the Michael Rapaport-directed documentary Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest is released on DVD and Blu-ray by Sony Pictures Classics.

The film will be accompanied by commentary from Rapaport, each Tribe member, and several big-name hip-hop acts, including Pharrell, Common, Pete Rock, De La Soul, and Jungle Brothers. In addition, there will be three bonus featurettes included: Mike’s Journey, Bringing Beats to Life, and On the Red Carpet at the Los Angeles Film Festival Premiere.

Here’s the trailer:

On the road to releasing his newest effort, The Less You Know, The Better, Bay-area producer Josh Davis, better known as DJ Shadow, has ironically already dropped 20% of the tracks off the September 27th release. Following the premieres of “I Gotta Rokk“, “I’ve Been Trying”, and “I’m Excited” across the blogosphere, plus a spot on the summer’s IDENTITY fest (watch the video below), Shadow is debuting yet another track early: “Stay The Course”.

First spun Monday evening during a guest appearance on Andy Rourke’s Jetlag show on East Village Radio, “Stay The Course” is a stripped down, old-school hip-hop instrumental that carefully contours the verses of featured emcees Talib Kweli and Plug One, aka Posdnuos of De La Soul. Check out the track via our friends at Some Kind of Awesome, and make sure to peep the album’s complete tracklist below.

The Less You Know, The Better Tracklist:
01. Back To Front (Circular Logic)
02. Border Crossing
03. Stay The Course (feat. Posdnuos of De La Soul) & Talib Kweli)
04. I’ve Been Trying
05. Sad And Lonely
06. Warning Call (feat. Tom Vek)
07. Tedium
08. Enemy Lines
09. Going Nowhere
10. Redeemed
11. Run For Your Life
12. Give Me Back The Nights
13. I’m Excited (feat. Afrikan Boy)
14. I Gotta Rokk
15. Scale It Back Feat. Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon)
16. Circular Logic (Front To Back)
17. (Not So) Sad And Lonely

With all of the controversy surrounding his legacy, it’s easy to lose sight of just how talented and influential Tupac really was. Now, two recently unearthed diss tracks in “Watch Yo Mouth” and “NY ’87″ give the world a cutting reminder that Shakur was a man not to be trifled with. That means even you, Wendy Williams.

While these new versions have never before been released, each have made the rounds online before as lower quality versions. “Watch Yo Mouth” sees the Thug Life general go off on everyone from Dr. Dre to De La Soul. “NY ’87″, on the other hand, sees Tupac team up with DJ Quik, Deadly Threat, and Tha Dogg Pound (members Kurupt and Daz Dillinger) to take a bite out of practically every New York MC. Even after all these years, the blows land just as hard.

“Watch Yo Mouth”

“NY ’87″

The other 10 stages, which are placed near the amphitheater in Henry Maier Festival Park, will feature an equally eclectic mix of indie, hip hop, alternative, and mainstream acts. Among the notables are Girl Talk, Ben Harper, The Flaming Lips, Dropkick Murphys, Hall & Oates, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Meat Loaf, Matisyahu, Paul Rodgers, 311, Rise Against, Taking Back Sunday, Stephen Marley, and Wiz Khalifa.

Also playing are Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Amos Lee, Michael Franti & Spearhead, De La Soul, The Wailers, The Jayhawks, Wanda Jackson, Alkaline Trio, Young the Giant, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, The Airborne Toxic Event, Old 97s, Nicole Atkins, Funeral Party, Civil Twilight, and AWOLNATION.

And for your parents: Def Leppard w/ Heart (on the main stage), Styx, REO Speedwagon, Peter Frampton, Kansas, Buddy Guy, and Blue Oyster Cult will also be appearing.

And for your 15-year-old self: Third Eyed Blind, Goo Goo Dolls, Switchfoot, and Finger Eleven will all be playing.

You can view the complete lineup as well as the day-by-day breakdown at the festival’s website.

Tickets for the Marcus Ampitheater headlining shows are sold individually via Ticketmaster. General admission passes, which allow access to all the other stages, are also available via Ticketmaster in 1-day ($13.00), 3-day ($33.00), and weekday ($6.00) configurations.

On Letterman’s show proper, Gorillaz performed only a snippet of what they played on the webcast, but they still killed it with “Rhinestone Eyes”. Damon Albarn somehow embraces the best parts about frontmen everywhere: funky, cool, sexy, energetic, engaging with everyone — see for yourself below.

But it was after this short performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater that a small studio audience and thousands of people on the internet got to see some of Gorillaz real magic start to appear. For 45 min, the band played nine songs spanning all three of their LPs.

Albarn, Clash stars Paul Simonon and Mick Jones, current Noodle incarnate Miho Hatori, De La Soul, Bootie Brown, Kano, and a string quartet went beyond just summer festival highlights and transitioned to a top tier live act through and through. Each element of the band shined at various moments during the set, from the strings in “On Melancholy Hill” and De La’s notorious laugh on “Feel Good Inc.” to Albarn’s vocal charge towards the end of “Green World” and the rest of the bands’ synchronicity on the funky instrumental “Glitter Freeze”.

If nothing else, this was a precursor to what promises to be a can’t miss tour. If really nothing else, I hope sailor-chic is vogue this year.

“Rhinestone Eyes”

Webcast

Oddly, part of the festival’s success may be related to North Coast finding a niche as a festival that is easy to hate. I had the following conversation with a friend while listening to Pretty Lights on Friday night.

Mike Denslow: “Do you think the festival will be back next year?”

Friend: “No.”

Mike Denslow: “Really?  Look how many people are here!”

Friend: “Yeah…but….fuck this.”

North Coast made its name by raiding the marginalized genres that people love to hate and other festivals love to avoid; the lineup was packed with noodling jam bands, untzy DJ’s, and everyone’s favorite red-headed stepdaughter, rap. With Pitchfork completely out of the jam band scene and Lollapalooza’s bizarre hip-hop phobia, North Coast had free reign to pick a lineup made of these genres. The beauty for North Coast is that music that inspires such feelings of hatred tends to inspire equally strong feelings in those who love it. Plus, the eccentric lineup drew people such as my aforementioned friend who weren’t crazy about the lineup as a whole, but were able to find just enough appealing acts to justify purchasing a ticket.

So gather your glowsticks, your face paint, and your moccasins, kids, because after a weekend of weird and wild sound waves (not to mention the people-watching), we’d like to hope that North Coast will be back for round two.

Friday, September 3rd

Paul Kalkbrenner
Groupon Stage, 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

Paul Kalkbrenner, as one of the first acts of the weekend, was an appropriate opening soundtrack to North Coast. People were still filtering in as Kalkbrenner started his set, and his mix of mellow electronica provided a comfortable background for low key dancing and high quality people-watching. His light show colored the smoke machine’s output yellow and pink before both the smoke and the music were carried away by the brisk Chicago wind. The highlights of Kalkbrenner’s set came when he began ad-libbing to kill time while waiting for a delayed Paul Van Dyk. Kalkbrenner mixed a flute-driven track with a call-back number, and later set Gary Jules’ “Mad World” to a club beat, much to the delight of the audience. -Megan Ritt

Paul Van Dyk
North Stage, 6:30 p.m.

The first glitch of the festival occurred when German DJ Paul Van Dyk’s set began half an hour late. After apologizing to the crowd – apparently there were some problems at immigration – he did not waste any time making use of the half hour he had left, working off some high energy that kept the crowd moving. Success. -Michael Denslow

Photo by Brad Bretz

Pretty Lights
Groupon Stage, 7:30 p.m.

After Van Dyk’s abbreviated set, the audience was ready for something more substantial, and they got it when Pretty Lights took the stage. Playing with a live drummer, which added considerable energy to the set, Pretty Lights’ Derek Vincent Smith laid down a set of quick and fun party jams that had the crowd climbing on top of equipment and flailing inflatable animals in the air. There wasn’t a lot of tempo contrast in this set, but let it be said: Pretty Lights never slowed down. As they played, the initial crowd rush attracted more and more people until by the end, it was too packed to move. And living up to their name, pink and blue spotlights flooded the whole main stage area with color. There’s nothing like a compulsive dance party to really get things going. -Megan Ritt

The Chemical Brothers
North Stage, 8:30 p.m.

The Pretty Lights crowd rushed to the right-hand stage as that band finished their set; the Chemical Brothers were that night’s headliner, and they launched their sensory assault right on time. A slow bass beat filled the air, gradually increasing in tempo and driving the crowd into a near frenzy, and when the beat opened up into popular single “Galvanize”, the whole place reached fever pitch. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons lived up to their billing by playing one of the best sets of the weekend, mixing old favorites with new songs off their latest effort, Further. The sun set completely during their set, but the light show came up to take its place. Their custom screen backdrop displayed marching robots, swirling humans finding and losing one another again and again, and psychedelic green swirls that reached out long laser lines over the heads of the audience, involving even those farthest from the stage.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Highlights of the set included new songs “Horse Power” (with accompanying horse visuals, naturally), “Swoon”, and “Escape Velocity”. The crowd proved themselves devoted fans and were well pleased by older favorites “Hey Boy Hey Girl” and “Out of Control”. People danced almost involuntarily, as the deafening music and dazzling lights took over control duty from the nervous system. The Brothers Chemical closed things down by reminding us why they were headliners: They rock at dance music, but they also do transcendent beauty like no one else in their game. Towards the end, they brought in “K+D+B” and its floating, ethereal layers. As the lyrics built “higher, and higher, and higher…”, a beautiful visualization like one thousand white birds or like flurries of snow against a stark black background filled the screen, floating higher and higher itself, up into the night sky, disappearing somewhere over the Chicago skyline. -Megan Ritt

Saturday, September 4th

Laidback Luke
Coast Stage, 3:45 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

Laidback Luke was the surprise star of the weekend; I honestly caught his set only because I wanted to find the Coast Stage. But the DJ threw down an amazingly fun, easily accessible afternoon set in the welcome shade of a leafy corner of the park. He might not have had a unique sound, but he hand-mixed a lot of his set and clearly had a great time doing it. Just listen to this guy mix in samples ranging from Daft Punk to The White Stripes to Guns N’ Roses, and try not to dance — I dare you. -Megan Ritt

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
North Stage, 4:30 p.m.

After a lot of dance party, people were ready to take a breather, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals provided just such an opportunity. They had a great summery sound, colored a whiskey hue by plenty of guitar, and perfect for sprawling out on a blanket and sipping beer, which the audience did with abandon. Grace Potter’s got a fearless, throaty voice, best displayed on their cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”. -Megan Ritt

Photo by Brad Bretz

Future Rock
Coast Stage, 6:30 p.m.

Future Rock… not so much futuristic, not so much rock. The local band played decent electronic music, including one piece featuring a lot of high-pitched synth runs, and the crowd seemed to enjoy themselves a fair amount. Nevertheless, Future Rock somehow managed to be interesting but not particularly exciting. A bit more energy would’ve helped them out of the late-afternoon slump. -Megan Ritt

Jay Electronica
North Stage, 6:30 p.m.

One of the big stories floating around the festival Saturday was that up-and-coming New Orleans MC Jay Electronica came into the crowd and got in a fight with a fan while opening for the Disco Biscuits at a Friday after show. If there were any hard feelings between Jay and the festival crowd though, nobody let on Saturday evening. The rapper opened his stage to dozens of fans (mostly twenty-something white males) and then shielded them from the security guards trying to pull them off. He alternated between socially conscious rhetoric and crass jokes about choking during sex. He covered a verse of Nas’ “The World is Yours”. He turned the mic over to eager wannabe MC’s. As usual, Jay Electronica’s set was light on his own material, but he’s positioning himself nicely as rap’s royal goofus. And that’s not a bad thing for a genre that used to be fun. -Michael Denslow

De La Soul
Groupon Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

The shelf life of a rap group is generally a fraction of that of other genres. Don’t tell that to De La Soul. One of the legendary cornerstones of the Native Tongues crew, they have somehow managed to find ways to stay fresh over the past two decades.  While they may not be making huge commercial waves with their more recent output, they still remain much more relevant than any of their late 80’s contemporaries. Their North Coast performance was an hour-long celebration of everything a great hip-hop show should be: sparkling crowd interaction, big smiles, and hits for days. From classic 3 Feet High and Rising cuts like “Me Myself and I” and “Potholes in My Lawn” to the bafflingly awesome late career highlight “Rock Co.Kane Flow”, De La had their daisy loving fans and curious newcomers in the palm of their hands. The highlight of the set – of the weekend – came when Dres from Black Sheep joined them on stage for a rousing version of “The Choice is Yours”. The crew put the crowd in hysterics, re-starting the “engine, engine, number ninth” verse multiple times, with each false start getting a more rousing reaction until the entire crowd was yelling and jumping in ecstasy.  Bananas. -Michael Denslow

Boys Noize
Coast Stage, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday was a great night to be an electronic fan, and Boys Noize kicked things off in high style. He hid behind his deck at first, raising only a mystery hand to tweak the mixing board, until the music built to a crescendo and he popped to his feet, further igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. His music was scratchy, technical electronic, a little harder to access than some but straight to the point and better for it. He improvised a lot of effects as he went and kept the crowd in the palm of his hand with the judicious dropping of big, heavy beats. Highlights of his set included “Jeffer”, “Lava Lava”, “Transmission”, and his remix of Feist’s “My Moon My Man”. Boys Noize kept things going steady until 9pm, when he shook hands with Moby and handed off the deck, without so much as a hiccup in the beats. -Megan Ritt

Photo by Brad Bretz

Umphrey’s McGee
North Stage, 8:30 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

I’m not going to lie: I wasn’t particularly looking forward to Umphrey’s McGee. All I knew was that they were a major jam band, and I’m definitely over that phase of my life. But I left the Fest that night impressed anyway: Umphrey’s brought their A-game and managed to satisfy both jam fans and the general crowd (those who weren’t over at the Coast Stage having their eardrums rearranged by Moby, anyway). They played the expected spaced-out jam session, sure, but there was enough crunchy, driven guitar in the mix to interest even a cynic like me. Their light show was a truly striking blend of every color imaginable, with spotlights circling all ’round the stage and creating a strong psychedelic effect. Their set ended up being improv jams mixed with good-natured rock ‘n’ roll and surprisingly technical instrumentation. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d totally see them again. -Megan Ritt

Moby
Coast Stage, 9:00 p.m.

One aspect festival organizers may want to reevaluate going into next year is the stage setup. Four stages and a decidedly top-heavy lineup had tiny acts like The Coop playing to sparse early-afternoon crowds on the main stages while some of the festival’s biggest names were banished to the cramped confines of the Coast Stage. There was a time around the turn-of-the-millennium when Moby was the biggest crossover name of his genre and, while he is no longer the household name he once was, he still packed the area with a mix of hard-core fans, curious attendees familiar with his commercial output, and anti-jammies who just wanted some bass to drown out Umphrey’s McGee.

Photo by Brad Bretz

The result was a large crowd that would probably have been better off at one of the main stages, even for a stripped down DJ set. On the other hand, the diminutive DJ turned the cozy Coast Stage into a glorious wonderland of weird. At one point I looked around and saw a girl in pink fishnets and furry boots attracting a crowd by hula hooping, two boys deep throating lollypops, and people dressed in all variations of Green Man. And while any of these things alone would have gotten half a glance before being written off as a festival cliché, the whole ensemble set to Moby’s soundtrack made for a surreally goofy (and enjoyable) ending to the day. -Michael Denslow

Sunday September 5

The Coop / Prob Cause / D.E.E.
North Stage / Coast Stage / Red Bull Local Stage, not 1:00 p.m.

One of the problems with doing lots of drugs is that sometimes you have a hard time getting up and getting things done in the morning. This could explain the fact that the handful of people who arrived when the gates opened Sunday was greeted by over 90 minutes of eerie silence. Not even a canned recording was heard. And at 1:00 p.m., the time when three stages were set to begin, the silence continued. And continued. Not until about 1:40 was music heard on any of the stages. Two attendees I talked to claimed they spent their first 30 minutes in the park walking circles between the stages looking for any sign of activity on any of them. When the music did finally begin, it was only a slight improvement. Prob Cause – a contest winner awarded a spot on the lineup – delivered a game but sloppy rap set. The Coop awarded their fans patience with a painfully short set. The less said about whatever was going on at the Local Stage the better. -Michael Denslow

Photo by Graham Sher

Phantogram
North Stage, 2:30 p.m.

On a very comfortable weekend of weather, Phantogram just happened to play the one hour that was actually a little hot. It’s nobody’s fault, but they may have been the act on the lineup least ideal for a heat-of-the-day set. (In fact, now that I think about it, they would have been a perfect act to close out the Coast Stage.) That said, the duo made the most of it, delivering a full hour of electronic rock that was both danceable and adorable. -Michael Denslow

Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Groupon Stage, 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

On a lineup heavy on electronic bells and whistles, New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band stood out for their raw simplicity.  They didn’t mess around, tearing through classics like “When the Saints Go Marching In” (integrated with chants of “Who Dat?”) and “My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now”. The crowd ate it up. -Michael Denslow

Benny Benassi
Coast Stage, 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

Benny Benassi had a lot of his set pre-arranged on his computers, but he didn’t let the free time go to waste. He spent it instead taking crowd photos on his own camera and autographing stray beach balls before punting them back out into the masses. What he lacked in improv he made up for in fun, playing his club hit “Satisfaction” and allowing the crowd to fill in vocals on a remix of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Other Side”. He closed his set with a surprisingly ethereal remix of U2′s “Where the Streets Have No Name” before grinning and holding up a laptop screen reading “THANKS YOU ALL CHICAGO.” Benassi is clearly a man with job, ahem– satisfaction. -Megan Ritt

Mayer Hawthorne & The County
Groupon Stage, 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

Mayer Hawthorne & The County was everything that I expected: classy, soulful, dressed in dapper suits. What they also were, though, was just plain cool. It takes a certain panache to wear a full suit on stage at a jam and hip-hop festival, and it earned them a measure of respect from the crowd. They repaid that in spades with an easily danceable, chilled-out big-band sound. Mayer Hawthorne himself swung about a tambourine and smooth-talked the crowd between songs. A little late afternoon Blues Brothers style was the perfect happy hour diversion for the Windy City. -Megan Ritt

Flying Lotus
North Stage, 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Brad Bretz

One of North Coast’s apparent strategies to success in the overpopulated Chicago festival scene was to set itself up as a sort of anti-Pitchfork by avoiding the blog-hyped bands that dominate the other local fests. While this is probably a decent strategy (who wants a third identical festival?) they may want to look at adding at least a few more of these acts next year. Sometime shortly before Flying Lotus took the stage, Union Park decided to get slam packed. The DJ did not disappoint, keeping the party rocking with a full hour of hippie-tested, hipster-approved beats, touching on everything from Portishead to Radiohead. -Michael Denslow

Lupe Fiasco
Groupon Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Graham Sher

In the short time Lupe Fiasco has been on the national rap radar, his live show has morphed into something of a monster. Four years ago he skated onto the stage at Union Park’s Intonation Festival full of boundless energy and excitement over his upcoming debut album. Since then he has played Chicago countless times, with each show seemingly more gimmicky than the previous one. Sunday’s show was a bloated mess full of pretty lights, roaring guitars, and altogether too much new(ish) material. While there is nothing wrong with any of this, it just all sort of fits Lupe awkwardly. He is a mid-tier rapper whose live show increasingly feels like it is meant for arenas. But perhaps the most striking fact about his show was that it stood in such sharp contrast to De La Soul’s bare bones set the night before. I am no rap purist, but De La’s two turntable, three mic set was a demonstration to the uninitiated festival masses of what pure, raw, live hip-hop sounds and feel likes. Lupe’s set, on the other hand, felt like hip-hop dressed up as something else in order to appeal to the tastes of the uninitiated. And that’s fine…there is certainly a time and place for a big budget, heavily produced rap show. I’m just not certain that Lupe Fiasco is the right person for that gig. -Michael Denslow

Nas/Damian Marley
North Stage, 8:30 p.m.

Speaking of hip-hop dressed up as something it is not…

I’m not opposed to the whole Distant Relatives project. The music is good enough, and Nas should get some credit for finding ways to stay relevant and creative as he approaches 20 years in the game. I’m sure the hippies and the trustafarians had a great time at this set, but for the rest of us – and particularly rap fans – it sort of left the festival on a bit of a fizzle. Bottom line: too much reggae not enough Nas. Illmatic, perhaps the greatest rap album of all time, was a no show on the setlist. So was the emotionally charged live staple “One Mic”. Even the musical high points – “If I Ruled the World”, “Made You Look” – came off swampy and overwhelmed by all the live instrumentation and flag waving. It was all an entertaining visual display, but a bit of a disappointing turn for a rapper who holds down an empty stage better than anyone I have ever seen.

Photo by Graham Sher

It stands to reason that when two artists as disparate as Nas and Damian Marley team up the persona of one will swallow the other. It’s unfortunate that in this case the more musically ambitious and creative mind of Nas is stifled. For what it’s worth, Marley, much more in his element than Nas, came off loose and relaxed. “Welcome to Jam Rock” was a highlight that got the crowd moving more than any of the Nas songs.

The duo closed out the festival performing their original collaboration, “Road to Zion”. -Michael Denslow

Photography by Brad Bretz and Graham Sher. Feature photo by Brad Bretz.
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Gallery by Brad Bretz

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Gallery by Graham Sher

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With so many projects between the two, it was really only a matter of time until their musical journeys would cross paths. They first worked together when Oh No laid down some vocals for the track “Acts of Violence” off  Alchemist’s 2009 album, Chemical Warfare. Later in the year, the two released the first single under the moniker Gangrene, entitled “Under Siege”. You can check out the video below, and yes that is Scott Caan at :46. Only now have the duo finalized their debut LP, Gutter Water.

After more than three years of recording sessions, and a myriad of emails, Gutter Water is due out October 12th via Decon. Apart from sharing production duties for the album, Oh No and Alchemist will be heard trading verses over one another’s compositions. To aide in the emcee department, Raekwon, Evidence, Roc C, MED, Twins Gambino, Planet Asia and Fashawn are all making appearances on the 15-track album.

Check out the tracklist, and first single “Chain Swinging” below.

Check Out:
“Chain Swinging”

Gutter Water Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Boss Shit (Cuts by DJ Romes)
03. Not High Enough
04. Gutter Water ft. Raekwon
05. Get Into Some Gangster Shit ft. Planet Asia
06. Take Drugs
07. Chain Swinging (Cuts by DJ Romes)
08. Wassup Wassup ft. Fashawn and Evidence
09. All Bad (Cuts by DJ Romes)
10. Breathing Down Yo Neck ft. MED
11. From Another Orbit ft. Roc C
12. Ransom
13. Standing In The Shadows
14. Brass Knuckle Rap ft. Guilty Simpson
15. Not Leaving ft. Big Twins

In an interview with BBC Radio 4′s Front Row, Albarn confirmed that Reed would join the band on stage on Friday, June 25th. The plan was for Reed to fly in, rehearse, and enjoy England’s game in the World Cup before rocking the crowd. And to ensure that fans get the best show possible, Albarn put in place a strict ban on alcohol, despite it being against his camp’s M.O. Gee, the sacrifices Albarn will make for his art.

While Reed is the icing on the cake, Albarn also confirmed that other Plastic Beach collaborators such as Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and De La Soul would also join the group during its set. According to Albarn, “We’ve got about 50 or 60 people at one point on stage.” Ain’t no party like a Gorillaz party.

As always, stay tuned for more Gorillaz news and coverage from this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

As if all that weren’t enough, Chi-Town will also play host to the inaugural North Coast Music Festival this summer. Set to take place from September 3-5 in Union Park, the festival promises a mix of the world’s best electronic, house, jamband, indie, and hip-hop acts and, as a newly leaked flier indicates, that’s a pretty good way of describing it.

The Chemical Brothers, Nas & Damian Marley, and Umphrey’s McGee will headline the festivities, while the Disco Biscuits, Moby (DJ Set), Benny Benassi, Paul van Dyke, Cold War Kids, De La Soul, and Flying Lotus are also scheduled to perform.

Among the other acts on the initial bill include Boys Noize, Jay Electronica, Jakob Dylan & Three Legs, Future Rock, Mayer Hawthrone & The County, Phantogram, Benga, Laidbuck Luke, Van Ghost, Two Fresh, Green Velvet, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Paul Kalkbrenner, Loyal Divide, and Orchard Lounge. In all, 35 acts will play during the three day festival.

An official announcement will be made later today and limited $65 three-day passes will be available beginning at 8am CST. Stay tuned for more details. Update: It’s official.

The newly unveiled, Stephen Agnew-directed “Baby” captures what the collective does best— enjoying the company of close friends. It’s this free-spirited, upbeat vibe that draws an ever-increasing international fanbase. Check out the video below– it makes the following news even better.

Following its currently ongoing European tour, The Phenomenal Handclap Band will turn stateside this month for a short trek. Launching in Brooklyn on June 12th, the six-date tour also has the band playing in Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, and Cleveland, plus Toronto, where it will be appearing this year’s North by Northeast.

Once again, the band’s tour includes incredible talent: These are Powers, Javelin, Kid Sister, and De La Soul will each provide support at different cities along the tour. Not a bad summer road trip if you ask me.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band 2010 Tur Dates:
06/01 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
06/02 – Dresen, DE @ Scheune
06/03 – Munich, DE @ Kongresshalle
06/04 – Berlin, DE @ Ritter Butzke
06/05 – Paris, FR @ Le Social Club
06/06 – Offenbach, DE @ Hafen 2
06/07 – Cologne, DE @ Gebaude 9
06/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
06/16 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place ^
06/17 – Detroit, MI @ Macho City Party @ Magic Stick
06/18 – Chicago, IL @ Just Desserts Party @ Lincoln Hall
06/19 – Cleveland, OH @ Solstice Festival @ Cleveland Museum of Art *
06/20 – Toronto, ON @ Yonge-Dundes Square (NXNE) $
06/26 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
07/03 – London, UK @ Wireless Festival
08/07 – Ledbury, UK @ The Big Chill
08/08 – Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling

# = w/ These Are Powers & The Stallions
^ = w/ Warpaint
* = w/ Javelin
$ = w/ Kid Sister & De La Soul

However, one quote stuck out at me while being a dork this year that truly captivated what this festival is all about. When people were all bickering over whether or not Jay-Z would be the third headliner (which he inevitably was), somebody stated something along the lines of, “Why would Goldenvoice get three contemporary headliners? They’ve never done this before.” Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but Coachella was always known for having at least one headliner who had been around for awhile, but the reason this festival stands alone is because of the fact the bands on the bill are of such a high magnitude.

2010 marks the first true hip-hop headliner with Jay-Z, arguably one of the best rappers of our generation. Finally, Muse was called to the Polo Fields, after years and years of internet fans obsessing over the fact that the band needed to return with a higher spot on the bill. And the Gorillaz finally decided to make an appearance, which is something they rarely do anywhere, let alone at Coachella. Plus, they have written three of the best records in our time. Not to mention an amazing plethora of classic rock artists (Faith No More, Sly Stone, PiL, Echo and the Bunnymen) DJs (Deadmau5, Tiesto, Infected Mushroom), unique spectacles (Pavement, the Specials, Devo, and the USC marching band alongside Coheed & Cambria), the best in modern electo-pop (MGMT, Phoenix, Passion Pit) and finally one of the guys from Radiohead came back (Thom Yorke and his new band, Atoms for Peace). If this festival is too contemporary for people, they are clearly uninformed or misunderstand the definition of the word. This festival isn’t for contemporary music fans, it’s for people who love music. -Ted Maider

Friday, April 16th

Baroness
Mojave: 2:00-2:45 p.m.

The cool thing about Baroness is that the band members always come out and set up their own instruments before a gig. Coachella was no different. That being said, the sound never seems to falter when a band sets up their own instruments the only way they know how. With energy that I haven’t seen from Baroness in a long while, the band came out on stage and billowed through an almost hour long set that consisted of only the best from their Red Album and Blue Record.  John Baizley, lead singer, trudged and stomped his way around the stage and him and guitarist, Peter Adams, had many riff duels, back to back. This was one show of the weekend that should not have been missed. -Matt Rhodes

DJ Lance Rock
Sahara: 2:15-3:00 p.m.

Little children seem to love the television program Yo Gabba Gabba, a trippy Sesame Street that embraces modern day music to convey the same universal ideas of good living that children’s programming is supposed to teach. DJ Lance Rock brought this whole idea with him in his 45 minute show of bizarre monsters in an ecstacy explosion of infantile awesomeness. It didn’t matter how old you were, you could still rock out to a song about eating a healthy dinner. -Ted Maider

Avett Brothers
Outdoor Theatre: 3:20-4:05 p.m.

The Outdoor Theatre has become known for its technical difficulties throughout the years, and inexplicably, this year was no different. This is what plagued an otherwise fine Avett Brothers set. From the incessant buzzing on the right side of the stage to the fluctuating pitch of the mics, this set was doomed to never reach its potential. However, it had its highlights, including the rap portion of “Slight Figure of Speech” – fun despite setting back the White race about 20 years. -Harry Painter

Aeroplane
Sahara: 5:15-6:25 p.m.

These two nerdy looking air traffic controller types made some of the coolest airport techno to get you where you needed to go. Remember, music is the most quintessential part of any journey, and these cockpit party-geeks brought their audience to a new realm of dancing awesome. -Ted Maider

Dillinger Escape Plan
Gobi: 5:45-6:30 p.m.

When Dillinger Escape Plan took the stage, they took to it with a welcomed surprise: a tent packed with some of their biggest fans. The first couple songs were plagued with microphone problems but the band didn’t let that affect the bombastic set. Lead singer, Greg Puciato, climbed rafters and speakers and threw a microphone stand and himself into the crowd. Dillinger burned through songs spanning their whole career. They dove into newer material and even touched upon the oldies “43% Burnt” and “Sunshine the Werewolf”. Too bad Mike Patton didn’t come out to sing songs off of Irony Is A Dead Scene, though. Wishful thinking, I guess. -Matt Rhodes

The Specials
Coachella: 6:20-7:20 p.m.

Even after all these years, the Specials are still able to redefine the genre of ska even thirty plus years after its’ conception. Nothing beat the band’s dedication to the “rude boys and girls” as they blasted through “A Message to Rudy” as the sun set to just to the left of their already blazing set. This was the point in the day where everybody in the festival was skanking their hardest; except this time they wore sandals instead of checkered Vans. -Ted Maider

Passion Pit
Outdoor Theatre: 7:00-7:50 p.m.

With the California sun setting in the in the desert paradise of Indio, Passion Pit worked their crowed, as they are known to do. It truly just may be the way he speaks, but Michael Angelakos sounded rather intoxicated when conversing with the crowd. But as ever, Coachella witnessed spot on vocals from Angelakos and wonderful showmanship from the rest of the band. They played mostly Manners tracks, still plugging the re-release. Tracks included, but were not limited to: “The Reeling”, “Let Your Love Grow Tall”, and “Drive Me Crazy.” As the sun was in its last minutes of shining down of the enormous crowd, Angelakos asked the question: “The darker it gets here at Coachella, the more wild you’re gonna get, isn’t that how it works?” He couldn’t have hit the nail on the head harder if he were Lady Cleo. -Winston Robbins

Pretty Lights
Sahara: 7:50-8:50 p.m.

Sporting a lot of hype and – what else – some very pretty lights, Colorado electro artist Pretty Lights brought the energy to live up to the expectations. Those not drawn to the star power of Them Crooked Vultures or the even bigger hype surrounding Grizzly Bear one tent over were treated to a memorable, glitch-happy one-hour live set featuring Cory Eberhard on drums. “Hot Like Sauce” indeed. -Harry Painter

Them Crooked Vultures
Coachella: 7:50-8:40 p.m.

Imagine getting run over by an enormous truck of sound and you basically will understand what Them Crooked Vultures show was like. Dave Grohl smashing his drums with fury and grace, as he sweat out his entire body weight in a 50 minute set. Meanwhile Josh Homme pounded on his guitar like a madman as the band raged their greatest songs like “Mind Eraser”, “Dead End Friends” and a Phish-style jam on “Scumbag Blues,” which was dedicated to the entire crowd. Let alone John Paul Jones of Led fucking Zeppelin was sitting up there playing every instrument known to man and just absolutely killing it even 40 years after the band that made him famous got their big break (not to mention he sat down at a piano to play a beautiful piece, while Homme took a cigarette break in front of the whole crowd). -Ted Maider

Grizzly Bear
Mojave: 8:05-8:55 p.m.

A packed audience in the Mojave tent eagerly awaited the highly anticipated Brooklyn folk group. Starting off slow and building towards fresher material, Grizzly Bear gave their fans a taste of old and new. Of course we were all waiting for “Two Weeks”, and when it came it sealed their status as future headliners. The fact that all four members contributed to the vocals was awe-inspiring as every harmony recreated their albums seamlessly. The Mojave tent stayed dark throughout most of the set, further captivating the chill-factor that Grizzly Bear fans love to talk about. -Elias Newman

LCD Soundsystem
Coachella: 9:05-10:00 p.m.

A beaming James Murphy, clad in a sharp white suit, took the stage to uproarious fanfare. With the success of his previous two releases and the impending success of his upcoming (and possibly final) album This Is Happening, Murphy has evolved into a full-fledged legend. The LCD crew took no time leading us right into “Us v. Them” off of their transcendent 2007 release Sound of Silver. He expressed to us his sadness that he wanted to meet Them Crooked Vultures when they came offstage, but he found himself “stuck in the bathroom,” a shame indeed. Regardless of his disappointment, he soldiered on cheerily with new power hitter “Drunk Girls”. The remainder of his set would be largely from Silver, but he was intent on getting his new music heard. Apologizing for the “Faux pas of playing two new songs in a row”, he dropped the psyched-out anthem “I Can Change” followed by half monologue, half dance floor filler “Pow Pow”. He finished the night off with 11 minute crowd pleaser “Yeah” and funky love ballad “NY, I Love You”. One thing’s for sure, if this is truly Murphy’s last effort as LCD, he’s going out with a bang. Or a “Pow”, if you will. -Winston Robbins

Imogen Heap
Mojave: 9:20-10:10 p.m.

What made Imogen Heap’s set truly incredible was not just the music itself; her stage presence really made the late night set one of the best of the weekend. Speaking to the crowd as if they were old friends made for one hell of an intimate show. She even allowed us to learn and sing a song with her. Multitasking was her main theme of the night as she continued to play every single instrument on her own. She closed out the night on a keytar, finished on the baby grand piano, with her famous track “Hide and Seek”. -Matt Rhodes

Little Dragons
Gobi: 09:35-10:20 p.m.

After two appearances on Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach, Little Dragon has soared in popularity over the last few months. Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano alongside her three-piece band is an amazing sight, and her presence dominated the Gobi tent. The absence of “Twice” was disappointing but understandable, as the song would have brought the fast-paced set to a lull. In between Nagano’s power and shrills was a glimpse of a girl who was still light-headed at the thought of playing Coachella. It was that innocence that made for a special performance from a blossoming band. -Elias Newman

Vampire Weekend
Outdoor Theatre: 09:55-10:45 p.m.

Talk about a band that blew the fuck up. Vampire Weekend played the Outdoor Theater two years ago to a crowd that had merely just heard of them and wanted to check them out, but this time they played the same stage and you couldn’t get near it if you didn’t get there in time. The band ripped up versions of “Run”, “A-Punk”, “Walcott”, and “Oxford Comma” to a crowd that was ecstatic to be in the same place as the newest indie East Coast sensation. -Ted Maider

Jay-Z
Coachella: 10:50 p.m.

A countdown engulfs monitors on both sides of the stage. 10 minutes… 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4:20 (cheers and smoke loom overhead), 4, 3, 2, 1. Hova rises from inside the stage, with his 10-piece band right behind him. Starting off with “Run this Town”, Jay-Z didn’t waste any time. He worked through The Blueprint 3 alongside Memphis Bleek with a backdrop of skyscrapers and New York City behind him. At one point President Obama came on screen, and as he brushed his shoulders off during a previous speech, “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” blasted through the outdoor theatre. The moment was as humorous as it was surprising, and shows how Jay is not just a rapper but an entertainer. A few more hits (“99 Problems”, “H to the Izzo”), and then there she is. “Come on out B!” Beyonce’s cameo included the rendition of “Forever Young” as fireworks flew above the Coachella stage. Witnessing the romance was truly magical, especially as their first child is rumored to be on the way. Leaving the audience only to return for “Encore” was predictable, but it didn’t matter. The Jigga Man used his whole arsenal Friday night, and did it bigger than anyone could have expected. -Elias Newman

Saturday, April 17th

Rx Bandits
Outdoor Theatre: 12:25-1:15 p.m.

Thanks to a volcanic cancellation by Frightened Rabbits, both Rx Bandits and Porcupine Tree had extended sets, much to the delight of early comers to the festival. Rx Bandits played a full hour (10 more minutes than second-billed Faith No More), and it was easy to see why 60% of the people in the crowd (allegedly) traveled from out of state just to see them at Coachella (allegedly). The band’s jammy pop-punk made for enough good vibes to last into the evening. Rx Bandits are in serious need of an additional vocalist though. -Harry Painter

Porcupine Tree
Outdoor Theatre: 1:35-2:25 p.m.

Steven Wilson is a genius and it showed during Porcupine Tree’s afternoon set. The group was welcomed to the stage by a big fan base and went on to perform one of the best 50 minute sets I have ever seen. They played mostly new stuff but the musicianship shown was undeniable. Wilson and company were meticulous. They are true music nerds and the connection between the group was felt by all. Finding a band that can perform their funky progressive rock and metal with utmost perfection is almost impossible these days. -Matt Rhodes

Craze & Klever
Sahara: 4:05-5:25 p.m.

In a year rife with no-shows, turntablists Craze & Klever pulled through after missing their scheduled performance at last year’s festival. They put together a solid set featuring a couple of MC’s, one much better than the other. It was nothing to beat yourself up over from one April to the next, but it was very good, despite alienating some of the Sahara’s typical dance-oriented crowd. -Harry Painter

Beach House
Mojave: 4:25-5:15 p.m.

Beach House came out playing music that sounded like the soundtrack to my death. The trio played a heavenly brand of material, mostly culled from this year’s remarkable Teen Dream, that lifted you up to the clouds from paradise on Earth as they rocked a mellow set  that smoothed over a good vibe in the overcast heat. If you were just trying to cool off, there was no place better than with Beach House. -Ted Maider

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Outdoor Theatre: 5:10-6:00 p.m.

Edward Sharpe announced his arrival onstage by tying his sweaty, white t-shirt around a guy in the front row’s face. That pretty much kicked it off from there as the band played to a devoted crowd in the hot air. Their triumphant brand of indie rock truly connected well with the masses at the Outdoor Theater that afternoon.  Edward Sharpe and his posse proved to the crowd that power could be expressed through an elegant performance. At the end he sang out, “Thanks for being alive!” and all I can say to them in return is, “You’re welcome and thank you for making me feel that way.” -Ted Maider

The xx
Outdoor Theatre: 6:25 p.m. – 7:10 p.m.

“The roof is on fire,” announced bassist Oliver Sim with an uncontainable grin, after the roof of the Coachella Stage was literally aflame during Coheed and Cambria’s set. These grins appeared repeatedly on Sim’s and guitarist Romy Madley Croft’s normally deadpan faces, perhaps due to the large and growing crowd they had at least helped attract. Sim is a rock star in the making, and his band The xx has the chops to back up the almost comical neo-goth image. -Harry Painter

Hot Chip
Outdoor Theatre: 7:35-8:25 p.m.

Unfortunately, this set was not as epic as I had intended upon it being. Not because they aren’t talented musicians who make some of the best electronic music out there right now, but because the crowd seemed so uninterested. Also because frankly, the song choice was strange, which may or may not have been their fault. They were just one in a long list of bands who deserved a longer time slot. The five-piece outfit from London left out quite a few of their big hits to play obscure songs from this year’s One Life Stand as well as obscurities from 2008’s impeccable Made In The Dark. Hot Chip hit hard with the first song “One Pure Thought”, and much to the crowd’s delight, Alexis Taylor had donned his iconic mustard yellow pants to rock the Outdoor Stage at Coachella. They went on to play old favorites “Over and Over” and “Ready For The Floor” as well as new favorites “Hand Me Down Your Love” and “I Feel Better”. However, mixed in with the favorites, they played oddballs such, “We Have Love” and “Hold On”. On the whole, they got the crowd pumped, but I came away with the impression that they were trying out for the part of LCD Soundsystem, Jr. (Insert remarks about Al Doyle being a member of both bands here). They left the stage after saying, “We’ll see you all at Devo!”, who was scheduled to play later in the night. -Winston Robbins

Faith No More
Coachella: 7:55-8:45 p.m.

Three words sum up this show sufficiently: more dates please. As great as it was to see Faith No More’s “Second Coming”, this particular portion of the second coming lasted 50 minutes and just wasn’t enough – for any band near the top of the bill, and especially a high-profile reunion like Faith No More. Not to mention the cooperative but indifferent crowd, which caused even hardcore Faith No More fans to shy away from “Epic” and “Midlife Crisis” sing-alongs. Mike Patton was right on target: “I know we look like we’re 80 years old, but give us a fucking break!” Patton won over some people with that kind of humor. He was never actually on the stage for more than three minutes at a time, and at one point found himself diving off a barrier into the crowd. All other bandmembers brought their share of energy to the stage as well, and really, you couldn’t have asked for anything more from the band – except maybe replacing the too-long “Reunited” cover that opened the set with a…er, real song – this was essentially Faith No More playing a show to clueless Muse’s fans. - Harry Painter

MGMT
Outdoor Theatre: 8:50-9:40 p.m.

Plenty of harsh fingers have been pointed in the New York electro-pop band’s direction recently due to harsh words about their latest effort, Congratulations. But would it hold up live? Fuck yes. MGMT opened with “Flash Delirium”, and the crowd was stoked as the ever-popular MGMT cranked out tunes onstage with new greats like “It’s Working” and “Song for Dan Treacy” alongside excellent renditions of “oldies” like “The Youth”, “Electric Feel”, and “Time to Pretend”. No “Kids”, however, which probably left some feeling dull. Nonetheless, this performance proved one truly remarkable thing; people actually like MGMT, not just the few singles. People are learning. -Ted Maider

Major Lazer
Mojave: 9:25-10:10 p.m.

One of the more interesting sets of the night, that of Diplo and Switch’s latest project Major Lazer, was one continuous, seductive dance party. The music literally did not stop for a single second and neither did the dirty dancing. The infamous tutorial on creative ways to dry hump one another video AKA Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor”, made its presence known in Indio. Fronted by the man from the “Pon” video with the re-imagined Sisqo haircut, they nearly shook the Gobi Tent to its destruction. They played what seemed like every track from 2009’s Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do, the crowd pleasers being “Jump Up”, “Hold The Line”, and “Pon De Floor” and remixes of Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants” and Benny Benassi’s “Sastifaction.” The designated Major Lazer dry-humper even pulled out the ladder and did the massive dive hump as featured in the video. Rarely have I seen a show summon this much energy. They impressed (and quite possibly aroused) all in the crowd. -Winston Robbins

Muse
Coachella: 9:35-11:05 p.m.

You hear all these claims about Muse’s live show and either don’t want to believe the band is that good, or you believe but can’t quite grasp it. Whichever side you’re on, you must watch Muse live at some point. God knows The Resistance isn’t a great album or even a noteworthy one, but the band just makes it fun live. Some of the new tracks slow down the show a little, but that may be because the crowd interaction slows along with it. This is to say that the sing-alongs throughout the course of a Muse set are nothing short of epic. Screaming “We will be victorious” over and over again is, like the glitter adorning Matt Bellamy’s guitar, a little silly but it feels right in the moment. Bellamy can shred though; it’s obvious he idolizes Tom Morello as much as he does Thom Yorke, and Bellamy can make even his silliest songs sound worth hearing – isn’t that what being a good live act is about? -Harry Painter

Les Claypool
Mojave: 10:35-11:25 p.m.

Les Claypool made quite an entrance, as he always does. He dubbed himself the “festival whore” and showed disappointment for not playing the Polo Fields in previous years. But the whore seemed to enjoy himself quite thoroughly while he did his usual bass thumping and crazy antics to a well-attended and quirky crowd. And nothing made it better than Claypool retreating from the stage to get his pig mask and finish off the night in true, weird Claypool style. Note: Oysterhead/Police drummer Stuart Copeland was spotted checking out Les in the front row at his set. -Ted Maider

Flying Lotus
Gobi: 10:45-11:35 p.m.

Despite conflicting times with Muse, The Dead Weather, and Les Claypool, Flying Lotus gathered a considerable amount of people to see his set in the Gobi tent. A set list would be hard to produce from this very crowded show for two reasons. A) A lot of improvisation goes into a FlyLo show and songs are hard to distinguish one from another, and B) His album Cosmogramma has yet to be released (May 3^rd, for those of you drooling in anticipation) and much of his set was devoted to debuting new tracks. The man of few words did play some old favorites including “Camel”, “Melt!”, and “1983”. The deepest, most secret part of my heart hoped that Thom Yorke would show up to do the vocals on the track he collaborated with Flying Lotus on for the new album, but that unfortunately never happened. Next best thing, however, FlyLo did an incredible cover/re-working of Radiohead’s “Idioteque” saying that “This one’s for my man, Thom.” He also did an impressive tranced-out re-working of Lil’ Wayne’s “A Milli” that got the crowd all kinds of riled. -Winston Robbins

The Dead Weather
Outdoor Theatre: 11:05-12:00 a.m.

Only the truly deserving (or blessed) get the chance to say, “How you feeling, Coachella? Good to see you again,” and Jack White took this opportunity before transitioning into “Hang You from the Heavens” Saturday night. He’s now had three appearances at Coachella, each with a different band. While The Dead Weather is the worst of White’s projects, the band is certainly capable of rocking, and while it couldn’t follow Muse, the band sure as hell rocked the Outdoor Theatre. Frontwoman Allison Mosshart and White have pleasing onstage chemistry and were a joy to sit back and watch after a long Saturday. -Harry Painter

Die Antwoord
Sahara: 11:35-11:55 p.m.

South African internet sensation Die Antwoord is no joke. When I first saw the video for “Enter The Ninja”, I was under the impression I was watching this year’s “Chocolate Rain”. I was as terrified as I was entranced. Something about them seemed less gimmicky than most internet spread musicians. And on night two of Coachella, my suspicions were confirmed. Die Antwoord is for real. Despite their extremely short 20 minute set, they destroyed their U.S. debut by playing “Enter The Ninja” “Beat Boy” and two other previously unheard tracks. Expect to hear more from and about this up and coming South African trio as the days go on. It was quite a spectacle to witness their fearless debut in the United States. -Winston Robbins

Tiësto
Coachella: 11:40 p.m.

Tiësto is the king of DJs, hands down. His next Coachella Main Stage installment was just as epic as his performance in 2007. Tiësto once again threw down some of the tightest produced techno in modern day music as a huge crowd rage on around him. This was the biggest party of the weekend with a full house packing in at the most expansive portion of the festival while techno lit up the night. The final number of the performance was a remix of the Platoon score, which brought tears to ravers’ eyes as they danced their hearts out under the stars. -Ted Maider

Devo
Mojave: 11:50-12:45 a.m.

As anyone at the Devo autograph signing Saturday will tell you, the guys that make up Devo are either out of their minds or very good at pretending they are. This point is illustrated very well by Devo’s live show, featuring cheesy songs supported by cheesy visuals and, of course, cheesy hats. Of course, Devo has always reveled in this sort of cheese, and that’s why the band was not to be missed closing the Mojave Saturday night – because it’s kind of brilliant. -Harry Painter

2ManyDJs
Sahara: 12:05-12:55 p.m.

Choosing between Sia, Devo, and 2ManyDJ’s late Saturday night was difficult, but I couldn’t imagine a more enjoyable time than that offered by the Dewaele brothers. The pair took the stage and took the audience on a journey of remixes and mash-ups, documented with moving album artwork displayed on two screens. Guns N’ Roses, MGMT, and even The Clash had the neon crowd dancing for the entire hour. They’ve played almost identical sets at other festivals, but the repetition had no effect on the chemical-induced audience. Whether they go by Soulwax or 2ManyDJ’s, the Dewaeles have mastered the art of putting on a good time. -Elias Newman

Sunday, April 18th

The Middle East
Outdoor Theatre: 12:15-12:55 p.m.

Likely due to Delphic’s volcancellation, The Middle East didn’t show up on stage until about 1 p.m., inadvertently pissing off some of the reasonably-sized audience. Luckily for the band, there wasn’t much early competition, since the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble didn’t show up. Luckily for everyone else, The Middle East was quite good, putting on a set ranging from soft folk rock to energetic post-rock. It’s not hard to imagine we’ll be hearing more from this band in the future. -Harry Painter

The Soft Pack
Mojave: 12:55-1:40 p.m.

Starting around one in the afternoon, The Soft Pack was one of the best early-birds. Saving “Mexico” and “Answer to Yourself” for last, they kept the intimate crowd alert throughout the entire set. Lead singer Matt Lamkin is no Alice Cooper, but his overall blasé attitude on stage worked well with the band. He even told the crowd to go drink a Heineken, and then admitted to earning a whopping 50 bucks for the advertisement. Not exactly professional, but damn funny. An excellent start to day two. -Elias Newman

King Khan & The Shrines
Mojave: 2:05-2:50 p.m.

The experience was religious. With a six-piece band behind him, King Khan brought soul music to a new level. No shirt, headdress, and a cape. How about that for an outfit. He had us screaming, burning money, and then crying at the end. Add the Yo Gabba Gabba crew and DJ Lance Rock to the mix, and you have one of if not the most insane act of the entire weekend. Seeing The Shrines live is not an option, it is a necessity, and apologies to anyone who missed the King himself. -Elias Newman

Owen Pallett
Outdoor Theatre: 2:25-3:10 p.m.

He may not have been the best violinist performing Sunday (see Yann Tiersen), but with apologies to Thom Yorke, no one used a loop pedal to better effect than Owen Pallett. The artist formerly known as Final Fantasy was brilliant, constructing beautiful songs by himself out of parts that could easily have taken all of Arcade Fire to perform separately. The downsides: geeky chuckles after every song, and he closed the set with an awkward inquiry to his guitarist about cornholing. -Harry Painter

Deerhunter
Outdoor Theatre: 3:35-4:20 p.m.

It was a mellow afternoon at the Outdoor Theater when Deerhunter took the stage sometime early in the festival. People sat down as the cool breeze sent chills down their spine, along with Deerhunter’s epic and melodic music, while the soothing notes began the final hours of the festival. Deerhunter played a great selection of lazy afternoon tunes and closed with a “jam medley” that was inspired by Echo and the Bunnymen’s performance from Friday night. -Ted Maider

De La Soul
Coachella: 3:50-4:40 p.m.

Hip-hop was certainly in the house on Sunday when De La Soul took the Main Stage on Sunday afternoon, turning the festival’s most happening spot into the biggest afternoon party. The group had a live band accompanying them, and spent no time messing around with single verses of popular songs, but blasted through tracks off all the old LPs that spanned their entire career. If you wanted to get funky on Sunday afternoon, this was the place to be. -Ted Maider

Julian Casablancas
Mojave: 5:35-6:20 p.m.

Donning a studded leather jacket and some scorching hot, red pants, Julian Casablancas makes no secret that he’s cooler than you’ll ever be. As he strutted about the Mojave stage, The Strokes frontman whisked through a number of solo tracks — “11th Dimension”, “Out of the Blue”, and the now-crowd favorite cover, “I Wish it Was Christmas Today”– which all but solidified his status to the crowd that he is the brains of modern day rock music. Contrary to what you might expect, Casablancas wasn’t too shy about cranking out a few Strokes tunes, which he did and to which the crowd enjoyed immensely. Nothing like hearing some of our generation’s best rock tunes. -Ted Maider

Charlotte Gainsbourg
Gobi: 5:40-6:30 p.m.

Charlotte Gainsbourg’s set was a rare event; she never tours, so the chance to hear live renditions of songs from her 2009 album IRM was enough of a sell for a guy who had already seen Jónsi with Sigur Rós. Well, okay, plus the Beck rumors and everything. IRM has some great songs on it, but Gainsbourg just isn’t much of a singer, and that becomes painfully clear in a live setting, as did the absence of Beck’s vocals on “Heaven Can Wait”. The band was very tight though, unlike Gainsbourg’s shirt. -Harry Painter

Jónsi
Outdoor Theatre: 5:55-6:45 p.m.

Thousands gathered to see what the long-time frontman of epic Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós would produce as a solo artist. What they got was first of all, not in Icelandic, but English, which surely threw some listeners off. People began to leave minutes into his 45 minute set, which is a real shame because it was beautiful. Jónsi has one of the most unique, beautiful voices on God’s green earth and he flaunted it in every way during his set. The peacock pageantry that is prevalent in his album artwork and solo videos made its real life manifestation on the Outdoor Stage at Coachella on Sunday. His set ran a bit short, and was in the middle of the sun, which stole from the atmosphere he was going for, but he played songs from his impeccable Go flawlessly. He hit especially high highs during the subtle “Grow Till Tall”, the enlivened “Animal Arithmetic”, and the centerpiece of his album “Boy Lilikoi”. And while we’d all rather see him with Sigur Rós presenting a new album, this is surely the very next best thing. -Winston Robbins

Phoenix
Outdoor Theatre: 7:10-8:00 p.m.

Phoenix took the stage at sundown to see a mammoth crowd awaiting their musical remedies. And I will personally assure you that not one person in that monstrous crowd left disappointed. A band like Phoenix is so fun to watch. Everything is organic, and it all rides on sheer talent. And they are writing some of the best Pop-Rock music in the world today. Not only are they some extremely talented musicians, but they’re fronted by Thomas Mars, who seems to be right at home while entertaining a crowd. As he looked out at the crowd he commented, “You guys are forever! I can’t even see the end of you!” Despite the number of watchers, he sang the songs note for note and moved with an easy swagger that made Phoenix so much fun to watch. “He implored us to enjoy the sunset and enjoy the music” as they jumped right into Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix hits “Lisztomania”, “Lasso”, “Rome”, and “Fences”. They visited their past music with songs such as “If I Ever Feel Better”, “No Consolation Prizes”, and “Long-Distance Call”. They closed up with an explosive “1901” and left the crowd screaming. -Winston Robbins

Pavement
Coachella: 7:45-8:55 p.m.

Nothing was cooler than seeing the Stockton, California quintet back together for their first American performance. The group of pals was right where they left off 11 years ago at the first Coachella, except this time they weren’t at one another’s throats. A “Silent Kid” opener was met with a couple sound glitches, but even that couldn’t silence the band as they melted everyone’s faces with “Shady Lane”, “Summer Babe” ,“Cut Your Hair”, and a very memorable rendition of “Grounded”, one that hypnotized every member of the crowd. Coachella made a band that was never supposed to be overtly glorious into something to remember for ages to come with this performance. -Ted Maider

Yann Tiersen
Mojave: 7:55-8:45 p.m.

It was one of the best sets of the weekend, and almost no one saw it. No one should have seen it, had Yann Tiersen been in his original slot opposite Gorillaz, but Gary Numan canceled, making it actually possible for people to watch the Amelie composer. The Amelie crowd got its fix with a gorgeous solo violin performance of “Sur Le Fil” (and a not-immediately-recognizable brooding version of “La Valse d’Amelie”), but the dark post-rock that made up the majority of Tiersen’s set was a perfect lead-in to Thom Yorke’s gig. -Harry Painter

Thom Yorke/Atoms for Peace
Outdoor Theatre: 9:00 p.m.

Let’s be honest – Coachella had four headliners in three days; everyone was at Thom Yorke right before everyone was at Gorillaz. And Yorke’s was a headline-worthy show. He and his band, Atoms for Peace, played his 2006 solo album The Eraser from start to finish, complete with out-of-control bass explosions by Flea. The Eraser has always gotten better with each listen, and Atoms for Peace’s versions of the album’s tracks work because they highlight instead of negate the strengths of The Eraser. Never before have I considered dancing to any song on The Eraser, but I didn’t have to think twice about it at Coachella. Yorke was quite the dancer himself, consistently goofy and having the time of his life. The inevitable encores were worth sticking around for; the first was a three-song solo bit that included new song “Give Up the Ghost” and a couple acoustic Radiohead tracks, while the second cued Atoms for Peace back on stage to end the show. Also of note: Yorke dedicated the song “Atoms for Peace” to Pavement. -Harry Painter

Gorillaz
Coachella: 10:30 p.m.

This may have been the first time in Coachella history that 99% of eyes at Coachella Sunday were on the headliner (the other 1%, of course, being on 2010’s most predictable train wreck in Sly Stone). That large majority of eyes saw a spectacle, and it was almost everything it was cracked up to be. Almost, that is, because some expected names like Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and Shaun Ryder were no-shows. However, this was but a slight blemish in a wholly captivating experience, the first full-blown show supporting new album Plastic Beach. Damon Albarn, along with guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon of The Clash, and several other guests, performed selections off Plastic Beach and Demon Days with precision and funk. Bringing the most funk was Bobby Womack, who completely botched his first line in “Stylo” to the point of embarrassment (Albarn even gave him a dirty look), but redeemed himself by the end of the night by nailing “Cloud of Unknowing”. Booty Brown was on point during “Dirty Harry” and De La Soul kept the energy up during its appearances. The highlight may have been “Empire Ants”, however, with Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon nailing her part at the peak of the set. In fact, this was a dream Gorillaz set for those more inclined toward the cartoon band’s mellow output. -Harry Painter

Conclusion

And so ends another memorable year at Coachella. Does time fly by or what? 2010 was filled with bearable heats, sold out crowds and one of the best line-ups the festival has ever seen. Thanks to the changes in ticket sales, camping truly felt like a communal experience and whether or not you partied in the campsite all weekend, danced in the Do-Lab or saw all of the wonderful headliners, your time at Coachella should have been some of the best spent. I actually felt terribly sad to be leaving Monday morning and wished it could have been just a couple days longer. Signing a decade-long renewal contract obviously shows that this was one of the best years Coachella has ever seen.

So now it’s back to the message boards to argue and debate and make false rumors of who is going to be at Coachella 2011. Lives do revolve around this one amazing weekend and I am sure all of you are already looking forward to next year. So until then, “good morning, good afternoon, and good night” all of you “Coachellians.” -Matt Rhodes

As previously reported, the followup to 2005′s Demon Days will feature a bounty of high-profile contributors, including Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, and Little Dragon. Also making an appearance are none other than The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon! Find the complete 16-song tracklisting below.

The story behind the album goes something like this: “The band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a Plastic Beach HQ, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This Plastic Beach is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet.” Ah, now it all makes sense!

Plastic Beach will be headed by the release of “Stylo” on January 26th. The song, which leaked onto the Internet earlier today, will receive its radio broadcast premiere tonight.

The Gorillaz’ return will be marked by a headline appearance at this year’s Coachella Music Festival. The Sunday April 18 performance will be the first Gorillaz live spectacle on U.S. soil since the Demon Days Live run in April 2006 at New York’s Apollo Theater. So, get ready.

Plastic Beach Tracklist:
01. Orchestral Intro (feat. Sinfonia ViVA)
02. Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach (feat. Snoop Dogg & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
03. White Flag (feat. Kano, Bashy & The National Orchestra For Arabic Music)
04. Rhinestone Eyes
05. Stylo (feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def)
06. Superfast Jellyfish (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)
07. Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)
08. Glitter Freeze (feat. Mark E Smith)
09. Some Kind Of Nature (feat. Lou Reed)
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes (feat. Mos Def & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
13. Plastic Beach (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon)
14. To Binge (feat. Little Dragon)
15. Cloud Of Unknowing (feat. Bobby Womack and Sinfonia ViVA)
16. Pirate Jet

According to rapper Posdnuos (via NME.com), De La Soul just finished recording a few tracks for the new Gorillaz album, tentatively entitled Plastic Beach. The group had previously worked with the devilish duo on the single, “Feel Good Inc.” and this time around they’ve guest starred on two new tracks titled, “Sloped Tropics” and “Electric Shock”! Unfortunately, Posdnuos had little to say about the new tracks themselves, but he did mention that the new record “sounds amazing. To me, quite honestly, it sounds better than the last album”.

Now, that that’s all finished De La Soul hopes to recruit Gorillaz mastermind, Damon Albarn on the band’s new album, You’re Welcome which is set for release in early 2010. While there is currently little information available about either of these records, it can be noted that De La Soul’s first single will be “We Are (For The People)” and will feature guest vocals from Chuck D and hollywood’s favorite Flav. Come on everybody, let’s hear it for Flavor Flav! Seriously, what more can you ask for: Gorillaz, plus De La Soul and Flavor Flav equals awesome explosions of love all over the place. Let’s just hope, for our own sanity, that one of these new tracks leaks soon.