This was leg seven of a tour that has been forward and back across the globe for stretches since it started off in Los Angeles almost a year ago. Yet November 5th was no ordinary gig. It was almost an oddity to see Imogen Heap in the vast arena of London’s most prestigious venue. Wasn’t this the artiste who had gone on record not that long ago to claim that touring, the new black of band economics, was in fact getting too expensive? After a wholly magical performance in front of a packed house, though, no one was left doubting that this particular evening’s investment, which included a simultaneous webcast, was well worthwhile.

The show opened with Heap setting the scene for the inaugural performance of the music she had composed to accompany a 32 minute film, Love The Earth. Her girlish delight is infectious, voiced in tones remarkably similar to those of the English actress, Emma Thompson. The film is a crowd-sourced collage of footage, celebrating the natural world in a series of personal perspectives. The music is broken into eleven segments, most of which are obviously very short, beginning with a piece that involves some audience participation.

The combination of frequently stunning projected images and the sheer presence that the massed ranks of musicians and singers created made it quite difficult to isolate what was happening musically. It all seemed to work perfectly yet at times washed over, like an unrelenting sea. Looking around the nearby seats, people seemed enrapt and intent, others passive but still appreciative. Heap had asked everyone not to applaud until the end and once the final movement subsided, a patient audience did this in spades. You could almost sense the relief as much as the love this audience feels for their artiste.

Bows having been taken, a sizeable stage crew rapidly broke down the orchestral set and wheeled on the components of a gadget-laden stage ready for Act Two. A broad white stylized tree sat at the back of the stage with miniature copies of the same dotted behind it. The tree created a playground for projected images and lighting effects that were as comforting as they were clever. It symbolized the role of the natural and intimate set against the electronics that surrounded it. In the same way Imogen Heap ploughs her largely electro furrow but brings a heart and warmth to it that is lacking in most other examples of the genre.

Photo by Crazybobbles

Sans choir and orchestra, the singer returned to more applause and love. She acknowledged them, but keeping in spirit with her generosity, she individually introduced her band members. She flit from keyboard to keyboard, only to be joined by a fluid permutation of band members and entrances within the two-hour set, which spanned 18 songs, chiefly from her last two albums, Ellipse and Speak for Yourself. There was an extra cohesion to the set as the latest album continues the vibe of its predecessor. Launching into “The Walk”, Heap wandered the stage as she intoned mantras (“Be like this”, “Feel like this”) that worked as an extended opening, before the band kicked in with a precise and energetic workout. She followed this with “Swoon”, which was introduced with a musical saw loop, showing that the live show is not simply about recreating the recorded sound – though a fair fist was made of that – but the adoption of an experimental spirit.

Famous for embracing social networking and internet share culture, the artiste her fans affectionately call Immi is nothing if not democratic. She explained how fans have been voting for songs to appear on the set list, which now includes the top 12 choices. Highlights come thick and fast with the opener from Ellipse, “First Train Home”, which elicited an especially warm response. Heap set up an amazing loop involving notes resonating from three wine glasses, built in some percussion, and then declared that it all sounded terrible, before she started again to the audience’s delight.

Samples from real life introduced several songs. For “Little Bird”, the sound of birds in Heap’s local park were set against images of electronic birds flying between the on-stage trees. “Canvas” opened with the recorded sample of the singer’s family around a crackling bonfire before the song’s soundscape developed around intricate loops with violin and viola to the fore.

Heap seems as comfortable with voice only renditions as with band workouts. The choir returned for “Earth”, joining Heap and a beat box vocalist in an acapella fest while she used the audience split into three groups as her backing track on a breathtaking “Just For Now”. Heap revealed an alchemist’s touch on “Between Sheets”, turning a technical blip into another cue for a round of applause. Her disarmingly matter of fact manner is stellar, though it helps being able to write such a tender and intimate song as this, allowing the audience in to share her blushes.

“Goodnight And Go” is an absolute gem on record but the live treatment was not quite as convincing. The drums felt a bit too prominent and the guitar effects were less clean. Vocally though, the singer remained on the money all evening and this overcame any such minor misgivings. Despite all the previous experimentation, however, Imogen Heap highlighted her versatility on “Tidal”, where weird and wonderful instruments gave way to a rock out ending, complete with a Keytar solo, a parody stage run, and a leap. She flipped the switch soon after, though, paring things down to a solo piano, where she knocked out a beautiful airing of “The Moment I Said It”. Naturally, she closed with the inevitable yet rapturous hit, “Hide And Seek”, leaving the audience in awe.

In hindsight, the strength and ingenuity of Imogen Heap’s performance throughout the evening was the stuff of wonder. Despite the technology surrounding her, it’s her sheer humanity that won through. With mics attached to wrists literally wired for sound, flitting from perspex piano to percussion and with sequencers primed, she remained disarmingly casual with absolutely no barriers between artiste and audience. As she said, “You and me between sheets. It just doesn’t get better than this.”

Setlist:

The Walk

Swoon

Come Here Boy

Wait It Out
First Train Home
Little Bird

Canvas

Aha!

Earth

Speeding Cars

Let Go

Just For Now

Between Sheets
Goodnight And Go
Headlock

Tidal

The Moment I Said It
Encore:
Hide And Seek

The first thing you think of when somebody says Salt Lake City probably isn’t raving. But, believe it or not, SLC’s got a pretty reputable rave scene. The company that threw this particular event is called V2, and they regularly throw massive raves/dance parties. Oh, and they have their own Go-Go dancers (you totally just clicked on that link, perv). Over the past few years, they’ve hosted numerous raves that have included showings from basically everybody who’s anybody in dance/rave/house music: Benny Benassi, Deadmau5, The Crystal Method, Tiesto, etc. In other words, V2 knows how to throw a party.

However, this night was particularly good, because it also marked the first event to be held in Salt Lake City’s newest venue, The Complex. And what better way to pop the proverbial cherry of a new venue than with a sweat-on-the-walls rave? I mean, I usually do my ecstasy on nights that aren’t Thursday, but who am I to tell people how to do their drugs? Trip balls away, my raving friends.

Speaking of ravers, unless you’re one of them or closely related to one of them, you sort of forget they exist until you hit the Sahara tent at Coachella or find yourself at your local rave. It doesn’t really matter who you are. If you want to be a raver, you can. There are no prerequisites; it’s for any who care to join. Consequently, The Complex was full to the brim with Juggalos, frat boys, hacky sack hippies, and Hot Topic poster girls as the first DJ took the stage at 9:30. He was just some local schmoe. Nothing to write home about.

And usually, that’s okay. But when you give that same schmoe an hour behind the table and then let two more just like him do the exact same thing, it’s not okay in my eyes. Rusko didn’t go on until precisely 12:02, which didn’t sit well with the sober people in the audience. In between ear-splitting bass cuts, you would unequivocally hear chants of “Rusko!” or “Stop playing shit!” The kids that were high, however, had no qualms with the endless wall-bumping beats. They danced for hours on end before Rusko even went on and then throughout his set. Ravers have the superhuman stamina of thoroughbred racehorses, I swear. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the drugs.

At any rate, Rusko did go on, and he did burn the place down (metaphorically, of course. I think the building’s probably pretty up to code, it being brand-new and all). He even got the tired dancers off the walls and out of their sitting positions to come play with him. And how could they say no? With club hit and Dirty Projector Amber Coffman-featuring track “Hold On”, it was almost as if the UK Dub aficionado was beckoning to the crowd, daring them to dance.

And this fest of surprisingly fun and danceable music continued on song after song, without ever dragging, which is quite a compliment for a Dub DJ. The set was largely comprised of his latest (and only) real studio album, OMG!, which satiated the crowd’s thirst perfectly. It was a blessing in disguise to have three mediocre DJs play right before Rusko. It really highlighted how much better he really is and why his dance music is popular and your friend’s buddy’s older brother’s isn’t. Rusko’s got charisma, and he’s just got more talent and vision than your average DJ. And it shows in his music. He samples more precisely, cues beats more accurately, and pushes the limits of what can conceivably be done behind a turntable and a MacBook.

This is usually the part where we’d add a setlist for the show, but I doubt Rusko himself followed his own setlist. DJ-ing is a bit of a “fly by the seat of your pants” affair. We can tell you this however. He did play mostly tracks from OMG!, the most memorable barn burners being “Hold On” and the unbelievably catchy “Woo Boost”, which you should all go listen to right now. He sampled Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and Ludacris’s “How Low Can You Go?” He played the Caspian version of “Cockney Thugs” and didn’t play his remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day n’ Nite”, which I was expecting. If you want an actual setlist, you might have to ask Rusko. Or better yet, just go check him out as he tours. He’s an impressive artist on the rise, to be certain.

Everything in music moves at an overwhelming pace. Whether or not you’re ambitious enough to keep up with it all, we’re here to help. We’ll be back next week, same time as usual, with another overview. Stay tuned.

For a look at everything that happened while we were out at Lolla check out our recap.

– Coachella announced its 2011 dates.

– Sufjan Stevens will tour stateside this fall.

– My Morning Jacket are hard at work on a new album.

– There’s another release to get excited about: Belle and Sebastian‘s eighth studio LP. Stay tuned for additional details.

– Rumor has it that Lady Gaga and David Bowie will collaborate.

– Weezer revealed the cover art for Hurley. (Yeah, I don’t know what to say either).

– Look for Jimi Hendrix reissues this fall.

– Arcade Fire‘s The Suburbs beat out Eminem’s Recovery for the top slot on the Billboard 200. The group also extended their North American tour AND towered over Jon Stewart.

– Jay-Z detailed his forthcoming memoirs.

– U2 gave fans a taste of what’s to come at a recent show.

– Two new new Kanye West tracks surfaced this week. One features Beyonce. The other‘s called “Mama’s Boyfriend.” At this rate, Kanye-related posts will outnumber Arcade Fire-related posts on our site.

– At the risk of stating the obvious, it hasn’t been a great year for M.I.A. This is why. And if you’re not entirely convinced, check out her latest video.

– Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas hinted at a new potential side project.

– Former Interpol bassist Carlos D revealed why he left the band in the first place.

– Indie rock institution Sub Pop is considering some drastic measures.

– Toronto’s Imagine Concert was postponed.

– Some important changes to the comment section on our website have been made.

– Chris Coplan offered his thoughts on Jukebox the Ghost‘s Everything Under the Sun.

– Check out the Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World soundtrack and original score. It’s streaming right now. You can read Stephen Foster’s review of it as well.

– Megan Ritt interviewed Rufus Wainwright.

– Karina Halle checked out a Chromeo show in Vancouver. She also posted an interview with Imogen Heap this week.

– We came. We saw. We conquered. Get our staff’s take on Lollapalooza here. Oh, and organizers have already set the dates for next year.

– We also covered a couple of non-Lollapalooza music fests. David Buchanan ventured out to Mayhem Festival and Philip Cosores took on HARD Summer Festival.

However, Heap’s influence doesn’t rest solely on the laurels of making money or pimping out her music – she uses it to make change in the world. I got Heap talking about those exciting and upcoming changes, as well as what inspires her (it’s not music), her devotion to her fans, and why social media is making the world such a creative place.

How do you think being classically trained as a musician when you were younger has helped you as an artist?

Well, I learned the clarinet, cello, and piano, and I really enjoyed studying orchestration and arrangement, mostly. I didn’t really like playing other people’s stuff so much, but I did like playing “in the style of” where I could pretend I was playing the stuff I was meant to be practicing (laughs). I always enjoyed layering stuff, seeing things in their parts come together as a whole. Anything from building balsa wood houses as a kid, to making cards, to recording stuff, to making Legos and mini cities. So, I just liked making stuff, and I grew up in a family that listened to classical music. I don’t know my ins and outs of classical composers in any way, but I did learn that kind of counterpoint and harmony and how things fit with low instruments and high instruments, and maybe those things did seep into the way that I make “Pop” music.

Your latest album, Ellipse, won a Grammy for Best Engineering – because you did start building blocks, so to speak, with music and on computers, does that particular award mean something more to you?

Yeah, it does. I mean, that was the one I wanted to win if there was going to be a choice. It’s absolutely brilliant because, to be honest, I don’t really know what I’m doing. But somehow when I get in the studio and I play with things, it sounds good – or so they think. I did study a little bit, technology, engineering and that sort of thing, and I did a lot of practicing over the years, but really I don’t know any more than the basics. I’m very lazy when it comes to engineering. I just like to get the idea down and play with it once I get it in the computer.

Sounds like you’re pretty much self-taught…

Yeah. I learned a little bit with lessons but with the computer thing I am definitely self-taught, which is probably why I’m not that great at that either (laughs). When it comes to my music, I know what I want to do and I know how to do it. But if I were to go into a professional studio, I’d know enough to pass, but I wouldn’t know anything about production ratios and all that kind of stuff.

Then your next goal isn’t to work as an engineer…

(laughs) No. I think the secret is to have fun. And if it sounds good, go for it.

Because you aren’t just a songwriter and have been involved in the engineering and production side, do you find it hard to sit back, relax, and listen to music?

To be honest, I don’t really listen to music.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Well, for instance, I just got back from this conference called TED, which happens every six months. One in California and one in the UK. I first went when I was 26. I got invited to sing with Frou Frou at their Monterey one, and now I’ve been twice to their one in Oxford. And I am totally just inspired by that. Inspired because you are surrounded by these incredible people doing all these amazing things and have so many fantastic views and outlets and really insightful ways of connecting issues together and how to solve them. So that inspires me, just coming out of there and wanting to thread some of that into my music – not in an environmental or really obvious way, but to just thread it.

A lot of your songs are really intimate – do you find it challenging at all to perform them live?

No, actually. It’s difficult because I can’t say that every time I sing the song I relive the moment, because then I think I’d be a driveling wreck. But every now and then I may have a real connection with one or two of the songs during a set, especially if I have just described what the song is about and then I actually remember. It’s not like total auto-pilot, but you’re also not reliving every single moment of heartache when you sing it. That would be so draining. There are ones that maybe I haven’t played in a while and then I’ll put it back in the set and it will remind of that space in my life. But once I’ve written a song, I’m fine with it. The most cryptic songs of mine, the ones that really connect with people, are the ones where they have no idea what the song is about but something shines through.

Who would you like to work with that you haven’t worked with yet?

Hmmm. Well, everyone I have collaborated with has been unplanned, totally random, met each other, liked each other, and wanted to work together. No one I have directly hunted down, and I quite like that element of surprise. But I’ve got a few collaborations up my sleeve. My next collaboration is a big one, but it’s not exactly a musical one. My idea is that I wanted to write a nature film score, but I couldn’t find anything that was going to be filmed and screened in time for my performance at Royal Albert Hall. I’ve got a gig in the evening, and, as my support, I open with an orchestra and play a 30-minute piece – which I will have written – live to this film.

And this film, because I couldn’t find anything…I decided, my biggest strength isn’t cash coming in from downloads or anything like that, it’s really the connection I have with my fans. Which is the most amazing thing you can get, and I enjoy it so much. I really love getting creative with them, from them helping with my biography, to getting involved with the artwork, to them choosing their favorite chorus for a song when I couldn’t make a decision.

So now – and I’ve just finished making a micro-documentary about them and I hope to release it soon – people send in footage of why they love the Earth. It could be a tree or grasses in the breeze or ripples in the water, whatever they want to capture. It could be Serengeti footage or underwater deep sea diving footage that some amazing photographer has taken but no editor wanted to use. So the idea is to take all these pieces that don’t have a home and place them together into a film to celebrate why we love the Earth. So we’ll show it for the first time at Albert Hall and then release it physically and virtually for free, for people to enjoy. Including the music part of it.

My manager hates me right now, but it’s my little gift to the planet. I guess help the shift and get people thinking. It’ll be the fifth of November and we’re considering having a live web-cam and a live set-up so that you can watch the film for the first time, plus you will be seeing me and the orchestra.

How do you think social media has changed the music industry?

Oh, heated question (laughs). I think the major difference is how much it opened up to people that anyone and everyone can get creative and get their voice heard. It’s not so easy to shout above the huge amount of music that is out there, but maybe once technology has caught up, there will be ways of analyzing and processing data so that we can find people’s music. You know, find that person who is in the middle of nowhere with this beautiful piece of music and connect it to someone who is going to love it but otherwise would never find each other because there is so much stuff in between. I love the idea that everyone on this planet has an equal chance.

And the way you use it too, you don’t have to go through a third party or have a mouthpiece speak for you, it’s just you out there.

Yeah. I think the other thing is that it doesn’t restrict me any longer. I was 25 when I started, basically, blogging and when I realized I could get directly to the people, it was the answer to my call and highly inspiring. I started to look at my life as full of possibilities instead of full of dead-ends with a label. It’s this feeling of instant connection and wanting to feel connected. And to anything, from a friend’s level, on a fan level, everything. I love this world, it’s managing to connect all the dots, all the different cultures, and all the different music. It’s just a wonderful, playful time to be creative in.

Finland, being the particularly heavy metal driven country it is, has many quality music festivals during the year but Ilosaarirock can’t be beat for its history (2011 will be its 40th anniversary), its gorgeous setting on the shores of a tranquil river, its somewhat isolated location (a five-hour train ride northeast of Helsinki, the land of wolves and rogue Russian traders), and its diverse line up. The 21,000 person capacity keeps things neat and orderly in that true Finnish way, even when everyone is as drunk as a skunk.

Ilosaarirock may not be one of the biggest festivals on the scene but it makes up for it with its charm. This particular charm has helped lure in such past acts such as Muse, who spent their pre-concert time on a boat fishing, just as this year’s headliner’s Faith No More spent their day at a lakeside sauna. There are unique benefits too for the concert-goers as well – a free liquor deposit outside of the venue, sumo wrestling, and bungy jumping, to name a few.

For me, the festival was going to be a meaningful experience. I had traveled to Finland to secure my newly-granted dual citizenship with the country (my mother is Finnish, my dad is a viking) and decided to journey to Joensuu to catch Imogen Heap, Biffy Clyro, and Bad Religion. Rounding out the mainly Finnish line-up was the last scheduled show of Faith No More’s reunion tour. Having caught them at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco and at Coachella, there was no way I was going to miss this send-off.

Saturday, July 17th

Olavi Uusivirta

Who? I know. There were many Finnish bands and artists that I had never heard of either but I’m glad the festival gave me this chance. Olavi Uusivirta was described as Finland’s “pop boy” though I have to say the incredibly enigmatic young man was definitely finding his Finnish rock roots by the end of his performance. Opening on the main stage early in the day can’t be an easy feat, but Olavi was charming the crowd like no one else. I couldn’t understand a word he was singing, but the singer-songwriter’s winning smile more than made up for it. As the Finns say, he was “Ihana” (lovely).

Pariisin Kevät

Off I ran to the Ylex Stage, the 8,000 person capacity semi-indoor hanger where many international acts play, to catch Pariisin Kevät, a new project by Arthur Tunes, a.k.a Arto Tuunela, a Finnish singer, songwriter, producer who is pretty much the country’s version of Mike Patton. The rock outfit Pariisin Kevät, which means Paris in the Springtime, is one of Tuunela’s newest projects and this appearance at Illosaarirock was the first they ever made. Not that you could tell. The venue was packed to the brim with screaming, hyperventilating fans. You’d think they were witnessing The Beatles instead of this scruffy-haired misfit in a tight military jacket. But the tight, enigmatic performance and the overwhelming response from the crowd proved that Tuunela’s new direction was a complete success.

Imogen Heap

Imogen Heap provided one of the most moving and memorable performances of the festival. Half hidden in shadows, half bathed in eerie light and decked by delicate black feathers, she moved and sang like a fallen angel. There was darkness in the haunting, electronic sounds of her music, which was expertly balanced by her lithe and soul-searing voice.

When she wasn’t showing off her mixing skills, she was pounding away on the stately piano, accompanied by her two violin players, or dancing around the stage. It was hard at times to even describe what kind of music she produces live… one might be better off just describing it as an event. This was evident when she performed her hit “Just For Now.” She got the audience to sing along like a back-up choir and it wasn’t even until half-way through the song that I realized it was sung acapella. Her radiance just eclipsed any need for additional sounds. Her voice is everything you need, and at Ilosaarirock, in that dark, moody tent, everyone had their needs met.

One festival-goer said to me, “I’ve got chills at the back of my neck listening to her.” Funny thing was, I did too.

U.N.K.L.E

I wasn’t sure what to except when I knew U.N.K.L.E was playing but it certainly wasn’t what I ended up seeing. The UK band is well-known for their hypnotic and trip-hop fringed beats, so the projection of obscure moving images behind them and seizure-inducing strobe lights was certainly not out of place.

But I would have liked some additional, you know, energy? It’s hard to critique live acts sometimes, especially when they are based more on feeling than performance, but whereas Imogen Heap was able to reach me in the most intricate and intimate levels, there was something about U.N.K.L.E that left me feeling cold and disappointed. I know that there were a lot of fans who were more than happy with the performance, but as a casual listener I guess I might have been expecting too much. I wasn’t left crying uncle (sorry, I had to) but it wasn’t all that great either.

Bad Religion

The last time I saw Bad Religion was well over 10 years ago, and maybe it’s because they were a relatively “old” band to begin with, but they haven’t aged a day. Dr. Greg Graffin’s voice and his crew were tighter than ever,  pounding out energetic hit after hit. The tall Bad Religion flags in the audience waved back and forth in time to “Atomic Garden”, “Man on a Mission”, “No Direction”, and “Generator.”

Graffin engaged the audience with his personable theatrics, while guitarist Brett Gurewitz and bassist Jay Bentley stepped up to provide powerful harmonies. The political chit-chat was kept to a minimum (which Graffin explained with an aside to the lack of George W. Bush in office) which suited the crowd well – this wasn’t America, these Finns just wanted to party.

The long set was capped off with the popular “21st Century Digital Boy” and “Punk Rock Song” which frantically drew back the few concertgoers who had started to leave. As if to make the point that no one should be leaving early during a frantic Bad Religion concert, Ilosaarirock let loose a whole slew of fireworks from the side of the mainstage, filling the air with light and smoke and providing an excellent exclamation point to the first day of the festival.

Sunday, July 18th

Lapko

The first band I was able to check out on the second day of the festival was the Finnish trio Lapko. I immediately felt drawn to the singer Ville Malja, though I think it was because he was singing in English and – gasp – I could finally understand it. That’s not to say a few things weren’t lost in the translation but the energy and dedication that these three Finns had evened things out. Lapko aren’t that new, they’ve been around for at least seven years on the Finnish music scene and that was apparent by the crowd they managed to draw, despite the two o’clock time slot.

Biffy Clyro

Why this band is relatively unknown in North America is beyond me. I was listening to their latest (and fifth) album Only Revolutions before I came to the festival, just so I would know what to expect, and these boys ended up blowing me away. Just like Muse, whom they are frequently compared to (not because of sound – that would be the Foo Fighters – but because of the threat of instant worldwide dominance), Biffy Clyro hold on to that special niche of sounding more spectacular live than they do on the album. I’m not sure what it was about this sweaty, skinny, shirtless, Scottish band but singer Simon Neil and bassist James Johnston had held that stage in utter dominance. Even their more “pop”-ish songs were shredded to bits by screaming vocals and lacerating guitar licks.

The crowd was as captivated as much as I was and when it was all over and there was no more sweat to be flung, there was also no doubt in my mind that Biffy Clyro would soon be exploding in one hot mess across the world any day now. You heard it here first.

Faith No More

For the entire day – hell, the entire festival – there was this strange undercurrent of electricity running around the place. It became most apparent when I started to ask random festival-goers which bands they were most excited about seeing. The number one answer was Faith No More. Even during the late Sunday evening press conference, the festival promoters admitted how much they were looking to Faith No More playing. They had established a relationship with Mike Patton as he had already performed with Fantomas and Mondo Cane a few years back but Faith No More was a whole different animal. This is what they, and most of the 21,000 festival-goers had been looking forward to for the last year. And for the really hardcore fans, they might have been looking forward to this since 1997.

But if there was a lot of pressure on the band, they didn’t act like it. Because it was the last scheduled show of their infamous Second Coming reunion tour, they all had their sights set on the horizon. This was their last gig, it would go off without a hitch, and the emotional impact would only help hammer their performance home.

The haunting notes of “Midnight Cowboy” eased the band into the set, with Patton playing his melodica instrument with nervous energy, energy that outright exploded into “From Out of Nowhere” with the siren-wail of his trademark megaphone. From “Be Aggressive” to “Caffeine” to “Cuckoo for Caca”, Patton was nothing short of the most terrifying mechanical monkey ever seen.

He spit, gurgled, groaned, moaned. He crouched and screamed, bent over and shook,  made several laps around the stage, giving deathly stares to his technicians. One microphone stand was tossed into the photo pit earlier on, later he kicked the camera man in the chest when he got to close. He berated the Finns for being a lackluster audience then was literally blown off his feet after their response to that song that won’t freaking die, “Epic.” I believe he said he was coming in pants thanks to the crowd’s eventual reaction, and I had no doubt everyone else there was too.

Taking the show at face value, there wasn’t anything particularly different about it when compared to other shows on their reunion tour. No new songs were played, Patton was as utterly insane as ever, Bill Gould, Roddy Bottum, Jon Hudson and Mike Bordin held down the fort with their usual determination and strength. But there was a buzz of sadness and infamy in the air, which came to light as soon as Gould announced that Finland was a fitting place “for our last show.”

“Forever,” Patton added dramatically.

Whether that remains to be true or not, you could feel the entire heart of Ilosaarirock just sink into the dusty earth. Was this really it? Did we witness history here?

By the time the encores of “This Guy’s in Love with You” and “The Real Thing” came, there really was no doubt. They started their reunion tour last year with “The Real Thing” and it was only fitting that the chose that song to end with it.

“Like your heartbeat when you realize you’re dying, but you’re trying
Like the way you cry for a happy ending, ending…”

Patton repeated the “ending” over and over, each time hitting harder and harder, to drive the point home in his brutal and penetrating way.

It was a happy ending for Faith No More. Their reunion was a success, and I know the band had an amazing time performing across the world for thousands of loyal and dedicated fans. When the last notes of “The Real Thing” died, they gave thanks to the crew for all their hard work and cracked open a bottle of champagne on stage.

But when they left, their tired, shadowy shapes disappearing into the background and leaving the stage empty and bare, the loud, but ultimately futile, chants from the crowd only showed that their fans weren’t ready to say good bye just yet.

As the song said, “You will never let it slip away.”

Dolby tells Billboard.com that the album is “halfway done” and will hopefully get a an official”by the end of the year,” though he has not announced a specific label as of yet. Dolby plans to support the release with a tour in 2011.

For more information on A Map of the Floating City, check out Dolby’s blog

And I went this whole article without mentioning “Blinded Me With Science”.

Wait, shit.

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

For all the festival lineup announcements made every year, no one is more exciting than that of Coachella‘s. This time tomorrow, we’ll know who will be alive and kicking this Summer, which acts from our wishlists earned themselves a trip to Indio this April 16-18, and which acts were nothing more than unfulfilled hopes and dreams. It’s a day of anticipation, joy, disappointment, and, most of all, a lack of sleep. Yep, a festival fan’s Christmas is here — it’s Coachella announcement day!

In mere hours, the lineup for the 2010 edition of the Coachella Music Festival will be unveiled for all to see. As we mentioned on Friday, the lineup will be released on KROQ radio tomorrow morning, but, based on the past history, expect a leak sometime after Midnight PST. We’ll of course have it for you as soon as it shows itself.

As for the latest pre-announcement buzz, according to several sources with knowledge of the festival’s plans, Muse will kick things off on Friday, Jay-Z will indeed be Saturday’s headliner, and Gorillaz will close out the festival on Sunday. Faith No More, Vampire Weekend, and Wilco are likely to be the major highlights, while Pavement and Soundgarden remain distinct possibilities to serve as this year’s reunited acts.

As for the some other names we expect to appear, these include:

Aeroplane, As Tall As Lions, Beach House, The Big Pink, Camera Obscura, Caravan Palace, Corinne Bailey Rae, Craze & Klever, Deerhunter, Devo, El Gran Silencio, Hockey, Hot Chip, Iglu & Hartly, Kevin Devine, LCD Soundsystem, Mayer Hawthrone, Miike Snow, Passion Pit, Phoenix, Porcupine Tree, The Raveonettes, Spoon, The xx, Yeasayer, Zoe

On the rumor front, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and the electro outfit Orbital are two biggest names that could end up finding spots on the bill. The rest of the current rumors include:

The Avett Brothers, Bassnectar, Beastie Boys, Cornelius, The Cribs, The Dead Weather, Dirty Projectors, Echo & the Bunnymen, Imogen Heap, Major Lazer, Mew, Pretty Lights, RX Bandits, She & Him, Tiesto, Treasure Fingers, Underworld

We’ll provide updates on this post throughout the evening if and when any information becomes available. Also please feel free to use it to post any hopes, dreams, gripes, wishlists, and predictions. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild night!

In 1998, while McLachlan was still riding the wave of success of Surfacing and her festival Lilith Fair, London’s Imogen Heap released her debut, iMegaphone. It sounded very much like the aggressive female rock that was getting airplay at the time, even if it sounds unimaginable that you’d hear that on the radio now. Her mix of piano work, thick vocals, and alternative rock was interesting. It sounded find alongside Poe, PJ Harvey, and Liz Phair—but would she last? It took seven years (and a side project called Frou Frou) to get the sophomore release Speak for Yourself, but it proved she was going to stick around once “Hide and Seek” gained commercial success. It was a pleasant song that, in my opinion, ranks among her weakest works. But, like “Angel”, it was an unstoppable single that put her on the map.

I’m reminded of Afterglow because, like Ellipse, it is a highly anticipated follow-up that shows an artist who is subconsciously afraid to depart too much from her most successful formula. Listen to “First Train Home”, the album’s lead track, and you can tell Heap isn’t coasting on her laurels, but she’s not stretching herself either. She invokes her trademark electronic beeps and synthesized vocals, and creates a song that sounds gorgeous in headphones if you can get past the ho-hum lyrics. It’s a pretty song that could’ve been on Speak for Yourself—but that’s it. And much of Ellipse is no more than pretty.

At least when Heap succeeds, however, she proves why she’s still worth listening to a decade into her career. “Aha!” is both creepy and catchy. It might as well be credited to Danny Elfman with its music box cranking and Heap’s childlike “la la la la la la la” refrain. “Go one while no one’s looking / Aha, got you now / Caught you red-handed in the biscuit tin” works as a beautiful parallel to the innocent arrangement, and it’s this kind of detail that makes the album worth listening to.

The way “2-1” opens as a quiet ballad and grows into a brooding electronic storm is refreshing. It sounds as if she listened to “Headlock”, one of Speak for Yourself’s strongest tracks, and took it to a darker place that makes it more interesting sandwiched between the sweet “Between Sheets” and quirky “Bad Body Double”. What’s also impressive about “2-1” is that Heap lets the lyrics do much of the work. As a lyricist, she often goes for the obvious rhyme and cliché, to varying degrees of success. On this song, she refrains from going too crazy with her Mac Book gadgets and keeps the tension just a few beats away from being dramatic. Meanwhile, she repeats the lines of desperation (“I care about you/things are not always how they seem”) until the music stops and she sounds exhausted of expressing these sentiments.

“Swoon” is a good example of how Heap can make you dance with a midtempo tune, not unlike Frou Frou’s “Let Go” and “Must Be Dreaming”. Sure, “Half Life” is the very expected quiet piano tune that concludes the album. “Wait It Out” hits you over the head with its theme that, surprise, love hurts. No matter how you slice it, the album succeeds as much as it frustrates.

Heap’s a great talent who probably would’ve made a better album had she not hit it big with “Hide and Seek”. Of course, there’s a chance she wouldn’t have had the funds to make this album if it weren’t for that fame. And seeing as much of this album sounds like it was plucked from her past discography, Heap might be the kind of artist who needs someone to push her to the next level. iMegaphone featured multiple producers, and Frou Frou’s Details was co-produced with collaborator Guy Sigsworth. These most recent albums are entirely self-produced affairs and suggest that a little outside help could be what transforms her into a more dynamic artist. Until then, listening to an occasionally great one will do.

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Ellipse

Heap has always had a knack for the theatrical, and this is no different. “First Train Home” is an electronically driven track, with a wave of processed beats and keyboard. Her voice is brilliant, the effortless soprano disguising an inherent British accent.

For Ellipse, Heap challenged herself with an isolated, intense and experimental recording processes (see a 360 of her old recording studio), and this is obvious on the lead single — the silence is just as essential as the beautifully produced instrumental.

Heap’s third album Ellipse is to be released August 25th on Heap’s own Megaphonic Records, with Sony’s backing. The tracklisting is as follows:

Ellipse Tracklist:
01. First Train Home
02. Wait It Out
03. Earth
04. Little Bird
05. Swoon
06. Tidal
07. Between Sheets
08. 2 – 1 (formerly ‘Pollyfilla’)
09. Bad Body Double
10. Aha!
11. The Fire
12. Canvas
13. Half Life