Lykke Li - I’m Good I’m Gone

It’s been a few days since Coachella ended, and only now do I think I’ve had ample time to detox from the reality-altering effects of Indio, CA. On Monday, I figured I’d write up a massive post detailing the events of my weekend — who I saw, what I ate, how freaking hot it was, etc. — but once again, I find that it’s hard to explain in words how exhilerating spending the weekend at Empire Polo Fields really is. So I guess I’m taking the easy way out. Non-intelligble and haphazard notes about Coachella 2009. Here goes nothing:

• Asked about a 1,000 times already: “Lloyd, Who were your favorite artists @ Coachella?” Forced to make a top five, they’d probably be (not in any particular order): Etienne De Crécy, The Presets, Jenny Lewis, Franz Ferdinand, and a last place tie between The Bloody Beetroots and Girl Talk. Yes, that’s six. Shut up.

• “But Lloyd, you never talk fondly about Franz! Top 5? What gives?!” Every year, a few bands are given a very special set time (~6:00-7:00) that I like to call the Golden Hour. It’s the time during the day where the unbearably hot sun decides that it’s had enough fun burning the shit out of people and retreats behind the mountains to plot its next attack. The resulting effect? One of the most aesthetically-pleasing sunsets coupled with cooler temperatures and an awesome set on one of the outdoor stages that makes you think: “GD it all, I’d rather be no where else in the world right now. God kill me now, and I’ll die happy.” It really is one of the most defining feelings ever. Two years ago, it was The Arcade Fire. Last year, Rilo Kiley, and this year Franz managed to swoop in to steal that honor. In their defense, they played a really good set; much better than when I saw them live last.

• “Fucking MEATHEADS.” Story of the weekend. You would think that at an indie/electronica festival, the pseudo-hipsters (raise your hands proudly!) would fly down en masse to take over the city. Sadly, that was not the case. There was a very disproportionate number of people whom I’d like to dub “The Meatheads” or more officially, “The Bro’s”.

In order to fit the criteria of being a “BRO,” you must fulfill any number of the following requirements:

• Be shirtless @ all hours of the day
• Wear either cargo shorts or board shorts
• A cap signalling your full commitment to whatever frat you rushed @ USC. (LOL)
• Be surrounded by at least 5 other Bro’s at all times. When trying to bum rush a crowd with your sweaty presence, you MUST go into the “Bro-train formation.” This involves making a single-file line with each bro’s hands on the naked and chiseled shoulders of the bro in front of him.
• Must have an incessant need to throw your hands up in the air at all times, even during low points of songs
• Start mosh pits at….non-rock sets.
• Smell like a sweet combination of ax and excrutiatingly dank B.O.
• Etc.

• To make a long story short, I hate Bro’s. They almost single-handedly ruined my weekend.

• FOOD OF THE YEAR? Last year it had to be the seven dollar corn. This year, the five dollar, uncannily phallic-shaped, turkey corndog definitely took the cake. NOM NOM NOM. Don’t worry; the five dollar lemony slushy will always have a spot in my heart.

• Jenny Lewis has both the sexiest singing and non-singing voice I have ever heard. Never mind that her latest record takes a stab at classic rock from the early seventies — territory that I’m not all too familiar with — she is hands down one of the best female performers ever. GuhhhDURRR I’m in love.

• If you’re a fan of electronica, and you haven’t heard of Etienne De Crécy, get yourself acquainted, and soon. This Frenchman has been around for over a decade, but his latest stage setup is what’s got everyone talking. (He also has an awesome minimalist sound that reminds me of Boys Noize…certainly a good thing.) But the dude is NUTS. He plays his entire set inside a huge cube. It’s basically a 3 x 3 x 2 rectangle constructed out of metal poles and a projector cloth. Light then gets projected onto said cube with a resulting product comme:

• Yeah. Freaking coooooool.

• I must have heard Crookers’ remixes of ACDC’s Thunderstruck and Kid Kudi’s Day N’ Nite in at least five different sets over the weekend. And to the best of my knowledge, I believe the Crookers played fucking ONCE. Come on. I understand you want your crowd to dance during your DJ sets, but don’t blatantly rip off an artist who’s @ Coachella WITH you.

• Props to Zane Lowe for managing to sneak in Calvin Harris’ I’m Not Alone in his insanely fun set. Props to me as well, for being the only person to throw up his hands and scream out in excitement because nobody else knew what the fuck was going on. *sarcasm I’m a geek, and I love it.

• Big LOL at My Bloody Valentine for blasting a 15-minute, shrilling “solo” during their closing finale of You Made me Realise. (Yes, I had to look up the name of the song at Pitchfork.) Basically, the members of MBV painstakingly strummed/drummed away at their respective instruments for a good fifteen minutes, building up to a high to get the crowd cheering…only to crush their spirits by switching to a lower chord to start over…at least four times. I thought it was kind of cool, but I don’t think many of the avid fans of The Cure who were patiently waiting enjoyed it as much.

• Karen O kind of looks like Marilyn Mason with her make up on…in a really creepy/cute kind of way. Don’t quote me on that.

• I heard M.I.A. sucked. Again. Sucks for all of you who just bought into the Paper Planes fanaticism and thought you were all in for a good time.

Ugh. My head hurts and I can’t really think of more. If you were there and you have anything to add, drop a line and we can make list as long as freaking possible.

And because I know because that everyone would rather listen to music than listen to anything I have to say, Coachella sounds!

Friendly Fires - Jump in the Pool (Mediafire Direct)

Etienne de Crécy - Punk (Mediafire Direct)

Etienne de Crécy - Hannukah (Mediafire Direct)

Jenny Lewis - The Next Messiah (Mediafire Direct)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero (N.A.S.A. Bloody Lobo Remix) (Mediafire Direct)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (Emre B Remix) (Mediafire Direct)

Digitalism - Home Zone (Proxy Remix) (Mediafire Direct)

Lykke Li - I’m Good I’m Gone (Mediafire Direct)

- Lloyd Lee