Coachella 2012 Captures a New Mood
As one of America's most high-profile music festivals, Coachella has come to exist on its own terms, seemingly without the need to cater to a particular crowd or kind of music. That means it's in the best position to take the temperature of the times and respond in kind by adjusting its roster each year to accommodate the ever-changing zeitgeist. Looking closely at the lineup for the 2012 installment of the festival, which is set for the two weekends between April 13 and 22 in old reliable Indio, those with a keen feel for the cultural pulse might be able to sense a subtle but significant shift in the winds.
While the main headliners are The Black Keys, Radiohead, and the duo of Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre, the undercurrent of dance/electronic music is running ever closer to the top. And while it's not quite threatening the hegemony of rock/pop acts — especially not with the presence of cult-hero comeback kings like Pulp, Jeff Mangum, and fIREHOSE and current attention magnets like The Horrors and St. Vincent — it seems higher up in the pecking order than it's been before. Take a look — Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack, David Guetta, Martin Solveig, Avicii, and DJ Shadow are rumbling right under the biggest rock names on the bill for each night, and such Euro synth-poppers as Miike Snow and La Roux are right in there with them. Granted, the 2011 lineup prominently sported the likes of Chemical Brothers and Sven Vath, but it appears that this year, more people than ever are looking forward to a bevy of beatmeisters as part of the Coachella experience. This Friday the opportunity arrives to include yourself in that experience, so if you're inclined, scope out the Coachella site for the vital info.
