This review is from Dan of Lullablog.com, who was in California at Coachella a few weekends ago. Read it and learn yourself some new bands to check out on Itunes or Imeem.

The Coachella Report (or “Dance for Life”)
2007

Rating Scale
[rating:5/5] Seriously Classic
[rating:4/5] Excellent
[rating:3/5] Good
[rating:2/5] Disappointing
[rating:1/5] The Black Eyed Peas must be better than this

Key:
PS = I only saw a partial set
FAWE – Watched act from afar while eating

Friday

Artist: Noisettes

Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: Great three-minute punky tunes and a jammin’ guitarist who looked vaguely like Krist Novoselic made for a good set that still fell a bit short of heavily-hyped expectations.
The Best Part: Closing with “Don’t Give Up”, a seriously catchy single.

Artist: Comedians of Comedy

Rating: [rating:4/5]
Why: I’m sheepish about giving 4 stars to a non-music act at a music festival but the fact is there aren’t many places I had a better time at Coachella. Zach Galifianakis is my hero.
The Best Part: “A lot of people say they have GADAR – they can tell someone is gay just by looking at them. I’ve got something similar. I have “Fat People-DAR”. I can take a look at someone and immediately tell whether or not they’re fat. I also have “Cerebal Palsy-DAR”.

Artist: Tilly and the Wall

Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: Tap dancing, sequined dresses, flower-covered mic stands and confetti. What’s not too like? Like a pep rally for cool people and the lead singer wins this year’s “Hottest Performer” award.
The Best Part: Did I mention tap dancing?

Artist: SIlversun Pickups

PS // FAWE
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: Sounded great but I was still in shock over my $8 chicken kabobs. Can real chicken really look and taste like that?
The Best Part: I’m still alive after eating that thing, whatever it was.

Artist: Amy Winehouse

Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: This tent was a serious love-in while Amy played the shy vixen. Her voice sounds fantastic in person and the nine-piece band made if fell like a swanky nightclub. Except in a tent. With sweaty people smoking pot. Extra credit for covering Lauren Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
The Best Part: After every few songs, asking in her dainty British accent “Can I get another drink please?”.

Artist: Arctic Monkeys

PS
Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: I wish I hadn’t missed any of this. These dudes were all business. With Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn trying out new gigs, the Monkeys seem determined to crown themselves official keepers of the Brit Pop flame.
The Best Part: “View from the Afternoon”

Artist: Jesus and Mary Chain

Rating: [rating:4/5]
Why: This is exactly what is should have been. Sun setting, everyone dressed in black, and a bone-rattling painfully loud feedback-drenched set. Sure, they don’t move around or talk in between songs but what did you expect? At least they played a full set and faced the audience. And don’t believe the haters – Scarlett Johansson guesting on “Just Like Honey” was just fine, especially considering the Reid brothers didn’t even notice she was there.
The Best Part: Closing with “Reverence”.

Artist: Jarvis Cocker

Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: The guy showed all the rookie bands how it’s done. The consummate showman and funny enough to earn a spot on next year’s Comedians of Comedy set.
The Best Part: Flailing around like a man possessed while singing “Black Magic”.

Artist: Interpol

PS // FAWE
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: They sounded surprisingly good but this band has never really done it for me. And Carlos D’s moustache was just embarrassing.
The Best Part: You can’t deny a well-executed “Slow Hands”.

Artist: Bjork

PS
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: There is something undeniably amazing about watching the woman work her Elven magic in person. Wish I didn’t miss most of this.
The Best Part: Met the expectations of fashion critics everywhere by opening her set wearing what looked like something from Queen Amidala’s closet.

Artist: Gogol Bordello
Rating: [rating:4.5/5]
Why: Easily stood out from the wave of straightforward rock shows. Mainly because these people are fucking crazy and pass every gypsy stereotype along the way: they’re having more fun than you are and will clearly steal your children in the dead of night.
The Best Part: One band member is playing a big bass drum, slung around her shoulder and dressed like a sexed-up member of a marching band. On the last song, she flings the entire drum into the audience who catch the instrument and start passing it around like it’s crowd surfing. She then throws herself into the crowd and ends up climbing on top of the drum, wailing away while standing on it. The lead singer, not wanting to miss the fun, jumps into the crowd as well, gets up on the drum with the woman and sings while she drums. Just to clarify, two people standing on a drum being held aloft by the crowd while the band works its way into a rousing finale.

Saturday

Artist: Fountains of Wayne
PS
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: Perfect pop songs in the middle of the day. How could this go wrong? I would have stayed if I hadn’t seen them already somewhere between 5-10 times.
The Best Part: As if knowing I had to leave early, they avoided the new album I don’t yet have and stuck to their old stuff for the first three songs: “No Better Place”, “Denise”, and “Barbara H”.

Artist: The Fratellis
Rating: [rating:4.5/5]
Why: Oh my hell. Ties with Gogol Bordello as best shows of Coachella 2007. These kids are seriously good and the place was jumping. This is what the Strokes should have been if they’d ever played well enough to match their hype.
The Best Part: Ripping through “Flathead” followed by the singer saying “Please buy an iPod. iPods are good”.

Artist: Regina Spektor
PS // FAWE
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: Clearly her catchy tunes and on-stage charm are working. This was the largest daytime crowd I saw either day. Wish I could have stayed for all of it but moved her to my Lollapalooza list so I could catch Hot Chip.
The Best Part: “On the Radio”

Artist: Hot Chip
Rating: [rating:4.5/5]
Why: Oh my hell, part two. Easily the festival’s biggest surprise. Their album strikes me as good, not great but this band knows how to throw a dance party. Extra credit for throwing in a bit of New Order’s “Temptation”.
The Best Part: You know that Coke ad where the whole world becomes a happy place? That was this tent when they played “Over and Over”. Every person knew the words, every person shook their ass and I swear the tent momentarily levitated off the ground. Single best moment of Coachella 07. Can’t stop playing this song every time I turn on my iPod.

Artist: New Pornographers
Rating: [rating:3/5]
PS
Why: I’m too biased to review them since their one of my favorites. Buy their albums. See their shows.
The Best Part: Again, sensing I would be leaving early, they fit “The Bleeding Heart Show” and “Testament to Youth in Verse” into the first four songs.

Artist: Peter Bjorn & John
Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: Is it really possible to dislike them? The nicest guys within a 500 mile radius of LA. And who knew they could rock like that?
The Best Part: “Young Folks” was certainly the festival’s best sing-along but a stripped down “Amsterdam” was beautiful too.

Artist: Andrew Bird
Rating: [rating:4/5]
Why: A brilliant musician. Like Jon Brion without witty covers but with better songwriting. Not as quiet as you would expect.
The Best Part: Playing guitar with his left hand, xylophone with his right hand and whistling at the same time. Then dropping all three to play a violin solo as if it were a guitar on “Skin Is, My”.

Artist: Kings of Leon
PS
Rating: [rating:3.5/5]
Why: Another set I’m sad I mostly missed. Definitely showed more energy and stage presence than the last two times I saw them.
The Best Part: Whatever song they closed with. Caleb can howl.

Artist: Arcade Fire
Rating: [rating:4/5]
Why: These guys could earn 4 stars reciting the alphabet. If two years ago they were the shocking upstart, now they’ve become the dependable veterans. As spiritual as a U2 show without all the over-the-top posing.
The Best Part: A breathtaking four-song block from Funeral reaches its climax during “Rebellion”. If there’s a God, he or she was listening.

Artist: Justice
PS
Rating: [rating:3/5]
Why: My only reason for attending this set was to get as close as possible for LCD Soundsystem. But the crowd was transformed, the energy was high and the music was respectably decent.
The Best Part: The giant glowing cross keeps the goth tradition alive.

Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Rating: [rating:4/5]
Why: You can tell James Murphy throws himself completely into his performances. Or maybe that’s just because I was five rows back from dead center for this show, the closest I’ve ever gotten to the stage at Coachella.
The Best Part: The crowd synchronizing bouncing and screaming “North American!” during “North American Scum”.

Artist: Gotan Project
PS // FAWE
Rating: [rating:2.5/5]
Why: Sounded intriguing like tango backed by electronica (just as Spence promised) but I hadn’t had anything to eat since Regina Spektor (go back and look how long ago that was!).
The Best Part: Steak tacos. Yum.

Artist: Cornelius
PS
Rating: [rating:2/5]
Why: Their screen show is stunning the first time you see it and maybe the second. By the third, however, you start realizing the songs just aren’t good enough to hold you any longer.
The Best Part: Staring at trippy visuals this late into the night.

Artist: The Good, The Bad, & The Queen
PS
Rating: **
Why: I hadn’t planned on making this a partial set but they were the festival’s biggest disappointment. They didn’t project any sort of stage presence and what I hoped would sound exquisite just sounded straightforward and uninspiring. Good music but no need to hear it live.
The Best Part: I can finally say I’ve seen Damon Albarn play live.

Artist: Tiesto
PS
Rating: **
Why: Ending day two with one giant rave from main stage was an inspired idea on Coachella’s point. Too bad it was a German trance DJ who projected the words “Dance for Life” onto the screen during his set.
The Best Part: Jumping around stupidly despite being way tired.