I'm In CoachellaMode

Are you ready for a kick ass Coachella 2006?! Well, it's all out in the open and I hate to tell 'ya but, I called it!
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A while back, long before whispers of the 2006 dates and band line-up for Coachella began, my pal Gashapon and I were humming Personal Jesuses in Tampa during the kick off of Depeche Mode's most recent world tour for Playing the Angel. At the time, I thought "Wouldn't it be awesome if they were the requisite 'comeback' band at Coachella this year!" Every year there is a "comeback" and/or "reunion" band headlining one night of the event. As it turns out, if you are to believe Dave Gahan himself, Depeche Mode is set to headline the first night of Coachella on April 29th, 2006.
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Reach out, Touch Faith!!! I am so excited! In my mind, nothing can really top the experience that I had last year with my first Coachella experience but by the sounds of early internet rumors, it could shape up to be a formidable opponent. Either way, I'm a goin!
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Unless someone out there has jacked into a Goldenvoice executive's Blackberry or something, I am not sure that the list below has any merit but here's what has surfaced thus far. Keep in mind that most of these, although logically strong possibilities, are nowhere near confirmed. In the past some of these very same names have been announced and then pulled while others are perennial pop-ups on this list, never to have officially surfaced during the festival's 6 year run. A lot of wishful thinking going on here on someone's part.

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April 29
Depeche Mode, The Strokes, Portishead, Franz Ferdinand, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack, Infected Mushroom, Royksopp, Kings of Leon, Doves, Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene, Atmosphere, Blackalicious, Super Furry Animals, The Buzzcocks, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Ladytron, DJ Peretz, The Shins, Dieselboy, Tortoise, Sleater Kinney, Richard Hawley, Grooverider, Death From Above 1979, Yesterday’s New Quintet, The Walkmen, Son Volt, Will Oldham, The Clientele, Lightning Bolt, Cage, The Crimea, OK Go, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, John Kelly
April 30
The White Stripes, Roxy Music (featuring Brian Eno), The Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Boards of Canada, Underworld, Ween, Death Cab for Cutie, Armin Van Buuren, Built to Spill, De La Soul, Big Star, Iron & Wine, Uberzone, Happy Mondays, Dinosaur Jr, TV on the Radio, Elbow, Eagles of Death Metal, The Tears, Esthero, T. Rauschmiere, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Carl Cox, Grandaddy, Calexico, Explosions in the Sky, The Wedding Present, Andy C, Fatlip, DJ Icey, The Notwist and Themselves preforming as 13 & God, Devendra Banhart, The Coral, Stateless, 65 Days of Static
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I'll give you that the possibility of The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Sleater Kinney, Grandaddy and Sufjan Stevens are almost guaranteed as they have all either gained some momentum this year, released a new album or moreover just want to suck up the exposure. But bands like Son Volt (they're playing Fayetteville, Arkansas for Christ's sake!) have no business at Coachella. Not to be a music snob or anything, quite the contrary. The best thing about this event is to plug in and get in tune with new artists of all kinds of varieties. But Son Volt? Maybe this is 2006's random '90's band thrown in. I'm sorry to bash the boys from the Midwest, I really used to like 'em. Well, at least the good news is that there is at least one time slot freed up for me!
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This year's unofficial list has more elusive bands than ever! The Buzzcocks, Roxy Music!?!, The Happy Mondays for the love of God!!! Be forewarned, last year we were tempted with the announcement that The Cocteau Twins were going to headline and at the last minute Elizabeth Fraser gets cold feet (or a cold) and backs out. Sadness. Also notice that Doves is listed for the second year in a row, they also met a similar fate only they pulled out on the day of the event. Please tell me how the Happy Mondays are going to make it to Indio, California to play just for me! It would be great and all, but ....

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The biggest rumor floating around right now is that someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows a record exec posted that Johnny Marr and Morrisey have already agreed to reunite at Coachella and are flying mediators out to London to talk to Mike Joyce blah blah blah. If this were true, I would almost be too scared to attend the event this year as last year was just so nice. Not too many people, less than scorching weather, etc. If The Smiths take the stage in '06, I'll be watching the show from my air conditioned helicopter thank you. The ironic indie kids flocking to worship at the alter of The Smiths would be insane. Panic in the fields of Indio! Look at me, I'm gossiping like a school girl!

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Whilst you are here, take a look at The Official Coachella Site and this nifty little Wiki page on Coachella. On January 24th, Goldenvoice will be showing their documentary on the Coachella phenomenon with Coachella the Film. If you are lucky, you might catch a wee skinny thing doing the crack dance in the back of The Chemical Brothers set.

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If you're coming this year and want to see how much fun the [V]hat crew had while we were out there (and possibly want to high five as we pass one another), drop me a line or take a look at Skinny Tie's 2005 Coachella Photos on Flickr and be sure to check out all things Coachella Archive on The Skinny Tie Report right here ------->
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Finally, I leave you with my wishlist for this year's upcoming festival (in no particular order)
Le Tigre
Morningwood
LCD Soundsystem
The Faint (wha? you think I'd leave them off)
The Go! Team
The Postal Service (I can dream can't I)
Glass Candy
Daft Punk (because Christy, who else could come close to the Chem Bro show?)
Kenna
Broken Spindles
Talking Heads (yeah right, in my dreams)
Gorillaz
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Toadies (yeah right #2)
Helmet (refreshing, no?)
Pavement (for the Steve Malkmus in all of us. Yeah right #3)
and just for fun, Dead or Alive