Coachella 2010: Acts you don’t want to miss
By Ann Powers
Some things about Coachella are obvious. The headliners deliver, and this year they’re particularly pro: rap’s
[For the record: An earlier version of this online gallery included singer Janelle Monae as one of the acts not to miss. Monae, however, is not part of this year’s Coachella lineup. Read more at the Pop & Hiss blog. ] (Anna Webber / Getty Images)
Gossip: If you know this band only from singer-provocateur Beth Ditto’s many sexy European magazine covers, then you don’t know Gossip. Born in
Gil Scott-Heron: Sly Stone may get more attention for his Coachella appearance, but Heron might well deliver a better set. The jazz-blues poet’s genius cant just be reduced to the catch-phrase “godfather of rap”; what he’s doing now, after many years of hard knocks, is more akin to
Faith No More: Of course, the Pavement reunion is going to rock. Let’s also give whats due to this other landmark band from the golden era of shaggy guitar swagger. Faith No More may be associated with the dubious subgenre of rap-rock, but the group is far more eclectic, crazy and fun than that sad label implies. And psychedelic. And funny! (Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images)