The second weekend of the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is here, and people across the world are gearing up for it. If you missed out on the debut weekend performances, check out various social media websites for live streams of artists’ sets. The Coachella lineup consists of talented artists who may be well-known in pop culture, but not all of them have a substantial following. So why not listen to some new music? In no particular order, here are five artist recommendations based on the Coachella 2018 lineup.
First is the female rapper and singer/songwriter Princess Nokia, or Destiny Frasqueri. Frasqueri began her career in 2010, self-releasing mixtapes on Soundcloud and YouTube with her original moniker “Wavy Spice.” In 2012, she released her song “YAYA” which got the attention of people from around the world. In 2016, she released her mixtape “1992”, which was then made into a deluxe album in September 2017 by Rough Trade Records. Frasqueri makes it clear that she sees herself as a feminist, a tomboy, and a queer woman from New York that cannot be held back. This woman is truly an inspiration, and her music showcases that as well.
The next artists are an alternative rock band from Los Angeles called The Buttertones. They were formed in 2011 by the original members, guitarist Richard Araiza, drummer Modeste Cobián, and bassist Sean Redman. The band is now made up of five members, with guitarist Dakota Böttcher and saxophonist London Guzmán joining in 2015. With influence from genres such as surf music and garage rock, the band has released four studio albums, one EP, and one single over the course of five years. If you like The Beatles or The Sonics, you will most likely enjoy The Buttertones.
Next up is a band that embraces indie-folk, and they are called MAGIC GIANT. The band is a trio, and the members are as follows: Austin Bisnow, Zambricki Li, and Zang (Brian Zaghi). Formed in early 2014, they create songs that sound like artists Mumford and Suns, The Lumineers, and Avicii had a music lovechild, combining banjo licks with electronic sequences. It provides for an upbeat experience unlike any other in the scene so far. The band’s single “Let It Burn” was called “a summer festival anthem” by NPR, and in June of 2017, Rolling Stone named them one of the 10 New Artists You Need to Know.
Returning to the punk genre, FIDLAR is a punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California. Members Zac Carper and Elvis Kuehn founded the band in 2009 after working at a recording studio together. Brandon Schwartzel and Elvis’ brother Max Kuehn joined shortly after, and they’ve been performing ever since. The band has released two studio albums, three EPS, and numerous singles. In 2015, the band debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and played two songs off of their album Too, “West Coast” and “Why Generation,” and in 2016 they performed on Conan. Full of angst, FIDLAR is a band that doesn’t mess around.
For the final artist, we have South African DJ and producer Black Coffee. His real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, and he started his career around 1995 in a time when the world was just starting to grow interest in the South African dance music scene. And as the years have passed, Black Coffee has grown to become Africa’s most influential electronic music producers. He has released five albums and one EP since he grew in popularity in 2005. Many of his songs are trance-like, emitting a calm feeling when listened to which isn’t very common in electronic music.
Coachella 2018 may be over in a few days, but these five artists will continue to perform and grow. Give them a listen whenever you have the time. Who knows, they could be a new favorite artist of yours. And if you’re up to it, check out all of the artists on the lineup. Each artist is extremely talented, and all of them have an exclusive performing style.
Featured Image: Coachella. Credit: Leonardo Pierce
