The Daily Swarm

Author, journalist and Daily Swarm reader Matt Diehl writes:

Democratic Debate Moderator: Do you think Bill Clinton was our first black president?

Barack Obama: I would have investigate more Bill’s dancing abilities before I accurately judge whether he was, in fact, a “brother.”

The close proximity of the Super Tuesday primary vote and the announcement of Coachella’s 2008 musical lineup got me thinking: both comprise probably two of the most anticipated lineups by the public. In particular, the fervent expectation, discussion and dissent around the results of each, even within the same “party,” seems to demonstrate the current American desire for both change and a desire to participate in the process. Such debates also highlight the strengths and weaknesses in each ticket.

Alas, punters can’t vote for the Coachella lineup—although judging from the reaction on the Interweb to its announcement for 2008, it seems they would like more democratic input. It’s not surprising emotions ran high: those fans need their Coachella hit, and if it’s not the right dope, they’re pissed and tellin’ the internets! Coachella relates to other American music festivals the way Thom Yorke once famously described his relationship with his Radiohead bandmates: “We operate like the U.N., and I’m America.” Coachella doesn’t have a monopoly per se on Stateside festivals. It inarguably sets the tone of them, however, typically acting as the standard against which all will be judged. Not surprisingly, when the much-anticipated 2008 lineup for the now-annual event was announced this week, the blogosphere erupted with opinions about it. What was surprising was the tone: from blogs to forum, many opinions were negative. Massive disappointment.

Like the Democrats’ chances for the White House, this year appeared tough for Coachella to lose. Pre-announcement, the cumulative goodwill for the festival was massive, thanks to its rising status thanks to recent accomplishments: the iconic Pixies reunion show, launching pad for the Daft Punk revival, cred enhancer for Kanye and Madonna. As well, its legend as a showcase for fresh talent endures: Coachella’s fantastic 2008 edition served as the sublime coming-out party for acts ranging from LCD Soundsystem and Justice to Hot Chip and Ratatat. Bloggers loved the drama of headliners Rage Against The Machine’s heralded return; Internet scribes relished describing career-transforming sets out there in the desert by underground faves like Spank Rock’s. While there was no Daft Punk-style mindblower at Coachella’s 2008 edition, what proved revelatory most was how nearly every act brought a compelling live show.

Passions flamed about Coachella’s 2008 choices long before the recent announcement at a press conference in Mexico City on January 21. Most of the hype centered around the rumor that Coachella would host the My Bloody Valentine reunion. My Bloody Valentine’s return seemed tailor-made for Coachella buzz: the band’s influence and prestige had grown almost as large as the reclusive nature of its members and their seeming lack of interest in re-forming for filthy reunion lucre. It was as anticipated a moment as the Rage re-up, as important to rock history as the Pixies’ new tour. Alas, the possibility of a My Bloody Valentine appearance set the benchmark for what the Coachella faithful wanted to see onstage in the desert this April. And it didn’t happen. MBV decided to reunite, but not at Coachella. Rumor swirled that their asking price was too high, but the truth seemed to lay more in the fact that Kevin Shields and co. couldn’t get it together in time. Regardless, even the possibility of an MBV appearance set expectations impossibly high.

Indeed, any announcement after MBV’s seesaw seemed doomed to disappoint; it set the benchmark as to what kind of Coachella fans wanted to see. Much of the disappointment expressed in Coachella circa now seems to stem from a lack of both shock of the new and an important-enough reunion—for the lone gunmen patrolling the Internet’s ether, there’s not enough “no way they’re ever going to get back together” nostalgia. For them, Jack Johnson proved sacrilegious enough—so why the John Butler Trio, too? And why so many repeats? Typically, acts have to wait a year or two between Coachella appearances. However, 2008 is remarkably heavy on the class of 2007: many of last year’s most noteworthy acts— Spank Rock, Justice, Hot Chip, Kid Sister—have signed up for repeat performances. Other choices seem crucial, yet could be expanded on. Battles is amazing: they fill ‘Chella’s indie art-metal slot with panache, but why not put on Dead Child, too?

To some, the symbolism and theater of the choices felt lacking in headline-making significance. Many worthy artists seem to be missing in action. Why aren’t Spoon, Feist, Wilco, Working For A Nuclear Free City, Sian Alice, Bat For Lashes, Gutter Twins, The Shins, or Band of Horses showing up in Indio this year?

Coachella remains cherished as well because it has always taken DJ culture seriously, even during slow periods. This is not one of them; it’s been a long time since dance/electronic music has felt so vital to pop culture. That’s why, at first, this year’s dance-music headliners like Fatboy Slim, Sandra Collins and Danny Tenaglia come off as too-safe nostalgic choices—ones that might’ve worked better in 1998 than 2008. Club music trends reside in the cult of the new, and heads look to Coachella for dancefloor surprises (like how Digitalism blew minds and added to the converted in their unsung early set last year). This year, once-esoteric subgenres like, say, minimal techno and the B’more sound proved to be the story on hip dancefloors. As such, while it’s great that Modeselektor, The Field and Booka Shade are playing Coachella, why aren’t more minimal or innovative breakout artists spinning instead of, say, James Zabiela? Inquiring indie minds want to know—if we can’t get My Bloody Valentine fer chrissakes, why can’t Coachella at least get the acclaimed incognito dubstep genius known as Burial to reveal himself on its stages? Couldn’t Coachella persuade minimal techno cult leader/activist Ricardo Villalobos to do his first U.S. DJ gig as a protest of, and ideological alternative to, the American political status quo?

Coachella’s other big strength over the years has proven to be its ability to balance genres across many stages. This year, however, hip hop feels undernourished. Why isn’t Lil’ Wayne in the Kanye slot? More than any other MC, N’awlins’ reigning Cash Money millionaire showed the greatest commitment to the art, striving relentlessly for the “greatest rapper alive” honor and frequently succeeding. Why isn’t Lil’ Wayne’s independent ambition and desire to prove himself bigger than the mainstream (most of his 2007 recordings have been disbursed on free mixtapes) being rewarded with a Coachella spot? And what about Jay-Z? Coming off after his American Gangster artistic rebirth, Shawn Carter chose to headline Glastonbury instead. Jigga, what?

The hoi-polloi particularly focused most of all, though, on the lack of an awe-inspiring 2008 headliner. Why Roger Waters instead of the whole Pink Floyd? Why was Radiohead celebrating their industry-rattling In Rainbows cyber triumph at Coachella’s first attempt at a festival event on the East Coast instead of the Indio polo grounds? Both Gnarls Barkley and Coldplay are releasing highly-anticipated albums this year; why aren’t they being previewed to Coachella’s tastemaking audience? In fact, the Coachella lineup is getting too hard of a time; a smart friend of mine pointed out that the 2008 edition is in many ways more in line with the festival’s original spirit. Indeed, as both my pal (and Obama) continue to point out, it’s just time for change, in both the political polls and Indio polo fields. For my friend, a change to a kinder, gentler Coachella is a good thing—even if it’s via the Jimmy Buffet-meets-jam band eco-positive vibes of Jack Johnson and John Butler Trio. Call it the “lesson of Bonnaroo,” perhaps. In recent years, Coachella has grown too aggro for some, due to heavy-grinding headlining sets dominated by the likes of Tool and Rage Against The Machine; meanwhile, the most acclaimed acts of recent vintage were often from the ironic, too-cool-for-school likes of say, LCD Soundsystem, CSS, and Justice—all of which is great, but a little more sunshine maybe seemed in order this year. In light of recent societal malaise, there’s an argument that a little cheery hippie sparkle just might be downright necessary right now, and Coachella 2008 embodies that, even when it goes back to the future. The return of Danny Tenaglia and Sandra Collins certainly ties Coachella back more into its ‘90s rave roots. Peace. Love. Unity. Respect. Aren’t those four words what we’re looking for as a society? And what we’re seeing in Barack Obama’s candidacy and platform?

That’s why, when it comes to Coachella, it’s time to vote with your dollars. Go to Coachella. Experience for yourself how good or bad the lineup is. Support live music. Prove that rock music, electronic music, adventurous sounds—whatever your cultural niche is, a vote for Coachella is a vote for music’s continued vital existence in the wake of a music industry tentatively re-defining itself. You might love this year’s lineup, or maybe you think it’s not as good as last year’s. Whatever, dude: even if this was Coachella’s weakest moment, true music fans should support it and attend. There’s still nothing else like the Coachella experience. There’s a reason this was the first such event to make American music fans care about European-style festivals. No other delivers so much variety and good vibes with such a minimum of corporate sponsorship—the “lobbyists” of the festival circuit whose logos typically adorn the huge stages of other fests like Lollapalooza and Warped. In this moment when all big festivals seem to blur together, we need to keep the Coachella spirit alive, at all costs.

However, like everyone else on the Internet, I think the Coachella lineup could be improved with my seasoned, expert input. In particular, it seems Coachella 2008 is lacking that one true rock star whose shine eclipses all others. In fact, Coachella seems to have completely neglected the most charismatic rock star to make his appearance on the international scene in the past year. And for that reason, that is why I am endorsing Barack Obama… for Coachella 2008.

Forget Super Tuesday—Coachella provides both the most ideal barometer and town-hall meeting for Barack’s message and appeal. Even if he doesn’t appear on the final Democratic ticket as a contender, there’s no question that Barack is the only true rock star to come out of the current presidential race. As well, Obama should recognize that Coachella’s free-thinking, change-embracing devotees represent the essence of the constituency he wants to reach. Let’s face it: Coachella’s rainbow coalition wants to see their American idol in the flesh. If we can’t have My Bloody Valentine, at least give us Barack’s “I Have A Dream” moment that we can lord over our children, and our children’s children, for decades to come. Just when they think we’re losing our edge, we can remind future generations that, “Hey, I was there when Barack Obama rocked Coachella, y’all”—and, subsequently, the world. Barack Obama needs his “Daft Punk is playing at my house” moment, and only Coachella can give it to him. After all, Coachella belongs to all of us. So go to your blogs, click on “new post” and tell the world that thing that’s making your heart pump until it’s gonna burst: “I’m sick and tired of it and I’m not gonna take it anymore—unless Barack Obama plays Coachella!”

Talk of Obama always leads to talk of change. There’s always been scuttlebutt that certain radical factions within the political mainstream want to change the residency requirement that requires presidential candidates to be American-born citizens (Mr. “Hawaii-Indonesia-Kenya” Obama kinda just slips under the wire here). Mostly, it’s Arnold Schwarzenegger boosters that want to lift the residency requirement so that their beloved, yet Austrian-born, Governator can take his rightful throne. However, erasing this aspect of the whole presidential thang may have unforeseen benefits. We could nominate Daft Punk to run for president, for example. Two funky-ass robots from France couldn’t do a worse job than the joker we’ve currently got in there. And for the first time in history, one could finally dance during those typically snooze-inducing “State of the Union” addresses: free the ass, and the mind will follow, per another Clinton who wanted to paint the White House black. In the absence of Daft Punk as a serious presidential candidate, however, we’ll take Obama. After all, we’re fairly confident of his dancing abilities…