Coachella Kick-Off: Ten Faves, Watch Videos

The annual ritual has begun. Festival fans from around the world have arrived in the SoCal desert. Coachella has started its massive 2012 parade of shows. The L.A. Times has made a nice overview of the now iconic festival, from its 1999 origins on. Stereogum has 15 recommendations of artists not to miss, including Kendrick Lamar, Pulp, and Swedish House Mafia. We’ve got our own fest favorites as well. Ten, besides the forever must-see Radiohead (above), we’d never want to miss are:
1. Frank Ocean
2. The Shins
3. Dre & Snoop
4. DJ Shadow
5. Florence + The Machine
6. Kasabian
7. Avicii
8. Afrojack
9. David Guetta
10. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Reports have it that yesterday’s dousing of desert rain hasn’t marred the action. Maybe those who are slated to attend next weekend’s mirror image presentation (Coachella happens twice this year), will have have better luck, weather-wise. If you can’t go, but want recommendations for April tours, we have a few for you. Of course you can always watch videos by acts playing the fest: