Jessie Ware performs at The Ritz, Manchester on Mar. 7, 2013, in Manchester, England.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off today, drawing thousands of music fans to the southern California desert. Spread out over two long weekends (April 12th-14th and April 19th-21st) the festival showcases some of the most compelling rock, pop, hip hop and electronic music. The headliners—Stone Roses, Blur, Phoenix, Postal Service and the Red Hot Chili Peppers—alone are worth the cost of admission, but there’s plenty of talent playing the smaller stages: brand-new bands riding a wave of buzz, festival regulars who crank out captivating 30-minute sets like it’s their job, and revived rock vets ready to show the young ’uns how it’s done.
To help you maximize the Coachella experience—or maybe find some new bands for your playlists—we’ve come up with a list of nine shows that should not to be missed.