Coachella 2012 lineup announced

Not bad Coachella, not bad at all. 

This year's music and arts fest in the California desert multiplies itself over two consecutive weekends this April, and upon first lineup glance, the list of performing acts seems lighter than in year's past, perhaps a result of the doubling-up festival organizers are experimenting with in 2012 (April 13-15, 20-22). But the tradeoff for that apparent lightness in quantity -- and it might just be my eyes playing tricks on me -- is the sheer volume of quality hitting the stages at Indio this year. 

It's an anglophiles delight, with RADIOHEAD, PULP -- this must be Jarvis Cocker & Co.'s first US appearance since the This Is Hardcore tour that hit the Paradise Rock Club nearly 12 years ago, right? -- NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS, JAMES, and Britpop descendants like KASABIAN, ARCTIC MONKEYS,  and KAISER CHIEFS sassing things up. Then you have the likes of AT THE DRIVE-IN, who briefly broke the internet with their reunion news this morning, and heavyweights M83, BLACK KEYS, MAZZY STAR, FLORENCE, and REFUSED -- wait, fucking Refused are playing?!?!

There's a fair bit of bro-dance in here too, with JUSTICE, NERO, AVICII, SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA, and DAVID GUETTA. But hey, whatever, at least Skrillex is staying home.

In fact, the omissions are just as interesting as the confirmed -- no New Order, or No Doubt, or Garbage, or Daft Punk, as rumored. But us East Coasters get to see DR DRE and SNOOP in their home state, and that's pretty fucking cool. 

And yeah, it's a strange world we live in when AZEALIA BANKS is on the same line as the BUZZCOCKS. 

I'll be on WFNX tomorrow morning screaming my tits off over this announcement, so tune in around 8am. Tickets for Coachella go on sale Friday at 10am PST.

In the meantime, let's watch some Pulp from last year's Glastonbury. Let's all meet up in the year 2012.