2013 Coachella Lineup Unveiled: Reunited Blur, The Stone Roses, Chili Peppers Among 5 Must-See Headliners

It's going to be a very British affair at this year's fest, set to take place April 12-14 and April 19-21 in Indio, Calif.

By Josh Grossberg Jan 25, 2013 3:15 PMTags
Blur, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone RosesChristie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images, Pieter-Jan Vanstockstraeten/Photonews via Getty Images, Jesse Grant/WireImage

OK, so the rumors of a pending Rolling Stones or David Bowie appearance didn't pan out. But the 2013 Coachella festival will still sport its share of popular British acts.

Reunited U.K. rockers Blur and The Stone Roses, French pop band Phoenix and SoCal funk favorites the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be the headliners for the two-weekend bash, set to take place April 12-14 and April 19-21 in Indio, Calif., it was announced today.

They'll be joined by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Jurassic 5, Postal Service, Vampire Weekend, Sigur Rós, Social Distortion, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, Wu-Tang Clan, Moby, Lou Reed, Trent Reznor's How to Destroy Angels, La Roux and New Order, among others.

This year's Coachella doesn't boast tried-and-true music legends like Mick Jagger and his mates (who flirted with the idea of playing there on April 12 after posting a pic under the tour section of the Stones' mobile app), nor so far is there any sign of another hologram performance in the works like the one of Tupac Shakur that wowed festivalgoers at the last go-round. But the artists slated for '13 certainly have their own massive followings.

Here's a brief look at five of our favorite performers playing Coachella:

1. Blur: The Damon Albarn–fronted quartet reached their apex during the so-called Britpop wave of the mid-'90s that's memorable to American audiences not only for their long-running rivalry with Oasis, but also such hits as "Girls & Boys" and "Song 2." After being plagued by drinking and drug issues, as well as tensions among its members over their musical direction and Albarn's desire to experiment, Blur went on an extended hiatus in 2001 that lasted for seven years and is notable for Albarn's cartoon band side project Gorillaz. Despite regrouping in 2008, Blur has yet to release any new material.

2. The Stone Roses: Not as well-known as Blur Stateside, the Manchester–based British foursome led by singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire have been around since their eponymous 1989 debut album. Known as pioneers of the Madchester movement, which combines alternative, garage rock, and even punk and soul with psychedelic dance elements in the late '80s/early '90s, the band was massively popular across the pond. However, a legal battle involving their record label, exacerbated by internal disputes, led to several lineup changes and their eventual breakup in 1996 before a much-ballyhooed reunion in 2011.

3. Phoenix: You may think you've never heard of these guys, but chances are if you asked the bartender what's being piped into the bar, he'll say Phoenix. Hailing from Versailles, France, this sextet followed the path of labelmates Air to popular acclaim, largely thanks to catchy pop tunes like "Lisztomania" and "1901" that featured well-crafted songwriting with garage-rock influences. Phoenix is so good, in fact, that electronic dance legends Daft Punk turned up as guests for a show at New York's Madison Square Garden two years ago and filmmaker Sofia Coppola tapped their music for her flick Somewhere.

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers: What more needs to be said about Anthony Kiedis & Co. that hasn't already been written? The Chili Peppers' brand of Flea-powered funk rock still is a force to be reckoned with on radio and the charts—and that's despite the second departure of longtime guitarist John Frusciante and his replacement in Josh Klinghoffer. After being inducted last year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the "Californication" purveyors are still going strong.

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's nice to see this female-fronted act getting the stage time they deserve. Led by the lovely Karen O and her Siouxsie and the Banshees–like wails, these art rockers came up alongside The White Stripes and The Strokes after forming in 2000. Among their hits are "Maps" and "Gold Lion," and a new album, Mosquito, is due out on April 16, a few days after their performance at Coachella.

For ticket information for this year's festival, visit Coachella.com.

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