COACHELLA PREVIEW THE BIG ONE

“A desert,” South African author Nadine Gordimer wrote, “is a place without expectation.” She clearly wasn’t a Rage Against the Machine fan. The band comes to the furnace heat of Indio this weekend with three days of rock and dance music and a show-closing reunion that has brought giddy fans from around the world: Rage is back and playing its first gig since 2000.

Guitarist Tom Morello just smiled this week when asked how the band sounds in rehearsals. “Ferocious.” That describes the forecasted temperatures this weekend too, but the roster of acts is pure eclectic cool, with room enough for Bjork, Arcade Fire, the Roots, Lily Allen, Willie Nelson, Arctic Monkeys, Ozomatli, the Coup and Manu Chao.

The obvious story of the year for Coachella is the grand reunion, with Rage, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Crowded House and Happy Mondays each returning to the spotlight, but loyalists of the rowdy oasis in Indio know that the best moments will be discovering heroes among the 122 scheduled performers. A desert may not have expectations, but right now 60,000 rock pilgrims certainly do.

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FRIDAY

2 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Noisettes. Will Coachella be a launching pad for Shingai Shoniwa, the flamboyant frontwoman of this punky, bluesy trio from London?

(Mojave Tent, 2:30-3:10)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Flosstradamus featuring Kid Sister. Madcap fun (e.g. mashing up Twista and Sigur Ros) and heavy beats from the Chicago hip-hop underground.

(Coachella Stage, 2-2:45)

ALSO:

Terry Mullan

(Sahara Tent, 2-3:45)

Comedians of Comedy

(Gobi Tent, 2-4)

3 P.M.

DON’T MISS:

Brother Ali. The albino Muslim rapper from Minneapolis has plenty of personal experience behind his aggressive, persuasive words of inspiration for anyone isolated by being different from the norm.

(Coachella Stage, 3-3:45)

ALSO:

Tokyo Police Club. The Toronto outfit’s arty indie comes off a bit reserved on its album “A Lesson in Crime.”

(Mojave Tent, 3:30-4:20)

4 P.M.

DON’T MISS:

Satellite Party. Perry Farrell’s been a Coachella perennial in one role or another, but his new outlet brings him closer to the rock spirit of Jane’s Addiction than he’s been for a while.

(Coachella Stage, 4-4:50)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Nickel Creek. The vanguard of bluegrass’ youth movement is one of two acts scheduled for both Coachella and next week’s country-oriented Stagecoach Festival.

(Outdoor Theater, 3:40-4:30)

ALSO:

Charles Feelgood

(Sahara Tent, 3:45-5)

5 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Silversun Pickups. The Silver Lake band is the weekend’s big local-band-made-good story, with its chiming, layered sound plucked from little clubs and college radio to be aired on KROQ-FM (106.7).

(Coachella Stage, 5:10-6)

Of Montreal. Kevin Barnes of Athens, Ga., is one of indie-pop’s prime auteurs, crafting complex, seductive and demanding music with big emotional payoffs.

(Outdoor Theater, 4:55-5:45)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Tilly and the Wall. As in a folky wall of sound. A communal spirit and tap-dancing drummers are other calling cards of this Omaha outfit.

(Mojave Tent, 4:45-5:35)

Gillian Welch. The highly respected folk artist isn’t alien to indie -- she sings on the new Bright Eyes album -- but along with Willie Nelson and Nickel Creek, she represents a new rural current in the Coachella waters.

(Gobi Tent, 4:45-5:35)

David Guetta. The French DJ’s “Guetta Blaster” is the first release on Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto label.

(Sahara Tent, 5-6:15)

6 P.M.

DON’T MISS:

The Arctic Monkeys. Last year’s big British arrival has just released a second album that’s less immediately appealing than its debut. But the group is staying true to its strengths and remains a band to watch, for that moment when the promise is fulfilled.

(Coachella Stage, 6:25-7:15)

Amy Winehouse. One of this year’s Brits with a buzz, the singer-songwriter with the vintage-soul style strikes a tone of gauzy glamour and wrenching heartbreak in her debut album, “Back to Black.”

(Gobi Tent, 6-6:50)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN:

Stephen Marley featuring Jr. Gong. Following Matisyahu’s powerfully spiritual performance last year, the reggae flag is carried by one of patron saint Bob Marley’s many sons. Will the family charisma be enough to transcend the generic nature of his debut, “Mind Control”?

(Outdoor Theater, 6:10-7)

Circa Survive. The Philly band’s progressive, metal and emo strains collide in a sometimes compelling din.

(Mojave Tent, 6-6:50)

ALSO:

Digitalism

(Sahara Tent, 6:15-7:30)

7 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Rufus Wainwright. He’ll be doing his Judy Garland concert re-creation at the Hollywood Bowl in September, so Coachella figures to get a cross-section of the lush, Broadway-bent singer-songwriter pop that marks him as a genuine original.

(Mojave Tent, 7:15-8:05 )

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Julieta Venegas. The longtime rock en espanol heroine has negotiated the tricky shift from underground to mainstream pop.

(Gobi Tent, 7:15-8:05)

Felix Da Housecat. The Chicago house music innovator and influential label impresario.

(Sahara Tent, 7:30-8:30)

ALSO

Peaches. The potty-mouthed provocateur is good for a momentary charge, but it’s a limited shtick.

(Outdoor Theater, 7:25-8:15)

8 P.M.

DON’T MISS

The Jesus and Mary Chain. File with Rage Against the Machine, Dinosaur Jr. and the Meat Puppets under this spring’s reunions we thought we’d never see. The Reid Brothers’ majestic songs of darkness and doubt will be the perfect soundtrack for the onset of the night.

(Coachella Stage, 7:40-8:35)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Busdriver. The experimental hip-hop on the Angeleno’s “Road Kill Overcoat” has touches of Zappa and Beck. Good, cartoonish fun.

(Gobi Tent, 8:25-9:05)

ALSO

Benny Benassi.

(Sahara Tent, 8:30-9:30)

9 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Jarvis Cocker. The ex-Pulp frontman doesn’t get here often, but here he is with a debut solo album that puts some signature bite and humor into a vintage rock setting.

(Outdoor Theater, 8:40-9:30)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Interpol. A worthy heir to the New York noir tradition of the Velvet Underground and Television, the band will premiere songs from its upcoming album, “Our Love to Admire.”

(Coachella Stage, 9:30-10:20)

Peeping Tom. Tireless rock experimenter Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) is typically all over the place with this band, from funk to hip-hop to trip-hop to metal.

(Mojave Tent, 8:40-9:30)

Brazilian Girls. The New York group plays a genre-crossing mix of electronic, lounge, pop and global styles. Its performances, which sometimes carry an erotic charge, can be edgier than its music.

(Gobi Tent, 9:30-10:20)

10 P.M.

DON’T MISS

El-P. The New York rapper is esteemed as the founder of the Definitive Jux label, and he has what it takes to draw the likes of Trent Reznor, the Mars Volta and Cat Power as guests on his new album, “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead.”

(Mojave Tent, 9:50-10:40)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Sonic Youth. This fearless pioneer into the frontiers of dissonance and raw emotion has left a mark on a good portion of the weekend’s performers.

(Outdoor Theater, 9:55-10:45)

Faithless. The English band’s upcoming album, “To All New Arrivals,” blends electronica and rock in the manner of its 1995 hit “Insomnia.”

(Sahara Tent, 9:45-10:35)

11 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Bjork. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Coachella Stage, 10:45-end)

Gogol Bordello. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Mojave Tent, 11:05-end)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

DJ Shadow. The turntablist and producer’s latest album took a sharp left into the world of his Bay Area hyphy hip-hop scene.

(Outdoor Theater, 11:15-end)

Evil Nine. A Brighton DJ-producer duo out of breakbeat guru Adam Freeland’s camp.

(Sahara Tent, 10:55-end)

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CRITIC’S PICK

GOGOL BORDELLO: Confrontational, tacky, dripping with blood like a hunk of red meat -- that’s the sound of Gogol Bordello, the New York-based crew of raggle-taggle bohemians that forged the sound known as Gypsy punk. Eugene Hutz, the band’s lanky, sweaty leader, may look like Borat, but his past as a Chernobyl refugee accounts for the undertone of rage that inflects his messy humor. Debauchery has rarely felt this intense, nor has the accordion rocked so hard.

(Mojave Tent, 11:05 p.m. Friday)

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CRITIC’S PICK

BJORK: Does the world hold a more joyful wandering soul than Iceland’s queen of wild beats and lucid dreaming? Bjork never stops driving toward the unexpected. Her imminent album, “Volta,” features a killer pit crew, including hip-hop luminary Timbaland, crooner Antony and Congolese percussion ensemble (and fellow Coachella artist) Konono N°1. It’s not clear who’ll join her for this gig -- there’s a rumor afloat of an all-woman brass band -- but no matter. It will be gorgeously over-the-top.

(Coachella Stage, 10:45 p.m. Friday)

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SATURDAY

1 P.M.

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Pop Levi. The Liverpool-to-L.A. transplant put a little T. Rex, Zeppelin and Devendra Banhart into the naive psychedelia of his album “The Return to Form Black Magick Party.”

(Gobi Tent, 12:30-1:30)

Fields. The London quintet’s dense, driving, soaring acoustic-electric rock and tangy vocal harmony evoke the days of Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull.

(Mojave Tent, 12:45-1:20)

Pharaohe Monch. The acclaimed rapper from Queens figures to air music from his long-awaited second album, “Desire.”

(Coachella Stage, 1:30-2:15)

Yeva. San Juan, Puerto Rico, sextet fuses Latin rock and Latin rhythms.

(Gobi Tent, 1:30-2:15)

2 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Fountains of Wayne. Like its name, taken from a yardornament retailer, the Jersey power-pop duo finds the magical and mysterious in life’s mundanities.

(Coachella Stage, 2:35-3:25)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Cribs. Franz Ferdinand isn’t here this time, but this West Yorkshire indie band’s forthcoming album was produced by Franz frontman Alex Kapranos and conveys a similar spirit.

(Mojave Tent, 1:45-2:30)

Chuck Dukowski Sextet. The former Black Flag bassist leads his team into a ferocious vortex of aggressive, shredding sound.

(Gobi Tent, 2:35-3:25)

ALSO

The Frames. On record, the Irish band churns up a choppy storm of emotional, folkish rock, then sails off into the sea of the overwrought. But the word is that it makes it happen onstage.

(Outdoor Theater, 2:35-3:25)

Steve Aoki.

(Sahara Tent, 2-3:15)

3 P.M.

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Fratellis. The Glasgow trio recorded its vivacious debut album in L.A., where it might have absorbed some old good-timey folk-rock vibes. That doesn’t explain where the Strokes thing came from, though.

(Mojave Tent, 2:55-3:55)

ALSO

DJ Heather.

(Sahara Tent, 3:15-5:10)

4 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Roky Erickson and the Explosions. One of rock’s most celebrated casualties and fierce individuals, the Austin, Texas, musician is back on his feet and ready to show where all that garage and psychedelia came from.

(Gobi Tent, 3:50-4:40)

Hot Chip. London quintet’s electro-charged dance-punk was nominated for Britain’s Mercury Music Prize.

(Mojave Tent, 4:10-5)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Regina Spektor. The New York singer-songwriter has dropped some of her distracting quirkiness, finding a clear focus for her smart, vulnerable love songs.

(Coachella Stage, 3:50-4:40)

Jacks Mannequin. Andrew McMahon of Orange County’s Something Corporate has found a following for this side project’s ambitious, semi-baroque Beatles-bound pop.

(Outdoor Theater, 3:50-4:40)

5 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Peter, Bjorn and John. There’s a disarming spirit of conviviality to the Swedish trio’s irrationally catchy acoustic folk-pop.

(Mojave Tent, 5:25-6:15)

The Nightwatchman. The politics are the same but the volume is lower as Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello airs his acoustic protest-singer identity.

(Gobi Tent, 5:05-6:05)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Travis. The achingly earnest Scottish band was once pegged as a baby U2 but now looks like a junior Coldplay.

(Coachella Stage, 5-5:50)

The New Pornographers. Power-pop royalty, though it has tended to be more clinical than contagious on record.

(Outdoor Theater, 5:05-5:55)

ALSO

MSTRKRFT. Another entry in the punk-disco wave, the Toronto duo has the requisite big beat, but it doesn’t bring much personality or dynamism to the dance.

(Sahara Tent, 5:10-6:40)

6 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Kings of Leon. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Coachella Stage, 6:15-7:05)

The Decemberists. The Portland, Ore., band has become an unlikely indie favorite with a collection of literary, boldly drawn songs that evoke antique ballads.

(Outdoor Theater, 6:20-7:10)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Andrew Bird. There’s some Eno-esque density and global eclecticism in the Illinois artist’s downbeat, cerebral pop.

(Gobi Tent, 6:15-7:05)

7 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Ghostface Killah. This year’s emissary from the hard-core rap world, the Wu-Tang Clan member is regarded as one of hip-hop’s most inventive musical creators and intense performers.

(Outdoor Theater, 7:30-8:20)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

!!!. Big-thump dance-rock, with echoes of the Talking Heads and B-52’s in its electronic frippery.

(Mojave Tent, 6:40-7:50)

ALSO

CocoRosie. There’s not much middle ground with this New York duo, whose Bjorkish, childlike reveries will immediately charm you as boldly original or strike you as impossibly twee.

(Gobi Tent, 7:30-8:20)

Busy P & DJ Mehdi. (Sahara Tent, 6:40-8:30)

8 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Arcade Fire. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Coachella Stage, 7:30-8:40)

Ozomatli. One of the bands bringing a spirit of carnival to the festival, the longtime Los Angeles favorite fires up a vibrant mix of Latin, funk and hip-hop.

(Mojave Tent, 8:10-9:10)

ALSO

Justice. (Sahara Tent, 8:30-9:15)

9 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Red Hot Chili Peppers. The presiding deans of Los Angeles rock are a fine choice for the headliner slot, both sentimentally and musically. Expect a textbook demonstration of how to put your all into a concert.

(Coachella Stage, 9:15-10:30)

LCD Soundsystem. The leading edge of the dance-rock juggernaut, the New York band has hit its stride on the new album “Sound of Silver.”

(Sahara Tent, 9:30-10:20)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Sparklehorse. Virginian Mark Linkous is a cult hero whose elegant folk-cum-orchestral music is typically suffused with a rich melancholy.

(Mojave Tent, 9:35-10:20)

Blonde Redhead. Less dissonant now than in their early Sonic Youth apprenticeship, the New Yorkers weave shifting, haunting tapestries.

(Outdoor Theater, 8:40-9:30)

Girl Talk. James Taylor, ABBA -- no artist is safe from being sampled by Pittsburgh’s Gregg Gillis, whose sensual pop pastiches and laptop erotica have made him a star in the electronic realm.

(Gobi Tent, 8:45-9:30)

10 P.M.

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Gotan Project. The Paris-based team mixes tango and dub, with dreamy, downbeat results.

(Outdoor Theater, 9:55-10:45)

The Rapture. The New York punk-dance trailblazers have shed some of their edge since their arresting arrival in the late ‘90s.

(Sahara Tent, 10:20-end)

Mike Relm. The San Francisco DJ is known for his ambitious audio-visual act.

(Gobi Tent, 10-10:40)

11 P.M.

DON’T MISS

The Good, the Bad & the Queen. A Damon Albarn sighting out West is a rarity, and the leader of Blur and Gorillaz has assembled another intriguing vehicle (with prominent figures from punk, Brit-pop and Afrobeat) for his commentary -- in this case, a trenchant take on mid-decade Britain.

(Outdoor Theater, 11:10-end)

The Black Keys. The Akron, Ohio, duo’s gnarled, greasy blues-rock has made it a roots-radical driving force.

(Mojave Tent, 10:50-end)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Cornelius. The veteran innovator from Japan crafts collages and electronic mini-symphonies, covering the spectrum from the meditative to the manic.

(Gobi Tent, 11:05-end)

Tiesto. The Dutchman, who is one of the world’s most celebrated DJs, has a new album out called “Elements of Life.”

(Coachella Stage, 11-end)

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CRITIC’S PICK

ARCADE FIRE: The raucous spirit of Canada’s most successful indie art collective surely doesn’t reside exclusively in the nasal cavities of singer Win Butler (above), but if you’re concerned that his recent sinus surgery might diminish the group’s impact, never fear. Butler is reportedly fine, and eager to break out the anthems again. The oppressive hero-worship surrounding Arcade Fire’s excellent second album, “Neon Bible,” might have proved a threat to any other band’s spirit, but in concert, Arcade Fire always manages to play as if it’s the first time, and everything turns on the noise they make -- right now.

(Coachella Stage, 7:30 p.m. Saturday)

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CRITIC’S PICK

KINGS OF LEON: It’s always fun to catch a band at the peak of its powers. This may be the moment for Kings of Leon, a Tennessee family band (three brothers, one cousin) that started out as a cute alterna-outfit but, with its just-released third album, “Because of the Times,” turns into a monster rock machine. Well, not a machine -- the songs are shaggy, with room for fuzz and drama. But that aura of rock’s classic days, when the guitar and the raw male voice seemed to speak a whole new mythology, hovers over this effort like a layer of holy dirt.

(Coachella Stage, 6:15 p.m. Saturday)

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SUNDAY

1 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Kid Beyond. The San Franciscan is a virtuosic beat-boxer and soulful singer, and he has a unique ability to layer and loop his voice on stage. He’s definitely something to see.

(Gobi Tent, 1:30-2:10)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Anathallo. Admirers of Van Dyke Parks will savor Anathallo’s orchestral folk-pop -- if the band from Mount Pleasant, Mich., can transfer its ambitious recorded sound to the stage.

(Outdoor Theater, 1:15-2)

Fair to Midland. Dallas rock band discovered and signed by Serj Tankian, whose System of a Down is a clear but by no means dominant influence on his protege’s emo-arena rock.

(Mojave Tent, 1:20-2:10)

ALSO

Mika. The British pop auteur is a slick seducer, but you might hate yourself in the morning.

(Coachella Stage, 1-1:30)

2 P.M.

MUST SEE

Lupe Fiasco. Common was a strong Coachella presence last year, and here’s fellow Chicago rapper Fiasco to carry on the spirit of mainstream accessible and hipster progressive.

(Coachella Stage, 1:45-2:25)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Avett Brothers. The North Carolina rustics have taken the indie-roots world by storm with their acoustic, emotionally intense music, which sometimes evokes the Band and the Pogues.

(Gobi Tent, 2:20-3:10)

Mando Diao. Winsome, funny folk-rock and power-pop from a Swedish entry.

(Outdoor Theater, 2:15-3)

ALSO

Tapes ‘n Tapes. How lo-fi can you go? The Minneapolis indie band takes it to the point of timidity on its album “The Loon.”

(Mojave Tent, 2:25-3:10)

DJ Dayhota.

(Sahara Tent, 2-3:30)

3 P.M.

DON’T MISS

The Coup. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Outdoor Theater, 3:25-4:15)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Feeling. The British band is a proud popper, serving up shamelessly sweet and hooky songs with a Beach Boys/Beatles/Supertramp lineage. It tends to get sticky and florid on record, but it could soar live.

(Coachella Stage, 2:45-3:35)

Grizzly Bear. New York-based Edward Droste and company craft meticulous, pulsating, atmospheric pieces that incorporate folk, classical, pop and natural sounds.

(Gobi Tent, 3:30-4:15)

The Kooks. A resounding vote for the basics -- familiar melodies that still touch and surprise, dynamic arrangements and a voice that means it -- from a Brighton band with a feel for classic pop.

(Mojave Tent, 3:30-4:15)

4 P.M.

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Explosions in the Sky. A testament to truth in naming, the instrumental band plays a grand form of psychedelia.

(Coachella Stage, 4-4:50)

ALSO

Trent Cantrelle.

(Sahara Tent, 3:30-4:40)

5 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Junior Boys. The Canadian duo brings an unusual degree of soulfulness to its rich, melancholy electro-pop.

(Mojave Tent, 4:40-5:30)

The Roots. The Philadelphians are one of progressive hip-hop’s major forces and a pioneer of mixing rap with live instruments.

(Coachella Stage, 5:15-6:05)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Against Me! The Florida band is on the brink of its major-label debut after building a strong underground following with an anthemic, open-hearted brand of punk-rock.

(Outdoor Theater, 4:40-5:30)

Rodrigo y Gabriela. One of the unlikelier successes on the bill, the acoustic guitar duo went from the Mexican death-metal scene to the streets of Dublin to the bosom of the KCRW audience.

(Gobi Tent, 4:50-5:40)

ALSO

Soulwax Nite Versions.

(Sahara Tent, 4:50-5:50)

6 P.M.

DON’T MISS

CSS. See “Critic’s Pick.”

(Mojave Tent, 5:55-6:45)

Konono N°1. The group, founded by thumb piano virtuoso Mawangu Mingiedi a quarter century ago, makes a kind of trance music that blends traditional polyrhythms with makeshift electronics. Unique and inimitable.

(Gobi Tent, 6:05-6:55)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

The Kaiser Chiefs. Most every song on the scrappy British band’s second album seems to have an infectious, tankard-raising spirit, and on stage Ricky Wilson is an unfailingly persuasive performer.

(Outdoor Theater, 6:05-6:55)

Willie Nelson. The other of the two artists playing both Coachella and Stagecoach, which figures, since Nelson has spent most of his career building bridges and crossing musical borders.

(Coachella Stage, 6:30-7:20)

Richie Hawtin. One of the world’s elite DJs.

(Sahara Tent, 6:05-7:50)

7 P.M.

DON’T MISS

The Klaxons. A mighty and mighty fast buzz has formed around the British band, whose brand of “nu rave” is distinguished by dynamic vocal blends and a relentless momentum.

(Mojave Tent, 7:10-8)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Placebo. The English trio has managed to hang around, though its Bowie-influenced dark-hued rock has never really taken hold with the U.S. audience.

(Outdoor Theater, 7:20-8:10)

ALSO

Jose Gonzalez. The Swedish troubadour plays a wan brand of introspective acoustic folk.

(Gobi Tent, 7:20-8:10)

8 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Crowded House. Beloved by Beatle-bedazzled fans of harmonious, sweet-voiced pop raptures, the New Zealand/Aussie band has reunited. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” should sound good sung by thousands in the desert night.

(Coachella Stage, 7:45-8:35)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Lily Allen. The Londoner’s ska-pop might seem a little fine-featured for the festival setting, but Allen has the attitude and effervescence to make it work.

(Mojave Tent, 8:25-9:15)

Air. The veteran French duo is one of electronic music’s perennials. Among singers on a new album is fellow Coachella artist Jarvis Cocker.

(Outdoor Theater, 8:35-9:25)

Paul Van Dyk. One of dance music’s DJ deities.

(Sahara Tent, 7:50-9:20)

ALSO

Amos Lee. The soul-edged singer is a nondescript troubadour.

(Gobi Tent, 8:35-9:25)

9 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Manu Chao. One of world music’s most admired artists, the Spanish-born, Paris-raised vagabond brings political attitude to his rainbow of international languages and musical styles.

(Coachella Stage, 9:15-10:15)

10 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Teddybears. The Swedish electro-dance group is all over the place -- from breezy pop to dancehall -- in its humorous interplay of samples, singing and raps. Iggy Pop and Neneh Cherry are among the guests on the group’s “Soft Machine” album, but it sounds as if the band can do fine without star power.

(Gobi Tent 9:50-10:40)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Happy Mondays. The colorful Manchester band’s first U.S. show in 10 years (when it had transitioned into Black Grape) will unveil songs from its first album in 15 years and answer the question: Can Shaun Ryder and company be as much fun straight as they were back in their chemically enhanced heyday?

(Sahara Tent, 9:40-10:30)

Ratatat. The Brooklyn duo’s instrumentals are weirdly intriguing, with a loopy quality arising from the play of indie-rock guitar and electronic beats.

(Mojave Tent, 9:40-10:30)

ALSO

Damien Rice. Fans of the Irish singer-songwriter value his uninhibited emotionalism, but to the uninitiated it can seem a bit much.

(Outdoor Theater, 9:50-10:40)

11 P.M.

DON’T MISS

Rage Against the Machine. See “Critics Pick.”

(Coachella Stage, 10:40-end)

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN

Infected Mushrooms. Flamenco-electro with some Middle Eastern exotica from an Israeli trance duo.

(Sahara Tent, 11-end)

The Lemonheads. Erstwhile pop-punk heartthrob Evan Dando is attempting to pick up where he interrupted himself 10 years ago. The comeback album has its moments, but is it too little too late?

(Outdoor Theater, 11:10-end)

VNV Nation. The Irish-English electro-industrial duo pairs its big-beat music with an unusually non-ironic vocal approach.

(Mojave Tent, 10:55-end)

ALSO

Spank Rock. The Baltimore hip-hop group is in a gray zone, too arty to be “real” but not arty enough to reward the experimental seeker.

(Gobi Tent 11:05-end)

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CRITIC’S PICK

CSS: It started as a goof -- five Brazilian hipster-istas found each other via the Latin American version of MySpace.com, secured the services of a male drummer and hustled up some danceable cheerleader punk. Soon enough -- perhaps inevitably, given the irresistible party vibe of tracks like “Meeting Paris Hilton” -- CSS (short for “cansei de ser sexy,” sort of Portuguese for “tired of being sexy”) became a worldwide phenom, on an indie level, at least, for its giddy live sets.

(Mojave Tent, 5:55 p.m. Sunday)

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CRITIC’S PICK

THE COUP: Radical as a little red book or a Black Panther salute, hilarious as Richard Pryor and greasy as the barbecue at the duo’s legendary hometown joint, Flint’s in Oakland, Boots Riley (above) and Pam the Funkstress are what incendiary music is all about. The Coup almost lost everything when its tour bus toppled over a precipice last winter, but Riley and Pam have survived to cause more trouble -- their latest campaign involves an Internet campaign to infiltrate the military with antiwar downloads. They’re pals with Tom Morello, so there could be a little collaboration during this set.

(Outdoor Theater, 3:25 p.m. Sunday)

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CRITIC’S PICK

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: During its brief reign over the craggy realm of hard rock, Rage Against the Machine earned hate from critics for being dogmatic, overblown and just plain irritating. Boy, did the band’s detractors realize what they’d lost once vocalist-instigator Zack de la Rocha (above) abandoned ship. There’s a reason the desert air is on fire in anticipation of this reunion. Time has proved that Rage’s rap-rock mix was both pioneering and uniquely powerful, and though much good political music has been made in the seven years since the group disbanded, none has matched the intensity of Rage’s revolutionary rhetoric. Welcome back -- and watch out, powers that be!

(Coachella Stage, 10:40 p.m. Sunday)

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Our guide

Coachella introduction by Geoff Boucher. Hour-by-hour rundown by Richard Cromelin. Critic’s picks by Ann Powers.