Coachella closes with avant-garde bang

April 20, 2009 The 10th annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival concluded Sunday with challenging, dissonant sets that saw the avant-garde take center stage on the event's final day of music. From My Bloody Valentine's wall of noise and Public Enemy's sonic sculptures to Devendra Banhart's rollicking reimagining of classic rock and Throbbing Gristle's industrial revolution, Coachella flew its freak flag high while the delighted crowd went along for the ride. Playing just before the Cure on the main stage, MBV's insanely loud layers of feedback were only enhanced by the open-air setting, with the vocals of guitarists Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher perfectly centered in the mix for maximum effect.

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