For Fans Of … : Check Out These Local Musicians Who Have Similarities to Coachella and Stagecoach Artists

Festival season is here! If you’re making it out to Coachella and/or Stagecoach, you’ll get a chance to enjoy all sorts of great musical acts—but the festivals are only three days long.

Local music, however, takes place year-round. Whether or not you’re making it out to the Empire Polo Club in April, we hope you’ll use this list of local musicians you may enjoy if you are a fan of some of the featured Coachella and Stagecoach performers. 

Allen Condes

For fans of Keshi

Indescribable solo artist Allen Condes has hopped through a number of genres—while never losing a hyperpop edge. “WITHOUTME” is a boomy, funky jam; “Bait” is a hip-hop rager; and “Crystal” is a dance-pop groove, yet Condes’ vocal production is consistent with tasteful, melodic autotune and distortion. 

Coachella artist Keshi taps into a similar mix of sounds. “Soft Spot” rolls into a bright, summer-groove; “Say” is a wobbly, dance-inducing gem; and “LIMBO” starts somber and acoustic before growing into a deep hip-hop beat. Like Condes, Keshi’s pop-produced voice remains constant throughout the sonic shifts. 

Brosquitos

For fans of Parcels, Sam Fender

Many Coachella acts have what can best be described as a summer sound—with bright guitar tones, modern pop sounds and grooves that incite dancing and twirling. Since it’s summer for nine months out of the year here, it’s only right that we have our own summer sounds—in large part thanks to Brosquitos. While the classic jams from their 2017 release Vinyl Image are unforgettable indie-pop bangers, the band has been experimenting with more electronic sounds and poppy production effects in recent years, resulting in jangly, smile-inducing sounds like those on “Bedroom Song.” 

Parcels and Sam Fender are prime examples of this summer sound at this year’s Coachella. The carefree funk of Parcels’ head-bopper “Tieduprightnow” will seem just right during a sunset performance; the same can be said for Sam Fender and his anthemic, sparkly-guitar driven “People Watching.”

Burgundy Blues

For fans of d4vd

Burgundy Blues have been crafting heart-wrenching jams for nearly a decade, getting better and better with each release. Their home base used to be psychedelic, slightly funky jams filled with effects-heavy falsetto vocal performances, and while the band still excels in this format, recent releases see Burgundy Blues tapping into more of a cultural oldies sound. Branching out from the indie-washed lo-fi jams, the band’s latest singles mark a new era for Burgundy Blues; check out the musically heart-tugging jam “Si Te Pierdo,” which sounds plucked from classic West Coast radio. 

Coachella artist d4vd also knows how to tug on heartstrings in a musical way. With slow drum beats, crooning vocals and sparkly guitar on songs like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” the artist invites listeners to slow-dance in similar ways. 

Cafe Canela

For fans of Thee Sacred Souls

Café Canela, the duo of Johnny Lopez (vocals) and Emanuel Cazares (instruments and production), have been making and playing music for years, and their work as Café Canela showcases a dedication to musical progression across time and culture. Songs “Stuck in Love” and “If I Fall” hone a time-capsule sound with caressing guitar lines and vocal performances that will make you swoon. Reverb-soaked guitars and haunting vocal melodies combine to craft modern soul ballads, much to the same effect of Coachella act Thee Sacred Souls.

Thee Sacred Souls are one of the bands pushing the Chicano soul genre forward, crafting tunes in the 2020s that could easily be classics of the ’60s. “Can I Call You Rose?” is a lovely song that uses elegant singing, snappy drums and space-filling guitar tones to transport listeners back in time, with facets that make the Chicano soul revival what it is in the modern era.

Daytime Moon

For fans of Green Day

Pop-punk rockers are sprinkled throughout the desert, and one of the most prolific local bands has been making angst-y, aggressive-yet-melodic jams for more than a decade. Daytime Moon has played anywhere and everywhere in the desert, bringing an exciting mix of styles rooted in a pop-punk ethos. From the crunchy riffs of “Comatose” off of their first record, to the sing-along moments of “I Do Apologize” and the spacey, slowed-down rock groove “Went to the Desert,” the band has always found new ways to mix high-energy punk with frontman Brent Simpson’s emotive voice. 

Coachella band Green Day are kings of pop punk, bringing fiery, chord-burning aggression to the radio, thanks to frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice, with songs like “Basket Case,” “Brain Stew” and “When I Come Around.”

Face Facts 

For fans of The Original Misfits, Circle Jerks

Although Face Facts is usually associated with hardcore, the band’s sound is rooted in classic punk and tasty grooves. Latest release Blind 2 Love opens with brutal riffs and heavy tones, but soon jumps into unshakable ’90s-style rock on the EP’s title track, complete with fast chord progressions. “Clear to You,” off Mirage of Everything, is punk rock at its finest, with driving rhythms, earth-shattering bass and relentless vocal runs. 

Two classic punk bands, The Original Misfits and Circle Jerks, will certainly bring mosh pits to Coachella this year. Face Facts’ inspiration from these punk OGs can be heard on lightning-fast Misfits bangers “Bullet” and “Spinal Remains” and the loud-and-proud Circle Jerks jam “Leave Me Alone.”

Ferny Aguilar

For fans of Junior H

Latin music has exploded globally in recent years, with Coachella showcasing the sound’s rising star level. It only makes sense that desert-dwellers are making Spanish music of their own, tapping into the new era of regional Mexican music that has become world renowned. One thriving local artist is Ferny Aguilar. Horns, slap bass and the twangy 12-string requinto guitar create a musical space that evokes emotions and incites fits of dancing, while also honoring cultural sounds. Aguilar’s emphatic voice elevates the songs into emotionally moving works of art, like “Estoy Aquí” and “El Sharky.” 

Coachella performer Junior H is one of the prominent figures in the modern Mexican music scene, and songs like “Y LLORO” and “ROCKSTAR” utilize the staples of this regional Mexican sound, alongside a raspy, melodic voice, to showcase the beauty of corridos tumbados in similar ways.

Giselle Woo and the Night Owls

For fans of Los Mirlos

Giselle Woo and the Night Owls are a badass psychedelic-blues/desert-rock band, and they tap into their musical roots to create beautiful works of Spanish rock. “No Basta,” “Azul” and “Que Harás?” all experiment with Spanish rhythms, funk grooves and mesmerizing percussion, elevating a classic and cultural sound into more modern rock stylings.

Peruvian cumbia band Los Mirlos, performing at Coachella this year, has been crafting rhythmic Spanish tracks since the ’70s, evoking cultural sounds through instrument choice and musical stylings. Like Giselle Woo and the Night Owls, Los Mirlos mixes psychedelic rock with a Latin flair. Check out songs like “La Danza de los Mirlos” and “Linda Provinciana.”

GREASETRAP

For fans of Amyl and the Sniffers

Even though local punk-rock outfit GREASETRAP rarely play live, their raucous stage energy is not something to be missed. Lead singer Kylie Knight leads a fiery group through epic punk bangers, as she screams and shouts her lyrics in unconventional melodies and patterns. Their song “Discontent” is a hard-hitting two-minute rager filled with musical aggression.

Coachella band Amyl and the Sniffers is another female-fronted punk band, and the similarities run deep between these two projects. Amyl and the Sniffers also excel in breakneck rhythms, crunchy guitar and experimental female vocals. You can hear this on “Guided by Angels,” “Got You” and “It’s Mine.”

Jesika von Rabbit

For fans of Lady Gaga 

Jesika von Rabbit is the valley’s queen of weird pop. With an eclectic mix of synth stylings, trippy drum machines and melodic vocal performances, Jesika von Rabbit has won over fans in search of more artistic pop tunes. Songs “Glamorous Misery,” “Bombay Beach Bunny” and “Dog at a Human Party” are all uniquely weird, yet catchy AF, and show a mastery of electropop production. 

Lady Gaga is the worldwide queen of weird pop, and her strange mix of sounds and melody has dominated radio charts across multiple decades. Hits like “Poker Face” and her latest, “Abracadabra,” turn a number of wacky synth sounds and irregular rhythms into unforgettable earworms. Both artists are particularly talented at performance art and stage presence.

KILLFLOOR

For fans of Speed

In 2025, beatdown music is booming! Beatdown hardcore incorporates elements of thrash metal into hardcore punk, making for a heavier breakdown. Local band KILLFLOOR crafts a pulverizing brand of aggressive rock, and their mix of hard-hitting guitar tones and guttural vocals can be heard on the band’s new single, “BLOOD RUNS THICK.” 

Hardcore band Speed is set to bring beatdown to Coachella, balancing out pop phenoms with eviscerating metal and punk sounds. To hear the KILLFLOOR correlation, check out the angry jam “REAL LIFE LOVE.”

Koka

For fans of The Marías

Koka has not played locally in a while, but they are still in the hearts of many local music lovers. The indie-pop/electronic-dance hit-makers have crafted earworm after earworm, spanning from the reverb-washed guitar mixes of earlier songs like “Baby’s Breath” to newer synth-driven bops like “Flight.”

Coachella artist The Marías have experienced similar progressions in realms of groovy girl pop. The Marías have grown from the lo-fi, hazy guitar wash of “Cariño” to the electronic-funk gem “Run Your Mouth.”

Rick Shelley

For fans of Sturgill Simpson

Solo singer/songwriter Rick Shelley is a force in the desert’s country music scene. The acoustic ballad-maker with a twangy, accented voice has crafted a series of Western-tinged works of art. The rollin’ rockabilly jam “Highway 99 (Bakersfield),” the country pop/rock jam “Sing Waiting on a Friend” and the chord-churning rattle of “Walking With Ghosts” are all showcases of Shelley’s country expertise. 

This mix of cowboy music is similar to the wide range of Stagecoach artist Sturgill Simpson’s catalog. For somber, acoustic jams perfect for a lonesome traveler, check out “Sam” and “Breakers Roar,” and for some tumblin’, high-energy horse-riding rockers, check out “Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean” and “Life of Sin.”

Tourists

For fans of Jimmy Eat World

Tourists have been concocting a wide-ranging sonic mix spanning alternative, pop punk, Japanese rock, hip hop, metal and more. The band uses select songs and musical moments to showcase their mastery of certain genres, like “Rent Free” honing the J rock influence, “Rendezvous” embracing punk rock, and “Aftermath” exploring metal vibes. Through all of these genre shifts, Tourists’ song structure and frontman Nick Galvan’s popstar voice keep the band rooted in the pop-rock sphere. 

Coachella band Jimmy Eat World operates similarly, carrying melodic voice and pop stylings throughout sonic shifts. Tracks “Sweetness” and “Just Tonight” explore metal and punk/J-rock musical passages, respectively, and singer Jim Adkins’ radio-ready voice keeps the songs catchy and memorable.