Coachella Artists of the Day: Mar. 18, 2026

The Strokes

Origin: New York, New York, USA 🇺🇸

Genre / Subgenres: Rock / Indie rock, Garage rock revival, New wave

I'm actually surprised The Strokes settled for a sub-headlining spot. Then again, they didn't mind co-headlining Coachella with Kanye West back in 2011. That shows how much they don't care about lineup placement and care more about being there for the fans. If you grew up around the turn of the century, then you know that The Strokes are not just one of, but they are the face of the early 2000s garage rock revival. Julian Casablancas & Co. built buzz playing legendary NYC clubs like CBGB (RIP) and Mercury Lounge before releasing their instantly classic debut album, Is This It.

At a time when grunge and nu-metal were getting tired, The Strokes came in at the perfect time. They were the new, shiny thing that everyone saw as effortlessly stylish and cool. It was just the beginning of a new musical revolution that opened doors for other bands you know and love today, such as Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their sound is deceptively simple, but it is more complex than one would think. Casablancas' detached, slurred vocals, economical songwriting, and the band's gritty rhythms make up one distinct, cohesive sound.

Performing: Saturday

Stage Prediction: Coachella Stage

For Fans of: Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Interpol

Key Tracks: Last Nite / Reptilia / Someday

Live Set: Austin City Limits 2025 (Austin, Texas, USA)

Rating: ★★★★★

---

BUNT.

Origin: Stuttgart, Germany 🇩🇪

Genre / Subgenres: Electronic / Electronic folk, Folk house, Stutter house

BUNT. started as a DJ duo, but when Nico Crispin left in 2021, Levi Wijk decided to keep the four-letter moniker alive and continue making EDM. All it took for German John Summit was essentially one viral hit before signing to Arista Records and popping up on global festival lineups. BUNT. isn't your average DJ, though. What's really interesting about the type of electronic music he makes is that it's folk-leaning, which I've personally never experienced before, nor would I ever have thought to put those together.

That's what I love about discovering new music. When two things that shouldn't go together do, and sound right? It's the absolute best. What Avicii was doing with country music, BUNT. is doing with European folk music, and it's a beautiful thing. He draws inspiration from other big names like Justice, Fred again.., and Swedish House Mafia, and it's heard in every single track. So don't be surprised if he ends up headlining one of these festivals down the road.

Performing: Sunday

Stage Prediction: Sahara

For Fans of: AVAION, Fred again.., Disco Lines

Key Tracks: Clouds (w/ Nate Traveller) / TRIPPIN (w/ Mapei) / Lost My Mind (Wake Up)(w/ Elley Duhé)

Live Set: Electric Love 2025 (Salzburg, Austria)

Rating: ★★★★★

---

Ratings are on a 5-star scale