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The lineup to the 2011 version of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is out, and even though nobody knows what the schedule will look like, fans are already trying to decide who they want to see over the festival's three days of non-stop music. Of all the major festivals, Coachella's setting is nearly as important as the music itself, as the desert in Indio both inspires spontaneous fits of joy and painful dehydration. The headliners — including this year's top-billed acts Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire and Kanye West — always have the benefit of playing in the cool of the evening, but the daytime acts are always fighting against the natural climate. As a result, the afternoon sets tend to be even emptier than they normally are at festivals.

That's a shame, because this year, there are a handful of top-shelf about-to-pop performers who are well worth braving the hangovers and afternoon heat to check out. Here are the five acts who should force you to pack extra sunscreen and wear a CamelBak.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
The Austin-based blues collective has been picking up steam since the release of their 2009 debut album Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, and their sweaty live workouts are going to mesh perfectly with the Indio heat.

Lil B
The esoteric rapper, who has earned a reputation as one of the most delightful personalities on the Internet, also happens to deliver quality — if not entirely bizarre — live performances. At a recent show in New York, he paused to rap about how excited he was to eat his bag of Chinese food he had stashed backstage.

Gayngs
The indie-centric supergroup (containing members of Bon Iver and Solid Gold — among others — and masterminded by producer Ryan Olsen) put together one of 2010's most underrated albums in Relayted. They play '80s-inspired soft rock, which should make them a forgettable novelty. However, their songs have an underlying energy that should twitch nicely in the desert. It'd be worth it just to hear them play the epic "The Last Prom on Earth."

Phantogram
The electronic rock duo put out one of the most criminally overlooked albums of 2010 in Eyelid Movies, a fuzzy dance through rock tropes that doesn't sacrifice melody for mood. Their set is guaranteed to be everything to everyone, so if you want to dance, you can go nuts, but if you want to bliss out on a sea of peaks and hooks, then you can pull that off too.

Rye Rye
The 19-year-old rapper from Baltimore is set to light the underground on fire with her about-to-drop debut album Go! Pop! Bang!, and her blend of street-savvy rhymes and international flavor (inspired in part by label boss M.I.A.) should make for an early party on Sunday afternoon.

What under the radar artists are you most looking forward to at Coachella? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Arcade-Fire, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Coachella, Gayngs, Kanye West, kings of leon, Lil B, Phantogram, rye-rye

"It is a little weird, and sometimes I look down the table and I go, 'Kara? No. Paula? No. Ellen? No. Simon? No. Where am I?' It's just a different kind of show. Simon is irreplaceable. People have been saying, 'Who's going to be the mean one?' Simon is still the mean one."

-Veteran musician, television producer and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, discussing the strangeness of going into the 10th season of the show without the rest of the familiar faces at his side. But though the process has obviously been a sureal transition, that doesn't mean that it isn't going the right way.

In fact, Jackson said the chemistry between himself and new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler is excellent. "Jennifer, Steven and I all agree a lot [and] we disagree a lot," he explained to MTV News' Jim Cantiello during a conversation that will air as a part of "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon" at 10 p.m. live on MTV.com, just following the premiere of the show. "You're going to see all flavors of the rainbow because we all think sort of the same way because we're music industry professionals."

Despite all the changes, Jackson is optimistic about the new elements that the show will introduce over the course of the next few weeks. And Jackson has high hopes for the results, as he has not only predicted that a woman will win the competition but that said singer will also be "a killer vocalist" who will "change music completely."

Don't miss our "American Idol" live stream "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," featuring post-show analysis from Jim Cantiello and special guests, on MTV.com this Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Tweet your "Idol" commentary with the hashtag #idolwithoutsimon, and we could quote you on the show!

Tags American Idol, Jennifer-Lopez, randy-jackson, simon-cowell, steven tyler, video

The premiere of the 10th season of "American Idol" will be rolling out in only a few hours, and the excitement surrounding the new season is palpable. For months, fans have been debating about what the new show is going to look and feel like now that longtime judge Simon Cowell is no longer a part of the program (late-coming judge Kara DioGuardi will also be leaving a gap). In his place, actress and singer Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will be joining original judge Randy Jackson as the line between pop music immortality and a life of wondering what might have been.

It's a brand new panel of judges, and it will be impossible to tell their impact on the show until we get deep into the new season. But that doesn't stop our readership from speculating. On Tuesday (January 18th), we asked the readers of the MTV Newsroom Blog to vote for the judge they thought would have the most influence over the upcoming season. It could easily be argued that Jackson would be the most influential simply because he has been there the longest and his opinion would mean the most to both the contestants and the home viewing audience. Lopez could also change the tenor of the show via the people she endorses. But according to the voters, it's Tyler who will make the biggest waves once the show kicks off. The singer came in first place, nailing down 53 percent of the total vote. Lopez came in second place with 33 percent, while Jackson brought up the rear with 14 percent. Most people seem to be on board with Tyler simply because he's the most unpredictable member of the cast. "Steven is gonna be crazy and I'm gonna love watching him be a train wreck or brilliant," wrote commenter zumazuma13. "Either way it should be fun."

Don't miss our "American Idol" live stream "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," featuring post-show analysis from Jim Cantiello and special guests, on MTV.com this Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Tweet your "Idol" commentary with the hashtag #idolwithoutsimon, and we could quote you on the show!

Tags American Idol, Jennifer-Lopez, randy-jackson, steven tyler

Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

The music world may be dreaming of escaping to the desert, but at the moment, it's pretty frosty. The east coast remains frosty, and it's apparently hard to get away from it no matter where you are in the world. Case in point: Diddy spent some quality time in London promoting his latest album Last Train to Paris, and as he made his way back to Heathrow Airport, he had to bundle up pretty tight in order to avoid the winter frost. Of course, that helped him out twofold, as not only was he able to keep warm, he also managed to stay pretty incognito as he went about his business. (However, that didn't stop photographers from spotting him and snapping his picture.) The bundling also helped him combat the flu, which Diddy seemed to be struggling with during his spin through the United Kingdom. "This flu is NOT gonna win!" he tweeted.

Diddy wasn't the only star getting a move on, as Adam Lambert hit the red carpet for the premiere of the new season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" in Los Angeles and Kim Kardashian dropped in on "The Late Show With David Letterman" in New York. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Katy Perry, Madonna, Rihanna and Justin Bieber!

Tags Diddy, photo, Spotted!

The Jonas Brothers have a very clear, straight-ahead sound, but the individual members have more esoteric aspirations that come alive in their individual work. Last year's album by Nick Jonas and the Administration traded in power pop for a throwback brand of synthed-up funk rock, and Joe Jonas' upcoming solo project promises to dive headlong into a more electronic place. In a recent conversation with MTV News, Joe revealed that his biggest inspirations lately have been acts like Daft Punk and Justice. "Artists you can dance to, electro stuff, DJs in Europe — they're all very exciting to me," he explained while sitting next to producer Danja.

Of course, dance music crossed over into the pop world in a big way in 2010, with a handful of DJs grabbing mainstream attention (like David Guetta and the members of Swedish House Mafia) and many high-profile stars (including Usher, whose "OMG" was declared the top song of the year by the MTV News collective). But if Joe is serious about really diving deep into the world of computer-based music, he should really explore the late '90s scene, which made grand attempts to cross over to the rock world. Here are some of the albums he should check out.

Chemical Brothers, Dig Your Own Hole
Back in 1997, everybody thought the future was going to sound like "Setting Sun," the massive track that featured swirling guitars, a huge drum break and the voice of Oasis' Noel Gallagher. It still might be true.

Roni Size/Reprazent, New Forms
Jungle never really got as big a foothold as other electronic sub-genres like trip-hop or house, but Roni Size's watershed album with his Reprazent collective explored dozens of permutations of the darker side of the dance world.

Bjork, Homogenic
The Icelandic indie-pop queen has always pushed the boundaries of electronic music and incorporated fringe elements into her albums, but Homogenic — which combines drum machine eruptions and spacey computer effects with lush, organic strings — is her apex.

Air, Moon Safari
Combining classic pop and low-fi psychedelia, Air's music is hard to dance to but easy to get lost in.

UNKLE, Psyence Fiction
UNKLE founder James Lavelle put together a constantly rotating group of electronic all-stars (including DJ Shadow and Money Mark) and crafted a crossover album that married their cinematic approach to head-spinning trip-hop with some top shelf rappers and singers (including Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft and rapper Kool G Rap). Demands a listen if only for "Rabbit in Your Headlights," a haunting end-of-the-world dirge.

What electronic albums would you suggest to Joe Jonas? Let us know in the comments!

Tags daft-punk, Joe Jonas, the-jonas-brothers, video

Justin Bieber is about to get all adult contemporary on us. The teen superstar has reportedly worked with songwriting guru Diane Warren on last-minute track for the soundtrack to his upcoming film "Never Say Never." The movie opens on February 11, and Warren confirmed that she and the film's star "just finished" the track, which is called "Born to Be Somebody."

"It's a beautiful song," Warren told The Hollywood Reporter about the song, the same night she won a Golden Globe for her "Burlesque" track, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (performed by Cher in the flick). "That's a good age difference between Cher and Justin — 40 years!"

Warren is certainly not new to the world of film soundtracks. And if Bieber is unsure of her credibility, all he need do is look at her resume for churning out hits. After all, she is the woman behind such hits as "My Heart Will Go On" (the inescapable Celine Dion smash from "Titanic") and that other inescapable song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" performed by Aerosmith for "Armageddon" (which is played while Steven Tyler's real life daughter Liv watches her movie dad, Bruce Willis, die in space ... spoiler alert?).

Her other big hits include but are not limited to "Because You Loved Me" (another Dion song from the forgotten romantic comedy "Up Close and Personal"), "Un-Break My Heart" (performed by Toni Braxton), "For You I Will" (sung by Monica from the classic animated epic "Space Jam") and "Can't Fight the Moonlight" (one of the many awesome aspects of "Coyote Ugly").

She has also been nominated for Oscars, won a Golden Globe and a Grammy and been nominated for a number of others. Basically, we think that the Biebs might have a hit on his hand — and one the parents of his fans might also enjoy.

Tags Diane Warren, Justin Bieber, Never Say Never

Most of the country is still under a blanket of snow, but music fans are already dreaming about a glorious weekend in the desert with some of the biggest bands in the world. After weeks of speculation (and a handful of fakes and misdirections), the official lineup for the 2011 version of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been released, lead by headliners Kanye West, Kings of Leon and Arcade Fire. The whole thing goes down on April 15, 16 and 17.

(Click here for photos from this year's Coachella performers, including Kanye West, Kings of Leon and more!)

This lineup is a little more low-key than usual (there's no real top-line reunion act this year, and many of the acts are holdovers from last year's festival season), though that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of highlights. Here are the entries that get us excited — as well as the ones who confuse us a bit.

The Highs

Kanye West
The rapper has always brought incredible heat to his festival performances (including legendary sets at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza in 2008), so it's a guarantee that he'll bring something massive to his performance. Plus, this will be the first large-scale show that West will be playing since the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Robyn
The Swedish songstress has slowly made her way up the lineup cards, and her placement on the Friday batch of acts may be her highest yet for a show this big. Robyn's show is awesome, and her vibe is perfect for the Coachella desert twilight.

PJ Harvey
It'll be something of a comeback for Harvey, who is one of the bigger first-generation alternative acts on the bill. The songs from her upcoming album Let England Shake will sound epic on the big Coachella soundsystem.

Wiz Khalifa
The rock lineup at Coachella seems a little bit stale, but this year's hip-hop collective is an eclectic batch of artists that should make for some of the best music of the weekend. In addition to West, Wiz Khalifa should be considered a can't-miss set, as he is an underground guy about to blow up huge.
Read more...

Tags Coachella, Kanye West, PJ Harvey, Robyn, Wiz Khalifa

The 10th season of "American Idol" is set to premiere in only a handful of hours, and the buzz surrounding the new episodes is at a fever pitch. It's something of a reset for the long-running show, as it welcomes two new (and high-profile) faces to the judges' table in singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. But perhaps more importantly, it will be the first season that will feel the absence of Simon Cowell, who has acted as the show's centerpiece, anchor and central voice for the entirety of its run. Now that Cowell is out, the show will likely be taking on a whole new tone and direction (and just to make sure, the producers have tossed in a bunch of curve balls, including the addition of a season-long "pop coach" and the return of the contestants sharing a living space).

All told, it promises to be a fun batch of episodes, even if the contestants aren't as good as they have been in the past. While there has been some doubt about the new judges, it's pretty clear based on this video of their photo call, they appear to at least be having fun.

There's still time to vote in our "American Idol" poll, so be sure to weigh in with your thoughts about the new season and the new judges!

Don't miss our "American Idol" live stream "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," featuring post-show analysis from Jim Cantiello and special guests, on MTV.com this Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Tweet your "Idol" commentary with the hashtag #idolwithoutsimon, and we could quote you on the show!

Tags American Idol, Jennifer-Lopez, randy-jackson, Ryan-Seacrest, steven tyler, video

January is one of the best times to be a sports fan. The NFL playoffs are in full effect, with a march toward the Super Bowl. There is some top-shelf UFC violence coming up this weekend when Matt Mitrione slugs it out against Tim Hague on "UFC Fight For the Troops 2," while the NBA season is unveiling a series of fascinating story lines. And don't forget the college football bowls, the NHL's Winter Classic and the Australian Open. But by far the highlight of the sports (or rather, "sports entertainment") world in January is the annual WWE Royal Rumble, which was won by Ric Flair in a world-beating performance on this day in 1992.

The rules of the Royal Rumble are simple: Two wrestlers begin in the ring, and every minute or two another one is sent in based on a random drawing. Eliminations occur whenever somebody is thrown over the top rope and onto the floor, and once the final entrant hits the ring, the last man standing is declared the winner. The victor gets a title shot at WrestleMania, though in 1992, the winner went home with the championship belt (which had been held up months earlier after Flair interfered with a match between Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker).

Flair's performance in Albany, New York that day was remarkable, as he entered the match at number three (out of 30) and wrestled continuously for nearly an hour. In the end, he pushed Sid Justice over the top rope (with a bit of an inadvertent outside assist from Hogan) and claimed the belt in victory. It was truly one of the greatest performances of the man's incredible career.

Earlier this year, I referred to Kanye West as "the hip-hop Ric Flair" in reference to the greatness of "Power," but "Stronger" also makes a hell of a case for West's — and Flair's — place among the immortals.

Tags Kanye West, Ric Flair, video, Wrestling

By Zachary Swickey

There are only a few absolutes in the music world. Metallica will always be loud, Beoyncé will always be compelling and there ain't no party like a Girl Talk party. I was reminded that yet again over the weekend when I witnessed the great Greg Gillis — the man the music world knows better as Girl Talk — throwing a sicker party than Van Wilder ever could.

Gillis has stepped his performance game up quite a bit since I first saw him many moons ago (which consisted mostly of him hunched over a laptop and drinking). Armed with a giant LED screen, several party henchmen (who shot toilet paper rolls and blasted confetti cannons), 30-odd fans dancing desperately on stage and twice the noise as usual (he now has two laptops), Girl Talk truly brought it. Kicking things off with the first track from his most recent album All Day ("Oh No"), the ruckus was off to a great start. Where else can you get Ludacris spitting over the iconic riff from Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"?

With five albums under his belt, Girl Talk never has a shortage of brilliant musical concoctions. It makes you wonder if Gillis is on to something. The show was completely sold out (about 3,500 people), a feat that some of the artists he glorifies cannot even do. The highest amount of fervor came during "Get It, Get It," which begins with Lady Gaga's already-classic scatting from "Bad Romance." After shaking off a grenade (appropriate considering the amount of fist-pumping I was doing), I fell back into the groove with "Triple Double," which showcases Luda rhyming over Phoenix's "1901" before it digs into digital clips from the Rolling Stones, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Public Enemy (to name but a few of the dozens).

By the end of the show, Gillis was shirtless, breathless and sweaty-as-hell, but he had successfully annihilated the crowd as they slowly shuffled out the doors. By the end, the exhausted crowd looked like a marching army of paper maché projects — that's how much confetti was stuck to them. Now that's a party.

Tags Concerts, girl-talk