Coachella 2014 Performer Spotlight - ††† (Crosses )

It is that time of year again...Coachella has released the 2014 lineup and it is time to start research all of the banks.  As of today (1/10/14), there are 175 bands and only 90 days before Weekend 1.  I am not sure if I will get through 90 posts between now and then, but I will do as many as I can.  My goal is to do a quick summary of the band (basically a mix of Spotify's bio and Wikipedia research) plus some subjective commentary on the performers, their music, and other interesting tidbits.  I will also post a video for each band...I'll try to do live videos so you can see their potential come April.

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††† (aka Crosses )
Style: Synth Rock/Electronic Rock
Notes: Side project of Chino Moreno (lead singer of Deftones...started in Sacramento so yay! for hometown heroes), which began in 2011.  He added childhood friends Shaun Lopez (guitarist from Far...also from Sac) and Chuck Doom.    Moreno described the project as, "minimal and soothing and it's sort of like the stuff I like listening to when I'm not screaming my head off."

Personal Thoughts: Being from Sacramento and growing up with rock, Deftones were always an influence.  They were also my first rock concert...saw them performing behind a Tower Records summer after freshman year in HS.  I have loosely followed Chino through his various side projects and have enjoyed them, but I am liking more of Crosses than his previous work.  It has been fascinating to see and hear Chino mature over the years.  From almost always "screaming his head off" on earlier songs, to getting told by doctors that continuing to sing like that would ruin in vocal chords, to adding in more melody to his music.  Crosses does an excellent job showing how far he has come.

Should I see them at Coachella: I will for sure (barring any significant conflicts, i.e. Bastille).  And if you want something a little harder than most of the other acts...something with more refinement, I expect to see you there as well!

Sounds like*: Dredg , but a little darker and harder...

Video: 

* I know it is kind of "questionable" to compare who sounds like who; however, in the spirit of Coachella, I think it is works here in hopes to get more people to check out the bands I am spotlighting.