New York’s Diiv are not afraid of guitars. In this so-called post-rock era, they’re keeping it real with evocative and guitar chords that harken back more towards Sonic Youth than (the seemingly omnipresent) keyboard-driven 80s pop. They wowed audiences last year at every stop, including a turn opening for Japandroids in what had to be the most wonderfully testosterone-laden, guitar-focused shows presented to 2012 audiences. Their instrumental-centric compositions create jammy soundscapes that lull audiences into a hazy daze before snapping them back to attention with the sudden increase in the swirling speed of your surroundings that provides the chemically-free equivalence of a mescaline bender.
Add in an indie-celeb romance (with Los Angeles-b0rn chanteuse, Sky Ferreira) and you have the makings of a perfect Coachella band: east coast cred, west coast bling, and the musical chops to back it up. From their performance on Seattle’s KEXP, this is a live set from Diiv that closes with an breakneck-paced version of “Doused,” with undertones of both the aforementioned Sonic Youth and Blonde Redhead (NYC, represent!).
