New music: The Droptines soar with 'Drought Flower'

Thanks to a wonderful friend whose taste in discovering new music may well outdistance even my own, I was introduced to the The Droptines a few months ago and can proclaim they are one of my favorite bands to emerge this decade. The Austin, Texas-based Americana quintet led by frontman Conner Arthur blend alternative country, Southern rock, blues, gritty roots and top-tier songcraft into an authentic style rooted in real world emotion. I am not the first to say this and will definitely not be the last; I truly believe The Droptines are destined for bona fide greatness. 

The Concan, Texas-spawned band's new album Drought Flower (released via Miranda Lambert's Big Loud Texas label on April 3) is a joyful lesson in how to fall in love with new music anew and to feel its power sweep over you. The majority of the 11 songs on the disc play out in under three minutes, but nevertheless pack an emotional wallop for anyone who has fallen in love, lost someone they cared about, woke up with a hangover or longed to escape the cage where they are now.

The songs are not delivered via empty slogans or labored poetry, but rather feel as genuine as the events, persons and places that inspired their creation. Recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin, there isn't anything even close to a throwaway on the LP.

Among the great cuts on the album are the rollicking opener "A Town Near You," anthemic "Tombstone" celebrating love's magic touch with a burgeoning sonic ascent, the rollicking title track, deeply affecting mandolin-adorned "Mamaw" that details an elderly loved one's descent into dementia, confessional "What Ate My Friend" and biting rocker "Whatever It Is."

The Droptines deliver two essential covers on the LP, a haunting take on the Mike McClure Band's "Calling All Cars" and evocative reading of The Magnetic Fields' "Grand Canyon," the latter as poignant as any romance-minded cry for help in memory. 

In addition to Connor Arthur, The Droptines feature bassist Dillon Sampson, drummer Johnny Sheets, guitarist Donny Parkinson and steel guitar player Tony Rincon.

Information:  thedroptines.com.

Robert Kinsler

 

2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Preview

This is an expanded version of an article written by George A. Paul and Robert Kinsler that was originally posted in the Desert Star Weekly. For information on Coachella, including a livestream of both weekends, visit the festival's official website HERE.

Coachella at night is magical. Here is a view captured in April 2025.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

A Potent Musical Mix Headed to Indio

By Robert Kinsler and George A. Paul

The Desert Star Weekly’s contributing music writers provide their top picks for acts set to appear at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10-12 and April 17-19. This year’s headliners are Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. 

Italian techno DJ Anyma - who performed at Sphere Las Vegas and the Giza pyramids - will also premiere his science fiction-meets-ancient mythology live production AEden. Nearly 150 established and emerging artists are scheduled to perform over the two consecutive weekends. 

Fridays, April 10 and 17

Devo — Although it has been almost 20 years since I first caught Devo in concert when the band headlined an event in Anaheim, CA in October 2006, the groundbreaking outfit's sound remains both influential and timeless. The Akron, Ohio-spawned band is sure to please concertgoers when they perform on April 10 and 17 in Indio. Although the band is best known for its 1980 hit "Whip It" and an original take on The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," the new wave group will thrill no matter what song is being unleashed. Not bad for a band formed at the dawn of the 1970s. (RK)

Foster the People / Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

Foster the People — Los Angeles-spawned Foster the People rose to fame in 2010 with the viral success of frontman Mark Foster's dance-minded crossover hit “Pumped Up Kicks.” The group's infectious synth rock-meets-dance pop approach has also yielded winning singles such as “Helena Beat,” “Houdini,” “Coming of Age” and “Sit Next to Me.” (RK)

Moby / Photo: Lindsay Hicks

Moby — Richard Melville Hall (better known as Moby) is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter/producer who has successfully brought dance and electronica music to the mainstream around the globe. Between 1992 and 1997, he scored eight top 10 hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. His albums Play (1999), 18 (2002) and Always Centered at Night (2024) are essential listens; hopefully, his Coachella appearances will offer material from across a rich and groundbreaking discography. (RK)

The xx performing at Coachella in April 2017.
Photo: Erik Voake courtesy of Goldenvoice

The xx — A favorite discovery of mine at Coachella 2017, the British trio’s sublime turn included an opening segment with guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim sharing exquisite vocals amid the lush “Say Something Loving” and otherworldly “Angels.” The xx are currently working on a fourth studio album — the first since 2017's UK chart-topper I See You — so Coachellagoers may hear new music during their highly-anticipated sets. (RK)

Saturdays, April 11 and 18

David Byrne / Photo: Shervin Lainez

David Byrne – As leader for NYC’s Talking Heads, David Byrne and company crafted seminal Brian Eno-produced alt-rock albums like More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain in Light during the late 1970s and ‘80s. They were later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The singer’s solo career has been equally adventurous. Last year’s festive Who is the Sky? often recalled 1992’s Uh-Oh. It saw him collaborate with St. Vincent, Hayley Williams, and Ghost Train Orchestra with idiosyncratic results. Recent sets have included such Talking Heads classics as “Psycho Killer,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Life During Wartime.” (GAP)

Interpol — Back in 2015, Manhattan’s Interpol knocked me out with their nighttime appearance on the Coachella Stage. Blending indie, alternative, and post-punk into a signature dream-swept sound, singer-rhythm guitarist Paul Banks, lead guitarist Daniel Kessler, and drummer Sam Fogarino are sure to feature winning originals from across their 25-year career, including groundbreaking 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights and 2022 album The Other Side of Make-Believe. (RK)

Sombr / Photo: Bryce Glenn

Sombr – New Yorker Shane Boose, who records under the name Sombr, put out one of the best albums of ’25 with the reverb-drenched, alternative pop and dance-leaning I Barely Know Her. Among the strongest debuts in recent memory, it spawned international hits “Undressed,” “12 to 12,” and “Back to Friends” (the latter resides in the Spotify “Billions Club”). Latest single “Homewrecker” is equally alluring. Sombr’s TV appearances have projected plenty of swagger, so it’ll be interesting to see how that translates outdoors here. (GAP)  

  

Sundays, April 12 and 19 

Iggy Pop – Widely considered the “Godfather of Punk, thanks to his pioneering and confrontational late 1960s-early ‘70s work with The Stooges, Pop jump-started a riveting solo career with David Bowie at his side. Their results included classics “Lust for Life” (frequently included in films, TV shows, and commercials), “China Girl,” “The Passenger,” and “Funtime.” Pop’s biggest mainstream hit, “Candy,” a duet with Kate Pierson of The B-52’s, arrived in 1990. More recently, 2023’s spiky Every Loser, produced by Andrew Watt, featured a star-studded guest list of alternative rockers. (GAP)