The best thing about a festival like Coachella is the moment of musical discovery that takes place when you least expect it. For me, it inevitably happens when it's too crowded to see whom I'd planned to see and I just free myself to wonder from music space to music space with no expectations. Or, and I did this very successfully one year at SXSW, I pick an act solely based on its name (that's how I discovered I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness-which remains, to this day, one of the hippest band names ever). There are a number of acts playing at the April 17-19 festival whom we aren't familiar with, like Surkin, a French DJ, or electronic act Busy P, that we would love to check out. However, we've put together a list of acts that are guaranteed to put on a good show.

Click the tabs above to see what acts get the HitFix Seal of Approval, in no particular order.

- Melinda Newman

[Left, M.I.A. performs at last year's Coachella Music Festival.  She's back for the 2009 edition, but didn't make our list.]