Most music lovers geek out about Coachella, which—while once quite buzzworthy—has become a shapeless, overcrowded mess. Now, it’s packed to the gills with celebrities, wannabes, dehydrated goofballs, and a legion of social media obsessives more interested in being seen than enjoying three days of music. It doesn’t help that Phillip Anshultz, the CEO of AEG and Goldenvoice, likes spending his company’s money on causes completely opposed to the beliefs and values of the musicians his company covets to continue lining their pockets.

If you are looking for the alternative to Coachella, look no further than 20 minutes away in Moreno Beach, at Lake Perris, where the annual Desert Daze Festival is primed to kick off this weekend from September 30 through October 2.

Desert Daze, founded in 2012 by Phil Perrone, is set with a packed lineup this year featuring the best indie and psych-rock artists working today. Headliners for the event include Aussie psych-rock stalwarts Tame Impala (playing Saturday) and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (playing Friday). Iggy Pop, who recently dropped from the bill due to visa issues with his all-French band, has been replaced by American ambient rock act Beach House as the Sunday night headliner. But we stan a legend here, and will miss his fiery presence on stage Sunday night.

For the full lineup, check out the poster on the Desert Daze website. And for a taste of some of the wide range of amazing performers on stage this weekend, check out the Pepper Bough’s playlist.

“Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” – Tame Impala

On Saturday night, Tame Impala, one of the biggest touring acts out of Australia, will be playing their breakthrough album, “Lonerism” in its entirety. The standout track is still “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” which is the perfect modern psychedelic rock anthem. The entire song, especially in headphones, feels like being trapped in a tape loop. Kevin Parker’s voice is buried in the mix, overwhelmed by the garage rock drums, which make the whole affair feel like you’re listening through cotton balls. All that experimentation never distracts from the fact that this is a completely infectious melody.

“Don’t Forget” – Sky Ferreira

Is Sky Ferreira primed for a major comeback? It would certainly seem so with the potent pop-rock assault of “Don’t Forget.” She could well be asking us not to forget her, especially since she fell off the musical radar after announcing her second album “Masochism” in 2015, an album that still hasn’t seen the light of day. However strange Ferreira’s career trajectory has been—critical darling, Playboy photoshoot, supporting role in “Baby Driver”—one thing is for certain: she still has a remarkable voice, a stunning stage presence, and a knack for writing great songs.

“Black Lipstick” – Chicano Batman

L.A. natives Chicano Batman bring a particularly inspired latin vibe to the world of psych-rock. On “Black Lipstick,” which appeared on the eponymous EP in 2019, you can feel the influence on keyboards that sound like muted horns. But it’s the laid-back, romantic vibe of the track which makes the biggest impression, cradling the fearful lyrics with a fraught irony. “Her lipstick’s black and she no longer smiles at all/ Because it’s true she’s a gangster with her emotion/ A capitalist with her affection/ As she swindles away to your heart.” Oh man, this is not what you expect as the seductive, staggered rhythm gets your body undulating.

“Punk Rock Loser” – Viagra Boys

The Viagra Boys are on the precipice of a breakout. Their 2022 album “Cave World,” which features this badass lead single “Punk Rock Loser,” is one of the best albums of the year. The Swedes are as far from ABBA as you can get, with one exception: they know how to write a catchy melody.

“midnight sun” – Nilüfer Yanya

It’s amazing to think that this English singer-songwriter, whose latest album “PAINLESS” has been one of my most listened to albums of 2022, was once offered the chance to join a girl group produced by Louis Tomlinson of One Direction. It’s obvious once you listen to songs like “midnight sun,” which sneak up on you with their majesty and depth, that a world of sunny pop songs written for 11-year olds was never going to be for her. The fact that she also openly criticized the project by saying in a Guardian interview, “Let’s go pinch some young people, tell them we’re going to make a really successful group, but we’re obviously going to make a lot more money than them—it’s a very selfish thing to do” makes it crystal clear.

“What’s in My Head?” – Fuzz

Last year, indie rocker Ty Segall killed it during his Friday night solo set, and he is back again at Desert Daze this year with his band, Fuzz. The band, a collaboration between Segall, Charles Moothart, and Chad Ubovich, is a heavy three piece that looks like a jazz outfit, but plays like Black Sabbath on loads of acid. From the title, “What’s in My Head?” may sound like it’s trying to rip off the Pixies’ classic, but it’s something quite otherworldly; its version of the soft-loud dynamic comes from an alternate dimension where everyone has tinnitus and needs feedback to survive.

“T.V. Eye” – Stooges

I saw Iggy Pop a few years back at the Foo Fighters’ Cal Jam festival in San Bernardino. He played with a group of all-stars he called Post Pop Depression (great name, natch!). His set, however, ignored his days with the Stooges. I lamented we didn’t hear “Search and Destroy” or “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” but what really set off my post pop depression was that the riff madness that is “T.V. Eye” from the Stooges’ 1970 masterpiece “Fun House” didn’t make the setlist. Here’s hoping that amidst all the hard rock psychedelia of Desert Daze, that the 75-year old Pop will slither* like he was 23 again to this rock classic.

* Update: Iggy Pop dropped from the Desert Daze bill after visa issues came up for his band, who are all French citizens. In a statement released on social media, Pop said, “I am frustrated to let my U.S. fans down. I’ve left no stone unturned to be there with you on October 2nd, but now I can only plan to play this wonderful festival again in the future.”