Phoenix

Phoenix "Bankrupt!"  (Glassnote) Two-and-a-half stars It's a curious, unlikely truth: The pop-music spring of 2013 will be ruled by the French. The first major initiative arrived Monday courtesy of Versailles indie pop band Phoenix with “Bankrupt!” and will be followed May 21 when Parisian dance rock duo Daft Punk drops its highly anticipated “Random Access Memory.”  What this strange turn portends -- the French aren't exactly known for dominating western pop music -- is as open to interpretation as the lyrics on “Bankrupt!

Fans who stayed on the polo field until nearly 1 a.m. Sunday for the very end of French electro-rock band Phoenix's set probably did so because of the rumor that French house-music duo Daft Punk was going to make a surprise appearance. No such luck. Last week the same rumor circulated, but with a tasty surprise center in that R&B and hip-hop king R. Kelly made a totally unexpected appearance with Phoenix. Maybe the Daft Punk rumor was planted as a red herring to keep the R. Kelly thing a secret.

When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: ESPN, TWC SportsNet, TWC Deportes; Radio: 710, 1330. Records: Lakers 44-37; Rockets 45-36. Record vs. Rockets: 1-2. Update: Houston has lost three of its last five, including Monday's surprising 119-112 loss in Phoenix. The Rockets' offense, though, is potent and averages a league-best 106.1 points. Their defense? Not so awesome. The Rockets allow an average of 102.5 points, third-worst in the league.

It was Coachella's best-kept secret. At the end of a day filled with speculation that Phoenix would share its headlining set on the main stage with Daft Punk, the French band instead brought out R. Kelly, the one-of-a-kind R&B star, for a supremely unlikely mash-up of its song "1901" and Kelly's "Ignition (Remix). " The surprise shocked the festival crowd, which responded -- after the inevitable surge of camera-phone flashes -- in the only way possible: by turning the grounds of the Empire Polo Club into a vast dance floor.

Spoiler alert: Those with tickets for next week's edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival might want to avert their eyes. Embedded below are three YouTube videos that will allow the ticketless to experience many of the musical highlights of the Indio festival. Set to broadcast on the official Coachella YouTube page are highly anticipated sets from the likes of reunited Brit-pop act Blur, Trent Reznor's How to Destroy Angels, chic dance-pop group Phoenix and a fully assembled Wu-Tang Clan, among many others.

Pluses When the Washington Capitals took the lead in the Southeast Division on Thursday and became the No. 3-ranked team in the East, it was the first time they held a playoff position this season. The Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets have faded and the Capitals have taken advantage by winning seven of their last 10 games. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tanner Glass was generous to give up his number, 10, to new teammate Brenden Morrow. Glass, who switched to 15, followed that with an even classier move: He said via Twitter any fans who had his jersey with his old number on the back could get it changed to 15 at the team store, "and I'll pay for the switch.

A week before it's to headline Night 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Phoenix hit "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend with two songs from its upcoming album, "Bankrupt!" The French band opened with a blistering rendition of "Entertainment," the lead single from the new disc, due out April 23; then did the shimmery "Trying to Be Cool. " (Watch both performances below.) Worth keeping your eye on: drummer Thomas Hedlund, who handily provides the muscle these soft-rock smoothies sometimes lack on record.

Like the NHL season, the annual deadline-day trading frenzy was late in starting. But a flurry of deals in the hour before Wednesday's noon Pacific time cutoff changed the complexion of several teams and added depth to others hoping for long playoff runs. The Ducks, seeking strength up the middle, acquired veteran center Matthew Lombardi from the Phoenix Coyotes for left wing Brandon McMillan. They also traded goalie Jeff Deslauriers to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.

AT PHOENIX When: 7 PDT. Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Ariz. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 1150. Records: Kings 20-12-3; Coyotes 14-15-6. Record vs. Coyotes: 3-1. Update: Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin was chosen the NHL's rookie of the month for March. He had four goals, 11 points and a plus-10 defensive rating in 17 games.