ACL 2017: White Reaper

Sunday at 5:15pm.  First Aid Kit is at this time so that's my first choice.  The other options are an electronic duo from Chicago (Louis the Kid) and rock band The Growlers.  Their last album was produced by Julian Casablancas and is on his record label.  I'd preview a song I liked but couldn't find one.  The singer's voice does have a Strokes feel to it.

This band is out of Louisville, KY.  Old-school 70/80s rock in the style of old Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy.  The reviews say they are great live so it may be worth catching a little of their set.  We can pretend we're back at Astroworld.

"Little Silver Cross" is a total throwback but pretty damn good.

Edit: so now I've listened to their whole album, "The World's Best American Band".  I think this is my first choice now. 

Judy French

ACL 2017: Milky Chance

Sunday at 4:15pm.  Another time slot with little to get excited about.  There's a rapper, a reggae band from one of Bob Marley's grandsons, and this band out of Germany.  They were here in 2015 for SXSW and I previewed their two hit songs.

Mellow pop.  Has a reggae/folk feel.  Not really what I listen to but this song has a nice acoustic guitar solo in it that's cool.  It's off their new album that just came out.

Good late afternoon festival music I guess.

Firebird

ACL 2017: Songhoy Blues

Sunday at 3:15pm.  The time slot before this has Rainbow Kitten Surprise, rapper Danny Brown, and Jamaican reggae band Raging Fyah.  I listened to the others and RKS is our obvious choice.

This time slot has Whitney who is my first choice.  This is a band out of Mali that plays "desert punk/blues" music.  David Byrne would love them.  Reminds me of "Remain in Light".  "Yersi Yadda" uses Jerry Harrison's guitar sound throughout.

The other choices at this time are BROODS, who played ACL in 2014.  I don't remember much about them.  The last choice is another pop-country band out of Nashville, the Brothers Osborne.  Whitney it is.

Bamako

ACL 2017: Jamila Woods

Sunday at 1:30pm in the tent.  More soul/R&B out of Chicago.  Her first album was ranked 36th best of 2016 by Pitchfork.  A Brown University graduate, she has collaborated with Chance the Rapper and is also an accomplished poet.

The fifth option in this slot is Tucker Beathard, a pop-country singer.  I'll spare you having to listen to him.

"Way Up" is a good song. Sad but Pitchfork describes it well: "protest music that sounds like a children’s playground".

Holy

ACL 2017: Sam Dew

Sunday at 1:15pm.  One more act we won't get to see unless we catch one song from each band playing at this time.  He's a singer-songwriter out of Chicago that has written for Rihanna, Mary J Blige, and even Taylor Swift.  He's signed to RCA Records and his first album was produced by the prolific Dave Sitek of TVOTR. "Runner" has their style.

R&B/Soul.  He does an extended soulful cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me".

Remember

ACL 2017: Day Wave

Sunday at 1:15pm.  Once again we go from mediocre choices in one time slot to multiple conflicts in the next.  ACL has booked 5 bands to play at 1:15.  The first choice is Middle Kids but this band is damn good, too.

The moniker of Bay Area-raised, Berklee College of Music schooled Jackson Phillips, Day Wave has been embraced by KCRW and Morning Becomes Eclectic.  He has toured with Blonde Redhead and is signed to Harvest Records which includes TVOTR.  His first album just came out.  I like it.  Here's the whole thing.

He's compared to Real Estate and DIIV.  Right up my alley.  Conflicts.

Drag

ACL 2017: Midland

Sunday at 12:30pm.  Country music from Dripping Springs.  Well, kind of.  One of the blogs I follow that covers non-mainstream country ripped into these guys good in "The Midland Authenticity Dilemma".  He basically calls them out as poseurs.

Wikipedia compares them to George Strait mixed with the Eagles.  Ok.

Drinking Problem

ACL 2017: Deep Vally

Sunday at 12:30pm.  This is a female duo out of L.A.  Basically White Stripes mixed with old Black Keys, especially on "Royal Jelly".  Only so much you can do with just a guitar and drums.

This was probably the best song I heard.  It has Courtney Barnett sound and lyrical similarities.

Smile More

ACL 2017: Bibi Bourelly

Sunday at 12:30pm.  Three distinct choices at this time.  First is R&B from a 21 year-old singer/songwriter that was born in Berlin but raised in Maryland.  She has written hits for Rihanna and is now on her own.  I listened to a few songs and this was my favorite.  Would fit right in on the "Insecure" soundtrack.

Ballin

ACL 2017: Tank and the Bangas

Sunday at 11:45am.  The last choice at this time is this band out of New Orleans.  They won the NPR Tiny Desk Concert competition for 2017 with this song.

Their sound is described as a "lively fusion of funk, soul, hip hop, rock, and spoken word."

"Quick" is their big song right now thanks to NPR.  This one is more mellow and was on their last album.

Oh Heart

ACL 2017: Okey Dokey

Sunday at 11:45am.  Psychedelic soul from this duo out of Nashville.  It's a "supergroup" of sorts as members of Bully, Wild Child, Weeks, and Rayland Baxter rotate in and out for recording and performing.

A nice chill sound.  Good for first thing in the morning.  Nothing spectacular but the song below and "Hurts to Be You" are good.

Always Never

ACL 2017: Pell

Sunday at 11:45am.  Another option is this rapper (Jared Pellerin) that moved from New Orleans to Jackson, MS at 14 because of Katrina.  This is the one of his newest songs.  His first album in 2015, "Limbo", was produced by Dave Sitek of TVOTR.  It definitely has their sound.  Check out the chorus on "Monday Morning" or "Cafe du Monde".

The online comparisons are to Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino. 

Late at Night

ACL 2017: Amy Shark

Sunday at 11:45am.  The early hours of Sunday have a lot of bands I don't know.  Time to listen and see what is worth checking out.

First up is this singer/songwriter out of the Gold Coast in Australia.  Apparently Lena Dunham is a huge fan.  Indie pop.  Here's a story about her "overnight" success. She reminds me of Sinead O'Connor, especially on "Weekends".

Adore

ACL 2017: Tove Lo

Saturday at 7pm.  Spoon is playing at this time so that's probably my first choice.  I previewed this singer from Sweden in 2014 for SXSW.  Since then she has gotten positive reviews from Pitchfork and was nominated for a Grammy for a song she wrote for Ellie Goulding.

Vogue said,  "Not since fellow Swede Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” has a song about loneliness and heartbreak been the catalyst for euphoria on the dance floor" about her song "Habits".  Rolling Stone called her "Sweden's Darkest Pop Export."

She cites Lykke Li and Robyn as influences.  She released the album "Lady Wood" last year along with a video of the album that is, shall we say, extremely erotic.

This song is inspired by the "Cool Girl" monologue in "Gone Girl".  The Pitchfork review deconstructs it pretty well.

Cool Girl

ACL 2017: Karen Elson

Saturday at 5pm.  The last option at this time on the BMI stage is Jack White's ex-wife.  A true renaissance woman here.  Model, musician, singer, activist, mother.  Her ACL bio and Wikipedia put her in the center of the fashion and music world.  The high-powered talent that helped on her latest album is impressive.  To drop a few names: Josh Tillman, Patrick Carney, Laura Marling.

She's opened for Neko Case, played with Cat Power and Micheal Stipe, and sung with Robert Plant.  Enough name dropping.  I could go on and on.

The chorus to this has a Band of Horses sound to it.

Call Your Name

ACL 2017: Russ

Saturday at 5pm.  Angel Olsen plays at this time.  She's probably my first choice.  The Black Angels also play but I don't think they're your cup of tea.  Another option is this hip-hop artist out of Atlanta.

Nice sound.  The interesting fact is that he produces, mixes, masters, engineers, writes, and performs all of his music by himself.  Shades of Prince.

More mellow hip-hop/R&B.

Losin Control

ACL 2017: Cody Jinks

Saturday at 4pm.  Our choices at this time are Live ("I Alone". Old school), Nick Hakim (I previewed him for SXSW and saw him at Blackheart.  He was ok.) and this country singer from Haltom City (next to Keller).

Other tidbits:
1. Before going country he was in a thrash metal band. 
2. He opened for Sturgill Simpson on his 2015 tour (though not for the show we saw at Stubbs). 
3. He and Paul Cauthen did a cover of "Black Hole Sun" as a tribute to Chris Cornell. 
4. They also covered "Luckenbach, TX".  Since he's also at ACL perhaps they'll join up on stage.

Rolling Stone has a good article and interview with him.  Compares his outsider country status to Sturgill and Jason Isbell.

This is a pretty good song.

Loud and Heavy

ACL 2017: Dreamcar

Saturday at 3pm.  For informational purposes only.  Benjamin Booker is first choice, Tash Sultana is 2nd, this would be third.  The fourth option is a band called Dreamers out of L.A. that sounded like Fun. -2.  I couldn't get through the first song.

This is a supergroup made up of all the members of No Doubt except Gwen Stefani and the singer of AFI.  They play 80s style music in the vein of Duran Duran, The Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen.  A good choice if we want to dance I guess.

This has a cool Peter Hook'ish bassline but that's the extent of any New Order similarities.

Kill for Candy

ACL 2017: Tash Sultana

Saturday at 3pm.  The 2pm slot has Car Seat Headrest and Parker Millsap as choices.  We saw a little of Parker Millsap when he played the tent in 2014.  He's back in the tent.  I'm leaning toward Car Seat Headrest.

3pm  has Benjamin Booker so I assume that's your choice.  This is a 21 year-old out of Melbourne that has become hugely popular in Australia based on a single EP.  She hasn't released an album yet.  I like the songs I've heard.  Nice mellow Jack Johnson kind-of vibe but female.

She's a one-woman band.  Here's the video of her in action.  4M views!  She's also done an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Jungle


Another song on Amazon:

Notion

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