ACL 2018: IAMDDB

Saturday at 1:30pm.  The final choice is downtempo hip-hop/soul from Manchester.  It's the moniker of Diana Debrito, a 21 year-old with Angolan, Portuguese, and English roots.  The Guardian calls her "One to Watch".   She calls her music "Urban Jazz". 

The Fader has a bunch of her videos if you're interested.  They say:  "In general, IAMDDB is best at "blazing in the sunshine on a summer afternoon" vibes."

I like this song.  Only 8.2M views.  "Drippy" is good, too.

Pause

ACL 2018: Ruston Kelly

Saturday at 1:30pm.  The Americana/Country option at this time is a singer-songwriter playing the BMI stage.  He's married to Kacey Musgraves.   

Most of his stuff is pretty mellow.  "Hollywood" is good slow song. This song is a little more up-tempo.

Mockingbird

ACL 2018: VÉRITÉ

Saturday at 1:30pm.  Four options at this time.  My first choice is Durand Jones and the Indications, who I previewed in 2017 before SXSW but we didn't see.  We did get to see them this year at Blackheart during SXSW.  I liked their show and music.

This is the pop choice.  It's the moniker of Brooklyn based Kelsey Regina Byrne.  This song came out in 2014.  Not really on my radar but it's a nice sound.  This has a Chvrches vibe to it.  Other comparisons are to Lana Del Rey.

Strange Enough

ACL 2018: Harry Paradise

Saturday at 12:45pm.  The last choice at this time is a musician that recently moved from Nashville to Austin and now has a slot at ACL.  Not much about him online.  He has a couple other songs on his Soundcloud page but that's all I've found.  He's got a good story if you're interested.

"Rover" is pretty good.  Nice sound.

All three bands on at this time aren't bad.  Your call.

Joan

ACL 2018: Donna Missal

Saturday at 12:45pm.  Opposite Wallows is this singer-songwriter out of New Jersey.  She's also on a major label: Harvest (TVOTR).  Her first album comes out in a couple weeks.  She co-wrote Leon Bridges’ “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.”

Bluesy/funky sound. 

Girl

ACL 2018: Wallows

Saturday at 12:45pm.  Three choices at this time.  This is probably my first choice.  It's a trio out of L.A. They're called power pop.  One of the members is the star of "Thirteen Reasons Why" so I'm sure the teens will all be there.  They're signed by Atlantic Records.

More on them if you're interested.


Pictures of Girls

ACL 2018: Charley Crockett

Saturday at noon.  The third option is this musician originally from San Benito near Harlingen.  The fourth option, Mamafiesta, is a local band that only has a few live videos online that I could find.  They are labeled as "groove rock".  Probably not my thing.

Most of his music is old-school country.  This song is a little different from the others.  Has a Leon Bridges feel to it.  It received airplay on NPR and World Cafe.  He cites influences from Bill Withers to Hank Williams.


I Am Not Afraid

ACL 2018: Lo Moon

Saturday at noon.  The second option at this time.  I previewed them for SXSW but we never got to see them.  They've opened for Glass Animals, War on Drugs, Temples, and Phoenix, to name a few.

Another mellow option.  I like both choices in this slot so far.


Wonderful Life

ACL 2018: slenderbodies

Saturday at noon.  Friday will be a late night so it may be tough to get to the festival early the next day.  However, we won't be staying late Saturday so I say we make the effort.  There are 4 bands playing at noon and this is the first option.  It's a duo out of L.A.

Reminds me of Glass Animals.  A nice mellow way to start the day.


anemone

ACL 2018: Brockhampton

Friday at 6:45pm.  This band is opposite FJM and Hozier so we won't see them but I thought their story was worth posting.  It's a group of 14 members that formed in 2015 in San Marcos but now reside in California.  It started when the band's founder, Kevin Abstract, posted a call for members on a Kanye West fan forum. 

Apparently they're quite big now (obviously, given their time slot).  They've performed on The Tonight Show and have toured Europe.  They're big in England, as this article explains (key quote: "“They’re literally like 'I am gay, I am black – whatever.' We’re bored of boy bands with clean cut white boys.”"

"Gold" has 7.5M views on Youtube. 

Star

ACL 2018: Khalid

Friday at 5:45pm.  Also on opposite The National is this singer-songwriter out of El Paso.  Beto O'Rourke is a fan.  He's only 20 year's-old but already has a platinum selling, Grammy-nominated album under his belt.  More proof I'm out of touch with the times. 

Nice sound.  "Young Dumb and Broke" is good, too.


Love Lies

ACL 2018: Gryffin

Friday at 5:45pm.  I'm skipping ahead two time slots as 3:45 has BØRNS or David Byrne and 4:45 has Jungle, Lilly Allen, Manchester Orchestra, or Arkells (indie rock.  Not my cup of tea.)

This slot has The National as obvious first choice.  You won't like this as it's electronic but I figured I'd post anyway since this song is cool.  He describes it as melodic house music.  A good sound for the tent.  It's the moniker of Dan Griffith who is originally from San Francisco.  He took up producing and playing music while studying for an electrical engineering degree at USC.  His songs took off and now here he is.

Heading Home

ACL 2018: Noname

Friday at 2:45pm.  Alvvays is the obvious choice here.  Sir Sly is pop in the vein of Foster the People.  Pass.  Sasha Sloan is a Boston native now in L.A. signed to RCA Records that plays winsome pop a la Ariana Grande.  Pass.

The 4th option is pretty good.  It's the moniker of Fatimah Nyeema Warner, a rapper out of Chicago.  She has opened for Lauryn Hill and has worked with Chance the Rapper.  Her NPR Tiny Desk Concert has over 2M views.  Not bad. Her style is similar to the artist playing before her at the tent: Ravyn Lenae.


Diddy Bop

ACL 2018: Bishop Briggs

Friday at 1:45pm.  Two choices in this slot: face-melting guitar work from Reignwolf or indie rock from this singer out of L.A. by way of London, Japan and Hong Kong.  We saw Reignwolf at the Austin Ventures stage in 2013 (here's my preview).  He was fun to see live.

She has toured with Kaleo which seems to be a good fit, especially on "River".   She does a cover of the INXS song "Never Tear Us Apart".  I like the original better.

This was the best I heard.  More mellow than her other stuff.

Wild Horses

ACL 2018: Ravyn Lenae

Friday at 1:15pm.  Playing the Tito's tent is this 18 year-old out of the South Side of Chicago.  She's signed to Atlantic Records and has an EP out that Pitchfork likes.

Lots of comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.  Might as well throw in Janelle Monae in there, too.

I like the EP.  We may have to walk over and check out some of her set.

This song was in the first episode of this season's "Insecure".  It's the scene when Issa is on the couch while her ex/roommate is in the other room with another woman.

Sticky

ACL 2018: Lewis Capaldi

Friday at 12:45pm.  The noon slot is either Alice Merton or Natalie Prass.  Fatai is a mellow singer-songwriter from Melbourne that didn't do much for me.  She's playing the Tito's tent.  I'm fine with either Merton or Prass.  We saw Prass at Gruene Hall so whatever you want to do is fine.

The next slot is either Big Thief or Nicole Atkins.  We saw them both at SXSW in 2017 at Weather Up.  Nicole Atkins put on a great show.

This is for informational purposes only.  Apparently he's primed to be the next Ed Sheeran.  His voice sounds like Hozier.  The other band in this slot, Cuco, is low-fi mellow.  Didn't do much for me.

Bruises

ACL 2018: The Blancos

Friday at 11:15am.  One more choice.  It's a duo out of South Florida/Brooklyn.  This song reminds me of Kings of Leon but their sound is all over the place.  "Fool for You" is pretty good. 

Wild Child

ACL 2018: Magic City Hippies

Friday at 11:15am.  This is a band out of Miami.  Some of their songs remind me of George Michael/Wham. "Fanfare" is a little different.  Decent sound. 

Franny

ACL 2018: Curtis Roush

Let the previews begin: Day 1. I'll stick with Weekend 2 bands.  The 11:15 slot has 5 bands all playing at the same time.  I'm not sure their strategy given that most people haven't arrived that early on a Friday.

This is my first choice.  Even though he's local we still haven't made it out to see him.  I like his solo album.  Reminds me of "Tusk"-era Fleetwood Mac.  A good mellow set to start out the day.

KUTX played this for a bit.

Getaway