ACL 2024: Pre-festival summary

Here is my ranked schedule from Friday through Sunday in order of appearance. This should make it easier to review each band before they go on stage. Click the name to see the preview. To see the spreadsheet in full-page click here.

ACL 2024: Dom Dolla

 Sunday at 7:45pm.  A DJ and producer.  Per Wikipedia:

Dominic Matheson, better known by his stage name Dom Dolla, is an Australian house music producer, DJ, songwriter and remixer, acclaimed for his distinct style of house music and high-profile collaborations.

It has a list of his singles that have gone Gold and Platinum and a lot have gone #1 of the ARIA Club Chart. I guess if you're into that music he's a big deal.

"Take it" is one of his hits.

Here's another of his number one songs.

 

ACL 2024: Qveen Herby

 Sunday at 7:45pm on the Barton Springs stage. Per Wikipedia:

Amy Renee Heidemann Noonan (born April 29, 1986), better known professionally as Qveen Herby, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Seward, Nebraska, she first gained fame as part of the music duo Karmin, with which she released two studio albums. Following the duo's hiatus in 2017, she began the solo project, Qveen Herby, which incorporated R&B and hip hop influences.

Most of her stuff is typical hip hop.  "Sade in the 90s" is an older song that is different. It's good. It reminds me of Caroline Rose.

This is her most streamed song.

ACL 2024: Kehlani

Sunday at 7:25pm. Three bands on at this time.  This is the only one I recognize but only her name thanks to your niece. ACL is definitely catering to a different crowd nowadays. 

Per Wikipedia:

Kehlani Ashley Parrish (born April 24, 1995) is an American singer and songwriter. They[a] are originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe in 2011...They were adopted and raised by their aunt when their mother, who had a drug addiction, served time in jail. Kehlani's father, who also had a drug addiction, died when they were a toddler. During their teenage years, they attended the Oakland School for the Arts, where they initially practiced dance, particularly ballet and modern dance.

They have opened for Demi Lovato and Halsey.

R&B.

Here's their Tiny Desk Concert.

"Gangsta" has 441M views.

This is off the new album. Nice chill tune.

ACL 2024: mike.

Sunday at 6:25pm. This was a late addition to the schedule. He has the unenviable position of playing against Chappell Roan. He has an interesting back story.  Per Wikipedia:

Michael Francis Seander (born October 30, 1988), known professionally as Mike (stylized as mike.; formerly Mike Stud), is an American rapper, singer and former baseball player...In 2006, Seander graduated from St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Rhode Island...he lettered in both baseball and basketball and was named Rhode Island's 2006 Gatorade Player of the Year, earning him an athletic scholarship to Duke University...In 2007, Seander saved nine games in 28 appearances and earned a 1.61 ERA (lowest in Duke University baseball history).

He had to get Tommy John surgery on his arm then transferred to Georgetown and continued pitching.  He also earned a graduate degree in sports management. 

While recovering from surgery he took to music and put out a few singles. Since then he has released 9 albums and multiple mixtapes.

"Life Got Crazy" is good.

"Swish" is an older song when he still went by Mike Stud.

This is his biggest hit.

ACL 2024: Chappell Roan

 Sunday at 6:45pm.  Her name is everywhere so I guess I should learn a little about her. Per Wikipedia:

Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan, is an American singer and songwriter...she was born in Willard, Missouri, the oldest of four children..the majority of her music is inspired by 1980s synth-pop and early 2000s pop hits. Her aesthetic is heavily influenced by drag queens, and her music and performing style have been described as "campy".

It says she was signed to Atlantic Records around 2017, released an EP, then was dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020. She then signed with Island Records and came out with her first LP (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess) in 2023. It didn't do much at first but gathered a cult following and critical acclaim.  Earlier this year she opened for Olivia Rodrigo on tour.

She did a NPR Tiny Desk Concert in February. It's really good. You should listen to it.

In the last few months she has EXPLODED.  ACL had her on a small stage on Friday and moved her to Sunday on the big stage due to her surge in popularity. I'm glad they learned their lesson after the Lizzo and Noah Kahan overcrowding of past years when they played small stages.

These are her big hits:

"HOT TO GO!" has a sing-along chorus that I'm sure all the kids will be chanting.

"Red Wine Supernova" has a good beat. 

"My Kink is Karma" has a similar style.

This is her breakthrough. It was released as a single after her album came out. It has 690M streams on Spotify.

ACL 2024: That Mexican OT

 Sunday at 5:45pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Virgil René Gazca (born February 2, 1999), known professionally as That Mexican OT, is a Mexican-American rapper from Bay City, Texas...That Mexican OT's music takes influence from hip-hop and Chicano rap.

It says he supports Donald Trump.

This is his breakout song.

 

ACL 2024: San Holo

Sunday at 6pm on the Tito's stage right before Silent Disco.  Per Wikipedia:

Sander van Dijck (born 26 November 1990), better known by his stage name San Holo, is a Dutch DJ, musician, songwriter and record producer...In September 2014, Walt Disney Pictures threatened a lawsuit against Van Dijck. They thought his stage name San Holo was too similar to Han Solo, a character in the Star Wars movies. However, he won the case and was allowed to continue using the name.

This is his big hit.  Good song but not something I care to see.

 

ACL 2024: Kevin Abstract

Sunday at 5:45pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Clifford Ian Simpson (born July 16, 1996), known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton...Abstract was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"Empty" is one of his most streamed songs.

This is his biggest hit. Nice mellow tune.

ACL 2024: Jess Glynne

Sunday at 5:25pm. Five bands on in this time slot. Tyler Halverson is playing the BMI stage. We saw him at Luck Reunion this year. He played the BMI Songwriter's showcase with two other singers. Preview here along with some of his songs. 

This singer played ACL in 2016. Preview here. I don't think we saw her.

She has opened for Leon Bridges and Spice Girls.

"These Days" is her biggest hit. It's a song by Rudimental but she is a featured vocalist along with Macklemore. 

This is one from her 2018 album.

ACL 2024: David Shaw

Sunday at 4:45 on the Tito's stage. The lead singer of the Revivalists.  He was at SXSW.  Preview here. We didn't get to see him.  

The preview had "Soulfight",  "Alabama" and "Heavy Soul".

Here's a song by a jazz-funk sextet out of New Orleans called Naughty Professor where he is the featured singer. 

ACL 2024: Cannons

Sunday at 4:45pm.  Orville Peck is on at this time as well. Two other options. You know Cannons. Synth-pop out of L.A. 

Their big hit reminds me of Hælos.  "Fire for You". Really good song.

"Bad Dream" is good.

This is a newer one. Nice beat. Good swaying music.

ACL 2024: Bakar

Sunday at 3:45. One more male singer-songwriter. From Wikipedia:

 Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr (born 12 February 1994), better known as Bakar, is an English singer...Bakar grew up in Camden in North London and attended a state school before being sent to a boarding school in Surrey by his mother. He is of Yemeni and Tanzanian descent.

It says his music is a  "melting pot of indie, rap, rock, and punk" and it has been compared to Bloc Party.

"Alive" is good. Love the video.

"1st Time" must be getting airplay. I recognize it.

I definitely know this song. It has been everywhere.

This may be my first choice.

ACL 2024: Myles Smith

 Sunday at 3:45pm. According to Wikipedia:

Myles Smith (born 3 June 1998) is a British singer and songwriter from Luton, England. Smith was born to a British Jamaican family and raised in an ethnically diverse community. 

It says he achieved notoriety by posting covers on TikTok and that viral fame got him signed to RCA Records. He just has an EP out and a few singles.

"My Home" is nice.

"Solo" has 11M streams.

This song is already platinum and it was just released in May. I think he's on the way to being an arena performer.

 

ACL 2024: Vlad Holiday

 Sunday at 3:25pm. Another singer-songwriter.  According to Wikipedia:

Holiday was born in Bucharest, Romania, on May 24, 1989, and moved to America in 1999. He spent a lot of his musical career in New York City, before moving his home base to Nashville, Tennessee...He began his solo career in 2017, blending multiple styles across genres including lo-fi, bedroom pop, psych rock, and jazz, often over hip-hop-inspired drums. 

 "So Damn Into You" is live. 

"Artificial Paradise" is one of his most streamed songs. 

I'm not sure how to classify his music. Lo-fi indie is probably close. 

This is his most recent single. It features Kacey Musgraves. 

ACL 2024: Medium Build

Sunday at 3:25pm.  4 bands on at this time. First option is the moniker of Nicholas Carpenter, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Georgia, spent some time in Nashville but moved to Alaska in 2016.  According to Wikipedia he has toured with Tyler Childers and FINNEAS.

All I've heard is mostly mellow, heartfelt singer-songwriter tunes. 

"Cuz of You" is good. 

His first "hit" was a duet with X Ambassadors: "Friend for Life". The original version is rocking. I like this version better.

This is one of his most streamed songs. Pretty mellow.

ACL 2024: Glass Beams

Sunday at 3pm on the Tito's stage. Instrumental psych/funk from Melbourne, Australia. Definite Khruangbin vibes. They just have 2 EPs out. No albums yet.

Here's a live performance on KEXP. Very chill.

"Rattlesnake" is pretty cool.

This is the second song from that performance.  It's their most streamed song.

ACL 2024: flipturn

 Sunday at 2:45pm. According to Wikipedia:

Flipturn, stylized as flipturn, is an American indie rock band from Fernandina Beach, Florida formed in 2015. The band consists of founding members Dillon Basse (vocals), Tristan Duncan (guitar) and Madeline Jarman (bass) who founded the band as high school seniors. After their college years at the University of Florida, they picked up guitarist and synthesizer player Mitch Fountain, and drummer Devon VonBalson...Flipturn gained traction in 2018 with their EP Citrona.[4] The band signed to Dualtone Records in June 2022. They released their debut album Shadowglow in August 2022, which received positive reception. The album release was followed by a tour through the United States in late 2022 into 2023 and the prestigious lineups of Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees & SXSW.

Here is an Audiotree live session.  They remind me a little of Kings of Leon on the first song. Their second song "Glistening" is good. 

"Space Cowboy" is one of their newer songs.  

Bad Monkey seems to like playing covers of Tom Petty songs. Being from Florida I guess they got picked to cover "Don't Do Me Like That".

This is their biggest hit. I like it.

ACL 2024: MisterWives

Sunday at 2:25pm.  This band was at SXSW in 2015 (my preview here) so they've been around awhile.  They were touring on their first single which is still their biggest hit, "Reflections". 

"Superbloom" reminds me of Sir Woman.

"Nosebleeds" is a single from their latest album. Nice beats.

This is off their second album. Fun festival tunes.

ACL 2024: Malcolm Todd

 Sunday at 2pm.  Per this article:

Malcolm Todd is a twenty year old artist from Los Angeles that makes Indie/Alternative/R&B music. He began making music in 2022 and released Demos Before Prom-EP in which his song, Out of Bounds began to gain some attention. From then on he began to attract a fan base which slowly grew as he promoted his music on TikTok. His real breakthrough happened during the release of his song Art House in 2023. His fan base grew exponentially from then and he started to release more hits such as, Sweet Boy and Roommates in the same year.

It's always TikTok.  

Here is his first breakout: "Art House".  Starts slow but picks up.

"Sweet Boy" is the other song mentioned in that article.

This is his most streamed song on Spotify.

ACL 2024: Petey

Sunday at 2pm on the Barton Springs stage. We saw Petey at SXSW in 2022. It was Wednesday at Mohawk right after Horsegirl. He was quite entertaining on stage as I recall.  Here is the preview.

I shared "Don't Tell the Boys" then. It's a good song.

"The River" is off their latest album. Nice song and video.

"Haircut" is played with Miya Folick who was at ACL last year. We saw Pony Bradshaw at that time instead.

His musical style varies between songs. This has an LCD Soundsystem vibe. I like it.

This might be my first choice.

ACL 2024: Deyaz

 Sunday at 1:40pm on the BMI stage.  According to this bio:

21-year-old multidisciplinary artist Deyaz is, in his own words, a “non-confined musician”. Raised in East Ham, London, and of Jamaican/Syrian heritage, his innate connection to music helped him find solace during his turbulent teenage years...Deyaz earned a coveted scholarship to London’s Guildhall music school, a place he would eventually give up in pursuit of a more organic connection to music-making. By 16, through a combination of conservatoire education and self-teaching, Deyaz had developed a broad technical knowledge of jazz and classical music, and proficiency in piano, bass and drums. 

His cover of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes' "Home" went viral on the socials.

"Dylan" is nice. I wonder if he'll have a band or just play acoustic. 

Here's an original. Pretty mellow.

ACL 2024: FLO

 Sunday at 1:40pm. Per Wikipedia:

Flo (stylised in uppercase) are a British girl group from London, consisting of members Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renée Downer. They formed in 2019 and signed with Island Records. The group gained popularity on social media with their debut single "Cardboard Box". They released their debut EP, The Lead, in 2022. They topped the BBC's Sound of 2023 poll and won the 2023 Brit Award for Rising Star.

Dance/R&B. They've released 4 EPs but their debut album isn't coming out until November. 

They performed "Fly Girl" on The Tonight Show.

Here is their most streamed song.

 

ACL 2024: West 22nd

 Sunday at 1:30pm. Five bands on at this time. This band from UT is playing on the Tito's stage. The Daily Texan says:

When Logan Madsen, Gabe Acevedo and Jeremy Ancheta wanted to make their musical trio a full-fledged band last year, they said they went about their search the old-school way: posting flyers on telephone poles around West Campus...The melodies began last year when Acevedo’s guitar talents caught the eye of fellow guitarist Ancheta at an open mic night by the 26th Street food trucks. Ancheta, who also connected with singer Madsen, said he reached out to Acevedo after realizing they all lived in The Callaway House. The trio quickly went from buddies to bandmates, naming the group after the street where they lived and discovered their musical chemistry. 

They opened for Midland at Longhorn City Limits and are now playing ACL. KUTX has an interview with them that is pretty good.

"Let Down" is them live.  Nice Americana sound.

They have an EP out. "Sunny Jones" is on it.  It's pretty good.

"Hangman" is getting airplay on KUTX.

This is their most streamed song. It even has a video. Catchy.

ACL 2024: Empress of

 Sunday at 1:15pm.  According to Wikipedia:

Lorely Rodriguez (born October 19, 1989), known professionally as Empress Of, is a Honduran-American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer based in Los Angeles, California...After completing a sound engineering degree at Boston's Berklee College of Music in 2011, Rodriguez moved to New York City and quickly broke into the local music scene.

She did a live performance on KEXP from her newest release.

"Dance for You" is good. 

This was her first single released from her debut album 9 years ago. She opened for Purity Ring then. Good fit.

Nice sound. I like it.

ACL 2024: Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners

 Sunday at 12:55pm. According to their bio:

Balancing folk songwriting, rock ‘n’ roll energy, raw instrumentation, and sonic wanderlust, the Seattlebased musicians comprising Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners—Mitch Cutts, Nic Haughn, and Jakob Ervin— draw inspiration from the friendship between them. What began as a high school passion project in Colorado Springs has quietly translated to billions of streams and packed crowds. 

One site says they are now in Seattle but another says Bozeman, MT. 

They have blown up on TikTok and have since collaborated with Mt. Joy and Caamp. 

"Lake Missoula" is one of their most streamed songs on Spotify. Here is their version with Mt. Joy.

"Laramee" is one of their newer songs. This is a solo acoustic version live.

"Northstar" is a newer song. It's a little more uptempo. I like it.

This is their most streamed song and the TikTok breakout. No video for it. They released a new version with Caamp as well.  It's here: "Evergreen"

 This may be my choice.

ACL 2024: Cale Tyson

 Sunday at 12:30pm. This NPR article sums this artist up best:

Two years ago at AmericanaFest, one of our favorite World Cafe Nashville discoveries was singer-songwriter Cale Tyson. Tyson grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, but has called Nashville home for the last six years. He released his debut album, Careless Soul, in 2017.

Where Careless Soul drew on a broad range of traditional country elements, Tyson's forthcoming EP, narcissist (out Feb. 1) is an intimate, sad, and often inspiring 180. Raw and stripped down, it positions Tyson more as a descendant of Elliott Smith and early Bright Eyes than the twangster influences he's worn on his sleeve.

One if those "newer" songs (the article is from 2018) they mention is "not healthy anymore". 

He has a new EP out this year. "Hope You're Hungover" is pretty country. I guess his Elliott Smith experiment is over.

"Hell I Like It' is good. The video is good, too. He reminds me of Nicolas Cage in "Raising Arizona" in it.

This is also new. It's a great song. Great video, too. 

ACL 2024: Marley Bleu

 Sunday at 12:10pm on the BMI stage. Not much on this singer. According to this bio :

Marley Bleu is a 21 year old wunderkind from Santa Clarita, CA. The gifted vocalist was destined for a career in music, sharing lineage with rock & roll legend Chuck Berry. Marley's father and brother are also musicians, making her foray into the medium all the more inevitable.

There is only one song on Spotify. The bio says she is signed to Republic Records and is recording a debut album with multiple people, including Pharrell. It says: "She describes her first body of work as "more pop than R&B, but more R&B than Soul."

This is the only song released so far.  It looks like she's got some serious backing. 

ACL 2024: DeathbyRomy

Sunday at 12:10pm. 5 bands on at this time. Local singer Chief Cleopatra is playing the big stage near Barton Springs. We saw her at Antone's. I remember liking her sound. Also playing is gospel group The Levites on the Tito's stage. I think they play that slot every year.

Per Wikipedia:

Romy Flores (born 19 December 1999), known professionally as DeathbyRomy, is an American singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began performing music professionally at age 15. Since her debut LP Monsters came out in 2018, Flores has released three studio albums, with the most recent one being 2022's Entropy. She is most known for her 2019 single "Problems", amassing over 60 million streams on Spotify following its success on the video-hosting service TikTok.

She is compared to Zola Jesus. She's going for the goth crowd.

"I Don't Believe in Anything" fits right into that theme.

"Torture" is a little different. More dub/techno. It highlights her voice a little better.

This was her big hit.

 

ACL 2024: Vince Staples

Saturday at 7:20pm. I know the name but haven't listened to much of his music. It's classified as West Coast hip hop.  He was born in Compton but raised in Long Beach. What I didn't realize is that he also acts. He plays Maurice, Janine's boyfriend, in Abbott Elementary. He is Gregory's friend, the UPS worker, that asked out Janine behind Gregory's back. 

He also has a show on Netflix called The Vince Staples show that is a comedic look at the life of "Vince Staples". 

Here's his big hit.

ACL 2024: Kenny Beats

 Saturday at 6:20pm on the Tito's stage. Per Wikipedia:

Kenneth Charles Blume III, known professionally as Kenny Beats, is an American record producer, DJ, audio engineer, and songwriter...(He) was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut...After spending some time in New York, he moved to Boston and studied jazz guitar and music business at Berklee College of Music...He plays piano, bass guitar, electric guitar and drums and often implements live instrumentation into his instrumentals, whether it performed by him or from a fellow instrumentalist.

It looks like almost all his songs are collaborations where he does production. Looking over his extensive list he's produced Vince Staples, Remi Wolf, IDLES, and James Vincent McMurrow. To name a few.

He has released one album and one EP of his own. 

Here's a Tiny Desk Concert he did. It includes 3 songs from his album.

This is also on his album. 

ACL 2024: Benson Boone

Saturday at 6:10pm. Khruangbin is playing at this time so that's my first choice.

Another generation gap. This musician exploded on TikTok. According to Wikipedia:

Benson James Boone grew up with four sisters in Monroe, Washington. He attended Monroe High School and competed on the school's diving team. He first discovered his musical talent when a friend asked him to play the piano and sing in their high school's battle of the bands his junior year even though he had no prior singing experience. Boone briefly attended Brigham Young University–Idaho before leaving after a semester to focus on singing.

He is signed to the Imagine Dragons singer's label.  He also has opened for Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium.

He has 53 Million monthly listeners on Spotify. Holy moly. Mainly love/heartbreak ballads.

"Ghost Town" was his first single. He played drums, guitar, and piano on it.

"Slow Down" is a newer one.

This is his biggest song. It has 1 Billion plays on Spotify. 

 

ACL 2024: Wave to Earth

Saturday at 5:20pm. Indie music from Korea. They have two EPs and one LP released yet according to Wikipedia they sold out their North American tour.

According to this article they also sold out their tours in Europe and Asia.

They have 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Damn.

"Seasons" is a mellow love song. 

"Peach Eyes" is nice. 

This is a little more uptempo. Still pretty mellow. 

ACL 2024: Still Woozy

Saturday at 5:10pm. 4 acts on at this time. We saw Rett Madison at Luck Reunion. Preview here. She was also on CBS Saturday Morning talking about her inspiration for her most recent album. I thought she was good.  Hermanos Gutiérrez are also playing at this time. We saw them at the Bloody Mary Morning during SXSW in 2023. I liked them, too. Preview here.

This act was at ACL in 2019. I guess we didn't see him as I don't remember. Preview here.

According to Wikipedia:

Still Woozy is the solo project of Sven Eric Gamsky (born June 23, 1992), an American singer and songwriter from Moraga, California...NME has described his style as "psychedelic bedroom-pop", while IQ sees it as "genre-bending".

"Window" has a nice vibe. It's one of his older songs.

"Shotput" is off his latest album. Bedroom pop.

This is his big hit. It's nice and chill.

 

ACL 2024: Elyanna

 Saturday at 4:20pm on the Tito's stage. Per Wikipedia:

Elian Marjieh (born January 22, 2002), known professionally as Elyanna, is a Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter, merging Arabic music with Latin rhythms to create an experimental Arab-pop sound that has captured a global audience. Born in Nazareth, her musical talents were nurtured by her family, with early influences including iconic figures like Julio Iglesias and Sabah Fakhri.

When she was 15 her family moved to San Diego but she's now in L.A.

She has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

In 2023, she made history as the first artist to perform a set entirely in Arabic at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

"Ghareeb Alay" is reggae sung in Arabic. 

"Al Sham" is cool. So is "Ganeni". Could be pretty good live.

This is her most streamed song.

ACL 2024: Teddy Swims

Saturday at 4:10pm.  Caamp has been moved to this slot.  Let's see what this guy is about. According to Wikipedia:

Jaten Collin Dimsdale (born September 25, 1992), also known pseudonymously as Teddy Swims, is an American singer-songwriter whose music blends genres including R&B, soul, country, and pop...Swims grew up in Conyers, Georgia. His father introduced him to soul music at an early age by way of artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green...He adopted the stage name “Swims” from internet forum-speak, making an acronym for Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes — it was a way to perform in character if needed.

He has opened for Zac Brown, Greta Van Fleet, and Aerosmith. 

He has songs with Thomas Rhett ("Broke") and Maren Morris ("Some Things I'll Never Know"), 

"The Door" is good.

This is his breakout hit. His voice reminds me of the Red Clay Strays.

 

ACL 2024: The Beaches

 Saturday at 3:20pm.  Apparently this band is big in Canada. Per Wikipedia:

The Beaches are a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 2013 by Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass), Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums)...In 2017, they released their debut album Late Show, which led to the band winning the 2018 Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year...A 2022 compilation album Sisters Not Twins (The Professional Lovers Album) combined their previous two EPs and won that year's Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year. Their second studio album Blame My Ex was released via AWAL on September 15, 2023. They won the 2024 Juno Award for Group of the Year.

Damn. They've had multiple #1 songs in Canada and went Gold as well.

"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Paranoid" reminds me of Florence and the Machine.

"Edge of the Earth" is live. It's ok.

This is the only song that charted in the U.S. I don't recognize it.

 

ACL 2024: Spinall

 Saturday at 3:20pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Oluseye Desmond Sodamola, professionally known as Spinall (stylized as SPINALL; formerly DJ Spinall), is a Nigerian disc jockey, record producer, and songwriter. He has released six studio albums and collaborated with artists that have included Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Asake, Joeboy among others. He has won numerous awards for his work, including All Africa Music Awards and The Beatz Awards. He is also the first Nigerian disc jockey to play at festivals such as Coachella, SXSW, and Glastonbury.

"Sere" is his most streamed song on Spotify. It's ok.

"Dis Love" is another popular song. 

This was my favorite. Nice sound.

 

ACL 2024: Telescreens

Saturday at 3:10pm on the BMI stage. Five bands on at this time. Say She She is playing at this time. We saw them open for Black Pumas at the ACL Moody Theater. They didn't do much for me. The other act is Balthvs who we saw at Parish during SXSW. Preview here.   I liked them. They're playing the Tito's tent. Right now they are my first choice.

According to this article:

The Telescreens are an alternative rock band originally from Los Angeles but currently based out of New York. Jackson Hamm formed the group with three friends during their sophomore and junior years of high school in LA. The band’s music emulated folk rock and showcased Hamm’s strong songwriting and guitar skills.

During his Hamm’s freshman year at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU, he met Alex Bean. 

Now, according to this bio:

Telescreens are a four-piece rock band from New York City. Austin Brenner, Josiah Valerius, Oliver Graf, Jackson Hamm. They formed initially in late 2016, Brenner, Valerius, and Hamm wrote and recorded their first album "The Return." In 2019 they found Graf and immediately started playing live in and around New York City.

Rock.   Going for the Strokes sound, especially on "Phone Booth". 

"Lost" has a cameo from Juliette Lewis. Pretty cool.

They've released two singles recently. I guess they're prepping for a new album. "Vertigo" is one of them. It reminds me of Alt-J if they rocked.

This is a slow-burner. A different sound. I like it.

 

ACL 2024: Eyedress

Saturday at 2:20pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Idris Ennolandy Vicuña (born May 28, 1990), known professionally as Eyedress, is a Filipino singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer...Eyedress was raised in an area in the Philippines which he described as "ghetto", and began playing the guitar at a young age. He and his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he was introduced to punk music through the "gangsters" and "anarchist types" in his neighborhood. At age 13, he and his family moved to California after his father, an animator, started working with 20th Century Fox. While living in Orange County, California, he joined the crust punk band Liberal Underground as a bassist.

"Something About You" is nice. Dreampop. 

"Romantic Lover" is lo-fi chill.

This is his big hit. Reminds me of The Cure. It has 850 Million streams on Spotify. Wow.

 

ACL 2024: Something Corporate

Saturday at 2:10pm. Rock. We saw the lead singer (Andrew McMahon) during SXSW at High Noon inside in 2023.  He was playing the piano to an adoring, packed crowd who knew the words to all his songs. 

They formed in Orange County in 1998, recorded 3 albums, then went on hiatus.  It looks like they've reunited a few times to play live over the years but haven't released any new albums.

They have released a couple singles this year:

"Happy". Catchy pop tune.

"Death Grip". Also pop. I like it.

This is one of their old songs. They were young back then.  Their songs were more rocking back then.

ACL 2024: Brittany Davis

 Saturday at 2:05pm on the Tito's stage. This is a good introduction:

Brittany Davis has been making a name for themselves in the Seattle music scene the past several years as the keyboardist for Stone Gossard’s (Pearl Jam) side project Painted Shield.

And now Davis is making even more of a name for themselves for their own music.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Davis’s debut full-length album Image Issues comes out March 1 on Gossard’s label Loosegroove Records. It’s a concept album dealing with the struggles of growing up black, blind, and nonbinary, as well as family trauma such as gun violence and the US prison system. The 26 tracks on Image Issues are blended with spoken word vignettes from Davis.

“I started playing piano at church as kid with a love of gospel and jazz,” Davis says. “As I grew older I found my love of hip hop and R&B songs. I like to describe myself as a vessel of sound and experience music in spirit and colors. Everything is an instrument to me.”

She has been on World Cafe, did a Tiny Desk Concert, and played at KEXP.

"Disconnected" is one of her first songs. Nice tune.

"I Choose to Live" is a hip hop song with a message. It's good.

Her new album is funk/blues/rock style.  It should go over well in the tent.

This is a new one. It's her most streamed song.

ACL 2024: Geese

Saturday at 1:35pm.  They played SXSW in 2022. My preview here. You know them. Since SXSW they released another album.

"I See Myself" gets lots of airplay on KUTX.

Here's another one from their new album.

ACL 2024: Valencia Grace

Saturday at 1:35pm.  According to this site:

Grace has been singing for most of her life but recently became an artist many can’t get enough of thanks to her sharing snippets of original music on social media. With 2.6 million TikTok followers..Grace is inspired by soulful singers like Etta James and Aretha Franklin.

It says she's from Oxford and lives in London but according to this article:

By the age of 14 she had experienced life in varying locations – Los Angeles, Dallas Texas, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Poole Dorset.

"Skin" has a mix of Lana Del Rey and Kate Bush.

"There I Said It' sounds like Adele.

This is a little more uptempo.

ACL 2024: Sawyer Hill

Saturday at 1:25pm on the BMI stage. According to this bio:

The diamond-in-the-rough rocker hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas is cutting through with Gen Z listeners on Instagram and TikTok where he’s amassed an audience of nearly 400k followers thanks to an unexpected sound influenced by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains.

"Look at the Time" is his most streamed song. This is an acoustic version.  

"Symphony" is good. 

Here is a rocker. Reminds me of Hozier.

ACL 2024: iDKHOW

Saturday at 1;25pm.  Indie pop originally from Salt Lake City. It was a duo but is now is basically a solo project of Dallon Weekes who was also a member of Panic at the Disco.

According to Wikipedia:

Weekes has named Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Oingo Boingo, Elvis Costello, The Ink Spots, and Joe Jackson as musical influences for the band's sound.

"Choke" is their most streamed song. I can hear the Marc Bolan influence there. 

"Leave Me Alone" has a Bowie sound.

This is a newer song. 

ACL 2024: Lola Young

Saturday at 12:50pm.  According to this article:

When Young first emerged around 2020, observers were quick to make the links to Adele and Amy Winehouse. Young is a straight-talking Londoner with a huge voice who writes caustically about tortured relationships; like Adele and Winehouse, she went to the Brit School. Young is signed to Winehouse’s old label, Island, and managed by Nick Shymansky, who managed Winehouse, and Nick Huggett, who signed Adele.

According to Wikipedia in 2021 Young was nominated for the Brit Award for Rising Star and she placed fourth in the BBC Sound of 2022.

"Don't Hate Me" has a good drum beat. Nothing like Adele or Amy Winehouse. 

"Messy" is a slower tune. It's good. 

This one starts off slow but starts rocking. I like it. Reminds me of old The Police.

ACL 2024: Goldie Boutilier

Saturday at 1:05 on the Tito's stage.  Per Wikipedia:

Goldie Boutilier (born Kristin Kathleen Boutilier, July 31, 1985), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, model and DJ.

Born and raised in Reserve Mines, Nova Scotia, Boutilier moved to Los Angeles at the age of 20 to pursue a music career.

She has used a few monikers over the years including My Name is Kay, Kay, and Goldilox.  Now she's going by Goldie Boutilier. 

"The Angel and the Saint" is psychedelic/chill. Nice beat.

"The Actress" is good.

This is also a good song. Kind of a mix of Fleetwood Mac (especially the bass guitar) and Lana del Rey. Right up my alley. May have to check out some of her set.

ACL 2024: The Criticals

Saturday at 12:40pm.  Per their Spotify bio:

The Criticals are a Nashville based rock band formed by Parker Forbes and Cole Shugart. Since officially forming in 2018, The Criticals have proven themselves a powerful and fierce duo.

"Absinthe" is going for the Strokes sound. So is "Kansas City". That's not a bad thing.

This sound reminds me of Joe Jackson but the singer is going for the Mick Jagger look .

 

ACL 2024: PawPaw Rod

Saturday at 12:05pm. This is the most popular artist in this time slot as he has 1.4M monthly listeners on Spotify.  The Spotify bio says:

PawPaw Rod is a singer born in Hawaii and raised in the state of Oklahoma. His passion for writing found him at young age as he traveled all over the world as a military brat.

His debut single “Hit em where it Hurts" an effortlessly cool blend of rap, 60s soul, and house was released in 2020 by GODMODE, the LA-based music company behind artists such as JPEGMAFIA and Channel Tres.

Here's "Hit em where it Hurts" 

"Glass House" is another of his most streamed songs.

"Rainy" is getting airplay on KCRW.

This was probably my favorite. The start made me think of "Lowdown".

ACL 2024: promqueen

Saturday at 12:05pm. This is not the indie rock band out of Seattle that goes by Prom Queen. Per her youtube page:

promqueen (she/they) is a second generation queer Vietnamese American based in Austin, TX. she draws lyrical inspiration from her family history, own experiences and self reflection as a second generation kid raised in Texas. her sound is a cocktail of Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliot, and Doja Cat. through her music, she hopes AAPI folks feel encouraged to process, express and share their art to the world. 

She was the May artist of the month on KUTX.  Here is her Studio 1A performance. 

This was probably the best I heard. It's the 2nd song she played on KUTX.

ACL 2024: Obed Padilla

Saturday at 11:55am. Not much out there on this artist. From what I found he's from Oceanside, CA and his father is a preacher. 

"Picture" is nice. Dream pop.

"Sabor" is chill.

This is by far his most streamed song.  Good guitar work.

ACL 2024: Godly the Ruler

Saturday at 11:55am. 5 acts on at this time. The fewest people at the festival first thing in the morning and they book five bands.  Zach Person is on at this time.

Second option is the moniker of Godwill Oke, a musician born in Nigeria who grew up in Chicago.  Per this article:

Oke, now a 22-year-old senior at UW-Madison, began putting together a home-studio setup when he was a 14-year-old growing up in Chicago. In his room, Oke spent endless hours teaching himself music production, developing the skill to mix and master his own tracks as well. 

That was in 2021 so I assume he graduated.  

"off with your head" has a throwback 80s post-punk/new wave sound.

This was a good song. Dark/funny video to go with the dark lyrics.

ACL 2024: The Marías

Friday at 7:30pm. This band out of L.A. (the singer is originally from Puerto Rico) was at SXSW in 2018. My preview here. I called it mellow dream-pop like Bittersweet.  I shared one of their big hits: "Only in My Dreams".

Their most streamed song by far is a collaboration with Bad Bunny. Here it is live: "Otro Atardecer". It's good.

"Paranoia" is one of their newer songs. I like it. "Run Your Mouth" is great, too.

They're a mellow choice to play before Chris Stapleton. I may want to check them out if they play an aftershow.

ACL 2024: Fletcher

 Friday at 7:30pm.  Pop.  From Wikipedia:

Cari Elise Fletcher (born March 19, 1994), known mononymously by her last name (stylized as FLETCHER), is an American pop singer...Growing up, she was inspired by vocalists like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. She cited Bob Marley, and fellow New Jersey artists Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Patti Smith as influences. Fletcher has also expressed admiration for Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Troye Sivan.

Her breakthrough was "Undrunk". Great opening verse/chorus.

Her other big his is "Bitter". That video may have some subliminal messages.

She performed "Becky's So Hot" on The Tonight Show.

This is one of her newer songs. I'd say there's a theme in the songs and the videos.

ACL 2024: Porter Robinson

Friday at 7:10pm. 3 choices in this time slot. First is this DJ.  He played ACL in 2016 with Madeon, another DJ. My preview here. We didn't go see them.

Wikipedia says:

Porter Weston Robinson (born July 15, 1992) is an American DJ, record producer, and singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...Robinson's debut full-length studio album, Worlds, was released in 2014 and peaked at number one on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums. He won the 2015 MTVU Artist of the Year and made DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list for seven consecutive years. The album was critically acclaimed and is considered to be a major influence on the broader sound of EDM following its release.

"Shelter" is his breakout hit and is his most streamed song by far. 

This is one if his newer songs. Pop.

ACL 2024: Barry Can't Swim

Friday at 6:30pm on the Tito's stage. Our other choices are Foster the People and Leon Bridges. No brainer. 

According to Wikipedia:

Barry Can't Swim (real name Joshua Mainnie) is a Scottish electronic music producer and DJ from Edinburgh. His debut album When Will We Land? was released on 20 October 2023, featuring in numerous critics end of year lists. He was nominated for Best Dance Act at the 2024 Brit Awards.

He did a set at KCRW. It includes the song below. I like that he's playing instruments with a band instead of sitting behind an iMac. I'm not sure what his band members are wearing on their heads or why.

I like "Sunsleeper". Good keyboards. I would enjoy their set.

ACL 2024: Stephen Sanchez

Friday at 5:30pm. He's a singer now in Nashville. Wikipedia says:

Sanchez's style is very reminiscent of music from the 1950s and 1960s, which is an era of music he has cited heavily influenced him from a young age.

He did a Studio 1A session on KUTX recently. It's good.

This is my first choice for this time. 

Here is his breakthrough song. He performed it with Elton John (!) at Glastonbury in 2023. Wow.

ACL 2024: Connor Price

 Friday at 5:30pm. According to Wikipedia:

Connor Price (born 11 November 1994) is a Canadian actor, rapper, and internet personality. Beginning his career as a child actor and going into music, he is best known for his viral "Spin the Globe" series featuring artists from multiple countries around the world...In 2023, his music received over a billion streams across multiple streaming platforms, including over 650 million on Spotify.

Definitely a generation gap on this one.  He's been in a lot of movies and TV shows but I haven't seen any of them.

"Splat" was recorded live. The audience is very young.

This is his most streamed song.

 

ACL 2024: Dexter and the Moonrocks

 Friday at 5:10pm. According to this bio:

Hailing from Abilene, Texas, Dexter and The Moonrocks have carved a unique niche in the music scene with their innovative blend of Southern Alternative, red-dirt country, and alternative rock, creating a genre their fans affectionately call “Western Space Grunge.”

I don't hear any red-dirt country. All I hear is grunge.  It says their influences include  Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Whiskey Myers.  I hear Pearl Jam, too.

"Couch" is their most streamed song on Spotify and Youtube. It's the best I heard.

"She Likes Girls" is ok.  I don't think the video was filmed in Abilene.

 

ACL 2024: Elderbrook

Friday at 5:10pm. Four bands are playing in this time slot. I don't know any of them. 

First option.  According to Wikipedia:

Alexander Kotz (born 20 December 1992), known professionally as Elderbrook, is an English electronic musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and DJ. Elderbrook has toured with the likes of Jungle, Rufus Du Sol and Odesza.

"Cola" was his big breakthrough song.

Not really our thing. This was the one I liked most.

ACL 2024: Carin León

 Friday at 4:30pm. According to Wikipedia:

Óscar Armando Díaz de León Huez, known professionally as Carín León, (born 26 July 1989) is a Mexican singer-songwriter who specializes in regional Mexican music...He won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Song in 2022 for the song "Como lo Hice Yo" alongside Édgar Barrera and Matisse. In 2022, he was the third most streamed Mexican artist on Spotify.

I'd say he has blown up. Kind of the Zach Bryan of Mexico.  In the last year he has played the Grand Ole Opry, Coachella, Stagecoach, and now ACL.  He's even done a Tiny Desk Concert and played The Tonight Show.

Here is "Como lo Hice Yo".

"Que Velvas" has 567M views. Wow.

This song only has 426M views. It's the best I heard. It's also the one he played on The Tonight Show. Soulful sound. A good pick to play before Leon Bridges.

ACL 2024: Eggy

Friday at 4:30 on the Tito's stage. Norah Jones plays at 4:10 so that's probably my first choice. I've never seen her live. 

This is a quartet from Connecticut.  According to this article they've been regulars at Toad's Place in New Haven. Rae knows that place well. 

Jam band. The article says: "With a growing list of open ended originals, and a roster of covers that runs from The Beatles to Birdland or Phil Collins to the Fruit Bats, the rapidly growing Eggy fan base eagerly awaits what lies ahead."

Most of their videos are live jams or shows so most are over 10 minutes long.  

They played Bonnaroo in June and put their whole set online. Watch it here. Mellow vibes in the afternoon.

Here's an original song that is shorter.

ACL 2024: Chance Peña

Friday at 3:30pm.  He plays opposite Penny & Sparrow who also played ACL in 2023. Preview here. We opted to see Randall King instead.

According to his Youtube:

Born and raised in Tyler, Texas, Chance Peña is a 24 year old singer/songwriter and producer. Making music from an early age, he has cultivated a unique style of traditional storytelling infused with modern musical influences. He began working with Secret Road Music Publishing as a songwriter at 17 years old and saw immediate success. Peña continues to cultivate his artistry by writing, producing, engineering and performing his own songs.


In early 2019, Peña's dream-chaser ballad, "Up, Up & Away" moved into the spotlight thanks to a placement in the highly acclaimed heartfelt drama, Five Feet Apart. Entering 2020, Peña secured his first major label cut and later his first Grammy nod with John Legend’s “Conversations in the Dark”, the lead single off his Grammy winning album, “Bigger Love”, having co-written the song several months prior.

Here's "Up, Up & Away". 

It doesn't mention but he also appeared on The Voice. Apparently he has a big following and a couple Gold Records. 

"In My Room" is good. So is "i am not who i was". 

This is a newer one. A toe-tapper. We may have to check out some of his set.

 

ACL 2024: Tanner Adell

 Friday at 3:10 on the BMI stage.  She sang on Beyonce's Cowboy Carter. According to Wikipedia:

Adell was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and was adopted and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. She spent summers growing up in Star Valley, Wyoming. She learned to play piano and taught herself guitar, then studied commercial music at Utah Valley University. She was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and completed two years of missionary service in Stockholm.

She now lives in Nashville. 

"Buckle Bunny" is her most streamed song. Pretty mainstream Nashville country-pop.  Not my cup of tea.

"Cowboy Break my Heart" is ok. The acoustic version is better. 

This is more mellow/acoustic.  She'd be much better without the Nashville over-production.

ACL 2024: Mannequin Pussy

Friday at 3:10pm.  Punk from Philadelphia. They've been around since 2010 but they're not really our style so I haven't listened to them.  Their 4th album got raves from Pitchfork:

This is a way of saying that I Got Heaven is a pop album. It operates by a pop album’s rules; it’s unashamed of its ambition and unselfconscious of its artifice, and in that way it’s a perfect reflection of its own thematic commitment to self-definition. 

"Piss Drinker" is pretty mellow.

"I Got Heaven" is more like what I expected from them. 

This is a really good song.

 

ACL 2024: Dasha

 Friday at 2:45pm. Country-pop out of California.  She blew up on TikTok with the song below.  Rolling Stone says:

At 24, Dasha — full name Dasha Novotny — is basking in the success of “Austin,” fueled in part by the dance that caught fire on TikTok in February with the help of influencer Zoey Aune. After previously releasing pop music, Dasha dipped into country with “Austin,” her debut single from her first country album, What Happens Now?, released in November. By mid-April, the song had been viewed 6 billion times on TikTok, was positioned in the Billboard Hot 100 (it’s currently at Number 32), and landed Dasha prime spots performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the CMT Music Awards.

6 BILLION views. Wow. 

Definite Taylor Swift vibes. I like the chorus, though. 

 

ACL 2024: Paco Versailles

 Friday at 2:45pm at the Tito's tent.  Per their Youtube page:

Paco Versailles is a collaboration between guitarist/composer Vahagni and songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant (Capital Cities) Their sound is a mix of Flamenco guitar rhythms with Disco - leaning electronic production and captivating vocals. A new genre they call Dancemenco.

The name Paco Versailles was conceived while imagining a collaboration between their biggest influences, the legendary Spanish guitars Paco De Lucia and French Electronic artist Daft Punk and Air, both products of the Parisian Suburb of Versailles.

"Unwind" is their most streamed song. KCRW eclectic vibes. Reminds me of Jungle, too.

"Je T'aime" is good. I like the video. The L.A. tourism bureau should use it.

This is nice and chill. 

 

ACL 2024: Catfish and the Bottlemen

Friday at 2:25pm.  3 bands on at this time. This band out of Wales was at ACL in 2014 (preview here.) I compared them to Phoenix and Kings of Leon then. They've released a couple albums since then and saw the departure of half the band (drummer and guitarist) leaving just the lead singer and bass player.  

They are headlining Leeds and Reading festivals in the UK so I guess they're a little bigger overseas. 

This is their first single off their upcoming 4th album.  No new album released since 2019.  They've been on hiatus since 2021.

ACL 2024: Sir Chloe

Friday at 2pm.  Rock from Vermont.  They opened for Beck and Phoenix on their tour on some dates (including Red Rocks. Sweet). 

"Michelle" is their most streamed song. Pretty good. 

Here they are on KEXP.

This is one of their newer songs. I like it.  They are signed to Atlantic Records. 

ACL 2024: Mon Rovîa

Friday at 1:40pm.  Katie Pruitt is playing at this time so that's most likely my first choice. We still haven't seen her.  Another option is Chaparelle who we saw at Luck Reunion this year. I liked them. Let's see who else is playing.

According to this article:

Mon Rovîa, born Janjay, was adopted by Christian missionaries at seven years old during the Second Liberian Civil War. His family’s relocation that followed — from Monrovia, Liberia, to Florida in 2001, to Montana, then to the Bahamas, all to the exclusive soundtrack of Christian music — muddled his musical tastes. 

 Among the furthest from his to-do list was finding himself in a genre he calls Afro Appalachian. A bridge between his worlds, he and his music manager use the term for marketing purposes— Mon Rovîa is from Africa and lives in Tennessee. It just made sense.

Apparently he has blown up on TikTok. 

 "Damn These Forces" is good. 

Mellow heartfelt ballads. I don't hear Afro or Appalachian. 

ACL 2024: The Saint Cecilia

Friday at 1:15pm.  Indie pop/rock from Costa Rica. I can't find much on them.  Apparently they've opened for Beck.

"Chelsea" is a good song. "Terracotta Walls" is a little more psychedelic.

They remind me of Kings of Leon. Could be worth checking out.

ACL 2024: Midnight Navy

Friday at 1:15pm.  It's that time again. Schedules are out.  This year we're going to Weekend One so I'll be looking at all those acts.  Asleep at the Wheel kicks it off at 12:55pm. 

This is the moniker of Austin-based Francisco Jose Rosales.  As his label says:

​Midnight Navy is a singer-songwriter, producer, and saxophonist based in Austin, Texas. His musical style ranges from chicano indie soul to alternative r&b to psychedelic bedroom pop . His unique musical lens draws from his Mexican heritage, along with his love for pop culture and charming melodies. 

This has a dream-pop style. Good mellow way to start the day.  "Crema" is a similar style.