Sunday at 8:15pm. I think this is the first time I didn't recognize a headliner. This is the Sunday headliner to boot. Per Google AI:
John Summit, whose real name is John Walter Schuster, is a Chicago-born DJ, producer, songwriter, and record label owner who plays house and techno. He's known for his high-energy sets and unique stage design, which can include pyrotechnics, fog, and CO2 machines.
I don't recall ACL closing out a night with a DJ before. They definitely have never closed a Sunday night. Usually they are the opener before the big headliner. ACL goes from Paul McCartney or The Eagles or Radiohead to a DJ. Yes this is the second stage and The Killers are the headliners but it's still a letdown. I guess they figured Doja Cat would attract the whole crowd and decided a DJ would be fine on the other stage.
Sunday 7:30pm. You mentioned wanting to see this band. I'll admit I've never heard of him so I had to do some research. Per Wikipedia:
Michael Todd Gordon (born September 27, 1996), better known by his stage name Mk.gee, is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist...On February 9, 2024, Gordon released his debut album Two Star & the Dream Police, via R&R, to critical acclaim. Praised by Pitchfork as one of the best albums of the first half of the 2020s, the album was supported by five singles: "Candy", "How Many Miles", "Are You Looking Up", "You Got It", and "Dream Police".
the 26-year-old from New Jersey subverts recognizable forms—’80s R&B ballads, Phil Collins-inspired downtempo anthems, Michael Jackson-meets-Arthur Russell pop-rock grooves—with unusual tones, tempos, and textures. His distinctive, distended guitar playing and Prince-indebted singing are pinholed through murky, twitchy mixes that refuse to stay still.
Sunday at 7:30pm on the Beatbox stage. Indie folk. I first mentioned him in 2013 and said "If I Go I'm Goin" sounded like Ryan Adams. He's been on my radar but I've never really listened to his music and we've never seen him live. Not sure how I managed to miss him. He even played Old Settler's in 2017 but I don't remember seeing him. Did we? He's right up my alley.
In the video for "Amsterdam" the most liked comment is from user "titoslounge1946". The comment is:
I was recruited to play baseball on the east coast. My dad and I took a tour of a few other schools in New England we decided to drive up into the Boston area from Long Island. I was gassed so I feel asleep for an hour while he drove. When I woke up, this song was playing while we drove through Providence in Rhode Island. I had never felt so at peace. There was nothing to say and we just sat and drove through the town on a beautiful sunny day during the summer. I'll always remember that feeling of serenity and genuine happiness. It was a really cool moment with my Dad and I'll remember it for the rest of my life. Thanks Greg.
Polo & Pan are a French music duo consisting of Paul Armand-Delille (aka Polocorp or Polo) and Alexandre Grynszpan (aka Peter Pan or Pan). Their music style incorporates a mixture of house-electronic music influenced by tropical sounds and music from all over the world. The duo has released two studio albums and a number of successful EPs.
Sunday at 6:30pm. I've heard the name but I'm not sure I recall any of his songs. Google AI says:
Faheem Rashad Najm, who uses the stage name T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper who popularized the use of Auto-Tune in the mid-2000s. His stage name is a reference to his hometown of Tallahassee, Florida and his past struggles. T-Pain's distinctive vocal style, created by using extreme Auto-Tune settings, influenced countless artists and led to a string of hit singles, including "I'm Sprung", "Buy U a Drank", and "Bartender".
Sunday at 6:15pm. We are now into the evening headlining slots and I still don't know the bands. ACL is definitely targeting a different demographic. As for this one, according to Google AI:
Salomón Villada Hoyos, who performs as Feid and Ferxxo, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, producer, and rapper. Known for his smooth vocals and unique voice, Feid helped establish a Medellín-based style of perreo by incorporating his hometown's slang and style into reggaeton.
"Luna" has 336 Million views. Wow. It's a nice chill tune.
Gigi Perez, also known as Gianna Brielle Perez, is an American singer-songwriter who blends pop and indie elements to create a unique sound. Her music explores themes of love, grief, and self-discovery, and her deep, androgynous voice is a highlight of her work. Perez first gained attention on TikTok for her songs "Celene" and "Sometimes".
Sunday at 5:30 on the Beatbox (former Barton Springs) stage. Per Wikipedia:
Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso are an Argentine experimental trap, hip-hop, EDM, and pop duo formed in Buenos Aires, consisting of Catriel Guerreiro and Ulises Guerriero...The duo is known for their distinctive and eccentric style in both their music and lyrics. Their live performances often feature live instruments and a mix of genres, including Latin pop, fusion jazz, house rock, and various types of electronic music like EDM.
They're opening for Kendrick Lamar on his current tour.
Here is a Tiny Desk Concert they did. Good dance tunes. It says: "While heavily dependent on electronic sounds, they came to play at the Tiny Desk with an arrangement that whipped their typical beats into stirring drum taps and horn harmonies."
As an example, here's the first song from Tiny Desk in it's original form: "Dumbai". Still pretty good.
This is one of their newer releases. This could be our best option in this timeslot.
Sunday at 5:15 on the BMI stage. They are playing opposite Disco Lines so the noise bleed will be substantial. This band just played SXSW. Preview here.
I shared "Makeup" which is very Strokes/Kings of Leon sounding.
This is a newer song. They've opened for the Killers and now they get to open for them again.
Thadeus Francis Labuszewski (born January 26, 1999), professionally known as Disco Lines, is an American musician, DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his 2022 single "Baby Girl", which has 200 million streams on Spotify...Disco Lines was raised in Colorado and graduated from University of Colorado Boulder.
He has 23M monthly listeners on Spotify. Holy moly.
Midnight Generation is a retro-pop-funk-electronic band from Chihuahua, a border city in north of Mexico. Known for their distinctive style their lyrics in english and their delicate music, they gained popularity over the last four years and became one of the most of the most captivating and innovative artist in the Mexican music scene, earning widespread recognition for their distinctive style that blends nostalgic influences with modern energy.
"Trouble" is one of their older songs. Reminds me of Air. or Daft Punk.
"Young Girl" is their most streamed song on Spotify. Catchy.
They're fun. Might be a good show to see.
This is their latest release. Mexican Daft Punk. I like it.
Sunday 4:30pm. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is also playing at this time. We saw them at Weather Up during SXSW in 2017. Preview here. They're big now obviously.
So is this band. They get lots of love from KUTX. Not a fan of most of their songs but I really like this one. Reminds me of Sharon Van Etten.
is the stage name of Ryan Santiago, an LA-based alt-pop singer and songwriter. Their music is known for its unfiltered style and relatable themes of anxiety. Santiago started building momentum in 2017 with the release of their debut single, “Temperance”. In 2020, they signed with Atlantic Records and released the EP get a grip, featuring the RIAA Gold-certified hit “Overwhelmed”.
Here is "Temperance". Maybe a dance version Of Monsters and Men.
This is the most streamed song. 15M views on Youtube and 214M on Spotify. Wow. Dance pop.
Sunday at 3:15pm on the BMI stage. This is an indie dance band out of Brooklyn. Of course ACL puts them against the Dare, another indie dance band from New York. Oh, and Lucius is also playing at this time. Thanks for nothing ACL.
We are Zach Britt & Lucas Feigenbaum. It all started with an impromptu B2B set at a show I (Zach) was throwing in Brooklyn. We realized we each had a lot of music the other didn’t, and complimented each other well. That lead to 2+ years of throwing our own DJ parties around town, playing our way through the NYC club circuit, and finally (after two years) sat down and made some music. We wanted to make a combination of the indie side of Zach’s music (Hundreds Thousands) and the disco-house side of Lucas’s (Slug Father). After a trash bin full of crumpled up ideas, we wrote something we were proud of, and, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, we released our first tunes in June of 2020. '
"Supernova" is one of the biggest songs. Has a Jungle feel.
They don't have any videos. Here's another disco song that also reminds me of Jungle.
Harrison Patrick Smith was born in West Hollywood, California, and grew up in Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle. His mother is a psychotherapist, and his late father was a medical devices salesman...After performing indie music as Turtlenecked in the Pacific Northwest, Smith moved to New York City and began writing songs as the Dare..The Dare is associated with the indie sleaze revival and Dimes Square..
Dimes Square is right by where we stayed on the Lower East Side last year. This article talks about how that area is reinvigorating NYC's music scene. It says this about The Dare:
The reckless and clattering ‘Girls’, the debut single from The Dare’s Harrison Patrick Smith, shamelessly extols the joys of late night misadventures, whilst recalling the ghosts of early LCD Soundsystem and bloghouse through electroclash sounds and yelped vocals. A resident DJ at Home Sweet Home, Smith has roots in the city’s nightlife scene, and is finding joy in hanging out, building a community and straight up vibing.
Home Sweet Home is right around the corner from The Butcher's Daughter.
Everything I heard is straight up LCD Soundsystem. So much so that there's a Youtube video called "Does The Dare sound too much like LCD Soundsystem?" It's a pretty good breakdown of the scene and his role in it. It even talks about how the LCD Soundsystem subreddit decided to ban discussion about The Dare. Funny. The video is actually really good.
This is his breakthrough hit. The video above said it was recorded during the pandemic lockdown when he was playing around writing sleezy tongue-in-cheek songs to make his friends laugh. He posted it to TikTok and it went viral. The rest is history.
Sunday at 2:30pm. It's an indie-rock trio out of L.A. Per this story:
Julie’s kinship sparked when Lee and Pourzand met at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, a suburb in Orange County, California. Pourzand had grown up around mostly Middle Eastern music; Lee spent his childhood overlooking the '90s tunes his mom enjoyed, only later realizing she had great taste. The two bonded as they discovered ‘90s alternative rock bands like My Bloody Valentine and Henry’s Dress for the first time, via Reddit forums and Youtube channels. Soon, they began writing music as a duo, later enlisting Brady (who they would see out at house shows) on bass and officially forming Julie in 2020.
It calls their music art-rock shoegaze.
"Flutter" is one of their older songs. My Bloody Valentine feel.
"Skipping Tiles" is one of their most streamed. Still probably not our style.
They don't have many music videos. This is one of their newer songs.
Sunday at 2:45pm on the Tito's stage. From this article:
Teenagers though they may be, Tyler Mabry and Harlow Phillips exude wisdom beyond their years. The Atlanta duo, who make up the emo-folk powerhouse hey, nothing, have championed the dubiousness of TikTok virality in the last couple of years without sacrificing lyricism that lays all cards on the table through their raw, memorable sound — an amalgamation of Modern Baseball, Modern Lovers, and Anthony Green, played at the folk-punk pace of Violent Femmes.
Sunday at 2:15pm. He's been around awhile but I haven't heard much about him lately so I had to refresh my memory. We saw him during SXSW in 2015 (he played Bloody Mary Morning before Max Frost). I'm sure your memory is better than mine.
Rock/Soul/Blues like Revivalists and Nathaniel Rateliff.
Joyce Cissé, professionally known as Flowerovlove is one of the most exciting talents emerging from the UK music scene right now. She captivates fans with her unique style blending Pop and Indie, paired with an unapologetic boldness rooted in an urge to stay true to herself, and now she gifts us 'New Friends'.
Flowerovlove has been lauded as one to watch by major tastemakers and publications, including BBC Radio 1, VEVO DSCVR and many more, making it only a matter of time before she truly breaks through.
Cissé was born in London to Ivorian parents and grew up in South London and Essex, speaking Mandingo at home. In 2022, she was attending a sixth-form college where she was pursuing A Levels in English, French, and History.
Sunday at 1:45pm. I know you aren't a big fan of this Austin band but we haven't seen them live. I listened to their 2024 album "Maldito Animal" and liked some of it. Their style varies quite a bit. KUTX said this about them:
Joe Roddy and Jack Montesinos first started this project together in high school. Technically that was only a few years ago but the two have been playing in the Austin music scene much much longer. The Austin Chronicle called them “Homegrown prodigy rockers”. At the age of 12, Roddy first took the stage playing trumpet. Montesinos began even earlier, when his father, Ted Roddy, would take him to play at the Historic Victory Grill’s Monday blues nights at just 10 years old.
Sunday at 1:30 on the BMI stage. According to Google AI:
Ally Salort is a New Jersey-based singer-songwriter known for her soulful vocals, emotive pop music, and strong social media presence. Her music explores themes of love, self-discovery, and emotional growth, and is inspired by artists like Ariana Grande and Fiona Apple. Salort first gained recognition on YouTube and TikTok for her covers of popular songs. She was discovered by producer Pop Wansel and placed as a top contestant in a 2018 talent search.
This article says she now resides in L.A. and is signed to RCA Records.
Sunday at 1:30pm. 5 choices at this time. Per this bio:
Chezile (pronounced "Che-zill"), born on October 6, 2000, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is an emerging indie-pop artist who rose to prominence in 2024 with his viral single "Beanie" from his debut EP "47". After experiencing homelessness earlier that year, Chezile quickly gained recognition, amassing over 105 million streams and 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify in just over a month. His music, which he describes as nostalgic, unorthodox, soulful, and emotional, draws inspiration from artists like Frank Ocean and blends elements of bedroom pop and psychedelic indie-pop.
Sunday at 1pm. This band was at SXSW and we saw them play 2 songs at San Jose before leaving to go see Ken Pomeroy. Preview here. Spencer Tweedy's band.
They released their debut album August 22nd on Merge Records.
"In a Bungalow" is them live at their album release party.
Here's one off that album. Catchy folksy tune. She sounds like Iris Dement on this song.
I like their sound. We should give them another chance.
He grew up in the Upper Valley of Vermont and attended high school across the Connecticut River in Hanover, New Hampshire. He enjoyed early success by releasing his music online as he builds his audience before going out on a long tour of the U.S.
That description fits Noah Kahan to a T, doesn’t it?
This isn’t him.
It says:
He was in eighth grade when Kahan was a senior and knew Kahan only vaguely, though his older brothers went to school with the musician.
He now lives in New Orleans after graduating from Tulane.
He has 1.6M monthly listeners on Spotify. Not bad for someone playing at 12:45pm on Sunday.
"All is Well" is his most streamed song. A good warmup for Rainbow Kitten Surprise who plays this stage later in the day.
Sunday at 12:15pm on the BMI stage. He has the festival all to himself at this time. No other acts play until he is done. Per this bio:
Alex Amen is a twenty-five-year-old artist and songwriter from Texas. At eightee, Alex moved from Texas to California to study filmmaking. After one semester he dropped out and moved onto the “Dittman Family Commune”, a historic commune with ties to the anti war, civil rights, and psychedelic countercultural movements of the mid-60’s. It was here that he formed his first band, “American Slang” in 2017. The band broke up shortly after, resulting in Alex’s move from Southern California to an island in the Puget Sound of Washington State. Here he spent three years in relative isolation, taking up various interests in mycology, mountaineering, poetry, and wooden boat building. As years passed, Alex felt the increasing need to return to California to pursue music. In January of 2023 he self produced his first record (unreleased) in a self built studio at the historic Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, California. Alex now lives in Los Angeles and is performing and releasing music among the growing folk/Americana/country scene in the city.
He has played Newport Folk Festival and Outside Lands and is scheduled to play Americanafest in Nashville.
According to this review: "Alex’s music draws on the sounds of many folk artists of the 60s and 70s such as Jim Croce, John Denver, and America to name a few."
He just has an EP out and a few singles. This may be one of those bookings of about to break-out artists (like Alt-J and Lizzo) that ACL sneaks in on Sunday mornings so when they headline years later they can say they played to 20 people last time they were here.
Saturday at 7:30pm. This is the musical stage name of actor Joe Keery (Steve from "Stranger Things"). According to Wikipedia:
He created the stage name Djo to separate his music from his acting and avoid being typecast as Harrington... NME called Keery "a musician of very high calibre who... dabbles in the kind of inventive, warped psychedelia that gently twists your melon and constantly shapeshifts around you," and compared his music to that of Tame Impala and Ariel Pink.
He's also in the band Post Animal.
"Potion" is him performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's a nice tune. Reminds me of Bret Egner's music.
Zeds Dead is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto consisting of Dylan Mamid, also known as DC, and Zachary Rapp-Rovan, also known as Hooks. The duo rose to prominence releasing original music and remixes from 2009 to 2010 before becoming a staple on the international touring circuit thereafter. They explore a diverse variety of genres that combine aspects of dubstep, UK garage, house, electro house, hip-hop, glitch, drum and bass, and more.
Here's a promo for one of their shows. Kind of what you would expect.
Saturday at 6:15pm. Japanese Breakfast plays at 7:30 so I guess we'll stick around to see her. That means we'll have to see something in the timeslot before her. LP Giobbi has played ACL a few times. DJ. Preview here. Not really our thing. The other option is Doechii. I guess we'll go see her.
We won't be seeing these guys. Per Wikipedia:
Pierce the Veil is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 2006. It was founded by brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes after the disbanding of Before Today, which formed out of the San Diego punk scene...Pierce the Veil's music style has generally been regarded as a mix of post-hardcore, pop-punk, experimental rock, and emo.
A band that has been around since 2006 and is playing before the Strokes. I don't recall every hearing any of their music.
Saturday at 5:30pm. This was the first band signed to gorillavsbear's record label Luminelle Records. As such they got a lot of plays on their blog. It looks like they are now on Mom + Pop Records, though.
Magdalena Bay is an American alternative pop duo formed in 2016 from Miami, Florida, and currently based in Los Angeles, California. The duo consists of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, who met in high school.
They opened for Billie Eilish on her current tour.
Saturday at 5:30 on the Beatbox stage (across Barton Springs Rd.). This artist plays before Japanese Breakfast. Per Wikipedia:
Fujii Kaze (藤井 風; born June 14, 1997) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist. Born and raised in Satoshō, Okayama, he began uploading piano covers of pop songs to YouTube at 12. Signed to Universal Sigma's Hehn Records, Fujii released his debut single, "Nan-Nan", in 2019. His first studio album, Help Ever Hurt Never (2020), reached number one on Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart and number two on the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified gold in Japan. The song "Shinunoga E-Wa" became viral on social media and brought Fujii to fame beyond Japan.
It says he's selling out stadiums in Japan and most of his singles have reached Platinum status. He's big in Japan.
This is his most streamed song. It gives a warning about the song having themes of self harm and suicide. My video gives the lyrics in English as subtitles.
Read Southall Band, sometimes referred to as just Southall, is an American country rock band from Stillwater, Oklahoma, formed by Read Southall, a native of Blair, Oklahoma. The band is associated with the Oklahoma red dirt music scene.
"Scared Money" is one of the few songs with a video. Has a Lynyrd Skynyrd feel.
"Gunshy" is one of their big songs. This is them playing it live. Crowd likes it. Good country rock.
This is their most popular song but I'll post the acoustic version.
Latin Mafia is a Mexican indie pop band. The group consists of twin brothers Milton and Emilio de la Rosa on vocals, with their older brother Mike de la Rosa as the producer...Latin Mafia's music has been described as a reggaetón, R&B, trap, and house hybrid...In April 2024 Latin Mafia made their American debut performing at Coachella, raising their profile as one of "Mexico's top acts without a label or an album". In addition, they were scheduled to perform at music festivals including Lollapalooza Argentina, Lollapalooza Chile,
Marina and the Diamonds was the stage name of Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Lambrini Diamandis, who has also released music under the name Marina. Known for her British-accented vocals and bubblegum melodies, Diamandis' music is described as ABBA-inspired electro pop. Her work is said to be influenced by chart-topping artists like Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani, as well as New Wave artists. Diamandis first released music on MySpace and signed with Neon Records in 2008.
She has 10.8 Million monthly listeners on Spotify. Wow. She's also doing an ACL Nights at Moody Theater. I guess she's big. Since I've never heard of her I guess it's not our type of music. Let's listen...
"Bubblegum Bitch" is her most streamed song as Marina and the Diamonds. Very Europop.
"Primadonna" is another big hit. Not my cup of tea.
This is one of her newest songs under the new Marina moniker.
Saturday at 4:30 on the Tito's stage. Car Seat Headrest plays at 4:15 so we might want to check them out but I'll look at the other options. First up is a chill instrumental band. Per Wikipedia:
The Los Angeles League of Musicians, often abbreviated as LA LOM, is an American instrumental band originating from Los Angeles, California. The band consists of guitarist Zac Sokolow, bassist Jake Faulkner, and percussionist Nicholas Baker. The trio began playing together at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where they experimented with a mix of distinct genres, including cumbia and Peruvian chicha. The band has been noted for its fusion of multiple different styles.
In the bio it says The Current's Bill DeVille praised the band's style, which he described as a "blend of surf rock, cumbia sonidera, country twang and Peruvian chicha music.
Spacey Jane are an Australian indie rock band formed in Fremantle, Western Australia in 2016...Spacey Jane's debut studio album, Sunlight, was released in 2020 and peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts. Its 7× platinum single "Booster Seat" won the ARIA Song of the Year and was the runner-up of the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100.
Joey Valence & Brae are an American hip-hop duo from State College, Pennsylvania, consisting of rappers Joseph Bertolino (Joey Valence) and Braedan Lugue (Brae). Their single "Punk Tactics" went viral in 2022. They have since released three studio albums, Punk Tactics, No Hands, and Hyperyouth in 2023, 2024, and 2025 respectively.
Saturday at 3:15pm on the BMI stage. Per Google AI:
Dizzy Fae is a Minneapolis-based, classically trained singer and dancer who blends alternative R&B and indie music. The queer Black artist has performed with artists like Kehlani, The Internet, and Empress Of, and opened for Lizzo in 2016. Fae's music is known for its captivating presence and fearless creativity, and aims to raise the vibration of the spirit and self.
Ocean Alley is an Australian alternative psychedelic rock band from the Northern Beaches.
They formed in 2011 and have 2 EPs and 4 albums out. Their 5th album is coming out in September. It looks like they've played Emo's, Antone's, Scoot Inn, and Stubbs before. They are also doing an ACL Nights at Empire Control Room. Yet I've never heard of them.
"Tangerine" is on their new album. Not really alternative psychedelic rock.
If you wanted a unicorn thought experiment, pairing deliriously sultry soul music from the height of Stax and Motown era with au courant heartthrob handsomeness, then Don West has done the hard work for you; he is the answer. This Sydney-based troubadour has taken a cinematic look at our favorite soul sounds and reimagined them with a coolness and candor that feels too vivid, like an ex-lover's scent on your sheets.
Drawing inspiration from legends like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, as well as contemporary artists such as Jalen Ngonda and Thee Sacred Souls, DON WEST brings a fresh yet timeless sound to modern soul.
"Friends" is chill. The video has a 70s-era Super8 video quality.
Dean was born in the London Borough of Haringey to an English father and a Jamaican-Guyanese mother. Her grandmother immigrated to the UK from Guyana at age 18 as part of the Windrush generation. Her middle name "Lauryn" was inspired by Lauryn Hill, of whom her parents are big fans...in 2023, she was selected as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year.
Most importantly:
Dean is a supporter of West Ham United F.C. and attended many games at Upton Park with her father, a season ticket holder, during her childhood.
COYI!
She opened on Sabrina Carpenter's tour.
"Dive" is one of her older songs and is her most streamed. Reminds me of Sir Woman.
"Echo" is good. One of the comments: "This song would be a great James Bond intro."
"The Hardest Part" features Leon Bridges. It has been played on KUTX.
This is really good. It's on her new album which comes out in September.
Saturday at 2:15pm. Alternative R&B from New Zealand. Wikipedia also calls it nu-jazz, blue-eyed soul, and funk. They formed in 2015 and have released 4 albums with a 5th scheduled for release on September 12th. It's called "Welcome to the Mood."
"Got it Bad" was the first song they released in 2015.
"Sundown" is a nice soulful tune. It's one of the songs on their new album. It sets a mood.
Here they are performing live. A good chill tune. I like it.
Saturday at 2pm on the Tito's stage. Google AI came back with this:
Odeal is a London-based singer, songwriter, and producer who blends Afrobeats and R&B into a soulful fusion. Born in Germany and raised in Nigeria, Spain, and the UK, Odeal's music is known for pushing boundaries and defying genre expectations. He started making music in 2014, sharing covers on YouTube and performing at talent shows.
He has 4.3 million followers on Spotify. Not bad for someone playing an afternoon set in the tent.
Rahema Shifa Alameda, known mononymously as Alemeda, is a Sudanese-Ethiopian singer-songwriter. She is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Warner Records...Alameda was born in Ethiopia and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Her stage name stems from her last name, Alameda, which she elaborated is a "common name in the Gurage tribe in Ethiopia," of which her grandfather was a part. She changed the spelling to "Alemeda" to be more easily found online...Her music blends "hyper-contemporary aesthetics with nostalgic R&B vibes"...
Tops (stylized in all capital letters as TOPS) is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec...TOPS was founded in 2011 by childhood friends Jane Penny and David Carriere from Edmonton, Alberta.
I don't know if indie rock is an appropriate description. "Petals" is a nice chill song.
South Arcade are an English band from Oxford. Formed in 2021, the band went viral for videos of their band practices and performed at BBC Radio 1's New Music Live in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in November 2024... Their works are usually described as pop punk or alternative rock and have been likened to those by Pale Waves, Avril Lavigne, and Bring Me the Horizon.
"Danger" has an Avril Lavigne sound. Not my cup of tea.
The other songs I heard followed a similar theme.
This is them live. They seem to have a very energetic following.
Saturday at 1pm on the Tito's stage. According to their Youtube bio:
Ted Hammig & the Campaign are a band currently based in Fayetteville, AR. ...deliver a fresh sound with roots in blues, folk, and of course, Rock & Roll.
This concert review says they are former University of Arkansas students. It says:
The band is led by frontman singer and guitarist Ted Hammig, and features keyboardist Freeman Boatright, bassist David Moneymaker, drummer Andrew Ruegsegger and guitarist Ben Hobbs. The group was originally made up only of Hammig and Moneymaker in early 2020, but by late 2021, all current members had joined.
"Rhonda" is a throwback 60s-70s tune. Reminds me of The Heavy Heavy.
This is good. They also remind me of The Nude Party. They could be fun to see.
Saturday at 1pm. Mellow singer-songwriter. According to this bio:
Georgia-born and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sydney Rose writes songs for those moments. As she sings, it almost sounds like she’s whispering in your ear, giving you a boost of confidence, offering a little clarity, or just reminding you everything will be okay. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, she picked up ukulele, piano, and guitar. Building an audience organically on social media.
While sitting at the piano one day, she crafted “We Hug Now.” It exploded on TikTok and inspired over 400K “creates,” yielding 1.3 billion total views and reaching the Top 15 of the TikTok Top Songs Chart. “We Hug Now” catapulted to the Top 3 of the Spotify US and Global Viral 50 Charts. Amassing 40 million streams and counting, it cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart as she vaulted to #22 on the Emerging Artists Chart.
It’s sublime mix of slowcore, post-rock, alt-country, ’90s alt-rock and emo that deftly pivots styles, often within one song, making it all seem natural and clearly coming from one creative point of view. We hear Neil Young, Sunny Day Real Estate, Acetone, Hum, Red House Painters & more. They call it “West Texas dirtgaze.”
They still don't have any videos online other than "Laredo." They have quite a few live shows online which I guess showcases their slowcore style.
Here's one of their most streamed songs. Probably better at 2am but they may be a good way to start the festival day.
Saturday at 12:15pm on the BMI stage. He's the drummer for Dr. Dog so he'll be busy. According to Wikipedia, outside of Dr. Dog he's released 6 solo records and has also played with Nels Cline, Ruston Kelly and even Taylor Swift.
He's married to Natalie Prass (we saw her open for Ryan Adams at Gruene Hall in 2015). "Closer to Heaven" features her.
...performers clearly inspired or outright copycatting the Oklahoma songwriter in style and approach cropping up all over the place, while also forging incredible success all on their own. Chief among them and leading the pack is the wiry, sullen-faced songwriter from eastern Missouri named Sam Barber...Similar to Zach Bryan, it’s hard to understate just how massive the appeal for Sam Barber has become. Similar to Zach Bryan, experiencing Barber live is to witness many younger fans singing all the words back at the stage.
Friday at 5pm. The schedule says "FINNEAS and Ashe present The Favors". That's FINNEAS and singer Ashe. They announced that they formed a band and are now touring.
According to Rolling Stone their debut album "The Dream" is out September 19th.
Jemille Edwards (born June 3, 1999), known professionally as Skrilla, is an American rapper from the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...His single "Doot Doot" became popular on TikTok in 2025 due to the “6-7” trend.
In case you want to know what the "6-7" trend is. From Yahoo:
TikTok and Instagram Reels quickly popularized the track, driven by its recurring lyric, “6-7.” Many believe the phrase references 67th Street in Chicago, potentially linking it to Skrilla’s background or affiliations. The song’s lyrics emphasize street life and conflicts, repeatedly mentioning “6-7” throughout the track.
The trend became widely associated with basketball player LaMelo Ball. One of the earliest known viral edits reportedly featured a sports commentator stating that Ball plays like a 6’1″ player despite being 6’7″. The term “6’7″” aligns with the song’s beat drop, making it a key moment in the meme format. This sparked a wave of videos where TikTokers edited footage of Ball, with the song playing in the background.
Beyond basketball, TikTok users applied the “6-7” trend to various scenarios, often using the song’s lyrics humorously. Some videos feature users referencing their 67% test scores, followed by the song playing in their heads. The meme format expanded into lip dubs, NBA-related edits, and other comedic content.
Now you're hip. Here is his viral song. 8.8M views in 5 months.
Friday at 4:30 on the Tito's stage. According to this article:
Vincent Lima crafts songs at the intersection between universal human stories and the vulnerable corners of his own experiences. Born in Chicago and raised in New Jersey, Lima began writing original songs around age five – continuing into high school when he became infatuated with folk music and taught himself how to play the piano.
It also says:
His EP “Versions of Uncertainty” came out July 19th, and features the single “Orpheus” and five other songs that take inspiration from the tales of Orpheus and Eurydice to speak to timeless experiences of love, loss and hope in a world in which things fade.
Friday at 4:30pm. Country from Austin. We saw him open for Wyatt Flores at Antone's in 2023. I remember he had a big local following. Back then he had a full-time job with Circuit of the Americas and was trying to make it in the music business. Now he is signed with Big Loud Texas (Miranda Lambert's new label) and has a publishing deal with Universal Music Group Nashville. And he's playing the American Express stage at ACL.
Friday at 3:30pm. Panda Bear is also playing at this time. ("Defense" with Cindy Lee has been getting rotation on KUTX. I like it.)
This is the moniker of Ohio based Johnny Franck. According to Wikipedia:
Bilmuri has been described as post-hardcore and neon pop-punk, with hardcore and emo music influences. Bilmuri also incorporates lo-fi and indie-pop music.
Friday at 4pm. This artist played ACL in 2019 but we didn't go see her. Preview here. She's about to release her 3rd album and got the New Yorker treatment but I can't read it as they want me to subscribe. Maybe you can see it.
This is off her new album. She played it on Colbert recently.
Friday at 3pm on the BMI stage. According to this article:
Richmond, VA native Maggie Antone has been carefully establishing herself as a powerful new voice in music since a cover of Tyler Childers' Lady May she posted to TikTok garnered widespread praise, changing her life overnight. That success led to Interpretations, a 7-track covers album released in 2022 on her own label Love Big, the same label that will now house her debut album of original material, Rhinestoned.
As ACL always does there are 4 acts with a similar style competing against each other. We have to pick between 4 acts right in our wheelhouse yet another time slot will have bands that don't appeal to us at all.
Friday at 2:45pm on the Tito's stage. It's an Irish folk trio out of Dublin. According to Wikipedia, their main goal was to play cover songs at pubs in order to obtain free pints. They've since signed to Warner Brothers Records and have opened for Hozier. I think they can afford their own pints now.
"Mary's Pub" is nice, too. It shows scenes from around Grafton St. in Dublin including the Phil Lynott statue. Mary's Pub is on Wicklow right down the street from Cornucopia Restaurant so we walked right by it.
This is their most streamed song. The intro says: "'Lonely Island' tells the story of a man who remorsefully returns to the Island of his birth, only to find his people, his home and the way of life have all changed or are long forgotten."
Friday at 2:45pm on the big American Express stage. This article says he grew up in Prosper, TX. Savingcountrymusic says:
Tanner Usrey is already a rising power in roots music with a killer live show bolstered by classic rock power and a kick ass band. Few if any have as much soul and power behind their voice, and if anyone’s poised for a big breakout moment, it’s Usrey. What better moment for that to happen than the release of a Dave Cobb-produced album recorded at Historic Studio A, as well as Cobb’s place in Savannah, GA.
His album came out June 11th. He has had songs in Yellowstone and Landman.
"Take Me Home" was on Landman. He used Zach Bryan's concept of using fan videos to make the music video.
Friday at 2:15pm. Indie rock/pop. This is a duo out of London that exploded with one song. It's a pretty cool story. According to their interview with The Current, they were musicians in East London working on other projects and decided to try writing together. They posted a clip of a chorus online that had people asking for the whole song. As they say:
We were writing in the countryside, and the clip sort of went viral as we were deciding to come back to London. So now we're locked in the confines of a car that's stuck in traffic, and people were just like, “When is it out on Spotify?” “When's it going to be released?” And to two boys that weren't going to do a project, this was like a gold-dust reaction. Then we called our manager and it was like, "Is there any chance we can put a song out in three days?" And he was like, "Have I heard it?" We were like, "You haven't heard it." So within the car, we finished the verses, just off the top of our heads, and then we were pulling up in gas stations recording guitars, and then by the time we got to London, we had a rough demo that we then mixed that night and we put it out three days later.
When you start typing Good Nei.. in google the auto-complete says "Good Neighbors Home lyrics".
"Ripple" is one of their newer songs. They've been opening for Foster The People."
"Suburbs" sounds very familiar. Passion Pit? I can't place it.
Here is their viral song. They got to play it on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Catchy.
Friday at 2pm on the Beatbox stage. This time slot must be for the siblings. Girl Tones is two sisters and this band is two brothers. According to this interview:
Brothers Ocie and Wes Crowe grew up in rural bayou country, traveling through small Southern towns with their family's gospel band. Today, based out of New Orleans, the duo have been marked as rising stars in the alternative/folk circuits.
They both cite Gregory Alan Isakov as one of their influences. He happens to be playing the same stage on Sunday.
Girl Tones are a high-energy rock duo brought to life by sisters Kenzie and Laila. With Kenzie on guitar and Laila on drums, the sisters ditched their classical training to captivate audiences with electrifying rock. Their debut single, “Fade Away,” produced by Cage The Elephant’s Brad Shultz, is an unpolished, distorted blast of fury. In their short but mighty existence, the duo released their sophomore single, “Again,” toured with Cage The Elephant, and played Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a bucket list venue for the sisters. With a sound likened to The White Stripes, Girl Tones are quickly becoming a national force, and they’re just getting started.
This article says they live in Nashville. I also saw that apparently Kenzie is married to Brad Shulz' brother, hence the Cage the Elephant connection.
Friday at 1:30pm on the BMI stage. According to this Variety article:
Hagood grew up in small-town Arkansas, and left for Nashville in the late 2000s to launch himself into stardom. Soon after, he came out as gay, which proved a barrier to his ambitions, in spite of how he showcased his rippling tenor voice and gift for crafting stirring, ardent melodies on stages and in songwriting sessions alike. He’s spent almost half of his 33 years confronting the narrow imagination of the music industry, not only in the country realm, but the pop mainstream too.
It also says:
Hagood drifted toward pop, touring with artists like Ariana Grande, because he "got sidetracked by people not being able to see someone like me, a queer, flamboyant dude, being successful in country music." Now he's bravely and unabashedly back on the Nashville track.
Friday at 1:30pm. This band played ACL in 2022 but we didn't see them. Preview here. If you're too lazy to click that link here's what I posted:
As ethereal as it is gritty, and as lighthearted as it is deep to the core, spill tab has landed, serving up multi-genre bedroom beats. The moniker of Claire Chicha, spill tab is a French Korean American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, now pouring distinctive, duality-drenched tracks with producer David Marinelli straight out of LA.
Indie rock.
This is her latest song. It has gotten airplay on KUTX.
Friday at 1:15pm on the Tito's stage. This site says:
As the renaissance of 90s shoegaze continues, Austin’s Farmer’s Wife tread moodily around its boundaries. Combining elements of dirge, psych, scatterings of 80’s pop and heavy doses of grunge, their music recalls the best of that era – the early records from Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Jane’s Addiction, and Slowdive.
They were formerly know as Sludge. Under that name they made a song called "Greg Abbott's Maxi Pad". Sweet.
"Shoo Goo" is a newer song. The video is them live. Shoegaze.
