ACL 2026: LeTrainiump

 Saturday at 2pm on the Beatbox stage. A last minute addition. Per this website:

LeTrainiump is an up-and-coming pop singer/songwriter from Mamou, Louisiana who is capturing the Gulf South’s musical imagination through his live performances and recordings...LeTrainiump, born LeTrainiump Richard, was influenced early on by diverse sounds including the synthesizers in “Reading Rainbow,” Michael Jackson, neighborhood zydeco from the likes of Keith Frank and Chris Ardoin, and his mom’s classic R&B, such as Luther VanDross’s classic “Dance with Your Father.”

 "Control" is catchy.

This is one of his latest releases.

ACL 2026: VINNY

Sunday at 12:45pm.  It looks like Rubio cancelled as well.  This is the replacement. The Spotify bio says:

Vincenzo Lo Nardo, also known as VINNY, born in 1999, is an Italian DJ and producer. He, particularly passionate about the Latin music scene, decided to pursue a career as a DJ...In 2024 he created a new format on TikTok with A-Clark which consists of remixing the greatest hits of Italian music in an Afro House key.

1.2Million monthly listeners on Spotify.

It looks like most of the videos are of him and A-Clark. I don't know if it's just him solo for this.

"Caruso" has 2M streams on Youtube.

This is their most streamed song.

ACL 2026: girlsweetvoiced

Sunday at 2pm on the Tito's stage. This is the singer replacing Paloma Morphy. According to this site:

 the Canadian-born singer whose viral webcam videos grabbed the attention of millions of indie-pop-lovers worldwide, including living legend Joni Mitchell. Which explains how she managed to get a sample of “California” personally cleared by Mitchell for the melodic single “Tonight”—an exceedingly rare stamp of approval for any rising artist. 

She's signed to Sony Music. She's also opening for Ryan Beatty at Scoot Inn on the 4th and the Ryman on the 1st.

She just released her first album. I can't find many music videos. I don't know what those viral webcam videos are. Maybe Tiktok.

"Cranberry" is good.

"Spearmint" is nice, too.

She may be my 2nd choice in this slot.

This is her most streamed song.

ACL 2026: Flight By Nothing

 Sunday at 2pm.  It looks like Paloma Morphy dropped out and Britton was moved to the 3:30 slot.  Two new bands are now in the 2pm timeslot.  This band is playing the Beatbox stage. Per this site:

Flight By Nothing was formed outside of Dallas in 2016 by Conner (vocals), Huey (keys), Pacco (lead guitar), Sam (drums), and Porfii (bass). After relocating to Austin, TX in 2021, the band dove fully into pursuing their career together. Sharing a home helped them grow both as individuals and as musicians.

This site says:

 Drawing from influences that range from pop punk to hip-hop and classic rock, they create music that feels instinctive and deeply personal.

"Stay the Night" is one of the most streamed songs.

"track 02" is them live from Park City Radio KPCW. Not pop punk or hip hop or classic rock. Good mellow tune.

This is from that same session.

 

ACL 2026: Ranked Schedule

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 2026: Parcels

Sunday at 7:30pm.  Last band preview of the year.  They play opposite War on Drugs and Blood Orange. 

Wikipedia says they are an Australian band formed in Byron Bay who moved to Berlin shortly after forming. They describe themselves as "sort of a blend between electropop and disco-soul".

They collaborated with Daft Punk for their first single "Overnight".  I can tell.

Also from Wikipedia: Ahead of their appearance at the 2025 edition of the festival, the Glastonbury website described Parcels' music as influenced by Daft Punk, Fleetwood Mac, and Chic.

Here is their NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

"Gamesofluck" has a Jungle vibe.

This is their most streamed song.

ACL 2026: Fcukers

Sunday at 6:30pm on the Tito's stage.  ACL alumni Geese and Sofi Tukker are also playing at this time. 

This is a duo out of NYC that plays electronic and "UK Garage" music, according to Wikipedia.  

They collaborated with James Murphy on this remix of "Los Angeles".

They have opened for Tame Impala and Harry Styles.  That's a wide range.

"Homie Don't Shake" samples "Devil's Haircut".  It has an LCD vibe.

"L.U.C.K.Y." is a chill dance tune.

This is one of their most streamed songs.

ACL 2026: Cannons

Sunday at 5:30pm.  They were at ACL in 2024.  Preview here. We saw Orville Peck instead.  They're my first choice.  Three of the four bands at this time are out of L.A. Just an observation.

We know their big songs. Here are some of their newer songs.

"Starlight" is one of the first songs on their most recent setlists. Later Fleetwood Mac feel.

"Carousel" is chill. Good late afternoon festival tune.

This is the next to the last song on their setlists before they play "Fire for You" (Great song).

ACL 2026: Noga Erez

Sunday at 5:30pm on the Beatbox stage. She played ACL in 2021.  Preview here. We opted to see Amber Mark instead.

Per Wikipedia:

In December 2024, she revealed that she is facing an international boycott due to her Israeli nationality: "I really wish it was just one case, but the list kind of keeps growing. It’s not for anything that I said, it’s simply because I was born where I was born.

Despite that she has still opened for Florence and the Machine and Pink and is playing both Coachella and ACL.

"Vandalist" is from her last album. I like it.

"Dumb" is fun.

This is her latest single. Fun lyrics.  Of the two rappers on at this time she would be my choice.

ACL 2026: Lauren Sanderson

Sunday at 5:30pm on the BMI stage. From Wikipedia:

Lauren Sanderson (born January 13, 1996) is an American singer and songwriter originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, currently based in Los Angeles. Her music blends influences from pop, R&B and hip hop,

She wrote a brief bio about herself.  I won't paste it so go read it here if you're interested.

"COME SAY SUM" features Fred Durst. I doubt you'll like it.

"Smoking Section" is from her latest album. The chorus is catchy.

This is more mellow.

ACL 2026: Saint Motel

Sunday at 5:30pm.  This band from L.A. played ACL back in 2016.  I don't remember seeing them.  Preview here. Wikipedia says their "music has been described as everything from dream pop to progressive indie."

Here are some songs I didn't post on my last preview.

"My Type" is their biggest hit.

"Get It At Home" is from their latest album.

Can't say I know much about them. Catchy tunes, though.

ACL 2026: Max McNown

Sunday at 4:30pm. Per Wikipedia:

Max Winter McNown was born in West Linn, Oregon and later moved to Bend, Oregon. He graduated high school in 2020 and attended college for two years. In August 2022, he moved to Southern California and learned guitar.

As this article states:

Max McNown erupted onto the country music scene just recently, and his momentum hasn't slowed. It's been quick...He gained attention on TV talent shows like American Idol, and while he thought at first that would be a great avenue to get his music out there, he quickly decided he needed to cut his own path — a more unique path.

He moved to Nashville and hasn’t looked back since.

He has 12 Million monthly listeners on Spotify.  He hasn't been mentioned at all on savingcountrymusic.com.

"Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)" has 12M views on Youtube.

"Love Me Back" is pretty good.

"Forever Ain't Long Enough" is a good road trip video. It features his real-life wife.  Tear jerker at the end.

This was the breakout on TikTok. Definite Zach Bryan vibe.

ACL 2026: Rio Kosta

Sunday at 4:30pm on the Tito's stage.  It's a duo of Mike Del Rio and Kosta Galanopoulos now in L.A.. Per this bio:

There’s also a global energy to Rio Kosta. Their sun-kissed sound echoes much of their respective heritages, with Kosta’s Greek background further flavoured by time in the Bahamas, and Mike being inspired by his Spanish and Italian roots, his time growing up in New York, and especially revisiting his identity following the passing of his Puerto Rican grandmother.

It also says:

It’s also a project that’s adaptable in format. A two-man version toured Europe, speaking to an eclectic Arena filled audience in Prague during their debut show. The sprawling six-person line-up provides an electrifying energy, as seen when they opened for Hot Chip at the Hollywood Palladium and sold out word of mouth headlining performances around LA.

A reddit post said: "It's like a mix of Jungle and Leisure, with a latin touch."

Here's a live set from KCRW.  The last song "Mountain Top" is nice. Good tent tune.

 "Unicorn" is also in that set.  This is the studio version. It's good.  Sunday would be a good day to have passes.

This is their newest release. Reminds me a little of The Heavy Heavy.

ACL 2026: Audrey Hobert

Sunday at 4:30pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Audrey Sandra Hobert (born February 19, 1999) is an American singer and songwriter. After she co-wrote several songs with Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner (from The National) on Abrams' album The Secret of Us (2024), Hobert released her debut single, "Sue Me", in 2025. Her first album, Who's the Clown?, was released by RCA Records in August 2025.

Also:

 Audrey Sandra Hobert was born in New York City and grew up in Los Angeles. Her brother is Malcolm Todd, also a musician. Her father, Tim Hobert, was a writer and producer for Scrubs and The Middle. She went to Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

She graduated from NYU and wrote on a show on Nickelodeon. Her father was the showrunner for the show.

More:

Audrey Hobert then ventured into songwriting, working with close friend Gracie Abrams. The two had met at Abrams's fifth-grade graduation.

She has an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

"Bowling Alley" has a Taylor Swift vibe.

This is her big hit. She played it on The Tonight Show.

ACL 2026: underscores

Sunday at 3:30 on the Beatbox stage.  Fancy Hagood is playing the BMI stage at this time also.  He was supposed to play last year on the BMI stage but had to cancel.  Preview here.  I wouldn't mind watching a little of his show unless we decide to watch all of Calder Allen.

According to Wikipedia:

Devon Karpf (born April 21, 2000), known professionally as April Harper Grey and performing as Underscores (stylized in all-lowercase), is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Devon Karpf was born on April 21, 2000, in the Miraloma Park neighborhood of San Francisco, California, to a Filipina mother and a white father....Before coming out as a trans woman, she attended Cathedral School for Boys, a prestigious all-boys elementary school affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of California...In March 2026, she released her third studio album, U, to critical acclaim. Grey opened on tour for Charli XCX in the fall of 2026.

It also says:

Her music has been described as hyperpop, pop-punk, dubstep, electropop, indie pop, electronica, rock, and Midwest emo.

"The Peace" is her newest single.

This is her most streamed song. Probably good for the Charli XCX fans.

ACL 2026: Claire Rosinkranz

Sunday at 3:30pm.  She was at ACL in 2022 when she was only 18.  Preview here. She's 22 now and has released two albums.  

"Backyard Boy" is still her biggest hit.

"don't miss me" is catchy.

This is from her latest album. 

ACL 2026: Dexter and the Moonrocks

Sunday at 2:45pm.  This band from Abilene played ACL in 2024.  Preview here. I thought they sounded grunge and were similar to Pearl Jam.

Since then they have had a major hit and played on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.  Here it is:

'"Freakin' Out"

"Ritalin" is from their last album.  Very clever video.

This is pretty good.  It's their latest single. It resonated with the commenters, too. 

ACL 2026: Stella Lefty

Sunday at 2:45pm.  I guess she doesn't need much of an introduction as the hype and the backlash have preceded this.  Savingcountrymusic has been covering her as she leans country. Some of his articles:

"Making Sense of Stella Lefty and New Song “Boston”"

"The More They Say Stella Lefty Isn’t a “Nepo Baby,” The More I Think She Is"

Nepo Baby because her dad is a billionaire.  

Then there were the song theft accusations. From Rolling Stone:

"Stella Lefty Hit With Another Plagiarism Accusation"

If you didn't read the article that's the 5th song accused of being plagiarized.

I won't rehash it all.  

"Boston" was her breakout hit. She had to add Noah Kahan to the song credits after she admitted it borrowed liberally from "Stick Season".  First comment under the video: "You cannot convince me this girl has ever been on a public train." haha.

"Thinking 'bout You" is pop country. Catchy.

"I Know I Know" is nice.  As SavingCountryMusic says:

Stella Lefty’s music itself is fine and inoffensive. It’s not that especially great, and it’s not that especially country either. But it’s also not bad. It just kind of “is.” 

This is a good country song. Cute video, too.

ACL 2026: Sunday (1994)

Sunday at 2pm.  Per Wikipedia:

Sunday (1994) is an English-American dream pop band based in Los Angeles, California. The group consists of Paige Turner from Los Angeles, California, Lee Newell from Slough, England and Jason Puma from Lima, Peru.

"Shame" is their most recent release. Reminds me of a more poppy Neko Case.

"Rain" is pretty good. 

This is their most streamed song.

ACL 2026: Paloma Morphy

Sunday at 2pm on the Tito's stage (update: show cancelled. She has postponed her tour.)  Per Wikipedia:

Andrea Paloma Barrios Gomez Álvarez Morphy (born Mexico City, 2000), known professionally as Paloma Morphy, is a Mexican songwriter and singer. Morphy won the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards Best New Artist award. Rolling Stone en Español named her an Artist you should know in may 2024 and Billboard named her the November 2025 "Latin Artist on the Rise".

It also says:

 Paloma Morphy worked as a lawyer before she left her legal career to pursue music.

"pijama" is alt-pop.  I like it.

"SEB" is good, too.  Good afternoon chill music.  The end has The XX feel.

"la mexicana" is nice.  From this interview:

“I wrote this song because, during my time working at the prosecutor’s office, I realized how many reports of gender-based violence never even reached the investigation stage. From that perspective, I wrote a song to Mexico as if it were a person I love, because I love my country; it’s beautiful in so many ways, but in this song, I ask Mexico: Why don’t you love me the way I love you? It’s truly my way of raising my voice, and it’s made me reflect on how we can truly make a difference.”

This is her most streamed song.