ACL 2018: Moses Sumney

Sunday at 4pm. After the packed 1pm time slot we're back to slim pickings at 2pm.  The only choice is Twin Shadow.  The other options are banal love-ballads from ARIZONA and a latin mariachi-inspired band from NYC.

3pm is much better.  We've got Bahamas, Parquet Courts, and Elle King.  I'm good with any of them.

At 4pm the first choice is Janelle Monáe.  Why ACL put this rising artist up against her is ridiculous as her fans would love him.  Moses Sumney was raised in California and Ghana and now resides in L.A.  His first album won rave reviews and was picked as one of the albums of 2017 by the New York Times.  Here's the whole album.  He has opened for Solange and Erykah Badu, among others.  Here's his NPR Tiny Desk Concert.  Very nice.  A jazzy Nina Simone feeling. He's playing in the tent, which is perfect for his sound.


Lonely World

ACL 2018: Ghost of Paul Revere

Sunday at 1:15pm.  In the tent.  There are three Americana bands playing at the same time. WTF.  This is a trio out of Portland, Maine that has played the Newport Folk Festival and has toured with Avett Brothers.   They play call-and-response and foot-stomping music similar to Lumineers.  "Little Bird" is pretty good. 



Montreal

ACL 2018: Yungblud

Sunday at 1pm.  We won't be able to see this UK singer but he's getting lots of buzz so FYI.  It's the moniker of 19 year-old Dominic Harrison.  He moved from Yorkshire to London at 16 to become a rock star and it looks like he's on his way.  NME saw him live last year and the article is titled: "We might have seen the future, and it looks like Yungblud."

His sound is a mix of hip-hop/reggae/ska/pop.  This is more mellow than the other songs I heard.  His songwriting skews to political and social topics instead of banal love songs.  This song is no exception.

Polygraph Eyes

ACL 2018: Phil Cook

Sunday at 1pm.  I was all set to camp out for Amen Dunes and then I listened to this.  Typical ACL Fest to throw all the good music against each other in one time slot.  Couldn't they have put one of these bands on at 12:15?  Now we have 3 choices.

Multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook has played in Hiss Golden Messenger, Megafaun, Gayngs, and Justin Vernon side project DeYarmond Edison, to name a few.  He just put out his 2nd solo album and I like it. Bluesy folk that's a throwback to 70s country rock.  I just listened to a playlist put together by Aquarium Drunkard that features live recordings of bands like Fleetwood Mac and Bonnie Raitt at a Sausalito radio station in the 70s.  I recommend it.    Then I put on "People are My Drug" and got the same vibe.  Just great music.

Miles Away

ACL 2018: Amen Dunes

Sunday at 1pm.  The 12:15 time slot has three bands that didn't do much for me.  Amber Mark is R&B and was the best of the three.

1pm has Mt. Joy.  We saw a brief set at SXSW at Blackheart so I could see them again.  However, this is the band to see.  It's the moniker of New York-based Damon McMahon.  This is his 4th album under this band name and it's getting rave reviews.  GQ says it's the best album of 2018 so far.  Pitchfork and NPR loved it.

I listened to the whole album ("Freedom".  Stream on Amazon) and it's really good.  This song is probably the best.  "Believe" is good, too.  So is "Dracula".  You should just listen to the whole thing.

Blue Rose

ACL 2018: DAVIE

Sunday at 11:30am. Sunday is going to be a long day since we'll be staying to see Childish Gambino so I'm not sure how early we want to get going.  Fortunately ACL didn't schedule a buzz band I want to see on Sunday morning like they have in the past (Alt-J, Haerts, July Talk).

Our choices in the morning are techno house (Lemaitre), a mellow singer-songwriter from the U.K. (Freya Ridings), rap from Austin (Kydd Jones), and this R&B singer out of L.A.  He was in a Wild Turkey commercial with Matthew McConaughey.  That's all the research I did on him.

I'm not moved to get there early for any of these bands.  This is the best of the 4 to me.

This is a mellow ballad.  Pretty good. 
Faith

ACL 2018: Residente

Saturday at 5:30 we have 3 main options: Blood Orange, Marion Hill, or Trampled by Turtles.  We caught a bit of Blood Orange at SXSW in 2013.  Did we see Marion Hill when they played ACL in 2015?  It was on Sunday at noon.  Did we see Trampled by Turtles at ACL in 2012? I need a better memory.  Needless to say, I'm not blown away by any of them so I'd be fine with whatever we decide.  The other option at 5:30 is Bazzi, a singer-songwriter that cites Justin Timberlake as an influence.  He gets this time slot thanks to his song, "Mine", that blew up on the internet.  104 Million views on Youtube.  Pass.

As for the rest of Saturday...slim pickings.  6:30 is Chvrches which is a no-brainer.  They're on opposite a techno DJ (San Holo) and metal band Disturbed.  7:30 is St. Vincent, French techno DJs Justice, and this Puerto Rican rapper that raps in Spanish. I think it's mostly dance party stuff but this song was good. 

We'll probably be tired from staying late Friday and getting up early Saturday so I'm fine leaving early.

Desencuentro

ACL 2018: Rhye

Saturday at 4:30pm.  Three options at this time.  Brandi Carlisle is the first choice.  Highly Suspect is guitar rock playing on the same stage as Metallica.  Pass.

The last choice is mellow music a la Sade.  The interesting part is that the vocals are sung by a man.  Pitchfork loved the first album.  I'm not sure how they've been off my radar for so long. 

Pretty mellow for 4:30 on a Saturday.  They're in the tent so could be a place to lounge and nap.


Open

ACL 2018: Smino

Saturday at 3:30pm.  This is the hip-hop/soul act for this time slot.  ACL has filled this year's schedule with lots of bands that share styles with Childish Gambino and aren't standard rap like in the past.  I like it.  Friday has Ravyn Lenae , Noname and Khalid and today has IAMDDB and this musician from St. Louis.

Lots of positive reviews.  Vogue has a long interview with him and he played the Pitchfork Festival this summer.  Definitely a rising star.

Anita

ACL 2018: Lucie Silvas

Saturday at 3:30pm.  Japanese Breakfast and The Breeders are in this slot.  I'll be seeing one of them so this is for informational purposes only.  This singer is originally from New Zealand and the U.K. but is now in Nashville.  Her latest album is getting good reviews from Rolling Stone and NPR.  She's playing the small BMI stage so could be a nice intimate show.

Pop/rock/bluesy sound.  "Girls from California" is a nice mellow song.  Good Sun Radio music.

Kite

ACL 2018: Mon Laferte

Saturday at 2:30pm.  This is the third option.  She's originally from Chile but now resides in Mexico City.  Most of the songs I heard are mellow ballads.  This was my favorite.

According to Wikipedia she's a vegan.

Que Sí

ACL 2018: The Wombats

Saturday at 2:30pm.  This is a trio out of Liverpool that have been around since 2007.  Their old stuff sounds like The Cure and their new stuff is more pop.  Not really doing much for me.

This was their highest charting song in the U.K. back in 2007.

Let's Dance to Joy Division

ACL 2018: Curtis Harding

Saturday at 2:45pm.  Three options at this time.  This soul/R&B/rock singer is playing the tent.  He has toured with Lenny Kravitz.  Danger Mouse produced this song. 

"On and On" is more uptempo.  Both songs are good.

Wednesday Morning Atonement

ACL 2018: IAMDDB

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

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

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

Pause

ACL 2018: Ruston Kelly

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

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

Mockingbird

ACL 2018: VÉRITÉ

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

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

Strange Enough

ACL 2018: Harry Paradise

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

"Rover" is pretty good.  Nice sound.

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

Joan

ACL 2018: Donna Missal

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

Bluesy/funky sound. 

Girl

ACL 2018: Wallows

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

More on them if you're interested.


Pictures of Girls

ACL 2018: Charley Crockett

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

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


I Am Not Afraid