ACL 2016: Porter Robinson and Madeon

Sunday at 7pm.  HAIM is in this slot but the other choice is this duo of producers, from North Carolina and France, that have teamed up.  Each is a successful solo artist apparently.  They united based on their shared appreciation for Daft Punk.  This is the only song they've released so I'm not sure what else they are going to play live.  This is more pop but perhaps they'd be a good lead-in to LCD Soundsystem.  I assume that's why ACL has them here.  Strange to have only one song to your credit and get booked to play ACL on Sunday at 7pm.  I guess ACL blew all their band money on Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar.

Shelter

ACL 2016: Gregory Porter

Sunday at 6pm in the tent.  This is opposite Chris Stapleton and Miike Snow so I'm sure we'll be splitting up.  It's the last act in the tent which is usually reserved for extra special bands.  I sure wish this was at 7pm instead so there would be no question who I'd see.  It's a jazz singer originally from Sacramento that's now in Brooklyn.  He has won Grammys and international acclaim in the jazz realm and has even crossed over to mainstream success.

A great finale for the tent and for those that like to avoid the big stages.

Be Good (Lion's Song)

ACL 2016: Bob Moses

Sunday 5pm.  A couple more bands to get through before I try to summarize the weekend.  This is a duo originally from Vancouver that has been playing all the festivals lately.  I like this song.  Pretty mellow.

Tearing Me Up

ACL 2016: Oh Wonder

Sunday at 5pm.  There are a few choices here.  I'll start with this duo out of London that has exploded over the last year thanks to the power of the Internet.  This interview describes how they decided to release a song a month on Soundcloud for a year, then release an album.  Before they ever did a live show they already had a huge fan base through word-of-mouth on social media.  So as a new band they've already played Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and now the 5pm Sunday slot at ACL.

Nice mellow pop songs.  I like what I've heard.

Technicolor Beat

ACL 2016: Quaker City Night Hawks

Sunday at 4pm.  We're getting to the recognizable bands so I'll skip the 3pm previews.  I like Margo Price but I'd be happy seeing Pete Yorn as well.  The other act at that time is the white Christian rapper NF.  Oh boy.

At 4pm is Local Natives or Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.  I prefer the latter but another option is this band out of Fort Worth that was selected as "Best Band" in 2015 by the Dallas Observer.  Vice described them as: "The overall impression of a gang of scifi-obsessed ZZ Top superfans who've gone rogue."

I'll share two songs.  The first is a mellow rocker and the second is straight-up Rock&Roll.  Both are really good.

Something to Burn


Liberty Bell 7

ACL 2016: Basia Bulat

Sunday at 2pm.  I know, there's no need to introduce her.  It's just that there's nothing special at 1pm to preview.  There's Austin-based Wild Child who we've seen at least twice.  I liked their last show so that's probably my first choice.  There's also Wild Belle who played ACL back in 2013 on the Austin Ventures stage right after Jake Bugg.  I don't remember much about that set.  The other options are rapper/member of Odd Future Domo Genesis and singer Avery*Sunshine.  Neither were my cup of tea.

So now 2pm.  There are three great options at this time.  I saw Marlon Williams at SXSW at Lambert's and liked him.  Kacey Musgraves will be the big draw and I would love to see her.  However, Basia Bulat is playing the small BMI stage.  Her set at Gingerman during SXSW was one of my favorites.

This is probably the biggest conflict of the festival for me.  One of the few this year.

Fool


Infamous

ACL 2016: Luke Winslow-King

Sunday at 12:15pm.  The 4th choice is a musician out of New Orleans.  His Wikipedia cites influences from New Orleans jazz, Delta blues, ragtime, and pre-war American folk.  Last year he was named New Orleans best blues guitarist but he's also known for his slide guitar.  This song is more mellow.  I've liked his other songs, too.  A good Old Settler's choice.

You Don't Know Better than Me

ACL 2016: Jai Malano

Sunday at 12:15 in the tent.  Old school R&B in the vein of Leon Bridges but with some blues mixed in.  She describes herself as "Texas native.  Florida born with Louisiana roots."  Now in Austin, she regularly plays C-Boys.

This song is more traditional blues.

Edit: She's opening for Ben Harper tonight so we'll get to see her sooner than I thought.

Never Look Down

ACL 2016: The Shelters

Sunday at 11:30am.  This band out of L.A. is playing opposite July Talk so I didn't even think to preview them.  However, I just pulled up this song and it's pretty good.  The ACL page has nothing about them so after further research it turns out they were discovered by Tom Petty, who co-produced both their EP and their first album and are they opening for him on tour.  The music has a roots-rock sound like Petty but I hear some Strokes in there as well.

Why does ACL book such good bands in the A.M. on Sundays? This year they booked these two and local band Shane Smith & the Saints.  Crazy.

Rebel Heart

ACL 2016: Lizzo

Sunday at 12:15.  Here is the R&B morning option.  It's a singer originally from Houston but now in Minneapolis.  She's labeled hip/hop but the songs I heard are more R&B/soul.  She's got a good voice.  I've liked the songs I've heard.  Here are two selections that would sound good on a Sunday morning.  Fresh Air likes her.  Prince liked her and asked her to sing on his song "Boy Trouble".  Here's what she said about working with him.

Her album was recorded at Justin Vernon's studio in Wisc.


My Skin

Humanize

ACL 2016: Brett Dennen

Sunday at 12:15.  There are 4 bands at this time and I'm not sure which one to see.  The first choice is a singer/songwriter from Northern California that has released 6 albums since 2004, gets airplay on KUTX, and has come through Austin quite a few times.  I've never put much thought into his music, though.  We may have seen him before for all I know.  It's nice Sunday morning music.

His latest album was produced by Dave Cobb so he's got that going for him, which is nice.

Comeback Kid

ACL 2016: July Talk

Sunday at 11:30am.  This post is for the Canadian readers who always show up at 3pm.  We caught this Toronto band at SXSW in 2015 and they put on one hell of a show.  We also saw them at Cheer Up Charlie's last June in a way too-short set.  Their last record won a Juno for best Alternative Album and their second album just came out.

Get a good night's sleep Saturday and make it to this early show.

Paper Girl

Summer Dress

ACL 2016: New Madrid

Saturday at 6:30pm on the BMI stage.  This is probably our best bet at this time.  We saw them at Gingerman during SXSW in 2015 and I recall liking them.  I'm not sure how they came up with the name but perhaps it's from the Uncle Tupelo song.

They're from Athens, GA.  This song has a guitar sound and tempo similar to "Murmur"-era R.E.M. but their sound is more psychedelic.



Don't Hold Me Now

ACL 2016: NAO

Saturday at 5:15 in the tent.  This is more like it.  NAO is Neo Jessica Joshua, a singer from East London.  She's nominated for the BBC's "Sound of 2016."  R&B/Funk/Soul.  Has a Prince feel to it.  Especially "Get to Know Ya".  I'd like to see this.

Bad Blood

ACL 2016: AlunaGeorge

Saturday at 5:30pm.  The other option is this duo out of London.  More pop.  ACL sure has changed.  I think I'm beginning to realize why I haven't heard of any of these bands.  I'm obviously in the minority as this song has over 215M plays on Spotify.

You Know You Like It

ACL 2016: Melanie Martinez

Saturday at 5:30pm.  We know the 4:30pm shows: "garage country" Aubrie Sellers who just came through for SXSW, indie-rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen who played the small BMI stage at ACL in 2014, and LL Cool J.  All the Ladies Love Cool James so I may have to join them.

At 5:30 we could see The Naked and Famous again.  They've come a long way since opening for Edward Sharpe.  I'm surprised they're on the Zilker (formerly Austin Ventures) stage.  I think I read that they've moved that stage away from the rock to ease traffic congestion around the food/beer tent.  I'm not sure where they could put it.

Another option is this 20yo from Queens.  Rolling Stone describes her music as "twisted lullabies about love, danger and madness".  She's compared to Lorde and Lana del Rey.  All her songs on Soundcloud have over 4M listens each.  I guess she's a big deal with the kids.  She was on "The Voice" so that probably helped.

Very poppy.  This song reminds me of another band but I can't recall it now.  We saw them at Parish, I think.

Cry Baby

ACL 2016: NAWAS

Saturday at 4pm in the tent.  It's very hard to find any info online about this band.  It took some expert Google searching to discover it's composed of Jake Nawas who is originally from Louisiana but now lives in Nashville.  It appears to be a duo but the picture below shows a trio.  Something is going on since they are playing ACL with only two songs online.  Hmm.  File under "Expect big things soon."

Really good song.  R&B/Soul with some electronic and hip/hop mixed in.  Their website sites Prince as an influence.  I'll just let you listen.  It may be worth checking out a bit of their set to see what's going on.

So Low

ACL 2016: Andra Day

Saturday at 3:30pm.  Her first album came out in 2015 but this singer from San Diego has already played the White House, the Grammys, and just did an ACL taping.  Her music is getting played on KUTX as well.  Quite a voice.

Rise Up is her big song but here's the one being played on KUTX.  I thought it was Amy Winehouse when I first heard it.

Forever Mine

ACL 2016: Jack Garratt

Saturday at 3:30.  I profiled this British musician before SXSW last year.  Since then he has played Conan, Colbert, and won the BBC's Sound of 2016 award.  I'd like to check him out.

This is the song he played on Colbert.

Worry

ACL 2016: City and Colour

Friday Saturday at 2:30pm.  This is probably the biggest band in this slot.  It's the moniker of Toronto-based Dallas Green but he always brings the same band on tour, including guitarist and Texan Dante Schwebel (also co-founder of Spanish Gold).  The band is big in Canada: his last three albums all went to #1 there.

I previewed "The Girl" when they played SXSW back in 2011.  It's a nice mellow song so I'll also put up one that is a little more rocking.

The related artists according to their page on Spotify are Bon Iver and Iron and Wine.  I'm not sure I agree with that but I can't come up with any comparisons right now.

The Girl

Wasted Love