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.
Here is a playlist from Youtube of all the bands in order as well.
Sunday at 7pm. Nothing makes me feel old like looking at the top billed acts at ACL and not recognizing them. Yes, ACL is catering to a younger audience. Plus, the bands at the top are genres I don't really follow. Ok maybe I don't feel so old after all. They do have Marcus Mumford and RHCP.
Three acts at this time. Marcus Mumford, techno-dance producer Zhu ("Faded" has 129M views!) and this jam band out of Connecticut. They are compared to Phish and Umphry's McGee. They call themselves "indie groove".
They sold out Stubb's for ACL Nights on Saturday Oct. 8th. They also played Red Rocks. Check out their cover of this The National song. Two drummers!
Sunday at 6pm on the Tito's stage. This timeslot on this day is usually saved for something special. One year it was Richard Thompson. Last year was Trixie Mattel. This year it's this legendary jazz musician. I can't even get into all the accolades and collaborations. Read his Wikipedia page if you want to get worn out.
The other options are rock band Paramore and rapper 6lack.
The Statesman says: "If your festival won’t be complete without some truly mind-boggling musical mastery, the jazz titan from Houston is here to oblige."
Sunday at 5pm. Synthpop now based in L.A. From Wikipedia:
The band is named after its lead singer María Zardoya who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, Georgia...The Marías are an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. They are known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, as well as infusing their music with elements like jazz percussion, guitar riffs, smoke-velvet vocals, and horn solos.
The Statesman says: " Enjoy a bilingual synth pop interlude as you escape the heat of the day under the shade trees that form the far edge of this stage area." They are playing the Barton Springs stage.
They are touring with Halsey.
"I Don't Know You" is a nice mellow tune.
This was their first hit. It's gotten airplay on the radio.
Sunday at 5pm. Japanese Breakfast is on at this time. So is Eric Tessmer on the BMI stage. Two other options. First is producer, composer, vocalist and instrumentalist Jackson Stell. From Wikipedia:
Stell began his music career as a hip-hop beat producer, known as J Beatz, in his native Massachusetts at the age of 14. Stell graduated from Northeastern University and worked as a composer for an advertising agency before moving to Los Angeles, where he switched his focus to producing electronic music and singing under the moniker Big Wild.
File it under the electronic/dance genre.
This was his first hit.
Sunday at 4pm. ACL likes to throw in one out-of-left-field act every year. Remember Die Antwoord? Last year it was Trixie Mattel but she turned out to be great. I'm not sure that will be the case with this guy.
One review of his concert is titled: "I Went to an Oliver Tree Concert Sober, and I Regret it". According to the review he's a fan of his music but the antics on stage turned him off the show. Ouch.
Rock. Probably good for all the people waiting to see RHCP. "Let Me Down" is catchy.
Apparently he's very popular. This song has 243Million views. Wow.
Sunday at 4pm. Spoon is on at this time plus two other choices. First up is a duo originally from Miami but now in L.A. Gorilla vs. Bear loves them. He posts about them all the time. I think they are signed to his record label. According to Wikipedia:
(Mica) Tenenbaum was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and immigrated with her family to the United States, while (Matthew) Lewin is also of Argentine-Jewish descent. They originally met in high school at a program run by Live! Modern School of Music, where they were placed in a classic rock cover band and later began writing their own progressive rock music as Tabula Rasa...After that band broke up, they formed Magdalena Bay in 2016 while on vacation from college—Tenenbaum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Lewin at Northeastern University in Boston—and continued to collaborate remotely
The Statesman says:
An indie-pop band with roots in Miami and vibes from another dimension. Sort of transporting in a Purity Ring way, ethereal in an early Grimes way but hook-forward in an experimental, "could be friends with Charli XCX" way. Anyway, see 'em.
"Killshot" was one of their first singles.
Check out the video and song for "Dreamcatching". Pretty cool.
I like them. This song is on KCRWs playlist.
Sunday at 3pm. An older musician now. She's 21. From Wikipedia:
PinkPantheress (born 2001) is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2021, while attending university in London, she posted several songs to TikTok that went viral, including "Break It Off", and she subsequently signed to Parlophone and Elektra Records...She won BBC's Sound of 2022 poll and has been nominated for three NME Awards.
Not bad. The Statesman says she someone to see and says: "Candy coated bedroom pop from a TikTok sensation who’s about to be a massive star."
Her first viral hit was "Break it Off".
This is a full video including her singing. "just for me"
I'm thinking either her or MUNA at this time.
This was my favorite.
Sunday at 2:45pm on the Tito's stage. Dream pop. She's 18 now but was signed to Republic Records at 16 after posting the song below on social media. She's from L.A. According to Wikipedia: " Rosinkranz used to help her father with ideas for songs he was writing for various TV shows and commercials."
"Frankenstein" is fun.
Happy dance music like Dayglow.
Sunday at 3pm on the BMI stage. According to Wikipedia he's "an alternative pop singer originally from Barstable, MA (on Cape Cod.) He's 19 years-old and signed to RCA Records. He has also toured with girl in red.
Mellow pop. "ferrari" is his big hit I think.
Sunday at 3:15pm. 5 choices at this time. The only one I recognize is MUNA who played ACL in 2017 (writeup here). I don't think we went to see them. Let's take a look at the other choices.
This is a rapper born Bianca Miquela Landrau in Medford, MA. (Town north of Cambridge). She now lives in L.A. and has worked with Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, and J.Cole ("London", video w/him). She was also on a reality TV show called Sisterhood of Hip Hop.
This is her big hit. Has a Cardi B vibe.
Sunday at 2pm. This is an interesting fellow. The band name is the first clue: the music is not goth and he's not female. It's the moniker of Griff Washburn. Born in Memphis, he is a wandering musician. From this interview:
Recent Pacific Northwest transplant, Goth Babe, formerly known as Griff Washburn, is out to eventually take the alternative music genre by storm. Originally starting his music career in Nashville, he then moved to New York City shortly after, and then on to Los Angeles.
According this website:
Griff currently lives off the grid exploring a variety of lifestyles. Currently living between a sailboat, tiny home or camper van, surfing up and down the west coast with pup, Sadie. He writes and records his music in the back of his camper off of solar power, while in the midst of following good weather and good people.
Indie rock/jangly guitar/synth pop. "Canary Islands" is good. It has a New Order bass beat in it which is nice. "Running Around" is good, too.
I say we go watch this set after Buffalo Nichols.
He's headlining Scoot Inn on Sat. Oct. 8th with Sarah and the Sundays opening. Two female-themed bands without any females. It's sold out.
This video shows his camper and I suppose his dog.
Sunday at 2pm. Buffalo Nichols plays the Tito's stage at 1:45pm so we'll probably be there.
Pitchfork's bio of this rapper:
Born Larry Eugene Hendricks III to teenage parents in San Francisco, June moved to Atlanta at age 5; he spent much of his childhood vacationing to the West Coast, where he longed to live permanently. At 14, he moved back to his native Hunters Point neighborhood briefly before heading to Vallejo.
This song may be autobiographical. Sample lyrics:
I was born in ninety-one, product of the dope gameFifties, Camaros, Cuts when we swangCrack game, you don't even know the halfThe stress, livin' life so fastI'm dreamin' (I'm dreamin')
Sunday at 1:15pm. There are 4 bands on at this time. Dehd is my first choice. Also playing are Austinites Darkbird (regular rotation on KUTX) and Caleb de Casper.
This is a singer/songwriter who was born in Springfield, MO, grew up in Ozark, MO but is now in Nashville. He is signed to Warner Records.
Pop ballads. "Momentary" is good.
This is his most watched video. Catchy.
Sunday at 1:15pm. This is one of my top bands to see. It's a trio out of Chicago. Here is their performance on KUTX. Indie rock.
Pitchfork loves them. It throws around comparisons to Roy Orbison and The Cure. Quite a range. Their guitar licks remind me of Real Estate, too. Also, dare I say it, the B52s.
"Window" is good. Has a Velvet Underground beat.
Catchy songs. They are opening for Japanese Breakfast at Stubb's for ACL Nights on Oct. 13th as well.
Sunday at 12:30pm. Post-punk from Tampa. This article states: "Their art is rooted in a mutual love for rock and new wave icons like Joy Division, Gang of Four, and the B-52’s." It says their debut album was produced by Dave Shultz of Cage the Elephant.
"Personality Change" is very Gang of Four.
Here is "Behaviour" live. Even the video looks like it's from the 80s.
This is right up my alley. Probably better at 1am at Hotel Vegas but since I don't stay up that late anymore 12:30pm on a Sunday will have to do.
Here's one more.
Sunday at 12:45pm. 80s dance pop on the Tito's stage. It's the moniker of Austin-based Laura Lee Bishop. She's a Black Fret artist this year so we'll probably see her soon at one of their showcases.
"Do it Again" is fun.
This video gives the "Flashdance" vibes.
Sunday at 12:30pm. You're going to love this one. I'll let this article introduce them:
By now, many Metallica fans know that co-founder Lars Ulrich's two adult sons, drummer-guitarist Myles Ulrich (23) and bassist-vocalist Layne Ulrich (21), have their own rock band called Taipei Houston.
It's what you expect. Here's their first released song.
Sunday at 11:45am. This is a band out of Oak Cliff. This article describes their music:
Luna Luna’s music is based in groove and rhythm, carrying a slight rock inspiration with pop influences ranging from bedroom, synth, and dream-pop. The group crosses genres often, sometimes collaborating with rap artists, and frequently borrowing from different decades of music.
"Feel it Now" is synthpop. Reminds me of Tame Impala.
"Fro" is mellow Sunday morning music.
This is their biggest hit. Also nice and mellow. I'd call them more R&B than dream-pop.
Sunday at 11:45am. Here is how he describes himself in this interview:
I’m an artist, I write and record my own music, with the help of a few friends equipment I record. I specialize in Latin/English urban music. I’m known for making music in Spanish and English with different types of genres...What sets me apart from others is the fact that I’m from a different country I’m actually from Panama, I came to the United States young but Latin music was always a part of me absolutely I just added my twist to it with the English music which I really enjoy too, even though I’m Hispanic, I look American because my dad is American but I wasn’t born here in the USA. So, I think my character and my music type is what sets me apart from others.
He lives in Atlanta.
This is good.
