Saturday at 4:30pm on the Tito's stage. We saw them do an ACL taping with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. It was pretty cool.
They have a new album coming out September 18th.
"Akatsuki (With Hiromi)" is their 2nd release from it.
This is the first release from it. Cool video. According to Wikipedia:
the accompanying music video features art by Naoki Urasawa, author and illustrator of the manga series of the same name.
I like the end when color is added.
Saturday at 4:30pm. Per Wikipedia:
María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona (born November 8, 1997), known professionally as Young Miko, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and former footballer.
Her biggest hits are collaborations:
"Classy 101" with Feid.
"FINA" with Bad Bunny. She was part of the Super Bowl halftime show.
This is her latest single which is part of a Gap campaign. According to Wikipedia:
In March 2026, Gap launched a new campaign with Miko as the star. The campaign's name, Sweats Like This, features a slight remix of her hit single "WASSUP". This is the first Spanish language video campaign by Gap and she is the brand's first openly lesbian Latina face.
Saturday at 4:15pm. We've seen her before. She also played ACL in 2023. Preview here. We didn't see her then. Since then she has released a couple albums so I thought I'd listen to what's new.
"Notting Hill" is nice.
This was on rotation on KUTX.
Saturday at 3:30pm. According to Wikipedia:
Skye Newman (born 9 November 2003) is an English singer-songwriter from South East London...Her debut EP SE9 Part 1 was released in October 2025...She has named Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bob Marley, and Eminem among her musical inspirations.
She has since released SE9 Part 2.
"Hairdresser" was her debut single. 9 Million views. A good follow-up to Don West.
"FU &UF" is a good warmup for Lola Young.
This is her big hit. I wonder if the US kids will know the lyrics like they do in England. Here's the studio version. Tough lyrics for a singalong.
Saturday at 3:30pm. Per this bio:
For nearly a decade, GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty has reinvented himself time and time again, traversing the spectrum of the pop world and beyond...First gaining notoriety for delivering hooks for artists like Brockhampton and Tyler, The Creator, Beatty soon garnered acclaim for the confessional indie-tinged pop of his 2018 debut Boy In Jeans. In 2020, a more heartbroken yet adventurous sophomore outing called Dreaming Of David followed...He also earned critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Variety, i-D, Billboard, FLAUNT, and more. Amidst tours with Noah Kahan and Maggie Rogers, Beatty secretly worked on what would become Beyonce’s blockbuster 2024 album Cowboy Carter, later winning an Album Of The Year Grammy for contributing four of its key tracks.
According to Wikipedia he gained recognition in his teens and was pigeonholed as a teen heartthrob, a designation he didn't want. He fired his management team and took a break to refine his sound. He's now 30 and released his latest album in June.
"Virtuoso" is a good opener for Nohah Kahan fans.
"White Lightning" is his latest video. Nice mellow tune. I wonder how long they had to wait to get the lightning to cooperate.
"Too Many Ways" reminds me of Harry Nilsson.
This is the title track and his most streamed song. Nice tune. He has a 70s/80s style.
Saturday at 3:30pm on the BMI stage. We've seen him twice: once opening for Briscoe at Stubb's and once solo at Luck as part of the BMI Songwriter's showcase. He just released his debut album produced by Dave Cobb. (Producer for Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall, Brandi Carlisle, etc. Huge.)
SavingCountryMusic liked it.
"Ride On" is good.
So is this.
Saturday at 3:15pm on the Tito's stage. This Australian singer was supposed to play the Tito's stage at 3pm on Sunday last year but he had to cancel. Preview here. He's honoring his commitment and is back this year.
Here are a few songs he recently released that aren't on last year's preview.
"Julia" is good stuff. For the Black Pumas fans.
"Day to Night" is good, too. Marvin Gaye sound. One of the comments under the video: "I’ve been confidently straight my whole life. Then this guy showed up."
This is the most streamed song from his latest album.
Saturday at 3:15pm. We saw this band play Luck Reunion in 2023. Preview here. I don't remember much about them.
Here are some new songs since that show.
"Louie" is from their last album.
"Time Shrinks" is a good-old stomp and holler song a la The Lumineers.
This is their lastest single. Strokes-ish.
Saturday at 2:45pm. ACL likes to book "Stranger Things" actors who are also musicians. Last year it was Joe Keery (who played Steve) as Djo. This year it's Finn Wolfhard who played Mike.
Some facts from Wikipedia:
- Finn Michael Wolfhard was born on December 23, 2002, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a family of French and German descent with Jewish heritage.
- His father, Eric Wolfhard, is a researcher on Indigenous land claims in Canada.
- Wolfhard was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for Vancouver-based rock band Calpurnia, until the band dissolved in November 2019.
- A few weeks later, it was announced that Wolfhard's new band, The Aubreys, with Calpurnia drummer Malcolm Craig, would debut on the soundtrack of his film, The Turning (2020).
- Wolfhard released his debut studio album, Happy Birthday, on June 6, 2025, via AWAL. After Stranger Things concluded later that year, Wolfhard said in an interview with Deadline Hollywood that he would shift his focus to music. His second album, Fire from the Hip, was released on July 10, 2026.
"Follow" is from his latest album. It sounds like a mix of "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens and "The Cutter" by Echo and the Bunnymen.
"Trailers After Dark" is a good mellow tune.
"Choose the Latter" is also good. Wouldn't mind checking him out.
This is his most streamed song. Nice throwback sound. A commenter mentioned Cage the Elephant. I hear a Kinks influence, too.
Saturday at 2:30pm. From Wikipedia:
Balu Brigada is a New Zealand indie rock band originally from Auckland. The act, formed in 2016 with four members, is led by multi-instrumentalist brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. They have released two extended plays—I Should Be Home (2022), and Find a Way (2023)—and the compilation Balu (2024). Their debut album, Portal, was released on 29 August 2025.
They sold out Mohawk in November. They've also played on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and opened for 21 Pilots.
"Sideways" is more indie pop.
"Backseat" has a good beat. The extended instrumental ending is pretty cool. Would be good live.
"BedHead" is their latest single. Strokes-ish.
This is their big hit. It went to #1 on the US Alternative charts. Also Strokes-ish.
Saturday at 2pm. According to Wikipedia:
Rochelle Jordan is a British-Jamaican singer raised primarily in Toronto, Canada. Her music is known for its blend of alternative R&B, dance-pop, and house.
She's 36 and has had a quite a journey to get to ACL. Following a bad record deal and complications from sickle cell anemia she took a 7 year hiatus from the industry. After that she released her second album in 2021 and her third in 2025. That album, Through the Wall was shortlisted for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize, and the song "The Boy" was longlisted for the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize.
"Doing It Too" is off that new album.
Here is a live performance on KEXP from 2022 where she plays songs off her 2nd album. Dance oriented tunes.
This is the song that was longlisted for the SOCAN Polaris Song Prize.
Saturday at 2pm on the Tito's stage. According to this article/interview:
DJ Cassandra’s experience as a musician, composer, speaker, and mentor has reached listeners across the country. Her ambitions are expanding after being the first woman to win Best DJ at the Austin Music Awards this year.
It says she grew up between London and Austin and studied composition at UT and is a classically trained pianist.
It says she's working on original music. I think this is one of them.
This is her most streamed song. Not really our thing.
Saturday at 2pm. According to their website bio:
Cure for Paranoia is the Dallas hip-hop and soul collective founded by Cameron McCloud, who was placed on medication for bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia a decade ago — and found the music worked better. A preschool teacher by day, McCloud posted a new verse every day of 2025, and those dailies became “No Brainer,” winner of NPR's 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, followed by the ten-city On The Road tour.
The Dallas Observer gave their live show this review:
While McCloud naturally commanded attention, it can’t be overstated how crucial the band was to last night’s performance. They brought every track to new heights and included several instrumental breaks to fully emphasize every moment. McCloud was quick to step aside for a trumpet or sax solo and gave each member their own moment to shine...There’s no other way to cut it: If you weren’t at Trees last night, you missed out on a night of Dallas music magic. Between the stacked bill of dynamic openers and the powerhouse performance from Cure for Paranoia, the record release show was one for the books.
"No Brainer" is the song that won them the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. The lyrics are great. Funky song, too. From NPR:
This year, we received more than 6,000 entries from independent artists across the country, but one act had undeniable star power. Among our judges, the decision to crown Cure For Paranoia was unanimous.
Here is their NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance. His speech between the 2nd and 3rd song is touching. It starts here if you want to skip ahead.
"&Pose" is good. The review of their live show says they extended the song to "10 minutes of all-out, pure, in-the-moment grooves. Everyone on stage was winded by the time they finished, and the audience exploded with applause."
This is the first song on the Tiny Desk Concert but I'll post again. More great lyrics. This may be my pick for this timeslot.
Saturday at 1:45pm on the BMI stage. She played Luck Reunion this year as part of the BMI Songwriter's showcase. Preview here. We missed her.
This article/interview provides an update since Luck. She's moving from Nashville to Los Angeles and her debut album is supposed to be released in the Fall. She's currently opening for Whitney on tour.
"Rocksteady/Heavy Metal" is her latest single.
She's playing opposite Temper City on the Miller Lite stage so noise bleed could be bad.
This was also released recently. It's her most streamed song. It's nice.
Saturday at 1:45pm. Per Wikipedia:
Temper City is an Israeli-American alternative rock band based in Los Angeles...The musical style of the first single is reminiscent of 2000s indie rock bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, and Foster the People.
It also says:
On February 15, 2026, the band released its debut single, "Self Aware," under the Thirty Knots label. The song became a viral success of unprecedented scale for Israeli artists on the international stage. It climbed to number one on the viral charts of Spotify and TikTok in 42 countries, including the United States, the UK, Israel, and Australia. Additionally, the song entered the US Billboard chart, peaking at number 60 making the band the first Israeli act to appear on that chart.
Posters on Reddit think they are an industry plant. They've only released 2 songs and no albums yet they were booked for ACL just months after releasing their first song. Hmm.
"Reverse Psychology" was released on Youtube 3 days ago.
This is their "breakout". 31M views (by real people. certainly not bots) in 6 months.
Kinda generic.
Saturday at 1:15pm. According to NPR:
Annie DiRusso is a Nashville based indie-rock artist born in NYC, who wears the influence of both of these cities on her sleeve. She blends buzzing garage rock guitars and high-energy performances with a pop-infused flair. The magic she creates in her hooks and melodies is apparent in her eight previously released singles, quickly turning casual listeners into hardcore fans.
Here's her NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
"Don't Swerve" is one of her older songs.
This is her biggest hit.
Saturday at 1pm. From Wikipedia:
Night Tapes are a British-Estonian dream pop band based in London, formed by Estonian singer Iiris Vesik and English musicians Max Doohan and Sam Richards...Night Tapes' music has been described as dream pop blended with electronic, ambient and trip hop elements, characterised by Vesik's layered vocals over minimalist drum loops and synthesisers. NME characterised their output as hypnagogic pop with shoegaze textures.
"storm" is off their most recent album. Chill ambient tune. ACL likes to start the day with these bands.
"Helix" is good. I like the drums.
This is their biggest hit to date. I like it. Right up my alley as you'd say.
Saturday at 12:45pm. I can't find much on this performer. Google AI says: "Left Lucid is the Austin-based DJ and electronic music producer alias of Lucas Ogden."
He's DJing tonight at Eberly and plays September 11th at Brushy Street Commons.
"247" is chill festival kickoff vibes.
"keeping u close" is his most streamed song on Spotify.
This is catchy.
Saturday at 12:45pm. According to Wikipedia:
Emmett Rogers Fightmaster (born 8 June 1992), known professionally as E. R. Fightmaster, is an American actor, producer, and writer. Fightmaster is known for their work on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Kai Bartley, and through their solo music project Fightmaster (stylized in all caps)...Fightmaster is a former member of The Second City's Chicago and touring companies. Their previous work includes performing with Boom Chicago, an English-language comedy troupe in Amsterdam.
We saw a segment about Boom Chicago on either CBS Sunday Morning or 60 Minutes.
They are non-binary and play a non-binary doctor on Grey's Anatomy. They've released 2 EPs and 1 full album in June. They've opened for Lucy Dacus and Lord Huron.
"Bad Man" is the most streamed song. It's good.
So is "Cowboy Tumbleweed". For the Lord Huron fans.
"All or Nothing" is the first single off the new album.
This has a Lucy Dacus feel. One description of their music I saw is "genre-bending". It fits.
I could be up for getting there early to see this.
Friday at 8:40pm. It may be tough to stay late enough to watch this but I'll try to make a case for watching some of it. First, some facts I didn't know about her. From Wikipedia:
Charlotte Emma Aitchison was born in Cambridge, England, on 2 August 1992, the only child of nurse and flight attendant Shameera and entrepreneur and talent agent Jon Aitchison. Her mother was born into a Muslim family of Gujarati Indian descent in Uganda and moved to England after they were expelled by the Idi Amin regime. Her father is Scottish.
That's the third person I've come across recently that is descended from Indian Muslims expelled from Uganda. The second was a main suspect in the book I just read "London Falling". It was the first time I learned about that diaspora. The third person is NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Her Lollapalooza show has drawn great reviews:
"Charli xcx’s Lollapalooza Set Made Me Think There Might Be a God"
"Charli xcx delivers jaw-dropping drama amid made-for-movies downpour"
I pulled the setlist and created a Spotify playlist for it. I listened to the whole thing since I don't really know her music. It was a very eclectic mix.
I really like her new album "Music, Fashion, Film" and she plays a lot from it. Her previous album "Brat" was a cultural phenomenon. It's more straight-up dance pop than her new album which incorporates rock and heavy guitar. The cover is pretty cool, too, with John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese. Music, Fashion, Film.
If she plays a similar setlist she'll start off with a few songs off her new album. It could be worth it to stick around for a bit.
"Yeah" is rocking. Cool video, too. Reminds me of Fischerspooner.
"SS26" is nice.
So is "Wink Wink"
This is the first song in the setlist. Damn good.
