 "Photo: Drew Smith")
FRIDAY
Asleep at the Wheel
To tell someone Asleep at the Wheel plays Western swing is misleading, since people usually think of crazy kids in the 1940s dancing to big brass numbers. While Western swing is still about crazy kids and dancing, it is actually a fusion of country music with jazz, blues and pop. This rousing but not overwhelming style of music is the perfect start to any Austinite's ACL experience, especially when played by masters such as Asleep at the Wheel. Jam a little, sing along to a few covers, and learn to embrace a new style of swing music that involves cowboy hats galore.
Pete Yorn
By this time in September, the temperature will be nearly unbearable. The mellow music of Pete Yorn is the perfect complement to a nice, cold water bottle - mellow and relaxing. Pete Yorn knows how to mix rock 'n' roll sensibilities with yearning, folksy lyrics. Don't judge Yorn by his cover - this pretty boy is a musical talent, writing and playing nearly all of the instruments on every song.
- Vanessa Orr
SATURDAY
Kevin Devine
Directly after Conor Oberst and Brand New's Jesse Lacey, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Kevin Devine is this country's foremost whiny, melancholy folk-but-not-quite-folky-enough-to-be-labeled-folk performer. Upon recording "Noose Dressed Like a Necklace" back in 2003, Kevin Devine became a premier conveyor for the mood of his politically discontent nation.
"My songs stem from an emotional dissatisfaction," Devine told the Texan during South by Southwest '06. "It's that feeling of 'Dude, what the fuck?'"
Split the Country, Split the Streets was an angry and stirring protest record but also a textbook illustration of gentle songwriting exemplified on numbers like the climaxing, defiant "Cotton Crush." The Triple Crown Records release crowned him as an indie king, and the big leagues came knocking.
"I don't write abstract expressionist German techno, so hopefully Capitol finds something to work with," said Devine. "But so many strange things would have to happen for me to be famous that I can't even really think about it."
Sound Team
Speaking of Capitol Records, Austin indie heavyweight Sound Team landed on the big-shot label's roster after the successive release of two bad-to-the-bone independent works. Unfortunately, last year's Movie Monster went nowhere commercially and Capitol quickly cut their losses.
I promise I'm done name-checking Capitol. Anyway, the band has survived, landing an ACL gig on respect alone.
Sound Team will be back.
Arcade Fire
Yeah, everyone knows Arcade Fire. These Canucks are basically the biggest, best band around: the most important college rock outfit since R.E.M. Political, Neon Bible-toting messiahs. They boast the best live show in the business this side of Prince.
Problem is, the other best band in the world, the White Stripes, will be performing at the opposite end of Zilker Park at the exact same time. How can I be in two places at once? This is a tired sitcom premise that never ends well.
Here's the solution: Peep the Fire during ACL, catch the Stripes Sunday night at their official Stubb's aftershow. Of course, this solution assumes you're savvy enough to figure out when tickets go on sale and wake up early enough to ensure entry, as they'll go faster than Ramadan.
- Ramon Ramirez
SUNDAY
The National
Their new album, Boxer, has been earning rave reviews across the board, quickly becoming that sleeper hit of the summer. Combining the baroque pop vocals of Morrissey and contemporary Jens Lekman with sleepy, sprawling arrangements, the National will be hard-pressed to replicate their sound at the festival.
Charlie Musselwhite
Clarksdale, Mississippi native Charlie Musselwhite has been blowing blues harp since the mid 1960s. A contemporary of Brits John Mayall and Paul Butterfield, he is a purist from the Chicago school of harmonica. Having played on albums by everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Tom Waits, Musselwhite is a legend in his own right.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
New Orleans' most sacred musical traditions are in good hands, thanks in no small part to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The last couple of years have found a renewed interest in the music of the Big Easy, but these guys have been playing Dixieland for decades. Woody Allen would trade a few Oscars for a shot to play jazz like these guys, and they are true treasures of American music.
- Zach Ernst
Be the first to comment on this article!