Luke Combs

One Liner: Aw yeah!  Let's kick some ass with rockin' country!
Wikipedia Genre: Country
Spotify Says Similar To: Dylan Schneider and Chase Rice.  Actually, this list of similar artists is amazing, because its like someone went to casting for the OC and grabbed up all the perfect names for country heartthrobs (well, except for Schneider, maybe).  You've got "Tucker Beathard" (no, I'm not making that up) or Kane Brown and Dylan Scott and Chase Bryant and Ryan Hurd and Chris Lane and Cale Dodds and JJ Lawhorn (another winner I couldn't make up) and Cole Taylor and one female, Brooke Eden.  If those weren't all written by some screenplay writer in Nashville trying to make the new Friday Night Lights football roster, then I'll eat my shirt.
Home: Nashville

Poster Position: 20
Slot: ?

Thoughts: The kind of country singer with a guitar covered in about 14 stickers (that I can see), which include the Confederate flag, "Support Your Local Moonshiners," "Biscuits n' Porn" (not making this up), and something that says "Whiskey Jam" and has the three stars from the Tennessee flag on it.  I don't think we are going to get thinking man's country out of this large bearded man.
Honestly, you know what I hear in this?  Like a country version of Nickelback.  "One Number Away" is the song I'm in the midst of, and it literally sounds like some sort of bad late 90's/early oughts lame rock band.

"Photograph" with a slide guitar!  Get some!  But the most popular track on his Spotify feed is "Hurricane," with over 60 million freaking streams, so he's actually pretty popular.

Yeah, pretty cheesy country stuff.  He's got another one on here where he name drops all of the KICK ASS COUNTRY OUTLAWS to show his bona fides.  In a coup of mysterious naming, he called it "Can I Get an Outlaw."

Hell yeah!  Gimme an OUTLAWWWWWWW!  "If you gonna talk the talk you better walk the walk! and Brother that's the truth!"  "We don't need another purty boy singin' purty songs! Fake country boys, doing country all wrong!  Need another Haggard or a Johnny Cash, somebody chewin' bacca, and whippin' ass!"  Yes, those are real lyrics.  This is really happening.

Remember last year when the country music at the fest was amazing?  This is not the same stuff.

Would I Recommend this in the Fall?  No.

Chance the Rapper (2017)

One Liner: One of the best young rappers, making mostly exuberant, positive rap
Wikipedia Genre: Rap, hip hop
Spotify Says Similar To: Vic Mensa and Ab-Soul
Home: Chicago

Poster Position: 1
Slot: ?

Thoughts: Chance has some good stuff.  I've talked about him on multiple occasions, and I've had varied opinions about him in the past.  Here is my preview when he came to ACL in 2015, in which I liked his first mixtape but was a little unsure.  Here is my review of the first weekend show from 2015, in which I was not especially impressed.  Here is my review of the second weekend show from 2015, in which I was again not especially impressed (but saw a drug deal).  But then his new mixtape came out and I liked it despite those old feelings.  So I guess I'm conflicted on him.  Although, I have a feeling that if I really swallowed his music and was able to shout along and jump around in the crowd at the show, that would make it a bigger and better deal to see him in the fall.  Go read all of that stuff if you want some background and to hear some other songs.

Here is an old track from Acid Rap for you to listen to while I talk some more.

One problem for you, gentle reader, is that only one of his mixtapes is available on Spotify (2016's Coloring Book), so you can't go back to the cool Acid Rap that originally put him on the map in 2013.  That mixtape was one of the first things I ever discovered on DatPiff, back when I felt like I needed to own everything I listened to, before I understood the glories of streaming.  But that is one of the interesting things about Chance - he doesn't release his albums in the traditional way.  All of his music is just available to hear or download for free online, but you cannot go into your local record store and buy a copy to play in your car. Check the Amazon page for his music.  And yet he's been a massive critical success.  He won three Grammy awards for Coloring Book, which was apparently the first album to get nominated for a Grammy that was a solely streaming album.  On top of that, despite the unorthodox methods, he has made a bunch of money to go with that success.  He just recently gave Chicago's public schools a million bucks in trying to kick start a solution to the funding shortfall up there.

Anyway, if you want to hear stuff from Acid Rap, you'll either have to go download the mixtape or hit up YouTube.  Your move, buddy.

One thing that I wish about Coloring Book is that it depended less on guest verses.  He gets bars from Kanye, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, DRAM, Lil Yachty, Justin Bieber, Future, T-Pain, Jeremih, Anderson.Paak, and many others.  I wish he just stuck with himself and dropped most of that baggage off of the album - like the obvious hit on here, "No Problems," which would be significantly better without 2 Chainz on it.  And "Summer Friends" is annoying because of the Francis & the Lights portion that sounds like Bon Iver. But then a track like "How Great" comes on, and if I suppress the cynical side of myself and just relish the sound of it, even with the guests, and I actually enjoy the gospel joy of the track.  And that is the fun of this album, the joyous, bouncing, happy tracks, like "No Problems," "Angels," and "All Night."  The unfortunate tracks are plodding ones like "Juke Jam."

I've just spent two full, long days listening to nothing other than Coloring Book, and it is really good.  I'd enjoy going to this show and giving him another chance.

Tank and the Bangas

One Liner: Funky oddities that bounce between hip hop poetry and soul balladry
Wikipedia Genre: They have a Wikipedia page, but it doesn't have the usual blurb off to the side with details.  I'll go with funk and soul?
Spotify Says Similar To: Rebirth Brass Band (really??) and The Soul Rebels
Home: New Orleans

Poster Position: 18
Slot: Sunday at 11:45 am

Thoughts: The first sounds I heard on the first song were like woah.  Gimme that Missy Elliott sounding jam out right here, with "Quick," the most popular track currently sporting 82k streams on Spotify.

Hot damn.  That video went a different direction than I thought it would.  Oh damn, and now some dolt in the comments is complaining about a trigger warning.  Can we all just agree that if you go on the internet, you should be preemptively warned that disturbing shit is going to be seen or said at any time and you should beware?  And, the lady in the video dealt with the problem, like a boss.  That lady will bury your ass in garbage and then frame Bill Cosby for the murder.
Then, in a TOTALLY different vein, their most listened to track on Spotify is "Oh Heart," with 231k streams, that is like a Disney anthem with cutesy little synth and a happy sing-song delivery.

And the rest of this album is all over the place, with a lot of gentle balladry and soul going on here, nothing as hard as "Quick," which is the newest track from 2017.  But some of it is like poetry (see "WalMart" or "Human") more than rap, even if it isn't so explicitly like hip hop. From the internet, it sounds like the lead singer/rapper - Tarriona “Tank” Ball - was a spoken word poet already before the band, and I think Tarriona is a pretty kick ass name just on its own.  She's got a cool fire/gentleness combo that make this band even more interesting.

The band has a 2013 album (Think Tank) and a live album (2014's The Big Bang Theory), and most of those are more chill soul tunes than wicked rap bars.  
Oh, and the band won the Tiny Desk Concert contest, and you know I love me some Tiny Desk action.

Loogit that hipster flautist jamming in the background!  And their funky patterned buttons downs! I want to clown, but holy shit, this is real. Like one of the chilled ass tunes from Lauryn Hill that make you think in between the bangers.  This live rendition brings out the jazzy funk from the tracks in a way that you don't hear on the album version of these songs. That first track is "Boxes and Squares," and it just wraps you up in a warm hug but then demands your concentration to take in the rapid fire singing and lyrics.  

"You are like a box, Full of everything we're not, I'm tired of putting my stuff inside, My trust, my love, my hair, my shoes, You are like a square, Full of the words that's in the air, I've got a mouthful of questions, baby, You've got a box empty with my answers."

And she changes vocal tones and slides around in styles like she's 10 different ladies all making it happen together on stage.  I dig it.  Part of it, in the midst of "Quick" for example, sounds like the way Nicki Minaj changes persona in the midst of a track.  Look at the fun they are having at around 7:30 and just try to tell me that you don't smile a bit.  I want to go have fun like that with these cats!

Recommend?  Yes.

Middle Kids

One Liner: Cool Aussie three piece doing some good alt rock
Wikipedia Genre: [no Wikipedia page, but Rolling Stone Australia says "swirling indie-pop flirts and stadium rock anthem aims," which seems to me to be missing nouns and need some editing]
Spotify Says Similar To: Methyl Ethel and Cub Sport
Home: Sydney

Poster Position: 13
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  I saw this band for a few songs on a super fun Friday of tunes during the 2017 SXSW final weekend.  Their tunes are great, and I think they were even better live.  This is some clean-sounding, catchy rock from Sydney done by three people with pretty rad last names - Joy, Fitz, and Day.  How they didn't use those to create a cool band name is beyond me.  Although I guess their band name is pretty good anyway.  They've just got one EP, 2017's Middle Kids EP, and two of the tracks are a good bit more popular than the others.  First, the one that is my favorite (even if not the rest of the world's fave), "Never Start" has 1.2 million streams.

The slow start that builds into an exuberant chorus is the good stuff.  Also around 2:22, that chiming guitar that reminds me of some classic alt rock thing that I can't ID right now, also tight.  The start of "Your Love" similarly evokes something, maybe the Sundays?  That shimmering guitar wobble.  I dig it.  And their most listened to track was apparently pimped by Elton John and shot them into the spotlight.  This one is "Edge of Town" and has 7.4 million streams.

Also a good catchy rock track.  These guys should be bigger than they are, in my opinion, this is some good stuff.  I've been back through the EP about ten times today and have no interest in stopping now.  I wish they would put out some more tunes immediately!

Will I Go See Them?  Yes, plan to.

Louis the Child

One Liner: Electronic pop in the wheelhouse of the Chainsmokers
Wikipedia Genre: Electronic, future bass, pop
Spotify Says Similar To: SMLE and Mazde
Home: Chicago

Poster Position: 6
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  Huh.  A Wikipedia search for Louis the Child nets you an article about the King of East Fracia from 899 until his death in 911.  So these guys must be major history buffs regarding the Carolingian dynasty.  It sure shows in their songs, full of historical beat drops and lyrics about the outrageous partying lifestyles of the first century.  While I compared them to the Chainsmokers above, and I still think that is true, this is a more laid-back brand of electro party anthems, slowed down just a touch and less hyped up.
No true albums, just singles and an EP (2017's Love is Alive EP), with the currently most popular track one from that EP called "Slow Down Love," with 4.7 million streams.

Got that steel drum shit going, baby.  Hear that more chilled beat and style, but still the build and drop type thing?  Way more laid back but same sort of pattern to the other tunes as well.  The most listened-to track of all of them is "It's Strange" with 29.4 million streams, which is kind of more of the same.

Their bio says that they met at a Madeon concert.  Being that I have no clue what Madeon is, I think I am behind the times on figuring out who these guys are or why they exist.  In high school, their respective performance names were Haul Pass and Fatboy.  I'll give originality points to the former, even if that is something that sounds like it was made up by a 15 year old.  These tunes are not particularly bad or anything, but nothing I'd try to go see live. At least with the annoying ass Chainsmokers, you are getting hyped up and ready to jump your way into a frenzy. (and yes, by the way, I did listen to the remixes of their songs that do go for the more hyped up remixing of these tunes).  Feels like these guys are just a less exciting version.

Recommend?  Nah.

Twin Limb

One Liner: Atmospheric dream pop with lady singer and an accordion
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia article, going with Dream Pop.
Spotify Says Similar To: Springtime Carnivore and Wilderado
Home: Louisville, Kentucky

Poster Position: 21
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  These guys apparently served as Jim James opening act and backing band during his 2016 tour, which is cool.  I love that dude.  I won't say this sounds like MMJ, just an interesting factoid.  The tunes are very pretty, and sort of filmy, dreamy, soft-toned things. One real album, 2016's Haplo, but only one song overall that breaks the 200k streaming mark.  The most listened to track overall is "Don't Even Think" from the 2015 EP called Anything is Possible and Nothing Makes Sense, and has 449k streams.

There just isn't enough accordion being used in dream pop albums these days.  These guys are here for the renaissance!  I listened through the entire catalog of songs available on Spotify twice this afternoon, and you just kind of get lost in the fluff on these things.  All very pretty, but I feel like there was very little to differentiate them - no moment of me looking up from my keyboard and thinking oh, hey, what is that one?
The currently most popular track, from the new album, is "Red Sun," which has 147k streams.

Not the studio version, but you get the feel.  Accordion, drums, guitar, and a pretty glowing machine of disco lights get you all you need for that jam.  Well, and the vocals.  Yeah, I like this music, its all very pretty, but I also don't see myself going to choose these tunes at the festival unless it is time for a nap.  But I won't nap, because last year I tried that shit and some dolt kicked me in the head on their way by and was very apologetic, but still, I got kicked in the damn temple, so the apologies are kind of dumb at that point because now I'm not asleep anymore and my head hurts and some terrible band was still playing at the time. So don't nap.  Ever.

Will I Go See Them?  Probably not.

DRAM

One Liner: One hit rapper/singer who Does.Real.Ass.Music (burp, vomit)
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop, R&B, soul, trap  
Spotify Says Similar To: Madeintyo and PnB Rock
Home: Hampton, Virginia

Poster Position: 6
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  In a strange indication of just how fickle the world of streaming music can be, this guy's only hit isn't even listed in his top ten Spotify most Popular tunes.  I've just run through those top ten, which include two versions of a pretty bad MAGIC! song warning dudes about those foxy girls at Coachella, and some other generically bad songs, but none of them have nearly the plays as the hit, the juggernaut, the 354 million streaming "Broccoli."

If this song makes you think of SuperDuperKyle's iSpy (another artist on the 6th line of this poster), its because they do sound remarkably similar and both feature this idiot Lil Yachty guy.  But whatever, this is a fun song.  I reviewed this album a few months ago, and my opinion hasn't changed much since then.  When the guy is rapping, he's pretty enjoyable. When he's just singing, I could do without it.  Here is my favorite track from the album, "Cash Machine," with 40.6 million streams.

"I used to get the coldest shoulder, now I get the hottest ass, how I feel 'bout you is lukewarm, it burns you up 'cause I got all this cash."  Just a happy ass song, and that video is even happier, spreading his tie-dye cash all over the block and taking care of his momma. Oooh, but here is the true test, how does he look at the Tiny Desk?  TINY DESK!!!

That damn smile is magnetic.  How can you not feel good when you are watching that dude do his thing?  And his voice is damn pretty, I mean, those middle songs of him just doing some old school soul sounding shit were really nice.  Oh, shit, and beef!  Look at what the NPR reporting for that video explains: 

Making a hit record in the music industry is extremely difficult, and in 2015, D.R.A.M.'s debut single "Cha Cha" was on the brink of exploding. It was getting played in clubs across the country and bubbling on the charts; the Beyhive even got a hold of it. Then Drake's "Hotline Bling" happened. The reports are conflicting as to the inspiration for the record, but there are glaring similarities in the sound of each. "Hotline Bling" was even originally billed as the "Cha Cha" remix by Beats 1, where the song made its debut. Needless to say, "Hotline Bling" practically swallowed "Cha Cha," but D.R.A.M. didn't whine about it. He addressed it and went back to the drawing board, crafting another smash. "Broccoli" became one of 2016's biggest hits while setting up the release of his debut album, Big Baby D.R.A.M.

Man, screw you, stupid Drake.  Oh, shit, and it really does have a similar thing going on! With that jenky Casio beat and bass and, oooh, I like the Super Mario effects in here too. Check it.

Man, and Drake came out with comments that were like - yeah, I stole your shit, so what? Other people have rapped over similar beats before - Jerkface.  That's it.  DRAM is mow my favorite artist of all time and I'm going to ride or die for him just because it will totally hurt Drake's feelings.  Right?  No?  Oh, wait, it just dawned on me that at the top of this, I had just said that his most popular track sounds like "iSpy" from Kyle!  Someone tried to bite his style again!  DRAM is the man and no one can ever keep him down!  Everyone get off his TIP!

Will I Go See Him in the Fall?  Probably not, even though he is the greatest artist ever of all time, especially better than Drake, but maybe just because he is the best.

Russ

One Liner: More of that Drake-biting sing-song rap
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop and R&B
Spotify Says Similar To: Phora and 6lack
Home: Roswell, GA

Poster Position: 6
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  Seriously, the sixth line?  Who the hell is this guy?  Apparently the full name is Russ Vitale, and he does that sing-song rap stuff like Drake or Trey Songz or whatever. From his playcount, it looks like he is pretty popular, even though I don't get it.  Top song for streams on Spotify is "What They Want," with 105 million streams.

Look at that masterful man bun.  The first thing I thought of when I heard this guy is that terrible Post Malone dude who did the "White Iverson" song.  This is not my thing.  This guy should be down on the 22nd line of the poster.  Maybe some tracks on the new album (2017's There's Really a Wolf) are better, like "Don't Lie," but you are still going to have to suffer through a 20 song slog to get there on this bloated thing.  And stuff like "One More Shot" is terrible.  He's had several other albums (probably mix tapes), 2014's Silence, 2014's Brain Dead, 2014's Pink Elephant, and 2013's Straight from Limbo, but none of those have tracks in his top ten on Spotify.  His second most listened-to track on Spotify is "Losin Control," with 70.9 million streams.

I guess there is a big audience for this kind of confessional singing rap junk?  It ain't me, I know that much.  No thanks.

Recommend? No.

First Aid Kit (2017)

One Liner: Some of the finest folk harmonies in the world, Americana via Sweden.
Wikipedia Genre: Folk, indie folk, Americana, Country folk 
Spotify Says Similar To: Anna Ternheim and The Tallest Man on Earth
Home: Stockholm, Sweden

Poster Position: 5
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  No new music (as of right now) since I last reviewed the band, so you might as well just go read my review of them from back then.  Although, it is probably also appropriate to read my review of seeing them play Stubb's a year or two ago, which was less than glowing.  Look, man, I wanted to love them so very much.  I wanted them to wrap me up in their wolf pelts and funky patterned dresses and take me to the land of 70's a.m. gold in their soft, pale arms.  I rated their 2014 album as my favorite damn album of the year!  But, man, that show was not a good one to me.  I'll say that I am hopeful for this one, and have just about talked myself into going back to see them again.

They recently put out a new single that is NOTHING like their old chilled stuff, all fire and anger and harsh guitars, called "You Are The Problem Here," that is all like "GODDAMMIT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH" and quit touching women or I'm going to break this guitar neck off and shove it up your entitled male ass.  Seriously, I'm not joking.  Several times in the song they sing "I hope you fucking suffer!"

They are absolutely not fucking around any more.  Which is a strange departure from the regular, but hey, I get it, sexual assaulters are dickheads who should suffer.  I'm on board. But as for the quality of music, they should stick the the beautiful folky harmonies and not the power chord anger jams.

Will I Go See Them?  More than likely, yes, I'm a sucker for their beauty.

Royal Blood (2017) [EDIT]

One Liner: The best new rock band in the past several years.
Wikipedia Genre: Hard rock, blues rock, garage rock, stoner rock, psychedelic rock, heavy metal 
Spotify Says Similar To: Queens of the Stone Age and Kings of Leon
Home: Brighton, England

Poster Position: 6
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  I can't say enough about how excellent these dudes are.  I pimped them hard when they came to the festival in 2015.  I went and saw their show at that festival and it was perfection - heavy, crisp, crowded, fun, visceral.  Everything I want to hear in some heavy rock.  I thought they would have their new album out by now, but so far Spotify just has two new singles available, so I'm going to have to come back to this post later.  For now, click on the link above and go check out my last review, because it talked all about the one album they have, and I'll be back once they release the new stuff.  Oh, and I just re-listened to the old album, and it is still gold.

Actually, they already have a video for one of the new songs, the hit of the two, with 6.3 million streams already.  Here is "Lights Out."

That video is weird, but the song keeps them right in line with the good shit from their first album.  I still can't believe that all of that sound is made solely by a set of drums and a four string bass guitar. Makes me re-think exactly what a bass can do in the world.  I don't think I ever really understood that a bassist could go that high up on the neck and change the sound into guitar-esque stuff.  Damn, man, I already can't wait to see these guys again.

[EDIT 6/19/17] The new album is now out, and it is just as good as I expected.  A few new sounds, but they are tiny flourishes, like the falsetto "hoo hoo!" background notes in album opener "How Did We Get So Dark," but the basic crunchy, deep sound is still the same. "She's Creeping" has more of the Muse sound that they've been heading for, with a slinky funky bass thing going on for the chorus.  "Lights Out" is still the gem of the set, but "Where Are You Now," Hook Line & Sinker," and "Sleep" are also fine tracks.  More good stuff.

Recommend?  Absolutely.

Skip Marley

One Liner: Grandson of Bob Marley, doing a pretty solid job of holding up the mantle
Wikipedia Genre: Reggae
Spotify Says Similar To: Andrew Tosh and Jo Mersa Merley
Home: Kingston, Jamaica

Poster Position: 14
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  I know about some of the Marley progeny, like Ziggy and Damian, but I hadn't heard anything about Skip until the Grammy's this year when Katy Perry's (freaking terrible) "Chained by the Rhythm" performance involved someone firing off a few reggae bars as she danced around a little white house.  Well, that guy was Skip.  
He doesn't have a full-length album yet, just three real songs available on Spotify (and two remixes), and they show an interesting shift from the traditionalist reggae.  And because I have listened to some Bob Marley and Toots & the Maytals, I am a preeminent scholar on traditional reggae.
The first is pretty traditional reggae track, with admittedly more of an electronic instrumentation, but a normal reggae beat and rhythm, and a message of peace about how we should all just chill.  2.3 million streams for "Calm Down."

That is a good track.  And then the second one, while it starts with a guitar intro, it then goes into an almost EDM electro rise, before a more traditional reggae beat kicks in, and then it goes back to the EDM sound for the chorus.  This is "Lions," with 6.6 million streams.

I like the first one better than that one, but I'm also not that big into the EDM thing, so give me traditional reggae any day.  And then the last of the three songs is called "Cry to Me," and only has 727k streams, but it sounds even more traditional than either of those others, just with some electronic drum and click stuff.

Good groove in that one.  And I suppose that it could be recreated live, with a real drummer trying to replicate the machines.  But I guess he can be just like other ACL "bands" who just break out their Macbook and let it rip while they sing along.  I guess we'll see.  In fact, the more I think about it, this feels more like a rap album, with hip hop beats, with a reggae singer instead of a rapper doing the vocal.  I'd be kind of interesting in seeing him, but it would only be if nothing else interesting was going on.

Recommend? Yes, but I kind of doubt I'll go see him.

Pumarosa

One Liner: Indie rock that, at its best reminds me of the good Radiohead, but can also annoy with affected vocals.
Wikipedia Genre: [no Wikipedia, I'll go with Indie Rock]
Spotify Says Similar To: Palace Winter and The Big Moon
Home: London, England

Poster Position: 18
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  No Spotify bio, no Wikipedia entry, and a couple of interviews, but not a bunch else.  The music is pretty good, but the lead singer's overly affected voice gets tiresome after an entire album.  She reminds me of someone, but I can't come up with it.  I wanted to say Siouxsie, but I don't think that is right.  One album, 2017's The Witch, of kind of ominous-sounding indie rock and roll music.  The easy hit, with over 3x the next most listened to track, is "Priestess," with 1.4 million streams.

Yeah, I like that track, pretty simple but it had me bobbing along to the tunes.  I especially liked the breakdown after about 4:20, that kind of lets loose into a contained frenzy for a bit before reining itself back in for the comedown.  That song, like the others on this disc, does not mess around with limiting itself via length.  That one clocks in at 7:30, and the all but one track on the album is over 4 minutes, with more than a third over 6 minutes.  The second most listened to track is called "Honey," with 413k streams.

You know what, I take back my earlier criticism (although I'm going to leave it there anyway), that song sounds freaking great.  The tune itself is cool but still rocking, and the vocals click perfectly in there.  These tunes, especially one called "The Witch," remind me of back when Radiohead was good.  I think that overall, I like these guys.

Would I go see them?  Probably so, I should.

Tove Lo

One Liner: That "Stay High All The Time" electropop girl
Wikipedia Genre: Electropop
Spotify Says Similar To: Zara Larsson and Lorde
Home: Stockholm, Sweden

Poster Position: 4
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  I reviewed her 2014 album Queen of the Clouds a few years back and liked parts but found the album overall pretty forgettable.  I'm going to steal a part of that old review to mention how disturbing her big hit is.

"Habits" is kind of disturbing - its a song about getting high all the time to keep from missing her honey, she's generally singing about doing sad and gross things because she's alone, including: "Pick up daddies at the playground, how I spend my day time, loosen up their frown, make 'em feel alive, make it fast and greasy, I'm numb and way too easy, you're gone and I got to stay High, all the time, to keep you off my mind."  Wow.  And the video is also a super depressing trip through her sad party time life.

Those lyrics are still disturbingly arousing to me.  Oh wait, did I say arousing?  I mean, uhhh...  The song is now up to almost 475 million streams on Spotify (when combining the original and remix).  Here is the video, with 232 million views on its own.

So depressing and dark!  But don't it just make you wanna dance!  Since that 2014 album, she more recently put out the unfortunately named Lady Wood in 2016.  The hit from that album is "Cool Girl," which clocks in at 222 million streams.

Nope.  That is terrible.  "Imma cool girl.  Imma imma cool girl.  Ice cold, I roll my eyes at you boy."  This is like some Avril Lavigne in 2004 crap here, just with electro beats instead of rawkin' sk8tr guitars.  Ugh.  If that song stays in my mind (which it was likely scientifically created to do) I am going to be pissed.  I gave the rest of the newer album a shot, and it likewise is not good.  Pop dance stuff with super repetitive choruses (chori?  chorusi?).  No thanks.  The fact that this is poster position 4 means that I am either out of touch with the world or the poster maker was high all the time and boning old greasy dudes in playgrounds.

Will I go see her?  No thanks.

Run the Jewels (2017)

One Liner: Top notch, killer rap
Wikipedia Genre: Hip hop, alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop
Spotify Says Similar To: Injury Reserve and Danger Doom
Home: Brooklyn and Atlanta

Poster Position: 2
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  Honestly, you should just go back to my review of them for the 2015 Festival, because I did a pretty in depth review of them at the time.  Seriously go back to that, read it, and then watch that video for "Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k)," because it still rules. Since I wrote that post, that song has gone from 6 million streams up to 21.3 million, so they are doing pretty well.


Also since that review, they've released the excellent RTJ3 album in 2016, which continues the same thing: rough and rugged, very bass heavy beats; dense, thick, tricky-to-track-in-real-time lyrics; and a strong desire to push buttons and say what needs to be said.  This first video I want to show you isn't even their song, but they are the vocals for it and the video itself is freaking fantastic.  DJ Shadow's "Nobody Speak."

Laid back ass beat with those two just talking all kinds of shit over the top.  And the video is such a good idea, the visuals of that are fantastic.  So awesome all over again.

As for the new album, you can read my prior review of it here from when it was dropped right around Christmas as a surprise album.  I still love it.  The top song on it now is "Legend Has It," with 9.7 million streams.

So good.  And honestly, the power of that song came home to roost for me once I watched these two dudes kill the NPR Tiny Desk concert.  Hearing them spit this stuff in front of a room full of public radio news nerds is amazing, but it also allows you a little more time and ability to parse and hear their lyrics to understand them.

When they last played the Festival a few years ago, HOLY SHIT they were loud.  I mean, if I thought their bass was up high here in my office today while re-listening to the new album a few times, their bass that day was up to freaking 12.  And on top of that, if you are worried about your kids hearing bad language, you should definitely go hang at the Austin Kiddie Limits tent during this time, because these dudes wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Lady Bird.  I'm on it again.

Recommended?  YES. 

And by the way, to the extent you've never listened, go to their Spotify page and listen to Meow the Jewels, a weird as shit re-interpretation of the RTJ2 album using cat sounds instead of the normal beats.  My favorite thing is the use of purring as bass.  Classic.

Cody Jinks

One Liner: Outlaw country guy from Denton
Wikipedia Genre: Thrash metal, Country, Outlaw Country 
Spotify Says Similar To: William Clark Green and Josh Ward
Home: Denton, Texas

Poster Position: 9
Slot: ?

Thoughts: Huh.  I was just talking to someone the other day and saying that the ACL folks apparently got all of their country love out in one big splurge last year, since nothing on this lineup is anywhere near the Stapleton/Musgraves/Willie super day from last year.  Well, I obviously didn't know about this dude, who is some gravelly country darkness right here. His Spotify bio says that he fronted a Fort Worth-based thrash metal outfit called Unchecked Aggression before going back to his country roots.  That is a pretty weird career path.  I just went to check out that band, and I think he made a good choice to leave it behind in favor of this new thing.  Only one song with more than 2k streams ("Smell of Blood") which sounds like some dudes trying to combine Metallica with Pantera in their grandma's basement.

But this is pretty traditional country, bending toward an outlaw country sound at times, but not any of the new Nashville BS country stuff, with all the raditude and platitudes.  Five albums, with 2010's Less Wise sounding more like a small-time, DIY, Americana album that would be played on KHYI and KOKE on rotation (especially "Hippies and Cowboys") but the two more recent albums (Adobe Sessions from 2015 and I'm Not the Devil from 2016) are the better crafted, but still rough hewn, albums of "new" traditional country sounds.  Think Stapleton or Jamey Johnson.  His most popular track, by almost 2x, is from that Adobe Sessions album, called "Loud and Heavy," and has 5.2 million streams.

That voice reminds me of one of the Nashville guys, but I don't know their music well enough to be able to recall what his name is.  HIs most recent song on Spotify is a single re-make of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" that snags a page out of the Sturgill Simpson playbook to cover a popular, older, non-country track but give it the heavy steel guitar and husky-voiced treatment.

I like it, although I dig that song so its a pretty easy win to get me on board with that one. Some of these tunes feel a bit cheesy, but then I got to "David," and was reminded of some of the best Texas country songs that make you sad with a good old fashioned lament.  That one kind of reminded me of "Lydia" from Slaid Cleaves, a definite favorite for me.  That one is good stuff.  I'm finding the same feeling on a lot of these songs as well. I just got caught up in the guitar solo of "Cast No Stones," from the Adobe Sessions album, which got me all caught up and ready to bite my bottom lip for some air guitar pickage.  That song is his second most listened-to track on Spotify, at 2.9 million.

Now, if you aren't into that new-classic country sound that these kinds of guys are trying to create, then this stuff won't be for you, but I like it.  Although I definitely think the two newer albums are much better than the older stuff (2013's Blacksheep, 2012's 30, or 2010's Less Wise).  Go check out the Adobe Sessions disc and thank me later.

Will I go See Him Though?  Yeah, I think I will.

BadBadNotGood

One Liner: Jazz funk Canadian dudes with a hip hop style
Wikipedia Genre: Post-bop, instrumental hip hop, jazz, free improvisation, electronica 
Spotify Says Similar To: Shabazz Palaces and Flying Lotus
Home: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Poster Position: 9
Slot: ?

Thoughts: So, I'd listened to these dudes before because they played the tunes behind one of Ghostface Killah's albums a few years ago (the solid Sour Soul, with the hot track "Ray Gun"), but I never really dove down into the rest of their tunes after that experience.  I guess the thing for most of these tunes is that it is a pretty chilled, organic hip hop beat style.  I'll give you their most listened to track as an example of just that, this is "Hedron," which has 5.3 million streams on Spotify.

You can imagine someone laying down a rap over the top of that for sure.  Most of the top tracks on their Spotify are ones with either a rapper or singer doing something along with it, so I almost wonder if they will be bringing someone along with them for this show, or just going it alone with instrumentals.  I have a feeling it would be the former, as a show of just the chilled instrumentals would probably not be all that fun in the festival format.  But Spotify has a 2017 Spotify Live album, apparently recorded at SXSW in Austin, and it is solely instrumental tunes, so maybe they really will try to get by with just hip hop grooves and jazzy sax as their only vocali-ish sound?  To that I say nah.  They've got a handful of albums, according to their Bio, but only III, Sour Soul, and IV show up on Spotify, so I can't tell you what their first two albums were like.  Here is the most popular track off of that Sour Soul album, the title track, which has 2.8 million streams.

Now, if these guys were going to show up with Ghostface in tow and let him go to town over all of their songs, then I'd be highly interested in seeing that stuff.  But if it is all going to just be jazzy instrumentals, I think I'll be cool seeing something else.  I mean, these tracks are well executed and all of that, but I just don't see an entire show of instrumental jazz holding my interest with so much other good stuff going on.  But get A$AP Ferg over there to freestyle over these songs, and I'm in.

Will I go Watch Them?  Probably not.

Rufus du Sol

One Liner: Good dance house tunes from Sydney
Wikipedia Genre: Indie dance, alternative dance, house
Spotify Says Similar To: Hayden James and Louis the Child
Home: Sydney, Australia

Poster Position: 5
Slot: ?

Thoughts: Wikipedia says that they are known as RUFUS, but in North America they are known as Rufus du Sol.  Which seems weird.  Why would they use different names in different parts of the world.  I'm blaming Trump.  This is three guys making house music to dance to, not the more recently-big EDM sounding stuff, more like the fun house that was big before the Skrillexes and DeadMau5es of the world took over.  They've won a few Australian music awards, including a "Best Dance Release" ARIA in 2015, for their most popular song, "You Were Right."

Pretty good tune.  Here is the thing that confuses me - their Spotify bio says that they were formed in 2010 "when a rain-soaked vacation to Byron Bay turned into an impromptu jam session."  How do electronic artists enter into an impromptu jam session?  Was everyone sitting around with their macbooks on their lap, reading their twitter feeds, when suddenly one of them turned on a sick beat, the other starting throwing in some tight hand claps, and the third one sang a few insane bars about love and peace and the relativity of time?  I can see some guitar nerds having a jam sesh, but I'm not sure I can imagine it with machine music.

Two albums from these guys, 2013's Atlas and 2016's Bloom.  The majority of their top songs come from the new album, with just three off of the older album up in their top ten on Spotify.  That earlier one ("You Were Right") is by far their most popular, with 26.2 million streams, and their next most listened to comes from that first album, "Sundream" racked up 14.9 million streams.

I don't know why the word that comes to mind for this song is "smart."  Something about the tune and clean tone of the music makes me think this is smart music.  Weird thing to think, but there you go.  Watching that video though reminded me of being a kid and watching scrambled Cinemax in the hope of catching a little slice of boob through the scrambled picture.  If only that kaleidoscope was a little closer...  In listening through the newer album, I keep getting snatches of Chris Martin/Coldplay in the singing, even if the music is nothing like traditional Coldplay music.  I like these tunes.  Normally, I wouldn't say that I would go after dance music or electronica, but I've enjoyed listening to these albums for the past day. I guess I like "house" more than "EDM."

Will I go see them in the fall?  Probably not, but seems like it would be fun.

Ice Cube [EDIT]

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.