The Official ACL Blog for like Eight People!
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One Liner: Feels like the future mega-star act of the year
Wikipedia Genre: Synth pop, dark pop
Home: Willard, Missouri
Poster Position: 4 Both Weekends. Sunday at 6:45.
AmEx Stage.
Thoughts: [edit] - as expected, this is going to be a massive show, so they moved her from the early Saturday slot to a late Sunday slot. Which was met with a lot of anger on the socials from the folks who had already bought Saturday tickets just to get to see her, and now are stuck with DUAL IPA and CAAMP instead of their beloved pink pony party. So, this is Sunday night now!
Fascinating. I had never heard of her in my life, but literally this morning this e-mail for parents that pops into my e-mail inbox here and there talked about her. And there she is on the poster. Here is what the newsletter had to say: "Chappell (pronounced “Chapel”) Roan, self-proclaimed as “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” is having an extremely successful year. Roan’s popularity really took off when she began opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS World Tour.” She’s maybe most famous for her drag queen-inspired look, as well as how explicitly gay her lyrics are. While the drag makeup might be a costume of sorts, part of the draw of artists like Chappell Roan is their unapologetic authenticity and the way they use their on-stage personas to express their “true selves.” Teens in particular love the eclectic artist, with her song “HOT TO GO!” and its associated dance being a TikTok staple." Well, there you go!
My personal first impression is of a super poppy Kate Bush or like a fun time Lana Del Rey who isn't so depressed all the time. Just one album - 2023's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. But her brand new single is her most streamed by a good bit. "Good Luck, Babe!" has 179.7 million streams.
"Last Christmas" vibes there are the tip. A little shrill, but I also kinda dig it, and the lyrics are pain in an 80's roller rink package.
Oh, hey, a tiny desk! She's big time!
How does she make so much sound without opening her mouth. I am actually struck and stopped to watch her sing that first song. Goddamn. Some gay Taylor Swift thing going on there with those lyrics. I wonder if the real drag folks get mad that she is co-opting their look? I wonder if she would have the excitement if she just looked normal? I mean, I think her voice is great and her lyrics are super good, but I just wonder.
Real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz and she is originally from a small town outside of Springfield, Missouri. The stage name Chappell Roan is in honor of her grandfather Dennis K. Chappell, and his favorite song "The Strawberry Roan" by Curley Fletcher. Never heard of Curley Fletcher - hold please - nope, not on Spotify. But a version of that song by Marty Robbins is out there. Pretty solid. Good pick grandpa! She apparently lived in a real deal trailer park and was raised very conservative and Christian. She started playing piano and auditioned for America's Got Talent without success, but then she started uploading covers to YouTube and getting label attention.
"Red Wine Supernova" has some pretty explicitly sexy lyrics too. "Femininomenon" has a little Ke$ha to it. "Pink Pony Club" is silly fun too. Wikipedia claims that was one of her first singles, which helped her get attention, but Spotify doesn't have an old version it just has one from 2022. Hmmm. "My Kink is Karma" has Taylor Swift vibes with a set of story lyrics and that move of pausing the music to let her spout some words for a sec. That "Red Wine Supernova" one is the second-biggest streamer with 112 million streams.
She's kind of won me over here. I'm not much for the pop stuff or the poptimism movement, but I really think her energy and lyrics make her something special. I have this feeling that she will be the insane stage pileup of the weekend, like Lizzo a few years back or the Lumineers years ago. I'd go check it out if the timing works.
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, psych rock funk stuff they borrowed
Home: Columbia
Poster Position: 15 Both Weekends Saturday at 3:05.
Tito's Tent.
Thoughts: Hold on, man. You're doing a Khruangbin copy on the same day as Khruangbin? What are we doing here? For real. I've been going for an hour or so and this is just poor mans Khruangbin and similarly difficult to spell. Is this a gathering of the Khrungalos?
They are Columbian and claim to fuse elements of "Middle Eastern Music, Disco, House, Funk, Psychedelia, Indie Rock, Surf and Cumbia into a cohesive whole." It is cool sounding, but not sure how they get to just copy one of the headliners on their day and not get punched in the mouth. The formed during the pandemic and have started churning out music, but I can't really find just a ton about them.
Three albums - 2020's MACROCOSM, 2022's Cause & Effect, and 2023's Third Vibration. Top streamer is off of that first disc - "Johanna's Dream" with 3.1 million streams.
I mean, yeah. That is cool. Just seems really weird to have this sound done by another band right now. I know it shouldn't - lots of rock bands sound similar, punk bands, rappers, pop stars, whatever. But this vibe just feels singular right now and so it seems weird to hear a copycat. Second most streamed is from a 2021 EP called Eclipse Solar, and the name of the song is "Eclipse" with 1.4 million streams.
Now we go a little more modern disco boogie on that one. Not as good, in my opinion. 1k views of that video and zero comments? That seems really odd. Whatever. Also, it just, like, ends. Ah, that is because on the EP it transitions right into the next tune.
Sincerely doubt I would go watch this. It is not bad, by any means. Don't get me wrong. Just feels wrong for it to even exist for me.
One Liner: Nigerian DJ funking it up with his Afrobeats
Wikipedia Genre: Afro-pop, hip hop, R&B, EDM
Home: Lagos State, Nigeria
Poster Position: 12 Both Weekends. Saturday at 3:20.
IHG Stage.
Thoughts: DEEEEJAAAAAY SPINNNAAAAAAAAWWWWW!! According to his Spotify bio, he is one of Africa's most recognizable and successful DJs. It also says this, which I had to read a few times to comprehend: "Spinall's signature style moniker, a traditional Yoruba cap, fostered the AKA "TheCAP" which also doubles as an acronym for "The Crazy Ass Party," a common reference used by fans after their experiences at Spinall's events." This is one of those things that would likely be fun in person, but gets repetitive and exhausting in your office.
Oluseye Desmond Sodamola is from Nigeria and claims to be the first Nigerian DJ to have played Coachella and Glastonbury. He has a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Olabisi Onabanjo University, but he worked as a DJ at Raypower 100.5 FM and started working on his DJ skillz. In addition to Spinall, he also goes by Top Boy, which is repeated in just about every song in his catalog. His first single was released in 2014, in collaboration with Burna Boy, and many of his hits since then are collaborations with other people I have also never heard of like Kizz Daniel and Mr Eazi.
Prolific album releaser - 2015's My Story: The Album, 2016's TEN, 2017's DREAMS, 2018's Iyanu, 2020's Grace, 2023's TOP BOY, and many singles in between. The most popular track is from that 2020 disc - "Sere" features Fireboy DML and boasts 58.2 million streams.
Fun stuff. Got that African flair and a groovy beat to it - can't you just imagine getting your groove on in the park to that one? Third biggest streamer is a remix of that song, which is on the newest album, but the second biggest is a track from the new album called "Palazzo," with 26.8 million streams. This has someone named Asake helping him.No clue what the hell he is saying, and honestly not nearly as fun as that other track as far as the danceability goes, but I get the groove. it is really weird how some words are English, like how randomly it says "she say she like cucumber" in the midst of that other language. Is that a dick joke, TOP BOY!?!? Then this: "2 girls for my middle, which one I go lock, and as a badboy I'm single, 20 girls I go lock." it's like the old school Nintendo games where the Japanese to English translation was totally whack.
Whatever. I bet this will be a fun show, even though I sort of doubt I would go to it. I say that, and then remember that this is Saturday, where just about nothing interests me, so who knows. You may see me up front screaming about how she say she like cucumber. CUCUMBER YALL!!!
One Liner: Excellent alt-country band from Muscle Shoals (but fronted by a soul singer)
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but alt country, americana, alt rock, indie
Home: Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Poster Position: 19 Weekend Two Only. Saturday at 12:40.
Honda Stage.
Thoughts: Well, that is sort of annoying. I did a full review of the Pollies - see below - without noticing that the plus sign between Billy Allen and The Pollies, on the lineup poster, is bolded. Every artist is separated by a plus sign! That is not great when you are then using a plus sign to denote that two artists are joined together! Whatever. So, Billy met the lead singer of the Pollies years ago at a bar, they struck up a friendship and partnership, and so they're doing this thing together now. Only 5 songs available to stream on Spotify, and one of them is the very clear winner of the streaming battle. "People, Turn Around" with 640k streams.
Strong voice and sounds good, but if I am being honest I really liked what I heard from the Pollies on their own! See that below.
Like a young and raw Ryan Adams fronting a young and raw Drive By Truckers. Has some Wilco strains here and there too, a little Turnpike Troubadours. After running through their stuff a few times, this feels like the kind of band I would keep around. Nothing terribly flashy going on, but just consistently solid rock and roll and lyrics.
Not a lot of albums, even though they have been around a lot longer than many of the other bands on this poster. 2012's Where the Lies Begin, 2015's Not Here, 2018's Transmissions, and 2020's From the Guest Bedroom. That last one, as you can probably guess, is a pandemic album. Ends up being really fun, because it includes a number of cover songs that are left-field picks. Like you're bopping along listening to a nice little Americana tune, and then Nirvana's "On a Plain" or Billy Idol's "Eyes Without a Face" or Prince's "Cream" pops up and piques the interest. I like it. Neil Young's "Unknown Legend" is on here too, and is their most popular tune on Spotify right now - they nail it.
The first disc is definitely more a country/alt-country sound. The second album has their most popular tune by a long ways - "Jackson" - has 200k streams.
Good one, but not as good as some other tunes in here. It must have gotten picked up on a playlist or something. A little jammy at the end. "Lost" is also on that album, and has 52k streams for second place. The third album's top track is "Hold on My Heart," with 32k.
This album has an all around good sound - a little cleaner and better produced maybe. Apparently, according to one article, someone in the band was also in Alabama Shakes - Ben Tanner, who used to be on keyboards. Now they have a different dude. Also on this album, the ending groove in "Summertime Suicide" made me look up from what I was doing and kind of bop along to it. This is really enjoyable stuff. Hard to believe a band this good is so entirely ignored... I'd go see it live for sure.
I don't know why I had never done this before, but I decided to just attack Friday and make my way through that one day this year before handling the other days. I like it. Well, that isn't totally true - no Stapleton yet, I wanted to spend more time on him and put his up near the end - but everyone else is done until they start adding and removing people. I thought I'd make a little post to highlight a few of the best things I have discovered, or repeat the love for something I may have heard before, to help you locate the best stuff. Let's go!
Excellent things that I already know about:
Leon Bridges
Norah Jones
Catfish and the Bottlemen
Katie Pruitt
Surprisingly Enjoyable Things That I Never Knew Before:
Stephen Sanchez. Classic crooner sound.
Santigold. Indie dance that leans into rock. Completely different from what I expected.
Royel Otis. New wave rock meets indie pop.
Eggy. Jam band. I'm sorry.
Sir Chloe. Catchy alternative rock.
Theo Lawrence. French dude making classic country. Yeah. I know.
That Mexican OT. Pretty fun Houston rap.
Also, for my own curiosity, I counted 11 repeat artists on this day - folks who have played ACL before. Out of 43 artists on this day. So, a little more than a quarter of the people playing Friday are retread things. Which isn't all bad! I'd see Stapleton every year! But still, just interesting.
Just got an e-mail saying they are out. Probably because of the pure slander of putting them on at 2 in the afternoon. Either way, Jack Sad.
One Liner: Kick ass rock and roll like if Arctic Monkeys stayed good
Wikipedia Genre: alternative rock, indie rock, post-punk revival
Home: Wales
Poster Position: 8 Both Weekends Friday at 2:25 (!!!!!!!!!).
Honda Stage.
Thoughts: [EDIT now that I see they are at 2:25 on Friday] WTFFFFFFFFFFF!?!?!?!?! Why is a band from the 8th line getting done dirty like this? This is one of the best things on the whole poster? WTFFFFFFF!?!?!?!?!?!
They were last here in 2016, which is kind of surprising to me. I figured they had been back since then. I really enjoyed their show back then, and am still listening to the tunes today. Speaking of tunes, I have to assume that a new album is coming soon - their most recent disc is still The Balance from 2019. Lame-o.
As I was jamming their catalog a few more times, I was thinking to myself how interesting it would be to hear how great but dead bands would sound today. Like, would Simon and Garfunkle have made Graceland and would it be better or worse? Would The Beatles have gone disco or remained the world-melting force they were? Was R.E.M. going to make progressively worse music until they were Maroon 5? Would The Grateful Dead have gone Nashville country if Jerry hadn't died? Or gone techno to stay relevant to the drug people? Like, think about the weird ways that a band like Radiohead has transformed over the years into a completely different thing. Or the way U2 continues to release music but to varying degrees of usefulness. But then also to think about what Oasis or Led Zeppelin or Nirvana would sound like today, that is fascinating. I think this band has enough Oasis in it to have gotten me thinking in that direction. But really what this band makes me think is what would have happened if the Arctic Monkeys had stayed cool instead of devolving into crappy lounge act garbage? Because that is who this is the most like - that extremely fun British rock that the Monkeys were doing with their first few discs. They have a really kick ass and tight version of Brit rock and roll that is deeply fun. Let's get in to some songs before some background.
The songs I love the most, and thought would be the main hits, are big but not as big as I expected. Six songs in their current top ten all come from the 2014 debut - The Balcony. The top one of those is "Kathleen," with 176.6 million streams.
I don't love this original album with the same burning fury as I do the middle disc, but it is also really good. Kind of reminds me of the Arctic Monkeys. I have to say that the band name just doesn't make me think of future stardom. Seems like they need a shorter name to really explode. Although they were apparently known as The Prestige in the past but shifted the name. This name comes from a childhood musical memory: "that of an Australian street busker in Sydney, playing beer bottles strung to a wire who goes by the name Catfish the Bottleman. He was called "Catfish" because of an unusually styled spiky beard he had when he first began playing in 2000." So there you have it. But what do I know? They've gone platinum with this name.
A few of the tracks off of that older album have over a hundred million listens, with none of them coming in at less than 22 mill, so they have a pretty solid audience. Also good from this album, "Pacifier" is pretty kick ass, "Cocoon" sounds good - especially the chorus, and I dig "Homesick." Of additional entertainment value, you should look at the album cover for The Balcony. I have no clue what is going on there with headless people reaching for action, but it made me grin anyway.
Album went platinum and they grabbed the BRIT award for British Breakthrough Act. After that came 2016's The Ride. This time the cover art is an alligator eating itself. The big hit from that one is called "7," which was not what I was expecting (more on that in a sec). 164.6 millon streams.
A comment under that video said that 60% of people are here from TikTok, 35% of the people are listening because of Louis' cover, and 5% have been here the whole time. What is the Louis cover? Hell, what is Louis? Huh. Apparently there is an artist named Louis Tomlinson who covers this song a lot in his live shows, and I guess he is popular. Interesting.
Well, my favorite tune from that disc is "Soundcheck," with 74.6 million listens.
F YES! That is some kick ass crunchy rock and damn roll. These dudes are Welsh, and you can just barely hear an accent in the vocals, but the music itself is alternative/ garage/ rock that jams.
So, these dudes are from Llandudno, Conwy, Wales. I love the confused awfulness of the Welsh language. I have a friend who is Welsh and listening to her American husband talk about trying to understand Welsh is hysterical. But two of the members began playing guitar together at one of their parents' house, a bed and breakfast in Wales. They built out the band with other school mates, and started playing covers at clubs while they worked on their own material. They won second place in a North Wales Battle of the Bands. Since that beginning, they have replaced several members of the band - bass and lead vocals have remained throughout, but guitar and drums have each been replaced once.
Finally, you got 2019's The Balance. This is a spot where I picked the top song, even though I like a lot of these songs too. When the first single from this album came out, it was picked up by the radio, and I thought they were ready to take on the world. "Longshot," with 103.5 million streams.
Yes! That is the good stuff. Great catchy pop rock stuff, and a great sing-a-long chorus. "every once in a while, the little things make me smile, as if one of my long shots paid off." Also, "2all" is another pretty good one - chuggin guitar and catchy tune. The final tune is a little weird, "Overlap," in that is just ends in mid-jam, like mid-line. Very good album though.
Anyway, I'm a fan. This is fun music that is right up my alley and I'd love to see them do it all live again. Let's do this.
Wikipedia Genre: pop punk, alternative rock, skate punk, punk rock
Home: Poway, California (suburb of San Diego)
Poster Position: Headliner! Both Weekends. Friday at 8:10.
Honda Stage.
Thoughts: One of the biggest pop punk bands around. Green Day feels bigger to me, without doing the research that would be required to establish that as a fact, but there was a time in the late 90's when I might have lost that wager. But where Green Day matured a little and starting making political satire and other topical stuff, these dudes just kept singing about their lack of maturity and weird sexual things.
Their formation may not be that interesting, but I like the serendipity in it. Guitarist Tom DeLonge was expelled from high school for being drunk at a basketball game, and had to go to a different high school. While there, he performed in a Battle of the Bands and met drummer Scott Raynor, and through a friend's sister, met Mark Hoppus who was in town to attend college. The three formed the band in DeLonge's garage, bonding over their love of scrappy punk rock. If dipshit #1 hadn't gotten drunk for a basketball game, no Blink 182.
The band was originally just "Blink" but once they started to get some early traction, and Irish band named Blink sent them notice and so they supposedly just added a random number on to the end. Explanations of “182” include the number of times Al Pacino’s character Tony Montana says “fuck” in Scarface, the number of the ship on which Hoppus’s grandfather served in the Marines, and Hoppus’s ideal weight. But, DeLonge has apparently confirmed that the number actually has to do with some sort of dumb high school rivalry. The maybe-sorta-kinda confirmed thing for people from Poway is that Blink-182 is a euphemism for “Fuck RB,” because R is the alphabet’s eighteenth letter and B is the second. “18 + 2 = R + B = Rancho Bernardo”. Riiiiiiiiiight. There is also discussion of how the Brits call it Blink One Eight Two, and James Corden said it should actually be called Blink One Hundred and Eighty Two, and so Delonge said it should actually be Blink Eighteen Two. Exhausting. Blink One Eighty-Two for me.
Out of curiosity, that Irish band Blink doesn't appear to exist anymore. On Spotify, there is a BLINKYSPIRIT, a Blink that does techno with Asian vocals, BLINKERRED, Blinky Bill, Blinky Blink, Blinkie, BlinkMade, BlinkScape, Blinky, Blink (looks like K Pop), and some others, but none appears to be the Irish band that messed up this whole thing.
Fascinating that they had a 1994 album named Buddha - no one seems to be listening to it much and I don't recognize the songs. Weird. Even weirder, Cheshire Cat is a 1995 album that repeats some of the songs from that earlier album, and likewise seems under the radar. I jammed a little of that and it is suuuuper raw. Like, definitely the sound of some kids who just figured out to record themselves and hit some chords on the guitar. It was 1997's Dude Ranch that finally got them a hit - and a lot cleaner production. But this is still the sound with the original drummer, a guy named Scott Raynor, who got tossed after this album and before the biggest hits of their career. Anyway, the big hit from Dude Ranch is "Dammit," which is a classic 90's radio staple you'll still hear today. 289.3 million streams.
Funny seeing that other drummer in the band and not the tatted up Barker. They are so clean cut looking! "Well I guess this is growing up" is so basic but a great line. This was the era when I definitely did not own that whole album, but I bet I downloaded that song and "Josie" on Napster and then played it on my WinAmp with a sweet skin while working for AOL. Haha. Good times.
But it was 1999's Enema of the State, with its porn-star-nurse-cover and mega-hits that finally turned this into a major thing. And some strange detours in here, being that "All The Small Things" is just a poppy mega hit (1.1 BILLION streams), "What's My Age Again" is more juvenile dick joke humor stuff (721.3 million streams), and then "Adam's Song" is a kind of lovely song about teen suicide (313.1 million streams). That is a really wide range. I don't know this album as well as the next one, but those hits are pretty undeniable.
Massive MTV rotation for that video, and apparently still very popular for over a billion streams and 373 million views on YT. And now you get all of those huge drum fills and power cymbals from Barker. You also get some surprisingly good lyrics like the bit about work sucking and how little surprises like roses by the stairs let your loved one know that you care. But the polish and shine on this album is obvious - no longer the raw bashing of those first few albums. This is slick and catchy pop rock.
After that huge album, they did a live album, and it is my sincere desire that they are no longer like this, now that they are in their mid-50's. But tons of dick jokes and "I want a blow job from your mom" jokes and just deeply stupid crap. "Everyone yell FUCK!"
Next comes my favorite album of the bunch, 2001's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Again, a well-produced, slick, catchy, tight set of songs that are both funny and rockin'. Pretty sure I owned this one. Not as commercially successful - at least less streamers for sure - but I really enjoyed it. The big hits were "The Rock Show," "Stay Together for the Kids" (again, kind of a more poignant subject for these goofy dudes), and "First Date." That one is the biggest with 439.7 million streams.
Great video. Another totally goofy song, but freaking catchy as all get out. Forever, forever, lets make this last forever! HOLY SHIT! That is where that little meme comes from when people show the blond guy in a mullet say What the Fuck - go to 1:54. That is wild! Great jam, especially the solo bit near the end. "Stay Together for the Kids" jams, by the way.
Apparently, right about now, the guys were rushed into releasing this album to capitalize on the popularity of the last one, and after a co-headlining tour with Green Day things were not all awesome. DeLonge made a sorta solo project, but he invited Barker to do the drums, so it made Hopper feel dissed and made a rift. Barker also started working outside the group with a band called Transplants (bad rap/rock stuff) on the side. They got back together for 2003's blink-182, which fired up one of their biggest tracks. Funny though, because to me it is muddy sounding. The drums are muffled and the whole sound is just not nearly as crisp as their other albums. I wonder why. Anyway, "I Miss You" was the big one here, with 783.7 million streams, some strings, and a continued presence on the radio even today.
The thing that I always remember about that track is how weird his voice sounds. Before a whole group of young ladies learned to sign in italics, he was out here singing "wheryyre ayyyyre yuurr... or ... voyyyce inshwwd myyyed" But it is a nice little song. I prefer the dumb shit, personally, but I'm not anti-love song. "Feeling This" and "Always" got some traction on that disc too. The disc, like that video up above, has a little more emo-ness to it, instead of just the usual frat boy punk.
Right about here, the simmering rift in the band blew it up and they announced a hiatus in 2005. DeLonge wanted more time with his family and less touring, the other guys didn't. Hoppus was still made about the side project. So, DeLonge formed Angels and Airwaves, while Hoppus and Barker made an album with a project they called +44 (if you go back to the weird numbering thing, D is the fourth letter in the alphabet so maybe they're saying to add DDelonge to the list of fuck yous?). Barker gained more fame with reality TV shows and then a major plane crash that killed four other passengers and left him with PTSD and the need for 16 different surgeries. After that brush with death, the guys decided to sit down and work it out.
The result of that was 2011's Neighborhoods. Even though they were "back" together, they actually recorded the album in separate places and never really made a cohesive thing. You also have the fact that the pop punk thing is not in vogue by now. So, no real hits on that disc - maybe "After Midnight," but I just put that one on and don't recall it at all. After this, they tried touring (although Barker wouldn't fly so it wasn't simple) and then DeLonge exited the band again (in part to investigate UFOs).
So, they had to find a new guitarist and part time vocalist, and ended up with a guy named Matt Skiba, who had been in Alkaline Trio. I don't know that band at all. After some legal battles with DeLonge, Skiba became an official member and in 2016 they released California. Here was my review of it at the time:
"Man, I like this album a lot even though this was one of the two discs they did with a replacement guitarist/vocalist, while Tom DeLonge was out of the band. Nothing new from the old sound of the band, in fact, any of these songs could have been taken from the sessions for Take Off Your Pants and Jacket and I would not have been surprised. Strong drumming, tight harmonic singing, quick blast songs, it sounds just like the old Blink. And they still keep their boyish frat party vibe going, with two super short songs ("Built This Pool" and "Brohemian Rhapsody") that contain a juvenile joke and little else. If you never did like Blink, then this disc will still be disappointing and boring to you, but as someone who enjoyed TOYPaJ back in the day, this sounds good to me. The hit off of here so far is "Bored to Death," and I like it even though it has been on constant rotation on the radio [FYI, in 2024, 163.1 million streams]. Such a trademark sound, especially the chorus and the line "Life is too short to last long," sung as a throwaway line after the main portion of the chorus. I assume you've already heard that song 80 times, so I'll bring you my second favorite track, "San Diego." [38.7 million streams in 2024]
That video makes me want to vomit - the movement of the lyrics is unsettling to my eyes. But I dig the tune, and the nostalgic points making about jamming the Cure in the parking lot before a show. "Los Angeles" is also good, as is "California" and "No Future." Another album that is fun, although you're not going to want to parse the lyrics and make a case for a Pulitzer. But fun to jam nonetheless."
2019's Nine did not affect me the same way. Here was my review:
"This one will truly live up to the title of these posts, and be very quick. No. I was on the fence about liking this bratty pop-punk back in the Clinton administration, but now this all sounds the same. Whiny, bratty, generically mediocre pop rock with a great drummer. This one also is missing DeLonge. "I Really Wish I Hated You" is tops with 16.8 million streams [now at 64.6 million].
They were best when they were funny, and nothing about these songs is funny at all to me. No."
COVID messed up the promotional cycle for that one, but also by 2021 Hoppus revealed that he had been receiving treatment for cancer. That caused yet another sit down and make-nice between the boys, and they rejoined. It sounds like maybe Skiba didn't get the best messaging about getting booted out, but it seems like he took it pretty well. So, they played a surprise set at Coachella in 2023 for their first show with the whole group in almost a decade, and then made some new music. Here is my review.
"Blink 182 - One More Time. Hey! Speaking of a band who could have just kept living off of their prior popularity! The first thing I notice here is that Travis Barker freaking jams. People have talked him up as the top tier drummer for years, and I've never really noticed much out of him on those classic Blink albums. But I really feel like he is magnificent on these tunes. "Fell in Love" sounds like they are stealing from The Cure. "One More Time" is the sad-boy ballad that has been working it on the radio waves recently - 47.7 million streams of people singing about "do I have to dieeeyyyy to hear you miss meeeeeeee."
I mean, I know Mark Hoppus almost died from cancer and all, and Barker almost died in a plane crash, so this is kind of sweet. But it is also very treacly and too twee for me. Of course, after I have heard it, my brain doesn't care and I keep singing it over again. So maybe it is better than I am willing to admit. I know that they are mixing in lots of silliness in here, but I am not going to go take the time to read their lyrics to see which songs are about masturbation. But even if this is just a carbon copy of the classic sound they used in the late 90's, it feels fun to me. Like, the generic Blink-ness of "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT" which sounds like it even rips off "Adam's Song" for the taut chorus and then arena-sized chorus feels like it could have been on multiple other Blink albums. Which is likely for the best at this stage."
So, the big decision is whether I'm going to go see this. I think the answer is most likely yes, even though Stapleton is probably my favorite thing on the whole poster. But I've seen Stapleton do his thing four or five times by now, so it seems to me that it would make more sense to go to the fun thing that I've never seen before. We'll see, I guess!
One Liner: One of the finest vocalists around, maybe forgotten, but still making jazzy tunes
Wikipedia Genre: pop, jazz, folk, country, blues
Home: NYC
Poster Position: 2 Both Weekends. Friday at 4:10.
Honda Stage.
Thoughts: I really never give Norah Jones a thought. Which is always interesting - at one point she was a huge star with that first album - but now she has just receded away from the spotlight so much that I don't recall seeing a single mention of her new album. Visions was released March 8, and it really felt like it might as well have been a new Kidz Bop album. And that is rude of me, because I am literally listening to it right now, and it is pretty cool!
Geethali Norah Jones Shankar has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, won 9 Grammys, and Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000's. Her first album was the killer one, selling more than 27 million copies and earning five of those Grammys. She is the daughter of stud sitarist Ravi Shankar, whose association with George Harrison turned him into a household name here in the States. While she was born in Manhattan (which makes total sense), she was raised in Grapevine, Texas (which super does not track). After high school, she attended North Texas to major in jazz piano. After school, she moved to New York, signed with Blue Note, and started crushing it.
Come Away With Me has three mega-songs, and I'm not sure what it was about that moment, but her version of bluesy, country-flecked piano jazz just nailed the mood. Top track by quite a bit is "Don't Know Why," which dropped right around the time me and my friends were all getting married, so this is the kind of song that makes me think of those times. 503.5 million streams.
The title song and "Turn Me On" are the other two big ass songs from that album. And even the non-hits, stuff like "Seven Years" as an example, is just gorgeous music.
The next disc was 2004's Feels Like Home, which included some cool stuff like a Dolly Parton duet before having Dolly on your stuff was the badge of honor it is now, plus her second biggest streamer "Sunrise" at 334.2 million streams.
That standup bass rules. I think the thing that is very fascinating to me is that many popular song from this era have never really translated into streamer hits. Like, if you look at other majorly popular tracks from 2002, say Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" as an example, that one was a top track in 2002 and yet only has 103 million streams now. But something about these lovely tunes keeps them in the culture. "Those Sweet Words" is lovely as well. Listening to this makes me think of Meg Ryan romcoms. I have no clue if that link is warranted and I'm refusing to look it up, but I feel it. I remember 2007's Not Too Late as well. Pretty sure I owned it - that cover of her black and white dress on the red looks very familiar. But the stream counts are way down on this one - most tracks don't crack 5 million and only one has 40. I don't recall 2009's The Fall, but the opening track on that one fired up 58.4 million streams. Let's see "Chasing Pirates."
Oh yeah, I remember that tune. Maybe that was the radio for that one, but I have definitely heard it. A little gap here, before her 2012 album Little Broken Hearts that she apparently made with Danger Mouse. Definitely lower interest to that album. But not for any good reason that I can hear, she is still just plugging along with the same zip. Not like it is all EDM or something.
Did you know that she made an entire album of duets with Billie Joe Armstrong? That is a shock to me. Wait, are they also all Everly Brothers tunes? Who the hell greenlit this idea? Is that the least commercial thing that has ever been made? "Get me the Fall Out Boy singer and Sheryl Crow to cover Bob Wills, STAT! No, wait, make that the Offspring's singer with Vanessa Carlton doing Liberace! No, wait, let's go with Kelly Clarkson and Billy Corgan doing Guy Clark tunes!" Oh no, not all Everly songs, just all old Traditionals. Even less commercially relevant! But it is honestly really nice! Super old school tunes and their nice harmonies wrapped around over the top.
The next album she released in 2016, I actually reviewed it back then and was apparently underwhelmed. "Norah Jones - Day Breaks. I want to like this one a lot more than I do. I loved her first album (like everyone else in the entire world did), even though this type of jazzy piano music isn't really my normal cup of tea. I've given this one a few chances, and it is still lovely music and all, but I can't say I'd need to keep going with it. The hit is "Carry On," with 10.5 million streams (up to 110.9 million now!).
Like I said, super pretty and soulful and nice, but I'm OK. I'll toss this one back into the sea and carry on."
After a few years she released the teeny tiny Begin Again in 2019, with only seven songs and very little action. Then 2020's Pick Me Up Off The Floor - likewise not much for stream popularity even though it sounds generally pretty. After that, her Spotify is littered with singles that apparently come from a podcast called Norah Jones is Playing Along. The funny thing about all of these discs is that I am putting them on to check out the vibe of them, and for the most part I don't hear much difference between something on the 2020 album and the 2007 album. Fascinating. But the new album is entertaining, even if that is not going to be why people want to go see her in the Fall. They'll go see her to hear the classics. Like this recording of her Austin City Limits taping!
The opening announcer really is correct - one of the prettiest voices on the planet. That was filmed in the old studio! I can see the trees in the audience!
Anyway, yes, Norah Jones is still freaking amazing and her voice is a national treasure. I'm not sure this makes me excited to see her play a sweaty set in October, since I will almost assuredly be elsewhere to see Stapleton or Blink, but it was nice to go back down this road with her for the past few days.
One Liner: Warbly-voiced guy doing some Lumineers-ish stuff
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but folk, indie
Home: Tyler, Texas (now L.A.)
Poster Position: 14 Weekend One Only. Friday at 3:30.
T-Mobile Stage.
Thoughts: My initial thought after about two hours of listening along to his catalog is that he reminds me of that Ben Platt dude who sings broadway-style jazzy stuff. He's not doing those sort of songs, but his voice has that same sort of quivery affect that is currently bugging me as I listen to him sing a version of "Hallelujah." Why does everyone have to do a version of "Hallelujah"? Ah, he was a contestant on The Voice, on Team Adam, and my guess is that Adam Levine forces every contestant to release this as a single.
Huh. He has no Wikipedia, but the Wikipedia entry for something called Secret Road Music Services notes that he wrote John Legend's "Conversations in the Dark," which was a pretty big hit. He is originally from Tyler, Texas, learning guitar at eight and playing around town for a while. He was 15 years old when he appeared on The Voice, which seems really young to dive into that sort of mess. But I've never watched the show, so maybe everyone on there is a teenager. According to his label's bio, he likes tacos! Wow! So interesting!
His first three items on Spotify are all The Voice cover songs. "Barton Hollow" is pretty solid, but "Wherever You Will Go" is painful. His first EP was in 2019 - anxiety & mixed emotions - but nothing on there seems to have hit. Same with 2020's The Inevitable. It was his singles in 2023 that appeared to strike a chord finally, and one of those songs is included on his third EP, 2023's Lovers to Strangers. "In My Room" has 276.9 million streams.
Starts off like a John Mayer tune, and then his vocals come in like what my daughter calls "singing in italics" and the article I read the other day about mid-90's pop rock called singing with marbles in your mouth. I'm sure this was a TikTok hit. I read the lyrics (because I can't understand him at all) and they are actually really good. Poignant and smart song about a lover leaving too soon.
Still no actual album, just those three EPs. But his singles appear to be doing well anyway, not sure this generation gives a damn about the album anymore! "i am not who i was" is the other big one, with 181.1 million streams.
Still a bit warbly for my preference, but this one sort of makes me think of the folky stuff that Noah Kahan is doing, which is probably based on what the Lumineers did before them. Nice little tune. His newest single - "Black Bird" - also leans into this dang warbly voiced thing. Unfortunate, because again I think it is lyrically interesting. Maybe he just needs to get John Legend to sing everything for him.
One Liner: Shockingly excellent classic country crooner from Paris
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but country
Home: Paris (although now Austin!)
Poster Position: 24 Weekend Two Only. Friday at 2pm.
IHG Stage.
Thoughts: His very short Spotify bio claims he is "France's favorite songbird," which seems unlikely with this few streams, then also claims he is based in Austin now and that he is a one-of-a-kind Country singer. Pick a lane. No one who sings country is France's favorite songbird. They only like Edith Piaf and Daft Punk. But, one bio I read says that although he was raised in Paris, his "heart and soul have been basking in the deep sounds of early American rock and roll and country music since he picked up an electric guitar at 11 years old." And it sounds like it. He doesn't sound like a Frenchie at all - could easily be some Bakersfield country dude from the 50's. Haha, get this quote from him: "French people love rock and roll. For example, French people like Iggy Pop and David Bowie. They like Elvis, too, but they fucking hate country music. All of it. They just can’t stand it." Good choice bro!
Instead, this is a dude who has opened for Robert Plant and really was on the cover of the French Rolling Stone. Kind of has the vibe of Charley Crockett - that pure throwback country thing. It is honestly fascinating. If I didn't know what I know, I would very seriously think that I was listening to an album from 1958 by some country/doo-wop guy. So many of these throwback things this year? I mean, hold on, I just have to play you the newest single. "Penny's Chair." 16k streams so far, but just listen to this song!
How is that a 20-something French dude? So fascinating. And very good - I'm digging his schtick for sure.
Three albums - 2019's Sauce Piquante, 2023's Cherie, and 2023's Pickin' & Singin'. The top track from those albums is "California Poppy," from the middle one, with 395k streams.
What is happening!?! Sounds awesome, but this is seriously from 60 years ago and this guy is just wasting his opportunity with his time machine. Instead of wisely going to other way to make it sound like he wrote "Let It Be" and "The Gambler," he has come to modern times to replay classic country. Fool!
His top track overall is his very first one, which was a 2017 single, called "500 Dances." This is a live version but you'll get the idea - sounds kind of like a Dan Auerbach produced thing, but this is probably what got him noticed by Robert Plant. 1.9 million streams.
This is more weird stuff - not sure how many times I have noted that a band on this poster is a throwback - but whatever. I really like this guy. I'd go check it out. I honestly should just go find him at the White Horse sometime this summer and enjoy him that way before the Fest!
One Liner: Lovely indie singer with an unexpected background
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but indie
Home: Tennessee (via Liberia)
Poster Position: 22 Weekend One Only. Friday at 1:40.
BMI Stage.
Thoughts: The name actually has a cool ass little weird type thing in it. Not just "Rovia," but "RovÎa." That character is called "Latin Capital Letter I With Circumflex." So, this dude has some Circumflex to him for sure.
Monrovia is the capital and largest city of Liberia, and is also a city in California, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, and Maryland. His website bio states that he was rescued from war in Liberia and now lives in the mountains of Tennessee. He doesn't sound like a native African-accented singer in the slightest. Another write up about him says that his true name is Janjay Lowe and that he immigrated to American in the 90's during the Liberian civil war. He was adopted after a few years of life in war, by a missionary family who brought him to America where everything seemed unreal and amazing. And too fast. Which totally tracks for me. It is all too damn fast.
He cites Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Boy n Bear (not familiar with that one), and Passion Pit as some musical inspirations, and you can definitely hear that in here. Really beautiful music.
Unfortunately, his first release was a 2020 collaboration with Kenny Beats, who is also on the ACL poster, and it is terrible in comparison to the rest of these songs. Very bad, very basic EDM thing that sounds like a remix. We'll act like that one didn't happen. After that, a few singles and EPs, including 2020's Sunburnt, 2021's Dark Continent, 2023's Act 1: The Wandering, Act 2: The Trials, and 2024's Act 3: The Dying of Self. No true albums in there. The biggest streamer is a 2023 single that didn't make any of those EPs - "Big Love Ahead" - with 8.7 million streams.
Sounds like something that should have been on the Juno soundtrack of something. Very basic, but also very lovely. Feels like it cuts off at the end, which is odd, but the one on Spotify does the same. HIs second biggest streamer is off of the newest EP, surprisingly, and is called "City on a Hill." 4.4 million streams.
So nice - just everything about it, his voice, the simple accompaniment, the touching lyrics, the harmonies. This whole set of tunes is so pretty, I've just let it play for way longer than needed. One more for good measure, from the Act 1 EP - "To Watch the World Spin Without You," 5.1 million streams.
Like poetry from my guardian angel. I am frequently stuck watching TV and wishing I was not. DO you ever get that feeling? Like, I want to wind down at the end of the day, but the only option I ever really use is the dumb ass TV. This dude from Liberia is speaking to me right now. I need to call him since he said he'll be around for me. Anyone have his number?
One Liner: Canadian rapper with collaborations from all over the globe
Wikipedia Genre: hop hop, rap, maybe some terrible MGK-style generic rock
Home: Toronto
Poster Position: 11 Weekend One Only. Friday at 5:30.
IHG Stage.
Thoughts: Unexpected. Such a generic name, felt like anything was possible, and that feeling delivered. An up and down experience with this music that is definitely aimed at a younger generation than me, but it feels like as soon as I have a feeling for that this music is about, it changes up. Like, "Let Go" is giving me AJR vibes. "Too Bad" sounds more Machine Gun Kelly with generic guitar licks and boring lines. "Still Blue" sounds like maybe Jack Johnson with a country vibe? Several of these songs have Jack Harlow's sound. I'd guess that he is classified as a rapper, but he also spends a lot of time doing mediocre indie rock songs too.
He started out as a child actor - his first notable role was as the eldest son of Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger in the Academy Award Nominated movie Cinderella Man, but after that he had roles in other strange things like Syfy's Being Human, CBC's X Company, and ABC's The Rookie. In the late 2010's, he started working his way into a rap career as well, starting off with a series where he would spin an actual globe and then collaborate with an artist from whatever country his finger landed on. Here is a long intro of the guy:
Sounds like COVID killed the acting thing for a while so he slipped into the music and TikTok skits. Honestly, he comes off as really nice and friendly in that video. Damn Canadians. His top song comes from that Spin the Globe! collaboration, with a guy named Bens, who is from the Netherlands! "Spinnin" has 162 million streams and a sweet ass pan flute thing.
As I read through his songs, it will be interesting to see what his live show even looks like. If almost all of his songs have a collaboration element where someone else takes on part of the song, then how does he do that? Is he going to fly in 20 other artists to come and do their little chunks of the tracks? Or will he just play his own little chunks? Like, I saw Future one time early in his career and it sucked because he just played his own little chunks of a lot of songs, but then would stop the song and move to the next, so we never really got to hear one of the full things. Annoying. His second most streamed tune is with a guy named Killa from Zambia, and although I like the beat and vibe it is also on that first album. I want to give you a newer one.
2024's Spin the Globe 2 is another package of collaborations, including the one with Haviah Mighty, a Canadian rapper (which seems weak, you're already a Canadian rapper!). "Trendsetter" has 28.4 million streams.
You know what, I want to compare him to Jack Harlow, but I actually think he is better than Harlow. That rap is pretty dang good, with different cadences, smart lyrics, and Mighty is good stuff too. That track is legit.
Here is the most recent song in his catalog, a single from March 15, 2024 called "Too Bad." This is the one I said early has the MGK vibes. 3.9 million streams.
Nope. That sucks. Justin Beiber with Blink 182! Harry Styles with Sum 41! Jeremy Renner over the band who plays Olivia Rodrigo's rocking songs! This ain't it.
If he sticks to the straight hip hop action, then I think this could be a pretty fun show. If he tries to mess around with the lame-o emo rock rap mess like that last Machine Gun Kelly tribute, then it will be a long time. Remember that truly terrible guy a year or two ago, uhhhhhhh, Kenny something... hold please...KennyHoopla! I thought he showed promise and instead his show was deeply awful! That is what this guy could be if he is morphing away from the hip hop that made him interesting in the first place.
Just got an e-mail saying she is no longer playing the Fest. Sorry.
One Liner: South African pop queen on the rise (sorry if my jokes are gross)
Wikipedia Genre: amapiano, R&B, pop
Home: Johannesburg
Poster Position: 7 Weekend Two Only. Friday at 5:30.
IHG Stage.
Thoughts: Her major hit makes me think of Drake. I don't know if Drake actually has a song that sounds like this, but it makes me think of a sound that he would try to bastardize for himself and then say some generally depressing things over the top of while trying to sound vulnerable but more coming off as creepy. This is "Water," which crushes her other songs with 643.6 million streams.
When she says "make me water," it feels like she is talking about peeing her pants to me. I'm sure that is not the case, but she already said to make her sweat, so its either pee or cry or drool or get her unmentionables overly excited. Ew. That is probably what the song is about. Also, one of the top comments to that video says: "What a lovely young lady with a brilliant career ahead of her. Hopefully she stays away from drugs etc." WTF man. Why do you have to even act like that is a problem? You still worried about Winehouse and Joplin or something? Dork. There are so many successful, lovely young ladies with amazing careers and no evidence of drug problems. Another lesson - never read the comments. Also, in the nerdiest google I think I've ever done, the Internet agrees with my theory about the meaning here.
In addition to making a song about squirting become popular, she also managed to snag the first ever Grammy award for Best African Music Performance in 2024.
This is not Tyla, the English musician, or Tyla Yaweh, who was here a few years ago for ACL, or obviously the Bratz doll. Instead, this is Tyla Laura Seethal, a South African 22 year old who has been dubbed the Queen of Popiano, which is apparently a fusion of pop and amapiano. Amapaino is a Zulu world loosely translated as "the pianos" and is a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music heavy with synths and wide, percussive basslines. She got started in high school, making songs and posting them to her Instagram account. She got a manager and worked on filming more clips through the pandemic. After some tears, her parents let her take a year off from University and she was signed to a label. Seems like that was a good idea in the end. Her first releases did fine without a ton of traction, but "Water" spawned a viral TikTok challenge that made her a top ten hit in the U.S., U.K., and several other counties that dig squirting. Jimmy Fallon, known squirtation lover, even had her on to perform the track.
Just the one album, 2024's TYLA, which features both "Water" and a "Water" remix with Travis Scott. He does not lean into the squirtoramathon possibilities of the song by dropping any raps about how Astroworld doesn't need Astroglide when Tyla's on the slide. Bummer. He just drops generic autotuned crap. Oh no, wait, he says her "ass gotta pour out a gallon." Oh no! Is this about diarrhea? That is definitely worse. Does she want someone to serve her really spicy food that makes her immediately crap herself? "make me sweat, make me hotter, make me lose my breath, make me water, WITH YOUR EXTRA HOT WEEK-OLD GUMBOOOOO!"
The other top song from the album is "Jump," which features Gunna and Skillibeng. 76.6 million streams.
That opening piano made me think of "When I Think Of You," but then her flow sounds just like Rihanna to me. And then she has that shrill quality that Ariana Grande has in a lot of her songs, just getting more and more grating as she works through the chorus.
Here is what I think about this music - I don't want to listen to it at all - but I bet a live show of this music would be freaking amazing. Like, I'm never going to just sit at my desk all day listening to her shrilly warble about how hot her body is and that she really needs to spray a gallon of poop water, but I can guarantee that a massive crowd of people there to party would make this a supremely fun live show.
One Liner: Every year's favorite western swing purveyors Wikipedia Genre: Ameripolitan, Texas country, western swing (Ameripolitan is a new one for me). Home: Austin, Texas Poster Position: 18
Weekend One Only.
Friday at 12:55
Honda Stage
Thoughts: You know these guys, or if you don't, then you have never been to the opening morning of ACL on weekend one, when these guys are more predicable than grass turned to hay by day 3 and no AT&T cell service by 3pm each day.They still just crank up the excellent western swing stuff like they always have, and everything is all good. Warms my heart that C3 continues to include them on the bill each year, despite the fact that attendance at their show probably wanes each year as more of the true Austinites at the festival die off and are replaced with 14 year olds vaping weed oil and asking where to find IDKHOW's show. If you actually don't know them, then know that they have won nine Grammy awards, have over 20 albums, and have charted more than 20 songs on the Billboard country charts, while keeping alive a very particular type of country sound that was best exemplified by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Ray Benson is the lead singer, and the 6 foot 7 dude is kind of a legend of the Austin music scene by now. They were voted the best country western band of 1977 by Rolling Stone, which is a weird award, but right on. They actually released a new album in 2021, which is a new and exciting wrinkle for these previews, as otherwise, each year has just been listening to "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "Miles and Miles of Texas" all over again and half-assing a preview. So, what do we have here? 2018 album called New Routes, which would make you think that they are gonna change up their style and make their long awaited EDM album or something, but nope. More western swing, country rock, soft country, and rockabilly packed into 11 songs. Some are covers ("Seven Nights to Rock," "Dublin Blues," "Willie Got There First.") but a lot are originals. And then 2021's Half a Hundred Years, which is yet again chock full of western swing and country - with a bunch of great guest spots like Lyle, George, Emmylou, Willie, and more. I wanted to hate on them re-making Guy Clark's "Dublin Blues," because that song is a damn masterwork, and on first blush I thought this one wasn't very good, but on repeat listening, I've decided that I will allow it. They also do a cool tune with the Avett Brothers, paying tribute to Willie's effect on the rest of us all. Good one. None of the songs from the 2018 album crack their top ten most popular - deservedly, most of those popular tunes are from the Bob Wills tribute Still the King (which is great) - and most of that album's tunes have been streamed less than 100k times, so I'll give you the most streamed, the one with the Avetts. "Willie Got There First," with 386k streams (up 13k since last year).
I could curl up and sleep in the voices of the Avetts. Just warm and cool and perfect. Good tune, acknowledging that he already did everything worth doing in country music. "I had such a good idea for a song! But Willie, he got there first." Of course, that is an Avetts song, so let's see about one of their new originals on this album - this is "Jack I'm Mellow," the album opener and with 160k streams (up 15k from last year).
Not only is that a fun little tune, but the video as advertisement for Willie's Reserve weed and the Luck Ranch outside of town are both a good time. Also cool to feature the violinist as the vocalist - maybe that had been happening in the past, but she (Katie Shore) appears to be a new addition to the band and she sounds great.
Go see, 'em, kids. They play the best renditions of Bob Wills tunes since the King himself.
Speaking of which, their most streamed track from the new album is a spot-on rendition of "Take Me Back to Tulsa," featuring, by God, Willie Nelson and George Strait. C'mon. 582k streams (36k more than last year).
Word up. Good times. I doubt I'll be there in time to see these dudes doing the thing, but love knowing they are out there plugging along.
One Liner: The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective
Wikipedia Genre: The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective
Home: Austin
Poster Position: 27 Weekend Two Only.
Friday at 1:15pm.
Tito's Tent.
Thoughts: Spotify has music from the Huston-Tillotson University Concert Choir, but nothing from their Jazz Collective. Swing and a miss... Also, no YouTube videos. There is a BS video that makes you think you are about to see "The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective ::LIVE:: At Zilker Park. Austin. TX. USA" but when you click it all you get it some generic rock riff and a request to click a link. NO thanks Russian spam bots!
Soooooooo, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is a jazz collective from Huston-Tillotson University who will be at the festival to play some jazz in a collective group. Woohoo! Jazz! Collective! University! Yeah!
One Liner: Possibly not the worst Kiddie Limits band, if you believe Joseph
Wikipedia Genre: None, bad kiddie raps Home: Chicago Poster Position: 27 Both Weekends.
Friday.
Thoughts: Every freaking year. Although, after having bagged on them year after year (examples in my prior reviewsof this dreck), my buddy Joseph went to see them with his twin boys a few years back and they really enjoyed it. Dammit. Because I love nothing more deeply than finding something horrible and then making sure that everyone agrees with my stance on that horrible thing. And so, when Joseph sent me a video or audio file (something, I can't recall now) of his boys getting to help come up with topics that the Q Brothers then used to freestyle a rap on the spot, and I was impressed both with their rap ability and their improvisational skills, it crushed my black little heart into a sad place.
Shakespeare promo. Run away!
So, all that to be said, know that I would not recommend going and listening to their music online, but I would probably say that their live show is worth doing with your kids. BLECHH, I need a drink!
On top of that, they have actually released an album! 2021's Long Way Home! And the only song with any accumulated streams on Spotify is called "Chicago Fire"! And sounds like a crappy Hamilton rip off about the city of Chicago!
