The Official ACL Blog for like Eight People!
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One Liner: Wall-of-guitars, shoegaze-adjacent, but really tuneful and great Wikipedia Genre: shoegaze, alternative rock, noise pop Home: NYC Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 17 Day: Saturday Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Oh, this is good. I was judging the cover of the book and expecting some explosive punk or something, but instead it is a sort of shoe-gazey rock and roll. Makes me think of that Teenage Bandwagon album from like 30 years ago. Which I really liked. And lookie there, Wikipedia also calls them shoegaze. Also says this style is characterized by frontman Will Anderson's wall-of-sound layering of distorted guitars. I can hear that, but this is also very tuneful and catchy in a way that I don't necessarily associate with the shoegaze I hear on the Sunday morning radio program. He claims that Loveless, by My Bloody Valentine, was a big influence. I don't know that album.
Anderson was apparently previously part of a number of small indie rock bands I have never heard of, like Happy Diving, Weed, and Crazy Bugs. He was feeling burned out at one point, while pursuing a masters in education, and considered quitting music. Instead, he formed this band, where he would be the sole constant member and a rotating group of other members. he apparently vowed to never explain the meaning of the name. Which is lame. Two albums - the first was 2021's Nineteen in Love. Anderson somewhat foolishly released the album as one long YouTube video where you could not select individual tracks, as a statement against streaming services and their damage to the album form. But, shockingly, the album didn't do too well. I just tried to find it and it was not apparent after 8 seconds of hunting. Oh well.
After that, as he was touring with other bands, Jack White's Third Man Records came calling and asking to sign him to the label. After hearing from other bands that he would retain a lot of creative freedom, he went for it. 2023's Cartwheel is the next disc that came out (but they are supposedly preparing to release a new one this summer). Both Paste and Pitchfork gave it favorable reviews.
Stream count is pretty low, despite how much I like this stuff. Only two tracks with more than a million, and both are on that 2023 disc. "I Thought You'd Change" is the top one with 1.3 million streams.
Sure, that is a lot of guitars, but when I think of a "wall of noise" it is not that tuneful. Kind of a Bob Mould vibe in there too. The video makes me laugh too, those two goofy shitheads bouncing around while everyone else wishes they'd bugger off.
For what it's worth, I also tried out Weed, and it was pretty cool too. A little heavier. One of the new singles, which is their most popular track right now, and so likely will be on the new disc, is even more tuneful. "Julia's War" has 234k streams as of now.
Yeah, that one jams. The na-na-na-na bits took me off guard at first, but now I like them. Does the lead singer sound a little like the They Might Be Giants vocals? That video made me laugh too. These dudes are goofballs. Another new single, "Candle," has even fuzzier guitars, but is likewise catchy.
One Liner: Excellent indie rock lyrics with a surprising voice Wikipedia Genre: indie folk, indie pop Home: West Palm Beach, FL (although maybe NYC now) Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 7 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: She's got a track with over a billion streams? What in the actual? And, I'm not trying to be a rude ass boomer or something, but she definitely sounds like a dude?
It's a nice song, but why in the world does that have a billion streams? "Sailor Song" and 1.021 billion, for those keeping track. But if this was just called Perez, and I hadn't seen a video, I would definitely think this singer was male. Fascinating. Anne Hathaway look-alike getting her vape on.
Gianna Brielle Perez was born in New Jersey and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. In high school she was in a band called Wendy Lane, and then attended Berklee College of Music before the pandemic shut it down. Her older sister Celene died in 2020, and to cope with her grief she started releasing videos on TikTok. Her tracks "Celene" and "Sometimes (Backwoods)" went viral there, which got her signed with Interscope Records. After a few singles and an EP, she was released from Interscope and then released that track above in July 2024, which went to #22 on the Billboard Top 100 after also going viral on the TikeddyTok. Some Christian nerds got uptight about the line saying she doesn't believe in God, but either way it helped her get signed to Island Records.
I've just let it roll for a day, and this is honestly really good music. She had a 2023 EP called How to Catch a Falling Knife and then a 2025 album called At the Beach, In Every Life. Sometimes, she sort of sounds like Jeff Buckley. Her second-most streamed track was her first single (well, at least what Spotify provides us). "Sometimes (Backwoods)" has 158.4 million streams.
I like that too. Got a great indie rock vibe going - in addition to Buckley, I'm hearing Death Cab. She credits Troye Silvan as being an inspiration, but that is something that I don't know at all. She is great - a fun surprise when I was expecting something different. I'd go see her for sure.
One Liner: Influential indie/chillwave piece of Animal Collective Wikipedia Genre: psychedelic pop, electronic Home: NYC (via Baltimore, although now in Portugal, so, whatever) Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 12 Day: Friday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: I feel like I have heard about Panda Bear for years, but never really known what he has going on. I similarly never remember listening to Animal Collective, so I have missed out on his original band as well as his current thing. Well, no longer.
Noah Lennox started using the name Panda Bear in the late 90's when he added a drawn picture of a panda to the cover of a tape he made in his bedroom. He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, went to Boston University to major in religion, and ended up in New York City. Since 2004, he has lived in Portugal. When he got to New York in 2000, he and some of the others from Animal Collective shifted that band from a loose, long-distance thing into a more formal band and started releasing music. They released five albums from 2000 to 2007, when Panda Bear released his first real solo disc - 2007's Person Pitch. But then they both just kept on doing their thing concurrently.
I fired up his new album, and it sounds like the Beach Boys are still making lush and catchy pop harmonies in my office. I absolutely love it. But I want to go back in time and dig in on this guy, so let's go to the beginning instead.
2007's Person Pitch still sounds kind of like it was influenced by the Beach Boys and that sort of spacey harmony thing, except that it also wiggles with samples and electronica involved. The album opener is the top track on it - here is "Comfy in Nautica," with 4.8 million streams.
If the Beach Boys had acquired an army and asked them to march upon Malibu, this would have been the sound as they goose-stepped up the Pacific Coast Highway. "Take Pills" burbles with random noise as the underlying song seems piped through a distant tunnel. "Bros" also has an echo-ey quality, but shines with the trippy harmonies of a Pet Sounds b-side, until it goes into the 12 minute trippy freakout of a Sargeant Pepper's b-side. There are nice little ideas and sounds in here, but I'd say that the overall feel of the album is stressful and weird for me. Wikipedia claims that this album inspired the chillwave genre and numerous other acts. This ain't the type of chillwave I want to hear then. Also interesting, to me at least, that multiple things I read called this album highly acclaimed and trailblazing and whatever, and yet the top streamer has less than 5 million listens. Doesn't feel especially acclaimed if no one listens.
I asked a friend who is in to chill music what he thought of Panda Bear, and his response was something like "the songs I love, I really love, but much of it is not great." He then sent me a link to "Good Girl/Carrots," saying that if you would just forward about three minutes in the song is amazing. But it sucks to have to forward a chunk of a song to get to the goods. Oh well!
2011's Tomboy also comes on with those trippy harmonies and Brian Wilson vibe, but there is more straight guitar in the mix. "Slow Motion" almost has a hip hop vibe to it. Hahaha - I was literally coming here to say that a song sounded like a hellacious drone track, only to find that the name of it is "Drone." Spot on, Panda Bear, spot on. That song sucks! Like the first one, the album is up and down, but none of the stream counts point to any particular hit here.
In here, the Bear appeared on one of Daft Punk's songs from that Random Access Memories album that won all the Grammys and reintroduced Daft Punk to the world. So, despite it being a collaboration, Pandaman has himself a Grammy.
2015's awesomely titled Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is his highest charting album, reaching #2 on the US Indie charts and #34 on the regular US charts. He keeps the weirdness alive here too, with the layered harmonies and electronica sounds. "Mr Noah" is louder and harder than most of the other stuff though, while "Tropic of Cancer" is a harp-fueled cloud. "Come to Your Senses" is almost poppy. Just feels all over the place. But the big streamer from it is "Boys Latin" with 11.3 million streams.
It sort of loses the beat there at the start - that is weird. it's like I am listening to two songs at once. I just paused it to make sure I wasn't. Are any of those vocals actually words? Trippy, brah. Here is what I will give the guy with this album, I am genuinely curious to hear what is coming next. You literally cannot predict what the next song will be like the first time you hear this disc. I don't know if it is all good, but at least it is interesting for sure.
2019's Buoys starts out with a song that reminds me of the new Radiohead style of strangely sparse songs, although this one also has water drop sounds interspersed throughout for reasons. He is using effects on his voice here that are kind of trippy and remind me of the times that Vampire Weekend has used the same. No big songs here.
2022's Reset (which is done with someone or something called Sonic Boom) heads back towards the Beach Boys angle. And like that last disc, you really never know what is coming next. Spanish flamenco influence? Sure. Morose folk? Of course. "Edge of the Edge" is probably my favorite on here. No songs on here crack 2 million either. I am really interested to know how the songs from the new album sound so amazing in comparison to much of this. He also does an extended version of this and then a "dub" version too. No one listened to that.
Finally, we get to 2025's Sinister Grift. It is rad. I feel like he took the Beach Boy harmonies and the Tame Impala usage of that and wrapped them into a new set of tracks. I don't know why this one registers so cleanly with me, but I think it is really great. Still kind of trippy and weird, but also a more normal-ish indie rock record with guitars and drums and whatever. Top track as of now is "Defense," featuring the elusive Cindy Lee. 1.6 million streams.
Nice groove underlying that action. Ooooooh, wait, a Tiny Desk from 4 weeks ago!?! Fresh Tiny Desk!!!
Reminds me of Car Seat Headrest at times. The explainer on that says that this is the first time Panda Bear has toured with a full band since he started doing solo action. Two songs from the new disc ("Ferry Lady" and "Defense") and then a deep cut from a 2009 Animal Collective disc. Great harmonies. Definitely just seems like a regular ass indie band though - they stripped off the weird stuff. Which I dig! Let's go do it with the Panda!
Wikipedia Genre: contemporary folk, indie folk, country folk Home: Boulder, CO Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 8 Day: Sunday Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: I was so pleased to see this guy on the poster. Many years ago, when I was using Pandora quite a bit for my musical listening time, I had created a station I called Proper. I also had similar themed offerings like Gangsta, Fury, Camaro, and Good Country (not sure how I couldn't figure a better name for that last one). Anyway, at some point, this guy's song "The Stable Song" started popping up in my Proper playlist all the time. And it is freaking beautiful. 137.2 million streams.
Like a perfect combination of Ryan Adams, Jose Gonzalez, Billy Bragg & Wilco, and the two chill Beck albums, all rolled into one lovely little banjo-fueled nugget. And that isn't even his most popular tune! Also, damn rude of them to make him Weekend Two only. Hurtful, even.
Interestingly, he is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. His family immigrated to the Philadelphia area when he was around 7. He began touring with a band at 16, and later moved to Boulder for college (although something called Naropa University, not CU Boulder). He kept at the music thing, self-releasing a few albums before being named Best Male Songwriter by Colorado magazine Westword. He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2019, and his most streamed tune was used in a McDonald's commercial, of all things. "Big Black Car," from 2009's This Empty Northern Hemisphere, with 330.5 million streams.
Fascinating. Why in the world would McD's choose that chill ditty to sell their slop. Well, I found it, and I guess it actually kinda works.
First apartment! Christmas! Candlelit dinner of dry and cold Big Macs that you apparently left out while you made a jenky shape on the wall in white lights! But yeah, actually kind of cute and it works with the song.
He has a handful of singles with like-minded fellas. Nathaniel Rateliff. Noah Kahan. Shovels & Rope. The Rateliff tune is excellent. HIs second-biggest streamer is off of 2013's Weatherman - "Amsterdam" has 193.5 million streams.
His voice sounds like magic. Is that some sort of an effect he is putting on there, or is he just layering his own voice to make harmonies? I don't know, but I like it. Like all of this actually - I've pretty much just let it play for four days over the last weekend to keep enjoying these songs. It's nothing revolutionary or out-of-the-ordinary, but if you are looking for beauty in folky goodness, this is the place.
One Liner: Bedroom pop gal who can do lite rock, but seems to be heading back to the bedroom
Wikipedia Genre: alt pop, bedroom pop Home:L.A. Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 14 Day: Friday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Last here in 2022. Real name is Claire Chicha - I feel like Chicha is a pretty fun band name. She left college to become an assistant tour manager for someone called Gus Dapperton, but then left that to start doing her own thing. One article I read makes it sound like she works a dispensary in L.A. during the day and then goes home to work up new tracks. It kind of has an Olivia Rodrigo vibe to some of the top tracks. I'll give you one single right now to prove that point, and this one includes our buddy Gus on it as well. "Velcro" with 6.5 million streams.
Hear that light, confessional singing thing, with the gently rockin' guitar bit building up on the side? Is she trying to sing along to her song? If so, then she needs some lip synch practice. Oh, now she has it down! She practiced it! The chorus is fun - I like the brawnier bit there. Dig it.
Zero albums. Two EPs and a handful of singles. Velcro up there is from the EP named Bonnie, released in 2021. Her most recent EP's top single, "Splinter," also has that lite rock Rodrigo vibe. I like it too. But her top track is a 2020 single called "Cotton Candy," with 24.9 million streams.
Nah, much less into the toy ukulele singing in the bedroom vibe. Give me the tracks with the electric guitar and a stronger voice. Which is maybe a problem. Her most recent three songs have a more bedroom pop/Billie Eilish singing torchy ballads type thing ("Hold Me" for sure, but also "Angie" and "Assis"), which I don't want. Go back to the rockin' stuff, brah! Probably won't do this one, but not just eliminating it outright like I would many of the bedroom pop type things...
One Liner: Unknown band from Finneas and Ashe Wikipedia Genre: No one knows, but likely terrible bedroom pop! Home: Space and Time Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 7 Day: Friday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: The initial riff of the initial song made me smile. This has got to be a famous person, for a band I've never heard of, playing classic rock, with only one 2023 album to their name, to be this high on the poster. Only 880 monthly listeners, and not a single one of their songs even has a play count listed (which usually means they are under 1,000 streams. But they are on line seven? Seriously, is this David Bowie in a wig or something? Hearing Bowie and Queens of the Stone Age-type psych rock vibes, and I dig it.
There is a British indie rock band on Wikipedia, but it is named The Favours. But that is not this (I don't think?) After digging on Reddit for a bit, several people say that this band that is on Spotify is not the real band and instead a new project between Finneas and Ashe is going to drop soon. Finneas is Billie Eilish's brother. Ashe, never heard of her. So, I am actually kind of disappointed that we are not going to get this rad psych rock thing that I have been jamming for a while now.
Going to pause this review and come back to it, being that this is apparently a mystery that needs to unravel (i.e. they need to post some actual music to the world).
Wikipedia Genre: house, electronic, dance Home:Austin! Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 11 Day: Saturday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Well, I was kinda hoping this was going to be some dank rap, although I have no clue why the band name denoted a rapper in my mind. Just seemed right. Instead, this is EDM party-time.
She was last here in 2021, and has since added a Taylor Swift remix and actual albums to her catalog. But still, listening to her catalog is brutal because she has 478 remixes of the same song on Spotify. I was kind of generally enjoying the tunes for a while, but have reached a point in the songs that they are bugging me. "Gas Me Up" made me want to switch to listen to something else, and there are too many remixes of the same songs in here so that it feels like I'm hearing the same thing over and over. She really likes the power female singer accompaniment - like some mid-90's C&C Music Factory thing from 30 years ago.
Her label bio says that she was born in Oregon but is based in Austin now. So that is cool. She studied piano at UC Berkeley. Real name is Leah Chisholm. One article about her says this for an origin story: "she played piano at various locations throughout San Francisco until one fateful night she was approached by a producer from Daft Punk while playing jazz piano at popular spot Madrone Art Bar. Recognizing her talent as a musician, she was recruited to be part of an all-female electronic band." Pretty neat.
I just found something that, at least for me, was very interesting. Among her singles and remixes and many, many collaborations - a 2023 album called Garcia (Remixed), which is all Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead vocals remixed into techno songs. I don't know if it is actually good, but I am entranced nonetheless. I wonder how that works. Did she have to get permission to use his vocals, pay a percentage? Or can remixes just use what they want and its a fair use or something? If so, I vote that someone does this again with cooler background tunes. These are kinda same-sounding, although I dig hearing "Deal" and "Sugaree."
Top track that isn't a remix is "Forever and a Day" with 30.7 million streams.
Like I said - power belting lady singer over generic house beats. Check the box. But, someone asked to find them an EDM artist who would be blowing the Tito's tent up for this year's festival. We don't know her stage, but this might be the one. I'd rather have one with more bass, but who knows. Second-biggest streamer (non-remix division) is "All In a Dream." 28.6 million.
Big sound. Huge singer added in there, and the bouncy house pianos are pretty fun. I am confused by her report of how she came up with her DJ name. The internet says she chose "LP" from her own name (which should then be LC for Leah Chisholm) and Giobbi is her mother's maiden name. Makes me think of a glob of snot for some reason. Let's throw in the TayTay remix, just so you can hear what the kids are really wanting. 33.8 million streams.
An official remix posted to the real Taylor Swift YouTube channel and everything. Huge. I mean, it's fine, not sure that it actually makes the original that much better for me.
Probably wouldn't go see this one, but if you're into EDM, would be high energy fun.
One Liner: Synth pop falsetto guy with two big hits from last decade
Wikipedia Genre: Electropop, alternative dance, indietronica, synth-pop, indie pop, neo-psychedelia, art pop (whew, quite a list!) Home:Cambridge, Massachusetts Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 9 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: The name definitely sounded familiar, but before firing this up I did not remember either of their hits. But here is what I wrote about their 2015 album when I wrote a truly quick hit review in 2015. "Passion Pit - Kindred. I've just never been able to get on board with Passion Pit. The guy who offices next to me loooooooves them, but I just can't get it to click for me. "Sleepyhead" off of 2009's Manners was an interesting song, kind of like the Avalanches until the singing starts, and "Take a Walk" from 2012's Gossamer was fine until the radio hammered it into everyone's face, but I just can't get behind this new album. His high pitched singing is part of the issue, it never ever drops down into the normal range, and he cranks up auto-tune some on here as well. Just not my stuff."
After wandering around in the catalog for a day and a half, I think that is still my feeling. 2009's Manners has some other good tunes on it, "Carried Away" from Gossamer is pretty good, but that is about all the praise I can come up with. I'm just not that much of a synth pop falsetto-all-the-time guy I guess. The band formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2007, taking their name from a slang dictionary's term for drive-in theaters where teenagers could bone in their cars. Michael Angelakos is the singer, synth player, and mastermind behind the whole thing, and he grabs several other players to come along for live shows. At first, they gained some notoriety on the campus of Emerson College, where Angelakos was a student and handed out self-produced copies of their debut. "Sleepyhead" was one of those initial singles, and it is still one of their top two tracks with 230.8 million streams.
Do people even know the Avalanches anymore? Anyway, the backing tune to that song is significantly better than the annoying ass vocals for me. That tune was off of 2009's Manners, their debut album, and I guess all they had to play when they were last here in 2009. Their next album Gossamer has their biggest hit, "Take a Walk" with 315.5 million streams.
Sweet effects with that bouncing raquetball! Was this the first drone footage ever? Yeah, that is a good song. I just remember being very tired of hearing that same synth/guitar riff from the chorus. Interestingly, no new albums since 2017, just one new single in 2023 and a remix or two more recently. After digging back into this, I really don't think I'd do this show unless it is a key band for my friends.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but like rap-rock, trashy hell garbage? Home:Pierce City, Missouri Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 14 Day: Friday Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Dammit. I was hoping for something I could just let play while I got stuff done around here. That most popular song is not what I want at all. Now I need to write this up quickly because I've gotten through the top ten and it is all butt. Whiny ass half-rap garbage.
No Wikipedia to give me an easy backstory. His name is apparently Avrey Freeman, and he is from Pierce City, Missouri. He started with poetry and then songs at 12, and then started posting his music onto Soundcloud at 17. He described his music thusly: "I would describe my music by saying it’s a good scratch for the brain. An orgasm for your ears maybe. It’s all of everything I’ve ever been influenced by packed into one song. Hip hop – punk – folk I think you can hear a lot of different influences in my music." [uurrrrkk, vomit sounds, urrrrrrrkkkk]
First singles in 2021 with a pile of singles after that, and then one album with 2024's hara-kiri. Top song is on that album - "I'd Rather Overdose" with 60.7 million streams.
It's like a bad Post Malone thing? Or one of those dorks that was here previously who was Travis Barker's little protege? "Stuck On The Floor" is his second-most streamed with 13 million.
Just whiny ass, boring stuff. I don't care for it at all. No thank you.
Wikipedia Genre: Southern soul, R&B, Americana, roots rock, blues rock Home:Nashville Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 12 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: I don't know why I expected this to be country, but it is most definitely not country. Got that blue eyed soul thing going. There is an artist that plays on KUTX a lot who this makes me think of, but I can't think of his name. Sorta Marc Broussard, but that's not who I'm thinking of. Maybe Ray Lamontagne.
Michael Cameron Anderson is originally from Athens, Alabama, but has been in Nashville for a long time. He performed an original song at his seventh grade talent show, after teaching himself piano because of an inspiration from Ben Folds. He moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to attend college and study to be a musical engineer, and then moved to Nashville. I actually drove through Murfreesboro a month or so ago. What a weird ass name for a place. That is too many r's around an f. I don't believe anyone can say that without sounding like Sling Blade. Anyway, homie originally recorded as Mike Anderson and then realized that name sucks butt. HIs self-released original album is weird, in that he made two discs - the White disc was apparently progressive soul, while the Red disc was apparently a darker rock sound. I have to say apparently, because those are not available to me on Spotify. The first album available there is 2015's Delilah. Also, random, but he dated Miranda Lambert for a minute. She was awesome at Two Step Inn.
"Falling" is terrible - sometimes he gets deeply cheesy. When that song just came on it made me want to finish this post and move on to something else. Yuck. Sorry. Maybe that was rude, but that song really broke up my vibe. I also can't say I love the cover of "Always Be My Baby."
Three albums (that we can see) - 2015's Delilah, 2018's Encore, and 2021's Maybe We Never Die. Maybe new music is coming, because it seems weird for him to be here with nothing new at all. HIs top songs, other than the one on the 50 Shades soundtrack, are from that 2018 album. "This Too Shall Last" is his top track with 45.8 million streams.
That is significant neck beard, Mike. Maybe clean that shit up for your next cover. But yeah, nice little tune. Strong voice. Speaking of which, a live song popped up as I drove home yesterday, and it honestly sounded like he was struggling a little with the notes. It was "Hold On, I'm Comin'." I mean, I'm not selling albums and packing rooms, so far be it from me to be a jerk and criticize, but it was a little loose. "All On My Mind," also from that album, is his second biggest tune, but I'll reach back to an earlier one and give you "Satisfy Me" from his first disc. 18.3 million streams.
All three versions on YouTube were live, so I guess you get the top one. Sounds pretty much like the real thing though. Again, great voice! Adds that rough edge to it so that it feels like he really cares. I'm sort of torn on him - in moments I really enjoy it, and then at other moments I really want it to stop. We'll see how the schedule shakes out.
One Liner: Extra poppy indie rock with all of the falsettos and that "Home" song
Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock Home:London Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 13 Day: Friday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: I really thought that this band had already been here - when I picked them as the next writeup, I went and searched for my prior posts, only to find out I have nothing. Weird. I wonder what their name is making me think of. But hit play on their biggest hit, and you immediately know which one these dudes are - "darling, won't yuou take me hooooooooaaahhhhooooohhhhhme?" I'm trying to think of what other bands this makes me think of, with the slightly shrill lead singer's voice never giving me a break. Maybe Foster the People? MGMT? Mt. Joy? I dunno.
Absolute trash of a Wikipedia entry: "Good Neighbours are an English indie rock duo formed in London in 2024, comprising two members: Oli Fox and Scott Verrill. Their debut single, "Home", was released on 17 January 2024 to commercial success; peaking at number 26 in the UK." That's it. I gotta say though, Oli Fox is an absolutely banger of a name. That dude should have been a footballer for City and they could have sung bloody brilliant songs using that name. Apparently, they each had some minor success on their own before coming together, with Fox supporting Sigrid (still love her!) on her UK tour and Verrill creating a solo band named kwassa after the Vampire Weekend song. They came together to create indie rock action for the world. The big hit sort of makes me think it was used in a commercial. Doesn't this feel like an Apple commercial should be playing?
410.0 million streams so far, massively outperforming any other tune in the catalog. And deserved - nice little groove and lyrics that make you nostalgic. That was literally their first single - pretty sweet for your first foray into the world to become a global smash. I guess it could also be a bummer, if you never see those heights again. They also released a cover of "Espresso," so they are bound to play that again for the Fest. No actual albums, closest they have is a 2024 EP called Good Neighbors. It, of course, also features "Home" and after counting their Spotify, that song is available eight different times. Out of 27 total tracks available. It looks like they want "Ripple" to be the next hit, since it is available seven times out of the 27 songs. You can see why listening to this feels pretty repetitive because the same songs keep rolling around. 10.3 million streams.
He actually brings his voice down out of the falsetto for that one! It is glorious! It is super catchy and fun though. New single "Starry Eyed" makes me think of MGMT for sure. This stuff is pretty fun. A little grating with the falsetto tone all the time, and something about the cuteness of it all grates a smidge too. But I also think it should be a pretty fun show to go bop around to.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but rock, pop rock, alternative, surf rock Home:San Antonio Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 19 Day: Saturday Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: When I just pulled them up on Spotify and saw their photo, I literally said "Oh Lord" out loud. Cheesy prom-ish picture of some dudes who look like they are 19 year olds trying to pass off as 22. And then the first song restored my faith in the world. Its a little punky, a little indie rock, a little alternative, a sniff of surf rock, and a lot of fun for me.
San Antonio! It doesn't feel like we end up with many bands from SA! But I like San Antonio. I don't love some of the flashy new crap that is popping up there and sort of Austin-izing the scene, but there is kick ass food and good bars all around that town, along with less traffic.
Inoha on Wikipedia takes me to Japanese people - soccer players, aristocrats, and whatnot. Apparently, one member of the band was still at Trinity University when their debut, Aloha, came out last year. The tunes on there remind me of other folks who have come through the festival - thinking of Two Door Cinema Club and Backseat Lovers right now - but with a slightly different tweak to things. But bright guitars and a kind of playful vocal-style make it seem fun. The big single appears to have been "Seventh Heaven," with a whopping 52.7 million streams (way more than any other tune on here).
You hear those Two Door guitars starting that sucker off? And then they just jam out for a bit as the singer goes on about falling apart around age 30. Wait until you're closer to 50, kid. "Saturday Nights" is also fun and bright, but it fell behind "GESHUOU" in the streams war. 6.2 million.
Another one that makes me grin is "Papaya Man," where the guitars sort of remind me of Turnstile's "Underwater Boi" but the lyrics about trying to find the Papaya Man cracks me up. I catch a sniff of Weezer in some of these tunes too, like in "Biggest Salmon." The band has done some goofy YouTube stuff as well, so that when you search their name you get several entries talking about the Inoha Band Controversy! But it appears to be a stunt and not an actual controversy with them. Oh, those crazy kids! I can't actually watch any of them, or many of the other pieces of media about these dudes, because I can't access TikTok or Instagram from my work computer. Just have to assume they are as wholesome and wonderful as these tunes.
As an indication of my pleasure here, I finished this post a while back but just kept the music rolling. Fun stuff, I'd go watch it happen.
One Liner: Country that veers into a folky pop at times, but sounds great in either
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but country, Americana, folky pop Home:Athens, GA (via Orlando and many other spots) Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 20 Day: Saturday Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: The first song kind of came at me like a Dayglow vibe, and then she kicks in the singing and it is alluring. I've been through the whole catalog (not a huge feat, relatively limited) and that holds throughout. Walks a fine line between country and folky pop, that sort of brings to mind people like Sierra Ferrell at times.
No Wikipedia, so I have to piece together a background from elsewhere. Her website bio says she was raised in Central Florida. According to Wikipedia, that is usually defined as Tampa to Orlando. Sounds like a deliciously trashy section of the world. She began songwriting at the age of 13, teaching herself to play on her dad's "collection of 1980's songbooks." The idea of a songbook today is hilarious. I had (maybe still have) one of Robert Earl Keen songs from when I thought I would play guitar. Until I tried playing the dang F chord. That one broke me.
A.G. Schiano is her real name. The name Clover County is an homage to the places she has lived. Orlando to Denver to Atlanta to Birmingham to Athens (to attend UGA). Thats a fun string of towns to me. But they don't seem especially prone to clovers? Ah, no, this is metaphorical: "“Clover County'' represents a state of mind, no matter where you’re planted you have the choice to grow." Are clovers especially hearty? Feels like weeds would be the heartiest and able to grow no matter what. I guess Weed County brings to mind a different vibe.
A couple of singles and then one 2024 EP called Porch Lights. To track is "Ultraviolet" from the EP, with 383k streams.
That bright and sunny start is cool, and her voice comes in with a lilt of country but joins in on the bopping of the beat. By the chorus, she just sounds like she's singing a pop song. I like it. "Under These Conditions" is also on the new EP, and is her second-most streamed with 268k.
A little more stripped down, but the steel on the chorus and that piano joining in makes the song for me. That is a really nice song. I am going to share it with the wife right now.
I'd go watch this for sure. I don't know if she will be in the noon area of the schedule where I'll miss out on it, but I really enjoy what she has going on.
Wikipedia Genre: hip hop, R&B Home:Tallahassee Poster Position: Top Quarter - Line 2 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Fascinating. I don't know squat about T-Pain. Like at all. He's more of a punch line to me, just anytime someone has their Auto-Tune cranked to a million, then it's a T-Pain thing. Which is sort of too bad, because he seems like a nice dude who is kind of funny. Like, check out his Tiny Desk show!
Wonderful voice - why does he always shaft it up with the effects??? But I could not name you a single song. I remember his parts on other people's songs, like Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat!" but just not any of his own. And now that I actually listen to him for a while, it dawns on me that he's actually not really a rapper. He's just an auto-tuned R&B singer.
Faheem Rashad Najm is originally from Tallahassee, Florida. He first popped off in 2005 with his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga. Since then, he has released five more albums, but his main source of fame and success has been as a feature on others' songs. FloRida's "Low" has been certified diamond. Grammy Awards for Kanye's "Good Life" and Jamie Foxx's "Blame It." Wikipedia says that for a time in 2007, he was featured on four of the top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Impressive. His stage name is short for Tallahassee Pain, and he apparently chose that because of his hard upbringing in that town. He was raised in a Muslim household, but apparently didn't care much about religion. For a short while he was in the group Nappy Headz, but by the time of his first album he was back to being solo.
His top two songs are both from 2007's Epiphany - "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (780.5 million) and "Bartender" (479.5 million). Here is that top track, featuring Yung Joc.
Really weird. I 100% don't know that tune. For being a huge hit, it just passed me by. His face looks as Auto-tuned as his voice. Nothing special to me, but as I have established in the past, I am not an R&B guy.
He has been married to his wife since 2003, and they have three kids, named: Lyriq, Muziq, and Kaydnz Kodah. Why do the first two get names derived from Daddy's occupation and the third gets whatever the hell that was? He is a big gamer, and I've seen some of his most popular stuff from Twitch streams on YouTube, and they are pretty funny.
And his hot ones episode is cracking me up too.
He truly seems like a sweet and likeable guy. Please don't tell me that he has been cancelled or whatever.
Not his second-most streamed, but I want to give you this other one because the name rules. "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)" features Mike Jones and has 208.7 million streams.
Kinda funny, but just really not a good song. "get her over to my crib and do the night thing." Haha, Mike Jones and his dumb phone number thing. That is a weak verse. After plowing through a lot of the most popular songs and those old top albums, I just realize that this is not really my thing! Just hearing purely Auto-Tune squawking, it really gets painful. I spent a chunk of today listening, and I need to pull the plug and move on.
However, I have to recommend the experience of his covers album. He has two albums of covers that are so fun! 2023's On Top of The Covers includes "War Pigs" "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Don't Stop Believin'" while 2023's live version adds even more goodness like "Shout," "This is How We Do It," and "American Woman." Haha - "War Pig" freaking jams and while it's not as hard here as I want it to be (compared to the original), it's still a good time. He almost sounds like Ozzy! Also, related, dude can freaking SING! Check out "Don't Stop Believin'" and bask in the lack of Autotune.
His final album is something with Young Cash called Bluez Brothaz, from 2024. Honestly? "The Introduction" was kinda awesome and sucked me in. And then "Biggest Booty" hit with another overload of the damn Auto-Tune. And even though I rag on it, I can pretty much guarantee you that this show will be freaking fun. I doubt I'll do it, but the dance party vibes will be very real.
One Liner: Folky Canadians who have come around to a poppier, cleaner sound
Wikipedia Genre: Indie folk Home: Toronto Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 11 Day: Sunday Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: I literally just said to myself - I just want to find something new that I can listen to for a while and enjoy as I get some work done. No disrespect to the folks I just finished reviewing, but this is a welcome find here. I also just needed to grind on something for like 4 straight hours, so I have definitely given them a fair amount of my time. It's very nice!
And why wouldn't it be nice to listen to a band of Canadian people who have named their band after a lovely feature of their beautiful country? The members met at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and formed the band in 2013. At first, it was just two of them - Devan Glover on vocals and Khalid Yassein on vocals and guitar - that went into the studio to make some magic. But later they hooked up with Andrew Oliver to add more guitar and some synths to the sound. By 2023, they were opening for the Chicks for part of their world tour.
Four albums of nice little folky tunes that every once in a while can fire up. 2016's Wild Rivers, 2022's Sidelines, 2024's Never Better, and 2024's Better Now. "Thinking 'Bout Love" is one of only two with more than 100 million streams, at 174.5 million. Not even on one of the albums, on a 2020 EP called Songs to Break Up To.
That one feels less like indie folk and more like an R&B-ish pop thing. I'm sure it was a TikTok tune. Almost has a John Mayer vibe to it, but without any guitar fireworks in the middle. One of their two 2024 albums received a Juno nomination for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. Their second-biggest tune was on their debut - "Speak Too Soon" has 115.5 million streams.
Now that is a little more like the Indie Folk I was expecting. Like that Caamp band, but with a lady cranking the harmonies. The newest album has a more polished sound than either of those - the title track has an insistent beat to it that is a little bit jittery and forward, as opposed to the lazy feel of that first disc. "Cave" could be like a Nashville duet. Actually, same with "Anyways, I Love You." I could easily see that being like a Maren Morris/Brothers Osborne tune. Not a bad thing, just a definite shift.
One Liner: Japanese R&B and pop with a huge TikTok hit and then some other catchy bits
Wikipedia Genre: J-Pop, R&B, pop Home: Satosho, Okayama, Japan Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 8 Day: Saturday Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: Damn. I was really hoping that I was about to get something that matched up to the idea of a Kamikaze - like angry ass Japanese Fugazi. Instead, the top song is like if Harry Connick Jr. used trap beats and only sang in Japanese. Pretty catchy. Pretty weird! And much like my statements about Feid, I don't know what to do with all of this.
That is apparently his real name, which is interesting on its own. He began by posting piano covers of pop songs to YouTube when he was 12, and then he signed to a Universal imprint after more than 30 million views. His first album was big in Japan, 2020's Help Ever Hurt Never. reaching #1 and being certified gold. But it wasn't until "Shinunoga E-Wa" became a viral hit on social media that he made waves outside of Japan. That song is, for sure, his biggest hit. 682.7 million streams.
Nice voice. Pretty piano. I have no clue why this would go viral - have my girls done weird TikTok dances to this? But catchy, even if I have no clue what he is going on about. As I have kept this one going, I actually just had the thought that I needed to put some music on while I work. But this was already playing. Not a good sign for your music when my brain just registers it as silence. It means I need to get this over with. The song I am in now is R&B, but with Japanese lyrics. Strange thing to hear.
In 2021, he won Best Breakthrough Artist as something called Space Shower Music Awards. Way to go! He also won Popular New Artist at the Music Pen Club Music Awards and the Grand Prize <Blue> at the CD Shop Awards. I feel like this was all translated from Japanese like the words that would come on the screen in old school Nintendo games.
His second biggest streamer has a title that I don't know how to type because it is in Japanese characters. "まつり" is maybe it? Whatever. 261 million streams though.
Weird that YouTube calls that "Kirari," while Spotify just uses the Japanese characters. Again, sounds kind of fun and catchy, and he's a good-looking fun bro. But none of this was made for me. I am good to let other people enjoy this adventure. I need to find a Japanese Fugazi now.
One Liner: Reggaeton/Urbano in Spanish Wikipedia Genre: Urbano Home: Medellin, Columbia
Poster Position: Top Line - Line 2 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Always a fascinating thing to realize how limited your musical scope is. I think I listen to an absolute ton of music, and yet I've never even heard the name of this guy who has FIVE billion stream songs in his top ten on Spotify. But have I ever heard anyone say the word "Feid" before? No, dear reader, I have not. In fact, I need to figure out how you pronounce it. Actually fascinating. Not like feed, and not like the end of Bonafide. You pronounce it like the word "faith," but with a Spanish emphasis. Sort of like "fade," but with a little faiid to it. There you go. Faiide.
Salomon Villada Hoyos is from Medellin, Columbia, and also performs under the name Ferxxo. To my extremely untrained ear, this just sounds like Bad Bunny. Wikipedia calls this style of music "urbano," but also mentions that he got into reggaeton after he stopped playing the clarinet. His background on Wikipedia is pretty limited - his dad is a university professor in "arts" and his mom is a preschool teacher and psychologist. He got to work with other reggaeton artists like J Balvin, which helped him get bigger. He is also apparently a partner to Karol G, who was here previously.
I winded about this last year when Carin Leon took this exact same spot on the poster. Annoying to have an artist I can't understand at all take over a top tier spot in the lineup. Yes, I know he is insanely popular. But also, for me personally, this is just something I won't go watch.
His first singles popped out in 2014, but he didn't start getting serious streams until 2016 singles, about the time he partnered with J Balvin. 9 albums - 2017's Asi Como Suena, 2019's 19, 2020's FERXXO (VOL 1:M.O.R.), 2020's BAHIA DUCATI, 2021's INTER SHIBUYA - LA MAFIA, 2022's FELIZ CUMPLEANOS FERXXO TE PIRATEAMOS EL ALBUM (wtf is up with these album titles?), 2023's MOR, No Le Temas a La Obscuridad, 2023's FERXXOCALIPSIS, 2024's LOS 9 DE FERXXO Y SKY ROMPIENDO. Typing all of that out truly sucked ass. He has a million singles as well.
Top track is from FERXXOCALIPSIS, called "LUNA" and with 1.25 billion streams. Also features something called ATL Jacob.
Sure. No clue what he is saying, and the beat really gets me nothing. I know that a lot of people disagree with me on that, which is fine, but I just don't get the appeal. We'll do one more just to give you the flavor. Second biggest is "Feliz Cumpleanos Ferxxo" with 1.20 billion streams. I never want to come off as dismissing of these sorts of artists, and I'm sure someone from Columbia thinks that every Pearl Jam song sounds just the same, but ... I think that maybe because I don't know the words, those just sound like another noise in the song, so that it just feels like the same beat with the same vocal noise over and over again. I'll find something else to check out during this hour and leave it to the fun people to go dance their asses off.
One Liner: Gritty pop music reminds me of cleaner Billie Eilish, dirtier Maggie Rogers.
Wikipedia Genre: Pop Home: Brooklyn Poster Position: Top Quarter - Line 4 Day: Friday Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Last here in 2019, but I don't think I did the show. Or at least I don't recall it! High position on the poster for something that doesn't feel like it has a big footprint in the world, but that also shows you how well I travel in the circles of pop music. Also surprising? It's really good. Her name makes me think of Super Mario Brothers for some reason, despite there not being a character in that game named King Princess. When you could play with Princess Peach though, in like Mario 2 or 3, and her ass could fly for a lil' bit? That ruled. I'm sure she is in Super Smash Bros as well, but that game is annoying because I always get my ass whipped. Real name is Mikaela Mullaney Straus and she was born in Brooklyn. Not one of these carpetbaggers coming to town for the cool, she was born there. Weird factoid from her Wikipedia - her grandparents (maybe great-great grandparents or something, this is not clear) died in the sinking of the Titanic. He may have also co-owned Macy's, although Mikaela says she didn't inherit a fortune.
Anyway, her dad was a sound engineer at Mission Studio. She spent years with her dad in the studio, watching him work as a recording engineer. She also learned bass, guitar, piano, and drums in the studio, as well as production techniques. Pretty handy way to grow up! Her initial single, "1950," is by far her most popular, due in part to Harry Styles tweeting a lyric from it. 591.4 million streams for that one.
Freaking beautiful song. Although, I have to admit that the first few listens, I thought her cut off phrasing of "for you" in the chorus was a kiss off of "fuck you" instead. Which big time changes the message of the song. Not a kiss off at all, just a lovely love song. Also, though the extended phrasing on "tell me why my guuyuuuuyuuuuuyyuuuu-ods look like you" was actually "guys look like you," which is also another message. She has a cover of "Femme Fatale" among her songs available on Spotify, and while most will obviously identify that as the Velvet Underground, that song is still an R.E.M. song to me because of the cover I heard off of Chronic Town/Dead Letter Office long before I knew who Velvet Underground even was. It's a nice cover here too. She covered "Dirty Work" for Hacks too, which is a great tune. She also has a song called "Pussy Is God," so there's that. Her second most streamed is one called "Talia," released in 2018 after "1950." Both of these also made it onto her EP from 2018, called "Make My Bed." "Talia" has 132.4 million streams.
She's super in love with that doll! That song is OK - not nearly as good as the first one. Also, kind of sad, with the need to drink enough to see her friend. Can definitely see the crowd at ACL learning when to yell "BUT FOUR DRINKS I'M WASTED!"
Two albums - 2019's Cheap Queen and 2022's Hold On Baby. I must have published my 2019 review prior to Cheap Queen being released, because I don't mention it and never reviewed it otherwise. The top track on there is "Ain't Together" with 40.2 million streams.
Okay, that has a Japanese Breakfast/soccer mommy kinda vibe. Nice. Her cover for that album was doing the Chappell Roan freaky makeup thing long before Chappell Roan was playing state fairs. "Isabel's Moment" and "Hit the Back" kind of remind me of Adele for bits, although the latter turns into a dance party after the slow intro. She got another boost from Harry when he named her to be the opener for a chunk of his 2020 tour, and then got named to play Saturday Night Live at the end of 2019. Since then, she's continued to open for kick ass things - Kacey Musgraves, Chili Peppers - and do her own tours as well.
2022's Hold On Baby - when this one started, I legitimately thought that it was a new St. Vincent song. "I Hate Myself, I Want to Party" and "For My Friends" are the two tracks that stick out to me as being really solid here. But "Little Bother" has slightly more streams than "For My Friends," so I'll let you try that one on. 9.3 million streams.
Nice harmonies, kind of makes me think of Lucius. "Let Us Die," the final song, is also a good one. While it is always surprising for me to dig on pop, I really enjoy this one. The tunes kind of make me think of this current moment in pop, with stars like the 1975 and Maggie Rogers making this sort of rock-feeling pop that doesn't actually lean on guitars but has the heft of a rock style. I'm shocked to like this one so much, but I actually do. I might go try this one out.
One Liner: Varied selection of cover tunes turned into a nice little country set Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but I'd call this Country Home: Richmond, VA
Poster Position: Bottom Quarter - Line 23 Friday. Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: Well, I already like her name because Antone's is a dope old club. And I've already heard her because she came to Two Step Inn this year, and is also featured on fellow poster dweller Willow Avalon's hit. She has a distinctive voice for sure.
No Wikipedia. Her bio that is repeated in multiple places says that she won her parents over from a young age by singing along to the radio from her carseat, enough that they supported her through voice lessons, musical theater, and National Anthem gigs around their hometown of Richmond, VA. She put out a cover of a Tyler Childers song that went viral, and after an album of covers, she fired out a real album of her own tunes, with a bunch of top tier collaborators in the writing room.
2022's Interpretations features two Childers tracks ("Lady May" and "Feathered Indians"), Dolly's "Jolene," Prine's "Spanish Pipe Dream," Blink 182's "Adam's Song," and then two I had to look up - Beyonce with "Daddy Lessons" and David Gray with "This Year's Love." That is an extremely varied little jukebox! The two Childers tunes are the top streamers, this is "Lady May" with 2.7 million.
The album version she did for that 2022 thing is better - cleaner, with better vocals for sure. One album, other than the covers disc, 2024's Rhinestoned. It has two songs that seem to have clicked, some are as low as 135k streams, but the top one is "Johnny Moonshine" with 8.3 million streamarooos.
MAGOOOOGGIE is for lovers? Mmmmkay. Catchy for sure, and her voice has a classic lilt to it that is really nice. The lyrics to "suburban outlaw" are even better, with her taking down some dickhead guy. Nothing new released since. None of this is going to change my life, but it's nice, legitimate country music.
