Haute & Freddy

One Liner: Overly theatrical 80's synth pop by veteran songwriters
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but I will go with 80's synth pop
Home: unclear

Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 16
Day: Sunday
Weekend One Only.

American Express Stage at 2:30

Thoughts:  I made myself laugh out loud just now by trying to say this band name out loud like the Ahmed character in Beverly Hills Cop.  I'm a simple man.

Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp wrote hits for Britney Spears and Katy Perry, says Rolling Stone.  The RS website is unreadable - in part because it is behind a paywall, but also because of the number of popup ads and garbage floating around there.  And yes, I cannot install a pop-up ad blocker at work so I have popup ads like a boomer.  She also co-wrote a song for Kylie Minogue, one for Bebe Rexha, and one for Lady A.  He co-wrote songs for Shenseea, Britney, Bebe Rexha, Taevyon, and others.  This project finds the two of them together, but it appears to just be Buzz singing over the top of synth pop.  Definitely 80's music sound, which they have called "runaway carnie" theatrical pop.  Weird that the band name has nothing to do with their names.

Only four songs, so not just a ton to judge from so far.  And very few streams for really any of them, so it is interesting that they are up here on the poster over more established acts.  I guess they are in to being freaky so that gets them some cred.  I'll give you the second-most streamed song, just because the article I just read said that this video will cause me to clutch my pearls.  "Scantily Clad" with 1.7 million streams.

Yes, very theatrical for sure.  As an ex-theater kid myself, I can see where we are going with this, but at no time did I feel the need to clutch a pearl.  Cringe a little, yes.  But actually find something offensive or over the line?  Nah.  I think I am good without seeing them, even though major theatrics may be fun for an hour at the festival.

Culture Club

One Liner: Classic 80's band with a surprisingly short lifespan

Wikipedia Genre: New wave, pop, soul, blue-eyed soul, dance-rock, sophisti-pop (that is a new one!)
Home: London

Poster Position: 7
Weekend Two Only.  Saturday.

Thoughts:  The addition of this band made me think about who are the bands that I want to see brought out of the 80's dust bin and shoved back up onstage for me to enjoy.  I know you wanted to hear about Culture Club, and I'll get to that, but first let's remember some things that would be fun to see in future years to bring up some heavy nostalgia points.

We have already enjoyed some 80's groups: Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Lionel Richie, The Replacements, Dwight Yoakum, David Byrne (although a real Talking Heads show would have been more better).  And likely more that I am not remembering.  You could probably lump LL Cool J in there.  AND, those are much bigger artists than Culture Club - Depeche Mode has many hits, which CC really only has the two.  So we need to step it down even a little bit from those that I am saying we had in the past.

• Def Leppard.  I don't want to dive in to a whole hairband argument here, but I don't really give a damn about most of them coming.  Poison, Whitesnake, KISS, Warrant, Motley Crue - none of those would really interest me.  But Def Leppard rules.  Although, I guess by my own rules above, they have way too many hits to be on the level of Culture Club.
• Tears for Fears.  A million percent.  Let's do this.  3 hits, right?  That is perfect for this slot.
• Cyndi Lauper.  I'm honestly shocked that she hasn't already done it, unless she is like dead or something.  3 hits and then some almost ones like the Goonies theme.
• Speaking of which, Wham! would have been the perfect thing here, except for George Michael having passed on.  Also, The Cars would have been SICK!  Or INXS!  Stupid death!
• Hall & Oates!  I'm actually shocked that they haven't already been on the poster, since they seem to have a good bit of hipster cachet in movies and TV shows.
• The Bangles!  One of them even lives in Austin!  How has this not happened?
• The Police would be amazing.  I love that band.  But I don't think they do reunions... and they are huge, not just a little two hit wonder.  I was just thinking of 80's stuff.
• Other random ones from my personal childhood jukebox of happiness: The Outfield, DEVO (I can do a full-on dance and lip-synch to "Whip It"), New Order, B-52's, Simple Minds, Crowded House.  Lots more good ideas that would bring back some good nostalgia.
• I don't think we would get much recognition or traction from a lot of the one-hit-wonder bands like Dead or Alive, The Buggles, Kajagoogoo, Thompson Twins, Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, Glass Tiger, Psychedelic Furs (actually, maybe they would be legit?), etc.

OK, enough of that.  This is the band with Boy George at the head of it.  The name came from them having a gay Irish man, a black Briton, a blond Englishman, and a Jewish drummer in the band.  From looking at their ten most popular songs, only three of them ring a bell.  Two were huge hits, and then one more sounds familiar further down the list.  We'll start with the mega hit.  "Karma Chameleon" with 441.8 million streams.

Oh wow.  Ye olde tyme slave trade is happening, but also a super weird guy with feathers in his hair and extreme eye makeup is there singing and making the slaves dance with the awkward hookers and soldiers and aristocrats.  What in the hell does that video think it is getting at?  And then a poker game!  Ah, he's a cheat!  Walk the plank!  "I'll get you for this!!!"  "Boy George once explained about the song: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."  WTF does that even mean?  If you don't act like you feel, then nature will get you back?  Mmmmkay.

That track was from their second album, 1983's Colour by Numbers.  Their first album had that track that seems familiar (I feel like it was on a movie soundtrack or something), "I'll Tumble 4 Ya," with 10.5 million streams.

 

I was going to say Wedding Singer, but it ends up that was actually in Billy Madison.  What a weird movie.  Fun song and fun video, but man the 80's were a weird time, right? But then that first album also had their second biggest hit, the excellent "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" with 109.4 million streams.  

I frequently still sing this song to my family members in a voice that is a cross between Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs and Marilyn Monroe's happy birthday song.  Never creepy at all.  But the track is fantastic still - that little reggae riddim and his voice combine to maker something indelible.

After Karma blew up, I'm sure they thought their ticket was punched and it was nothing but huge albums, but 1984's Waking Up With The House on Fire does not appear to have been much of a hit.  Next, because this is what people did back in the day, they went ahead and released a greatest hits album, in 1987, featuring all three of those tracks up above.  Next, a collection of remixes in 1991.  This feels sad.  Is it sad?  Why aren't they making new music here?  2002 was another Greatest Hits and collection of demos and outtakes.  2011 sees another, called Essential.  2012's was called All The Best.  What went on during this period?

They were formed in 1981 with four dudes, and were considered part of the "New Romantic" scene.  In the UK they amassed twelve top 40 hit singles, including two #1s with "Karma Chameleon" and "DO You Really Want to Hurt Me."  Karma hit #1 in the US in 1984 as well.  Wikipedia claims that "Time (Clock of the Heart)" is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.  That song rings zero bells to me.  Weird.  But right about now (1984) this was the perfect thing for MTV - a flamboyantly designed pop group with some hits, which led to winning a Grammy for Best New Artist and some other awards.  Right about now is when George was one of the stars in "Do They Know Its Christmas."

But with that third album, it was a commercial flop.  Boy George claims that it was the result of the labels forcing them to put music together after they were exhausted from a huge world tour in 1983/1984.  But also, George and the drummer, Jon Moss, had a romantic relationship at the time that had unraveled (with alleged physical and verbal abuse from both sides), which apparently led to George hitting the drugs even harder.  By 1986, George was seriously addicted to heroin.  Apparently there was a fourth album made during this time, but it is not even available on Spotify.  Wikipedia says it performed terribly as news about the heroin addiction became widespread and he was arrested in 1986.  The band broke up and George went solo.  Since then they have done a handful of reunion attempts - Wikipedia lists 1989, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2011, and 2014-present - but that last one was apparently successful enough to create Life, a 2019 album of new songs.  It is, unfortunately, not very good.  George kind of sounds like an old Mavis Staples or if Seal was 98.  The top track is "Let Somebody Love You," with 4.6 million streams.

Oh boy.  Reggae, mon!  That ain't it.  I won't be there on Second Weekend Saturday anyway, but I might have run by to check out some of the classics.

Glove

One Liner: 80's mopey new wave redux tunes

Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is some new wave, 80's, post punk
Home: Tampa

Poster Position: 19
Both Weekends.  Sunday.

Thoughts:  F'in' eighties, man.  I'm watching Stranger Things when I go home at night, and then during the day I'm apparently required to listen to 80's redux bands all freaking day.  I need to start drinking Tab and dressing in all Gap clothes.  This is some darker 80's though - not the bright pop of most of the bands that are coming, and more of the mopey, arty new wave stuff.

When you search Wikipedia for Glove (band), you get entries about Power Glove, an Aussie electronic band named after the Nintendo Power Glove, and The Glove a band made up of The Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshee's Steven Severin.  Seems wrong that there was an eighties band named The Glove, and then these dudes can just show up and call themselves Glove?  But no Wikipedia for this band.  An article I found calls this post-punk, saying they draw from bands like Wire and Joy Division.  I don't know much about those two bands, other than Joy Division begat New Order.

My guess is that this entire band's existence was based upon a shared love for "Bizarre Love Triangle," because half of the synth riffs remind me of that.  2022's Boom Nights is their only album, and it has their top song (by a bunch).  "Behavior" boasts 356k streams (and no other track has more than 100k).

That synth riff is a million percent New Order.  Pretty catchy, totally danceable.  Also, grating on my last nerve after three listens.  The band started out in 2017, patching together a group out of the remains of another group and some other friends.  Their latest release is a collaboration with the wonderfully named group A Place to Bury Strangers.  I guess for the other track I'll give you a 2019 single that is their second-most streamed (some of their songs from the album literally have less than 5k streams.  This is weird.)  "Personality Change" with 92k streams.

Freaking weird, man.  I've been beating this dead horse for a while now in these posts, but don't they know we already did this?  Those looks, those sounds, the whole deal?  AND YES, I know I am a huge hypocrite, because the second that the Black Keys put out another nostalgia-soaked blues rock track I will rock it all day long with no reservations.  Or Greta Van Fleet!  But I just don't give the same pass to the 80's synth pop thing.

It's not terrible or anything, kind of reminds me of what the Strokes would sound like if they didn't have their rad guitarist, but listening to an entire album of this will take it out of you.

I'm good!  Y'all have fun!

Darkbird

One Liner: Local synth rock done with a good dose of 80's flair

Wikipedia Genre:  No Wikipedia, but this is synth rock
Home: Austin

Poster Position: 24
Weekend One Only.  Sunday.

Thoughts:  So, Darkbird got added to the lineup last year for ACL, at the last minute, so I never formally reviewed them.  I realize now that I'm pretty sure I listened to the wrong band whenever I tried to write up a short blurb for the schedule.  Because the band that I listened to, and then wrote a tiny bit about, compared themselves to Nirvana and were pretty solid alternative rock.  I can't find them anymore, so I assume that this band of synth rock people is the real Darkbird who won a cease and desist battle or something.

Not many streams - I'm guessing they are a local band.  "Heartbeat" is their biggest hit for sure, with 185k streams.  

Yep, there is that 80's-style action, but its still a good song - propulsive and fun.  But those synth lines belong 40 years ago for sure.

Weird thing, if you search Darkbird on Wikipedia, you get redirected to the page for WWE wrestler Chris Kanyon.  And yet nothing on his Wikipedia page mentions Darkbird.  Odd.  

Here is the story the band has put out there on their website - wonderfully romantic: "Kelly Barnes left Los Angeles after a broken marriage resulted in a broken band. Just prior to the move, she unexpectedly hit international success, as the vocalist on the massive hit “Get Shaky” with the late DJ Ian Carey. While the track and a few others were financially significant to the ex-wife and waitress, Kelly was ready to explore another path that was more personally expressive.  After a tragic house fire in NYC, Brian Cole opted for a fresh start. As his belongings smoldered in the winter snow, he decided to pack up what was left and head south in search of warmer days and better luck. Ironically, while most go to LA or NYC to make their dreams come true, Brian and Kelly found each other on the musician page on Craigslist in Austin, TX. While they had hoped to leave their pasts behind, inevitably, the heartbreaks found a place they call home in Darkbird."

There is some heavy 80's synth rock stuff on here, like I have been complaining about a lot recently, but they also have some legit straight-forward rock and roll, like the guitar-riffage-heavy "Bad Self."  Only five of their songs crack the five-figure stream count, with "All There Is" as the second most one with 24.9k streams.  From a 2015 single called I Remember Feeling My Fingers Slip.

Comes on like a collaboration between Spoon and Patsy Cline.  The low key breakdown in the middle is cool in that track, and then the rest of it kicks back in.  Not an 80's replay band there, and I dig it.  Also, the visuals in that video are cool.  "3-2-Wake Up" is another that borrows heavily from the 80's sound - I can't come up with he name of the singer she is emulating, but the little staccato sound and effects that she is using reminds me of something.  "Voices Carry?"  Cyndi Lauper?  Hmmm.

Yeah, I'm overall enjoying this band.  I expect they'll get some garbage set time at noon on Sunday, but if I was around when they were going to play I'd probably go.

Muna (2022)

One Liner: HAIM-ish indie pop and 80's redux schlock
Wikipedia Genre: indie pop, synth-pop, electropop, dark pop, power pop
Home: L.A

Poster Position: 9
Weekend One Only.  Sunday.

Thoughts: They were last here in 2017, and my post about them was less than complimentary.  Apparently then, as now, I was tired of everyone emulating music from the 80's.  Also, their Wikipedia said they were "dark pop" and that made me depressed.  But, I'll say that their new disc is a little more HAIM, and I like it better.

Their Wikipedia pagetalks a good bit about how all three members identify as queer and they refuse to use gender-based pronouns in their tunes.  As far as the music goes, the old two albums are more of the same 80's homage that apparently is going to be all the rage for this year's ACL fest lineup.  This is kind of one part old school Madonna, one part HAIM, one part Kate Bush on Auto-Tune, and one part 80's cover band repeatedly practicing Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car" without a sax.

Three albums - 2017's About U, 2019's Saves the World, and 2022's MUNA.  Here is what I said about the 2017 album: 

"Music like this is why it is really hard to just listen through all of the music on this poster, as I would probably like this more if I hadn't just been subjected to several 80's homage bands in a row, to where I'm sick of hearing these same beat styles and synths and soft rock guitar stylings.  I need to go cleanse with a proper dose of metal or something for a few hours.  Because this music is fine.  It's snappy, pretty, and kind of a longing sound that should be good.  Their most popular track by a mile is the Tiesto remix of a track called "Winterbreak," with 32.6 million streams, but then their second most popular is also that song, in its original form, with 12.5 million streams.  [FYI, that song is no longer in their top ten songs.  It now has 21.4 million streams, but is not their big hit anymore.]  We'll check that one first.

Damn.  I want to bathe in those lyrics like a warm bath.  So full of sorrow and loss and longing.  That part of the song is money.  The tune itself?  I can do without.  The third-most listened to track on this album is "Loudspeaker," with 9.5 million streams.

More emotionally raw (although exuberantly sung this time) lyrics that work really well.  I want to like this one more than I do, but I honestly think I'd rather just read the lyrics and catch feels rather than listen to the actual songs.  Not sure why everyone wants to go back to the 80's sound, but I think I'm OK here in the now."

BUT, the stuff for the new album is significantly better.  The top track is the one with Phoebe Bridgers on it, called "Silk Chiffon," with 23.7 million streams.

The guitar work elevates it above the other songs, and it really sounds like the HAIM girls could be the ones up on stage jamming it out.  Also Phoebe Bridgers is a damn stud.  I'll also note that this song very clearly uses pronouns in singing about how good she feels when on her.  So I guess they ditched their old anti-pronoun stance.  I like that one much better than the old stuff.

I'm kinda in to the new sound?  I just might buy in.

The Midnight

One Liner: More 80's redux schlock

Wikipedia Genre: Synthwave, futuresynth, electronic, chillwave
Home: L.A.?  Wikipedia says the singer is based in Atlanta and the producer/singer is in L.A.

Poster Position: 10
Both Weekends.  Saturday.

Thoughts: Wellp, I keep striking out on something new and awesome.  When I saw the pink square with a handprint on it as the avatar for this band on Spotify, I thought for a second that this band might have something to do with Midnight Oil, which had me excited.  But unfortunately, this is just another band fetishizing 80's pop music.  I don't understand what the deal is with that trend.  It is maybe kinda funny for a song, to be like, "oh yeah, that sweet saxophone and synth combo is super funny!"  But then it is the ninth song and you're still stuck with below-replacement-grade 80's music, and the fun ebbs quickly.  Also, we left behind the freaking 80's music for a reason!  This stuff was a fad that ran its time!  I blame Stranger Things.

Actually, according to an article I just found, this is the fault of The Weeknd and Dua Lipa.  The Weeknd's 2020 album, with that "Blinding Lights" track that became the biggest song of the year, re-energized this thing.  Miley Cyrus did "Prisoner."  Dua Lipa did "Physical."  This has become a thing.  So now these dudes join the other people on this poster, chasing the new trend and bastardizing an old sound to make their boring replications of the original stuff.

I'm sorry.  I'm being rude.  I hate bagging on artists who are on the poster, I really do.  They are out there making music and getting picked to be at a huge music festival, and I'm just dragging them down without any appreciable talent at all.  But at the same time, I expect that you are reading this because you want to know what this sounds like, and so I'll tell you that it sounds like old stuff you stopped listening to when Ronald Reagan was the President.  "Neon Medusa" steals some riffs from "Thriller" and Daft Punk.

This band is made up of Tyler Lyle (Atlanta) and Tim McEwan (Danish-born, but L.A. now).  McEwan's folks are actors and musicians in their own right, back home in Denmark.  Wikipedia claims that their inspiration for this entire schtick was the Drive soundtrack.  So that is who I have to blame!  They also collaborated with TimeCop1983, who has collaborated with fellow ACL 2022 artist Primo the Alien.  Maybe they'll join each other on stage at the Fest!  Can't wait!

And, now that I actually look at their discography, maybe it was these guys who the major stars copied!  It doesn't make me like it more, but they have been doing this since 2014 with the album Days of Thunder.  Since then, they've also released 2016's Endless Summer, 2017's Nocturnal, 2018's Kids, and 2020's Monsters (plus a few EPs in there).  That is a lot of output!  The top streamer is from the 2016 album, called "Sunset," with 22.5 million streams.

Makes me think of Starship - the synths and electric guitar solos.  I'll give you one more before I can blissfully escape this artists and hope that the next one will cleanse the 80's from my brain.  The newest single is "Change Your Heart or Die," with 619k streams.

That voice sounds like the guy from the Shins.  The tune sounds like something that would have backgrounded a bootleg copy of Double Dragon that you bought in a back alley.  Again, big fat nope for me, dawg.