The Official ACL Blog for like Eight People!
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One Liner: Prime chillaxed GenAlpha indie rock Wikipedia Genre: indie pop, indie rock Home: Australia Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 15 Day: ??? Weekend Two Only.
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Thoughts: I've let this one roll for a good long time and I like it. Sometimes I think of Catfish & the Bottlemen, other times I think it is a little more pop-forward like a Day Glow or Ocean Alley from prior years.
Aussies, at first I was wondering if this was just going to be one of those bands where they were all from Brooklyn but the lead singer just happened to sound like a Brit. Four dudes in the band, and they churned out multiple EPs over the years before finally releasing Recency Bias in 2025. Their top streamer is form that disc - this is "Everything's Easy" with 10.2 million streams.
I think the guitar tone and the vocals are the most distinct about these guys - the guitar feels like it is almost just a guy chilling on the couch goofing around, not like someone very intentionally making a song. Just jangling along down there. And the vocals sound very much made for this time - I feel like I hear vocals like this a lot right now.
In "Chauffer" it sounds like he is repeatedly using a Harry Potter spell. I think he is saying "need nobody else around" but it sounds like he is trying to make a feather float. The second-biggest streamer is a 2020 single called "Keep." 7.9 million streams.
I don't know why this sound just screams GenAlpha, but it really does to me. Sounds like so many of the things that I hear my girls playing and enjoying. Not a bad thing at all, I think I just want a little more urgency to the music here and there. It is all so pleasant. That being said, sure, I like pleasant. Let's schedule this for 3pm on Sunday and I can go lounge in the grass and let it wash over me.
One Liner: Truly great emo-indie by two younguns who harmonize with feeling Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but indie Home: Atlanta Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 17 Day: Sunday Weekend Two Only.
Tito's Tent at 2:45.
Thoughts: I sort of wanted the punctuation in this band name to be more like Hey! Nothing. So that it was like someone got mad and then realized that everything was cool. One website I found claims that they are emo-folk, and that they have grabbed notice from NPR, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and more. On Reddit, they called themselves "the handsome boy band," but from listening to the voices, it sure sounds like a boy and a girl. Maybe it is a guy and a they. Whatever, some of this is quite great. The tune on right now, "Ur Purple Eyes" is drawing me in with a wistful beauty. And then "Black Bear" is goofy and funny and pretty heavy. That is their newest single and it jams.
Their name is apparently from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, because a character in there asked to be called by their name, or nothing at all. Not sure I get that - how does "hey, nothing" match up to that statement? They described their own music as "Alternative/emo/folk rock that will make you not only laugh but also cry." They cite Grace Vanderwaal and 21 pilots as the artists that made them think they could do the musician thing.
One album - 2023's We're Starting to Look Like Each Other - and then two EPs - 2024's Maine and 2025's 33 degrees. The band called out "Maine" and "Too Drunk to Drive" as their personal favorite songs to play, so I feel like we need to get to those. But "i haunt ur dreams" is the top streamer, so let's kick it off there.
Goofy little nugget, makes me think of that Moldy Peaches thing from the Juno soundtrack. Very lo-fi and pretty silly. "Maine" is the top song from the EP of the same name. 7.4 million streams, and apparently written in one of their grandma's houses in Maine.
Live version, but you get the idea. Beautiful song with good harmonies and a melancholy vibe. Giving me goosebumps right now when they kind of kicked it in. Damn. "And I can't wait not to go home,
So far away from everything I know, Is it okay for me to feel close to a place that I barely know?" That is a freaking good song.
They didn't steer me wrong there, so let's see how they do when they are drunk? "Too Drunk to Drive" is from the 2023 album. I was going to do another live version, in part just because they look like they are 12 in it, but I wanted better sound from the real version. 5.6 million streams.
Definitely a happier tone - I don't want to spend another second without you babe! Sort of a strummy R.E.M. vibe to that backing tune. Good stuff too. This one is a definite yes on my scorecard. Dig it. WEEKEND TWO ONLY CAN BITE MY BUTT! DANNGIIIT!!!
One Liner: Funky world grooves from local dudes Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but indie world groove sweetasticness Home: Austin! Poster Position: Bottom Quarter - Line 22 Day: Sunday Weekend Two Only.
Beatbox Stage at 1:45.
Thoughts: I wonder if a band can head off a copyright claim by just adding "the" to the start of their name? Weird that there are so many bands on the poster who do that - why go with The Point instead of just Point? Friday gets The Favors, and Saturday gets The Strokes, The Heavy Heavy, and The Backseat Lovers. Sunday gets these guys, The Dare, and The Bends. Why not just the item? Inquiring minds want to KNOW!
These guys a pretty great though. The easy comparison is Khruangbin, but that is also wrong because they do so much more than just that Afro-funk jam. Kind of a world-surfing jam of guitar and funk - and then somewhere in the middle I hit on a half-rap/half-funky-shit album that freaking bangs. But the main thrust of this is that sort of genre-blending groove where the guitars could be Mexican, Moroccan, or Californian.
Austin natives, Joe Roddy and Jack Montesinos started the band when they were still in high school. The met in jazz band at Lamar Middle School - go Scotties! - which is pretty dope. The Chronicle called them "homegrown prodigy rockers," and Roddy was on stage with a trumpet when he was only 12 years old. They claim to have named the band after a Harry Nilsson soundtrack for a cartoon named The Point. Which, sure? Roddy's dad is a rockabilly artist, but not one I am familiar with.
4 albums. 2020's Ihop seems to have been forgotten, and maybe for good reason. Much more of a straight-forward, lo-fi rock album without any of the cool that is grabbing my ear in their later tunes. Only one tune cracks 10k streams. But 2021's Phonkadelic? Also criminally under-streamed, but silly and good times for me. Like they borrowed DJ Screw's laptop and went to town without considering their normal instruments or path. "Frio River Anthem" reps the Frio fo real! Not really, but I like that they named it that. The horns in "Julios" are dope, and "This Is It" sounds like a slow-mo party. Silly, yes, but also fun to me.
Its the next two albums where they seem to find their stride and their sound and start making the good stuff. 2022's BERTO'S BANQUET and 2024's Maldito Animal have the goods. Top streamer overall is from that most recent disc - "Mrs. Kind Eyes." 176k streams.
A little reggae, a little groovy rock and roll. The song that they apparently open their concerts with is called "Maquina Pura," and has 38k streams. Not finding an easy YouTube of just that song, so here is a live version from recently at Howler Brothers. The first song is the one I am talking about.
I mean, how can you watch that and not be entertained? I feel like all three of those dudes are freaking on point. (see what I did there? DAD JOKE, BITCHES!). That whole jam session of four songs is super tasty. I'd love to see this in person. Weekend two onllllyyyyyyy!!! WHYYYYYYYYY!!!! I'll just have to find them at a little club or something then...
One Liner: Good voice and songwriting giving me Midnights vibes Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, indie pop, R&B Home: L.A. (but raised in New Jersey) Poster Position: Bottom Quarter - Line 24 Day: Sunday Weekend Two Only.
BMI Stage at 1:30.
Thoughts: A tale of two singers. The old stuff, like first single "Stranger Things," is more of a generic R&B thing. Also, any coincidence that her first single was "Stanger Things" and then her second single is a cover of "Running Up That Hill"? Sounds like someone is a stan of the Upside Down! Anyway, the more recent stuff is less R&B and more indie pop/Taylor Swift's current Era.
She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey - love their bacon - and was taking singing lessons by age 7. At 14, she applied for a talent search ad, became a finalist, and was flown to L.A. to meet with studio people and industry execs. After that, she worked on growing her audience with YouTube and TikTok to share originals and covers. She has a great voice.
No albums, and her EPs are weird. She released a 2025 EP called Tattoo (selective memory), which collects some singles from the prior few years. Then she released a 2025 EP called Change of Plans that includes those same songs as well as two new songs. Odd. Anyway, top track is a single that made it on to both of those. "Pretty Face" has 2.9 million streams.
That video is deeply annoying for me. But the song is a nice little strummy pop nugget. 2024 single "Deeper Meaning" has the second-most streams. 2.1 million.
Switches out the guitar for the piano but keeps the introspection and investigation of a boy and relationship as the key to the tune. "Horror Movie" is enjoyable as well. I like the end of the chorus. I definitely like the newer direction more than the older music. But, weekend two on Sunday morning means not going to see this one!
One Liner: Excellent indie rock ladies with some danceable jams Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock, post-punk, indie pop, Britpop Home: Isle of Wight
Poster Position: Top Quarter - Line 4 Sunday. Both Weekends.
American Express Stage at 4:30.
Thoughts: Last here in 2022. Here is what I had to say about their set at the time: "They sounded great - the set was pretty much their album on shuffle - but the tunes were tight and everyone seemed in sync. So glad I got to finally catch a set."
Now they are back, and with a brand new album to boot. Lucky us!
A "wet leg" is slang for a self-pitying person. I am a wet leg right now because my work in annoying and I didn't get an August vacation and my dog tore his ACL. Ugh. These ladies formed the band in 2019 and their first single racked up millions of streams and a ton of buzz right away. Their first album is 2022's Wet Leg, which debuted at number one in UK, Australia, and Ireland. Wikipedia lists two different stories for the provenance of the band's name: (1) the band chose this name by playing a game picking different emoji combinations, and when they landed on wet leg, it stuck; and (2) their name came from a regional epithet from the Isle of Wight to describe non-islanders on the island, because those who had crossed the Solent to enter the isle were said to have a wet leg from getting off the boat.
More importantly than all of that, the music freaking rules. Several songs on the first album are straight jams. "Chaise Lounge" is the hit, but "Wet Dream" rules (with, like, a cheerleader party sort of vibe), and if not for the long scream in the middle, "Ur Mum" would also be a top song on the disc. "Supermarket" has a great sing-along bit of her singing that she got "too high-e-i-e-i-e-i-e-igh." These ladies were the belles of SXSW back in 2022, and you can definitely tell why. They're kinda funny, have sweet jams, and just sound like today. For example, the lyrics to "Chaise Lounge" allow some good old-fashioned double-entendre where she sings about telling her parents to look at her because she went to college and got the "Big D." Which is both a degree and the peen. Then they go into a bit about buttered muffins and getting horizontal on the chaise lounge. It's silly and funny and absolutely danceable as hell. You know it's the hit as well, so here it is with 92 million streams.
Absolutely more funny hearing those words come out of the mouth of a girl who looks 15. And the Strokes-ian guitars are great too. When you watch their mouth, as they sing the words "chaise lounge" it looks like they don't even say the "nge" at the end. That is weird. Love the kicks when the chorus kicks off. Great fun. That's what I'd say about the whole thing - its great fun. Feels like these girls are here to goof around and kick out jams. Somewhat surprisingly to me, the clubhouse leader for streams ends up being "Wet Dream," which is surged beyond that one for the stream crown at 159.6 million spins.
Lobster claw party! Seems very dangerous to drive while wearing those. I had never heard of Buffalo 66, which is mentioned in there as being a DVD that she owns. Stars Christina Ricci, Vincent Gallo, Mickey Rourke, Anjelica Huston - all sorts of folks! Never heard of it! Gonna need to check it out now!
Then the new album is called moisturizer. The cover of it is slightly unsettling, as the lead singer is crouched in an empty room like some sort of zombie spider monster person, and her face looks like a cross between Leeloo from The Fifth Element and that scary cover art for that Aphex Twin album The guitar in "catch these fists" reminds me of Franz Ferdinand. The "is it love?" they keep saying in "CPR" is making me think of the Primus song "Is it Luck?" where Les Claypool yelps that phrase repeatedly. "CPR" also has a nugget of an old 80's song that won't come back to me, when she gets shrill to sing the chorus. "pillow talk" is kinda nasty (in a fun way) and has thick riffs, beating drums, and then a piano riff combined with winding guitars that brings Queens of the Stone Age to mind. The bassline in "11:21" makes me think of the Beatles and the folks who copy them like Jet. "mangetout" has vocals that sound like Gwen Stefani getting cutesy. "pokemon" is just purely pretty. If you can't tell, the album is a little chameleonic, but I also think it is great. The top track is "catch these fists," with only 10.2 million streams.
"i just wanna dance with my friends...." Great stuff.
A few years back, my younger brother told me about a fun activity that he will get in to on a night after going out for dinner and drinks. He'll fire up YouTube on his TV and just watch the old videos from our teenage years - grunge, hair metal, West Coast rap - and just revel in the nostalgia and pleasure. I love it. But the other thing I have integrated into there is to watch some of the eighty-million Tiny Desk concerts that are available on there. Very good fun. And these ladies do an excellent Tiny Desk (even if the lead singer now sort of looks terrifying).
Sure makes it seem like the band has shifted from two ladies making music together to one lady fronting a band of five. But that version of "CPR" is fantastic. Her vocals on "mangetout" are better in that version than on the album.
I'd absolutely go watch. These tunes are good stuff. It is truly and deeply annoying that they are opposite Rainbow Kitten. The 6:15 slot is full of junk I don't care about, and yet 4:30 has to pit two top tier indie rock bands against each other? Rude.
One Liner: Smeary bedroom pop that is really bothering me more than it should Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but the label claims psychedelic indie pop Home: Albuquerque
Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 16 Day: Sunday. Both Weekends.
Miller Lite Stage at 1:30.
Thoughts: What is this type of pop called? It makes my skin crawl - it feels like something my daughters would play over and over from their TikTok feed - overly earnest, sort of retro, deep in his feelings. Bugging the hell out of me. Which is too bad, because his voice is good and it honestly sounds nice. I'm just having a personal issue with it.
The huge song, which I assume is because of TikTok since his second-biggest track is a copy of that one slowed down a tiny bit (only takes 16 extra seconds), is "Beanie." 437.5 million streams. The slowed version has 35.4 million, BTW.
See what I mean? It is nice, why am I being a prick about it? Dunno, but it literally is bugging me. The internet calls this psychedelic indie pop, but I am not feeling that. Feels more like Bedroom Pop That Must Die. The bio on his label's website is similarly painful: "With the release of his project "47," Chezile unveils his mastery as a lyricist, weaving tales of life's intricacies into poetic masterpieces. His music transcends mere melodies; it's a profound narrative of his journey, inviting listeners to delve into the depths of his experiences and emotions." VOMIT.
He's got a 2024 EP and a 2025 EP, but none of the other songs come anywhere close to that one hit. "Alē" is the top one from the new EP, with 1.5 million streams.
He was apparently homeless in 2024 before that big hit popped off, and gave him some momentum and cash. he claims Frank Ocean as his inspiration. He says the best show he ever attended was Van Halen when he was 7. That sounds really sad, honestly, to have peaked so early with concerts. The uproxx profile I am reading is a little sad - they ask what he last googled and he says himself, then they ask what's the weirdest place you've crashed while on tour and he says I've never been on tour. His first tattoo was Casper the Friendly Ghost, but I see no explanation for 1974 on his neck (no way he was born then).
I will not be watching this. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.
One Liner: Hard-to-compartmentalize guitarist experimenting in woozy alien vibes Wikipedia Genre: Indie, alternative, lo-fi Home: New Jersey
Poster Position: Top Quarter - Line 3 Sunday. Both Weekends.
Ladybird Stage at 7:30.
Thoughts: Top billing for something I have never heard of. Never ceases to surprise. And the music itself is sort of a surprise too. Not sure how to really quantify it. There are guitars involved, but some of it comes off as alternative R&B more than indie or alternative, as Wikipedia claims this is. Pitchfork called his debut album one of the best albums of the first half of the 2020's. I sometimes hear Tame Impala, I sometimes hear Prince, I sometimes hear Frank Ocean (or what I think Frank Ocean probably sounds like). Not sure how this dude holds such multitudes. But after running with it for a few days, it just feels like a vibe. Not even really music, just auditory vibe.
Michael Todd Gordon explained to the world that his stage name is pronounced McGee with his first EP in 2018. Because that was the title of his first EP. Strange. Even more strange is this explanation in some magazine called Amadeus: "The "Mk." part of the name is a shortened form of his first name, and "gee" is a phonetic representation of how his last name, Gordon, is often mispronounced." Who in the hell is mispronouncing Gordon as gee? That is whackadoodle. Homie was born and raised in New Jersey, and started playing piano at age 6. After graduating, he moved to L.A. to attend the USC Thornton School of Music, but dropped out so that he could jam, man.
After running through this, I am realizing that I dig bits and pieces. I can't give a full recommendation, but parts of this are enjoyable. I think I like the style of the early EPs more than the current sound - I hear some Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Tame Impala in the old bits. 2024's Two Star & The Dream Police was that debut album that Pitchfork liked so much. His top tracks are mainly from that disc. Like "Alesis," which tops his streaming numbers at 30.8 million. (which doesn't sound like numbers for a top guy, but maybe he's still launching?)
He played that on SNL. Not sure the tune itself is that interesting to me, but lyrically it made me take notice. For Eric Clapton to call this guy out as someone who "has found things to do on the guitar that are like nobody else," I'm not sure I hear anything on the guitar in that song that blows my mind? "Western" sounds like a Tame Impala song. "ROCKMAN" is his most recent single, and already has 22.8 million streams.
He also played that on SNL. That one has a smidge of those Prince guitar sounds I mentioned. But it kind of feels more like an 80's pop R&B track to me. Like, Molly Ringwald should be longing for some douchebag with big hair while that plays.
He was previously the guitarist for someone called Dijon. I have not heard of that person. Half of the Pitchfork review is about that dude, more than this dude. Which is odd. Anyway, I want you to hear one of the old ones too, even though you would expect he is going to do the new schtick at the Fest. This is the top track from 2018's Pronounced McGee - "You" with 30 million streams and a definite Unknown Mortal Orchestra guitar tone.
Definitely more traditional indie pop kind of thing, as opposed to those two more smeared-together , genre-bending, oddly arranged tunes up above. Not sure what I think overall. I guess I could see going to this, since the ending of Sunday night is pretty much a wasteland for my musical tastes. We shall see.
One Liner: Harmonies for dayyyyyys, over the top of good indie pop Wikipedia Genre: indie pop, country pop Home: Brooklyn, but relocated to L.A. Poster Position: Second Quarter - Line 13 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Beatbox Stage at 3:30.
Thoughts: Last here all the way back in 2014, which is sort of surprising to me. I figured they had been more recently than that. I wrote about them in 2014, but need to update that significantly!
A woman-fronted, retro-pop-indie sound that sounds very familiar to me right now. Not sure if they helped start that movement or just became part of it, but it feels like a strong genre world right now. Back in 2014, Wikipedia collected some significant praise for the band:
Lauded by theNew York Timesfor their "luscious, luminous, lilting lullabies",
praised by NPR for their "charisma and charm"
praised by Rolling Stone as "the best band you may not have heard yet"
Paste called them one of the best live acts of 2015
The Guardian described them as "the missing link between Arcade Fire and Haim ... How can they fail? They won't."
Two members - Jess Wolfe and Holly Lessig - do the vocals and rad harmonies. They met in 2005 at Berklee College of Music and began performing together. A few years later, they moved into an old Victorian mansion in Brooklyn, complete with a recording studio inside, and formed Lucius with some dudes. Their original album, Songs from the Bromley House, was pressed once and is not available on Spotify.
Their first album that you can find is 2014's Wildewoman. For some reason, there are two re-releases from 2024 on Spotify, just called The New Recording. Maybe they didn't like the sound of the originals, but I think it is a very good debut. Piles of pretty harmony laid down over some well-done but pretty basic drums/guitar. Back in 2014, the biggest track was "Turn it Around," but for some reason, "Two of Us on the Run" has obliterated that one and become their top overall streamer. 64.8 million streams.
I wonder if this is some sort of TikTok theme song. It has a lovely, light, airy touch at the star, and then it evolves into a bigger animal. And don't take anything away from "Turn it Around," that is a great tune as well. Way more upbeat.
Their second album was 2016's Good Grief. They keep the same formula - If you are a fan of remarkably strong female voices and sweet harmonies with rock and roll/electro-pop/soul backup, then you should be all over this. Fun music, excellent singing, good times. The most-listened to track when I originally looked at this was called "Born Again Teen," but now it is "Dusty Trails" with 15.3 million streams.
Yeah, again, that is all the perfect harmony that you could want. Freaking beautiful. If I am being honest, the deluxe version of this disc is just a little too damn much. But if you cut this down to the original 11 songs, it is a much more concise and enjoyable album. Apparently that song was used on a Cameron Crowe show called Roadies. Guitarist Andy Burri bounced on the band around here.
Apparently, in 2014 there was a new radio station in Austin called The Fringe. I don't recall this at all, but I said back then that "I have heard Turn it Around 3 different times out in the world - twice on the new radio station called The Fringe, then once yesterday in Which Wich. The song is absolutely growing on me the more I hear it." How odd.
They released a great disc right here that was partly acoustic versions of their prior songs - Nudes - in 2018. Also includes a tune with Roger Waters, of all people. Kind of random, and also kind of sounds terrible. Their cover of "Right Down the Line" is greatness. A friend of mine loves that song, and just about anytime we are hanging out and he has had enough drinks, he'll fire up the Gerry Rafferty. The Tame Impala cover is good too.
A thing I should note about them - they are collaborators with errrrbody. I think when you can contribute ridiculous harmonies to a song, you become sought-after. They've done tunes with Dawes, Tweedy, John Legend, Roger Waters (but like, on his album, not just the one above on theirs), Lukas Nelson, Kurt Vile, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Sheryl Crow, Harry Styles, Ozzy Osbourne (!!), Cold War Kids, The Killers, Ringo Starr, Portugal. The Man, and many others. Kind of wild.
Next is 2022's Second Nature, which has a little more disco glitter than the previous tunes. They have one with both Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow, which is kind of funny, because with all of those voices all swirling around each other, it is hard to tell who is where at any given time in the mix. The top tune from this one is "Next to Normal," with 7.5 million streams.
Fonky, baby. I dig. The final album made me grin only because the cover of it shows the bared teeth of a dog. But for some reason it doesn't look like a mean dog, it looks like a good dog. Eponymous disc, released in 2025. Definitely strips back some of the electronics and groove of that last one. "Mad Love" has an almost Indigo Girls feel. "Gold Rush" actually sounds like Sheryl Crow from back in the day. "Old Tape" sounds like a War on Drugs tune with them singing over the top. Which is clever because the second-most streamed song on their Spotify is a War on Drugs song that they appear on. They also have a Brandi Carlyle song, as their third most streamed tune - and I freaking love that song. This is a good disc. I am wondering about why this album is so chill though - nothing in Wikipedia or the few articles I reviewed explain the low-key vibe.
One last thing, although it is old, you must respect the Tiny Desk!
12 years ago, and they need to get those voices closer to the mic at times, but still the harmonies jam out. The weird drum cowbell freakout was a little annoying, TBH.
One Liner: Got some Roy Orbison in him with classic sound and great voice Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, indie rock vibes Home: L.A. Poster Position: Bottom Quarter - Line 24 Day: Sunday Weekend One Only.
BMI Stage at 1:30.
Thoughts: That is an excellent band name. Made me grin immediately. His second song made me wonder if this is what Buddy Holly would sound like in 2025. Or maybe I am thinking of Roy Orbison. The fourth song made me think of Father John Misty. He's got that sort of 60's/70's melodic pop thing going.
Tyler Perry is his real name. Has to be a bummer when a famous person has your name and you want to be famous with your own name. He went to Berklee College of Music, but dropped out after smoking lots of weed and skipping class. He was living in his mom's basement in Rhode Island, working in the office of his dad's dog training school. On a whim, he applied to a job in L.A., lying on his resume but getting the job after a few phone interviews. He moved to Venice Beach and started doing music on the side. Last fall, a clip of him started circulating online, and soon labels were lining up. It all apparently clicked when he started covering Roy Orbison's "Crying" to close his shows, and people freaked out. You hear that all over his hit "Help Me Out." 196k streams and pure bliss.
Some is some jenky homemade video action right there. But the voice is undeniable. Only five songs that are really his - he has one collaboration with something called Vulfmon - so you don't get much more than a little taste test of what he can do. The top streamer is "Hold," with 205k streams.
That lady is named Ali Angel and they are very goofy together. Funky little bop. "Got a New Car" has some of that FJM vibe that I mentioned, like a Laurel Canyon vibe-fest. I also grin that he uses his own name in that song. "Radio" is just beautiful.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but like an indie pop
Home: Concord, NH (via Taiwan/Hong Kong)
Poster Position: Late Addition Day: Friday Weekend One Only.
Ladybird Stage at 2:00
Thoughts: For the first time that I can recall, when I searched for this fella, the top biographical result is an article by his high school - St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. Class of '18. It notes that he is/was a third-year computer science and archeology student at Brown University. A fascinating dichotomy between the past and the future with those majors. He also calls his music "spicy flannel rock." I'd say it sounds like what an American Idol contestant makes after coming in tenth (and no, I don't think he was on the show). He split his childhood between Taipei and Hong Kong before moving to the U.S. for high school (as a "Third Former," in the description from his school, although I dunno what that means and don't care enough to look it up).
Two albums - 2020's The Raspberry Men, 2023's Ginkgo - a handful of EPs, and an appearance on that Bebe Stockwell album that I just listened to earlier today. Another bio claims that he is a descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which is pretty slick. But probably more important to him right this minute, he won second place in the John Lennon Songwriter's Award from BMI in 2023. I was trying to find other winners that I recognized, but no such luck without serious digging. Top track is "House We Share" from the 2023 album, with 2.6 million streams.
His description of the song was that this song is about how attentive and wonderful at tending house he was when his relationship started, and then how that slipped as the relationship melted. I guess I missed the part where he stopped making three course meals and chopping firewood.
His second-most streamed is from his first release, and EP from 2017 called The Indigo Tapes. "The Wandering Mind" has 1.7 million streams.
[extreme Italian voice] Thatsa spicy flannel! It is fine. I don't dislike it by any means, it just feels to me like a nice little space filler that was added to the poster after the bookers realized that they needed to fill some more time. I am always hoping for a big time addition here at the last minute, but usually it will be more like this fella. I'm probably good.
One Liner: Yummy, vibey Noah Kahan-esque tunes Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but indie Home: New Orleans (or maybe back home to Vermont?) Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 15 Day: Sunday Weekend Two Only.
T-Mobile Stage at 12:45.
Thoughts: "Eeeh! Sorry Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change?"
My first thought when I saw the name wasn't actually Hans Gruber, it was that this was the guy who wrote the Star Wars and Indiana Jones theme songs. But that was wrong. I was conflating Hans Zimmer (Lion King, Dune, Gladiator, Pirates of the Carribean, Dark Knight trilogy, and many more) with John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, E.T. Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, and many more). THEN, about halfway through his first song I had to look and make sure I hadn't accidentally played Noah Kahan instead of this fella.
Dude is from Vermont. Maybe everyone from Vermont sounds the same? A bio I read said that he started making music in the third grade and would hand out CDs after school. Which is hilarious. I would have taken one and thrown it so hard at some kid waiting for his mom, I'd still be in trouble in middle age. He got some tunes on Spotify and had more than a million streams before graduating high school. He moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane and kept at it, writing his first hit about a student on his dorm floor who committed suicide. Heavy shit. Thankfully for my brain, that is not a top track.
No albums, just one 2024 EP called More Than One Way Home. The hit from that one is also his second-most streamed track overall - "Skin" has 23.6 million streams.
Bro. Is that the same field and house that Noah Kahan is standing in front of on his Stick Season album cover? Vermont-ass weirdos. Only one house in that state. Anyway, very pleasant little indie bop right there. Good vibe.
The bigger tune is a 2022 single called "All is Well," and you'll notice that he keeps the style rolling over time. 53.4 million streams.
Dude looks 14. But another cute, little strummy nugget of pleasant indie. Also, I want to go wander around that ferny little gully with him. That looks nice. Also, wonderful set of lyrics - the "if I get overwhelmed, I'm sure you'll never know, keep it to myself, all is well" bit of the chorus hits home.
I threw this on in the car just now, and the kiddo and wife agreed with my NK comparison. But also, it helped to realize that some of the top songs are different for sure - like "93" has a drum machine beat going on in the background of the guitar. I like the organic things better.
I'd go check this out - too bad it is weekend two only!
One Liner: One of the Stranger Things actors making good psych and indie rock.
Wikipedia Genre: neo-psychedelia, indie rock, psychedelic rock, synth-pop Home: L.A. (born in Massachusetts, college in Chicago, but he's bound to live in L.A. now, right?) Poster Position: Top Quarter - Line 2 Both Weekends.
Saturday.
Ladybird Stage at 7:30
Thoughts: He was supposed to come in 2022, but he actually bailed at the last minute. On Insta, he shared a cryptic message saying that an unfortunate last minute scheduling conflict is causing him to miss. But it was a month and a half prior to the Fest. What is last minute? You've got a month and a half to get it fixed! But, since then, he has grown significantly in popularity.
Before I understood who this was, I was slightly confused. Here was my digging into that in 2022... Always fun to have someone like this on the poster, where I get to find out that Djo is a Portugese futsal player, DJO is a manufacturer of medical devices (headquartered in Lewisville, Texas!), DJO High is Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School (high school of Eric Metcalf!), Djo d'Eloy is a Cape Verdean singer (whose greatest song is "Arriola"!), Djo Mpeko is a footballer (a defender for the Girabola!), Djo Tunda Wa Munga is a film director (winner of the 2011 MTV Music Awards for Best African Movie!), AND HE IS ALSO THE OLDER BROTHER IN STRANGER THINGS!?!?!
Of all the things I did not expect to happen today, way way way high on the list would be to click on the listing for Djo and see that it is the stage name for Joe Keery's music career, when he is not starring as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things or the movie Free Guy or the fifth season of Fargo (as a super psycho Sheriff Deputy). Fascinating. He went to DePaul University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. In his musical career, he apparently started out by releasing music under the name Cool Cool Cool, but then became a guitarist for a band called Post Animal for a few albums. According to one interview I read, he said that the fame from Stranger Things made that weird because the rest of the band didn't want to just be the "guy from Stranger Things" band - but they've stayed friends and he's gotten their help on making his solo album. In 2019, he started releasing music under the Djo name.
And you know what? It's actually pretty solid! Kinda low key indie psych rock. Think super basic Tame Impala. One song, which I have heard in the interim on the radio a good bit, is for sure the megahit with 1.58 BILLION streams. Damn. "End of Beginning."
Good, chill, nugget for me. I dig the groove. Part of me wanted to come to this post with the angle of whether or not he would have gotten this far on the ACL poster if he wasn't the Stranger Things guy. Like, would he have separated himself from the other indie rock out there without that slice of pop culture notoriety? Almost like a nepo-baby thing, but instead of a famous mom, being cast on a wildly popular show. But after churning through these songs for a day, this is legitimate. I dig it.
Well, then I have to say that the 2020 single "Keep Your Head Up" is not my favorite. Too much falsetto, too much saxophone, too much squelchy synths. The stuff from the 2019 album Twenty Twenty is much better. The second most streamed tune from that album, called "Roddy," has 102.4 million streams.
Pretty good tune - nothing particularly stands out in there, but good guitar and vocals and a nice little groove. The synth voice thing in the middle, straight out of Ferris Bueller, is a little weird, but otherwise it is a solid tune. "Chateau (Feel Alright)" is the other big song, with 142.9 million streams and a similarly woozy rock sound.
Nice chill tune. Brings me some Beck vibes. "Mutual Future" has some Strokes vibes, but also some jam band guitarage near the end. "BNBG," with its ridiculous outro of repeatedly saying "babygirl," is a massively cringe inducing moment. "Personal Lies" kicks in with a pop rock swagger, but then devolves into a spacey meander. I like it.
After that disc, you get 2022's DECIDE, which includes that mega-hit posted up above. Nothing else on there comes anywhere close to that level of excitement. The top song otherwise has 33 million streams. Finally, you get 2025's The Crux, which is pretty good as well. The title song has a Beatles piano ballad vibe to it. The bigger song is "Basic Being Basic," but I like "Delete Ya" much better. 20.4 million streams.
Again, nice groove to go with a catchy tune. Sort of a The Cars vibe in there to my ear.
I'm in. A little shocked at that decision with where my head was pointed when I started this, but I like it.
One Liner: Solo-ish guy dropped the DIY and now makes the best kind of confessional rock and roll. Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock, lo-fi Home: Leesburg, VA (but now in Seattle) Poster Position: First Quarter - Line 6 Day: Saturday Weekend Two Only (SADNESS).
T-Mobile Stage at 4:00.
Thoughts: Saw him/them when they were last here in 2017 and it was a great show. Well, I'll readily admit that their charisma is not their strong suit, but the tunes themselves were excellent.
Overall, I love this dude. The backstory on the main guy (Will Toledo) is that he would go make his music in the back seat of his old car, and so he named the band after the thing that he looked at the whole time. Makes for kind of a clunky band name, but if you just get over that and jam 2016's Teens of Denial, you'll be on board. At first, he was self-releasing stuff on Bandcamp, but since then he's been putting out legit albums with a full band that sounds like R.E.M. or Replacements grew up listening to Black Flag or The Smiths. The early tapes are not the stuff I'm in love with - very DIY and lo-fi - but 2015's Teens of Style and then 2016's Teens of Denial are the stuff you want to start with in my opinion.
2015's Teens of Style boasts "Something Soon" as its second-most listened-to track, at 12.2 million streams.
Those Beach Boys harmonies are killer, as is the entire tune. I'm a fan of that thing. When I originally looked at this album, I decided that the effects on his voice were annoyingly overused. I'll still go with that, but I like the album more now with time.
The next album is the even better one, that made my top ten albums of the year list and still jams. This album is actually really great. Teens of Style was more lo-fi and dissolved, but this one has a real cohesive alt-rock/garage rock sound kind of Replacements-y ("Fill In the Blank") and sometimes Strokes-y ("Vincent") and sometimes R.E.M.-y (aspects of many of these songs) enough to be really cool sounding. Several great songs that I still play even years after my first look at this disc - "Fill in the Blank," with 42.7 million streams, and "Destroyed by Hippie Powers," with 25.3 million streams - are both great tunes. Crunchy grungy goodness. The breakdown and re-smashing at 4:20 in that latter song freaking rules (and includes cow bell). But, the streaming winner is "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales" with 65.6 million streams.
It's the second verse that kills me, before the harder tune kicks in at 3:18, which is also extra cool. "It's too late to articulate it, That empty feeling, You share the same fate as the people you hate, You build yourself up against others' feelings, And it left you feeling empty as a car coasting downhill, I have become such a negative person, It was all just an act, It was all so easily stripped away." and then "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!" I'm fully prepared to yell my throat raw to that line in concert.
A likely useless aside that just popped into my head. I went to a tiny college, where drinking was a pretty regular part of passing the time. One drinking game in particular, named "Drunk Driver," was painfully ripe for cheating, and I can recall abusing Stephen with it when he was already too hammered to see me switching out the cards on him. Sorry, buddy. Glad you still talk to me.
This whole album is excellent. "Unforgiving Girl (She's Not An)" was the first moment when I realized that this sounded very much like mid-80's R.E.M., mainly from the guitar strummage. "Destroyed by Hippie Powers" jams, especially when it breaks down into quiet at about 3:50 and then cow bell kicks in with full band roar to fire up the remainder of the song at 4:21. "Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs With Friends (but Says This Isn't a Problem)" wins the title contest and also rocks out after the intro portion. Just go queue this album up on Spotify and check it out.
So, the band was originally just Will Toledo doing experimental stuff on his own. Strangely, Toledo's real name is William Barnes. At first, he recorded as 63rd Fret, Nervous Young Men, and Mr. Yay Okay, before finding his new identity. After a year at Virginia Commonwealth, he transferred to William & Mary and released an album called Twin Fantasy. We will talk more about that album later. But, of note to here, he graduated, moved to Seattle, signed to Matador Records, and put together a full four-piece band as of 2015 (when those two above albums became the thing). So, it is a good thing he grabbed the full band!
In 2018, they re-recorded the Twin Fantasy disc with the full band, and released it back out to the public. It is great. I'd love to go talk to 10 year old Jack right about now, to let him know that someday, you'll listen to more than just R.E.M. and U2 and Midnight Oil, and instead you'll listen to a handful of bands where their band names sound like some complicated list of phrases you need to use the next time you play MadLibs. This post is especially on point. So, as a reminder, this album was actually released in 2011, to little fanfare. If I ever heard the original tunes, I have no recollection, but these version are freaking good. Like his last kickass album, this is full of 90's buzz bin fuzzbox guitars and his plaintive singing, but this one sounds like lyrics to a lost lover or crush. The track they kept playing on the radio a few years back is no where near the top tune by now, which is always interesting to me. "Nervous Young Inhumans" is that one, with 12.5 million streams, and it shows off some Beach Boy harmonies and 80's synths added in to the buzzy rock sound.
For some reason, that video is only 3:07 long, while the track on the album is 5:26. I guess that is the more popular single edit, which is probably actually a good thing, because the last few minutes of the real track are of Toledo mumbling a long spoken-word screed. The other track that rules is "Beach Life-in-Death," but it is 13:19 minutes long, which is a little long for the blog. But it rules, like a multi-part song that builds and jams, then mellows out, and then builds even higher with the power pop, super-yellable chorus "the ocean washed over your grave!" That line gets mirrored again in "Famous Prophets (Stars)," the other crazy long tune (16:10). This album is very good. The actual streaming champ from the album is "Sober to Death" with 71.4 million streams.
Kind of a brutal lost love song. "Take my hands off your neck and / Hold on to the ghost of your body / I know that good lives make bad stories."
Finally, we get 2020's Making a Door Less Open. This one lands out of left field, a little bit. The album literally includes an EDM beat drop ("Deadlines (Thoughtful)") to go along with his normal indie rock tunes. At first, that track sounds more like an LCD Soundsystem tune, before the true EDM-ness pops in. Which, at first, was a major turnoff, and now that I've heard it a few more times, got me kind of fired up. I just danced so hard in my crappy home office chair I worried it might crack. Same with "Famous," where at first the heavy electronics pushed me away, but after repeat streams I've started grooving it. But he still does good rock and roll licks, like the opening to "Hollywood," which I want to tattoo on my eardrum. And "Deadlines (Hostile)" is back to the normal bashing indie rock that he did so well on his previous discs. I figured that "Must Be More Than Blood" would be the hit track, with its loopy, laid back sound, but it's actually "Can't Cool Me Down," which feels like something Napoleon Dynamite should do a sweet dance routine to. 12.7 million streams (the only track on here that breaks 8 figures).
"What's With You Lately" is odd, in that it's like a minute long and sounds like an out-of-place b-side from a Grave Dancer's Union session. The one that goes a little too much on the electro side is "Hymn - Remix," which I could do without here. But overall, I still really like this album.
Now, the sadness seeps in because they are only slated for second weekend. Maybe we can convince Riize to drop out of the Fest and we can just slot these dudes into their space first weekend. WHO SAYS NO?!?!
One Liner: Low-key Black Keys vibes for a Spanish/Welsh groover Wikipedia Genre: Singer Songwriter, Indie, Funk, Latin, Tropical, Acoustic, Folk, Rock Home: Wales (via Spain) Poster Position: Bottom Quarter - Line 25 Day: Sunday. 1pm on the AmEx Stage. Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: GIZMO KAKA!!!
Just to make sure I was getting that quote right, and there is no way I was getting it wrong because I have said that line from Gremlins about 300,000 times in my life, I googled it. I would be embarrassed if it was actually "dudu" or something. Anyway, the four "People also ask" items on Google, after a prompt of just "gizmo kaka", are as follows: (1) What does Gizmo kaka mean?; (2) Why does Stripe hate Gizmo?; (3) What is Gizmo's full name?; (4) Does Gizmo have a gender?
Gizmo's full name? Have human beings ever actually asked that dumbass question? Really? "Well, actually, his middle name of Terrence was given to him to honor Mr. Peltzer's great-grandfather, who was actually the first Peltzer to try his hand at the age-old pasttime of invention." WTF google.
Anyhoo, sorry, I digress for sure. But this is pretty sweet guitar rock action kind of like a lower key Black Keys, if they frequently lapsed into Spanish lyrics. Guillermo Varillas Kortabarria was born in Spain but then raised in Wales. His first single was in 2014, when he was 24 and looked like he was 11. 4 albums - 2017's El Dorado, 2018's Dreaming of Better Days, 2020's Out of the Darkness, and 2025's The World in Colour. That last album is honestly great. Top song on there is "End of the Line" with 1.3 million streams.
"No War," from his first album, sampled John Lennon with the permission of Yoko. That disc still had his top five streaming songs - while his 2020 album is definitely the ignored little red-headed step-child with very few streams. "Paraiso" from the debut disc is his top streamer at 47 million.
Reminds me of those brothers who were here last year. Hermanos Gutierrez. Their sound was cool as hell. The second album sometimes has a Lord Huron flavor to it. "The Truth Will Be Heard" very much sounds like a cover of some other song that I have heard before (but Google didn't help me figure it out).
I like it. I'd go check it out, except that the 1pm Sunday show is a tough sell!
One Liner: Unremarkable synth pop Wikipedia Genre: pop, rock, indie pop, indie Home: London Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 14 Day: Sunday Both Weekends.
Ladybird Stage at 1:45
Thoughts: Dangit. I just want a band that I can jam for a while so that I can get some work done. Instead, I keep picking things that are either annoying or only have a few songs. I feel like I have heard all of this lady's songs repeatedly by now, so I need to knock out this review.
Joyce Cisse is a British-Ivorian singer and model. She won Artist to Watch at the 2022 A&R Awards and New Artist at the 2024 Music Week Women in Music Awards. In 2022, she was named one of VEVO's Artists to Watch and The Forty Five's Future Five, and named Future Artist of the Month by BBC Radio 1 in 2023, so for those who follow those random-ass-sounding awards, she's got some action. She said One Direction's "Best Song Ever" helped her realize the "power of music… [and] creative visuals", as the group "didn't just release a song, they released a world". Suuuuure.
Three EPs and no albums, so listening to the catalog gets you a lot of the same songs over and over as they pop back up as singles or remixes or whatever. Top track is "breaking news," which was a 2024 single that then also popped up on the EP called ache in my tooth. 23.7 million streams.
Sweet little pop nugget of a love song. The vocals are a little cutesy for me, but that seems to also be the thing that she is shooting for anyway. I feel like this will be something that I forget in about three minutes. There is also a sped up version of the song, so it was likely a TikTok hit. Prior to that video, I was treated to a commercial telling me that John Cornyn has voted with Donald Trump 99% of the time and how he makes Texas Great. How do they think someone searching for a Flowerovlove video would have any interest in that moronic shite? Idiots.
Only one other song cracks 10 million - "a girl like me" from 2023 also made that recent EP. But let's go older than that since you already heard a recent tune. "Malibu" is a 2021 single with 5.7 million streams and a MUCH cooler vibe.
Give me more of that! Unfortunately, she doesn't. Her hits are definitely more pop forward and less rap tracks. Like, her newest single is called "new friends" and it just more generic synth pop. Sounds kind of like she is trying to be like a Taylor or Chappel vibe. I don't think I would go see this one.
One Liner: Sometimes a little Americana, sometimes a little Adele
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but like an indie pop sort of thing?
Home: NYC (via Boston)
Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 17 Day: Saturday at the Tito's Tent at 2:45pm Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: I have been generally enjoying this, but then her weird take on Frosty the Snowman came on for like the eighth time and I was like AHHHHH, I must write this up and move on. Also, when I started listening, I had conflated this with Bebe Rexha, the pop star with billions of streams on other people's tracks - Guetta, Garrix, G-Easy, and Florida Georgia Line. NOT THE SAME.
Kind of an odd juxtaposition of sounds, because she sometimes sounds like a stomp/clap/hey artist, and then other times she sounds more like an Adele-lite crooner. Not sure which one is the aim, but she also has a song with ACL Poster-dweller Hans Williams and the band that was supposed to be here recently but dissed us like jerks, Caamp. One album, 2025's Driving Backwards.
Her top track is a 2022 single called "Love Me Back." It does not appear on the album.
Reading the title made me start singing that old Digital Underground song with the "kiss me and I'll kiss you back" thing. This is not that, but it is pretty enough. Sort of unremarkable though. I figured she was English from her sound, but that is incorrect. Originally from Boston, but now in NYC. She started playing music at age 5 - her dad apparently made her, her twin, and their little sister learn piano and guitar. At 15, she attended the Berklee College of Music summer camp and really got her into songwriting and uploading things to Soundcloud. She thought she was going to college to play lacrosse, but then had a teacher encourage her to go to the Clive Davis School and pursue music.
Her second-most streamed is from the album - "Want Me" has 2.4 million streams.
As parent to someone who has just gone through the gauntlet of college lacrosse recruiting, I'd say that going the music direction definitely seems like the right path. Very pretty song. Honestly, other than the "Frosty" song, I have enjoyed listening to all of this.
One Liner: Three local singer-songwriters forming into a harmony-soaked Voltron Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but kind of an Indie Americana? Home: Austin! Poster Position: Third Quarter - Line 18 Day: Saturday Weekend One Only.
Tito's Tent at 1:00.
Thoughts: Just from the cover photo, I am guessing this is a pack of sisters making these sparkling harmonies. Strangely enough, the Next of Kin band with a Wikipedia entry is a pop rock band from Braintree, Essex, England, composed of three brothers. Makes me wonder if I have the right one that I am listening to right now. Hmmm... ah, no, wait. Their Wikipedia says they renamed themselves Essex County in 2020 and now record alt country music. Which is ... intriguing...
Back to these ladies. They are super not related at all! I feel like I got ripped off! KUTX says that they are Lili Hickman, Madison Baker, and Caelin (which appears to be her only name?). Hickman is the daughter of the excellent Sarah Hickman, and was in Flora & Fawna (which was at ACL in 2022). Madison grew up in Canton, Texas (out in between Dallas and Tyler) but got to Austin to go to UT and buried her musical talent until after she graduated. Caelin says she came out of the womb performing and started her first rock band at 13 years old. She claims to have been touring Belmont University in Nashville when Jimmy Lafave called her and begged her to come to Austin instead.
Only five songs, so sort of a difficult catalog to really go in depth with, but you can tell that they love harmonies. "Jekyll & Hyde" was their first project and it has their most streams with 109k.
You can't help but think of other lady trios with great voices and harmonies - Boygenius being the easy, recent comp, although these ladies definitely lean more towards country than pure indie rock. Great tune.
In addition to the other band that had previously used this name, when you search for Next of Kin on YouTube you get some great stuff. British TV show, NIgerian movie, an Alvvays song. Did you know Patrick Swayze was in a movie from 1989? Well, now you can see how exciting that could be.
The Sawyze as Detective Truman Gates! Throwing suckers through windows in the City! Liam Neeson! Freaking crossbows! Helen Hunt! That guy who was Jayne Cobb in Firefly! The freaking one-armed man from the Fugitive! How was this not the biggest movie on 1989? Wait, what won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year. Driving Miss Daisy? Are you shitting me!?!
Anyway, second-most streamed tune is called "Homemaker" with 62k streams.
More killer harmonies. Yeah, I think these ladies are definitely talented and worth going to see do their thing. I assume they'll have more songs by then, or we'll be getting a lot of covers!
