The Official ACL Blog for like Eight People!
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One Liner: Prepare for noodling guitars and extended jams, baby!
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is jam band music
Home: Connecticut
Poster Position: 12 Both Weekends. Friday at 4:30.
Tito's Tent.
Thoughts: Tasty jam band goodness that my wife would most definitely hate! Tap it into my veins! They have no presence on Wikipedia, but checking for their name led me to learn all sorts of things. Eggy the Ram is the mascot of Ryerson University in Toronto. Eggy is also a recurring character in the Penguins of Madagascar show. The more you know, baby.
But this is a four piece band from Woodbridge, Connecticut. Three of them attended high school together and formed the band about 11 years ago, before adding a drummer from an opponent they met up with during a battle of the bands. Since then, they haven't been doing just a ton of studio sessions, being that they have one single studio album - 2019's Watercolor Days. But they have been touring their ass off, as is evidenced by all of the live albums with names like Eggy Selects: Fall Tour 2021 and Eggy Selects: Spring Tour 2023, Vol. 1. They have a few Dead covers in here amongst the action, which always tickles my fancy.
Their most streamed tune off of the album is called "Golden Gate Dancer," and it has a paltry 200k streams.
Yeeeeeeesssssss. I'm not a major jam band guy or anything, but what I really enjoy in here are the harmonies with the vocals and the super funky bassline. That is stuff that I can definitely get behind even when the song is 6:21 long. Gimme that funky groove, baby. Their most streamed tune is a live version of one called "Hux," with 850k streams.
This is not the same version as the one that gets so many streams on Spotify, but you'll get the feel anyway about this song about a dog. That video quality is freaking awful. And this song is not as groovy as that earlier one. But I will say that I have just let these dudes play for two days while I work and I am really enjoying it. They are not as catchy as Goose, the last big jam band that wandered through Zilker, but this is pretty enjoyable for me.
I had a thought to myself over the holiday weekend of how weird it is that I give a band like this a pass, when they are just copying the jam band sound from so many before them, but then don't do the same for the folks who are recreating 60's soul. I don't know why that is, but suspect it has to do with the fact that jam bands continue to be current and in favor, while the 60's soul sound died out for a chunk of time before a revival. Or maybe I just have biases. Dunno.
One Liner: Fantastic alt-country psych rock by two of the Howler Bros.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but alt-country, jam, psych rock
Home: Austin
Poster Position: Not on the Poster, late addition Weekend Two Only. Sunday at Noon
Thoughts: Leon the Third is pretty solid! if I needed to wrap a comp up into a pithy phrase, this sounds like the Drive-By Truckers joined forces with the Grateful Dead. I was already digging the whole vibe here, and then they threw in a cover of the imminently rad Jane's Addiction song "Summertime Rolls" and I am positively turgid. I could just listen to these dudes all day long.
Leon III of Abkhazia was the king of something called Abkhazia from 957 AD to 967 AD. Reading the short Wikipedia entry about it feels like I might as well be reading some chapter of the new Game of Thrones book: "He succeeded in 926 as viceroy of Kartli to his older brother Constantine, the latter was blinded and castrated by George II after Constantine's unsuccessful rebellion." Apparently, this is part of Georgia now.
These two cats were formerly part of a band called the Wrinkle Neck Mules, which is really quite a band name. Andy Stepanian and Mason Brent are the members, and they use a pile of session musicians to make the whole thing come to life. The Mules were apparently a Virginia-based band that hewed to the bluegrass and country sound, but they decided that they were tired of that string sound and wanted go a little further afield. I really like where they ended up. Wait, hold on. I just read this line in a background piece: "Stepanian and Brent also collaborate in the form of Howler Brothers, a popular outdoor clothing line based in Austin, Texas, which they operate and which bears their artistic imprimatur." WTF!!!! Talk about burying the lede here - Stepanian co-founded fucking Howler Bros.? The Howler Brothers co-founder plays in a rad alt-country psych band?!?!?!!? What the hell. What a bad ass life - you play music on the side of a massively successful lifestyle brand. Damn.
Three albums - 2018's Leon III, 2021's Antlers in Velvet, and 2023's Live En Cyclorama. That last one is a live album, and despite being released in February it shows zero plays at all on Spotify, which is odd. I'm honestly fascinated by the lack of streams for this band overall - they are completely slept on, but I am loving it. The most streamed is from that debut album, "Between the Saddle and the Ground" has 59k streams. Apparently, shares it's title with a song by something called the Peter Wells Band.
Man, that breakfast looked good. I love good pancakes. Never eat them because now I'm old and they'll make me feel terrible, but damn if they aren't yummy to eat. Disconcerting video because of how much he stares at the camera. He looks so different after shaving!
The top song from the new album is "This Whisper is Ours," with 31k streams and a push away from those more traditional alt-country sounds and into a psych-rock-with-pedal-steel place. He still stares at the camera too much.
That cheating ass mascot hoe! I just recently followed along with morbid interest as a classmate of mine was tried in a murder-for-hire scheme where he tried to have his girlfriend's husband killed for allegedly messing with a 13 year old step-daughter. That second album is where the goodness is - top to bottom I could just keep playing that one all day without getting tired of it. Like, how could a Deadhead not groove on "Fly Migrator?" It jams.
Sadly, these dudes play at freaking noon on Sunday, and weekend two only, so I will almost certainly not get to see them at the Fest. But now that I know they exist, I'm thinking I hunt down another show at Stubb's indoors or the Yeti store or something to check it out. I am down.
One Liner: Jammy funk pop rock that feels vitally danceable
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is jazzy jam funk rock Home: Boston Poster Position: 16 Weekend Two Only. Saturday.
Thoughts: Well, Wikipedia has a lot of articles about things named Ripe, but nothing about this band. Interestingly, four bands have made albums named Ripe, and I have never heard of any of them. Banderas, Ben Lee, Field Trip, or Slug. All of those have Ripe in the catalog, but none are this band. There are also towns named Ripe in both Italy and England. And one website claims that there are also two other bands named Ripe - a shoegaze band from Australia and a power metal band from Copenhagen.
But this is a a Boston band that plays a funky, jazzy, jammy sort of rock. And their top song rings a bell, it must be getting radio play here in Austin. Seven students at the Berklee College of Music formed the band in 2011, including a trumpet guy and trombone guy, and released their first EP in 2013. The only real album was 2018's Joy in the Wild Unknown. Since then, it has just been a handful of singles. A full listen to the catalog definitely makes this feel like a jam band, even when all of the songs aren't definitely jammy. And I know that can be a bad tag to some folks, but moments like the guitar solo in "Ex-Life" made me stop what I was doing to bliss out for a bit, so I think this could be a fun show.
That top song is their new single, "Settling," which only has a million streams as of right now.
Comes on like a Jack Johnson tune, and then the chorus sounds like a Bob Schneider joint. But it also sounds freaking awesome. Like, a purely fun song that requires some immediate dance moves. No jam band flavor in this one at all - just a tight ass pop rock gem. Seriously makes me want to cry it's so great.
The top streamer is a track from that one album, "Downward," with 7.7 million streams.
Dangit, I promise they have songs that sound jammy. Both of the tracks I have presented to you so far just sound like pop funk dance tunes. "First Time Feeling" is also a fun song. These guys are a good time.
I need to go see it. Loving it so very much. But weekend two only!?! C'mon man!
One Liner: Absolutely kickass bluegrass with a jammy side by killer musicians
Wikipedia Genre: Bluegrass, Jamgrass, Americana, Rock Home: Michigan Poster Position: 3 (22nd line last time!) Both Weekends. Friday.
Thoughts: These dudes were here back in 2019, at one of those teeny tiny stages off to the side, the BMI or something. I saw it, and it was revelatory. Holy speed fingers rocking a banjo. Back in 2019, his most popular track was an almost 10 minute long barn burner of a bluegrass party called "Meet Me at the Creek." Back then it had 559k streams, but now it is up to 5.2 million. Live version, but check the kid out.
It's like if Nickel Creek grew up on a steady diet of rock and roll. That tune is from 2017's Turmoil & Tinfoil. Also reminds me of that dude who plays with Allison Krauss - Dan Tyminksi, who did the "Man of Constant Sorrow" vocals. Either way, give me a tune with a slammin' mandolin player and a banjo in the front of the mix, and I'm probably in for a pound. Dude's real name is William Apostol, so I get the Billy part, and then I guess he did the Strings part because he plays instruments with strings? Kinda like a mob guy going by Joey Bats or Freddy Piano Wire. The name apparently came from an Aunt who noticed his skills on stringed instruments. So its the aunt who has no originality. His step-father was apparently a bluegrass picker of note, and introduced the kid to studs like Doc Watson and Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. Rolling Stone called him a country artist to know and mentioned his prodigious speed in 2017. So, if you dig some fast-fingered pickin' music, then this stuff is right up your alley.
He's taken home a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, and the list of accolades on his Wikipedia page is long and distinguished, and he's won a bunch of other awards in the Bluegrass world. His band is great too - Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin).
I've gotten to see him play twice now - once at the 2019 ACL Fest, and then at his ACL TV show taping. Both were freaking amazing. The Fest show was jaw-dropping, shaking-my-head-in-fascination amazing. I had listened to the songs for the preview, but listening on your computer behind a desk is a totally different experience than seeing a pack of wild animals who have mastered their instruments. He was on guitar, but his banjo guy and mandolin guy were also top notch, just highly technical, fast-fingered, beautifully complex bluegrass stuff. I'm very glad I got to see that one. When I was just hanging around, before the show kicked in, this random dude walked up to me and was like "Have you seen them before?" And he had a true religious fervor in his eyes when he asked it. About half way through the first song, he looked over his shoulder and bugged his eyes and mouthed "RIIIGHT?!?" Very entertaining - also, he was totally correct.
His first real music, by himself, was a 2016 EP just called the Billy Strings EP (before that he had a joint album with someone called Don Julin (that is either live music or just recordings done in a room with bad acoustics and some people who cheer every once in a while) that wasn't great). The EP has a fantastic song on there that combines both humor and speed-picking badassery. Country artists have lamented getting arrested and the perils of drugs for years from the outlaw country world, and this one slots right into there, but along with some ridiculous solo freakouts. "Dust in a Baggie," with 14.2 million streams.
"I used my only phone call to contact my daddy, got 20 long years for some dust in a baggie." And holy damn hell, watch him at 2:25 or so when his guitar solo kicks in - his fingers do things that are illegal in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
After that EP, you get 2017's Turmoil & Tinfoil - the one with "Meet Me At The Creek" on it, and then 2019's Home. Home is very good - you can hear the band mature and figure some things out here. They also start angling towards jam while still keeping the bluegrass tilt intact. The top track on that one is "Away from the Mire." Just over 8 million streams.
When watching the ACL taping, my wife, who does not like jam music, looked over at me with an accusation in her eye as this song was playing. Look, man, let's just call it bluegrass! No reason to let a label ruin an otherwise rad song! After the slow intro, when they pick up the pace, that feels so right. And, of course, the extended jam there in the middle to give each player a moment to shine is also very pleasing.
Finally, in 2021, you get Renewal. These dudes are absolutely fucking kingpins of musical instrumentation. Like, outrageously skilled players. This one has a more modern skin on it - Strings melds bluegrass with a jam band feel on many of these songs to give it a much different feel than traditional bluegrass. And while I know from my marriage that some people will get triggered by mentioning jam, you should really give this thing a chance and just make sure that you want to completely close yourself off to happiness and goodness and the American Way. Up to you. Anyway, if you don't know Strings yet - more importantly, if you haven't seen the dude live yet - then you need to get on board now. His band is made up of killers at each axe - banjo, mandolin, bass, and guitar - and he can be both poignant and witty with his lyrics. I promise you it is good. (although I can definitely recognize a perspective that his band name is dorky as hell). The top track is "Fire Line," which is almost at the end of the album. Must be on a playlist somewhere. 2.5 million streams.
That track definitely gets into the jammy stuff I mentioned before. Heavy on banjo picking and old-school harmonies and fiddle (for the bluegrass crowd), but those faux deep lyrics and the extended soloing and weird spaceship-taking-off sounds shifts it into something for the stoned to zone out to. I really enjoy this disc. I know bluegrass and jam aren't everyone's cups of tea, but I could just keep this one rolling.
Overall, I promise you this show will be awesome. I know a lot of people wouldn't be interested in bluegrass, or jam band stuff, but if you like someone who is ridiculously skilled with an instrument in their hands, then this is the good stuff. Check it out.
Wikipedia Genre: Rock, progressive rock, funk, psychedelic rock, jam band Home:Wilton, CT Poster Position: 4 Both Weekends. Sunday.
Thoughts: I have a feeling that I am close to alone in the way that I discovered Goose a few years ago, because it is quite honestly really a weird thing. We'll go back to the beginning. And in the beginning, Vampire Weekend released a song called 2021, on the album Father of the Bride. Pretty good song. The guitar solo in the center sounds like some classical song I can't recall right now, like "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" or something. Well, Goose then collaborated with them or something, and turned that minute and forty second track into a twenty minute and twenty one second track that just noodles through, in, and around that same song into infinity. It's actually pretty freaking great. "2021 (January 5th, to be exact)"
Hews a little more truly to the sound of the original to start, and then just ambles off into the sunset with it, before suddenly unfurling wings and launching into the sky for some steel-powered fireworks, and then turning back around and loping back towards the barn to look for a soft place to lay down.
Based upon that strange introduction, I hunted down another Goose album to give their other stuff a try. Their 2020 EP called Night Lights was the one I hunted down and reviewed, and here is what I had to say:
"Goose - Night Lights. I blame Vampire Weekend for this. I already know that most jam band music misses the mark for me, but these guys did such a cool job reimagining 20:21 that I had to go hunt down something else from them and give it a shot. Some of this is fiiiiiine, but some of it was also so cheesy sounding that I actually worried the other day that the guy working on my sprinkler system might hear it from my home office and judge me for listening to some Teletubbies ass shit while working. I'm sure the sprinkler guy gave no shits and/or was high and would have enjoyed it, but if you're getting self-conscious about what the sprinkler guy thinks, then you don't love the music. The opening track is the best one - "All I Need" - and "Time to Flee" is the whack shit. Neither of those is the stream king though, with "Wysteria Lane" claiming that crown with 735k.
Lower key than most of these other songs, or at least slower tempo. Feels like the part of their show when you'll realize just how stoned you really are because you've stopped pogo-ing around and yelling alligator rhymed with see-you-later. I dig some of the other tunes better, where they really intertwine their instruments. This one is a little more straight. Sounds like something The Revivalists might have played (except missing the slide guitar). I have a feeling that I would dig their live show more than this EP."
And here's the thing - I'm just not really a jam band guy. I have always liked the Dead, and I like some bands that dance around the edge of jamminess like My Morning Jacket or The Revivalists or Dave Matthews or Moon Taxi. I've been to at least one jam band show that I loved - Umphrey's McGee can play the living hell out of their instruments - and then a lot where I felt like I just didn't get it - String Cheese Incident, for sure. But Widespread and Phish never tickled my fancy, and so this band isn't going to necessarily scratch my itch.
Although, I will now readily admit that when listening to this band in the car on the drive home today, I noticed "Wysteria Lane" as being pretty solid. Even more solid? Their three new singles sound really good. Most of their albums appear to be live albums (with names like 2021.11.21 Denver, CO), but they also have some studio action like 2016's Moon Cabin and 2021's Shenanigans Nite Club. I'll talk more about that 2021 album in a minute, but the three new singles - "Borne," "Dripfield," and "Hungersite" - sound better. They get into some jam bits, but the majority of it drops some of the "Shakedown Street" type disco funk and goes for more of a straight soft rock thing. Their stream count goes in order of release, but I think the newest one is the best one, so I'm giving you that. "Hungersite" with 125k streams so far.
Poor little office worker drones! And why did the bag with the video tape in it also have donuts and mango La Croix in it? Weird detail. Still goes for the long guitar solo in there, but the overall vibe doesn't feel so loose and improvisational. Also, what kind of animal puts a bunch of donuts in a paper bag where their toppings can rub off? Freak.
As for Shenanigans Nite Club, it opens with the hit of the album, "So Ready," which sounds like the discofied funk that I always attribute to "Shakedown Street" when a jam band goes that way. The second tune, "Satellite" definitely makes me think of Phish with the ever shriller guitar licks climbing their way higher and higher. The jam at the back half of "Madhuvan" is pretty fun and groovy. As soon as the auto-tune vocals on "Spirit of the Dark Horse" kick in, I laughed and realized this album is not my thing at all. Oh, and the 12 minute long "Labyrinth" at the end, big nope energy.
The band itself is five guys - three of them used to be in a band called Vasudo. Their star has been on the rise for a little while, and it seems like the pandemic stunted their growth for a only a little while. They played a bunch of livestreamed concerts from a barn in Virginia during the shutdown and called it the Bingo Tour. Now that they are back out on tour, they seem like the hottest ticket in town, with all of their shows selling out across the country.
But that may be the deal - maybe their whole thing is that their live show is where the good stuff is. Lucky us, we have several live albums we can peep! I tried the Denver one from last year. I can see the appeal. I mean, they definitely get repetitive at times, but I can also feel the pleasure of a good repetitive groove that locks in and you can just let it take you over for a little while. Here is a show from Atlanta and the Sweetwater Festival in 2022.
See that weirdo dressed like a jellyfish? That is one of the String Cheese people who overran us at Red Rocks a few years back. What is up with those three guys who left the crowd after 1:45? Did they think they were there for a metal band? The dork in the green hat who is filming the first song - little does he know a professional grade video is being made right behind his head and will be available for free on YouTube. I'm sitting here judging the people in the crowd, meanwhile I personally hate to feel judged when I'm trying to let loose at a show and enjoy myself without inspection. Okay. This is goofy music - a huge crowd singing la-da-dat-dat-dahhh -da as they gently boogie around is something to behold. But at the same time, I think the show would probably pretty fun to go groove around to for an afternoon. I just found myself getting sucked into the extendo-jam during "Hungersite."
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, will call it jam band country Home:Austin, Texas Poster Position: 23 Weekend One Only.
Thoughts: Does anyone know what jam band voice is actually called? I searched on Google for all of eight seconds and couldn't find any answer, but there is something weird with jam bands where their vocals tend to have this softened delivery, not quite like whispering, but it has like a smoothed rasp that makes it sound like it is a little whispery. So weird. Obviously not done by every jam band, but I definitely hear it more in that world than elsewhere. Like that odd pop girl voice that everyone is doing now (including my daughter). Very Grateful Dead-ish vibe here, in the way that the Dead sometimes hung their hat on a Bakersfield country sound and ran with it. Sometimes the sound is more country, sometimes it is more jam. Only one album - 2018's eponymous Stone Wheels. I'll give you one guess what the first song is called. You give up? Yep, "Stone Wheels." They super dig that cool name they came up with, man. The vast majority of their songs don't crack the 1,000 stream level, so these guys aren't blowing the doors off the music world just yet. I'm sure its on the way. Their top track is actually a single from 2015 and isn't on their album at all. "Settle for Satisfied" has 4,833 streams (and I'm probably 8 of those today alone). Buuut, no video on YouTube for that one. Likewise, "Long Way Home," which is their second most streamed with 2,162, also doesn't have a video. What they do have? A live shot of "Everchanging You" from an Oskar Blues live show. So, that is what you get!
Some crowd noise, but you get the idea. More jammy than country on that one, but believe me, they have some country bits on the album. "Raise a Glass" has a cool, chilled out vibe. I like that one. I kind of doubt I'll see this one, but if I'm there early enough, and nothing super great is up against them, then sure.
One Liner: Surprisingly jammy new tunes from the 80's piano soft-pop mastermind
Wikipedia Genre: Improvisational multi-genre, jam band, rock, gospel, heartland rock, jazz, bluegrass, blues rock Home: Williamsburg, VA Poster Position: 9 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: Huh. Who woulda thunk that Bruce Hornsby would turn his soft-rock piano stuff into a freak-jazz-jam-band style thing in his older age? I'll readily admit that I enjoyed the classic Bruce Hornsby shit - the "Mandolin Rain" and "The Way It Is." Wait, do you even remember that stuff? Quick refresher - Bruce Hornsby and the Range brought the heat in 1986 with the album The Way It Is, which boasted the massively popular title track and several other great tracks. 57.5 million streams for that hit.
If you're a fan of rad late 90's hip hop, then you certainly recognize that lick and hook as co-opted by 2Pac in "Changes." Which is a good track. And the original is great as well. But Hornsby's gig was jamming the piano - he was an unapologetic piano man. Took home the 1987 Best New Artist Grammy for that initial album as well. He's also jumped out and done some other weird things, like winning another Grammy for an album with Ricky Skaggs (for Best Bluegrass album) and then served as a member of the Grateful Dead from 1990 to 1992, playing over 100 shows with them. But this band, The Noisemakers, appears to have come about many years ago to serve as his touring band, but then they've made a handful of albums that are listed as being by Hornsby and the Noisemakers. I have no clue what that means for the live show - are we getting a full career retrospective from Bruce, or will this only be those tracks that are on official Noisemaker albums? Taking a look at his setlist from a July 14 show in Ohio, it looks like this will be a full-on do-whatever-the-hell-they-want show. His set includes multiple Bruce Hornsby & the Range tracks, a few Hornsby solo tracks, a 2Pac mashup (of Hornsby's "Sunflower Cat" + "California Love," which is wild), some Creedence, Staples Singers, Don Henley, and Robbie Robertson. So no clue what you'll hear in Austin, but I bet you get "The Way It Is." Without any knowledge of what is coming, I'll just dig into his two most recent albums - 2016's Rehab Reunion (which is expressly with the Noisemakers) and 2019's Absolute Zero (which features all sorts of people, like Justin Vernon and somebody named yMusic). The 2019 album is the one with the super strong jam band lean, although even the 2016 one has some of those aspects. But they also have small pieces of folk, country, Irish traditionals, rock, jazz, and who knows what else. But I think a lot of the jam-ish sound are the guitar solos. And, it must be said, that his voice is still beautiful. He's always had a wonderful voice, and time hasn't reduced his instrument any that I can tell. He might not try as many of those top end notes, but when he jumps up and goes for it, they still sound tasty. The final track of Rehab Reunion has the most streams, most likely because Mavis Staples is on it. The track right before, "The Valley Road," has some of that Irish traditional sound, the jam-band guitar sound, and little to no featured piano parts. But here is that Mavis track, "Celestial Railroad."
Nice little organ-fueled groove. And its that mandolin solo-work that also sounds tight. Absolute Zero is all over the place. "Fractals" is like some freaky experimental jazz thing with his staccato piano angles bouncing up and down the keyboard. The title song is more of a chill groove. Sometimes, he almost sounds like solo Sting in some pieces, where Sting used to get worked up over a piano groove - like in "Meds." "Voyager One" is a high energy one with more high hat than all the other tunes combined, until it goes into a rumbled little jam solo on some weird instrument for a minute. But "Cast-Off," one of the tracks featuring Justin Vernon (Bon Iver for those of you who have slept) is the top streamer, at 484k.
Understated and lovely, with a distinctive sadness in the first minute or so before the drums and lyrics kick in. Reminds me of some sad Peter Gabriel song I've heard before. And the sax makes me think of Dave Matthews. Random aside, Wikipedia says that he claims to have beaten Allen Iverson in one-on-one basketball three games in a row after helping Iverson get out of jail. What in the hell is that all about? I also found a live album back among the 20-something albums available from Hornsby on Spotify, that is called Here Comes the Noise Makers, so maybe that is a good indication of what they will sound like live (albeit from 1998, 1999, and 2000, so hopefully they will have some fresh material since then). Still has a jam band feel, his great voice, and excellent piano playing. A good sound. And includes covers from Grateful Dead, Don Henley, Bob Dylan, and probably others I just can't identify. Here is "Circus on the Moon," captured live last year by this whole posse, to give you a little flavor of what to expect.
A buncha gray haired dudes making nice tunes that would feel at home right in the middle of a String Cheese set. I've been surprised at how much I have enjoyed these new BH albums. Figured that this was just a nostalgia play for the old 80's heyday, but his new tunes are legitimately enjoyable stuff. I could see doing this show.
One Liner: Reggae rock for the college bros to chill to.
Wikipedia Genre: Reggae Rock. Yes, that is one genre, not two. Home: Isla Vista, California Poster Position: 6 Both Weekends.
Thoughts: They were also here in 2014, and here is the (super in depth) review that I wrote at the time: "Oh yeah. Time for some ganja at ACL? Time for some ganja at ACL. Sounds kind of like a chilled 311 or the reggae and relax parts of Sublime. Feeling Alright is their top song [and it continues to be their top song in 2019, with 38 million YouTube views for that video, and 33.8 million streams on Spotify].
They also have a songs called So High, Good Vibes, and Lazy Afternoon. Of the five songs I just heard, every single one has the exact same reggae beat and some happy time lyrics about love or relaxation. If ACL is going to have that one big weedbox tent like they did a few years ago, I bet these dudes open for Jimmy Cliff. For what it is, this is pretty solid frat-bros-smoking-joints-on-a-sagging-goodwill-reject-couch-in-the-front-yard-of-a-dilapidated-rent-house-in-Boulder-or-Berkeley-or-Austin kind of vibe. Not offensive in the slightest, just nothing I’m going to go out of my way to listen to for more than a song. I wonder if the band is actually one dude with a Casio 2000, where he just hits the DUB BEAT button and then sings some happy time sounds. If so, more power to him. YOU THE MAN!" So, I didn't appear to be very impressed with them at the time - I also did not do a very comprehensive review of them. FIVE SONGS!?! I just listened to like 80 songs by Robyn and went through them 3 or 4 times! C'mon 2014 Jack! I'm less distant from them today - trying out the 2018 album Free Rein right now, and there is nothing offensive about a good dub groove and some chill lyrics. Of note, Wikipedia calls their style "Reggae Rock," not just Reggae. Clicking through to an explanation reveals that this term has been used to describe such bands as The Police, Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, 311, and Rebelution (among others). This genre found its rise into popularity with Sublime's popularity in 1990's Long Beach. The Police, though? They made like two songs with reggae undertones. They have a ton of albums - that "Feeling Alright" track comes from their first one, 2007's Courage to Grow. Since then, they released 2009's Bright Side of Life, 2012's Peace of Mind, 2014's Count Me In, 2015's Count Me In (Acoustic), 2016's Falling Into Place, and 2018's Free Rein. They also put out a Live at Red Rocks album, and I can only imagine the levels of dope smoke that emanated from that canyon on that particular night, holy hell. The members of the band all went to UC Santa Barbara, and their first album was their big break, immediately becoming highly popular among the reggae set. Their only Grammy nomination came in 2017, for Falling Into Place, nominated for Best Reggae Album. Also, FYI, there is a Christian website called therebelution.com that provides articles, books, and resources for Christian teens, parents, and youth workers - should you have a need. Funny thing, I wanted to find a recent article about them - most of these bands have loads of recent press that pops up when you google their name - these guys do not. I wonder if they are just a known quantity by now and people aren't trying to find out who they are anymore. Even when I expressly seek an interview, the top three that come up are from 2016, 2012, and 2009. I'll give you the top track from their most recent album to bookend that top track up there. No real reason to go through all of the albums and provide you examples from each - they all sound pretty much the same. I mean, its a good sound - very relaxing, very good groove, super chill - but you don't need to get a bunch of examples to understand the band. This is "Celebrate," with 9.5 million streams.
That video blows, but the track is another good one. Do you think that the synth player really has to hit the keys on that beat the whole song, or is that part a loop and he just plays the other part? because that would really cause carpal tunnel if he actually had to play that chord 3,450 times per song, in every single song they do. What the hell, I'd go chill out and listen to this stuff live. Seems pretty enjoyable.
One Liner: Local jam band grooving out in the dark.
Wikipedia Genre: None, going to call it jam rock. Home: Austin Poster Position: 27-ish Day: Saturday at Noon. Second Weekend Only.
Thoughts: By the way, there is also a band called Mamafest. So don't get it confused. Kinda jam-ish tunes. These cats were added recently, maybe the day they released the schedule, so I'm only now discovering them. Actually, I think no one has yet discovered them, as only two of their songs on Spotify crack the 1,000 play mark. So they haven't quite lit the world on fire just yet. Their Spotify bio says they are "an original groove-rock outfit from Austin, Texas that was born in the fall of 2011." About midway through their top song - "Life Comes Easy" - and its got an extended boogaloo breakdown in the middle that makes me think of String Cheese or the Dead, people just blissing out and taking turns on their instruments and keeping the funk rolling. I can't give you that one via YouTube, as it is not one of the three videos they have uploaded. So, instead, I give you the one video they have uploaded that appears to showcase their actual music. This is "If I Was." It has less than 1,000 streams on Spotify.
Yeah baby. Groovy. I enjoy the music on these tracks pretty well, but I won't say that the lyrics or vocals are just knocking me off my feet. I doubt I'd go see these guys - noon on Saturday isn't real likely, but I was feeling the groove for a few hours this afternoon.
Wikipedia Genre: None listed on his Wikipedia article, will say freak folk, bluegrass, jam, rock. Home: Durham, N.C. Poster Position: 22 Day: Sunday at 1:00 Weekend Two Only.
Thoughts: I spent about two days just jamming these tunes before I got around to wanting to write, so I'm definitely on board with him. Loose, fun, relaxed jam rock kind of freak folk. This goofy looking dude has been part of a few other bands in the past, including Megafaun and Shouting Matches, which features Bon Iver's Justin Vernon as the lead singer. He gets a little funky at times, a little gospel at other times, a little Allman Brothers. Its a good mix. Two real albums ( 2018's People Are My Drug and 2015's Southland Mission) with two EPs (2015's excellent Old Hwy D and 2013's This Side Up). Oh, and one very bad single that includes some rap (2017's Skin and Bone). "Anybody Else," from his first album, is his most streamed tune by a good chunk, with 743k streams.
Funny aside, my kids came home from summer camp the other day. I worked at this same camp many moons ago, and I LOVED infecting the children with my love for music. One summer my co-counselors and I made a bet about who could get the campers to like their chosen song the most. I picked Bjork's "Army of Me," like a true weirdo, and the other contender picked Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." As I recall it, I crushed him. Anyhoo, I immediately asked my kids what music my kids listened to at camp, wanting to learn about the cool new stuff they had absorbed. Kid #1: "uh, I don't know, like regular music?" [siiiiigh] Kid #3: "I don't remember" [uuuuuuuuuggggghhhh, killing me smalls] Kid #2: "like, uhm, Bohemian music? A lot of bohemian music." [huh?] Upon further investigation, the only song she could recall was one "about making banana pancakes." Neat, so Jack Johnson is apparently bohemian music to my kid. I bring all of this up because I think this dude would likewise slot into the kid's Bohemian Music genre. I mentioned earlier that I think the Old Hwy D EP is excellent - and I stick by that assessment. Poignantly picked instrumentals of beautiful folk-ish Americana tunes, I just think they resonate so well in my head. This one is the final track of his top ten list on Spotify, but I love it. "Saratoga," with 160k streams.
Something about that tune is just relaxed and perfect. His initial EP is a lot of instrumental tunes as well, remind me of some of the countrified instrumentals guys like Eric Johnson or Jack Johnson would do. His new album stays true to the course of his first album - more relaxed jams with insightful lyrics. The top track right now from that album is "Miles Away," with 132k streams in only 2 months since a June 1 release date.
A little bluesy, with some Norah Jones-esque piano twiddles and soft drumage. Nice little track. This guy is good. The type of band I want to see on Saturday afternoon at 2, right after a big lunch, just lazing on the grass and enjoying a nice set.
One Liner: Austin alt. country./Americana band that sounds fantastic Wikipedia Genre: Americana, folk rock, country, blues, jam rock, roots rock, blue-eyed soul Spotify Says Similar To: Chris Knight and Ray Wylie Hubbard (pretty damn good company right there) Home: Austin, Texas Poster Position: 16 Slot: ?
Thoughts: What the hell is "blue-eyed soul?" Wikipedia calls it R&B and soul music performed by white artists. What the hell is that about? Is it really necessary to worry about the race of the performer when talking about a genre? Do we have a Afro-American Rock section in the record store? Is there a Asian Jazz genre? Can a white guy with brown eyes play blue-eyed soul music, or is that a different section? Such a weird thing. Anyway, sorry for the detour into a short race discussion, but this band is awesome. The most recent album, Duende is really very good. I've been just going back to it over and over all day and its hard to find any reason to move on. These guys are from Austin, and their Spotify bio says that they formed just by sitting in on each other's sets at a place called Momo's (R.I.P.) and then just started playing together more often. After a few albums, they've revamped and added a friend of mine from childhood to the lineup (bassist Scott Davis, who also rules on guitar, and used to jam with Hayes Carll) and made this 2017 disc that I think is so good. I promise I'm not just saying its good because of Scotty. Go check it out. First, I'm going to give you the most listened to track from that album, called "Trouble Came Early," with 198k streams.
Live version, with a little bit of an intro, but still a good one. After this new album, they've got a bunch of other albums. They start back in 2006 with Live from Momo's, then a Live at Antone's one, then they get going with the studio work on 2008's Band of Heathens, 2009's One Foot in the Ether, 2013's Sunday Morning Record (which is also one of their best), and 2016's Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster's Son. Of particularly strange note, that 2013 album has a song called "Caroline Williams." Which is only notable to me because that was the maiden name of the wife of my good buddy who comes to ACL with me every year. I texted him, and they had no clue (OR SO SHE CLAIMS!) about the song, and now she's saying that she never dated either of the main two guys in the band. LIKELY STORY!
Anyway, pretty good song. More than likely, Caroline is telling the truth and Jason isn't a Eskimo Brother to any of these guys. MAYBE! Their most popular track, by about a million streams, is "Hurricane," from that 2016 album, and boasting about 1.8 million streams.
Those harmonies are gold-plated, baby. Not their original song, but they still put a hurtin' on it. Although the crowd kind of looked like mannequins in cool hats, how was no one cutting loose to that when the jam took hold? The rest of that album sticks with a New Orleans flavor. Better though is the album just before that, the Sunday Morning Record, which evokes the Beatles ("Since I've Been Home") and The Jayhawks ("Texas") and that soft-hued, golden sound from California in the 70's. Their live disc shows more of a jam band side than that chilled Dawes vibe. I'm enjoying it, I'd go see these guys for sure.
One Liner: Willie Nelson's kid plus Neil Young's backing band = jam rock tastiness Wikipedia Genre: Rock Spotify Says Similar To: North Mississippi Allstars and Leftover Salmon Home: Los Angeles Poster Position: 15 Slot: ? Thoughts: I'm really liking the band on these tracks. I can see why Neil Young would tap these guys to back him up, I hear some echos of old Neil Young here (check the guitar work on "If I Was the Ocean"), as well as some new sounds like a rock jam band like My Morning Jacket. I can also hear good ol' Dad on some tracks, like the live version of "Can You Hear Me Love You," which sounds like an outtake from Willie's Teatro album. In fact, that is what I'd say about the 2012 album Wasted, compared to the newer album - his older sound is like his Dad (also check "Wanted to Try"), but the newer sound is more of his own sound and I think I like the lower registered vocals of the new better of the old. Three albums, 2010's Promise of the Real, 2012's Wasted, and 2016's Something Real, with the most popular track being off of that original album. "Pali Gap/ Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" - which wins the award for schizophrenic song title of the year - is that top song, with 380k streams on Spotify.
That one has some brassy guitar sounds like I'm used to hearing on a Neil Young album, but also some jammy chill-ness in there that you wouldn't hear on Willie's discs. They definitely can go for some long guitar heroics on some of these tracks ("Start to Go," for one), but the second most listened to track on Spotify is more of a reggae-ish jam track.
What was that band that came a few years ago, that for some reason makes me think of college kids smoking pot on shitty couches? Uhhhh, Rebelution! That's the one. This makes me think of Rebelution. But before I let you go, let's listen to one of the top songs from the new album, which I think showcases the better sound for this band than these two older tracks. This is the title track, "Something Real," which has just over 81k streams on Spotify.
BONGOS! These guys have the sound of a kick ass bar band that just enjoys blasting it out. I'd go see it in the fall, and not just because of a famous dad, but because this is pretty legit rock and roll. Recommend? Sure.
