The Official ACL Blog for like Eight People!
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One Liner: Vibey, folky soft rock that is lovely if not very sticky
Wikipedia Genre: singer-songwriter
Home: Luton, England
Poster Position: 16 Both Weekends. Sunday at 3:45.
IHG Stage.
Thoughts: Born to a British Jamaican family in 1998, about two weeks after I graduated from college. Which makes me feel deeply old. He grew up listening to all sorts of music, and while young he bought a guitar for himself and taught himself how to play. He began performing covers at open mic nights by the time he was 12, apparently focusing on soft folk songwriters like Mumford, Sheeran, and Chris Martin. He got his larger start by covering The Neighbourhood's "Sweater Weather," which went viral in 2022.
"Behind" sort of feels like someone is trying to make a Noah Kahan song after having heard only one or two Noah Kahan songs. I can't put my finger on who the rest of this mostly reminds me of - "Wait For You" is really bugging me because it is the perfect example of whatever it is that is stuck in my mind, but I can't come up with the comp. But his mega hit is 2024's "Stargazing," which he wrote with two other guys and released just this May. There are now six version of it on Spotify, and so it is hard to listen to his discography without getting beaten over the head with it.
The chorus almost makes it sound like an EDM song, with those claps increasing as the guitar drives the tune harder, like you are waiting for the drop to come (but it never does). Is it just me or does every song's comment section include someone talking about how the song helped them when they got their cancer diagnosis. WTF man. But, a lovely song that is really nice to bop along to. Definitely sounds like something else I have heard before, but very nice.
No actual albums, just some singles and EPs, but his other top tune is a 2023 single called "Solo." 118 million streams.
Pretty good turn of phrase for the chorus there. Another really nice sounding song - his voice is strong without overpowering, and lyrically I like it too. Good heartbreak tune. I've gone through the You Promised a Lifetime (Acoustic) EP from 2024 several times, and it is really nice. If you want some gentle folky soft rock in your day, I heartily recommend it. I may choose Bakar over this cat, but they both have a really nice vibe to them.
One Liner: Jack Ingram's son making legitimately solid Harry Styles-ish pop rock
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is singer-songwriter and boy-band-ish pop rock
Home: Austin, Texas
Poster Position: Late Addition Weekend Two Only. Sunday at 12:10.
BMI Stage.
Thoughts: This fella looks like he is in high school with my kids and on first impression sounds like he an Austin kid channeling his inner Harry Styles. Annoyingly, I am down to the artists now where they have no Wikipedia and more than likely the best way to research them is like Instagram and TikTok, which I will not be doing because all of that is blocked here at work. But I found an article about him from January that explains a very gigantic fact about the boy - he is Jack Ingram's son.
Hard to believe that I have never written anything about Jack Ingram, but in my mind he is on the same level as Pat Green or (RIP) Charlie Robison or Cory Morrow. He hosts an annual fundraiser with Matthew McConaughey, he appeared on that really good Marfa Tapes disc by Miranda Lambert, and he is one of the classic faces of the Texas country movement from the 90's. So, this is his son, and the fact that this kid sounds really freaking clean and well-produced for a 17 year old starts to make some sense.
Taylor Swift wrote his father a hand-written note congratulating him on the birth of his son Hudson. And then Hudson's first musical memory was apparently a TayTay live show. Must be nice! Just one album, 2024's Peace, Love, and Paranoia (I so appreciate the Oxford comma there because otherwise it would have been read like you were saying goodbye to Love and Paranoia, instead of listing those three things). "Change Your Mind" is one that definitely sounds like Harry Styles. But the top streamer is "Good as Gone," with 213k streams.
But you can hear it there too, right? I mean, I think this guy's sound is phenomenal. Hard to imagine that if he made it into the ears of every teenage girl in the world that he wouldn't catapult to stardom. I'm sure there is a ton of nuance to the world of boy band adjacent sounding artists, but I think this is really catchy and enjoyable. I honestly wonder if he was able to use some major producer on these songs, being that his dad knows people, or if this is really somehow just him in his dad's backyard studio crushing the beats. His other biggest one is "Song About A Vampire," with 207k streams.Live version, but you get the idea. He's going more for the real deal rock band maneuver instead of the synth beat making thing. Definitely looks like a 17 year old kid. How freaking cool would it be to be a high school teenager just going into Arlyn Studios, where Gary Clark Jr. jams, and rocking out your tune with your best buds while your little brother films a music video for you. Dammit.
This kid is legit. Even before knowing who his famous father was, I think these are really good tunes.
One Liner: Apparently confessional singer/songwriter all in Spanish
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, chilled Spanish singer/songwriter
Home: Chihuahua, Mexico Poster Position: 3 (13) Both Weekends.
Sunday at 2:15.
Thoughts: I hate that I have this reaction, but the second that this started playing I was like - DAMMIT - the music in the background is nice, kind of like a simple singer/songwriter type guy - but Spanish. So, I have no clue what they're going on about. So, now I just want to get this review over with so that I can get to something that I understand.
According to a Rolling Stone headline, he is "the Reluctant Rising Star Making Introspective Songs About the Pains of Growing Up" and he "mixes folk traditions, rock sounds, and lush dream-pop on his impressive album 'Paris Texas'." Another article says that he blends folk sensibilities and modern pop elements. Nothing about this sounds like pop at all. Mostly just a dude strumming his guitar and bopping along. His songs apparently discuss his battles with anxiety and depression. I wouldn't know. He does have a buttload of streams tho!
Here is "Vamonos a Marte," with 310.7 million streams.
Yep! There it is! Perfectly acceptable, very low key tune in the background, and some lyrics over the top! I hope everyone who speaks Spanish loves every second of it!
One Liner: The Cantorial Soloist for Temple Israel in Memphis (?!?!)
Wikipedia Genre: None, but Jewish chanting? And maybe opera? And maybe indie acoustic guitar solos? Home:Memphis Poster Position: 23 Both Weekends.
Weekend One - Sunday. Weekend Two - Friday.
Thoughts: Well, there is something I didn't expect today. According to Wikipedia, assuming this is the same Happie Hoffman, this gal is on staff at a Reform Jewish synagogue in Memphis, Tennessee. Wikipedia says he is the Cantorial Soloist for the synagogue. According to myjewishlearning.com, "a cantor — hazzan (חזן) in Hebrew — is the person who chants worship services in the synagogue." "Beyond their responsibilities as prayer leaders, contemporary cantors typically also officiate at lifecycle events, teach bar and bat mitzvah students, and sometimes provide pastoral services."
Mmmmkay. She has no Spotify presence other than appearing on songs for two other artists. The best of those two is absolutely Zach Singer's "Adonai Malach," because the Laura Copel track sounds like a normal Christian music drivel. The Singer song is slightly groovy and good.
Happie has a website - happiehoffman.com - but it pretty much just says coming soon. The announcement from Temple Israel that she started there says she is native to Memphis, and was trained in opera at Indiana University.
Seriously, what the hell is going on here? Is this like the niece of one of the C3 people or something?
I think this is her, being as her name is so very different that I can't imagine there is another woman singer with her name:
Sure. Really pretty voice. I have no clue what this is doing on the poster. Maybe they're adding her to the Gospel stuff on Sunday morning (or adding a new Jewish chanting portion on Saturday morning? Am I going to find a Muslim muezzin somewhere on the poster as well?
One Liner: German combo of singer/songwriter with pop electronica that works well. Wikipedia Genre: Alternative rock, electronic, reggae, folk Indie (Reggae? Really?) Spotify Says Similar To:The Griswolds and Vance Joy Home: Kassel, Germany Poster Position: 4 Slot: Sunday, 4:15
Thoughts: Huh. I thought for sure that these guys had already played ACL in the past few years, but apparently I'm losing my memory in my advanced age. I reviewed their debut album, 2014's Sadnecessary, a while back, and I wouldn't say I was in love with it. You've heard of these guys, or at least you've heard one of their songs, unless you've been living under a rock. "Stolen Dance" is their big hit, and even years after its release, the alternative rock station here in Austin continues to play the damn thing, over and over again.
Definitely catchy tune, don't get me wrong, but it just seems odd that it is still in constant rotation when Sugar have been relegated to the poppy rock dustbin of history. Tragic. But, that tune has 346 million streams on Spotify, and another 328 million views of that video on YouTube, so it is a true and legitimate hit. Two other tunes from that older album break the 50 million stream mark, "Flashed Junk Mind" and "Down by the River," both of which are also nice little pop rock numbers, but nothing too terribly memorable. They all use some acoustic guitar picking over the top of electronic beat machines. Which I suppose makes sense, since the band is made up of two guitarists and a DJ. They are from Germany, which was also kind of a surprise to me. But the combination makes it sound like you have a kind of regular sounding singer/songwriter who is playing lovely little acoustic tunes with his guitar, but then someone remixed those with electronic beats. Wait, that is just wait this sounds like - remixes. Check out the most popular track from the new album, with 74.1 million streams, this is "Cocoon."
So, what the hell is up with that video? Weird people in white clothes live and work (?) in an abandoned factory in the woods, and one of them finds a passed out girl, who ends up being able to transform scarves into baller gold chains while she sleeps, so the head factory worker guy eats an apple like a zombie with a fresh liver, and then gets a crapton of scarves, so then the girl throws up a handful of teeth (? they might also be diced onions?), but then goes ahead and converts all the new scarves to gangster gold, which the factory people turn into golden tuna cans, but the girl is real sad and barfs some more teeth, and the apple guy now has a shitton of apples that he is in love with, but now one of the workers feels sad about tooth barfing girl, so he goes to free her, and she's turned into non-gold and non-onion rocks. So, there you have it. The story of the golden rock goose girl and the apple man. Just out of curiosity, I also looked up what was up with their name. Here is a great interview of their first time in America, where they got to watch Jets football fans tailgate and explain their name. And the story of how they came up with the name is extremely boring. Clemens: I came up with some artists names when I was younger just for fun. When we started making music, I just went with that one.
And now you have to live with it forever.
Philipp: Yeah, I'm not sure, maybe we should change it.
Clemens: Yeah…
Philipp: I don't think we care that much about names, but Milky Chance is not the best name.
So there you have it. Made up by a child and neither of them actually like it. PERFECT! I think its actually about jizz, they're just scared to mention it now that they've become big time. After running through their two albums a few times while writing this, I've come around on them. This really is catchy pop music that sounds pretty good. It's just such an odd juxtaposition: the heartfelt, singer/songwriter, lyrical, acoustic music, set to electronic beats and boops. Some of the new album kind of reminds me of the direction that Coldplay has taken recently, where they use a rock song's basic structure but then add a dance party of electronica underneath. For example, see "Clouds."
Doesn't that sound like something Chris Martin and company would be bouncing around the stage to right now in a video? I think so. Overall, I've enjoyed listening to these guys more, and would consider checking them out in the fall. They're up against Dram and Skip Marley, so I suspect that I'll be checking them out in person.
One Liner: YouTube star and America's Got Talent winner who seems genuinely good Wikipedia Genre: Singer-songwriter Spotify Says Similar To: Tori Kelly and Maggie Lindemann Home: Suffern, NY Poster Position: 11 Slot: Saturday, ?
Thoughts: So, if you don't have a young girl in your household who watches YouTube Kids all day every day, then you might not have already heard of our friend Grace here. I've heard her hit song at least 375.000 times in the last year or two, and my girls now both own ukuleles that they never play and collect dust on our playroom wall. For the uninitiated, Grace won the American's Got Talent show by coming on and cranking up some heartfelt indie pop uke jams that blew away the judges, partly because she's good, but also because she was like freaking 12 or something. Here she is in that performance that my kids watch 19 times a day.
64 million views on that video, and most are my children. And even after having heard that video in the background all those times, I still get goosebumps and feels from it each time. If you aren't a little bit buzzy after watching that video then you should go live with the Grinch in the mountain above Whoville. Simon Crowell calls her the next Taylor Swift in that video, and I can see the comparisons. She's put out one EP and then has a brand new single out as well ("Moonlight"), but she's also got a YouTube channel where she has a bunch of videos up of her doing her thing.
Another good track, pretty impressive little girl. Although I'd say that the arrangement of "You Don't Know My Name" that is on the EP is a little less fun, just because its got strings and more production layers onto it, and I think it is better as the pure original, but that is quibbling... Here is that most recent tune, where she is growing up a touch.
She just seems so genuinely pleased to be noticed. I love it. It'll be devastating when it comes out that she is really an animatronic robot specifically formulated to appeal to humanity who has been singing pre-packaged songs written by Nashville pros this whole time. And then we'll all elect her President and her creators will destroy us all! Will I Go See Her? Yes, I am going to buy separate tickets for the second weekend's Saturday just so my whole family can go see her play.
One Liner: New Amy Winehouse who wants you to Rise Up instead of dodge rehab. Poster Position: 12 Thoughts: A little bit Beyonce/Rihanna, a lot bit Amy Winehouse, she's got a killer voice. I feel like you ought to hear this one, just because I think it sounds like Amy Winehouse doing a James Bond theme song. This is "Only Love,"
She's just got the one album, 2015's Cheers to the Fall. Album opener "Forever Mine" makes me think of bad ass Lauryn Hill singing about another MC losing his life tonight. Slinky and sultry, this track is a fine groove. And the rest of the album brings the Winehouse comparisons even stronger. I know, there have been a ton of other people who sound like this in the history of music, but if you are comparing modern music, you aren't going to go into some Billie Holiday rabbit hole. This music though, unlike the classic '20's stuff, incorporates aspects of hip hop into the sound, and then lets her fantastic voice slide along over the top. See "Gold." Her most popular and most listened to track, by far, is the powerful "Rise Up," with 18.6 million streams.
Hot damn, son. That video pulls few punches in the emotional manipulation arena, but the song itself is just killer. You just can't deny that voice, man. California girl, I recall her being involved somehow in the Grammys this last year - maybe a duet with someone else? Anyway, I won't say that her music is the style I'm going to want to hear on a day in day out basis, but its hard to act too cool to want to go hear her crush it in person. We'll see.
One Liner: Fine singer/songwriter tunes from a local guy Poster Position: 21 Thoughts: Oh, man, this guy just knew right where to stab a tuning fork into my eighties nostalgia button, with a bluegrass-y cover of Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl." I love that song. And that is, without a doubt, his most popular track on Spotify, with just over 1.7 million listens. Matt is Austin-based, which is cool, and has a kind of laid back, folky vibe that matches Austin well to me. Funny thing is that I'd heard his name over the years, but had never experienced his music. It is nothing like what I expected, very melodic and kind of quiet. It's nice.
According to his website, he actually was an electrician when he got started. He sounds a little like Paul Simon to me, that gentle inflection and nice tone. Also sounds a little like Bob Schneider. He has some silly songs ("Bacon Song," as a good example, declares bacon to be healthy and able to help you kick Popeye's ass), but also some really pretty ones, like his second most popular track, the lovely "I Will Do The Breathing," which is from his most recent album, 2011's Accidental Thief.
"I will do the breathing, until you are able to come up for air, I will be the feathers on the wings of the bird, that guides you wherever you need to go." Damn pretty song. 386k streams on Spotify, and even that jenky live video has 16k views, which is kind of rare for the live videos I've watched for this project. I've made may way through all of his albums, and he has a bunch (available on Spotify: 1999's Home, 2003's Made for Working, 2004's Long Way Home, 2006's One Thing Right, 2011's Matt the Electrician is Alive, and 2011's Accidental Thief). They are all pretty good - the live album is nice as well. Like some of the other people I've reviewed recently, I don't know how this intimate sound will translate to the big stage of the festival, but I bet seeing him play at the Cactus would be amazing.
One Liner: Smooth ass soul and R&B Poster Position: 10 Thoughts: You've probably heard her fantastic, breezy hit from 2006, "Put Your Records On," which lyrically checks Bob Marley and then flows like a smooth Sunday afternoon spent with Norah Jones and Jill Scott. Definitely her most popular and most listened to track, with 50.5 million streams.
That video matches the tune just right - sun-kissed and carefree. Great tune. Speaking of Marley, she does an absolutely mesmerizing cover of "Is This Love" that is straight-up slinky love-making music.
Hot Damn. If that right there doesn't make you want to slowly strip off all of your clothing and get all kinds of sweaty with your love then you need to make a doctor's appointment right now. Do it. I'll wait. That song, in addition to being unequivocally bad ass, won a Grammy in 2012. Smokin'. She has four albums and a handful of singles and EPs, but I think the best of them is definitely that original 2006 album named Corinne Bailey Rae. It has that large single, as well as the album opener, "Like a Star," which is pretty good. The newest disc, 2016's The Heart Speaks in Whispers, makes me think of a Prince album. Still soulful, but kinda danceable, kinda rockin', not too terribly serious. Also flirts with an EDM sound at times. The top track from that is "Green Aphrodisiac," with 1.8 million listens.
More of her old school sound on that one. Just fine, nothing I'd look to hear more of. I have to note that this isn't really a style of tunes I'd listen to much on purpose. Its like how I bought a few Norah Jones albums when those were the thing to buy, and I haven't even considered listening to one of those again in years. Her voice is gorgeous, and I generally enjoy the arrangements, but realistically this isn't my type of tunes. I can't imagine that she'll pull a huge crowd at the festival, but who the hell knows?
Louisiana powerhouse singer. Sultry, blues-y rock and a killer voice for this gal in the bottom portion of the poster. She has two albums available on Spotify, 2011's Quarter Life and 2013's Neutral Ground. No bio available on Spotify, but the ACL website provides some color on her. Recent transplant from Shreveport to New Orleans, has been recently fronting a funk band called Galactic, and has a song with them that features her and the lead singer from the excellent band the Revivalists. "Hey Na Na"
That is a funky ass groove, right there. She is working on a new album right now, but from listening to the two available albums, the most recent one is great, while the older one is OK. Neutral Ground showcases Koerner's voice over simple but dark blues rock arrangements. The most listened-to song she's got is called "He Calls Me Mama," with over 23k listens.
See what I'm talking about? Sultry, with a light touch on the backing music. Loads better than he first album. And then here is a long video for the title track to the album.
Hell yes. That blues guitar riffage just blazes, and her voice is so strong. Sweet sound. Homegirl gets her acting on in that video, too. Well, until she gets transmogrified into a baby. After that, its all bad lighting and puke-mode-Blair-Witch camera movement. I hope someone nice finds that baby and teaches it how to play guitar. I'd go listen to her if I was there early enough for the slot she'll invariably get.
Electronic chilly singer. This is a gal named Charlotte O'Connor, who has only two EP's available on Spotify. Strong voice, but overall her music is not something I'd seek out. Not quite as depressing sounding as Lana Del Rey, but I'd put them in the same general wheelhouse, especially "On and On." Her most listened to track is "Colour My Heart," with just over 750k listens:
Sounds a bit like Kate Bush there at the start. I bet the budget for that video was under $50. "We need $48 worth of black makeup and nail polish, one light bulb, and then I need you to just wear a black dress. Mmmkay?" That track was off of the 2014 Strange EP. The current most popular on Spotify is off of the new EP, Burning, and is more of a dance number, called "If My House Was Burning"
Again, I can dig the fact that her pipes are top notch, but I can't say that I really care to hear the tune. Three of the four tracks on this EP (Burning) are versions of that song. I doubt I'll go check her out.
Pleasant piano rock. Is that damning praise? Two EPs, one from 2013 and one from 2014, so his stuff is relatively recent. Hopefully one of his album covers later down the line does not involve the same drawing of his Smokey the Bear hat with stringy hair and his nose poking out underneath. I bet he'll come up with something by 2015. This one is an acoustic only version of his most popular tune - Let It Go (thankfully, not a Disney cover):
Soulful stuff, right? His second most popular song is from the earlier EP, called When We Were On Fire:
Still wearing the Arby's sign on his head, but again it is pretty soulful and simple. I like it. Weird part is that these videos don't sound quite like the studio versions, so it makes my comment that he plays pleasant piano rock sound insane. Just believe me, his most recent EP is full of piano. Or go listen for yourself. After making it through all of his music, I like him. I wish the dude would go find a kick ass band to front - his voice is strong and expressive. His stuff is good, but I think he could be fantastic in front of a good band. I'm going to put him in touch with Guns n Roses.
