Nick Simonite

WARNING: Lengthy post ahead

I have to remind myself that last year, I said the same thing to myself, and probably to a few close friends, but this time it just might be true. It’s not because I don’t love many aspects of what ACL stands for and what it brings to the community and many music fans from all over the world, because that would be disrespectful to much of the music community that I respect. I just think that our relationship, which holds many a dear memory, has run it’s course. These things happen. Things change when you get older, and well, we grow apart.  Although the idea of severing the relationship a year before your 10 year anniversary, and our 9 year, seems a bit thoughtless on my part so don’t call this final.

I can remember the days when I just attended the festival as a fan, and not as a writer. Or maybe I should change that to blogger, because if I were truly a serious writer, my devotion to bringing you every little detail of my experience year in and year out, would be more devout. Probably because there might be a paycheck involved, and not that dollars inspire more, but when there are priority shifts in life, sometimes they do. Not necessarily inspiring creativity, just inspiring more focus.

But, it was good this year I do have to say. There were moments that moved me to tears. In pure joy and in utter disgust. But isn’t how relationships are? You take the good with the bad.

I’ll have to admit, that when the lineup was first revealed, I was a bit put off. I won’t state the obvious reasons, because I think if anyone who reads this blog would be smart enough to figure that one/two/three reasons for that. Old/who cares/and let’s pull from the easy popular sell. But the middle ground was pretty damn sweet after taking a long look, aside from the fact that most of the bands, I had already seen this year as they had been through a few times already, but such is the burden of living in the great city of Austin, Tx. Bore. But it presented a great opportunity for a base of music fans who might not have the opportunities that I have been granted, to see some really great middle ground acts that are doing some really good things. Read more

My love for Lucero goes back a few years, maybe even a few years before I started writing this blog. A love that had me witness a band skimming the dirty skirt of success, barely keeping it’s head above water, and at times seemed to go under for what appeared to be the last time. Somehow, as I had almost written them off, they seem to be experiencing a new breath in life, and the attention and success that they have been fighting for, bloody knuckles, broken hearts, smoke filled lungs, and whiskey soaked words still in tact.

Whether or not you are familiar with the sounds of Lucero, if you have experienced nights of the hardships of love, drank yourself to the floor, or feel a special connection to that guitar that you have tucked in the corner, this is the band for you. Guaranteed is a country tinged rock-n-roll romp complete with sing-a-long and quite possibly the uncontrollable urge to throw that $8 beer into the Saturday afternoon air. The damage will be done early Saturday, and might just set the bar pretty high for the rest of the day.

Lucero: Saturday 10.9 @ 2:30 p.m. on the AMD Stage

MP3> Lucero ‘Swallow The Knife’

If there is one “must see” band for this year’s ACL, whether you have heard them or not, it’s The National. This success of this band has been a slow, creeping, sleepy giant, that will end up being bigger than many of us who have fallen in love with Matt Berninger’s bar room poetic, character driven lyrics, had ever anticipated. The band has been riding the success of their 2010 release High Violet which finds Berninger expanding on his previous urban based character wrestling with the everyday situations in more detail than we can recall of our own, pushing boundaries and delving deep into his dark psyche. And while it might be easy to make the case based on Berninger’s lyrics, the band proves itself as relevant and powerful in High Violet, subscribing to the vision and being as much a part of it as the one that we might look to as it’s leader. Bigger stages await this amazing band, who will surely continue to move us into our own thoughts with their sounds and sites.

MP3> The National ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’

This is the headliner for Sunday, nevermind those guys growling out some dusty “Hotel California”.

The National: Sunday 10.10 @ 7 p.m. on the Honda Stage

4:30 p.m. Saturday might prove to be a bit of a conflict for some with indie rock scratching star status bands Broken Bells and Silversun Pickups going head to head, but the real sleeper in this time slot is Local Natives. A band that is quite obviously a result of the Vampire Weekend affect, blending low fi rock sensibilities with beats and tones that in the past have been associated with world music, Local Natives have been stirring attention since the release of Gorilla Manor earlier this year, and there are expectations in store for this band. They just might be a band that is seeing the peak of their success now, but your friends will think you are much hipper than you appear to be if you shrug the obvious choices and vote for some Local Natives. No doubt that they have some talent, but living in the shadow of a band like Vampire Weekend, just might be a tiresome fight.

Local Natives: Saturday 10.9 @ 4:45 on the Austin Ventures Stage

MP3> Local Natives ‘Wide Eyes’

For a band that started out as a charming low-fi outfit flirting with delicate spacial beauty, Beach House dropped a fairly substantial upgrade of an album this year with Teen Dream, and even more so with their live performance. A recent performance at the Hollywood Bowl as the opening act for Vampire Weekend (rumored they outplayed the headliner), is proof that the band has made major strides in obtaining the confidence that they can pull of a performance for a more challenging, larger audience.

The 5 p.m. time slot with little conflict, unless you want to opt for the complete opposite metal sounds of The Sword, should provide the perfect setting for this band’s sound on what should be one beautiful late afternoon experience.

Beach House: Friday 10.8 @ 5 p.m. on the Honda Stage

MP3> Beach House ‘Zebra’

It should be no surprise to anyone who visits this space even on a non-regular basis, that I have a special place in my musical heart for the ladies in Warpaint. Not only because they are easy on the eyes, but the music that the 4 piece spins in jam meets airy psych rock that takes on the comfort of your most pleasant dream world, is only a newborn in the world of modern rock, with some solid potential. The band still has yet to see their debut full length titled The Fool legal by the time they take the Zync Card stage early on Sunday, but the buzz around these ladies and this release begs one to question the crappy time slot they have been dealt, taking into consideration that locals Speak, scored a later spot in the day. Really? Guess it pays to be the local boy band project with some heavies behind you. If you really want to see Warpaint in action, you might best be served to take to their aftershow happening on Saturday night with Sonic Youth at La Zona Rosa. Chances are, that you probably won’t be at Zilker Park on Sunday at 11:45 a.m., and chances are that the ladies are going to shine on Saturday night, leaving Sunday morning for reaching deep to pull of greatness.

Warpaint: Zync Stage Sunday 10.10 @ 11:45 or Saturday 10.9 @ La Zona Rosa w/ Sonic Youth TICKETS

The band recently contributed to a Bowie tribute album with their own version of “Ashes to Ashes” and this is the video:

SORRY, but was asked to remove video, it not being “official”.

How about the track then?

MP3> Warpaint ‘Ashes To Ashes’

The list is out, and here it is, in a weird looking format, sorry. But you get the necessary info, and for ticket info and purchases, go HERE.

The Strokes @ Stubbs, Sonic Youth @ La Zona Rosa, and much more…after the….jump Read more

You know I love the ladies in Warpaint, and not just for the obvious reasons. Aside from making great music that walks the line of dreamy, psych-rock, that lends itself to the occasional jam on stage, they are pretty easy to look at as well.

Quickly working their way into the modern music consciousness with critic pleasing performances at last year’s CMJ Festival and this year’s SXSW, the band also managed to score a signing with Rough Trade with their EP Exquisite Corpse. And not wasting any time, the band is prepping the release of their debut LP The Fool which is to be released Oct 26th on Rough Trade.

If you are aching for a Warpaint fix until then, the band has recorded a version of David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes for the Bowie tribute album We Were So Turned On to be released sometime later this year.

MP3> Warpaint ‘Ashes To Ashes’ David Bowie cover

The band is on the road and heading this way for an appearance at ACL Festival (more on that later), and will begin a tour with The XX later in October.

Bear In Heaven make music that I wouldn’t typically spend too much time with, but there’s something about this band that is stirring up quite the buzz pot lately that keeps spinning my attention. At first listen, you could write them off as a band being thrust into the fallout stream of hipster hype created by bands like Animal Collective and Yeasayer, but there’s something a bit more unique about these guys that I appreciate a bit more. Bear In Heaven seem to posses this idea of futuristic exploration in their music that feels much like some of the music that some of the music pioneers, more specifically electronic music pioneers of the 80′s. Band’s like Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, New Order, Skinny Puppy,  just to name a few, that were making music that was experimental, a bit strange, but curiously good.  Bear In Heaven doesn’t sound like these bands, they just seem to embody the spirit of those bands around that time while still maintaining a progressive sound in today’s saturated venue. Read more

Got your tickets? Hope so, because the only other way you are going to get into the festival is purchase a $850 VIP ticket or start shopping over @ craigslist.

For those with tickets in hand, itching for the grid so they can start planning their weekend, you’re in luck. The day has arrived. No major conflicts for me at this point, as most of these bands have been through town already this year, but for some of you, there might be some decision making to be had. Just head HERE.