Details

Published on Wednesday, 15 August 2012 18:22

35 Artists From ACL Fest & Fun Fest Who Should Tape Episodes of Austin City Limits

by Randy Cremean

On the heels of today's announcement that Norah Jones will be taping an episode of Austin City Limits on October 18, I decided to formulate a list of artists I'd like to see on ACL TV who will be playing at ACL Fest and Fun Fun Fun Fest this year. And, just for kicks, there's a third list of artists who won't be at those festivals, but who are, or will be, touring to support new releases. Consider this the ultimate wish list of one dedicated music fan. Suggestions, critiques, and comments are always welcome.

I did set a few rules for myself:

(1) No one who's recorded an episode of Austin City Limits within the past two years.

(2) The music must be PBS-friendly. That doesn't mean boring, but the music needs to appeal to a larger audience of people who are open to discovery.

(3) No/limited cursing, misogyny, violence, homophobia, etc.

ACL Fest

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Mr. Young's only apearance on Austin City Limits came in 1985. He's the biggest legend on this list and the most obvious choice. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Jack White - Jack's only ACL appearance came as a member of The Raconteurs in Season 32. With two different backing bands, killer new material, and a backlog of White Stripes' hits, his taping would be epic and raucous. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Weezer - Might be the biggest sing-along in ACL history. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Metric - Emily Haines & Co. are playing the big stages at festivals in front of large, adoring crowds. She and Karen O are, for my money, the best leading ladies in rock right now. Web / Facebook / Spotify

M83 - They've produce four stellar albums in the last seven years and their live performances are epic, joyous dance parties. The huge crowd for them at Lollapalooza demonstrates how M83 have crossed over into the mainstream. Web / Facebook / Spotify

M. Ward - He was featured in Season 35 (2009) so he sneaks on to the list. What I'd actually love to see is a She & Him taping with Zooey Deschanel. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Delta Spirit - This band has really upped their game in terms of their live performance and their blend of indie rock, alt-country, and soul will appeal to many people. Web / Facebook / Spotify

The War On Drugs - Released an Album of the Year contender and played one of my favorite sets of the year at Bonnaroo. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Gotye w/ Kimbra - They could play that song we're all tired of and then Gotye could play the other amazing songs in his catalog. Kimbra is great in her own right with vibrancy and energy to get the crowd moving. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Zola Jesus - She's operatic, graceful, dark, and immensely talented. Her live show has an epic quality that would translate well to the ACL stage. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Father John Misty - Witty, ascerbic, and the only musician I've heard reference Sartre in his banter. You may recognize him as J. Tillman, the former drummer of Fleet Foxes. Yeah, they were on the show last year, but that wasn't his gig.  Web / Facebook / Spotify

Quiet Company - An Austin band who are ascendant. They swept the Austin Music Awards, just played to thousands at Blues on the Green, and are one of the best live bands I've seen. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Gary Clark Jr. - He jammed at the White House, had the main stage crowd at Bonnaroo chanting his name, and is an Austin guitar hero hailed as the future of American blues. His appearance on ACL, eventually, is a foregone conclusion. Now that he's recorded a full length album, he should be ready for the TV cameras. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Tennis - They've played the late night TV circuit and their dreamy retro-pop will appeal to a large audience. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Freelance Whales - Gosh, I just love these kids. A profusion of voices and instruments producing epic twee rock. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Willis Earl Beal - He only has one release under his belt, but his music and his story are quickly gaining mythological status thanks to his intense and soulful live performances. Web / Facebook / Spotify

First Aid Kit - Swedish sisters who sing sweet harmonies and draw influence from Fleet Foxes and classic country. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Michael Kiwanuka - Listen to his voice and try not to get chills. I dare you. Ranges from calssic soul/R&B in the vein of Otis Redding to the classic blues-folk of Van Morrison. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Kishi Bashi - From NPR, for whom he recorded a concert: "Juggling violin, beatboxing and both English and Japanese vocals, Kishi Bashi is a one-man orchestra who blends a mess of ingredients into a symphony of loop-pedaled wonders." Web / Facebook / Spotify

Fun Fun Fun Fest

Run–D.M.C. - In its vaunted history, ACL has only featured two hip-hop artists, Mos Def and K’Naan. Given the genre's proclivity towards cursing, violence, and misogyny, there aren't a lot of acts who fit into the format. Run–D.M.C. are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They are legends and progenitors of the genre. Their songs, for the most part, avoid the content pitfalls that would preclude them from airing on PBS. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Santigold -She's charismatic, gifted, and has a global sound that borrows from modern electronica, American hip-hop, Africa, and the Caribbean.  Web / Facebook / Spotify

The Octopus Project - Lovely people who play lovely music. The world needs to see Yvonne Lambert play a theremin against the famous Austin skyline backdrop. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Explosions In the Sky - The Austin instrumental rockers last played Austin City Limits during Season 33. Only three songs made it to air, so they have plenty of material to cover, including 2011's excellent Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Nick Waterhouse - He's bringing back 1950's rhythm and blues in all its analog glory. Check out this video from NPR. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - This might be the most obvious choice for a taping in the entire FFF Fest lineup. The group has wowed at major music festivals as well as late night TV and, let's be frank, their hippy vibes are right up Austin's alley. Web / Facebook / Spotify

The Black Angels - This standout Austin band played the best set I've ever seen from them at Lollapalooza. They sound huge and, despite the retro psychadelic tones, as relevant as any artists on the scene. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Sharon Van Etten - Sharon's 2012 release, Tramp, will be at the top of many year-end lists. She blew me away at Lollapalooza and held the crowd rapt throughout her set. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Givers - You won't find a more fun, energetic live experience. Every member of the band is an exceptionally skilled musician and Givers channel that talent into crafting insanely catchy songs that capture the essence of Louisiana's diverse culture. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Dum Dum Girls - Their latest album, Only In Dreams, was one of my favorite releases of 2011. They do the '60s-style girl-group sound with nods to Blondie, The Go-Go's and The Raveonettes. Web / Facebook / Spotify

A Place To Bury Strangers - OK, this is a big stretch, but I think they are amazing and I'd love to see them stress the sound system at ACL Live. Web / Facebook / Spotify

Fang Island - They now have two albums' worth of material that is best described as  “the sound of everyone high-fiving everyone”. They are crafting happy rock anthems for a more optimistic modern age. How can you not love these dudes? Web / Facebook / Spotify

Ume - This Austin power-trio is fronted by the gorgeous and smart (PhD candidate in Philosophy) Lauren Larson. She also happens to absolutely shred on guitar and sings with a voice that manages to be both powerful and ethereal. Put her with a virtuoso rhythm section and you get Ume, one of the most compelling new acts in American rock. Web / Facebook

Baroness - Last season, ACL broke ground when Flogging Molly generated the show's first ever mosh pit. With that particular cherry popped, ACL should turn its eyes to heavy metal. Specifically, they should look at Baroness who have just released a double-album loaded with ferocious yet intelligent rock.  Web / Facebook / Spotify (As I wrote this piece, news broke of Baroness' involvement in a serious bus crash as they toured Europe. We hope everyone injured recovers quickly and the band can get back to blowing crowds away.)

Japandroids - Another album sure to be in contention for Best Of lists, Celebration Rock, from garage rock duo Japandroids is a blistering affirmation of debauchery and a reminder to have fun before we shuffle off this mortal coil. Web / Facebook / Spotify

The Best of the Rest

Sigur Ros
Tom Waits
Leonard Cohen
New Order
St. Vincent w/ David Byrne
Animal Collective
Grizzly Bear
Dirty Projectors
Local Natives
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Amadou & Mariam
The Raveonettes
The XX
Menomena
Fanfarlo
The Mountain Goats
Bat For Lashes
Of Monsters and Men
Milo Greene
JEFF the Brotherhood
The Tallest Man On Earth
Grouplove
The Very Best
Other Lives