Austin City Limits Line-up is here!

Well, as of midnight on Monday the folks at C3 concerts released this year's ACL line-up to the masses that care. Of course I am part of that mass that wanted had to know who was playing this year, since Kristen and I made the commitment to go to the festival together this year, which will also mark the first concert we have gone to since we saw John Mayer about five years ago together. So I am very excited to go back to ACL for the third year in a row, but very excited that Kristen is coming with me on this adventure. I get to see some great bands and mark them off my bucket list, and by the looks of the line-up see some band that I have never heard of which is always a great experience. Also I have to toot my own horn and let the few of you that read this know that I picked 14 bands that are going to be there. So that makes me still feel I could be a rock writer in my later years in my life. So I am thinking that I should give some of you a quick list of bands I want to see after my first look at the line up, of course I have a whole summer to listen to the bands I have never heard of, so this list will be a lot longer when September rolls around.

So let me start with Friday of ACL:

1. Kanye West- He is on my bucket list and I can't wait to see him live, I have heard he puts on a great show.
   
2. NAS & Damian Marley- That album is a great mash up of Hip Hop and Reggae.
   
3. Bright Eyes- I just want to see the hype about Conor Oberst. I actually do like the new album a little.
   
4. Ray LaMontagne- Kristen and I both can't wait to see him live. I am very excited about this one.
   
5. Santigold- I really love Santigold and this is her one Festival appearance this year, so hopefully she brings her A game.
   
6. Big Boi- Outkast has always been one of my favorite hip hop groups, also on my bucket list. If I get ½ of Outkast I will be happy.
   
7. Old Crow Medicine Show- I hear they are great live, so I have to check them out.
   
8. Cold War Kids- I have been loving this band for a while, and so excited to see them live.
   
9. Delta Spirit- Just got their new album, and also watched them live on TV, so I am excited to see them live.
   
10. Foster the People- I love the song Pumped Up Kicks, hopefully they don't pull a Cage the Elephant and suck live.
    
11. Smith Westerns- I am starting to really like their album, so the same feeling above, hope they translate well live.
    
12. Mavis Staples- who doesn't love an old school R&B singer?
    
13. Theophilus London- Very interested in seeing how he is live.
    
14. Ha Ha Tonka- They made big waves at SXSW, so I am very interested to see them.
    
15. Pretty Lights- I am not usually a big electro person, but I keep hearing good things about this band.
    

Saturday at ACL:

1. My Morning Jacket- I cannot wait to see them live, they put on amazing live shows. Sorry Stevie Wonder, but I am catching MMJ for a little while, but don't worry I will try to come over and see you before we leave.
   
2. Cee Lo- Kristen and I are both pumped to see him. I am hoping for some type of outrageous costume when he comes on stage.
   
3. Cut Copy- I do love their new album, so I am hoping for a good show from them.
   
4. TV on The Radio- I am very surprised to see them in the lineup after their bassist passed away, but I am very stoked to see them live. Bucket list performer #6 is being marked off now.
   
5. Iron & Wine- This is one of the bands I really can't wait to see. Bucket list performer #7 on the weekend.
   
6. Fitz and the Tantrums-Just by listening to their first single, this should be a very fun time watching them.
   
7. Young the Giant- Really love their new album.
   
8. J. Roddy Walston and the Business- They play some great music, should be a good time.
   
9. Preservation Hall Jazz Band- how can you go wrong with some New Orleans Jazz?
   
10. City and the Colour- A nice mellow time.
    

Sunday at ACL:

1. Arcade Fire- Amazing live show can't wait! Bucket list performer #7.
   
2. Fleet Foxes- I have loved their first two albums, also ready to see them live.
   
3. Social Distortion- How do you not want to see some rock legends on stage?
   
4. Empire of the Sun- I have heard their live show is very theatrical, so this should be fun to watch.
   
5. Broken Social Scene- to be honest I haven't heard much of their stuff, but people keep telling me how great they are.
   
6. Death from Above 1979- I have heard their live show is chaotic, crazy, and the past spring involved riot police and tear gas. YES……Sign me up!
   
7. The Airborne Toxic Event- I have really liked their first two albums, so I will have to catch them on Sunday.
   
8. Elbow- love their new album, hope it translates well live.
   
9. The Walkmen- have liked them every since they were on the O.C. (yes I own the O.C., everyone has a guilty pleasure), so I am ready to see them live.
   
10. Chiddy Bang- one of the best new hip hop acts out, and I do love my hip-hop.
    
11. Gomez- kristen and I love this band, and they have a new album coming out soon.
    
12. AWOLNATION- love their single Sail; really hope they are good live.
    
13. Hayes Carll- yes, he is country music, and yes I have him on my list. I will listen to country at times, and Hayes is actually really good.
    
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.- I keep hearing good things about this band, so I will check them out.
    
15. The head and the heart- I have listened to them a little, so I will go check them out.
    
16. MONA- I keep hearing their first single and think Kings of Leon, so I will be interested to see them live.
    

Well that is my list and it gives those of you that are interested in listening to some new music a jumping off point. Of course this list will change about a million times before September.

The Austin City Limits Festival Hints begin today

I wanted to start off the week with a blog on Tuesday, but as soon as I found out that Austin City Limits Festival and C3 were going to start giving their usual hints on headliners starting today I figured I would wait (sounds better than being lazy) and do my blog today. On another note, this weekend will mark the first ever concert that I am taking Sloan too, it's a festival in Dallas called the Homegrown Festival, and it looks like the weather should be amazing on Saturday. I would love to stay all day seeing that School of Seven Bells and Neon Indian at the headliners, but I think that would be too much for our first time concert/festival girl, and I do love my wife and would like to see her when she gets home from work.

Well since we are hopefully going to start finding out who is going to play at ACL starting today, I figured that I should share what I have dug up doing some research on who should be there and who is on the rumored list. So let's start out with the expected/confirmed list.

Expected/Confirmed:

Cee Lo Green- He accidentally posted it on his tour schedule, and I am sure C3 asked him to remove it.

Fitz and the Tantrums

Iron and Wine- logical since Samuel Beam is from Austin.

Theophilus London- He tweeted it the other day.

Alison Krauss & Union Station

 

And now it's time for the long list of rumored and probably not coming but everyone wishes they would (Radiohead) bands for ACL.

Rumored:

Soundgarden (not going to make it, Matt Cameron will be recording new PJ album)

Arcade Fire

Kanye West (could happen C3 does love some Kanye and Kanye does love some Austin)

Buffalo Springfield (possible, will make all the older hippie crowd happy, but will Neil Young make it that long?)

Young the Giant (they were on the confirmed list, but Consequence of Sound took them off their list)

Hayes Carll (he is on tour, and just like Iron and Wine, he is from Austin)

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Ray LaMontagne

The Cars

Duran Duran

Paul Simon

Wilco (They did skip Austin on their recent tour)

TV on the Radio (doubtful since their bassist just passed away from cancer)

Fleet Foxes

Patty Griffin

Lucinda Williams

Trombone Shorty (doubtful he played last year at ACL)

My Morning Jacket

Bright Eyes

Best Coast

Smith Westerns

Local Natives (doubtful they played at ACL last year)

Pains of being pure at heart

Jay-Z

Beastie Boys (they should since they had to back out 2 years ago)

CSS

Queens of the Stone Age

Mumford and Sons

Willie Nelson (it would be a sham if he doesn't play at the 10 year anniversary)

Tool

Death Cab for Cutie

Yes that is a long list, but as soon as I find out I will start posting them on my blog. I have a ton of music I have been listening to, but I will get back to that next week.

Concert #5- The Decemberists with the Other Lives, and other random things

Well, on the concert resolution I have now been to 5 shows this year. The fifth show was The Decemberists with the Other Lives at Stubbs in Austin. The concert was in their outside venue, and it was the perfect size for a Decemberists show. The opening band the Other Lives were very good. They also released a new album this week, and on top of that they are from Oklahoma, which is really awesome. The concert was great, and sometimes you listen to music all day long, but until you see them play it live it doesn’t hit you how amazing musicians they are. Plus learning how to play the guitar is also a very humbling experience, but it also gives you a little look at how much time and effort it takes to play an instrument. I have to say both the opening band the Decemberists are both amazing musicians.

On top of going to the concert I did get to have a little time to myself to do a little record shopping at Waterloo Records. I love going to Waterloo when I am in Austin, you never know what you might find looking through the records there. On this particular day I did get a great record which was Led Zeppelins soundtrack to their movie The Song remains the Same. I was very pumped when I came across it, and I also got an old Iron and Wine record. I am really starting to become a big fan of Iron and Wine, so when I see anything by him on vinyl I usually snatch it up rather quickly. I think my next big purchases will be the White Stripes catalogue (album by album), and anything I can find by Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin.

So now it is time for a few albums I have listened to this past week:

1.Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Part 2- This was the 2 year delayed release of the Beastie Boys due to MCA’s fight with cancer. I am a HUGE fan of the Beasties and Licensed to Ill was probably one of the first albums that I have ever bought. So I am always stoked to get any music from them. I have to say that this album goes back to the old school Beasties. I love the first single of the album, check out Make Some Noise.

2.Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues- This is the second album from the Fleet Foxes. I liked their first album, and so far after a few listens this one seems to be better than the first. Check out the song Helplessness Blues.

3.The Airborne Toxic Event- All at once- This is also their second album. I got to see them at ACL a few years ago, and really liked them live. After a couple of listens to this album I think this album is going to be good for them. Check out the song Changing.