Austin City Limits: What To See In The Finer Print Pt. 2

Yesterday, I started a post reviewing the lesser known acts at this year's ACL line-up. Today, I'm exhausted because I didn't realize how many freakin' bands were playing and I only touched the tip of the iceberg here. Please find a continuation of the "finer print" bands below...the rest you're just going to have to check out for yourself..

Ponderosa- The ACL website compares these guys to an earlier Kings of Leon. They even have the look down. They only have two songs on their Myspace page, but it appears that ACL is right. Unfortunately, the spark that early Kings of Leon had seems to be missing from these guys.
Friday 12:40PM BMI Stage

The Kicks- These guys picked the worst band name because as I discovered while trying to Google them, there are 400 other "The Kicks" playing music out there in the world. They're also a little too hipster looking for their own good, buuutttt...their harmonies and use of Moog mixed with some hard rock guitar chords and raspy vocals makes for this band an enjoyable listen.
Friday 2:40PM BMI Stage

The Jane Shermans- I wanted to like this band. Each song started with the sweet sounds of indie guitar chords that my pretentious ears looove to hear. However as pleasant as the music is, there is something that just doesn't put it over the edge. It's chill, it's repetitive, but nothing mind-blowing. However, there is a female bassist/lead singer, and that always rocks, so I'd give these guys a chance.
Saturday 2:40PM BMI Stage

JD & The Straight Shot- Nice Dad rock. Good ol' white man blue guitarist/singer from New York City. A little too vanilla for me.
Sunday 1:40PM BMI Stage

Dan Black- French. Pop. Those are too words I like. Mostly in food though. Little too dance floor/Top 40 sounding for me. However, this guy seems to have quite the following, so maybe don't listen to me?
Saturday 4:40PM BMI Stage

*Balmorhea- I just discovered what Balmorhea was while out visiting West Texas. It's a spring pools in the middle of the desert and the name sounds like the act of crapping. However, it appears that there is a band out there with the same name. Thank the Lord their music sounds better than the act of crapping. These guys have a very ethereal Americana feel. Another ride through the open desert at dusk with the car top down kind of music.
Saturday 11:20AM Austin Ventures Stage

*Sahara Smith- I heard this lady for the first time today on Austin's KUT and was very impressed. Looks like she's from Austin and....sigh...was born in 1988. WTF?! Another lovely and sexy songstress with an alt-country twist. I think it was the lyrics, "I'd like to drive all night and wake up in Laredo" that got me. At least I think that is what she says.
Friday 11:20AM Austin Ventures Stage

Basia Bulat- Uh oh. We have a little bit of a Joni Mitchell vibrato thingy going on here. If you're into that sort of thing, then this is folk singer from Toronto is your gal.
Saturday 12:20PM Austin Ventures

MyNameIsJohnMichael- I didn't want to like this band, because who calls themselves one word? Also, who puts "My Name Is..." in their band name? Are they a blog? However, there is something likable about this band. It's not so much the music but the fact that this New Orleans indie pop group has six band members, lots of horns, and some pretty driving drum beats.
Sunday 2:40PM BMI Stage

*The Dough Rollers- Point loss for the band name, but ten points for being skinny white ass hipsters trying and sound like gravely-voiced middle-aged black men living on the bayou. This fun trio sites various "jug bands" as their influence and can play a mean fiddle and mandolin.
Saturday 2:30PM on Clear 4G

Qbeta- Qbeta doesn't have a Myspace page, as far as I can tell, and I'm too lazy to go digging around for more info on them. The ACL page says their music has Mediterranean and Latin influence and the band really conjures up the crowd.
Friday 4:30 on Clear 4G

Vonnegutt- This all-white hip/hop group hails from Marietta, Georgia and recently worked with Big Boi on their last album. Do these look like rappers to you!? TELL ME! They look like a bunch of dudebros that own that bar that feeds $1 shots to co-eds in your hometown.
Friday 11:45AM on ZYNC Card Stage

The Ettes- These guys have a lo-fi, garage band sound going on and are often compared to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Not my bag, but they seem to have quite the following. They certainly have the look down, don't they?
Friday 4:40PM on BMI Stage

The Relatives- Huh. It took me ten minutes to realize I was listening to the wrong "The Relatives". The Relatives I was listening to were a whispy folk band from New York with 185 Myspace friends. Come to find out, The Relatives that are playing ACL are a kick-ass gospel choir that incorporate soul and psychedelia into their music.
Sunday 2:30 on Clear 4G

*Kings Go Forth- This Milwaukee soul/funk band is on my man, David Byrne's, former record label, Luaka Bop, so they must be good. Upon first listening to these guys, I thought of 70's Curtis Mayfield, and if that doesn't bring a smile to your face and a tickle in your toes, then you have a cold, cold heart. Really enjoy the funky beats and horns of this 10-person ensemble. Worth checking out.
Friday 3:15PM Clear 4G Stage

Austin City Limits: What To See In the Finer Print

Oh, Austin City Limits Festival is this weekend.

I'm not going.

The line-up is, let's say, a little lackluster. Not that there aren't wonderful and talented acts playing in Zilker Park this year. It's just that, well, it's about the same 15 bands who've been rotating the circuit for the past year (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Yeasayer, The XX) playing alongside their parents (Flaming Lips, Phish) and their grandparents (The Eagles, Sonic Youth). The advantage and disadvantage to living in the "Live Music Capital of the Universe" is that we get to see a lot of wonderful acts before they're big. Then we see them again. And again.

I can't count how many bands on the ACL line-up were just here for SXSW in March and a million times in between.

So, in a desperate attempt to see what the heck else if playing at ACL, I checked out the music of the bands that appear, like the bottom row of an eye chart, in the finer print on the ACL line-up page. You know, the bands that play at 11AM on Friday. The shows you'd take your kids to if you had kids.

These guys and gals deserve some lovin' too.

So if you find yourself at ACL early and not sure where to go, check out my list of what to see- starting from the very bottom of ACL's line-up. My favorite picks are starred. I'll have more of the line-up tomorrow.

ACL Who the Heck Else is Playing: The Finer Print

Q Brothers- Interesting mix of pop, hip hop, techno, and show tunes. This duo from Santa Monica, CA sound a little kitschy, but their songs are funny and catchy. It seems strange that the Q Brothers are playing the kids' stage since their bio claims they've created a successful off-Broadway show called "The Bomb-itty of Errors", have done sketch/hip hop on MTV, and directed/starred in a movie for Showtime.
Sunday 2:30PM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

School of Rock All Stars- A compilation of the best students from School of Rock performing some of their rock favorites. As you can guess, School of Rock is a school for kids to learn how to be rock stars. Originally started in Philadelphia in 1998, the school now has 64 locations all over the country, including here in Austin. Friday 11:30AM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

*Tom Freund- Very nice and mellow singer-songwriter that brings to mind a little Paul Simon and a little alt-country. Something about him reminds me of driving out in West Texas with the top down at dusk.
Friday 3:30PM and Saturday 1:30PM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage (don't let his playing at the kids' stage fool you...he's worth checking out)

Okee Dokee Brothers- If you're into folksy-bluegrassy-Barenaked Ladies circa 1995 sounding stuff, then this Minneapolis band is for you.
Friday 2:30PM and Sunday 1:30PM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

Elizabeth Mitchell- Folk singer who is known for her kids' songs. I do not have kids and am only warming up to the idea of them as of lately, but her voice is beautiful?
Saturday 12:30PM and Sunday 12:30 Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

The Jellydots- Kind of a strange mix of pop, rock, reggae, and cutesy. Every song sounds dramatically different. These guys dub themselves Kindie Rockers- a phrase I had never heard of until right now. Saturday 11:30AM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

Frances England- Another folk/family singer-songwriter. I'm sure she's good. It's just that my brain has shut off from listening to folksy-kids music. Like right now, all I hear is the parent-horn noises from "The Peanuts". She's got a fun graphic designer for her website, I can tell you that much though.
Saturday 2:30PM and Sunday 3:00PM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

The Verve Pipe- Oh, there they are! "The Freshman" was kind of awesome. Looks like these guys have a new album out...all with childrens' songs?!
Friday 1:30PM and Sunday 4:00PM Austin Kiddie Limits Stage

*Ruby Jane- Well, this Austin gal makes me feel like a failure. Not only does she have a beautiful twangy and sexy voice, is an amazing fiddler, boasts a resume that includes playing at the Grand Ole Opry and with her friend Willie Nelson, oh, and she is also SIXTEEN YEARS OLD. She is definitely worth checking out just to have your jaw drop.
Sunday 11:15AM BMI Stage

Buddy and The Straightway Travelers- These guys are Gospel singers from Terrell, Texas. Though I'm not a religious gal myself, there is nothing quite like gospel singers and their enthusiasm and positivity.
Sunday 11:30AM Clear 4G Stage

Ashley Cleveland and Kenny Greenberg- At first I was all like, "Yeah, she sounds a lot like Annie Lennox!" but then I started hearing words like "Judius" (see, I don't even know how to spell it! Oh, it's "Judas") and "sins" and "Abraham" and I was confused. I didn't realize there was a Christian stage at ACL. You learn something new every day.
Sunday 1:00PM Clear 4G Stage

*The Jones Family Singers- Another gospel group from Bay City, Texas. These guys have a little bit of a sexy-Jesus thing going on, so they get my vote.
Saturday 1:00PM Clear 4G Stage

Wesley Bray and The Disciples of Joy- Another great gospel band, this one from Austin, singin's about lovin' and prayin' and wishin' and definitely not drinkin'. This group also performs regularly at Stubb's Gospel Brunch.
Friday 12:45PM Clear 4G Stage

Heavenly Voices-This gospel group started in 1988 at Baylor University by students and they do not turn away new singers. The group is 40 people strong and I guess they sing about someone named God, I'm not sure.
Saturday 11:30AM Clear 4G Stage

Gospel Stars- Again, learning new stuff all over the place here. I had no idea that gospel music was so popular at ACL. Very cool. A trio of bros who also sing at Stubb's Gospel Brunch and have performed at ACL in the past.
Friday 11:30AM Clear 4G Stage

*Maxim Ludwig and The Santa Fe Seven- Since I'm a terrible reviewer and typically use statements like, "I'm not sure how the music sounded, but the lead singer was certainly dreamy", I was going to try and refrain from such statements like that in this post. However, Maxim Ludwig is certainly one handsome fellow. This self-proclaimed Americana/Experimental/Gospel band hails from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, so you KNOW they know what they're doing. Oh, and he likes one of my favorite authors, James Ellroy.
Sunday 12:20PM Austin Ventures Stage

Run With Bulls- Kind of a throw back rock group from Nashville. Not bad, but nothing new or exciting really.
Saturday 12:40PM BMI Stage

*SPEAK- What the f?! Another Austin band I've never heard of. I shouldn't even be writing a music post here, I obviously don't know anything. From what I've heard on Myspace, I dig this band. It's super poppy and keyboardy just like I love it. Actually, now it's making me get up and dance. They are super tight and polished. Very 80's. Strangely they note Led Zeppelin as an influence, but they love Talking Heads.
Sunday 12:40PM BMI Stage

Caitlin Rose- Hard to pinpoint exactly. Falls in the realm of lovely ladies who aren't quite country, folk, singer-songwriter, or rock. Her voice is a slightly off perfect and I think that characteristic gives her music an edge. Saturday 11:30AM BMI Stage

Two Tons of Steel- Pretty run of the mill rockabilly/country sort of thang. Not bad, but not mind-blowing either. Maybe I can watch them and just pretend that I'm listening to Chris Isaak circa 1990...rolling on the beach....with no shirt on...in sepia tones... Friday 11:15AM BMI Stage

To Be Continued.....