Michael Kiwanuka may not be a household name – yet. But we predict that, following his debut taping on June 10 for Austin City Limits, the British singer/songwriter will become a fast favorite. He’s bringing his distinctively lush folk/soul/pop sound to our stage for a taping that will also be streamed live. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/austincitylimitstv so you’ll be notified not only when we schedule this stream, but also whenever we post anything. Watch online, wherever you are.

Growing up in London, Kiwanuka was exposed to a huge variety of music, becoming a fan of everyone from Radiohead to Nirvana to Jimi Hendrix. But it was his discovery of Bob Dylan and Otis Redding’s “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay” that put him on the path to his true voice, one comparable to soulful folk visionaries Bill Withers, Terry Callier and John Martyn. Starting as a session guitarist when he was just a teenager, Kiwanuka began writing songs at home for his own entertainment, eventually passing demos around in hopes of convincing someone to record them. But it was his voice that listeners connected with, which encouraged him to play shows, and eventually led him to a record contract and the Isle of Wight studio owned by British pop band the Bees. His debut LP Home Again reached #4 on the British charts and went top 10 around the world, earning him a gig opening for Adele’s 2011 tour and a slot at the 2012 ACL Fest.

On June 4, we welcome Juanes back to the ACL stage. The Colombian superstar last appeared on the ACL stage in 2005, when he packed 6A – the original ACL studio – at 11:00 in the morning. Now the awards-laden singer and songwriter is back in support of his Grammy-winning album Juanes: MTV Unplugged and new memoir Chasing the Sun for what is sure to be another memorable episode.

We’re also pleased to announce the ACL debut of Emeli Sandé. Of Zambian and English descent, the Scotland-based singer/songwriter’s debut album Our Version of Events was the bestselling LP in the U.K. for 2012, as well as the new record-holder for the most consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the U.K. charts, and she performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics. Having already garnered critical acclaim and appeared on late-night TV, Sandé now hits the ACL stage on July 7.

Information about passes is forthcoming. Stay tuned!

We’re excited to announce a pair of new tapings for June, both from duos – one featuring music veterans and the other by fast-rising newcomers.

Back in the mid-70s, Emmylou Harris was a rising star in country music and Rodney Crowell was a up-and-coming young songwriter who played rhythm guitar in Harris’ Hot Band. Nearly four decades later, each has become an Americana icon, and the pair reunites for the acclaimed duet album Old Yellow Moon. ACL vets both, the duo brings their tour in support of the record to our stage on June 14 for what is sure to be a landmark taping.

On June 17, we welcome, for the first time, Jesse y Joy.  The award-winning brother and sister duo from Mexico was a hit with Latin audiences practically right from the start, climbing up the Mexican and U.S. charts starting in 2006 and culminating in the triple platinum LP ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro?. The twosome also boasts five Latin Grammy awards, including Song and Record of the Year for the hit “¡Corre!” We’re excited to host these international rising superstars.

photo by Francis Bertrand

We’ll be announcing the ticket giveaways for these incredible shows as we get closer to the taping dates. Keep up with the latest by following us on Facebook and Twitter. More to come – stay tuned!

For the past decade, Austin City Limits has been the best source for indie rock on television. This spring, we’ll keep that particular brand of goodness coming with new tapings featuring Grizzly Bear and Jim James. Grizzly Bear has been on the rise for all of their decade-long existence, and we’re happy to finally bring their visceral, majestic indie rock to our stage on April 10 as they support their acclaimed latest LP Shields. Brilliant My Morning Jacket leader James is no stranger to ACL – this May 5 show celebrating his eclectic, atmospheric solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God will be his sixth appearance on our stage.

We’ve got more great music on the way to our studio – stayed tuned for information on how to be in the audience for one of these tapings by following us on Facebook and Twitter and in this space.

Alright, slackers, vacation time is over. We’ve already booked some artists for the next season of Austin City Limits, which will be our 39th.  We’re thrilled to announce that we’re kicking off our new taping season on March 17 with indie rock heroes Vampire Weekend, a longtime “ask” that’s finally a “get.” On April 16 we’re bringing current radio faves the Lumineers to our stage, accompanied by fast-rising critical faves Shovels & Rope. On May 6 we welcome French alt.rock troupe Phoenix to ACL.

Not a bad way to kick off an exciting new year in ACL TV history. This will be just the tip of the iceberg, of course – check in frequently with our Facebook and Twitter pages and this here blog for more taping announcements as they happen.

We’re pleased to announce two more tapings for Season 38 with a veteran and a rising star: Bob Mould on November 1 and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros on November 5.

For fans of alternative rock, Bob Mould scarcely needs any introduction. The singer/songwriter/guitarist rewrote the rules of punk rock in the 80s with his band Husker Du and defined the sound of melodic alt.rock with his 90s power trio Sugar. He’s also released a line of critically lauded solo albums that have ranged in sound from acoustic reverie to electronic dance music and everything in between. Following his highly regarded memoir See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody and a successful tour performing the classic Sugar album Copper Blue in its entirety, Mould has release his acclaimed new LP Silver Age, a high-volume reminder of Mould’s mastery of melody, power and passion.  With Mould in Austin for a set at the fabulous Fun Fun Fun Fest, we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this pioneering rocker to the ACL stage.

photo by Laure Vincent-Bouleau

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are the brainchild of singer/songwriter Alex Ebert, former frontman for the band Ima Robot. Following a relationship dissolution and treatment for addiction, Ebert began writing a book about a Messianic figure sent to Earth to heal mankind, but kept getting distracted by love. How the book evolved into a large, psychedelic folk rock ensemble remains mysterious, but the band’s impact is crystal clear: a radio hit with the infectious “Home” (from the debut album Up From Below), a spot on the inaugural Railroad Revival Tour alongside ACL vets Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show, and a loyal audience built by heavy touring. Now, in celebration of their second album Here and a spot at Fun Fun Fun Fest, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros bring their freewheeling, hard-folking party to Austin City Limits.

Two great acts on the greatest stage on the planet in November. Keep an eye on our Tapings page for information on tickets!