Season 37 Poster Auction – Another Round!

Thanks to everyone who bid on the signed posters we auctioned off last week – you helped raise $2,950! In case you didn’t have the winning bid, we want to give you another chance to get a piece of Season 37 memorabilia so we’re happy to announce the Poster Auction: Round Two!

New artists and signed posters from Season 37 are now up on eBay – the auction will close on Friday, March 16 so bid now and bid often! Posters up for grabs are: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Fleet Foxes, Flogging Molly, Gomez, Head and the Heart, Mumford & Sons and Joanna Newsom (unsigned).

These posters are extremely rare – very few printed and even fewer signed! And while you’ll become the proud owner of some music history, you’ll also be giving back to your public television station because 100% of the proceeds go directly to support KLRU-TV!

ACL Season 37, Episode 10: Fleet Foxes & Joanna Newsom

Folk music has long been a staple of Austin City Limits. That said, to call either Fleet Foxes or Joanna Newsom simply “folk” is to do them a disservice. As you’ll see when these iconoclasts’ joint episode airs on Saturday, January 20th, there’s much more to these artists than just acoustic instruments.

The first half of this weekend’s episode spotlights the strong songcraft and delicate instrumental interplay of Fleet Foxes. The Seattle sextet interweaves lush vocal harmonies and arrangements that feature everything from 12-string guitar to mandolin to bass clarinet. The band emphasizes its latest record Helplessness Blues, with inspired performances of “Sim Sala Bim” and “The Shrine/An Argument.” But the Foxes’ popular first LP represents with “Your Protector” and the fan-favorite “Blue Ridge Mountains.” It’s a tight set that proves Fleet Foxes has earned their acclaim.

Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

The second half showcases the daring experimentalism and uncommon musicality of Joanna Newsom. Wielding her harp like a paintbrush and singing like a delirious angel, Newsom leads her unique ensemble (strings, trombone, tamboura, kaval, banjo) through a set drawn mostly from her latest album Have One On Me, including the title track and the mesmerizing “Good Intentions Paving Company.” While you could throw words like “psychedelic” and “folk” and “classical” around when talking about Joanna Newsom, it’s better to simply experience her special sound and vision for yourself.

Joanna Newsom “Bridges and Balloons” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

The Fleet Foxes/Joanna Newsom show hits the airwaves this Saturday, January 20 – check your local PBS listings for showtimes. Head over to the episode page for more goodies – pics, setlists, bio info. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages regularly, or to sign up for our e-newsletter. Next week: Florence + the Machine and Lykke Li!

New Year – New Episodes!

We’re halfway through the broadcasts of Austin City Limits’ 37 season and you may be asking yourself: how do we follow up shows with Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, the Decemberists, the Steve Miller Band, Miranda Lambert, Raphael Saadiq and Randy Newman (to name only a few)? With a second half equally as strong, of course.

Arcade Fire “We Used to Wait” at ACL: Behind the Scenes from Jonathan Jackson on Vimeo.

Coming up on January 7 we have Seattle up-and-comers The Head and the Heart and British veterans Gomez. On January 14 it’s the return of Album of the Year Grammy winners Arcade Fire. January 21 is ACL acid folk day with Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom. January 28 features the debuts of rising stars Florence + the Machine and Lykke Li. We close the season on February 7 with our old pals Wilco.

We’re as jazzed about these new episodes. Don’t forget to watch on your favorite PBS station!