ACL congratulates our Grammy winners

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards show has come and gone. We want to not only congratulate, ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona on his second year as co-producer for the Grammy telecast, but our distinguished ACL alumni who scored gold statues this year. Way to go, y’all!

Mumford & Sons – Album of the Year for Babel; Best Long Form Video for Big Easy Express
The Black Keys – Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for “Lonely Boy;” Best Rock Album for El Camino; Dan Auerbach – Producer of the Year
Esperanza Spalding – Best Jazz Vocal Album for Radio Music Society; Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for “City of Roses”
Bonnie Raitt – Best Americana Album for Slipstream
Juanes – Best Latin Pop Album for MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition
Steep Canyon Rangers – Best Bluegrass Album for Nobody Knows You
Dr. John – Best Blues Album for Locked Down
Jimmy Cliff – Best Reggae Album for Rebirth
The Civil Wars (with Taylor Swift) – Best Song Written For Visual Media for “Safe & Sound,” from the soundtrack to The Hunger Games

photo by Scott Newton

ACL Salutes the 2013 Grammy Nominees!

The nominations for the 55th annual Grammy Awards were announced last night, and we’re happy to note that many ACL artists got the nod. Congrats to the Black Keys for their five nominations (including Record of the Year and Album of the Year), Jack White for his three (including Album of the Year), Mumford & Sons for their four (including Album of the Year), Alabama Shakes for their three (including Best New Artist) and Esperanza Spalding for her three (including Best Jazz Vocal Album). We also tip our hat to alumni Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Cliff, Florence + the Machine, Coldplay, Miranda Lambert, Tom Waits, John Legend, The Roots, Dr. John, the Civil Wars and the Avett Brothers for their Grammy nods.

If you want to see some of these fine folks in action, we have a repeat of the Black Keys’ episode with Sonic Youth on December 29, and new episodes featuring Jack White on January 5, Alabama Shakes on February 16 and Esperanza Spalding on February 23. Plus Mumford & Sons’ episode with Flogging Molly is streaming at PBS Video here. Please join us in cheering on our nominees – the Grammy Awards ceremony airs live on February 10.

And speaking of good vibes, we also want to give a shout out to our own Terry Lickona – ACL’s executive producer is also, for the second year in a row, co-producer of the Grammy telecast, as well as the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy, the Grammys’ parent organization. The Grammys are in good hands!

Encore: Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly

Mumford & Sons are featured in this weekend’s encore presentation of Austin City Limits, airing November 17 on PBS. The British folk band with a huge stateside following are riding high with the bestselling Babel, one of the biggest releases of 2012. The episode, which originally aired in October 2011, finds Mumford & Sons making their ACL debut and is a must-see for fans and a primer for those new to the band’s cathartic live shows. Highlights include a performance of their current single “Lover of the Light,” which at the time had not been recorded. Viewers are treated to a high-octane night of contemporary music’s best folk rock practitioners, including a set by Celtic folk-punkers Flogging Molly.

Blending acoustic instrumentation, vocal harmonies and a tireless work ethic, Mumford & Sons have earned an international reputation as one of the best live bands, winning over audiences with their masterful, melancholy voices and musical skills. Mumford & Sons’ inspired set features tracks from their career-making debut Sigh No More, and the blockbuster follow-up Babel. The energy on the night of the taping vibrated the walls at The Moody Theater, and it translates directly to the screen. The band perform fan favorites “The Cave” and “Roll Away Your Stone” and poignant ballads “Timshel” and “Awake My Soul.” A highlight is an early televised performance of “Lover of the Light,” previously unrecorded, and now featured on Babel.

“The first time this show aired, Mumford & Sons did not have the biggest-selling record in the world (like they do now),” says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “But today they still capture the hearts and souls of young music fans better than anybody else around – and this amazing performance shows why. They do it the old-fashioned way, with authentic songs that speak to real life, and they play their asses off!”

photo by Scott Newton

Speaking of energy, Flogging Molly doesn’t disappoint in their ACL debut. The band storms the stage with tuneful melodies and puts on a magnificent show with their unique brand of Celtic folk/punk. Tune in for lively renditions of “Requiem For A Dying Song,” “Tobacco Island,” and “Devil’s Dance Floor.” Bandleader Dave King called their ACL taping “the most important live performance they’ve ever done.”

“A live Flogging Molly show is an experience as much as it is a show,” hints ACL’s Terry Lickona. “When you’re watching, crank up the volume and buckle up for the ride!”

Check the episode page for more info, photos and clips. Click over to our Facebook and Twitter pages for up-to-date news on all things Austin City Limits. Next week: reggae legend Jimmy Cliff.

The ACL Season 37 commemorative book is here!

Mumford & Sons, Florence + The Machine, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Randy Newman, Lykke Li, Wilco. Maybe you were there for the tapings, or maybe you watched their performances on TV? Either way, we want to let you know about the Austin City Limits: Season 37 Commemorative Photo Book. Every artist who appeared on Austin City Limits Season 37 is here in this commemorative book packed full of incredible photographs, set lists, limited-edition poster art, taping programs and one-of-a-kind autographed art boards from the band members themselves. Published by Soundcheck Magazine, with photos by Scott Newton and Soundcheck’s Randy Cremean and Gary Miller and forewords by Newton and ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona, the book is an exceptionally cool way to look back on a truly fantastic season.

Check out a preview of the 116 page book. You can find information on ordering here. Proceeds benefit KLRU-TV, Austin PBS – the longtime home of Austin City Limits.

Encore: Mumford & Sons/Flogging Molly

Folk rock has a long and glorious history and this weekend, we present a pair of contemporary music’s best folk rock practitioners, as we present an encore broadcast of Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly.

Riding high on its wave of success from the bestselling Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons dazzles with fan favorites “The Cave” and “Roll Away Your Stone” and, poignant ballads “Timshel” and “Awake My Soul.” Iif you’re a super fan, you’re in for a special treat with “Lover of Light,” a previously unrecorded track. The energy on the night of the taping vibrated the walls, and it translates directly to the screen.

Speaking of energy, Flogging Molly comes next. The band storms the stage with tuneful melodies and puts on a magnificent show with their unique brand of Celtic folk/punk. We hope you tune in to enjoy lively renditions of “Requiem For A Dying Song,” “Tobacco Island,” “Devil’s Dance Floor,” and “Likes of You Again.” Bandleader Dave King called their ACL taping “the most important live performance they’ve ever done” – hard to say if that’s true, but this show makes a strong case.

photo by Scott Newton

You can find more details on the episode page. Don’t forget that you can hit up our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for more ACL TV information. Next week: The National and Band of Horses.

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!