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: Randy Newman

It’s no secret that Austin City Limits makes a habit of showcasing musical legends. Merle Haggard, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Cliff – the archives are packed with the best of the best. This Saturday, November 12, we add another musician’s musician to the ACL canon: the great Randy Newman.

Both a tender balladeer and a master satirist, Newman’s songs span the breadth of popular music for the past five decades. Three Dog Night took “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” into the top 10 in 1970, Newman scored his own #2 hit with the infamous “Short People” and hooked another, younger generation as the composer of Pixar film music, like Toy Story’s beloved “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” In between chart milestones he’s scattered brilliant tunes like “Sail Away,” “Feels Like Home,” “Harps and Angels,” “Political Science,” “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “Louisiana 1927” across the pop culture landscape like a farmer planting seeds in the field. And you get all of these and more in this show.

Click here for pics, bio info and the full set list, and don’t forget to tune in Saturday night to find out for yourself. As always, check out our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for more ACL magic. Next week: more excellent songwriting with Elvis Costello and The Band of Heathens.

Season 37 Poster Auction!

Season 37 was such a memorable season for us – from moving into our new home at ACL Live at the Moody Theater to celebrating New Year’s Eve with Coldplay. Even though we’ve started tapings for Season 38, we’re not ready to let go of Season 37 quite yet – and you don’t have to either! As part of a fundraising effort for KLRU-TV, the producing station for Austin City Limits, we have organized an eBay auction of signed, limited edition band posters from last season!

Each band poster had a very limited print run and only a few were signed – each is extremely collectible for any fan of the band or the artist! The posters up for grabs include: Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Florence & The Machine, Gillian Welch & The Decemberists, Jeff Bridges, Miranda Lambert, Randy Newman, Raphael Saadiq, Steve Miller Band, and Wilco.

The auction will be up until March 10, so bid now and bid often to get your favorite performer’s poster into your personal collection.

All proceeds will go directly to KLRU-TV to inspire creativity, exploration and understanding in Austin – and beyond.

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!

ACL Season 37, Episode 7: An Evening with Randy Newman

Both a tender balladeer and a master satirist, Newman’s songs span the breadth of popular music for the past five decades. Three Dog Night took “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” into the top 10 in 1970, Newman scored his own #2 hit with the infamous “Short People” and hooked another, younger generation as the composer of Pixar film music, like Toy Story’s beloved “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” (Don’t even pretend you won’t be singing along with your kids to that song.) In between chart milestones he’s scattered brilliant tunes like “Sail Away,” “Feels Like Home,” “Harps and Angels,” “Political Science,” “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and “Lousiana 1927” across the pop culture landscape like a farmer planting seeds in the field. And you get all of these and more in this show.

ACL producer Terry Lickona chased the Oscar-winning Newman for nearly three decades, and this episode proves it was worth the wait. Is it too early to call it a classic? Nope – we’re callin’ it now. Click here for pics, bio info and the full set list, and don’t forget to tune in Saturday night to find out for yourself. Don’t worry – you can leave your hat on.

As always, check out our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for more ACL magic, and sign up for our newsletter for monthly missives from ACL HQ. Next week: an ACL Presents special featuring performances from this year’s Americana Music Festival!