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: The Avett Brothers/Heartless Bastards

Be sure to tune in this Saturday to see two of the music industry’s hardest-working bands: The Avett Brothers and Heartless Bastards.

Deeply influenced by grunge bands while growing up in North Carolina, The Avett Brothers had experimented in other bands before solidifying their bluegrass, country, and rock ‘n’ roll blend and harmonies. In this episode we hear a mix of songs from their various albums/EPs, including their biggest hit, “I And Love And You.” With six studio albums under their belt and four EPs, The Avett Brothers have proven that they are as dedicated as they are eclectic in their sound.

Ohio-to-Austin transplants Heartless Bastards have made waves in the indie world since their 2005 debut Stairs and Elevators. Though often described as blues rock or country grunge, this group cannot be pigeonholed as simply hype. With Erika Wennerstrom’s haunting voice and the band’s carefully-crafted yet simple hooks, Heartless Bastards create something that lasts and evolves. For this performance the group plays hits from their 2009 album, The Mountain.

: photo by Scott Newton

If you’re a fan, please be sure to take a listen to Heartless Bastards’ latest album Arrow, that came out earlier this year. The Avett Brothers are also slated for a new album this year, but the release date is still to be announced.

Check your local listings for showtimes to see this episode and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr to keep up with updates on tapings and airings.

ACL Season 37 Special: – ACL Presents Highlights of the Americana Music Festival on Nov. 19

Here at ACL HQ, we don’t just stay within the borders of our (admittedly impressive) territory – we like to keep up with the interesting stuff our peers do as well. Case in point: the venerable Americana Music Association throws a four-day party in Nashville every year called the Americana Music Festival, sort of a more roots music-oriented version of Austin’s own SXSW. The highlight of a week of beer and bands is the annual Americana Music Association Honors and Awards ceremony – at which our own Terry Lickona received a lifetime achievement award in 2008. (You can see a list of every year’s winners here.)

We think this festival is a cool thing, so we’re proud to partner with the AMA and Nashville’s longstanding public television station WNPT for ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival, airing Saturday Nov. 19 on your local PBS station. ACLP:AMF (say that three times fast – or, um, at all) taped on October 13, the night of the Awards and Honors show, and features a plethora of performances from that magical evening.

And who might be providing those performances, you might ask? You get everyone from ACL vets Robert Plant (recipient of Album of the Year for Band of Joy), Lucinda Williams (Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting) and the Avett Brothers (Duo/Group of the Year) to Justin Townes Earle (Song of the Year for “Harlem River Blues”), Candi Staton and the Civil Wars. Gregg Allman (who appeared on ACL with the Allman Brothers Band back in Season 21) celebrates his Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance by crooning the classic “Melissa,” and Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss lead a tribute to the film soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou. All this and Amos Lee, Elizabeth Cook, Jessica Lea Mayfield, bandleader Buddy Miller and host Jim Lauderdale as well.

For more info on the embarrassment of riches that is this show, head over to the episode page for pics, clips, the set list and more. And, of course, for more scuttlebutt on all things ACL, you should visit the Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages and sign up for our newsletter.

After ACLP: AMF, we’ll take a break from Season 37 for the holidays. But we have lots of excellent encore episodes coming your way, including a much-beloved classic from way back in Season 4. Stay tuned.