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June taping announcements: Bonnie Raitt, Dr. Dog and Mavis Staples

June may be vacation time for most folks, but here at Austin City Limits we’re happy to come to work. Why? Because we have not one, not two but three great artists visiting us: Dr. Dog on June 25 and Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples on June 27.

Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Dog has had the virtue of developing far away from the music industry. Grown organically through practice and experimentation, the band’s quirky, catchy pop draws equally from the psychedelic 60s and the indie rock 00s. Dr. Dog earned its national break in 2004 after going on the road with ACL veterans My Morning Jacket. The band has since become a well-traveled touring outfit, releasing half a dozen albums and appearing on the late night TV shows of David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson. Armed with its acclaimed seventh LP Be the Void, Dr. Dog records their first episode of Austin City Limits on June 25.

Bonnie Raitt needs no introduction to ACL fans, having appeared on the show twice before, in Seasons 9 and 28.  The veteran musician’s remarkable talents are back in the public eye this year with Slipstream, the first release on her own Redwing Records label and her first since 2005’s Souls Alike. NPR praised Slipstream as “vital and fresh… beautiful,” Rolling Stone gave it a 4-star review, and Entertainment Weekly wrote “Superb… she slips her purring voice into every song like a letter going into an envelope addressed just to you.” The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, marking the nine time Grammy-winner’s highest charting album and best sales week in nearly two decades. We welcome Bonnie Raitt back to the ACL stage on June 27.

But Ms. Raitt is not coming alone. Joining her will be gospel/R&B legend Mavis Staples. The Chicago native began her career in 1950 with the Staple Singers, who became one of the most successful family gospel bands in America with pop hits “Respect Yourself” and “I’ll Take You There.” The Staple Singers represented the musical voice of the Civil Rights movement due in part to their friendship with Martin Luther King and also to their willingness to record material as topical as it was inspirational. Mavis first tested the solo waters in the late 60s, recording sporadically for the next 40 years. Currently signed to hip label Anti-, Mavis is still riding high on the success of 2010’s You’re Not Alone, produced by pal Jeff Tweedy from Wilco. Now she’s bringing her venerated pipes, whose “otherworldly power comes…from a masterful command of phrasing and deep-seated sensuality” (All Music), to the Moody Theater for her Austin City Limits debut.

Stay with us on Facebook, Twitter and this very blog for more news about upcoming tapings, and check out our Tumblr page for blasts from the past.

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News Taping Announcement

tUnE-yArDs Tapes Austin City Limits on 5/29

When it comes to describing tUnE-yArDs, words often fail. The brainchild of songwriter/musician Merrill Garbus, the band offers a seamless blend of indie pop, electronica and worldbeat that sounds like no one else. BiRd-BrAiNs, Garbus’ first project as tUnE-yArDs, was produced on a handheld voice recorder and originally self-released digitally and on cassette in 2009. BiRd-BrAiNs caught the ear of renowned indie label 4AD, who released the record on CD and extensive touring followed. But it was Garbus’ second LP w h o k i l l that really put tUnE-yArDs on the map. Recorded in a studio with members of Garbus’ road band and released in April 2011, w h o k i l l covers a dizzying array of ground and includes standouts tracks “Bizness” and “Gangsta,” the latter of which appears on episodes of The Good Wife and Weedsw h o k i l l earned tUnE-yArDs accolades around the world, topping the Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop music poll. Now Garbus brings her distinctive vision to the Austin City Limits stage at The Moody Theater for a performance on May 29.

We’ll have the ticket giveaway up on acltv.com about a week before the taping. We’ll post it on our Facebook and Twitter pages too. We hope to see you there!

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Featured News Taping Announcement

Rodrigo y Gabriela tape Austin City Limits on 5/7

We’ve had our collective eye on Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, who will appear on our stage on May 7, for some time – after all, Austin City Limits has a history of showcasing six-string magic. The pair has been riding high since they took the music world by storm with their self-titled LP back in 2006, raising eyebrows with flamenco takes on thrash metal tunes and forward-thinking originals. Now the duo is touring with C.U.B.A., a 13-piece Cuban orchestra, with whom they recorded their latest record Area 52. The time is right to invite them to their debut ACL performance for a show that’s sure to inspire as much dancing as air guitar.

Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook page and Twitter feed for news on the public ticket giveaway. We hope to see you there!

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Featured Taping Announcement

The Punch Brothers tape Austin City Limits on 5/1

Chris Thile – lead singer and mandolinist of the genre-busting band Punch Brothers, who will tape a show for us on May 1 — is no stranger to the Austin City Limits stage. The virtuoso musician has appeared twice with his former band Nickel Creek and once in Dolly Parton’s backup band. The Grammy–nominated Punch Brothers, which Thile formed six years ago, has released three albums, most recently Who’s Feeling Young Now?, and is currently on a sold-out US tour. The quintet’s boundary-less mix of indie-rock, bluegrass, classical music, jazz, folk, and pop has attracted critical acclaim, a slot opening for Paul Simon, two songs on the new T Bone Burnett–produced Hunger Games album, and a loyal, growing audience, including fellow musicians like Steve Martin, Elton John, and Marcus Mumford. We’re pleased to welcome the Punch Brothers to Austin City Limits.

Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook page and Twitter feed regularly for news on the public ticket giveaway. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter as well.

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Featured Taping Announcement

Alabama Shakes tape ACL 3/13

It’s always a thrill to introduce the Austin City Limits audience to someone new, and we’re proud to be doing it again with the first ACL taping by the Alabama Shakes on March 13. Of course, the Athens, Alabama-spawned Shakes aren’t really new – the hard-touring band has been blazing a trail across the United States for the past year, spreading its bluesy rock & soul gospel to an ever-growing rabid fanbase. The quartet’s hard work – and fiery frontperson Brittany Howard’s powerful voice and undeniable charisma – has led to a well-received set at CMJ, a session for Seatlle’s public radio tastemaker KEXP, a slot opening for the Drive-By Truckers (at the band’s request), a post on the influential music blog Aquarium Drunkard and an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s TBS talk show. Now, with the debut record Boys & Girls poised for release in April, we’re happy to welcome the Alabama Shakes to the ACL stage on 3/13.

Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook pageand Twitter feed regularly for news on the public ticket giveaway. This will be a special early show, starting at 6 p.m.

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Featured Taping Announcement

The Shins tape ACL on 3/18

Back in Season 30, we presented an episode  with the highly-praised indie pop band the Shins, then riding the wave of acclaim accompanying their Chutes Too Narrow LP.  It’s been a while, then, but we’re pleased to welcome the band back on March 18 in anticipation of their new album Port of Morrow (which comes out a couple of days later). Leader James Mercer’s smart songs and well-rounded guitar pop have always sounded good to us, and we’re sure they ring true in The Moody Theater.

Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook pageand Twitter feed regularly for news on the public ticket giveaway.