ACL is happy to announce a new taping on October 30 with indie rock act Portugal. The Man. The ultra-melodic quartet formed in Alaska, moving to the more rock-friendly environs of Portland and releasing its debut LP Waiter: “You Vultures!” in 2006. The prolific group proceeded to release five more records on various indie labels, including 2009’s companion albums The Satanic Satanist and The Majestic Majesty, before signing to Atlantic for 2011’s In the Mountain in the Cloud. Tours and performances at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza led up to the band’s latest record Evil Friends, produced by Danger Mouse (Norah Jones, the Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley). The album has been called “ the most quintessentially Portugal. The Man album the band has released” by Paste and “proof that some bands get big by being good, nothing else” by the Austin Chronicle.
We’re thrilled to welcome Portugal. The Man to its debut ACL taping. Keep an eye on our taping page, Facebook and Twitter for notification as to when passes will be available.
This Saturday, October, 12, French band Phoenix make their ACL debut in an epic, career-spanning full-hour episode that showcases their impeccably crafted rock. “We are Phoenix from Paris, France,” announces frontman Thomas Mars as they open a stellar performance, although no introduction is necessary for the rapturous Austin crowd. French alternative rockers whose music resonates around the world, Phoenix kick off with a blistering rendition of “Entertainment” from their latest release Bankrupt! The band segue into the massive hit “Lisztomania” off their 2009 breakthrough Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. Called “one of the most influential post-millennial acts” by the NY Times, Phoenix earned headlining spots at 2013’s Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals. As the group connects the dots of its decade-plus career in their ACL outing, they pair older tunes with newer material: “Too Young” from their 2000 debut is woven into a seamless melody with the more recent “Girlfriend.” The opening synth notes of the intro to their smash “1901” draws raves from the audience as Phoenix cap a glorious set, with Mars calling the ACL appearance “a pinnacle moment” for the band.
“Phoenix has been on my hit list since they won their Best Alternative Album Grammy three years ago, but it’s been well worth the wait,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Their new music shows remarkable growth, and their live shows are always electrifying. Their songs transcend geographical and musical borders.”
There’s nothing quite like catching an artist on the rise. Local Natives attracted immediate acclaim with its first LP Gorilla Manor a couple years ago and has been steadily building a loyal, passionate audience since. We were fortunate to put that audience into a room with the L.A. quintet for its debut ACL taping, and the result was magic.
The atmospheric synth intro of “Breakers” signaled the beginning of a journey through the group’s harmony-rich vision of Afropop-kissed indie rock. Busy percussion and polyrhythmic grooves buoyed soaring melodies in “Ceilings,” “Colombia” and “You & I” to unique effect. “Airplanes,” “Black Balloons” and the crowd favorite “Wide Eyes” tightened the rhythms and emphasized catchy, jangly guitar hooks as much as airy vocals. “Shape Shifter,” “Bowery” and the encore-closing “Sun Hands” stretched the band out dynamically showcasing songs that started gently and ended with vibrant excitement. The band paid tribute to an oft-cited influence with a rattling cover of Talking Heads’ “Warning Sign.”
The most moving moment came during the final song of the main set, when the Natives performed a special acoustic arrangement of “Who Knows Who Cares” worked up for this performance that really exploited the band’s folk underpinnings and choir-like vocal harmonies. We’re always flattered when an artist treats a taping as a special occasion (made doubly so when the band asked their touring bass player to join them permanently), and we can’t wait for this spring to show you why this performance counts as one. Stay tuned.
Austin City Limits is getting back to the country on November 25 with a double-header featuring fast-rising newcomer Kacey Musgraves and Austin honky-tonker Dale Watson.
Hailing from Golden, Texas, Kacey Musgraves began performing at fairs while still in single digits. She has been writing songs since the age 9 and eventually moved to Nashville like her friend Miranda Lambert. Both competed on the singing competition program Nashville Star in 2007. She only came in seventh, but the visit was enough for her to plant her flag on Music Row, scoring a songwriting and production deal with tunesmith-to-the-stars Luke Laird and co-writing Lambert’s smash “Mama’s Broken Heart.” But Musgraves, who cites John Prine and Ray Wylie Hubbard as songwriting inspirations, truly made her mark with her major label debut Same Trailer Different Park. Called “one of the most fully-formed, arresting debuts Nashville’s seen in years” by American Songwriter, Same Trailer spawned the hit singles “Blowin’ Smoke” and “Merry Go ‘Round” and garnered praise from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. Come see why Musgraves has earned the accolades.
photo by Jim Chapin
Performing the same night is Austin’s king of country music: Dale Watson. Though born in Birmingham, Alabama, Watson was raised in Pasadena, Texas, spending time in Houston, Los Angeles and Nashville before landing in Austin in the early 90s, which has been his home since. Possessed of a quintessential country baritone, Watson has flown the flag for classic honky-tonk for over two decades and 20 albums, starting with his classic 1995 debut Cheatin’ Heart Attack and moving through landmarks Blessed or Damned, The Truckin’ Sessions and Every Song I Write is For You. He’s performed on Late Night With David Letterman and first appeared on ACL in 1997 as part of an Austin Country Showcase. El Rancho Azul, his latest LP, continues his work as one of the world’s finest C&W singers and songwriters, and we’re thrilled to present Austin’s favorite son once again.
Information on passes to these great shows will appear here a week before each taping. We hope to see you there!
When Neko Case last graced the ACL stage, she was still the reigning queen of Americana, a minimalist-minded singer and songwriter in thrall to torch songs and classic country. Over the succeeding decade, however, she’s developed into an eclectic, ambitious artist who won’t be hemmed in by genre restrictions, as her latest LP The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You attests. With that acclaimed work in hand, Case and her band gave us a well-rounded, wide-ranging performance.
Opening with “Where Did I Leave That Fire,” an atmospheric slice of art pop, Case followed directly with “This Tornado Loves You,” one of her most accessible and eccentric tunes. Case and her versatile band, including returning stalwarts Jon Rauhouse, Tom Ray and Kelly Hogan, moved from ringing folk rockers like “City Swans,” “Hold On, Hold On” and “People Gotta Lotta Nerve” to classic balladry like “Night Still Comes,” “Lion’s Jaw” and the particularly gorgeous “Calling Card.” She has a singular affinity for 6/8 time, adding subtle 50s-style melodies to songs like “That Teenage Feeling,” “Wild Creatures” and “The Pharaohs,” and added some funny power pop with the snarky “Man.” Case didn’t forget her roots, however, reaching far back to her earlier work for the countrified gem “Set Out Running,” which exploits the Patsy Cline side of her voice, and the classic beauty “I Wish I Was the Moon.” Despite it being a cover, Case was at her most emotionally vulnerable on Harry Nilsson’s understated ballad “Don’t Forget Me.”
It was an eclectic, brilliant performance that perfectly encapsulated where Neko Case finds her artistry circa 2013. We can’t wait for you to see it early next year – watch this space for broadcast details.
Austin City Limits (ACL) launches its 39th Season with two of the biggest acts in Latin music today, Juanes and Jesse & Joy. Colombian superstar Juanes headlines with a thrilling, high energy set, while Mexico City’s sibling duo Jesse & Joy sing a selection of their breakthrough hits. The season premiere—the first to feature Latin artists in the debut episode—airs this Saturday and showcases ACL’s long-standing commitment to feature the best in music from around the world.
With six solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 16 million, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist. An electrifying guitarist and gifted songwriter, Juanes made his ACL debut back in 2005, and has since gone on to win multiple Grammy Awards and a record number of Latin Grammys. The Associated Press calls Juanes “the first truly international rock star to emerge from Latin America.” Juanes returns to the ACL stage in a dynamic performance, kicking things off with “Fijate Bien,” the Latin Grammy-winning title track to his debut album. He pays tribute to one of his inspirations—Bob Marley—with a Latin spin on the reggae classic “Could You Be Loved?”. By the time he launches into his huge hits, Juanes proves he doesn’t need to sing in English any more than he needs a surname to thoroughly rock the Austin audience.
Jesse & Joy have become one of the most celebrated pop-rock acts to emerge in the Latin music scene since they formed in Mexico City in 2005. The musical siblings boast five Latin Grammy Awards, including four for their triple platinum 2012 album ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro? (“Who Gets the Dog?”) and their first Grammy Nomination this year for Best Latin Pop Album. The Los Angeles Times raves, “Their rootsy, soft-rock sincerity evokes ’80s country-pop, and Joy’s dulcet-but-earthy voice has been compared to those of Norah Jones, Alanis Morissette and, almost inevitably, Kelly Clarkson.” With Jesse Huerta on guitar, piano, drums, and background vocals and Joy Huerta on vocals and guitar, these siblings in sound deliver a breakout performance. A highlight is the duo’s emotional performance of their smash hit “Corre”— with the audience singing along to every word, waving their hands in the air, it’s a moment that reflects the truly universal language of music.
photo by Scott Newton
“Juanes is the first Latin artist since Ricky Martin to break out and transcend musical and cultural barriers,” says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “Audiences connect with him on many levels, and his charisma on stage is magnetic! As brother and sister, Jesse & Joy’s music is very genuine and emotional, and it’s just fun to watch them interact with each other and their fans.”
Check out the episode page here for setlists and more. Keep up with ACL happenings via our Facebook and Twitter pages or our newsletter. Next week: Season 39 keeps rolling with Phoenix.
