With over 130 bands performing this weekend at ACL, choosing which ones to go see can be kind of overwhelming. Of course we all want to see the headliners, like Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Kanye West and Stevie Wonder, but that leaves for more than 120 other bands to pick from! No worries, I can help narrow down your search by clueing you in on the up and coming acts that you won’t want to miss. By searching through various music websites, hipster blogs and playlists, I’ve found the ACL bands that lots of people are talking about.
Friday: Cults and Miniature Tigers
It was hard to choose which bands to feature since there are so many great ones, but for Friday we have, two of my personal favorites, Cults and Miniature Tigers. If you like Foster the People and Lykke Li, then you’ll like Cults. The indie-pop band was started by two NYU students (who are an adorable couple!) and has now gained a name in the music world. Their electronic-pop sounds are optimal for dancing. Check out their upbeat single “Go Outside” to get an idea. Miniature Tigers are an indie-rock band with pop elements added to it. You’ll want to be singing and dancing along in no time (not to mention they have the cutest guys). They’ve received a lot of recent attention from music magazines like Spin and Rolling Stone. They were also selected by Ben Folds to open for his tour in 2009.
Saturday: The Antlers and Twin Shadow
On Saturday, have lunch a little early and hit up The Antlers at 12:30 P.M., followed immediately by Twin Shadow on another stage at 1:15 P.M. The Antlers are a folk-inspired indie rock band. They usually have more mellow, moody sounds, perfect for getting warmed up for the rest of the day. Their sound has broadened with their newest album going more towards an electronic sound. They have gained a larger fan base recently after playing on “Jimmy Fallon” and “The Tonight Show.” Twin Shadow, or the band name for George Lewis Jr., is a band that has been featured on Rolling Stone and Pitchfork’s websites among others. They gained large recognition after opening up for The Strokes when they played in South by Southwest this past March. Their sound has been described as 80s new wave on one end of the spectrum and haunting on the other.
Sunday: Yellow Ostrich and The Head & The Heart
For Sunday, other than the much-awaited Arcade Fire at the end of the day, check out Yellow Ostrich and The Head & the Heart. Both will be performing on the Google + Stage earlier in the day. Yellow Ostrich is an underground, lo-fi indie pop band. Basically that means that Alex Schaaf makes all of the music himself, so it gives it more of a rugged feel. He has gotten praise from music profiles on the NPR website. The Head & the Heart is great for those who like Mumford & Sons, Noah and the Whale and Fleet Foxes. Their indie-folk sound is comforting and refreshing. The band is made up of five hipster guys and one girl (Woo, girl power!) who will instantly charm you. In addition to headlining their own shows they have opened for bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, The Walkmen, Vampire Weekend, and My Morning Jacket (who is one of the headliners of this year’s ACL). In other words, they are a pretty big deal.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.