ACL Stage Preview: Hot Chip & more @ the AT&T Blue Room Stage on Friday

Image from What Made Milwaukee Famous’ MySpace, by Cambria Harkey

As another Austin City Limits Music Festival approaches, all attendees get an opportunity to check out acts they may already be fans of, or discover music that could be the new soundtrack to their lives. The AT&T Blue Room Stage boasts considerably diverse line-ups on all three days and we're here to prep you for the barrage of live music that can be expected on that stage. Austin based Dan Dyer has been compared to legends like Stevie Wonder and Al Green, and he kicks things off on Friday at 11:45 a.m. on Day One with soothing soul music, tinged with elements of gospel and blues.

Next up, another local outfit What Made Milwaukee Famous, fresh on the heels of their What Doesn't Kill Us release, bring crunching pop melodies to the forefront. Based on the immediate classics contained in their new record ("Cheap Wine" and "Sultan") and their stellar debut Trying To Never Catch Up ("Idecide" and "Hellodrama"), we feel that this band is surely destined for a long, successful career. (You can read our interview from March of this year with lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Michael Kingcaid here.) The band recently played two electrifying shows on back to back nights in New York City.

Shifting gears, Del The Funkyhomosapien (a.k.a. Teren Delvon Jones) provides relief from the expected, unending heat at 3:30 p.m. with hip hop and rap concoctions that should invigorate most listless crowds. Del founded the Hieroglyphics collective in the '90s, and he worked with cousin Ice Cube's Da Lench Mob project around that time as well. Besides having released a number of solo records, Del also contributed to Gorillaz's debut album.

Image from Hot Chip’s MySpace, by Bevis Martin & Charlie Youle

Despite all the talent leading up to it, the highlight of Day One on the AT&T Blue Room Stage could turn out to be Hot Chip's set at 5:30 p.m. Having experienced the dance party that this London band's delightful blend of electro-beats and indie-rock summons during live performances (at Antone's last year and again at Coachella this year), we highly recommend not missing out on their exhilarating set. Anthems like "Shake A Fist" and "Over and Over" could very well supply the boost of energy needed to carry on your ACL Fest adventures into the night. (Read our review of their latest album Made In The Dark here.)

The Swell Season, comprised of Markéta Irglová and (The Frames') Glen Hansard, take the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Their poignant compositions are an essential part of the movie Once, and earlier this year, the "Falling Slowly" single won an Academy Award for "Best Original Song." The cooling evening air should complement their soft sound impeccably as the first day of the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival wraps up on the AT&T Blue Room Stage.

“Artists and schedule subject to change without notice.” (As per Austin City Limits Music Festival’s Schedule Grids.)

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