ACL Stage Preview: Friday At Austin Ventures Brings Alejandro Escovedo, Delta Spirit, and Mates Of State

After Christopher Denny's music gets you through the Great Depression (a notion that's not so funny this week), Austin's The Strange Boys will transport you all the way forward to the 1960's at 1:50. You'll find a lo-fi Stones and Yardbirds thing happening here with a bit of calculated sloppiness to the vocals. These guys have a cover of Them's "Baby Please Don't Go" on their MySpace, and that's basically the sound they're gunning for. The Nuggets-style garage rock tunes should go well with your second beer and first Hudson's chicken cone of the day.

At 2:50, prepare for the sleaze. Las Vegas' Louis XIV look like The Killers, dress like The Killers, and sound like perverts who really, really like Bowie and T. Rex. They actually even mention getting it on and banging a gong in their tunes, so don't say we didn't warn you. We'll call this now as the low point of the day at Austin Ventures.

Things look up at 4:00 when Delta Spirit turn up to charm you with their well-crafted, emotive, and pretty damned interesting Americana rock that will appeal to fans of Band Of Horses, Drive-By Truckers, and Son Volt. We caught this band of Californians at SXSW, where they knocked a jaded industry crowd on their collective asses during a roaring Emo's set. AllMusic has likened Delta Spirit's music to The Waterboys, but there's a bit less folk and more rock to it than that. For those folks looking for a new favorite regular old rock and roll band, this slot is a good chance to find one.

After all the earnest head-nodding from Delta Spirit, you may find yourself in the mood to dance. That third beer you just had in the heat may also have something to do with it. Thankfully, the traveling indie parents known as Mates Of State have you covered. The Connecticut duo play an enjoyable brand of indie synth-pop reminiscent of The New Pornographers and The Rosebuds that should revive listeners for the evening ahead. Think catchy, simple, and melodic here: our one-year-old was singing along to the music while we wrote this paragraph.

While the ACL website compares Denton's Eli Young Band to the Counting Crows and The Jayhawks, we're not at all sure why. This sounds far more like like "Texas Country" music to us, so the Pat Green and Jack Ingram-loving masses will all be found here from 6:30 to 7:15. Enough said.

The evening ends with conquering local hero Alejandro Escovedo, who has survived everything from raging days with the True Believers and Buick MacKane to a more recent bout with some serious health problems. Escovedo's latest, Real Animal, was (as usual) critically lauded, but picked up some additional exposure thanks to his new affiliation with Bruce Springsteen's manager Jon Landau. While most locals have caught him at more intimate venues like The Continental Club or Antone's, it should be interesting to see Alejandro take the stage for a larger audience of devoted locals and curious tourists. It will also be a thematically appropriate end to Day One of ACL, as Escovedo's tunes range from punk to rock to country...just like his adopted hometown - and this festival.