If our friends at KGSR were to curate a stage for ACL, we suspect it would look like this one. Though we have no knowledge that Austin radio mainstay Jody Denberg is the man behind the curtains for Saturday's AMD stage, the bands here certainly look a lot like his playlists! What strikes us as great about this stage is that the music all fits together nicely even though it crosses many age groups, demographics, and genres. It would be hard not to enjoy what's on offer here, so consider staking out a spot and using AMD as your Saturday home base. more ›

Here’s the start of a horror movie, starring the lineup Sunday’s lineup on the Austin City Limits BMI Stage (not that the lineup is horrifying, or anything): We open on a run-down house in rural Mississippi. The house is owned by five brothers, played by the five members of Colour Revolt. The brothers, a scraggly, rough-hewn bunch, are sitting on their front porch, listening to a variety show on an antique radio (voices and music provided by The Belleville Outfit), when five strangers crest the hill approaching the house. It’s the members of South Austin Jug Band and The Massacoustics, playing road-tripping college friends, headed to New Orleans but terribly lost and out of gas. Suddenly, the ghostly image of a woman (Elizabeth Wills) appears between the house and the travelers. She knows of the danger that lies ahead of them. “Fly away,” she warns. “Fly away!” more ›

Guy Forsyth has behind him 17 years spent on all sorts of songs under his belt. But, the Austinite has long had an affection for Delta blues and Tin Pan Alley's Depression-era, and listeners can easily pick out the grit and gravel of those and other canons running through Forsyth's work. A prolific songwriter with a penchant for genre-jumping, Forsyth has most recently released a double-live album on his own label, Small and Nimble Records.... more ›

Kara Grainger got her start as vocalist and lead guitarist of the Sydney blues combo Papa Lips, but has recently branched out into a solo career as a singer-songwriter and slide guitar player. Following impressive showcases at the 2006 and 2007 SXSW conferences, as well as stints opening for guitarist Eric Johnson and renaissance man Russell Crowe, Grainger was asked to perform at ACL in anticipation of her upcoming album Grand And Green River. Kara... more ›

Trent Summar’s story-telling capabilities and straight-up country sound drive his latest album, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. His music has been covered by artists such as Jack Ingram (who scored a hit with his adaptation of Summar’s “Love You”) while Summar has also collaborated with country stars like Pat Green. (They co-wrote “Somewhere Between Texas And Mexico” off Green’s Lucky Ones record.) Summar fronted the band Hank Flamingo prior to working with The New Row Mob.... more ›

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Brandon Rhyder slings the sort of country-fueled solo work that Texas has become known for. Full of hooks and smooth, slightly twangy vocals, Rhyder's songs focus on longing for the small towns and small-town friends left behind, telling stories about football games, girls from Fort Worth, and winding backroads. Working out of Austin, Rhyder has been touring somewhat relentlessly, playing everywhere he can and releasing a live album recorded in College Station and Nacogdoches... more ›

Straight out of the suburbs of Atlanta, the young men of Manchester Orchestra have quickly found a spot in the Georgia indie-rock circuit. Guitarist and lead vocalist Andy Hull homeschooled himself his senior year of high school to allow himself more time to focus on his work with Manchester Orchestra. The result of that focus is the band's first full-length. Peppered with references to Woody Allen, the album is full up with moody music that... more ›

Teenagers from the Isle of Man, Back Door Slam are a blues-rock three-piece drawing influences from all corners of the blues genre, even some outside of it. In fact, although most of Roll Away is littered with embellished guitar solos and high notes (the kind you can picture way down on the base of the guitar neck), some of the tracks are more folk-centered, even acoustic, and sound akin to contemporary country and western. Yet, with the depth and rasp of a 60-year-old blues veteran, vocalist Davy Knowles keeps the trio grounded in a true blue sound. more ›

She may hail from Memphis, but Amy Lavere's music is eerily evocative of Austin. A bright, talented upright bass player with a knack for digestible songwriting, she crafts sleek ditties that glide along like the margarita-soaked Sundays we know all too well. Archer Records, her alma mater, got a handful when they signed up this one. There's elements of self-aware sarcasm and a easygoing resignation, insulated by smooth C&W rhythms and her lounge-y coo. One... more ›

Jennifer Nicely cites many of country's solid gold heroes as her influences, but she has publicly professed her love for female jazz vocalists including Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. The influences show: her voice has the rich tone of a seasoned lounge singer who's spent too many nights singing her heart out for the indifferent audience, and her music relies on the steady walking beats that have characterized so much produced in the wake of... more ›

Alexis Jones’ powerful voice paces The Jones Family Singers’ uplifting message and equally inspirational music. However, it is Dr. Fred A. Jones, a pastor as well as band manager, who binds this gospel act together. The Jones Family Singers, as the name would imply, consists of Dr. Jones’ daughters, sons, grandson, and even a son-in-law. The band’s resume includes an appearance on BET as well as tours all over North America. The Jones Family Singers... more ›