Think you’ve had it hard before at eleven forty-five am during ACL Festival? Stumbling your way into the blaring Zilker Park sun after the after-show after-party is rough on anyone, but right this moment there are five bands working their asses off in hopeful anticipation of playing to the pitiable ACL crowd at that very hour. The Sound and the Jury, ACL Festival’s annual battle of the bands, is down to the final five contestants. They have been battling it out in venues both physical and digital for months now, trying to network and self-promote their way onto the Dell stage the winners will share with industry goliaths like Andrew Bird, Phoenix, the Decemberists, and Bon Iver this Friday. more ›