Photo courtesy My Guerrilla on Flickr[another wristband for the collection] Austin’s C3 Presents now has three major festivals to go along with their trio of Charlies. The producers of Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits Festival will put on the Vineland Music Festival in rural New Jersey Aug. 8 to 10, 2008. Vineland is a joint venture with Melvin Benn’s Festival Republic. The U.K. event producer’s portfolio includes the Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury festivals. Set... more ›

There's always been something undeniable about a quality West Coast power-pop record. From the mainstream success of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever to the more obscure gems of The Posies and Jellyfish, the records in this oeuvre feel instantly memorable, lighter than air, and modestly perfect. Such sounds are likely what inspires The Broken West, a Los Angeles-based band that channels these sounds and those of Big Star and early Wilco on their debut... more ›

Scotland's Paolo Nutini truly leads a charmed life. At the age of 20, he will return to Austin to perform at ACL Fest for a second consecutive year and at Stubb's (along with Peter, Bjorn, and John in support) for an ACL aftershow. Last year, he also had the honor of taping an episode of the Austin City Limits television program. Nutini's debut disc These Streets has gone platinum in the UK, and as... more ›

Since their inception in 2001, Portland's The Decemberists have channeled a unique and wide-ranging set of influences (be it R.E.M., Irish folkfore, or Russian literature) into classic indie-pop that has found a large and fervent fanbase. The group's 2006 major label debut The Crane Wife both amazed and shocked music critics, who loved the material but could hardly believe the band's audacity, as two 11-plus minute epics were featured on the disc. The bold... more ›

The Austin City Limits Festival gang are smart enough to know that a) all the people lining up with their plastic cups full of merlot waiting patiently to see Los Lonely Boys and proudly displaying their It's Been a Crazy Weekend henna tattoos aren't just tying their kids up to trees when they leave, and b) there is an ever-growing market for music aimed at kids and families. Combining these two concepts (we assume)... more ›

The Austin City Limits Festival lineup is official, making this year's three day event a legitimate item of lust. In addition to the names you see there, the fest will include performances by Peter, Bjorn & John, Midlake, The National, Yo La Tengo, Sound Team, Pete Yorn, Ghostland Observatory, Joseph Arthur and many more. Right now, tickets are $145, and VIP passes are $1,700. VIP access, in case you're wondering if its worth the... more ›

We let it slide when ticket prices increase every year. We thoughtlessly shell out $3 for water or $4 for beer every year. And we even said "we'd go next year" when the dust from Zilker’s fields gave us dry mouths and black boogers for a few days. But the folks at The Austin City Limits Festival have outdone themselves this year (as well as overused the words deluxe, supreme and luxury) with their... more ›

Apparently the folks at Superfly Productions overestimated the marketability of their wildly successful summer Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. After three years of producing the most economically prosperous music festival in America, Jonathan Mayers, producer of the Zooma Tour, felt that they had produced a synergy and a brand that would be able to draw fans from across the country to individual concerts. And thus was born The Zooma Tour. Apparently they thought wrong,... more ›