Austin City Limits Festival Preview: Day Three, Part One

Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? Final day and what a day it will be.


Starting at 11:45, labeled as a "marching band gone wild", Anathallo makes music using almost anything and have a sound that mixes the Polyphonic Spree with The Arcade Fire. If you are easy like Sunday morning, see Rocky Votolato, a Seattle based songwriter with a that you expect to hear coming out of your local coffeehouse. In the same style, Brett Denner, a 26 year old hailing from California, draws you in with his unique vocal quailty.

Rocky Votolato

After starting out the day with a sonic blast or a folk sway, check out Austin's own The Black Angels and their dark, droning instrumental sound. Heavily influence by 60's psychedelic rock, but you can still hear that Texas influence. Going away from the heavy sounds is Kathleen Edwards, a Canadian country-rock singer who has been influenced by Dylan, Peety and Ani DiFranco and compared to Shawn Colvin and Lucinda Williams. Opposite her is a band that has been marked on my schedule since it came out. The Stills, supporting new album, Without Feathers, go away from the "Canadian Strokes" label and stir up some early 70's influenced rock that is highly addictive.

The Black Angels

Looking at the schedule, you may think it is a break time. Hold on there, while you may not recognize the names (I sure didn't), the next bands put out some great music and are worth a listen. Hailing from Finland, Husky Rescue is a one-man band, Marko Nyberg, who travels with a few of his musical friends. Singer Reeta-Leena Korhola sounds similar to Nina Persson of the Cardigans, while the band as a whole creates a electronic soundscape that is haunting and beautiful. If you want more of a rock and roll experience, give Sam Roberts Band a listen. You will definately hear that 70's rock influence.

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Jamrock! Grammy winner Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley (yeah, that Marley family) spouts out reggae-meets-hip-hop jams that will surely be a crowd favorite. *Sniff*Sniff* Hey, what's that smell? And if its what I think it is, pass some over here. For something completely different, Scottish songstress KT Tunstall plays across the park. A veritable one woman band, she uses recorded loops, much like Howie Day, and has no definitive style, being able to pull off soul, pop, and country with ease.

KT Tunstall

This maybe the time to check out the food merchants or go buy that T-Shirt, but before you do, you may want to give the next two acts a listen. Jose Gonzalez sounds like he should be a Latin artist, but actually hails from Sweden. He has had his music featured on The OC and in commercials and has been compared to Elliott Smith and Nick Drake. Over a finger plucked guitar, he sings with hushed tones that border on melancholy. Starting a little later is Austin rocker Patrice Pike. Fresh off her stint on Rock Star: Supernova where she was in the final seven, she is out to prove how wrong Tommy and Dave were. But I think she is much better as a solo act.

Jose Gonzalez

The home stretch awaits. Get some food quick, these bands wait for noone.

Anathello - Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash)
Rocky Votolato - The City Is Calling
Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason
Kathleen Edwards - In State
The Stills - Still In Love Song
The Black Angels - The First Vietnamese War
Husky Rescue - Summertime Cowboy
Sam Roberts Band - Resistance
Damien "Jr Gong" Marley - Welcome To Jamrock
KT Tunstall - Through The Dark
Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats
Patrice Pike - Pressure and Heat

Be sure to check out the rest of our site for a ton of ACL coverage and so much more!