ACL: Pleasantly Surprised!

So thankfully we wont be going to Aruba with the Beach Boys or hearing 30 minute ukulele solos from Phish this October. Instead ACL gave us the Chili Peppers (not a huge fan but how can this not be a fun show?), Neil Young, and the Black Keys. And following the festival circuit, you kind of had to know that the Keys and Jack White would be here. And not to mention freakin Iggy and the Stooges!!!! So as far as heavyweights go, nicely done C3! My only complaint is that ACL always goes the safe route when it comes to hip hop. Which basically means 5'2" female rappers or nothing at all. Last year they FINALLY listened to us and brought us more than one hip hop act that wasnt M.I.A. So what do they do? They bring us Kanye, Big Boi, Santigold, Theophilus London, and Nas. Awesome!  But then they put them all on the same stage and on the same day, which later became known as Blackout Friday. This year they brought us The Roots, Childish Gambino, Big KRIT, and the Black Lips...oh wait, that's the punk band. You really can't name yourself Black Lips unless you look like Fat Albert! i mean, really. Wow, that may have been the most racist thing I've ever said. Google image Fat Albert and you'll see why. Man, the late 70's and 80's were weird. But anyway, that's it! We can't get a Cash Money Millionaires reunion? Or even just a few more up and comers like A$ap Rocky, Danny Brown, or Clams Casino? Oh well, once again those three shows will be the most attended because we do need something to give us a break from the 50 acoustic country bluegrass sets they have sprinkled throughout. But outside of that glaring omission, they seem to have every other genre well covered and I am genuinely excited for it this year. So for the next couple of weeks, I'll spend most of my time getting you ready for Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and ACL.

Just a quick note, A$ap Rocky, Clams, and Danny Brown are all playing Pitchfork. I've previewed them here.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/04/whats-in-name.html
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/05/help-me-help-you.html

Also check Alabama Shakes who will be playing ACL.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/04/day-drinking.html

I am so excited that Crystal Castles will be playing ACL this year! I keep missing them when they come to Austin for the most random reasons but I am determined to see them this year. Hopefully they will be playing an aftershow in a club because their dark, thrashy gothic dance music is better suited for that. As opposed to a 3 oclock outdoor day show. But honestly at this point I'll take them any way I can get them. They are a two piece from Canada made up of Alice on vocals and Ethan on the keys. Apparently the lucky ones that have seen them all report back that they are pretty nuts on stage and the energy they bring is contagious. While I really like their first album and it's weirdness (see Crimewave), they truly stepped it up a notch on their second effort. Not in Love, their lead single with Robert Smith is the perfect mix of 80's dance music and today's electronic scene. Plus, if Bobby Smith agrees to record with you, thats says something. This is also a perfect description of their song Celestica. But they still have their thrashy weirdness on songs like Fainting Spells and Empathy. I like how diverse their albums are and if it weren't 100 degrees in October i'd be rocking my Castles hoodie along with them but I'm black so my body already naturally absorbs enough heat as it is year round. It's like having a natural hoodie! I'm not suicidal! Anyway, Crystal Castles are kind of FRESH and I would definitely suggest checking them out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugw3ARV4X9g&feature=related

Next up is Polica. Sadly, everytime I tried to see them at SX there was always a conflict. They are a pop indie band who uses the auto tuner. That's gangsta!!! Honestly I dont know why she uses the auto tune so much, because she actually has a beautiful voice but it does add to the atmosphere of their music. A lot of their songs sound similar, so don't expect too much as far as high energy or diversity goes. But if you like slow moving ambient music this is for you. Highlights to check out are Lay Your Cards Out and Wandering Star. They sound next of Purity Ring who will also be playing Pitchfork.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/04/so-much-fun-fun-fun-i-forgot.html
The jury is still out on Polica until I see them live but I am definitely intrigued and will be at their show. So they get a rating of a barely FRESH until further notice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=3NcrCY-ztLk&feature=endscreen