Austin City Limits Music Festival: The Best of the Best Festival Weeping Elvis blogger Clem headed down to Zilker Park in Austin this past weekend for the best-run festival in these United States. His full review for us can be found here, but check out this brief excerpt for a few of Clem’s favorite Austin City Limits acts below: THE CIVIL WARS just get better and better and I am not quite sure how that is possible. It is quite the feat to draw around 20,000 people to the big stage with just 2 folks singing while one plays guitar. The vocal sound is one of those where the blend and harmony choices make the two sound like there are more than two people singing. It is simple proof that fantastic singing, tasty guitar playing and good songs are enough. One can only be hopeful that a sophomore effort is on the way and I would look for it to make a big splash as music fans seem to not be able to get enough of this Nashville duo. Follow Us The hard work of playing every major festival in the last year and tireless touring has now paid off for Austin guitar god/bluesman GARY CLARK JR. After seeing him last year on the small emerging artist BMI stage at last year’s ACL it was a thrill to see him take several big stages at other festivals culminating in his awesome set on the big stage at this year’s ACL. The spawn of Hendrix, Clapton and Stevie Ray is currently reigning as one of rock and blues most exciting artists and with a fawning full page review in Rolling Stone of his new album (Blak and Blu) the secret is now completely out. This is truly an artist not to be missed. I hesitate to write about ALABAMA SHAKES, as we have covered them here on WE many times, but this show was just too good to not take notice. I have enjoyed them each time I have seen them but now they bring an act of great maturity and solidity that only time on the road can bring. Much of the band looks like characters one might see at a deep south truck stop around 2 in the AM…unexpected rock stars to be certain but the entire band plays with such a vast sense of style and purpose. They play and function with seemingly telepathic communication and manage to always be musically right where they should be. Of course, the standout is singer/guitarist Brittany Howard— whom Huey has dubbed “the love child of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding.” What may have seemed timid a year ago is now a dynamic, emotional presence on the stage with a voice polished beautifully rough by further experience. While they may not be buzzed about as much as they were when their debut album Boys & Girls hit big, expect to hear their name called when the Grammy nods are read. Head on over to Weeping Elvis for Clem’s full roundup. Follow Us