Reading through the Austin City Limits Music Festival schedule can be overwhelming. So many names– half of which you probably don’t recognize. The Front Bottoms? Who are they? Two Door Cinema Club? Wait, aren’t they emo? Tory Lanez? Why do I know that name?
Story by Natalie Heineman
Illustrations by Ryan Hicks
ORANGE has created a helpful guide divided by your favorite music genre for each day of the festival. Check out ORANGE Magazine’s musician highlights:
Rap and R&B Fans
Friday
12:15 p.m. Los Coast
Frontman Trey Privott combines ‘70s style funk with his Billy Preston-esque voice to create smooth jams that will warm your ears up for the weekend.
1 p.m. Raury
Listen to “Devil’s Whisper.” If you thought Childish Gambino was innovative, Raury will make your jaw drop.
2 p.m. Banks & Steelz
If RZA from Wu-Tang Clan collabed with Kings of Leon, you would get Banks & Steelz.
5 p.m. Tory Lanez
Perhaps most famous for his feud with Drake, this Toronto native proves the city’s rap strength.
6p.m. Flying Lotus
Despite widespread fame for his song “Never Catch Me” featuring Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus actually tends to stick to low-key, sometimes eerie, EDM beats behind his words.
Saturday
12 p.m. Jazz Cartier
Pitchfork called him “Toronto’s first post-Drake rapper” and he lives up to the moniker.
1:30 p.m. Gallant
Gallant is the definition of sultry. This, combined with jazzy instrumental, make him worth checking out.
1:45 p.m. Kamaiyah
Kamaiyah released her debut album this year and it did not take long for her to be featured on the YG song “Why You Always Hatin’?”
3:30 p.m. DJ Mustard
If you don’t know who DJ Mustard is, skip down to another list because you don’t belong on this one.
4:30 p.m. LL Cool J
Now you can hear him in a different context than your mother, a huge NCIS: Los Angeles fan, proclaiming, “What a hunk.”
6:30 p.m. ScHoolboy Q
Maybe he’ll clarify why he always capitalizes the letter H.
8:30 p.m. Kendrick Lamar
Let’s be honest, he’s the reason you bought a ticket this year.
Sunday
1 p.m. Domo Genesis
Come for “Dapper,” stay for chill beats.
2 p.m. Chronixx
Start your day with some reggae, because you won’t be getting much rap on Sunday.
3 p.m. NF
If your ears are tired of all the swear words you’ve heard (not only from performers, but from festival-goers caught in the middle of a moshpit), be sure to give Christian rapper NF a chance.
3:30 p.m. Break Science
All of their songs sound like someone rapping over the soundtrack to a bad ‘80s movie, but the lyrics are solid.
Pop and EDM Fans
Friday
1 p.m. Jess Glynne
The true test of a great artist is the ability to perform live and Glynne passes with flying colors.
5 p.m. St. Lucia
You’ve probably heard “Elevate” playing in an Old Navy somewhere, but St. Lucia is good, we promise.
7 p.m. Flume
You should probably just stick around to hear “Never Be Like You,” then move on to M83.
7 p.m. M83
A tough decision between this band and Flume, but M83 is a classic and Flume is just starting to build his discography. Also, “Midnight City”: the song every 16-24 year old plays while driving after nightfall.
8:15 p.m. Major Lazer
You can’t miss Friday night’s headliner. Unless you would rather hear Radiohead whine about something.
Saturday
2:30 p.m. Saint Motel
Don’t be surprised if “Cold Cold Man” makes the Top 40 radio one day.
3:30 p.m. Jack Garratt
Garratt looks like every film student you’ve ever met, but he sings like a professional.
5:30 p.m. Melanie Martinez
If you’ve been on Tumblr even once since 2015, you’ve heard of Martinez and her Lana Del Rey vibes.
7:30 p.m. The Chainsmokers
If you’ve somehow managed to avoid hearing “Closer” this summer, consider yourself a hermit.
8:30 p.m. Kygo
His songs don’t rage as hard as Kendrick Lamar, who is on at the same time, but he brings the solid house EDM beats.
Sunday
12:15 p.m. Brett Dennen
You’re never really sure if he is folk, country, or pop, but you know he is catchy.
12:15 Lizzo
“Good as Hell” is the feminist anthem Hillary Clinton should be using instead of that awful “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.
3:30 p.m. Break Science
Meet up with your rap fan friends to witness this mashup of hip-hop and EDM.
5 p.m. Oh Wonder
Remember She & Him, the band with Zooey Deschanel? Oh Wonder is like them, but a little less folksy.
7 p.m. HAIM
Some would deem these sisters a rock band, but if you regularly hang out with Taylor Swift, consider yourself pop.
7 p.m. Porter Robinson and Madeon
HAIM is for pop fans, but EDM enthusiasts should choose Porter Robinson and Madeon.
8 p.m. LCD Soundsystem
Did you like going hard to Mike Posner’s depressing “I Took a Pill in Ibiza?” Well, good news— LCD Soundsystem is even more angsty, but with beats a thousand times better than Posner could ever imagine.
Indie Rock Fans
Friday
12:15 a.m. Eliot Sumner
Sumner, the daughter of The Police frontman Sting, follows in her father’s footsteps with danceable beats and a slightly raspy tenor voice reminiscent of ‘80s New Wave.
2 p.m. The Front Bottoms
You’ve probably already seen them live on your trendy friend’s Snapchat story.
3 p.m. The Strumbellas
All of their music videos sound better if you visit YouTube and play them at 1.25 speed, especially their hit song “Spirits.”
4 p.m. Blue October
What would middle school have been without the goth kid raving about Blue October? That is, until the band had a song featured in a Twilight movie.
5 p.m. Cold War Kids
Somehow this band has been around forever, but they’re not yet a household name. Change that today.
7 p.m. Band of Horses
If you’ve managed to attend a wedding reception and not heard “No One’s Gonna Love You” during a couples dance, well then I’m sorry, because it is adorable.
8 p.m. Radiohead
Radiohead has been around since before most festival-goers were born. Fun fact:: Johnny Greenwood writes every angsty song about the time he walked across some hot sand and burned his feet.
Saturday
12:45 p.m. Nothing But Thieves
Nothing but accurate takes on love in modern society.
2:30 p.m. City and Colour
His name is actually Dallas Green, hence the name “City and Colour.” That alone is humorous enough to merit a listen.
4:30 p.m. Catfish and the Bottlemen
Come for the creative name, stay for the punk rock.
5:30 p.m. The Naked and Famous
If Tame Impala took it down a notch and relaxed.
6:30 p.m. Cage the Elephant
“Loser” by Beck is to 90s teens as “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” is to 00s teens.
7:30 p.m. Two Door Cinema Club
Please google “Two Door Cinema Club 2010” and you’ll think Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom started an indie band after they left Hogwarts.
Sunday
11:30 a.m. JULY TALK
If your annoying high school boyfriend’s band somehow got a record deal.
11:30 a.m. The Shelters
If the boy you actually wanted to date in high school had a band with a record deal.
1 p.m. Wild Belle
These two siblings look like Kesha and Father John Misty. They also combine their punk/indie music genres.
2:15 Marlon Williams
So folksy you’ll be wondering when he’ll whips out a banjo (he never does).
4 p.m. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
If you heard rapper NF, who does not swear in his songs, at 3 o’clock, get ready to sing along to “S.O.B.” with this Americana band.
6 p.m. Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
They rival Catfish and Bottlemen for best name, but their upbeat ‘70s funk would never cross Catfish’s guitars.
7 p.m. Young the Giant
You probably explain this band to your Top 40 friends by saying, “Their song ‘Cough Syrup’ was featured in ‘Glee.’ Yeah, by Darren Criss. No, they are way better than him.”
8 p.m. Mumford and Sons
As if I need to convince you to see them.
Jazz Fans
Stay home.
Just kidding, be sure to check out Gregory Porter on Sunday at 6 p.m. Listen to “Be Good (Lion’s Song)” and you’ll be begging this guy to release a Christmas album.