The Austin City Limits music festival brought artists of all different genres to the stage. While some students splurged to see big acts like Miley Cyrus or Tyler, the Creator, they came back to campus with some new favorites. Students shared their ACL discoveries from the past two weekends.

Alison Wonderland

All the way from Australia, electronic artist Alison Wonderland brought innovative visuals and music arrangements to the T-Mobile stage. One of the last sets of Saturday night, Alison Wonderland presented the perfect opportunity for festival attendees to dance as the sun set. 

“I definitely found that I really like electronic music,” journalism freshman Sofia Vargas said. “For Alison Wonderland, I was right by the stage. I felt like I was in a club in Amsterdam, just vibing and jumping around.”

Cautious Clay

A Cleveland-born singer known for his soulful voice and atmospheric production, Cautious Clay drew people to the Miller Lite stage both Sundays of the festival. 

“I had never really listened to Cautious Clay before,” biology freshman Claire Stanaland said. “My friends and I walked past the stage where he was performing and heard some of his music and now I’ve been absolutely obsessed. He has a really interesting sound and kind of reminds me of Tyler, the Creator with a little less rapping.” 

Stanaland said she suggests the song “Joshua Tree” for new listeners. 

Public Library Commute 

Public Library Commute, an indie-pop artist celebrated for his dreamy, nostalgic sound, attended ACL for the first time. A newcomer to the festival herself, journalism freshman Alejandra de la Fuente Campos said the group’s unique name drew her to their set. 

“I didn’t get the chance to do my homework on artists, but my friend saw Public Library Community on the lineup, and we thought the name was funny. Then we listened to him on Spotify, and we loved it,” Campos said. “He mentioned that it was his first festival … and he looked very excited to be there. The energy was very contagious, and his music was super upbeat.”

White Reaper 

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, White Reaper, a three-member punk band, rocked the Honda stage during weekend one of the festival. Public relations freshman Lauren Cameron said even though she considers herself a rap and R&B enthusiast, the punk-rock band stood out to her at ACL. 

“(White Reaper) was so amazing,” Cameron said. “They were high energy and super loud … very attentive and interactive with the crowd.” 

Channel Tres

On Sunday, funky, low-key dance beats radiated from the VRBO stage thanks to Channel Tres. R&B artists such as Tyler, the Creator and Kehlani produced collaborations with the singer and rapper, appreciating his fresh house sound. 

“I’ve never really listened to house music, but I’m definitely gonna start listening now,” Skyler Quait, theatre education freshman, said. “(The music) was super loud, you could feel it in your bones. All the beats were enjoyable and … catchy. As people were walking across the lawn they’d be bobbing their heads and moving their hips. Everyone really, really vibed with the artist.”