FRIDAY
Underrated band: Savages
Stage: Honda
Time: 1 p.m.
This young all-female post-punk quartet from London might be the most talented and electrifying act of the weekend.
Local band: Okkervil River
Stage: Honda
Time: 5 p.m.
It is easily one of the most accomplished folk groups of the last 10 years.
Headliner: Depeche Mode
Stage: AMD
Time: 8 p.m.
Why: Every popular indie band now sounds like them, and the chance to see them play all the hits cannot be missed.
Band to skip: fun.
Stage: AMD
Time: 4 p.m.
Does anyone really need to force themselves to listen to “Some Nights” again?
SATURDAY
Underrated band: Parquet Courts
Stage: Bud Light
Time: 11:30 a.m.
This punk band is explosive and awesome live.
Local band: The Bright Light Social Hour
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 7 p.m.
They’re highly energetic local favorites who have been consistently great for years.
Headliner: The Cure
Stage: AMD
Time: 8 p.m.
The Cure is one of the greatest bands of all time with a reputation for playing nearly all of their hits live. It would be foolish to miss this.
Band to skip: Kings of Leon
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 8 p.m.
They haven’t released a good album in at least 5 years and are playing at the same time as The Cure.
SUNDAY
Underrated band: Shuggie Otis
Stage: Zilker Tent
Time: 7:30 p.m.
This often forgotten legend put out some of the best psychedelic soul of the ‘60s.
Local band: White Denim
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 5 p.m.
White Denim is one of the best psych bands around.
Headliner: Phoenix
Stage: Bud Light
Time: 7 p.m.
Not technically a headliner, but this set should be more fun than either of the two acts closing out the night.
Band to skip: Eric Church
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 6 p.m.
He doesn’t really fit in with the lineup and plays the same time as both The National and Tame Impala, two of the best bands playing all weekend.
Hannah Smothers, associate editor
@hannahsmothers_
FRIDAY
Underrated band: Jimmy Eat World
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Maybe Jimmy Eat World isn’t really underrated, but the 17-year-old inside of me thinks this band deserves a much better time slot than the early afternoon. OK, the current 20-year-old also thinks this band deserves a much better time slot.
Local band: Asleep at the Wheel
Stage: AMD
Time: 12 p.m.
Asleep at the Wheel has been the first band to open ACL every year since the festival began in 2002. Even for people who aren’t huge Texas swing fans, this is an unmissable tradition.
Headliner: Arctic Monkeys
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 6:30 p.m.
The latest Arctic Monkeys album is fantastic, and front man Alex Turner is an absolute rock ’n’ roll sex god.
SATURDAY
Underrated band: Lissie
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Lissie not only has a beautiful voice, but she has also been known to rap Kid Cudi covers during live performances.
Local band: Max Frost
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 12 p.m.
In a few years, Frost will be back at ACL on a bigger stage and the crowd of people who remember seeing him in 2013 in an early time slot on a small stage will have eternal bragging rights.
Band to skip: Portugal. The Man
Stage: AMD
Time: 4 p.m.
Portugal. The Man’s band name is a nightmare for grammar nerds and their music is the same blend of indie-alt-folk-rock-whatever that shows up at every single music festival.
SUNDAY
Underrated band: Noah and the Whale
Stage: Honda
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Just for the chance that the band plays “Blue Skies” or “The First Days of Spring.” If there’s an appropriate time to get emotional at ACL, it is at Noah and the Whale’s set.
Headliner: The National
Stage: AMD
Time: 5:30 p.m.
The National is awesome. Matt Berninger’s baritone vocals sometimes dip so low I’m pretty sure only animals can hear them — and I mean that as a compliment.
Kris Ohlendorf, staff writer
@krisohlendorf
FRIDAY
Underrated band: Purity Ring
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 7:45 p.m.
The band’s music is really trippy and addictive, lots of bass and synths everywhere. Seeing it at night will be an unmissable experience. Wub wub.
Headliner: Vampire Weekend
Stage: AMD
Time: 6:00 p.m.
It’s amazing to see the fame and exposure the group is starting to get with its newest album, which is also the best album the group has put out.
Band to skip: Muse
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Just listen to OK Computer on the ride home instead.
SATURDAY
Underrated band: Grimes
Stage: Honda
Time: 5:00 p.m.
She came all the way down from Canada to grace us with her presence, and is pretty much the most awesome person not named Kanye West.
Local band: The Warrior Gospel Band
Stage: Zilker Tent
Time: 11:30 a.m.
A talented local group that does pre-Civil War era gospel tunes.
Headliner: Kendrick Lamar
Stage: Honda
Time: 7:00 p.m.
good kid, m.A.A.d city was the best album to come out last year. I’ve gone through it probably 50 times; it never gets old.
SUNDAY
Underrated band: Tame Impala
Stage: Honda
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Its last album Lonerism is amazing, and should be heard by everyone.
Local band: Peterson Brothers Band
Stage: BMI
Time: 4:00 p.m.
A duo of talented brothers, one shreds guitar and the other slaps a bass. Their live shows are bluesy and full of energy; they seem like cool guys too.
Headliner: Atoms for Peace
Stage: AMD
Time: 7:40 p.m.
It’s 2+2=5 of Radiohead. Amok was good, but my hope is they’ll play something from Kid A just for me.
Band to skip: The Mowgli’s
Stage: Bud Light
Time: 1:00 p.m.
There are eight band members, and they aren’t named Arcade Fire.
Sarah-Grace Sweeney, editor
@sarahgrace317
FRIDAY
Underrated band: Smith Westerns
Stage: Honda Stage
Time: 3 p.m.
This dreamy indie pop is the way to ease into a busy ACL weekend.
Local band: Dana Falconberry
Stage: Austin Ventures
Time: 12:20 p.m.
It’s early, but Dana Falconberry’s music sounds like a fairy fantasy land.
SATURDAY
Underrated band: Hundred Waters
Stage: Honda Stage
Time: 11:30 a.m.
This folky electronica from Florida is for indie kid head-bopping and dancing.
Headliner: Wilco
Stage: Samsung Galaxy Stage
Time: 6 p.m.
Wilco just happen to be my folk heroes — and probably everyone’s dad’s folk heroes too.
Band to skip: Passion Pit
Stage: AMD Stage
Time: 6 p.m.
Aren’t people tired of all these over produced songs that sound exactly the same, yet?
SUNDAY
Underrated band: Foxygen
Stage: Samsung Galaxy Stage
Time: 12 a.m.
Foxygen is a perfect combination of classic rock and indie pop.
Headliner: Neko Case
Stage: Austin Ventures Stage
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Neko Case just released a stellar album and this is a great chance to hear the songs live.
Band to skip: Atoms for Peace
Stage: AMD Stage
Time: 7:40 p.m.
Why would anyone see Thom Yorke if it wasn’t with Radiohead?
by Shane Miller
@shanearthurmill
FRIDAY
Underrated band: Pinback
Stage: Bud Light
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Ever since 1999’s This is a Pinback CD, Pinback’s indie rock has been mellow, progressive and impressive enough to put it in its own category.
Headliner: Local Natives
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Local Natives is the best indie band out there to eat, pray and love to.
SATURDAY
Local band: Shakey Graves
Stage: BMI
Time: 4:30 p.m.
This one-man band is easily one of Austin’s most talented musicians, so support him and hopefully be able to say “I saw Shakey Graves at ACL before he was cool.”
Band to skip: Silversun Pickups
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 4 p.m.
“Lazy Eye” is the only one worth listening to.
SUNDAY
Underrated band: Toro Y Moi
Stage: Bud Light
Time: 5 p.m.
This dude, Chaz, is a fantastic producer and perfect for hipsters, and wannabe hipsters like myself, to steal fashion ideas from.
Band to skip: Grouplove
Stage: AMD
Time: 3:30 p.m.
I’d rather be at your best friend’s house.
Sam Hays, staff writer
@samingtonhays
FRIDAY
Local band: The Black Angels
Stage: Honda
Time: 5 p.m.
Why: The Black Angels’ psychadelic rock sound sounds like a polished rendition of the Austin garage bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Headliner: Muse
Stage: Samsung Galaxy
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Why: Though the later half of their discography is forgettable, they haven’t forgotten how to put on a brilliant show full of lasers, lights and high energy.
SATURDAY
Band to Skip: Kendrick Lamar
Stage: Honda
Time: 7 p.m.
Why: Kendrick is always in town. Why would you pass up an opportunity to see Justin Vernon for a rapper who will probably be here in the next few months anyway.
SUNDAY
Local band: Divine Fits
Stage: Honda
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Why: Divine Fits is the side-project for Britt Daniels, the lead singer of Spoon. The two bands are very similar in sound, but Divine Fits is definitely less refined and more festival appropriate.
