As those whom I bothered this weekend know, I just got back from the 5th annual Austin City Limits Music Festival. And while my weekend was filled with too much drama for your momma, I will limit this post to just the music. Here goes...

Paulo Nutini
Wow. This 19-year-old Scotsman made me realize why John Mayer and James Blunt are so popular. If you're girlfriend likes those guys, play this for her (you'll have to wait until January for his album). She'll fall in love and you'll be able to keep your street cred. A very soulful young dude who congers up more Otis Redding and Jeff Buckley than those other two crooners. Bonus: He played a version of "Crazy" that rivaled Gnarls Barkley.

Ted Leo + Pharmacists
107 degrees in the shade. Pardon the cliche, but I was literally fired up. Political punk rawk. This guy amazed me when I saw him at the Pitchfork festival in Chicago and didn't let me down here. About three songs in, he started to lose his voice, so he said, "Fuck it. I'll leave what I have on the stage, even if it ends up as a mucous lining." Gotta respect that.
Bonus: Ted once again bloodied his head with his mic.

Okkervil River
The show was on a smaller stage which was fine by me. Smaller, more intimate crowd. Will Sheff's painfully warbly voice is why people don't like "emo" and exactly why I love the sad bastard. Sheff's either the funniest sad bastard or the saddest stand-up comedian. Great banter. The acoustics were pretty fantastic. Check out Black Sheep Boy.

Wolf Parade
Holy shit! I know I've been smooching these guys' bottoms since their album came out, but it was completely validated. By far my favorite show. The heat had broken at that point in the day, so I became Dancing Rick. I've always said that bands sounded tight without really knowing exactly how to define tight. Now I know for certain. My definition will begin with Wolf Parade. They sounded very crisp, like most artists do in the studio. Then they added a frenetic live energy that gave me a sonic boner. For your sake, for your daughter's sake, give these guys a good listenin' to.

Gnarls Barkley
Imagine Memorial Stadium on the first game of your freshman year. You've had too much to drink. It's hotter than a Gonorrhea piss. But you HAVE to watch the game, because you're a fan. And it's crowded. Very crowded. Like 75,000 crowded. "Crazy" was as good as you wanted it to be. "Gone Daddy Gone" justified my use of the song as my ringtone.
Bonus: Cee-Lo assured the ladies in the crowd that he would still respect them if they showed their titties to him and the band.

Ray Lamontagne
The least charismatic soul singer alive? Or is it that he puts so much emotion into each song that he can't show it? Option A is the correct answer. Don't get me wrong, his songs are beautiful, but just not a whole lot of energy. Oh well.

Cat Power & The Memphis Rhythm Band
Buttery voice. The good kind. The fattening kind. That voice. Haunting. She has a reputation of shaky performances. She hopefully shaked that off this weekend. Also did a great cover of "Crazy." Above all, Cat Power is hot. My new indie love. I want to be on her. And her hiney, it's quite impressive.

The Raconteurs
As good as I wanted them to be. Rocking. That's all you need to know.

TV on the Radio
I really wish that I had a better spot to hear these guys. Apparently, their new album is the best thing since sandwiches. Interesting, though. Actually, I don't remember much about this show.

Kings of Leon
Biggest disappointment. I wanted it so badly to be Awesometown. The first five songs were sloppy. And lazy. And drunker than I was. And the Nebraska game was on.

The Shins
Fantastic as per expectations.

Jose Gonzalez
That son of a bitch made me cry. Now I know what shoegazing is. It sounded so good. Just an Argentine/Swede and his guitar. And he is one of the most talented guitar players I've ever witnessed.

More later.