The Austin City Limits Festival announced it’s 2009 lineup, which includes all the acts we’d previously leaked, as well as many more.

Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Thievery Corporation, John Legend, Ghostland Observatory, Sonic Youth, Mos Def and The B-52s are all confirmed from the lineup, just as our source confirmed.

Other highlights include Ben Harper and Relentless7, Jack White’s new project Dead Weather, Toadies, Flogging Molly, Citizen Cope, The Decemberists, Coheed & Cambria, Girl Talk, The Airborne Toxic Event, Clutch, The Scabs, K’naan, The Knux, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Daniel Johnston, and School of Seven Bells.

View the full lineup on ACL’s website, where you can also purchase three day passes for $185. The festival is set for October 2-4 at Zilker Park in downtown Austin.

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The Austin City Limits Festival has posted a third pictogram in it’s leak campaign that began last week.

The above picture confirms yet another ACL artist that Austin Sound Check was the first to tell you about. 90’s noise rock pioneers Sonic Youth will take the stage in Zilker Park this year.

Sonic Youth will be joined by confirmed artists Pearl Jam and Thievery Corporation, as well as leaked-but-yet-to-be-confirmed artists Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Ghostland Observatory, Mos Def, John Legend and The B-52s.

The full ACL lineup is set for release tomorrow, April 28th.

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Below are this week’s recommended shows in Austin. This will be my final recommended show listing on Austin Sound Check, as I am leaving b5 Media at the end of April. It’s been just over a year since they asked me to start this blog and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

But as my other music ventures have evolved and began demanding more of my time, it seems that this is where I part ways with ASC. Dead Bunny Music is still hopping (rim shot!) and we’ll be announcing new shows and exciting new projects beginning in May. I’m still the Music Editor at INsite Magazine and we’ll be launching an all new website complete with blog shortly.

So here are my final recommendations for This Week in Austin. It’s been real, kids!

Tuesday 4/28
Cake @ Stubb’s

Thursday 4/30
Prey for Sleep and Dead Earth Politics @ Room 710

Friday 5/1
Death Cab for Cutie @ Austin Music Hall
T-Bird and the Breaks and Greyhounds @ Emo’s

Saturday 5/2
Mike Truth & The Replacement Killers (CD Release) @ Red Eyed Fly
Dredg @ Emo’s
Ultra8201 Presents : Ume and The White White Lights @ La Zona Rosa

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The Austin City Limits Festival confirmed Thievery Corporation will play the festival via the cryptic picture above. The picture has been posted to the official ACL website and Facebook page.

Thievery Corporation is the second act to be confirmed by ACL. Headliner Pearl Jam was the first band confirmed, also through a pictogram style post.

Not that we’re keeping track, but this makes Austin Sound Check 2-for-2 on leaked predictions. Other leaked bands that remain as yet unconfirmed include Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews Band, Ghostland Observatory, Kings of Leon, Mos Def, Sonic Youth, John Legend, and The B-52s.

The full lineup is set for release on April 28th.

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Austin City Limits Festival organizers C3 Presents posted the cryptic picture above yesterday, confirming Pearl Jam as one of the festival’s 2009 headliners.

Austin Sound Check previously confirmed that Pearl Jam would be headlining via a leak that also includes Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Ghostland Observatory, Kings of Leon, Mos Def, Sonic Youth, John Legend, Thievery Corporation and The B-52s. The full lineup is scheduled for release on April 28th.

With the Pearl Jam headlining spot confirmed it seems likely that the rest of our lineup leaks will hold true. Who else do you want to see at ACL 2009?

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This week’s show recommendations are absolutely packed from start to finish with good music. This is definitely one of the best week’s of music in Austin that I’ve seen since I started putting these recommendations together over a year ago.

There are equal amounts of good local shows and good roadshows, leaving some tough decisions to be made. Who are you going to see this week?

Tuesday 4/21
Spoon @ Scoot Inn

Harlem @ Mohawk

Wednesday 4/22
Wild Sweet Orange @ Stubb’s

Thursday 4/23
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness, Ume and The Boxing Lesson @ Mohawk

Wine and Revolution and Car Stereo (Wars) @ Victory Grill
KVRX Benefit, $7 includes free BBQ and beer

Adrian & The Sickness and Squint @ Creekside Lounge

T-Bird & The Breaks @ Threadgills

Friday 4/24
The Kills @ Emo’s

The Murdocks and Til’ We’re Blue or Destroy @ Mohawk

Black Label Society and Sevendust @ Stubb’s

Saturday 4/25
Invincible and Jean Grae @ Scoot Inn

Triple Scoop w/ Follow That Bird! & More @ United States Art Authority

Pepper and The Expendables @ Stubb’s

Summer Sweat w/ The Boxing Lesson, The Steps, Zeale & More @ Do512 Compound
6-10pm. Free with RSVP

Sunday 4/26
Zlam Dunk, Motel Aviv and Dead Black Hearts @ Mohawk

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Since 2007 the third Saturday in April has been nationally recognized as Record Store Day. It’s a day where independent music retailers come together to offer their customers some pretty awesome events as well as exclusive vinyl and other limited edition releases.

Several independent record stores in Austin and the surrounding areas take part in the festivities. These stores include Antone’s Record Shop, Backspin Records, Cheapo’s, End of an Ear, Musicmania, Out of the Past, Piranha Records, Snake Eyes Vinyl and Waterloo Records.

Waterloo Records has a huge list of various exclusive vinyl offerings they will have for Record Store Day. Some of the highlights include:
Ben Harper - 10″ Shimmer and Shine / Spanish Red Wine
Cold War Kids - Live at Fingerprints
Dead Weather - Hang You From the Heavens 7″
Def Jam 25: Volume 1 and 2 - 4
Green Day - Dookie
Jane’s Addiction - 7″ Mountain Song / Standing in the Shower…Thinking
Jane’s Addiction - Nothing Shocking
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De La Habitual
MC 5 - 7″ Kick Out The Jams /Motor City Is Burning
Silversun Pickups - Pikul 12″
Sublime - Superstar Punani / April 29, 1992

For more information on Record Store Day, including a list of participating stores in your area, visit their website.

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…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead have posted the third installment in their studio diary. Narrated by frontman Conrad Keely, the diary gives us a peek into the world of these musicians in the midst of their creative process.

This installment documents the band’s frustrations with the recording process, including some harsh words for producer Mike McCarthy who seems to have rubbed Keely the wrong way. Luckily for those of us who are fans, the band and McCarthy managed to stick it out long enough to finish Century of Self. Though any future work together seems unlikely.

The video also features some cool shots of Keely and Jason Reece clowning around in the studio. Check it out above and let us know what you think.

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Last Friday, local hardcore legends Rubberhed reunited for the first time in at least three years. Some estimates say it’d been nearly five years since their last show, regardless of that, the gigantic crowd at Red Eyed Fly all seemed to be in agreement that it’d been far too long.

Rubberhed, along with Firekills (also freshly reunited), Driver F and Zlam Dunk played to a packed house  to benefit Christine Constante, the sister of Rubberhed’s DJ Shaw, who is battling cancer. If any readers would like to contribute to the cause, please email ana.wolken@b5media.com for further details.

Read on after the jump for a full review of the show as well as impressive live shots from Phive Photography.

Zlam Dunk kicked things off with an always impressive set that never fails to get the kids jumping and dancing. In the handful of times that I’ve seen Zlam Dunk perform, I’d never heard them do a cover before, but I was pleasantly surprised with their choice of The Cure’s Just Like Heaven. Zlam Dunk is a generally happy, high-energy band and though The Cure isn’t an obvious choice for such an effusive band, Zlam Dunk covered the song well.

Driver F and Zlam Dunk always pair well together, so it was no surprise when random members of Zlam Dunk jumped on stage to participate in Driver F’s set.  The two bands seem to genuinely enjoy each others music and it was great to see that translate into their performances.

Though this reunion was purportedly the band’s last show ever, Firekills certainly didn’t phone it in on Saturday night. The band blazed through all the hits fans came to love during the band’s relatively brief career and pulled off a great performance in support of Rubberhed. The two bands came up around the same time in the Austin music scene and it was a real treat to see the two of them on the same night at such an intimate venue.

Rubberhed absolutely blew the roof off The Red Eyed Fly, much to the enjoyment of the legions of fans who’ve been missing them since the band parted ways. Mike Truth is a truly incredible frontman, projecting intensity like only a seasoned veteran can. Their set left me remembering the good old says when Rubberhed was still playing out regularly and wishing that they’d get back together. Mike Truth’s signature on-stage flip could use the practice. Rubberhed always seemed to me to be a band ahead of their time and I honestly feel that if they reunited and began touring again that they’d take off like never before. It was that good.

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Our friend at ‘Nites have another fantastic installment posted, this time paying tribute to local art rock heroes …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead.

The live video was shot at Red 7 on December 13th, 2008 and features Trail of Dead being introduced by none other than Jesus Christ himself. You can also hear the band perform some deep cuts from their catalog, including Ounce of Prevention, Another Morning Stoner, and Will You Smile Again?

How many of you were actually in attendance at this show? Do you think Trail of Dead still has it?

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