Another ACL has come and gone and I’m still standing – no small victory. From working with artists to writing about them, I’ve been involved in ACL every year for a long time. It’s been good to me too. One of my earliest music memories remains attending the festival with my dad when I was 10 (2003), and being amazed by David Garza’s songs and energy.

Hard to imagine politicians tuning out the news with their iPods, but both Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama have been forthright about their musical tastes. We’ll leave debate analysis to the pros, but we’ve translated songs associated with the candidates into what that says about their foreign policy, women’s rights, and campaign tactics.

Time to retire my boot of Led Zeppelin's 2007 reunion concert in London. Tonight, in select area theaters, the film arrives for an evening. Venues, set list, and clips follow, with the DVD/CD arriving Nov. 19, and the band receiving Kennedy Center Honors Dec. 2.

I’ve been to all 11 Austin City Limits Music Festivals. This year’s falls into the middle of the pack in terms of excitement and interest. Discovered a couple of fab new acts, was disappointed I couldn’t get close to a couple I wanted to see, and Neil Young with Crazy Horse wailed through their way one of the festival's most memorable sets.

“I thoroughly like the Ugly Beats because they have the Sixties sound dialed in precisely. They're one of the tightest bands I've ever seen, and they're all down-to-earth musicians.” So raves the singer of Sixties Texas garage rock heroes Zakary Thaks, Chris Gerniottis, who's playing with the Ugly Beats and Eve & the Exiles Saturday at the Continental.

One of the first songs I learned to play on guitar was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's “Teach Your Children,” a song as relevant now as it was upon its release in 1970.

I'll be posting pics from the pit throughout the day. Keep checking back for updates, and go to our photo gallery page for lots more photos. Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3

I'll be posting pics from the pit throughout the day. Keep checking back for updates, and go to our photo gallery page for lots more photos. Click here for Friday's pictures and here for Friday Live Shots. Day 1 || Day 2

YouTube finally hijacked the pop charts in 2012. Karmin landed on the cover of Rolling Stone. Carly Rae Jepsen landed a no. 1 single. Lana Del Rey catapulted straight to Saturday Night Live. And South Korean rapper Psy got everyone with an Internet connection and a decent sense of humor going “Gangnam Style.”