Art-pop, folk-rock, dance-punk: Texas has it all and more, and these acts are bringing them to the ACL Fest stage across two weekends. From onetime Austinite singer-songwriter Jess Williamson to Abilene-launched rockers Dexter & the Moonrocks and plenty of present-day locals in between, be sure to add these Lone Star musicians to your festival itinerary.
Almost Heaven
Friday (Weekend Two only), 12:45pm, Tito’s stage
As Venus emerged in a raft of sea foam, so Almost Heaven appeared on the Austin scene, in something like a puff of cigarette smoke. With an indie sleaze attitude and an ostentatious streak of rock club antics, twopiece Stefan Barraza and Jaelyn Valero keep heads turning with high-octane performances and a considered Y2K aesthetic. Their debut EP, RAW CRANIUM, is a manifesto of strobe-friendly alt-rock and strut-ready production that evokes Aughts dance floors and punk show afterparties. Their crowd-engaging prowess is no match for this afternoon set time; I suggest arriving ready to jump like it’s after midnight. – Caroline Drew
Dexter & the Moonrocks
Sunday (Weekend One only), 2:45pm, American Express stage
What do you get when the Texan Zoomers raised on Foo Fighters grow up to make music of their own? Western Space Grunge, obviously. Raised in rural Throckmorton, some 70 miles northeast of Abilene, brothers Ryan and Ty Anderson, along with cousin James Tuffs and online ad respondent Ryan Fox, synthesize post-grunge sincerity with folk rock acoustics and the occasional country drawl. 2021 debut single “Couch” blew up on TikTok thanks to Tuffs’ sweet-but-gnarled vocals and soft-picked melodies, while recent quiet-loud rockers “Freakin’ Out” and “If You Could Talk” present dynamic-shifting rock & roll for a new generation of Deftones devotees. – Carys Anderson
Elijah Delgado
Friday (Weekend One only), 2pm, Snapchat stage
Twenty-three’s about the right time to learn it: Wherever You Go, There You Are. With acoustic introspection and beachy grooves, young songwriter Elijah Delgado alchemizes first loves and coming-of-age restlessness into indie-pop songcraft on his June EP. A delicate wistfulness recalls Grizzly Bear – or maybe the War on Drugs – on “Talk,” before the quiet opener builds to Arcade Fire bombast. Buoyant follow-up “Wayside,” meanwhile, hearkens Austin’s own Dayglow with its dreamy, lightly psychedelic melodies. Hard lessons go down easy in this local’s hands. – Carys Anderson
Jess Williamson
Sunday (Weekend One only), 2pm, Miller Lite stage
Texas is a state that’s hard to leave, as Ella Langley’s pop-country hit “Choosin’ Texas” made clear to the world this year. It’s wisdom Jess Williamson already knew well. The Dallas-raised singer-songwriter decamped to Los Angeles from Austin 10 years ago and nearly said “Goodbye to All That,” but now splits time between the City of Angels and an off-grid cabin outside of Marfa. On the singles previewing her upcoming record A Mile South of Heaven, Williamson is tugged between these opposing locales, dissecting cravings for perfection, liminal loneliness, and the struggle for inner peace with signature thoughtfulness. – Caroline Drew
lluvii
Saturday (Weekend Two only), 2pm, Beatbox stage
Dreamy, dancey, a little dizzy – Austin art-pop project lluvii (pronounced You-Vee) expertly blends Latin grooves, jazzy cadences, bedroom pop softness, and psychedelic layering into a woozy, beachy concoction all their own. The fusion result is infectious on any stage, as the neo-soul collective has proved in every corner of the city. 2025 single “Rat Race” is a fluid, melodic voyage into R&B rhythms, noisy, distorted breakdowns, and boisterous crowd vocals that make you want to sing along, while its pair, “Domingo,” captures the band’s pastel-hued, sneakily danceable side. – Caroline Drew
Montclair
Saturday (Weekend Two only), 12:45pm, Tito’s stage
The best indie-pop hinges on a tension between upbeat, almost joyfully sunny melodies and the existential drama of heartbreak and confusion bubbling through the lyrics. Montclair lives in that swirling limerence. The Austin quartet’s 2025 debut, Heart Is Alive!, captures a youthful want and grasping for meaning salved in heartfelt harmonies and jazzy pop touches. The effect is one of swooning, hazy summer daydreams rife with longing and a catharsis of connection. New single “Hey Victoria” keeps the theme, weaving a lonely but hopeful morning voicemail atop a soft, ephemeral soundscape. – Doug Freeman
The 4411
Friday (Weekend One only), 12:45pm, Tito’s stage
Folk-inspired indie rock quartet the 4411 have cultivated a local Austin fanbase around their relatable songwriting and energetic live performances. Their June EP, Haven’t Seen You in So Long, contains sweetly melodic campfire sing-alongs like the banjo-infused “Sweet July” and edgier Aughts-rock-inflected snarling tracks like “Oak Trees,” all buoyed by raw, youthful zeal cut with the growing pains of heartbreak and early-onset nostalgia. Named after their drummer’s parents’ address, the group’s friendship and shared musical inspirations are evident in their tender lyricism and guitar-forward sound, drawing from classic rock and more recent heroes like Hozier and the Strokes. – Caroline Drew
This article appears in October 2 • 2026.
