SNL Music Acts
 

They have really amassed an impressive portfolio of up and comers over the past couple years.

Foster the People
Sleigh Bells
Fun
Frank Ocean
Mumford and Sons

And that's not counting great performances by established artists.

Never heard of Alabama Shakes before and it was like a religious experience. Mix up Tracy Chapman, Janis Joplin The Band and Prince. I sat and watched it 4 times. Went online and bought the album.

They (Alabama Shakes) were on another show (Jimmy Fallon, IIRC) a year or so ago. I really liked them then as well.

Not music acts, but man that was an epic weekend update. The Rubio, Olya, and Steven A. bits all killed.

Internet Validation

"And that sound you hear on Twitter is Alabama Shakes becoming everyone's new favorite band."

too bad the sound mix usually sucks on SNL

I'm very proud of the Alabama Shakes. SUCH a good live band (I hated the production on their debut album; they should have just put out a live album). They were just a band that regularly played my neighborhood bar in Tuscaloosa just as recently as October of 2010. I've seen them play live probably in excess of 20 times.

They blew up because of NPR's chief music critic, Ann Powers, who lives in Tuscaloosa (her husband is a music/American studies professor at UA), as well as landing a song on a Zales diamond commercial. Obviously, I don't get to see them play nearly as much since they're touring the whole damn earth at this point.

Remember Will Ferril playing cowbell with QoTsa?haha

I don''t always have a reference point, but I have been sold on more new bands through anything other than NPR and AVClub lists through SNL performances.

What are thoughts on the Regine bit?

Reviews are DECIDEDLY mixed on the the innertubes, but I laughed my ass off.

If you all paid attention to the "what are you listening to" thread, you'd have known about the Alabama Shakes like 2 years ago.

The performance of Bon Iver was spellbinding, I thought.

Though it was panned, even by SNL themselves, for being dull.

They've opened my eyes to so many acts i've come to really love over the years... Coldplay, Muse, Alabama Shakes, Frank Ocean just to name a few.

yup. I don't get much time to listen to music anymore, but I like listening to turntable.fm. Really opens you up to all kinds of new acts.

They were great last night. I have worn myself out on "Hold On," but that song was AMAZING live.

No 'too fat' remarks? ;)