This Is Texas Music is now an official industry member of the Americana Music Association, home to the Americana Music Conference and the Americana Music Chart.

I'd love to go to the AMA's 7th annual conference. In fact, fellow new member Austin Collins and I were just the other day bandying about the idea of trying to plan a roadtrip. But with it falling just days after ACL Fest that's highly unlikely. If only there was unlimited time off from work and unlimited funds…

Clifford Antone, a legendary figure in Austin's music community, died today from apparent natural causes. A free memorial concert is set for tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Antone's.

Last night was near perfect for an outdoor concert. A little warm, sure, but occasional spring breezes helped make Stubb's tolerable. And with great music from Micky & the Motorcars and Cross Canadian Ragweed, all was set for a perfect evening out on the town — until the cell-phone-toting, yak-yak-yakking crowd helped drive us away.

With a sitter taking care of the kids, my wife and I lingered over dinner at the fabulous Iron Cactus and unfortunately missed the start of Micky & the Motorcars' opening set. But what we did see was very impressive. Micky's and Gary's vocals were sharp and more impassioned than on their new disc, Careless. I look forward to seeing Micky & the Motorcars again, hopefully in a headlining role.

After a quick set change, Cross Canadian Ragweed emerged with bassist Jeremy Plato, guitarist Grady Cross, and drummer Randy Ragsdale sporting fresh mohawks (lead Cody Canada's flowing locks remain firmly attached). And Plato, who had the spikiest 'do, kicked the rock'n'roll attitude up a notch with an "I ♥ the Whores" t-shirt. The band played tight and loud, just as it should. And while Canada begged forgiveness for a voice supposedly weakened by late-night jam sessions with Stoney LaRue and Micky & the Motorcars, his vocals were generally on the mark and showed few signs of excessive songswapping.

So the music was most enjoyable, but the crowd much less so. I'm only 30, which is admittedly ancient compared to the bulk of last night's audience (and most audiences for Texas/Red Dirt music shows). But I left feeling like a grumpy old fogey just fed up with the "kids."

Throughout both sets, patrons all around us ignored the action on stage while attempting cell phone conversations and text-messaging sessions. (If you have to use your non-phone-holding hand to plug your ear and then shout into the phone that you still can't hear, then it's probably not the best time for a phone chat.) We tired too of the cigarettes drunkenly waved inches from our faces and the security guards regularly dashing into the crowd to nab underage drinkers.

So nearing the two-hour mark of Ragweed's set, we left for home. We were fed up, our feet were hurting from standing, and my wife's back was beginning to ache. And while it has good sound, Stubb's admittedly isn't one of our favorite venues — one gets spoiled by all the great listening rooms with comfortable (or at least tolerable) seating.

My god, how old and cranky are we?

The ACL Fest lineup is now official:

• Aimee Mann
• Alexi Murdoch
• Anathallo
• The Anointed Voicez
• Asheba
• Asleep at the Wheel
• Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
• Ben Kweller
• Benevento Russo Duo
• Beto and the Fairlanes
• The Biscuit Brothers
• The Black Angels
• BoDeans
• Brazilian Girls
• Buckwheat Zydeco
• Calexico
• Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band
• Centro-matic
• Charlie Sexton
• Claire Small
• Damian Marley
• Damien Rice
• Daniella Cotton
• Deadboy & The Elephantmen
• Del Castillo
• Donavon Frankenreiter
• The Durdens
• Eli Young Band
• Elvis Perkins
• Explosions in the Sky
• Federico Aubele
• Feist
• Fields
• The Flaming Lips
• G. Love & Special Sauce
• Galactic
• Ghandaia
• Gnarls Barkely
• Goldfrapp
• Gomez
• The Gospel Silvertones
• The Greencards
• Greyhounds
• Guster
• Guy Clark
• Husky Rescue
• I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness?
• Ian McLagan and The Bump Band
• Imagination Movers
• Iron & Wine
• Jack Ingram
• Jimmie Dale Gilmore
• Joe McDermott and the Smart Little Creatures
• John Mayer
• The Jones Family Singers
• Jose Gonzalez
• Joy Davis
• Kasey Chambers
• Kathleen Edwards
• Kings of Leon
• KT Tunstall
• The Long Winters
• Los Amigos Invisibles
• Los Lonely Boys
• Lou Ann Barton
• Marah
• Massive Attack
• Matisyahu
• Matt Costa
• Matt Nathanson
• Melissa Reaves
• Murder by Death
• Nada Surf
• New Monsoon
• The New Orleans Social Club
• The New Pornographers
• The New Soul Invaders
• Nickel Creek
• Okkervil River
• Oliver Mtukudzi & Black Spirits
• The Palm Elementary School Choir
• Paolo Nutini
• Patrice Pike
• Peter Dawson
• Phoenix
• Pierre Guimard
• The Raconteurs
• Randy Rogers Band
• Ray Lamontagne
• Robyn Ludwick
• The Rocket Summer
• Rocky Votolato
• Rodney Hayden
• Sam Roberts
• Sara Hickman
• The Secret Machines
• The Shins
• Son Volt
• South Austin Jug Band
• Sparklehorse
• Sparta
• Star Kids Yoga
• Stars
• Sterling Lands and The Warrior Gospel Band
• The Stills
• String Cheese Incident
• The Subdudes
• Sylvia St. James and The Gospel Stars
• Ted Leo/Pharmacists
• Terri Hendrix
• Thievery Corporation
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• The Tragically Hip
• Trish Murphy
• Troy Campbell Band
• Van Morrison
• Ween
• What Made Milwaukee Famous
• The White Ghost Shivers
• Willie Nelson
• Wolf Parade

With an official announcement set for Thursday, the rumor mill regarding the ACL Fest lineup has just about run its course. But for those who just can't wait, Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer offered a supposed sneak peek at the lineup this afternoon:

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Massive Attack, String Cheese Incident, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, the Flaming Lips, Jose Gonzales, John Mayer, the Raconteurs, the Shins, Ween, Los Lonely Boys, Gnarls Barkley, Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band, Secret Machines, Gomez, Kathleen Edwards, Wolf Parade, Jack Ingram, Sparklehorse, Thievery Corporation, Ben Kweller, G. Love and Special Sauce, Matisyahu, Damien Rice, Kings of Leon, Iron & Wine, Kasey Chambers, Aimee Mann, Nickel Creek, Damian Marley, Calexico, the New Pornographers, Son Volt, Guster, Galactic, KT Tunstall, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Centro-matic, Marah, Nada Surf, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness…, Okkervil River, the Black Angels, Explosions in the Sky, Sara Hickman, Trish Murphy, Asleep at the Wheel and about 50 others acts (among them the South Austin Jug Band and the Palm Elementary School Choir)
 
Read Wilonsky's full post

Brandon Rhyder kicked off his second month of Mondays at Antone's last night. After a bout with the flu kept us away in April, some friends and I finally got the chance to catch the weekly acoustic songswap.

After the opening pairing of Paul Eason and Rich O'Toole, Rhyder took the stage with Drew Womack and Ryan Turner. While both guests were good, their host showed why he is on the verge of greatness.

Rhyder possesses a commanding on-stage presence absent in so many solo acoustic performances. And that gorgeous tenor with just a touch of tremolo is simply captivating in person.

The weekly songswaps continue through at least May. Upcoming guests include Bleu Edmondson, Fred Andrews, Jason Boland, and Stoney LaRue.

Doors are at 7:30, with openers at 9 and Rhyder and friends at 10.

Saint Arnold's supports Texas music through beer donations to Waterloo in-stores and other events. With a few thousand dollars to spare, you can now help support Saint Arnold's.

The Houston-based brewery is auctioning the naming rights to one of its new fermenters:

Here are the specifics: the tank will be named St. [you fill in this blank]. It cannot be a company name and cannot cause offense. Other than that, the sky is the limit. It also cannot duplicate any of our existing tank names (so if your name is Adrian, Brigid, Columbanus, Dorothy, Edmund, Florian, Gall, Gonzo, Hildegard, Idesbald, Jacobus, Lawrence, Matthew, Nicholas, Patrick or Sambomeister, we apologize).

Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos is hosting the new Hill Country Mess Around next weekend, May 12-14.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, Adam Carroll, Sorta, James McMurtry, the Weary Boys, and Billy Joe Shaver are among the artists scheduled to appear. And of course there's a Guadalupe River float planned as well.

Tickets are $20 for Friday or Sunday, $30 for Saturday, or $60 for the whole weekend. For schedule details and more, check out the event on MySpace.