Pearl Jam, DMB, Beastie Boys Headline Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits has announced the line-up for their eighth annual shindig in, you guessed it, Austin, TX. And the headliners are (you guessed it): Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and the Beastie Boys. If you're feeling deja vu, we're with you on that one -- San Francisco's Outside Lands recently announced those exact three headliners. Additionally, the Beastie Boys are headed to this year's Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza (while Pearl Jam has anchored both of those in the recent past).

What separates all of these festivals are the mid-level bands and that's where ACL stays true to its beginnings as an outgrowth from the PBS television series of the same name. In addition to the ubiquitous festival heavy-hitters -- Thievery Corp., Michael Franti and Spearhead, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Sound Tribe Sector Nine (STS9) -- ACL boasts more than 100 "other" bands, including non-commercial radio favorites such as Medeski, Martin and Wood, Andrew Bird, the Avett Brothers, DeVotchKa and Dr. Dog. Singer-songwriters are again in full force, and this time include Bon Iver, Brett Dennen, Todd Snider and John Vanderslice. Local favorites Ghostland Observatory return, alongside first timers Dead Weather (Jack White's latest) and John Legend. Other acts of particular note: the Levon Helm Band, the B-52's, Lily Allen, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys and Sonic Youth.

This year's ACL returns to Zilker Park on the new dates of October 2-4, just long enough after the end of festival season to lure hipsters, hippies and snowbirds to the Lone Star State.