As soon as the 2010 Austin City Limits lineup was announced, the blogosphere erupted with gripes about how weak the roster is this year. The Atlantic — one of the most respected literary and cultural magazines in the country — ripped on the Eagles as a headliner in particular in its online coverage. Even CultureMap columnist Caroline Gallay complained.

Are these haters and I even looking at the same list of talent?

Sure, the Eagles are an irrelevant nostalgia act that hasn't released a decent record since Jimmy Carter was president (and even that's debatable). And granted, Phish and Muse aren't the most cutting-edge choices for headliners, but then again, headliners are meant to attract a wide and diverse audience.

They're merely a lure to get people who might otherwise not be too adventurous with their music choices to gain exposure to some lesser-known artists. Once you get past the first three acts listed at the top of the ACL lineup page, you'll find (according to my latest count) at least 30 reasons why you should dole out the cash for this year's festival.

Here are 10 of them (moving down the ACL roster from biggest to smallest typeface), with audio accompaniment:

The Strokes

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."12:51"

There was no way the Strokes could live up to the hype of its electrifying 2001 debut, but relative to other releases at the time, the band's two follow-ups still shine brightly. Now that the swaggering hipsters have had time to mature and mellow, they're ripe for a comeback.

It's been four years since the last Strokes' record and the core members have been keeping themselves busy with some first-rate side projects, most notably the recent solo album by frontman Julian Casablancas and the breezy Samba-flavored pop by Fab Moretti's Little Joy. Expect a rousing return to form from the 21st century's first rock saviors.

LCD Soundsystem

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Home"

James Murphy not only creates some of the sickest dance music on the planet with LCD Soundsystem, he's also a visionary arbiter of cool as the founder of the taste-making DFA records. The band's hip disco jams will sound great under Austin's evening sky.

Band of Horses

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Laredo"

The expansive, anthemic songs of Band of Horses are tailor made for a festival setting. I caught them at a small club on 6th Street prior to their 2008 ACL appearance and the band's live show is as heartwarming and grand as its records. This is Texas-sized music drenched in sweeping guitars, reverb-laden vocals, sing-along choruses and just the right touch of alt-country lilt.

Monsters of Folk

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."His Master's Voice"

The debut album by the super group featuring Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), M. Ward (She & Him) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket) was a triumph, the indie-rock equivalent of the Traveling Wilburys' "Vol. 1." Seeing the quartet on the same stage trading instruments and swapping songs is sure to be a highlight of the weekend.

Sonic Youth

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)"

Unlike many bands their age, nobody can accuse the noise-rock legends in Sonic Youth of being irrelevant. The Aughts have found Thurston, Kim, Lee and Steve churning out some of their most compelling music, including the sublime avant-leaning "Sonic Nurse" (2004) and the hard-rocking "The Eternal" (2009). These 50-somethings can teach the younger bands a thing or two about unyielding experimentalism and outright bad-assness.

Broken Bells

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."The Waiting Game"

The pairing of indie rocker James Mercer of the Shins and studio whiz Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley might seem like an odd combination, but it produced remarkable results with the debut Broken Bells album released this past spring. The duo crafted an infectious pop records that shimmers with Mercer's bittersweet melodies and Danger Mouse's highly inventive arrangements.

The xx

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Night Time"

One of the year's most promising newcomers, the xx has wowed music fans with its simple approach to music. Featuring laid back vocals delivered in a hushed sigh, deliberately picked electric guitar lines that snake around the rhythm, and slinky and soulful dubstep beats, the English quartet proves that you can make quite a racket without raising your voice. Quiet is the new loud.

Richard Thompson

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Guns Are the Tongues"

Richard Thompson's skill as an electric guitarist easily rivals that of his much more famous peers such as Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, and Eric Clapton. Given that he's also an equally accomplished singer and songwriter makes him a triple threat that few in rock music can match.

He's been consistently releasing world-class albums for over 40 years with Fairport Convention, as a duo with ex-wife Linda Thompson, and most prolifically as a solo artist. Remarkably, he's only gotten stronger with age, his voice richer and his guitar playing even more inventive.

The Very Best

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Nsokoto"

While fellow global alchemists and collaborators M.I.A. and Vampire Weekend get higher billing, for this writer it's the Very Best who wins out as one of the festival's most anticipated appearances. A trio boasting members from France, Sweden and Malawi, the Very Best offer up a positively gleeful musical stew that marries the African sounds of marabi, highlife, and kwaito with electronica, hip-hop, indie rock and pop.

You'll be hard pressed to find a more euphoric listening experience than the trio's aptly titled "Warm Heart of Africa."

Kings Go Forth

Adobe Flash Required for flash player."Now Go Forth"

Although this intergenerational 10-piece soul band from Milwaukee takes its cues from '70s-era Curtis Mayfield, there's still plenty of original ideas overflowing from Kings Go Forth's groove-heavy debut "The Outsiders Are Back." Propulsive horns, funky backbeats, and jazzy guitar licks collide with lead singer Black Wolf's high-flying vocals to create a dance record ideal for getting down in the afternoon sun at Zilker Park.