Call it “The Great South By Southwest Paradox.” A festival initially founded to shed light on local artists has slowly become overrun with superstars and big-budget sponsors. Its current form is unrecognizable from its humble beginnings. It was bound to happen, but don’t let that dissuade you from taking a chance on some of this city’s finest homegrown talent. Sometimes it pays to skip the three-hour lines, stop refreshing Drake’s Twitter and mosey into the charming dive bar you’ve been meaning to go to. You might find that your new favorite artist comes from your own city.
In the post-“Uptown Funk” world we’re living in, big brass and a Morris Day attitude are all the rage. And “Ain’t Nothin’ Fancy,” the latest effort from local band ROXY ROCA, fits the bill quite nicely.
Troy, Ohio’s metalcore quintet Miss May I's version of “growing up” involves support slots on high-profile European metal tours, massive festival gigs in both America and Japan and an album that was just one spot shy of cracking the Billboard Top 20 last year.
It’s not every day that someone comes across a 494-year-old werewolf that plays violin, but with South By Southwest just around the corner, don’t be surprised when the Violin Monster takes over the streets of Austin — with or without a full moon.
Sometimes, you just need to get away. That’s especially true if you live in Austin during spring break, and everybody else’s idea of a getaway is to flock to the already-congested city you call home. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to get your music fix outside city limits. Check out this list of Spring Festivals by the ORANGE Music staff and hit the road with a friend, a 12-pack and a killer Spotify playlist.
Ten years ago, the members of Driver Friendly would listen to Motion City Soundtrack’s “Commit This to Memory” on repeat. Little did they know they would wind up opening for the band on the album’s 10-year anniversary tour.
No strangers to huge sounds and eclectic shows, Austin natives Quiet Company deliver the perfect blend of angst-ridden vocals, pounding drums and distorted guitar work on their fourth album “Transgressor.”
KUTX put on its annual Map Jam Fest this past Saturday. ORANGE's Music Staff captured the excitement while indulging in the local live music hosted around East Austin.
With their colorful blend of carefree pop and driving guitar riffs, California natives Echosmith wowed a sold-out crowd at Emo’s on Feb. 15 during their U.S. tour.
Big Bill wants you to take a walk on the wild side. With their manic brand of “cartoon punk” and a mission to make even the biggest introvert cut loose, the band continues to win over new fans who they lovingly refer to as “Bill-ions.”
Now that the Grammys are over, it's time to stop worrying about last year's music and focus on what's to come in 2015. If the last two months are an indicator of what's to come, then it should be a great year. We've already got our eyes set on a handful of upcoming releases.
In an era dominated by digital downloads and music streaming services, the local record shop has gone the way of 8-tracks, flip phones and Atari game systems. But one local entrepreneur is bucking the industry trends by bringing a new record store to Austin.
