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Online news & entertainment magazine at UT Austin

BurntXOrange

Online news & entertainment magazine at UT Austin

BurntXOrange

Online news & entertainment magazine at UT Austin

BurntXOrange

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5-1-Tunes: MODAL

December 1, 2014

With the music scene in Austin growing exponentially, there is a new band rising to the top almost every month. To make a mark in the overflow of talent, a group has to be capable of bringing a new dynamic to the table. Combining the smooth sound of jazz with the head-nodding rhythms of hip-hop, MODAL is a potential poster-child for innovative music in the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

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ORANGE Music Roundup: Favorite Music Videos

December 1, 2014

Remember when MTV actually stood for “Music Television”? No? Well, the ORANGE Music staff does, and we’re still bitter about the change. At a ripe average age of just 20, we might be dating ourselves this week, but we consider these music videos game-changers in a field that is rapidly becoming a dying art.

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ORANGE Music’s Best Overlooked Artists

November 24, 2014

Fame is fickle. Often the ones who are most worthy of the spotlight will go through their careers without ever reaching it. For some reason or another, these artists have yet to be embraced by the mainstream on the scale that we think they deserve. But at least we know they’re great, and our fingers are crossed.

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ORANGE Music’s Favorite Guilty Listening Pleasures

November 17, 2014

One of the prerequisites for being a music writer is believing in your own impeccable taste. If we have the potential to influence the public’s perception and consumption of new music, we have to like stuff that doesn’t suck. Still, we’re only human, and we all deserve a few get-out-of-jail-free cards. We can hold on to our favorite guilty pleasures without owing anybody an explanation. It could be worse. It could be Nickelback. 

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Music Staff Selects: Best Movie Soundtracks

November 10, 2014

A proper movie-watching experience goes far beyond the visual appeal. A good soundtrack heightens the viewer’s enjoyment and understanding of the film, articulating the emotional impact of a scene when words might fail. Our favorite soundtracks do just that. They elevate their respective movies from mere entertainment to true art.

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Music Staff Selects: Best Music Collaborations

November 3, 2014

Not all great things go well together. Think peanut butter and Sriracha. But sometimes two things blend so beautifully that it's nearly impossible to remember life before the combination. Musical collaborations are no different, and we've compiled a list of artist fusions that are so seamlessly brilliant, they outshine the individuals. They're the peanut butter and chocolate of collaborations, if you will.

“Time is Illmatic” – The Story of a Hip-hop Legend

October 26, 2014

In times of crisis, people cling to the things they love in order to survive. Having a passion is like having a heartbeat — it can be the difference between life and death. When Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas, first picked up an instrument at age 4, it was the beginning of a musical career that would reshape the face of hip-hop.

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Music Staff Selects: What is Your Most “Austin” Moment?

October 19, 2014

This is an enchanted place. No, I don’t mean really cool or fun or eclectic - it’s literally enchanted. Things happen here that don’t happen in the real world. Each member of the ORANGE Music Staff has experienced that pivotal moment that changed their lives forever. It’s a blessing and a curse, really. No matter how mind-bogglingly awesome our celebrity run-ins or community festival experiences may have been, we are now forever spoiled, fully aware of the depressing fact that no other city will ever match the serendipitous beauty of Austin.

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Welcome to the Show: The Best Small Venues in Austin

October 13, 2014

From punk to hip-hop, Austin has something for every type of music fan on any given night. Where the show takes place is almost as important as the performance itself. A venue’s ambiance can make or break a live music experience. The ORANGE Music Staff encourages all live music enthusiasts to find the venue that best resonates with them.

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Protecting a Culture: Nritya Sangam

October 5, 2014

Children of immigrants are torn between two worlds, constantly seeking a middle ground to call home. They face the challenge of learning to fit in with their environment, while simultaneously upholding the culture of their ancestors. For the women of Nritya Sangam, the only traditional Indian dance troupe at the University of Texas at Austin, every day is a celebration of the past they refuse to let die.

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ORANGE Has Got You Covered: Our Favorite Song Renditions

September 28, 2014

Cover songs: one of the trickiest balancing acts in music. Artists face the tremendous pressure of putting their own stamp on a time-honored classic, while still paying homage to the original. Add extreme skepticism from purists to the mix, and it seems like a no-win situation for musicians simply trying to wear their influences on their sleeves. Still, against all odds, these artists’ renditions manage to not just make the cut, but even surpass the original versions in the eyes of the ORANGE music staff.