Vibes are incredibly important. When I go to events, I like to take everything in and base my assessment off of the entire experience. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend Weird City Hip-Hop Festival, Austin’s first-ever hip-hop fest, for one night. Still, that one night showed me what Austin hip-hop is all about.
We get it. There are a million-and-one places to buy records and other assorted music memorabilia in Austin. But in a city that thrives off of music consumption and appeals to an enormously diverse demographic of listeners, finding a store tailored to one’s taste is easier said than done. To take the stress out of finding the right place to shop and put the emphasis back on the joy of adding a new item to the collection, the ORANGE music staff gives its picks for the top music stores in Austin.
While festivals are known primarily as a way to catch some of the world's top musicians within the span of a couple of days, they’re also a great place for scoping out the hottest bands on the rise. If you’ve got time to kill at Austin City Limits before all of your favorite headliners play, here are a few gems that have gotten missed in the fine print on the lineup schedule.
Dancers painting themselves to the beat of live music. A life-sized Pabst Blue Ribbon can ring-toss. A rapturous audience, filled with crowd-surfers and mosh pits. Foam noodles everywhere. Local creative collective Raw Paw did not disappoint at its “New Magic” event at the Scoot Inn on Sept. 5.
In singer-songwriter Jackie Castro’s family, music is a staple of life. Her older brothers, Jason and Michael Castro, have both competed in American Idol — Jason placed fourth in Season 7 and Michael was a Season 8 contestant. Jackie’s father, as well as his eight siblings, all play guitar and sing. Jackie plays a little guitar, piano and ukulele, and each of her original songs and covers on her YouTube channel boasts thousands of views. “There is always music in my house,” Jackie says.
Somewhere within Austin’s ever-emerging hip-hop scene, Megz Kelli and Chris “Dougie Do” Beale have created their own space as Magna Carda, melting the lines between local R&B and rap to create something all their own. Their latest project, Van Geaux,boasts a polished, yet underground feel, focused on establishing their own identity rather than trying to mimic those at the roots of hip-hop. The laid-back charisma between the two cool kids resonates clearly on each track, with Kelli’s rhythmic, stop-on-a-dime flow and Beale’s instrumental flourishes making the perfect bedmates.
