If you want a glimpse into a person’s psyche, just see what they listen to when they’re driving at night. A car is one of the most intimate places to enjoy music: it’s a judgment-free zone, where volume control and so-called “coolness” cease to matter. From pulsing electronica to brooding emo, everybody has their own go-to playlist for those nighttime drives — because some songs just sound better when the sun goes down.

The transition from hometown hero to authorized Austinite doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s a list to walk you through the steps of your transition.

ORANGE writer Brianna Holt shares five unexpected local spots you can take your pups.

Austin Music Hall held numerous shows for Austin Fashion Week over the course of the past week and a half, including ‘Discover’ which showcased work from designers outside of the Austin area. 

Texas Independence Fest took up residency at the Empire Control Room & Garage this weekend, boasting an impressive lineup of metal bands that ran the gamut from thrash legends Death Angel to modern deathcore forerunners like Oceano and Whitechapel. 

While some students left the country for spring break last week, plenty of others stayed to volunteer or enjoy free events during the annual South by Southwest conference in downtown Austin. From film world premieres with big name actors like Amy Schumer and Ryan Gosling, to official and unofficial SXSW live music performances by Wiz Khalifa and Miley Cyrus, this year’s festival was swimming with celebrities. Throughout the week, ORANGE Magazine staff found themselves surrounded by stars and couldn’t help but run into — or hunt down — these famous folks.

As broke college students, it seems there are never enough funds for the endless concerts we want to attend in Austin. But for those who live for shows and have a barren bank account to prove it, there may be hope for your wallet.

Whether you are trying to get into every free show, or wondering what place has the best/cheapest eats, ORANGE editors will be on top of all the SXSW happenings. Check out our editors’ twitters as we keep you posted on our best and worst SXSW shenanigans.

When you first hear the word vampire, the chilling Count Dracula may appear in your head. Or perhaps you are thinking of a more sensitive or lustful vampire like those of “Twilight” and “True Blood.” But vampires are more than characters in a book or on screen. Little do many know that vampires roam the streets of Austin, living normal lives, working normal jobs and raising families.

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.”

With recent hits like “The Fault in Our Stars” and “The Hunger Games,” more and more bestselling novels are being adapted into films. 

But, as everyone knows, the book is always better than the movie, so here are five books you should read before they hit the big screen next year.

As soon as Halloween turns its back, Christmas strikes. Retailers replace the skeletons with wreaths and the orange and black banners with red and green ones. On the radio, “Jingle Bell Rock” and “White Christmas” play, while families roast marshmallows and drink skinny eggnog lattes. Somewhere, somehow, in this turning of the commercialized seasons, Thanksgiving is forgotten.