Austin rockers Thieves are breaking all the rules. Whether they’re redrawing the boundaries of pop punk, or crawling across abandoned train tracks on government property in the dead of night while touring through Alabama, it’s clear that Thieves is well-positioned to steal the hearts and minds of everyone they encounter in 2015 and beyond.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you threw a Halloween party that didn’t have a badass playlist, did you really throw a Halloween party? The ORANGE Music staff doesn’t think so. To help you out, we present our top picks for a haunted soiree that’s so devilishly fun, it’ll wake the dead. Spoiler alert: “Monster Mash” is noticeably absent.
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.
Dozens of people stand scattered across the lawn at Eden House Co-op on the night of Friday, Aug. 29, enjoying one last hurrah at the start of a new school year. Some chat with friends or kick back on a pair of couches facing the road. Others filter into the packed house, where bands play to a jovial crowd. Suddenly, police cars wash the house and all of its guests in hues of blue and red. Plastic cups drop to the ground in a resounding clamor.The party is over.
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.
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.
