Tag Archive for 'Austin TX'

50 STATES IN 50 WEEKS… WEEK 14: TEXAS

Published by BethanyLeavey on September 15, 2009 in Playlists and Rock. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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Home of: Buddy Holly, George W. Bush, Roy Orbison, Howard Hughes, Tommy Lee Jones, Janis Joplin, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Destiny’s Child, Dixie Chicks, At The Drive-In

Fun Facts: State flower; bluebonnet, state song; “Texas, Our Texas,” state insect; Monarch butterfly

The Venues: Everything is bigger in Texas, and music festivals are no exception. Austin hosts two of the biggest: Austin City Limits and South By Southwest.

Now in it’s 8th year, Austin City Limits features Kings of Leon, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Coheed & Cambria, Dave Matthews Band, Mos Def, Thievery Corporation, Pearl Jam, Ben Harper And Relentless7, Sonic Youth, Passion Pit and more from October 2nd to October4th in Austin’s Zilker Park, with a slew of big name after parties at the city’s many venues. If you’ve got tickets to the sold out show, be sure to check out OurStage artists The Airborne Toxic Event and Here We Go Magic.

What began as a simple music festival in 1987 has become one of the biggest music, film and interactive conferences in the world. South By Southwest (SXSW) helped launch the careers of artists like Amy Winehouse, The White Stripes, The Strokes and Lilly Allen, and features music’s current stars along with the hottest undiscovered acts. The next SXSW conference will run from March 12th to March 21st, with the music conference running from March 17th until the 21st.

Lined with quality live music venues, the legendary 6th Street has done a lot to help Austin earn the moniker “The Live Music Capital of the World.” Emo’s, located just off of 6th Street, is an Austin favorite for both locals and festival-goers because of its indoor and outdoor stages.

The Music:

BWQQUNEDCMCD-320x240White Rhino – Austin locals White Rhino play heavy, psychedelic rock that falls somewhere between Queens of the Stone Age and Motörhead. “Rhodesia” from their self-titled debut album is about as rock and roll as it gets. The band is currently touring around the Southwestern United State, including a stop at Emo’s with Monotonix on September 25th.

l_41a554cf3d144505bc3b9df999a66a6bOso Closo – Oso Closo’s theatrical, jazz-influenced progressive rock combines piano, string arrangements and dueling guitars. Their theatrics landed them a part in last summer’s production of Tommy at the Dallas Theater Center. Check out “Straight Out The Gate” to see why Jim Heath (The Reverend Horton Heat) and Bryce Avery (The Rocket Summer) count themselves as fans. The band is currently on tour promoting the release of their second album Today Is Beauty’s Birthday.

UMCMSIEMMXJN-320x240El Tule – Relative newcomers to OurStage, El Tule have already landed themselves a Top 10 finish in the July Latin Channel and a feature on AOL Music. “La Sirena” showcases the band’s combination of Latin, Afro-Cuban, Rock and Reggae music. El Tule’s music will be featured in the soundtrack of the upcoming film Pepe & Santo vs. America starring noted Mexican actor Rafael Amaya.

m_cbb78c5334fc41ffa077bde2edd2257bYou’re Done For – Starting a pop punk band in a city where rock and metal rule the music scene might not seem like the best idea, but that’s what the members You’re Done For did. Their plan seems to be working: the band completed a Southwest tour in 2009, picking up new fans along the way. Check out “Everybody is Listening” from their EP Shhh…Everyboy’s Listening. If you like what you hear, let them know! Your basement could be the next stop on their House Party Tour.

Check out these acts and other great Texas artists in the playlist below!

Who are your favorite OurStage Texans? Where do you like to see live music in Texas? Let us know in the comments!

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK: BLACKLISTED INDIVIDUALS

Published by Sam C. on July 6, 2009 in Download of the Week. Closed Tags: , , , , .

Snyp and Da’Shade from Austin’s Blacklisted Individuals have been making insightful hip-hop since 1998. While many hail Lil’ Wayne as the ambassador of Southern Hip-Hop, Blacklisted Individuals forgo over-the-top production and egotistical antics by offering socially conscious lyrics and catchy beats to compliment their poetic flow. This week’s free track is a great slow jam called “Fist Full of Strife,” which topped the alternative hip hop rankings for June. The group’s community-centric values emanate through an infectious sing-a-long chorus that demands you to clap your hands from start to finish. The song perfectly illustrates the duo’s dedication to shedding light on “the triumphs and tragedies that surround the struggle of our everyday lives” through their music. Get Blacklisted and let yourself be enlightened.

Act of Congress is in session at SXSW.

Published by jayschneider on March 18, 2009 in Artist Feature and Country. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

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Alternative Country music is becoming a bit of an industry standard, but it’s a little less common to find that “pop” quality in a bluegrass group. Having only been together for about two years, the band plays as if they were performance legends. Encompassing styles from bluegrass to singer/songwriter, they bring new meaning to the concept of a “unique sound”. We caught up with Chris Griffin of Act of Congress, who said, “We want to build a legit resume by putting out new stuff all the time and making sure we’re playing gigs that help advance us as a band…We’re just [focusing] on creating a ‘catalog’ of interesting content.”

Recently, the band released its debut LP, Declaration. The album showcases the groups genre diversity really well. The opening track, “In the Middle“, starts the CD off in a catchy, melodic way, setting the “pop” mood for the rest of the CD. However, songs like “Not Crazy” and “Five Minutes of Fame” mark the presence of such genres as bluegrass and blues/funk.  Griffin of AOC accredited this diversity on the album to the fact that each member plays with a different style. Act of Congress spent almost 8 months rehearsing and writing before booking just 3 hours in the studio to record the LP with producer Jason Elgin.

Since the album release, AOC has been making waves in the industry. A few of their songs were chosen to be used as music for a professional ballet, and the band was able to perform live with the production in Birmingham, AL. Additionally, they were selected as the 2008 Southeast Grand Prize Winner for the Discmakers Independent Music World Series. The band has also recently written a song that was picked as the theme for an Arrested Development Documentary.

Act of Congress will be playing at SXSW this week. The show is at Mother Egan’s in Austin, TX on March 19th. Check out their fanclub and keep on eye on where their going.

3 things you don’t know about SXSW

Published by admin on March 13, 2009 in Artist News, Editorial, Festivals and OurStage@. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

If you’re looking for things to do at SXSW we have plenty to add to your itinerary: a list of must-sees from Paste Magazine’s Jay Sweet, a TON of OurStage artists live on stage and some great (and entertaining) resources for indie artists and music lovers alike!

1) Sweet 16: artists not to miss

Living in the Northeast during March is a mud-filled, merciless grind. Luckily, the gods created SXSW. Yes the BBQ and Shiner Bock beer-soaked savior for those suffering Seasonal Affective Disorder begins this weekend. In wading through the oodles of e-mail invites, Jay Sweet, OurStage’s Editor at Large, has compiled the Sweet 16 list of artists not to miss while strolling along the sunny streets of Austin:
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2) Over 80 OurStage Artists performing at SXSW!

Having just discovered that 86 members of the OurStage artist community will be performing at SXSW showcases next week, we’re glowing with pride like parents of a champion little leaguer! We dare you to try to catch them all live and in action!
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3) Get Tour:Smart

At OurStage, we have a soft spot for NIN drummers; we recently posted an interview with current drummer Ilan Rubin and have recently launched a new partnership with past drummer, Martin Atkins.  Anyone trying to make a go in the music industry needs to know Martin; he’s a champion of independent musicians and their tour buses (which might not be your own RV, but we’re hoping it is at least a step above Greyhound). Swing by Martin’s booth at SXSW to get real-world advice on how to survive your own music career and pick up a free CD with tracks from OurStage artists.

To jump start your learning process, Martin has pulled together a list of his top 10 nuggets of advice for OurStage artists on the road:
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