Why is Austin COOL? Is cool necessarily a good thing? (history, bark)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by noellestar

Music preference is relative, but it's a fact that there are successful bands that have gotten their start here.

Also -- Timbuk 3, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Asleep at the Wheel, Sarah Jarosz, Kelly Willis, Sunny Sweeney, Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram...

Austin is an attractive town for musicians -- easy to get to Nashville and LA, good enough studios here, good stock of session players, and an almost limitless quantity of venues. "Success" is relative -- success might mean paying your bills, raising your family, and staying out of LA. Besides, the only recorded music making money today is rap or country, so "success" might not mean huge record sales.

[Lije Baley]

Originally Posted by scm53

Also -- Timbuk 3, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Asleep at the Wheel, Sarah Jarosz, Kelly Willis, Sunny Sweeney, Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram...

Oh my gawd, how can everyone forget Eric Johnson! My cassette of Ah Via Musicom was worn out after a year of near-continuous play. And, also add The Wagoneers to that list - they weren't huge but good enough that I kept the cassette of their debut album Stout & High and searched for months to find the CD version. Recently they got back together to perform music again after two decades.

"Success" is relative -- success might mean paying your bills, raising your family, and staying out of LA. Besides, the only recorded music making money today is rap or country, so "success" might not mean huge record sales.

And this is just me, but Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch is not part of my definition of cool-osity. To me those are brands that market themselves as being cool/hip/whatever, which instantly disqualifies them as being truly cool. IMO coolness is not something that can be manufactured or focus-grouped, rather, it is something that is difficult to define and it just.....happens.....it just *is*.......and you'll know it when you see it.

[hoffdano]

Stevie Ray, Lou Ann Barton, Sue Foley and a host of others like them would very likely claim Austin as their music home even if they weren't born here. And how long has Willie Nelson been here? Some really promising new ones too like Sahara Smith (Wimberley) from around here.

But eepstein wouldn't know since he only leaves Avery Ranch to visit Sacramento....

[Jennibc]

Another promising Austin act is Mother Falcon. Official Mother Falcon Website We saw them at the Holiday Stroll at the Frost Bank Plaza and they were outstanding. They will be playing at SXSW this year.

[MtnLion512]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Stevie Ray, Lou Ann Barton, Sue Foley and a host of others like them would very likely claim Austin as their music home even if they weren't born here. And how long has Willie Nelson been here? Some really promising new ones too like Sahara Smith (Wimberley) from around here.

But eepstein wouldn't know since he only leaves Avery Ranch to visit Sacramento....

Ah yes, the breeding grounds for butt-rock acts such as Papa Roach, Deftones and Oleander. No thanks. Although I do love Cake!

Also, Sam Beam aka 'Iron & Wine' lives in the Austin area and is headlining the Old Settler's Music Festival.

[Lije Baley]

Originally Posted by wag more bark less

Ah yes, the breeding grounds for butt-rock acts.......

Butt rock? Er, music created by playing instruments with one's butt or musicians with particularly healthy glutes? Help me out here.

And because it's topical but also because they're one of my favorite bands, here's the Beastie Boys performing "Shake Your Rump", from their awesome album Paul's Boutique co-produced by the Dust Brothers (yes they did much more, and much better, than just License To Ill).

[CptnRn]

A lot of what has given Austin the reputation of being a cool place started in the 60' & 70's. There is a pretty good article that talks about that time period here: Everything Old Is New Again - News - The Austin Chronicle

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

A lot of what has given Austin the reputation of being a cool place started in the 60' & 70's. There is a pretty good article that talks about that time period here: Everything Old Is New Again - News - The Austin Chronicle

Here is some more. Relative to what was happening in most of the central portions of the United States, Austin was a hotbed of activism.

Burr Thesis | History of Student Activism at the University of Texas at Austin )1960-88)

And a more concise Time Line -- A history of UT student, staff, and faculty struggle.

[CptnRn]

Weird is still strong in Austin. Austin | Brian McGloin

They race in lingerie in Austin

School bus living in Austin

[MtnLion512]

Originally Posted by Lije Baley

Butt rock? Er, music created by playing instruments with one's butt or musicians with particularly healthy glutes? Help me out here.

Ah, yes:

Urban Dictionary: Butt Rock

Highly scientific, as you can see.