The Music of Austin

Austin is not only the state capitol of Texas, but the self proclaimed capitol of music. It is home to the University of Texas, as well as a lively music scene around country, blues and rock.

“Keep Austin Weird” is a slogan that was created to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. It was coined by the Austin Independent Business Alliance in 2002, and has been popular ever since!

The Austin Music Scene

One of the most famous and culturally significant music halls is the Armadillo music headquarters. This is the place where “the renaissance that made the city (Austin) a nationally recognized music capitol” occurred. It is arguably what began an Austin music scene that celebrates diversity, both in music and in people.

The Armadillo World Headquarters was referenced in this song by Austin musician Jerry Jeff Walker, called “London Homesick Blues”. I analyzed this song in my very first assignment for this class, so this is a very full circle moment!

The Austin Music scene is divides its over 250 music spots into 8 sections, greatly varying in genre, attractions, and venues: South Congress, East Austin, West 6th Street, Rainey Street, Red River, Sixth Street, Warehouse District, and 2nd Street.

Here is a video that I personally find beautiful :).

Artist Spotlight: Annabelle Chairlegs

Annabelle Chairlegs oscillates between glitz and grit. A collision of adrenaline-meets-anxiety, Annabelle Chairlegs’ sound is built on desert noir, bluesy guitar riffs, and laced together with understated traces of psychedelia. Helmed by Lindsey Mackin’s thunderous, howling voice, the Austin four-piece churns out singular, reverberating work simmering with both dark dreaminess and ostentation. Formed in 2013 following guitarist-vocalist and song writer Mackin’s move from Santa Fe to Austin, the line-up now with Derek Vaughan Nunez Strahan on bass, Nick Cornetti on drums. Since then, the band has been cemented as a ubiquitous presence in Austin venues, including sets at both Levitation Festival and The Austin City Limits Music Festival, while simultaneously amplifying their musical aesthetic.
Annabelle Chairlegs Official Website (https://www.annabellechairlegs.com/bio)

Candy Apple Red, their top played track on Spotify with 594,000 streams

I had the opportunity to interview lead singer Lindsey Mackin, which was an awesome experience! She was not born in Austin, but has lived there for 10 years. Since we were both born and raised in New England (me in CT, Lindsey in New Jersey) we had an interesting conversation about southern culture, Texan tradition, and the diverse music she observed there. She had told me that her love for Texan culture grows the longer she lives there, finding her own meaning in a culture she did not grow up in.

The musician she admires a lot from Texas is “cosmic soul” Doug Sahm. He was the proclaimed Godfather of Rock and Roll, but was also known for mixing different styles of music together.

These qualities, according to Mackin is what she loves the most about the Austin music scene. In the past 10 years, she had the privilege of performing at venues all across the state and listening to all kinds of Texan music. This can range anywhere from country, rock, indie, to tejano! She recently payed tribute to late musician Roy Orbison by covering his song “Blue Bayou” with her own stylistic elements (in a more “indie style”)

Annabelle Chairlegs cover of “Blue Bayou”, originally performed by Roy Orbison (see below)

My Tribute to Austin (from a CT Citizen)

Reading about the Austin music scene shifted my perspective about Texas a lot. It was so easy to laugh the southern culture off and assume the worst, especially when we hear about some of the horrific politics from a New England, progressive, and younger point of view. However, we cannot forget that nothing is truly black and white. Even in the most conservative of states, there are people who are wacky, wonderful, diverse, even “weird” for a lack of a better term. Places like Austin make me feel hopeful for the future of this beautiful state, and a new understanding of what it really means to be a Texan.

Here is a playlist I made on spotify, documenting my journey down the small Austin musician rabbit hole. I absolutely love the different vibes each song gives off, and the different songs from Annabelle Chairlegs that I listened to prior to our interview. I hope that you enjoy listening!