What the Hell is a Raw Paw and Why Does It Have a Labyrinth?

"Raw Paw is an Austin-based publisher, record label, and creative platform providing paper trails for at-risk artists."

That's what their website says, anyway.

And we say, "Yeah, bubba, and that ain't the half of it."

Note: We didn't just stumble across their website while surfing randomly. We sought out that website specifically, because our friend David Jewell gave us the latest issue of the Raw Paw magazine, a digest-sized arts anthology (with a cover by Katie Rose Pipkin, no less) that eschews the bad-Xerox stigma of underground zine traditions and looks more like a publication from some fierce art group that appreciates visual engagement and printed excellence and writing worth reading. "Yeah," said Jewell, "these kids are a new crowd in the local art scene, to me. They're like twentysomethings, maybe early thirties, and they're doing all sorts of cool shit."

Yeah, and because the Chronicle's own receptionist – the raven-haired volleyball star Derek Van Wagner – was also hyping that same zine and Raw Paw's new comics collection the very next day.

And so – bam, pow! – we're getting the message on two sides, and the message of creation and subversion and artistically giving-a-damn is coming through loud & clear, roger that, we're standing by.

And then we're seeing, hold on, there's a Raw Paw record-release party this weekend?

Yes, there is: The Cymatic Release & CogDut Labyrinth, featuring a slew of live bands and art installations and all manner of things.

So we're passing along the word.
Because we're the Austin fucking Chronicle and we're fucking chronicling Austin.
And we reckon you'll enjoy what's going on over there at 50N House on Saturday night.

You're welcome.