What is Proper Nang? Austin’s Teen Beat

Elks Lodge Pool Proper Nang After Party: (l-r) Io Hickman, Laurel Elm, Finley Sexton, William Graham, Grace London, Ariel Herrera, Payton Keller (by Gretchen Harries)

Proper Nang is a Brit term for the very coolest. I first started writing about Austin’s teen scene a year ago. Here are the latest PN trends of the current under-18 (U18) front.

A few things that may or may not surprise you: Wayne’s World and That ’70s Show have become teen cult classics, many teens prefer the rock music of the Seventies, and the classic novel is still “in.”

I polled musicians from the Proper Nang scene for some A-Z favorites from the next generation. Interviewees: Ramona Beattie, Laurel Elm, Juanita Escovedo, Ariel Herrera, Arvind Hathaway, Addy Hernandez, Lili and Io Hickman, Dagny Hines, Payton Keller, Zach Larson, Grace London, Maia Medel, Ment Morris, Emily Orr, Devin North, Finley Sexton, Gemma Smith, Georgia Speice, Nate West.

Music Spinning in Their Heads

Aerosmith, Hoodie Allen, Alpha Rev, Azealia Banks, Ryan Beatty, Bon Iver, the Boxer Rebellion, Bright Light Social Hour, Camera Obscura, Captain Beyond, the Cars, Johnny Cash, Daughter, Deep Purple, Die Antwood, the Doors, Sky Ferreira, Florence & the Machine, Foreign Fields, Aretha Franklin, Genesis, Waylon Jennings, Eric Johnson, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, the National, Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Phoenix, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush, Matthew Ryan, Sex Pistols, She & Him, the Smiths, St. Vincent, Strokes, James Taylor, the Vaccines, Vamps, Velvet Underground, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Yes

Favored Music Venues

Antone’s, Broken Spoke, Cactus Cafe, Continental Club, Club 1808 Annex, Maria’s Taco Xpress, Mohawk, One-2-One, Red 7, Strange Brew, Stubb’s, Threadgill’s World Headquarters

Best Swimming Holes

Barton Springs, Big Stacy, Blue Hole, Elks Lodge, Hamilton Pool, San Marcos River

Where to Catch a Flick

Alamo Draft Houses, Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, Paramount Theatre, Violet Crown,

Books on Their Nightstands & Backpacks

A Love Worth Giving, Catch-22, Cat Confidential, The Catcher in the Rye, Crazy Love, The Dead, The Disenchantments, The Fault in Our Stars, Franny & ZooeyThe Great Gatsby, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I Am Second, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, The Lost Tales of Nostradamus, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Mortal Instruments, The Secret Life of Bees, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Ulysses, When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin, World War Z

Favorite Hangouts

Austin Vintage Guitars, Barton Springs, the Domain, the Drag, El Chilito, Epoch Coffee Shop, the Green Belt, Hill Country Galleria, Jo’s Coffee, Lake Austin, Lick Ice Cream, North Loop, South Congress, Torchy’s, Waterloo Records, Whole Foods, Zilker Park

What the Teens Wish Austin Had

More large art museums, more venues for young bands to play at, more places to go dancing, more big parks, more places that allow under 21 and U21 clubs, and cool free recreational centers

Proper Nangs at Maria’s Taco Xpress: Aug. 10 & 24. Strange Nang at Strange Brew: Aug. 30.