What is Proper Nang? Austin’s Teen Beat
The next generation weighs in on what’s hip in the ATX
By William Harries Graham, 4:40PM, Tue. Aug. 6, 2013
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.
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William Harries Graham, Oct. 1, 2013
William Harries Graham, Sept. 10, 2013
