Home to the University of Texas, Austin is one of the musical hubs of the United States. The city was put on the map in the 1970s by the outlaw country movement led by artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. Frustrated with the silky production standards and buttoned-up culture of the country music establishment in Nashville, these freewheeling artists split for the Lone Star State, where they fused the sounds of country with the ethos of the counterculture.<\/p>\n
That spirit persists to this day, as Austin has grown into one of the best music cities the United States has to offer. The \u201clive music capital of the world,\u201d as it is known, annually hosts South By Southwest and Austin City Limits, two of the best music and cultural festivals in the country, and it\u2019s (in)famous Dirty Sixth Street hosts some of the greatest bar bands in the world on a nightly basis. Austin is virtually overflowing with talent, and continues to produce a diverse range of great artists, from Gary Clark Jr. to Spoon to Explosions in the Sky.<\/p>\n
Here are a few new Austin artists to keep an eye on in 2018:<\/p>\n