Audic Empire

One Liner: Austin reggae rock band

Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but their website says "Texas Reggae / Southern Rock"
Home:  Austin!

Poster Position: 22 - bottom row!
Weekend One Only.

Friday at 1pm on the Tito's Stage.

Thoughts:  Well, they pulled one over on me.  Thought for sure this would be another local rapper down here on the bottom line.  Instead, this is, uhh, what kind of music is Sublime?  Like, reggae alternative?  Ska pop rock?  Well whatever, this is that.  Makes strong use of that offbeat synth thing that I associate with reggae, or Sublime, or 311, or the Samples.  After some research, it appears that technique is called the "ska stroke up."  Learn something new every day!

"Come and Toke It" is, not surprisingly, about how we should have legal weed in Texas and everyone should smoke it right away.  And that matches perfectly with the Sublime vibe here.  125k streams, by far their most popular.

Digging the angry red-bearded rapper with the dreads.  It's actually damn catchy.  Most of this is pretty fun music - maybe not what I would normally aim for personally, but it seems like a good time.  Also, on Spotify, their next live show listing, under Artist Pick, says they play October 1 at Zilker Park, Austin, at 8pm.  I think that time slot is a liiittttle bit ambitious for a band on the bottom line of the poster.  But who knows?

"Coffee & Bongs" is cracking me up though - they leave behind the reggae riddims to break out a happy trails-ass song about boning.  According to one thing I read online, the band started up in 2010 with Ronnie Bowen and James Tobias, who are now the singers and songwriters.  But the guitar player seems like the star of the show, even if the synth player has to hit more notes than anyone else to keep the upstroke going.  Like, the solo on "Don't Wait Up" is a pretty legit run of guitar action.  Or the opening of "King from Under" - the guy's name is Travis Brown.

Three albums - 2020's Head Change, 2018's Indica Nights, and 2015's Sativa Sunrise.  Hmm, I wonder if they like weed?  "Don't Wait Up" is their second-most streamed, but it is also from that new album, so I'll reach back into one of the older ones to give you a little taste of the older stuff.  This is "Mesmerized," from Indica Nights, with 54k streams.

I was just fully mesmerized by that jenky ass video.  But again, pretty good song if you're into this island goofball vibe.  I think I like it.  It's supremely goofy - the schtick that these dudes have come up with.  A dreadlocked white dude who raps is inherently goofy, and making rock with reggae riddims is also kind of silly today, but at the same time, I'm kinda digging the vibe.  What's wrong with feel good music?