As the genre permeates through ever-changing trends, it becomes increasingly difficult to make yourself stand out in the world of pop music. But when you’re born and raised in the Live Music Capital and have been writing since your tweens, the diversity and maturity of folks like Madi Meeks shine through all the other corporate cookie cutter pop formulas. Last summer then-sixteen-year-old songwriter Madi Meeks put out her debut EP, For You, showcasing her deep and delicate, yet vigorous vocal style, eventually earning her a couple Austin Music Awards nominations.

Meeks’ passion has put her in the limelight once again, this time with an electronic-over-acoustic approach on her self-titled full-length, out today. Her gentle, moving pop goes live at the Madi Meeks release show 7PM tonight at Carousel Lounge, and you can take a quick break from the Friday work gauntlet with “Cigarette Rain”.

–Jack Anderson

At this point in time, if you haven’t heard of Dry Cleaning (outside the world of clothing), we can’t really blame you. Dry Cleaning’s debut EP only came out in mid-August and these South Londoners are already about to pull another one off the rack. It’s incredible that half the band doesn’t have any prior experience, but this actually lends itself to Dry Cleaning’s stripped down, direct brand of alt-rock.

Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks finds Dry Cleaning pressing a bit more texture into their songs, and it’s out October 25th. Dry Cleaning tours the UK over the next couple months, they’ve got plans for a US tour farther in the future, and today they invite you to pull up a chair for the new EP’s closer, “Sit Down Meal”!

–Jack Anderson

Frequenters on our airwaves already know local duo Flora & Fawna, whose balance of classic folk and soul seeps from a modern electronic surface. Their rising talent earned them the title of our September 2019 KUTX Artist of the Month ahead of their self-titled debut release show, next Thursday at Cheer Up Charlie’s.

We’ve been getting snippets of their new material over the past few weeks, and got a live sneak preview when they joined us yesterday in Studio 1A…enjoy the lush harmonies and sweeping sounds of “Tempted by the Timing”!

–Jack Anderson

Photo: Gabriel C. Pérez

You don’t have to be a musical geologist to know which bits of rock hold the most weight for you. Even so, you won’t get wedged into any one sub-genre when you listen to Austin’s own Black Heart Saints.

The quartet has been cranking up their amps for the last five years on sediments of hard rock, classic rock, alternative, grunge, and more, with arena-ready vocals and soulful guitar riffs that demand repeated listens. Recently it’s been getting real heavy for Black Heart Saints, who canonize their latest efforts onto the upcoming four-song EP, Misery. Try and catch Black Heart Saints tonight at Empire Control Room, but even if you’re not willing to rock out on a school night, you can still get down with the Texas-travel-inspired music video and Misery‘s lead single, “Lines”!

–Jack Anderson

When the first record tops a country’s charts, the band’s gotta be good. There’s no exception with Irish indie rock outfit The Academic, who entered at #1 with last year’s Tales From The Backseat.

The Academic’s aversion to indie stereotypes has made them an international standout, whose highly-anticipated sophomore album drops early next year. The wait will be long but there’s no need for a chaser with the retro-influenced lead single, “Aftertaste”!

–Jack Anderson