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Our Three Favorite Artists Right Now

Our Three Favorite Artists Right Now

Public Opinion
March 26, 2024

A Note From Jack

The same thing happens every time… I’m sitting on the floor of our office looking up at someone whose music I love. They’re looking back at me, awaiting my cue to get started. I’m thinking about the elevator or the camera on the ceiling or the clanking of the radiator or the firehouse across the street. I’m thinking about EVERYTHING that can go wrong. But nothing ever does go wrong. So I just sit back and enjoy the music.

We just released the third episode of Track Star Presents with the one and only Medium Build. Episodes 1-3 were a sort of pilot for the show (we’ve since filmed four more). Today I wanted to write a little bit about these first three artists and why I wanted them to launch this show.

Three Artists

I stopped looking for new music after college. I don’t know if it was for a lack of time or shifting social dynamics. I just locked into the musicians that I liked growing up. This is common with a lot of people—ask your parents who their favorite artists are, probably someone they grew up with.

This obviously changed when we started Track Star. I needed to find new stuff to play on the show. I started actively listening to contemporary playlists across genres. Also, I get a lot of emails from music industry folks telling me about a new release or an artist we might want to have on the show. I discover more new music now than I ever have before. The first episodes of Track Star Presents feature three of my favorite contemporary artists.

The first is Madi Diaz. One of my most listened to artists of the last year. The first song of hers that I listened to was New Person, Old Place. I was in immediately and started listening to the rest of the album on repeat. Since then she dropped a new album that’s even better. I’ve seen Madi live twice now, and each time she just blew me away. Her new album includes a duet with Kacey Musgraves that’s stunning, but my favorite is Obsessive Thoughts. Once you start listening to Madi, you keep coming back to her.

Second is Flatland Cavalry, a folk/country band from Texas. There are six guys in the band who can all play the shit out of a bunch of different instruments. Cleto is the lead singer, and he’s quiet. Not in person but the way he sings. He just trusts his voice so much, and each song is like a poem. He could easily write smash hits for the biggest acts in country, but he’s doing his own thing with the band. Their music is beautiful.

Third is Medium Build. I think he’s the next Post Malone. There’s a crazy intensity to his performances. Every new song he puts out feels like it’s his best yet. The American music industry seems to be going more country, and MB reflects that in some ways, but he’s also just a guy who grew up in Georgia and listened to pop music and learned how to play guitar. He sat next to Julien Baker in a college class and served nachos to Kings of Leon. He’s known for his intensity, but I also like his quieter, sweeter songs. He’s got soul and interesting lyrics. You can tell he loves making music.

Over the past year we’ve had countless musicians come by our block to play our game show, and we thought: Why not come up and play a song if you’re here? I wanted to start with these three incredibly talented and beautiful performers. Fate put all three in NYC the same week. It’s an actual dream come true. The first three episodes are out now and linked below…

– Jack