Madisons

• Texas Platters Finale

  Last local music round-up of 2012

  BY RAOUL HERNANDEZ

• The Gorgeous Hands

  BY GREG BEETS

• Shortwave Party

  BY GREG BEETS

• The Well

  BY GREG BEETS

• Bitter Birds

  BY GREG BEETS

• Full Service

  BY GREG BEETS

• The League of Extraordinary G'z

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Nazi Gold

  BY KEVIN CURTIN

• Beto & the Fairlanes

  BY JAY TRACHTENBERG

• The Couch

  BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

• Residual Kid

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Hello Caller

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• > Madisons

• The South Austin Moonlighters

  BY JIM CALIGIURI

• Tump

  BY LUKE WINKIE

• deEP end 1

  EPs from Junior Brown, Mice & Rifles, Ben Livingston, and MaryAnn & the Revival Band

  BY DOUG FREEMAN

• Feral Future

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• The Sideshow Tragedy

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• The Sour Notes

  BY ABBY JOHNSTON

• Borrisokane

  BY GREG BEETS

• Opposite Day

  BY GREG BEETS

• Lower Class Brats

  BY GREG BEETS

• Texas Platters 2012

  Every single local record we reviewed this year

Madisons

In the wake of Mumford & Sons, youngsters are once again gathering banjos, fiddles, and acoustic guitars to make bluegrass-based music. Madisons, a local collective that can reach a dozen members onstage, includes pedal steel and trumpet on occasion, but stomping rhythms and soaring melodies fit the mold with a Texas twist. "The World" mixes its country leanings into the general indie rock attitude of tunes such as "Iraan," with its unadorned vocals, and the edgy musical swell of "Wrong I Done." Hand claps on "Growin Up" alternate between being annoying like the Lumineers and winsome as Matt the Electrician. Co-leaders guitarist Dominic Solis and violin player Rachel Lane point the way to something distinctive, a place they only occasionally touch on here, yet one well within their reach.