Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: May 2013

Here is our round-up of our favourite downloads from May’s posts together with a few newbies that, together, make a mix of twenty tracks that is as eclectic as it is perfect! Enjoy.

High Coast – Talvatis
Sweetly picked Americana.

Landmarks – Cuscutta
Lovely, unhurried, slice of woozy, psych-pop in the grand traditions of Spiritualized or Mercury Rev.

Black Manila – Père Lachaise
Addictive blend of classic west coast garage riffs, Detroit proto-punk and British charm.

The Delta Routine – New York Avenue
Swaggering blues rock and roll.

Graham MacRae – Game Changer
Those Bill Fay and Bill Callahan comparisons seem pretty much on the money.

Blank Realm – Working On Love
Utterly seductive, completely irresistible, and totally infectious slacker psych-pop.

Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Fakin’ NYC
Typically ragged and ramshackle anthem of wry observation.

Mathew Sawyer – Feeeeling
Another excellent example of his unique/oddball/visitor from Mars perspective on the world.

The Lawsuits – Onion
A beguiling and schizophrenic mix of modern Americana.

Duquette Johnston – Cherry Blossom
A fretful, plaintive vocal and some wonderfully ominous fuzzy guitar lines are counterbalanced by lovely harmonies and robust percussion.

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Brendan Benson – Swallow You Whole
Infectiously jaunty piano led slice of indie rock.

Estrangers – Cape Fear
Full of bombastic and romantic exuberance, part cinematic dreamscape and part Italian beach excursion.

Therese Aune – Chameleon
Haunting amalgamation of sounds from accordion, to metallophone, to piano, paints a picture of an introvert, who is marooned on the outside looking in.

No Kill – Sledding
Treasure of jangly guitars and sugar-sweet melodies expertly woven with a woozy, fuzzed up garage rock sensibility.

Hunting Ulysses – Delicious Ice
Raw, lo-fi garage goodness.

Vandaveer – Omie Wise
Another murder ballad reinvented by macabre folksters.

And to finish off we have four new tunes. First from Dirty Streets, Stay Thirsty is heavy music bathed in blues, folk and psychedelia, with chops to spare and a working class point of view. Old Pretender namecheck influences as the Sex Pistols and the Jesus & Mary Chain on their new track I’m Alright while Hugo is the debut single by Kent indie rockers Moccasins. Lastly we have the lo-fi garage surf-pop of Silkies and Walk At Midnight which comes from their forthcoming EP released in June.