Here is our regular monthly round up of 25 of the best tracks posted on Mad Mackerel in the past month, and three new gems too. That’s a more than decent mixtape sorted even if we were crap in the World Cup!

The Futurebirds – Battle For Rome mp3

Glorious, up-tempo alt-country gem that recalls Neil Young at his finest

Puro Instinct – California Shakedown mp3

Dreamily seductive slice of icy pop

Burnt Ones – Bury Me In Smoke mp3

Sleazy, dirty, hook-laden surf rock and heavy doses of 7os glam

Mississippi Man – Mountain mp3

Superb blend of Americana and country-folk

The Vitamin Sees – Illumanati Mind Control mp3

Mesmerising and hypnotic, with repetitive guitar riff and laconic vocals. Our discovery of the month!

Black Mountain – Old Fangs mp3

Scorched, driving, desert blues

Hollowbelly – Long Road mp3

Raw, stomping, hellfire and brimstone blues

Sharon Van Etten – I Couldn’t Save You mp3

Languid, lonely and desolate. As stark and as stunning a heartbreaker as you could imagine

Ferocious Few – Kathleen mp3

Joyous raiding of the rock’n’roll cupboard to produce a two-minute classic

Elf Power – Stranger In The Window mp3

Gentle, pensive, country-tinged, psych-pop. Gorgeous

Mathew Sawyer & The Ghosts – Mynah Birds Call mp3

Fragile, Syd Barrett influenced unorthodox folk whimsy

All Saints Day – You Can’t Be Alone mp3

Pop overdosing on distortion and reverb

Lail Arad – Everyone Is Moving To Berlin mp3

Wonderful blend of sharp-tongued pop and lovely folk overtones

The Whigs – Dying mp3

Visceral, slow burn of a track, builds into crescendo of guitars, drums and feedback

Tame Impala – Solitude Is Bliss mp3

Bold, fuzzed up blues standout from recent album Innerspeaker

Karen Elson – The Ghost Who Walks mp3

Gothic-tinged, country murder ballad

Tennis – Marathon mp3

Sweet and catchy pop gem

Tweak Bird – A Sun Ahh Ahh mp3

Brilliant mix of full-on old-school metal riffing and psychedelic overtones

The Minks – Funeral Song mp3

Vintage Cure bassline, icy synths and shadowy, sombre lyrics

The Black Lips – Before You Judge Me mp3

Typically swaggering boozy cut of garage rock

We Are Country Mice – Festival mp3

Garage goodness, awash with reverb, duelling guitars and a tinge of psychedelia

The Local Natives – Careful mp3

Chiming cover of Television album track

Salem – King Night mp3

Ghostly leanings and haunting, desolate beats

Crocodiles – Sleep Forever mp3

Full on indie rocker in the spirit of the Bunnymen

Emily Reo – Witch Mtn Pt. 2 mp3

Dreamily seductive and captivating fuzzy Beach House style pop

And  three new ones for you to finish off:

The Vitamin Sees –Evil Eye mp3

More tripped out, pulsing krautrock from our new band discovery of the month

Port O’Brien – My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg) mp3

From the wonderful Buffetlibre/Amnesty Peace project (180 tracks for $5 minimum) comes this brilliant Ramones cover by MM faves Port O’Brien. Buy this compilation here now!

Wild Nothing – Your Rabbit Feet mp3

Latest chilled (and chilly) dream pop from new indie-wunderkind