Marissa Nadler and Angel Olsen have combined again to absolutely stunning effect on this cover of the Mickey Newbury song Frisco Depot.
You won’t hear much that is more beautiful than this…
Follow @madmackerelTag Archives: Marissa Nadler
More Covers From Marissa Nadler
Marissa Nadler inhabits a musical world of many landscapes, wandering between dream-folk, noir Country, southern gothic, plaintive ballads and all touch points in-between. Variously haunting, ethereal, heartbroken, bitter, sombre, painful, uplifting and poignant, she has a voice that transcends all genres and makes discovering her back catalogue a true delight.
And throughout she has stamped her own mark on a range of different covers, even releasing a couple of albums reinterpreting artists from John Lennon to Kris Kristofferson and Radiohead.
Here are some wonderful examples from the Lemonhead’s classic Drug Buddy to the aforementioned Radiohead and Kris Kristofferson and a version of Cat Stevens Trouble.
Follow @madmackerelMarissa Nadler & Angel Olsen Cover Richard & Linda Thompson
A note on Marissa Nadler’s Soundcloud says “This is a Richard and Linda Thompson song. Angel Olsen and I have been working on some cover songs which I’m very excited about. This one is recorded Lo-fi but clean and clear. Stay tuned for more in the future.. and check out both her EP and her new record and go to her shows that are happening right now.“
All good advice and the cover is simply stunning. Have a listen.
If I was a butterfly, live for a day,
I could be free just blowing away
This cruel country has driven me down
Teased me and lied, teased me and lied
I’ve only sad stories to tell to this town
My dreams have withered and died
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Follow @madmackerelMad Mackerel’s Best of the Month: October 2012
Our monthy round up of the best new tunes we’ve posted and a few brand new ones too. More than 30 tunes to set you up for the weekend. Enjoy.
Wooden Wand – Southern Colorado Song
Another brilliant example of our favourite, prolific troubadour’s storytelling prowess.
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Download The Growl – With The Sharp End Of A Trowel mp3 (from Cleaver Lever EP)
Soaked in the authentic primal blues of the swamps with a twang of rockabilly, a haze of psychedelia and, at its heart, the pulsating, bloody roar of rock’n’roll.
The Shamefaced Sparrows – Ride That Seastorm
Like the Velvets fronted by Dick Dale, or the Beach Boys cage fighting with the Kinks these are crackling with surf-pop vintage – think cruising rain-slicked neon streets in 50s LA!
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Download Angel Snow – Lie Awake mp3 (from Angel Snow)
Haunting, chilling vocals paired with melancholy lyrics create a gorgeous scenery for a listener’s travels.
Matthew Friedberger - Expectant Fathers – In for a Surprise VII. As if in the Car with the Kids (from Matricidal Sons Of Bitches)
Inspired by the films of Poverty Row and his current city of residence, Paris – it makes for a potent combination.
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Download Jenee Halstead - Rodeo Of Sadness mp3 (from Raised By Wolves)
Another fine example of her spooky, sparse approach that comes across as sounding like a slightly malevolent hybrid of Dolly Parton and PJ Harvey.
Download Skipping Girl Vinegar – You Can mp3 (from Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey)
More heartwarming hobo-pop, full of lyrical twists and sonic layers.
Download Kings Of Lowertown – Down Tobacco Road mp3 (from Kings of Lowertown EP)
Excellent primal blues chug.
Download King Of Spain – Green Eyes mp3 (from All I Did Was Tell Was Tell Them The Truth And They Thought It Was Hell)
Spacious indie rock with jaunty pop hooks.
Bromheads – Holding The Gun
Fizzes over with the energy of a can of Irn-Bru exploding full in your face. It is sharp and pithy, and fast and furious, and machetes its way into your brain like an earworm with a mouthful of razors.
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Wintersleep – Martyr
Another prime example of their shimmering, pulsating indie rock.
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MMOSS – Another Dream
Jangly organs, flutes and driving drums, unexpected arrangements, classic recording sounds and psychy harmonies.
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Algernon Doll – Spiral Sounds
Lavish, intense and splendid, but underpinned with a creeping sense of anxiety and discontent.
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Download Jason Lytle – Somewhere There’s A Someone mp3 (from Dept. Of Disappearance)
A track of wonderfully weary heartbreak and ennui from erstwhile Grandaddy frontman’s new album
Rural Ghosts – Eyes (from Eyes Single)
A little rawer, a little more powerful, but this is still Americana that overflows with haunting beauty.
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Woollen Kits – Susannah (from Four Girls)
sweet, fuzzed-up pysch-garage.
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Download Ending People – Beat Of My Heart mp3 (from Fill Your Lungs)
Catchy, hypnotic indie rock showcases new wave inspired sinewy guitar lines.
Hailer – Spooky Clams (from Another Way)
Calls to mind The Fall in its relentless rhythm, while the reverb swirls and drifts around the (frankly clearer) vocals.
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Download Ty Segall – Femme Fatale mp3 (from The Velvet Underground & Nico by Castle Face and Friends)
Maniacal take on Velvet Underground classic.
Download The Luyas – Your Name’s Mostly Water mp3 (from Animator)
Hypnotically brilliant track from latest album.
Download Fidlar featuring Kate Nash - AWWWKWAARRRDDD mp3 (from Fidlar)
Bizarre combo works a treat. Punk rock!
Download Outer Minds – Those Machines mp3 (from Behind The Mirror)
One hundred and fifty seconds of belligerence escaping with venomous joy from your speakers.
Download Deathbarrel - Merciless Winds mp3 (from Merciless Winds)
The sound of wrenches and motor oil, of Saturday night beers and truckstops, of longing and loss, of late evenings and aching muscles, of endless roads and shore leave, of the dreams of freedom that all and any working man feels deep in his soul.
Download Dr. Dog - Black Or Red mp3 (from Shame, Shame Deluxe Edition)
Scrappy yet hook-packed rock emboldened by a bare-bones aesthetic.
Download Lonesome Moses - Fisting With A Shark mp3 (from Lonesome Moses EP)
Outlaw country that celebrates unassuming heroes and heroines trying to navigate a world of booze, venereal disease, and Octoloans…
Download Dead Stars - Fractured mp3 (from Fractured) Removed at artist’s request.
Races along in a tumble of reverb, gruff vocals and a nagging guitar line that also puts us in mind of Silversun Pickups Lazy Eye.
Juiceboxxx – Expressway To The Darkness
American heart of darkness anthem, like Suicide reinvented for the 21st century.
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Download Dolfish - There Must Be Something Wrong With These Shoes mp3 (from I’d Rather Disappear Than Stay The Same)
More warped promise from the skewed and idiosyncratic world of offbeat folk troubadour.
And to finish off we have a taste of Teen Mom’s effervescent fuzzed up pop from forthcoming EP Mean Tom (pre-order here), another stunning cover from Marissa Nadler – this time Daniel Johnston’s Devil Town and a new non-album track from psych-blues rockers The Buffalo Killers, Baptized is a down-and-dirty rocker that somehow melds heavy psych with gospel! Lastly we have the welcome return of Sleeping Bag’s bedroom indie-pop, addictively deadpan if you will, Walk Home comes from new limited edition EP Women Of Your Life (pre-order here).
Download Teen Mom – I Wanna Go Out mp3 (from Mean Tom EP)
Download Sleeping Bag – Walk Home mp3 (from Women Of Your Life)
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Follow @madmackerelMad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: September 2012
Here we are again – a massive free mix containing the cream of last month’s posts, a couple of new tunes and, all in all, an eclectic set of top quality tunes to kick off the onset of autumn for you. From folk to garage, from country to psychedelia and from originals to covers, there is a multifaceted, multifarious, heterogeneous, assorted miscellaney of delights for you.
Download Simone Felice – War Movie mp3 (from New York Times EP)
Haunting, subtle and fragilely beautiful
Download Fire Mountain – Black Heart mp3 (from Of The Dust EP)
Rolling strum and sway, shot through with melancholy and just a tinge of possible redemption
Download The Reflections – Summer Days mp3 (from Summer Days single)
Hypnotic and hazy, classic introspective indie rock with a dash of chillwave
Marissa Nadler – Save Me A Place
Gorgeous Fleetwood Mac cover
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Download Upside Drown – Sheltering Sky mp3 (from Mood Music)
Six minute mini-epic from new female garage rock duo
Teitur – Jailhouse Gumbo Jones
Another slice of excellent Americana from our favourite folk troubadour from the Faroe Islands
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Zulus – Death In The Current
Slightly ‘poppier’ hardcore. Still with plenty of bite!
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Download Lilly Hiatt & The Dropped Ponies – Championship Fighter mp3 (from Let Down)
A country-folk song of sweetly strummed acoustics and mournful twang
Santah – Indigo
Loose-limbed, roving style of Americana that sits somewhere between Crazy Horse, Wilco and the tropical rhythms of Vampire Weekend.
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The Veda Rays – Cop Knock
Melodies twist and writhe under shimmering guitars and sepia tinged vocals (and has more than a hint of The Walkmen about it)
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Download Kaki King – Great Round Burn mp3 (from Glow)
Taut, straining acoustics signal a slight departure in style
Download Lord Huron – Brother mp3 (from Lonesome Dreams)
Another excellent taste from folkies forthcoming album
Wickerbird – Druids
Lo-fi, ambient folk that is as haunting as it is ethereal
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Download Murder By Death – Lost River mp3 (from Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon)
Brooding and cinematic first taste from forthcoming album Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon
Download Quarter Mile Thunder – Tell Me mp3 (from Twist)
Strong, captivating folk-rock immersed in sparse, haunting atmospherics.
Download Jason Karaban – Misplaced mp3 (from Shift)
Beautiful vignette of melodic chamber pop – warm, introspective and gently humorous
Crushed Out – Weigh You Down
Pure guitar/drum adrenalin rush, plenty of fuzz, tremolo, riffs, chunky chords, slide and Black Sabbath power chords
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Download Tweak Bird - People mp3 (from Undercover Crops EP)
Throw some southern rock and blues boogie, some Creedence style chooglin’, jackhammer percussion, and engine sludge into a pot and then sweeten the deal with a whole brick of Lebanese gold before inviting you to inhale deeply of the results
Download RTB2 – God Will Be The One To Blame mp3 (from 2)
Mixes fuzz, farfisa and a lurching backbeat with an infectious rock hook
Download Eight Belles – Nolchi mp3 (from Girls Underground)
The catchy twang and mountain-stream-clear vocals of Nolchi sounds just like it comes from the heyday of Loretta Lynn or Patsy Cline
Download Your Youth – Thick Gold (Bodied) mp3 (from Battery EP)
Two and a half minute of chainsaw guitars
Pete Fij & Terry Bickers – I Don’t Give A Shit About You
Underneath the sweary surface is actually a love song of sorts. Not only that, it is brilliant.
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Batwings Catwings – Blue Dream
Sounds like it has come snarling and spitting out of CBGBs in 1978 and gleefully kicked every backside it has come across ever since.
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Download Tall Heights – I Don’t Know, I Don’t Know mp3 (from The Running Of The Bulls EP)
Duo with captivating vocal harmonies that drive a folk-inspired accompaniment of cello and acoustic guitar
Communist Daughter – Ghosts
Heavy on bittersweet harmonies, introspective lyricism and swirling atmospheric melodies, this gorgeous track with its echoes of classic era Fleetwood Mac is an absolute gem
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Download Michael Ainsley – Rainy Lonely Day mp3
Brilliant slice of introspective, piano led melancholy that calls to mind Robert Wyatt
Naomi Punk – Burned Body
Every bit as visceral, bloody and nerve-shreddingly noisy as the title suggests
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Magic Arm – Put Your Collar Up
Infectious folk anthem thrown off centre by detuned pianos and woozy synth noises
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Download Black Forest Fire – Live News Feed mp3 (from Transit Of Venus)
Slow burning, pulsating maelstrom that is just as likely to melt your eyeballs under a sonic assault as take you meditatively to a higher plane
Golden Void – The Curve
Brilliant, galloping riffage that makes you want to dust off the denims, put in some hair extensions and throw some shapes with the old air guitar…
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Download Peace – Tattoo mp3 (from The World Is Too Much With Us)
Bass-lines menace and hypnotize, guitar solos explode suddenly in wah-pedal freak-outs, tom-toms thud with a tribal intensity and lyrics alternate between images of defiant despair and love-sick yearning
And fresh into the mix we have the ramshackle garage-punk of Everything Burns, being Ceremony’s side of their new split single with forthcoming tour mates Titus Andronicus, and the second single of dark tinged post-grunge and indie rock from Sweden’s Honey Mustard.
We have a taste of the Pear Traps new EP Elsewhere, which is full of hazy, bittersweet indie – try Santa Fe below, or pick up the whole thing on a “pay what you want” deal from Bandcamp here.
Lastly we have A Classic Education’s cover of Elvis Presley’s Crawfish (from the film King Creole), which is the b-side from a new series of 7″ singles from Covo Club.
Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out all our other Best Of the Month mixes in the sidebar.
Download Ceremony – Everything Burns mp3 (from Split Single with Titus Andronicus)
Download The Pear Traps – Santa Fe mp3 (from Elsewhere EP)
Download – A Classic Education – Crawfish mp3 (from Little Red Riding Hood / Crawfish 7″)
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Follow @madmackerelMarissa Nadler Covers Fleetwood Mac & Townes Van Zandt
Hot on the heels of the recent Fleetwood Mac tribute album, Marissa Nadler has posted up a free cover of her own, a version of FM’s Save Me A Place. It may well be the best of all the recent offerings. This in turn comes quickly after her version of Townes Van Zandt’s The Rake, another beauty.
Download both for free.
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Follow @madmackerelMrs Mackerel’s TFI Sunday (29th July)
After having badly bruised or sprained my toe in another half-witted and clumsy accident Tom and Jerry styley, I was unable to follow my usual sporting pursuits for most of the week so decided it would be a great idea to cycle to Big Sair’s for a glass or two of Pimms a couple of nights ago. Me and my great ideas!
A lovely summer evening, an eight mile round trip in full safety gear by appointment of my newly cycling proficient daughter sprat – what could possibly go wrong? How lovely it all was on the way there and would have remained so had I remembered two things. Firstly, the rural road has virtually no street lights at all for the most part, and secondly, my pathological fear – the dark. The pitch black, can’t see your hand in front of your face dark. As I cycled home, my anxiety, shortly to turn to utter terror, was compounded by my utterly deficient bicycle lights.
The front light would not point straight. It started off facing due east which was just dandy if I was turning right, and entirely useless in any other direction. I cycled frantically until I reached a lone street light and then jiggled around with it until I made it much worse. It now pointed skywards like something from Stalag 13, illuminating the treetops which was frankly bugger all help. Thank god for my life long obsession with chowing on carrots I thought, my night vision should be tremendous. What utter bollocks. I couldn’t see a damn thing but sensed danger everywhere. In one particularly dark, dark bit of the road I could feel my bottom lip begin to wobble. And I wanted my Dad. Tragically, all that I had to defend myself against any would be assailants, monsters or giant badgers was a two kilo bag of rhubarb freshly hewn from BS’s neighbour’s garden.
While being no Bradley Wiggins, my journey time home was rather fast. I burst into the kitchen, burst into tears, clutching my rhubarb and feeling about eight years old.
What a soft lass I am.
Mrs Mackerel x
Download Gram Parsons – In My Hour Of Darkness mp3 (from Grievous Angel)
Download Marissa Nadler – Damsels In The Dark mp3 (from The Saga Of Mayflower May)
Follow @madmackerelMad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: May 2012
Another crackerjack month of new tunes on MM, all lovingly compiled and packaged up for you in one sweet playlist ready to download.
Here are 33 of our favourite tracks from our May postings and 6 new songs too. No need to thank us.
Download Virals – Gloria mp3 (from Coming Up With The Sun EP)
Shines bright with an insanely hooky vocal and charged guitar riffs, taking cues from the sunny California coast yet retaining a suitably English feel.
Download Blasted Canyons – Holy Geometry mp3 (from 2nd Place 12″)
Infectiously driven by a brilliant needling guitar refrain that is guaranteed to stick with you long after the song has finished.
Download Michael J Epstein Memorial Library - Faith In Free Part 1 mp3 (from Faith In Free EP)
Military stomp that comes across like a brilliantly vicious hybrid of Siouxsie & The Banshees and Sparks.
Download Sun Kil Moon - That Bird Has A Broken Wing mp3 (from Among The Leaves)
More starkly beautiful folk.
The Wind-Up Birds – Cross Country
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Skilfully blends influences from folk to punk to create a restless, hybrid sound that has feet in many camps, but a home in none.
Beast make Bomb – Coney Island
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Shimmering slice of indie rock played out against a backdrop of old-school punk attitude.
Dog Moon Howl – Blues Like A Hammer
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Full on sleazy blues and desert rock – imagine if you will Mark Lanegan duelling with Howling Wolf…
Download The Ruminaters – Timmy mp3 (from Timmy Digital Single)
Beatnik, barnyard, hillbilly swamp rock.
Download GravelRoad – Devil’s Eyes mp3 (from Psychedelta)
Sinewy, swamp inspired grooves with a rough and raw blues groan.
Download Marissa Nadler - The Wrecking Ball Company mp3 (from The Sister)
Haunting and ethereal folk that mixes melancholy with yearning in a wonderfully unique way.
Download Hunx – Let Me In mp3 (from Hairdresser Blues)
Flamboyant 60s inspired doo-wop garage-pop.
Download Lord Buffalo - Cold Bones mp3 (from Lord Buffalo EP)
Unsettling and haunting, a blend of darkly shrouded Americana as fiddles moan and guitars ominously brood and slash.
Download Old Bricks – Waves mp3 (from City Lights)
A night’s ride through a dark, sparkling desert.
Download The Doc Marshalls - Here They Come mp3 (from Look Out, Compadre)
Crooked, shimmering folk; evocative and nostalgic.
Download The Tallest Man On Earth – 1904 mp3 (from There’s No Leaving Now)
Characterised by his trademark strum and those wonderful Dylanesqe pipes, but there is a darker twist and turn to the lyrics than we’ve been used to.
Download Hallelujah The Hills - Hungry Ghost Extraordinaire mp3 (from No One Knows What Happens Next)
Wholly absorbing and lyrically scalpel sharp track.
Download Duquette Johnston & The Rebel Kings – Roll Baby Roll mp3 (from Communicating Vessels 7″ Series)
Driving boogie and infectious holler-along refrain.
Download Spacin’ - Sunshine No Shoes mp3 (from New Directions Home- Uncut 2012 07)
Mangled graft of Velvets chug and Stones insouciance.
Download The Agnostic-Phibes Rhythm & Blood Conspiracy – Neckin’ Party mp3 (from Campfire Tales)
Hypnotic swamp rock tale of teenage lust and voyeurism gone horribly awry.
Download The Crocodiles – Endless Flowers mp3 (from Endless Flowers)
Snaking, noise pop.
Download Purling Hiss – Lolita mp3 (from Shaking Through Volume 3)
Huge slab of fuzzed-up riffage.
Download Holograms – Chasing My Mind mp3 (from The Holograms)
Clattering, garage-punk.
Download Hurray For The Riff Raff – Ode To John And Yoko mp3 (from Look Out Mama)
Gorgeous bluesy folk with a slightly retro-feel.
Download Dubious Ranger - 1999 mp3 (from Found Recordings From The Panda Valley Mining Company c.1931)
Gloriously mournful and hypnotic Americana.
Two Wounded Birds – To Be Young
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Exquisitely crafted pop gem full of their trademark surf-twang and velvet vocals – it drips with vacation nostalgia.
Download The Broken Needles - Saltflat Baby mp3 (from Terra Nullius)
Mix of country balladry and spit ‘n’ snarl punk rock that is a little like Tom Waits fronting the Mekons.
Download Jaill – Waste A Lot Of Things mp3 (from Traps)
Their signature slack yet tightly wound musical style and self-deprecating humor retains all its charm.
Download The Virgins – Venus In Chains mp3 (from Venus In Chains single)
Charmingly nonchalant slab of garage inspired rock oozing with glam undertones.
Download Stagnant Pools – Dead Sailor mp3 (from Temporary Room)
Heavy, distorted, squally and reverb heavy, pierced with shafts of melody; would probably be prime candidates to soundtrack the end of the world.
Download The Shrouded Strangers – Drinking The Spider Silk mp3 (from Lost Forever)
Masterclass in whiskey-soaked hillbilly stompers, fuzzed-up psych freak outs, and white-noise wigouts.
Download Rainer & Calexico – Be Prepared mp3 (from The Inner Flame: A Tribute To Rainer Ptacek)
Achingly gorgeous dusty Arizona blues and moan, as elegant and moving as anything you’ll hear for a long, long time.
Red Cosmos – England’s Glory
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Tale of a mother visited in the middle of the night by the pale spectre of her son dying alone, somewhere far away on a battlefield.
Download Grave Babies – Nightmare mp3 (from Gothdammit EP)
Gloomy, drone-filled Goth that manages to keep its tongue firmly in its cheek.
And here are a few new ones to round off your day and set you up for the weekend nicely. First is another taste from the forthcoming Sonny & The Sunsets album, Longtime Companion in the shape of Be The Void. We also have two tracks from our new favourite band, Broken Water: Underground and Drown are good enough to strip the paint from the walls and come from just released new album Tempest.
We have the melodic indie pop dusted with notes of surf rock from Scotland’s The Imagineers and their track The Legend Of John The Terror (Notorious) and Home Groan, a new taste from Dent May’s much anticipated new album. Finally, we have a welcome reissue of some early Silver Jews recordings by Drag City Records to celebrate, from it comes this track Secret Knowledge of Back Roads.
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Download Broken Water – Drown mp3 (from Tempest)
Download Broken Water – Underground mp3 (from Tempest)
Download Dent May – Home Groan mp3 (from Do Things)
Download The Imagineers – The Legend Of John The Terror (Notorious) mp3 (from The Legend Of John The Terror (Notorious))
Download The Silver Jews – Secret Knowledge Of Back Roads mp3 (from Early Times)
Don’t forget to check all our previous monthly Best Of mixes in the sidebar too.
Follow @madmackerelMM Shorts 158: Hallelujah The Hills New Track
We’re loving this new track from a band called Hallelujah The Hills, which features a guest appearance from another MM fave in the shape of the ethereally beautiful Marissa Nadler.
This is Hungry Ghost Extraordinaire, a wholly absorbing and lyrically scalpel sharp track that has one of the best opening lines to a song we’ve heard for a good, long while and doesn’t let up from that moment on.
“I was born in the middle of a screaming match“
The band have an album out next Tuesday via Discrete Pageantry Records titled No One Knows What Happens Next – more details can be found from the band’s website here.
It is a gem, and certainly an album to watch out for.
Download Hallelujah The Hills - Hungry Ghost Extraordinaire mp3 (from No One Knows What Happens Next)
Follow @madmackerelNew Single From Marissa Nadler
We are big fans of Marissa Nadler’s haunting and ethereal folk that mixes melancholy with yearning in a wonderfully unique way.
This is Apostle, the beautiful new single from forthcoming album The Sister and the follow-up up to the first track we heard from the album, The Wrecking Ball Company.
Download both below.
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Download Marissa Nadler – The Wrecking Ball Company mp3 (from The Sister)
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