Mad Mackerel Recommends…Puerto Muerto

Although Drumming For Pistols is the fifth album from Puerto Muerto and was released over here way back in February, it is the first album of theirs that we’ve had the pleasure of discovering. The Chicago band are a husband and wife duo drawing in influences from the Clash to the Nick Cave to Jacques Brel and spewing them out into a swashbuckling mix of … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Puerto Muerto

New from Truman Peyote featuring Emily Reo

We have featured the wonderful Emily Reo a few times on MM and it is always a pleasure to get something new from her in our in-box. And so it was today when we received this track called Turn Into Feathers. It is a collaboration with Truman Peyote and will feature on his forthcoming split release with Attached Hands on Post Records. Starting like something … Continue reading New from Truman Peyote featuring Emily Reo

MM Recommends…American Graveyard

We are a little embarrassed to say that we’ve sat on this for a little while and so it is a little later than we would have liked getting posted on MM. American Graveyard have been described as ‘debauched Americana’ and certainly they do sing songs about boozing, fighting, women and all other kinds of trouble. However, they do it with a skill and panache … Continue reading MM Recommends…American Graveyard

Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday

If Marcus Mumford is the Doctor, then Mark Lanegan is the Master, both being truly wonderful and original incantations of the singer/songwriter model.  You get my drift? Welcome to my world. This week gives me the perfect excuse to commend another Lanegan song to TFI Friday, with the release of his latest joint collaboration with Isobel Campbell, Hawk. To my little ears, his voice is … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday

New from Fever Ray and the National

Well we couldn’t let these two ‘biggies’ pass could we? Fever Ray’s cover of Peter Gabriel’s Mercy Street is superb, it is as though the song was just waiting for a makeover using the spooky, icy electronica that is Karin Dreijer Andersson’s trademark. Check out the freaky cover too… And this week The National unveiled this new, suitably downtempo piano led track on Minnesota Public Radio … Continue reading New from Fever Ray and the National

Introducing…Ono Palindromes

A little while ago we received in the mail a copy of the latest EP from Ono Palindromes titled The Kool Aid Acid Test. To our shame we took too long to get around to playing it, but once we did we were immediately taken with its ferocious energy, vicious circling guitars and gunshot percussion. From a similar stable as Pulled Apart By Horses (no … Continue reading Introducing…Ono Palindromes

New from Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences

Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences play a wonderfully quirky brand of anti-folk that could only come from these fair shores. Their songs are constructed in a way that puts the minutiae of British ways and customs firmly under the microscope and then gleefully dissects them to expose their often ridiculous nature to all and sundry. And they do it so well by being masters … Continue reading New from Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences

Introducing…Escapists

A while ago we featured a song from the excellent debut EP by The Cutaway, an alt-indie folk band from south London. Escapists is the name of a new side project featuring two members of the band. They have played a few live shows and have just finished recording their debut EP. We’ve listened to a couple of demos (especially the naggingly catchy Burial) and … Continue reading Introducing…Escapists

New Single from Sixty Watt Bayonets

Following last year’s acclaimed debut mini-album Pounding Hearts Fighting Words, all-girl UK indie-punks Sixty Watt Bayonets returned this summer with follow-up single I Wish I Was Your Girlfriend. It is pure foot-stomping disco-punk with hi-energy shimmy and a skewed breakdown near its peak to ensure these two minutes are packed with everything you need from such barbed guitar horseplay. It is the band at their … Continue reading New Single from Sixty Watt Bayonets

Small Black release first track from New Chain

Last week Jagjaguwar announced the first details of Small Black’s first full-length album New Chain due out Oct. 26 in the U.S. and Oct. 25 in the U.K. They have now released the first single Photojournalist for download. The song begins with a lilting sliding beat before dropping into a gorgeous moment of ambient wash. As the lyrics kick in with lead singer Josh Kolenik … Continue reading Small Black release first track from New Chain