Brett and Rennie Sparks are The Handsome Family. They are also a staple of the musical diet in the Mackerel household. Pioneers of modern gothic country, we’ve been fans ever since we heard such classics as After We Shot The Grizzly, Weightless Again, In The Air, right through to more recent tracks like Darling My Darling and a host of others. With a sly black humour ever … Continue reading Scattered – new album from The Handsome Family
E’ville Fuzz arrives two-and-a-half years after 6 Day Bender’s self-titled debut. The title references the farmhouse in Earlysville, Virginia, where the band crafted the album’s thirteen songs, as well as the ‘fuzzier,’ more blues-oriented dimension the album explores. The band recorded the new project between bouts of touring, bankrolling the studio sessions with proceeds from the road. The result is a high-octane rock record with … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…6 Day Bender
John Velghe is a notorious scammer, a charlatan; one of those musicians with a guitar case filled with pretty songs performed by a man of ugly intent. Over the years of performing he’s ruined his character and his body in service to rock ‘n roll. All the while leaving a trail of acrimony wrapped in shimmering chords and the snare drum’s crack. So what could … Continue reading Introducing…John Velghe
During time away from his other bands (Blackout Party, John Meeks), Brian Holwerda has recorded a collection of mostly-acoustic songs in his bedroom. The result is a 7 track EP called Witchteeth. Most of the recordings are spare, quiet acoustic versions, but they are presented in a way that retains a rawness and honesty that sets them apart from the usual fare on offer. The … Continue reading Introducing…Brian Holwerda
For some unfathomable reason we’ve been sat on this excellent split release between Exeter’s New Years Evil (like No Age covering The Wedding Present), and Falmouth’s The Black Tambourines (like The Black Lips if they came from Cornwall). It was released on 29th November as a 7″ single with 5 track digital EP along with zine and individual photo print from up and coming south … Continue reading New Years Evil / The Black Tambourines split 7″
We streamed a couple of tracks from the new EP from Two Wounded Birds in late November and since then My Lonesome from the EP has been creeping up the BBC Radio 6 Music playlist and has been much admired by Mrs Mackerel and Barry-Sean here too. Now they’ve given us Night Patrol from the EP to give to you, and it is another cracking … Continue reading Free Download from Two Wounded Birds
Yo Soybean is an alternative folk band from Athens, GA that just finished recording their new album, Manifest Blasphemy. The record will be released in January, and will be available on both Bandcamp and iTunes. Yo Soybean follow in the traditions of Dylan and Oberst, offering insidiously honest lyrics, which the band surrounds with edgy americana and newgrass. The songs are modern tales wrapped in … Continue reading Introducing…Yo Soybean
Party, party at Mackerel Mansions. Actually, we don’t live in a mansion and the party is at some Mexican place in Oxford. Riva riva! The whole gang will be there and hopefully we’ll toast key 2010 moments in the time-honoured fashion. Undoubtedly there will also be some lively debate over top ten contenders for 2010… At least we won’t be near a photocopier for MM … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (10th Dec)
Here at MM we like the Vivian Girls and we like The Woods, so a collaboration between Cassie of the former and Kevin of the latter under the moniker The Babies was always likely to find favour with us. Run Me Over, the rather charming, fuzzed up, doo-wop drenched opener comes from their forthcoming debut album out on February 11th next year. Makes you yearn … Continue reading The Babies ready debut album
As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity will know, Howling Owls are one of our favourite discoveries of 2010. They take menacing, insistent, under-stated indie/folk matched with some of the best lyrical wordplay we’ve heard in a long while. The songs pick away at the edges of domestic strife and family troubles, gleefully revealing a queasy, black-hearted underbelly that remind us of those … Continue reading More from Howling Owls
The Mad Mackerel 