One of the advantages of having a blog like this is being able to make up the rules as you go along, and today that means giving the limelight to our youngest Joe, who reaches the ripe old age of seven today. Now, we are all guilty of bias and of nepotism at times (and this is one of them), but I think you’d be … Continue reading Joe’s Birthday Mix
The Black Lips sixth album will be Arabia Mountain and in a departure from the norm they have enlisted the shiny pop tart Mark Ronson to produce over half the album’s sixteen songs. On the face of it, it seems an unlikely combination – however, first track Modern Art suggests the band have lost absolutely none of their garage fuelled boozy swagger while adding some … Continue reading Black Lips: Arabia Mountain Album
It’s that time again – the new Insound digital May mix is up and ready for free downloading. This month offers 21 tracks from the likes of Times New Viking, The Fresh & Onlys, The Feelies and Seapony. You know the drill – only up for a week and you can get a taste below, or just grab the whole thing here. Download Religious Knives … Continue reading Insound’s Free May Mix
We’re always pleased when an Oxford band starts to make waves and this is certainly true for Jonquil who have debuted a new video for Get Up off of their debut EP, One Hundred Suns (available now on Dovecote Records). Sharing their vibrant brand of western afro-pop and calypso rhythms, the band made a phenomenal US debut playing three sold-out New York sets in 48 … Continue reading Jonquil’s New Video for Get Up
Psychedelic barbecue anyone? Here is the new video from The Donkeys for one of our favourite songs of 2011 so far. If you don’t have it yet, grab it below. http://vimeo.com/22669196 Download The Donkeys – Don’t Know Who We Are mp3 (from Born With Stripes) Download The Donkeys – I Like The Way You Walk mp3 (from Born With Stripes) Continue reading New Video from the Donkeys
Athens, Georgia’s Witches will release their debut LP, Forever on May 17 on Bakery Outlet Records. The band takes touches of the Breeders’ feminine boldness, Des Ark’s brusque emotional stance, and the wide-open, true rock n’ roll worldliness of Midwestern punk idols the Replacements. They combine it all into a heady and sometimes thrilling whole – take a listen to album opener Creature Of Nature … Continue reading Introducing…Witches
In the past twelve months, Howling Owls may well have featured more on MM than any other band. Ever since we discovered their uniquely sinister take on the world with queasy tales of small town life, they have continued to delight and surprise with a whole series of tracks that have been uniform in their excellence. So we are delighted to have both details of their … Continue reading Howling Owls: When Tipsy Turns Somber EP
We have long been fans of We Are Country Mice, and they have now shortened their name to simply Country Mice and will release their debut album Twister via Wao Wao Records on 7th June. Coming across like a mix between Wilco and The Pixies they are equally at home with the country rock of the former and the blistering sonic experiments of the latter combining both to … Continue reading New From Country Mice
Another month, another mix. A collection of twenty or so of the best tunes we posted in April plus a couple of tasty new ones. Download, hit play, relax. Download Ha Ha Tonka – Usual Suspects mp3 (from Death Of A Decade) Soulful, catchy, country rock. Download Sweet Lights – The Shortest Man On Earth mp3 (from Digital Single) Beautifully judged excursion into the world of classic sunshine and … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: April 2011
The first time we came across Beth Jeans Houghton she was supporting Phosphorescent at a gig in London. She was disarmingly quirky, funny, and a little self conscious, but underneath the oddball behaviour it was obvious that there was real songwriting talent and a unique voice at work. After releasing just one EP (Hot Toast) and one single (Golden/Night Swimmer), Houghton attracted major mainstream media … Continue reading Beth Jeans Houghton signs with Mute Records
The Mad Mackerel 