We became instant fans of the Wind-Up Birds after hearing the brilliant There Won’t Always Be An England from their Tyre Fire 7″. They are a peculiarly British band steeped in the idiosyncrasies and (sometime ridiculous) ways and mentalities of our island, unafraid to gleefully reveal when the Emperor is out and about with his new clothes, and to champion the cause of the forgotten, the … Continue reading The Welcome Return of the Wind-Up Birds
Monsters From Mars is, perhaps unsurprisingly given the name, a surf/garage rock band from San Diego, CA. Formed in 2001, over the years they have put out various self-released DIY CD-Rs and a 7″ out on Tic Tac Totally, which includes an instrumental surf cover of Britney Spears‘s Toxic. Way back in 2006 they recorded a couple tracks for a split 7″ with their friends in The Creepy Creeps, but label … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends Monsters From Mars
Last Saturday night way up yonder where the North wind doth blow, in an Italian restaurant (suppressing the urge to quote Billy Joel here for fear of reprisals), I had a little tête-à-tête with MON. My blushing was off the scale on the rouge-ometer but he was every bit as erudite, charming and utterly splendid as I thought he would be. Renounce your team and … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (4th May)
So many new releases, so little time. Here are a few guaranteed to brighten up a Friday. Loving this new track, Yatton from Beak> in all its hypnotic, krautrock inspired glory. From a new album due in the summer. a In a similar vein, Arc In Round’s self-titled debut LP, being released June 26, by La Société Expéditionnaire, reflects a sensibility garnered from endless hours of … Continue reading New Releases Round Up
On May 7th (digital)/May 21st (physical), ex-Lovvers frontman, Shaun Hencher will release Coming Up With The Sun EP for his new project called Virals. Check out and download Gloria, a three-minute gem bedded in the middle of the record that shines through with an insanely hooky vocal and charged guitar riffs, taking cues from the sunny California coast yet retaining a suitably English feel. It has the … Continue reading Introducing >>> Virals
After a short break from touring to write and record new material, Polly and the Billets Doux return with their Hold Fast EP and a UK tour this month. They recorded the new EP at the infamous Truck Studios (from the same team behind Truck and Wood Festivals). Hold Fast marks the band’s first formal release of 2012, with their second album set to follow … Continue reading Polly and the Billets Doux – New EP & Tour
It was with an open mind and one clog firmly on the accelerator that I journeyed with Big Sair on Tuesday evening to watch The Staves at the rather wonderful venue of The Tabernacle in London’s Notting Hill. What I might call, I decided on reflection, the perfect Mrs Mackerel gig destination. A good start. And we even made it in time. The Staves are … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s Live Review: The Staves
Insound are really pumping out the free digital mixes lately. Hot on the heels of their recent free Vinyl News mixtape now comes their free May mix. The sampler has thirteen great tracks from A Place to Bury Strangers, Alexander Tucker, Dunes, Edie Sedgwick, Eric Copeland, Exitmusic, Here We Go Magic, King Tuff, S. Carey and more! But remember kids, the sampler’s only available for the next week … Continue reading MM Shorts 150: Insound’s Free May Mix
The wonderful Handsome Family will be touring the UK in May, visiting us in Oxford and also playing London’s legendary 100 Club. Our friend Ronan of Nightshift magazine describes them far better than we ever could in his listing for the Oxford gig: The husband and wife duo of Brett and Rennie Sparks have been creating beautiful, grotesque music together for close to 20 years … Continue reading The Handsome Family Announce UK Tour
We’re not too sure how to describe what’s going on here other than to say we like it a lot. Butchers & Bakers are straight out of Brooklyn, New York, and their debut EP Count On, Count On, will be released on June 12. Try Victory March from the EP on for size – the best description we’ve seen simply says vocalist Rebecca Keith’s voice sounds “kind of like … Continue reading MM Shorts 149: Butchers & Bakers
The Mad Mackerel 