Belying it’s somewhat melancholy message, American Dream from Cereus Bright’s recently released debut album Excuses is a lovely example of their easy-going strummed Americana. Similarly with second track, Claustrophobic which has a touch more urgency, but still features some lovely harmonies and guitar work. Nice stuff. Listen to both below. Buy from Bandcamp here. Continue reading MM Shorts 865: Cereus Bright
As we have been soaking up the rays in Crete this week it seems appropriate to share a track from Holy Monitor who also hail from the sunbaked Mediterranean shores of Greece. They seamlessly blend acid-drenched, neo-psychedelia with krautrock to create dreamy, groove-heavy soundscapes. Golden Light/Aeolus brings together the groups two self-released digital EPs for the first time, creating the perfect summer album for turning on, tuning … Continue reading Introducing >>> Holy Monitor
Having spent a mighty fine week soaking up the sunshine in Crete we are feeling pretty good about life. And if that wasn’t enough here are ten of the best of the week’s new releases (as judged by us of course). They Include the very welcome return of fire and brimstone gothic folkies Wovenhand and Argentinian garage-posters Las Kellies, cracking tracks from Bueno and Okkervil River, … Continue reading Ten Songs You Should Have Heard This Week
So Cow have now been around for over 10 years. Lisa Marie Airplane Tour is their fifth album, although there are those who could argue that it is number six, seven or eight depending on how much value can be placed on temporary bandcamp releases or hastily uploaded .zip files. No matter, these are twelve songs about anxiety; written in the midst of it, but … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends… So Cow
We posted about apocalyptic folk duo The Survivalists and their debut album back at the beginning of the year. They are in the midst of recording the follow-up, Plagiarism is the Sincerest Form of Stealing, and have shared the excellent first single with us titled When The Shit Hit The Fan. It hums along at a fair pace and reminds us of The Dutchess & The Duke crossed … Continue reading New From The Survivalists
Based out of New York and backed by the Restless Daughters, Kate Vargas is a singer-songwriter taking her cues from the classic outlaw country artists like Merle and Willie but isn’t afraid to add in some bluegrass, some dark-folk, and pretty much anything else that takes her fancy. Think somewhere between Shovels & Rope, Tom Waits and Nina Simone… Check out a couple of tracks from … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends… Kate Vargas
Out today on Lazy Octopus Records, Under The Palm Trees is the first new material from Anti Pony since their debut 7″ on PNKSLM in 2014. It is a perfect slice of hazy, summer-soaked psych-pop infused with a spaghetti western twang. Perfect. Give it a spin. Continue reading MM Shorts 864: Anti Pony
New Zealand’s Aldous Harding’s music is not for the faint of heart. Disarming in its desolate imagery and stark instrumentation, it deals with the raw materials of life: death, birth, grief and love. There are few happy endings, but the power is in how Harding enters into battle; with a dancer’s grace and a boxer’s stance. Comparisons could be made with contemporaries Marissa Nadler and … Continue reading Aldous Harding – Stop Your Tears
Picnic Lightning’s self-titled debut LP sees the light of day early next month and the first single from the Fort Worth, Tx band is the excellent American Ruin. A naggingly insistent tune of taut, barely restrained indie rock that has touchpoints from Yo La Tengo to Sonic Youth to Ty Segall. Really good stuff. Listen below. Continue reading MM Shorts 863: Picnic Lightning
As we’ve mentioned previously, we loved NOTS aural assault at the Great Escape – a fabulous brew of punk rock, garage, and krautrock, topped with a genuine screw you attitude that has been conspicuously absent from most ‘punk’ bands we’ve come across in latter times. Their new album Cosmetic is out on the 9th September, and Inherently Low, a song about depression and loss and … Continue reading More From NOTS
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