The sobering story of professional footballer Justin Fashanu is one that many football fans will know well – the first million pound black footballer, the first openly gay pro footballer in the UK, and a tragic suicide in May 1998, aged only 37. Released yesterday, Fashanu is the debut single from South London’s elephants and castles, and it is appropriately described as a gem of bruising, … Continue reading MM Shorts 592: Elephants And Castles
Canadian folkies, The Barr Brothers have unveiled another new track from their forthcoming album as well as details of a UK tour for the Autumn. The new track is Half-Crazy, also taken from their new album Sleeping Operator, released on the 6th October through Secret City Records. The band describe the song as “the tenacious offspring of the North African desert music of Mali/Morocco, and the sweat … Continue reading More From The Barr Brothers
We are loving this track, Who Killed Smiley Culture? by Emily Capell, a moody acoustic musing over the suspicious death of the pivotal rapper. Delivered with a memorably witty vocal line and matched perfectly with this curiously compelling monochrome video. The single is out via Blang! tomorrow and can be downloaded via iTunes. . Continue reading Video: Emily Capell – Who Killed Smiley Culture?
Martyr Privates are another fine example of the murky, outsider psych influenced indie and post punk currently spewing from down under. Something to Sell takes a heavy base of percussion and ramshackle guitar, heaps a few ladles of fuzzy goodness into the pot, adds a dash of drone and couldn’t-give-a-shit vocals and stirs the whole lot into a throughly enjoyable serving that left us wanting more … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends… Martyr Privates
1. Courtney Barnett – Pickles From The Jar 2. Mirel Wagner – The Dirt 3. Vashti Bunyan – Across The Water 4. TRAAMS – Cissa 5. The Rosebuds – Blue Eyes . . . . . Continue reading Five Songs You Should Have Heard This Week
George “Smoke” Dawson played banjo in MacGrundy’s Old-Timey Wool Thumpers with Peter Stampfel (later of Holy Modal Rounders) in 1960, lived for years at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY, and roamed around the US as an itinerant bagpipe and fiddle player for decades. His life is laced with small triumphs, and lots of tragedy. But he’s still with us. Tompkins Square will reissue his … Continue reading The Story of Smoke Dawson
Quirky, off-kilter singer-songwriter Spookyland has a way with song titles. Having posted The Silly Fucking Thing previously, we have another track from his debut EP (released today). This is the title track Rock and Roll Weakling… . Continue reading Another From Spookyland
The scorched, warped Americana and post-punk of The Ukiah Drag with its pulsating organs, flattening riffs and creep beats have long found favour here in the Mackerel abode. Their new LP is titled In the Reaper’s Quarters and can be pre-ordered from Wharf Cat Records. This is Her Royal Grip from it, and a more remorseless and unsettling four and half minutes of music you’ll be hard pressed … Continue reading New From The Ukiah Drag
Here is the official video for Wild Animals, the title track for the new album from bluegrass-based Minnesota folk-rock band Trampled by Turtles. Continue reading New Video: Trampled By Turtles – Wild Animals
Lightning have announced their first quarterly, part of a larger subscription series the label has put together with four quarterly gonzo style magazines and a 20 album series where artists have been asked to contribute a unique side project or edge creative statement. Lightning quarterly one includes: Five new albums by early Brooklyn infamous rock legends People of the North (Oneida), mythological songwriter and long … Continue reading Wooden Wand – Waveland
The Mad Mackerel 