Ghostflake is the second (and last) in a small series of b-sides released this year from Owls of the Swamp (the indie folk project of Australian singer-songwriter, Pete Uhlenbruch), currently recording his third album in Iceland and UK (due for release in 2014). The track is a brief departure from his usual guitar-picking sound. Driven instead by warm antique pianos and a collection of vintage … Continue reading MM Shorts 472: Owls Of The Swamp
A set of videos from some of indie’s big hitters and up and comers today. We have the orchestral Americana of Night Beds, the gritty, and often eerie indie rock leanings of Califone, the pastoral folk of Deep Dark Woods, and the haunting singer-songwriter Broken Twin. . . . . Continue reading Videos of the Day: Night Beds || Califone || Deep Dark Woods || Broken Twin
Sub Pop has signed Lyla Foy (formerly known as WALL) to their roster and will release her debut album next year. We were fortunate enough to see her perform an intimate and fragilely lovely show in the hushed surroundings of Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church at SXSW this year. Preceding the album will be the Easy / Head Down single, available from the 19th November as … Continue reading WALL Becomes Lyla Foy. Signs To Sub Pop
Time for another big round up of just a few of the many quality tunes that have found their way into our in-box and into our ears. We have not had enough time over the past few weeks to do them proper justice, but we promise all are worth some of your time to get to know them better. Enjoy. First up are Banded Stilts, … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Massive Monday Round-Up
Just in time for the witching hour on Halloween, we have the video for Josh Ritter’s Evil Eye – a suitable end to the night… Continue reading Josh Ritter’s Halloween-themed Evil Eye Video
Calgary James is from the Boston-based band High Diner. He has a new single out for free download titled Days Like These. It is a thoroughly enjoyable, meandering acoustic guitar ditty with a nicely judged psych-pop undercurrent – should appeal to fans of Mac DeMarco. Continue reading MM Shorts 466: Calgary James
Back at the beginning of February we posted the excellent debut single Mifune from all-female folk band Scowlin Owl. Taking influences from the classic (Dylan, Baez, The Band, Fairport Convention) to the contemporary (Decemberists, Midlake, Sufjan Stevens) and led by main songwriter Nina Lovelace, the band prefer to be inspired by life’s great stories, places or people rather than simpler themes of love or loss. In November they … Continue reading Debut EP From Scowlin Owl
Ten years ago today Elliott Smith died. For years I resisted listening to his music. I mean properly listening, and it was only this year that I decided to stop being so foolishly stubborn and try again. Even then it took Mrs M to put me straight and make me persist. I’m glad I did. Continue reading Elliott Smith
We have been utterly entranced by Agnes Obel’s session on Radio 6 today. A Danish singer-songwriter possessed of the most affecting and haunting voice, we missed her 2010 debut release Philharmonics completely, and we have only just discovered the follow-up Aventine that was released at the end of September. It is a record conceived for the angels. Strings and piano are much to the fore, … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Agnes Obel
The River Has Many Voices is the adopted moniker of singer-songwriter Matthew Payne who has a number of digital releases available for pay-what-you-want deals on his Bandcamp page. We came across him via a few serendipitous clicks around the web, and our introduction came in the form of the video for the stunning If You Gotta Go (Go With Me). It was one of those … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends… The River Has Many Voices
The Mad Mackerel 