The recent UK release of Langhorne Slim & The Law’s excellent album The Way We Move has belatedly, but firmly, put them on the MM radar and sent us scurrying off to discover his back catalogue. Honky tonk, blues, folk, country and raw acoustic beauty all make an appearance and demonstrate that we have a band that are not only masters of all trades, but one … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 10: Langhorne Slim
Red Dress is the new single by folk/pop group Monuments & Statues. The single precedes the band’s forthcoming debut full length record, currently untitled, that is due out in late 2013/early 2014. The band are based in Kingston, Ontario and combine traditional folk/classical instrumentation with quirky songwriting – Red Dress is anchored by banjo with animated cello and vocals alternately assuming lead status. Their overall sound … Continue reading Introducing >>> Monuments & Statues
Having raved about the first taste of Aussie band Lower Plenty’s album Hard Rubbish back in January, here is another perfectly judged track of hazy countrified melancholia in the shape of Nullarbor. The album is out on Fire Records on the 1st April. Continue reading MM Shorts 335: More From Lower Plenty
White Woods is the project of Julia Kugel, better known for her work as the guitarist and vocalist for Atlanta’s riotous garage rockers The Coathangers. Under her solo moniker, Kugel delivered a heartfelt blend of golden-oldies and subdued Americana with her debut single on one of our favourite labels, Suicide Squeeze last year. Now she is back with another offering, exploring the same kind of sultry … Continue reading New Single From White Woods
Today’s videos are from our favourite southern fried country rockers The Futurebirds, Colleen Green as a cabbie in her new video for Taxi Driver, indie psych-rockers TOY’s video for latest single Heart Skips A Beat, and a 1990s VHS inspired video from The Men for I Saw Her Face, one of the moodier tracks from excellent new album New Moon. . . . Continue reading Videos of the Day: The Futurebirds || Colleen Green || TOY || The Men
Like Vic Chesnutt and Mark Linkous (of Sparklehorse), Jason Molina was a truly unique songwriting voice, a genuine poet who could capture in a few short lines what others would fail to say in a whole song. That he should lose his battle with alcoholism at the age of just 39 is a tragedy. Download Songs: Ohia – Two Blue Lights mp3 (from Didn’t It … Continue reading R.I.P. Jason Molina
Short films of the musical variety to enjoy with the sweet folk of The Paper Kites, and the hillbilly swamp-rock of The Ruminaters. There is Sanders Bohlke’s slightly macabre and dreamlike video for Ghost Boy, and some powerful electro tinged rock from Waking Up Dead, with a video based on the opening scene from the 1983 cult, art-horror flick The Hunger. . . (Click through to download for free.) … Continue reading Videos of the Day: The Paper Kites || The Ruminaters || Sanders Bohlke || Eyes On Film
The final day of SXSW and I’m on a quest. Phosphorescent play their last show today and I have tried and failed to get into four previous ones already. So it is the long walk away from downtown and up to the San Jose Hotel day party, I arrive hot, bothered and five hours early…but I’m in! No matter either because Shakey Graves is on … Continue reading SXSW Day 5: Experiencing One Or Two Technical Difficulties
Alela Diane returns with a new album About Farewell and the first taste is this absolutely stunning track The Way We Fall. It is a wistful, haunting lament for lost love, and softly and sorrowfully rakes over past memories in a way that makes the heartbreak as poignant and as real as anything we’ve heard for a long time. Have a listen. Continue reading MM Shorts 333: Alela Diane’s New Album
Having now learnt from the previous two days of SXSW (fully creamed up for a start) and the seemingly vastly increased numbers from 2009, I headed straight for The Red Eyed Fly determined at the third attempt to get into a Phosphorescent show…only to be greeted by more lines that stretched way, way into the distance. Having no further wish to baste in the midday … Continue reading SXSW Day 4: Ladies Day In Texas
The Mad Mackerel 