On 12th April, Native Harrow, an indie folk-pop outfit out of New York’s Hudson River Valley will release their new album Happier Now via Different Time Records. They have shared the lead single Can’t Go On Like This, which perfectly evokes some of the classic hippy folk sounds of the late 60s and early 70s (as does the cover of the album…). It is a … Continue reading Native Harrow – Can’t Go On Like This
Gotta love Townes Van Zandt, and particularly the news that a previously unreleased collection of songs titled Sky Blue will be released via Fat Possum on the 7th March (which would have been his 75th birthday). The recordings were made in early 1973 with the late Bill Hedgepeth, a journalist, musician, and most crucially a close friend of TVZ. The singer-songwriter was splitting his time … Continue reading Unreleased Townes Van Zandt Collection Coming In March
Timothy Showalter, aka Strand of Oaks, has been through some dark, dark times recently. Times when he felt certain his songwriting days were finished. It was a fact that the therapeutic experience of making records was often short lived, leading him to bouts of depression, and after 2017’s Hard Love, he found himself spent, determined that he would never write songs again. Thankfully, he says … Continue reading New Album From Strand Of Oaks
Following the release of their 7” single Runnin at the tail end of last year, Ohtis have announced the release of their debut album Curve of Earth on 29th March and shared an excellent new track Rehab. As his Bandcamp page says, the beautifully dark country-Americana and vivid lyricism on Curve of Earth is a fitting introduction to songwriter Sam Swinson’s autobiographical journey through indoctrination and addiction; … Continue reading Ohtis – Curve Of Earth
Back with a bang – no less than fifteen corking new tunes to check out from last week… Sleaford Mods – Kebab Spider The Coathangers – Bimbo Mercury Rev featuring Norah Jones – Okolona River Bottom Band Ryan Adams – Manchester FIDLAR – By Myself Meat Puppets – Nine Pins Stella Donnelly – Old Man Beirut – Landslide PRIESTS – The Seduction Of Kansas Cherry … Continue reading Fifteen Songs You Should Have Heard This Week
We’re very much looking forward to Sharon Van Etten’s upcoming album Remind Me Tomorrow (out next week) and the latest track from it is Seventeen, a warm, fuzzy folk-rocker that reflects on her experiences of New York, now and back when she was a teenager. It is a kind of love letter to the city – nostalgic and romantic, but also touched with the cynicism … Continue reading Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen
Steve Earle & The Dukes have announced the release of new album GUY on 29th March. The 16-song set is comprised of songs written by one of his two primary songwriting mentors, the legendary Guy Clark, and appears ten years after his Grammy Award winning album TOWNES, his tribute to his other songwriting mentor, Townes Van Zandt. Steve Earle first met Guy Clark after hitchhiking from … Continue reading Steve Earle & The Dukes Announce New Album: Guy
Here is a quick round up of some new tunes and videos to start the year properly. First up, Los Angeles duo Girlpool has shared the title track from their upcoming album, What Chaos Is Imaginary, featuring strings, synths, drum machines and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Australia’s Press Club have emerged from the underground punk scene, to become one of the country’s buzziest new bands. This is … Continue reading New Year Round Up
And here, finally, are MM’s own choices for favourite tunes of 2018. Happy New Year one and all… 10 Frog – American Just love the weary, resigned vocals, the profanity, the irresistible guitar jangle, the gradual build and swell into a furiously strummed coda – it sounds like Americana for the unhinged, which is exactly and precisely why we love it so much. … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Favourite Songs Of The Year
Back again like a carrion crow to roadkill. Every year since 2009, Chris T Popper has shared his favourite tunes of the year, and we love him all the more for it… 10. Death Valley Girls – Disaster (Is What We’re After) Whilst the video for this song featuring Iggy Pop eating a hamburger garnered plenty of attention it shouldn’t detract from an absolute … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Favourite Songs Of The Year – Chris T Popper’s Selections
The Mad Mackerel 