Levon Helm 1940-2012
RIP Levon Helm. A true bonafide musical genius and a genuine legend. Download Levon Helm – White Dove mp3 (from Electric Dirt) Download The Band – Whispering Pines mp3 (from The Band) Continue reading Levon Helm 1940-2012
Category: Americana
MM Shorts 144: New Blitzen Trapper Video
The new video for Blitzen Trapper’s Stranger In A Strange Land from their American Goldwing album features landscapes found in Nome, Alaska, where there are no indigenous trees or mountains within plain sight, interspersing footage of the Iditarod finish line, the Bering Sea, and singer Eric Earley with shivery hand-held pans in 20 below zero conditions. a Continue reading MM Shorts 144: New Blitzen Trapper Video
Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (20th April)
I hear the train a comin’, it’s rolling round the bend… This term’s inaugural school journey saw the introduction of Johnny Cash week, in my attempt to give the sprats an all-round musical education. We’ll spin the bottle and see where it lands next week – everyone a winner! Frankly, not much to laugh about this week. Little Liberty and HP still marooned in hospital; … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (20th April)
New From Black Creek
We first mentioned the scuzzy country rock and bar-room boogie of Aussies Black Creek back in November when we posted a track from their album Ragged Shark. They are back with a new digital single titled Not For The Faint Of Heart backed with Gone Is The Darkness and it is another muscular example of their ragged, raw take on Americana, a sound they describe as … Continue reading New From Black Creek
MM Shorts 143: St Augustines Video
The track Juarez by St Augustines has rapidly become a firm favourite in the Mackerel household over the past few weeks, and many a reference to rattlesnake guts have been made by the sprats recently. Opportune then that we should receive details of a new video to accompany the song. The clip captures a road trip across the border towns of the Southwest as an … Continue reading MM Shorts 143: St Augustines Video
Free EP From The Lumineers
The Lumineers have been generating a lot of buzz recently following the release of their self-titled debut album earlier this month. As a celebration of the release they are making a four track EP, Tracks From The Attic, available for free from Noisetrade. Their sound is a mix of barnstorming Americana, stomp-and-clap rock and front-porch folk and the EP offers an early glimpse into the … Continue reading Free EP From The Lumineers
More From Coke Weed
Coke Weed were one of our favourite discoveries of last year and their new album Nice Dreams has been seducing us further and further with each play – each track like tendrils of fog swirling round your head, elusive and smoky, but gradually revealing their irresistible delights. They have made a video for new single, Jimmy which they are also giving away as a free … Continue reading More From Coke Weed
Introducing >>> Sci-Fi Romance
LA’s Sci-Fi Romance describe themselves as an alt-folk band and have a new album, The Ghost of John Henry due out on May 8th. Their music has attracted the moniker ‘steam folk’ and they have been compared with the Decemberists and Nick Cave, but there are nods to punk and even metal in the mix too. Enough then to make us want to give the … Continue reading Introducing >>> Sci-Fi Romance
Introducing >>> Dig Deeper
Dig Deeper mine a rich vein of musical heritage with their expert exploration of Americana, psychedelia and Alt-Country, effortlessly calling to mind artists like Son Volt, Dream Syndicate, Crazy Horse, Drive By Truckers and Green On Red. That in itself is not a surprise. However, when juxtaposed against the fact they come from the homeland of MM’s mother, Norway, frankly it is. But make no mistake, … Continue reading Introducing >>> Dig Deeper
Mad Mackerel Recommends…Hiss Golden Messenger
Hiss Golden Messenger is Durham, North Carolina-based songwriter M.C. Taylor, in partnership with multi-instrumentalist and recordist Scott Hirsch, who lives in Brooklyn, New York. The pair have been playing a sort of off-kilter mystical country music together for nearly two decades, although it was only with the re-release of the excellent From Country Hai East Cotton last year that we became properly aware of them. They … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Hiss Golden Messenger
The Mad Mackerel 