An Interview with Wooden Wand

Last week we were lucky enough (in our eyes) to have James Jackson Toth, aka Wooden Wand play a couple of dates in the UK. Although for various reasons the London dates fell through, Christy-Popper and Dr Roddy headed up North to York to catch him live and to have a chat with one of MM’s all time favourite performers. Arriving in York after a … Continue reading An Interview with Wooden Wand

Fire Records Reissue Giant Sand Albums

The ever reliable Fire Records has announced the start of a Giant Sand / Howe Gelb series of rolling reissues, which will see the re-release of roughly 30 albums culminating in two box sets to be released next year. Each album will be lovingly re-issued in red and silver limited edition digipacks.  The first three (Valley Of Rain, The Ballad Of A Thin Line Man, Storm) … Continue reading Fire Records Reissue Giant Sand Albums

Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: January

Here is our regular round up of the best of January’s posts plus a couple of new tracks for your listening pleasure – all beautifully designed to make one perfect mixtape. Download Wooden Wand – The DNR Waltz mp3 More classic down-tempo folk from greatly underrated MM fave. Download Phosphorescent – Are You Ready For The Country? mp3 Riff-heavy, mean-assed cover which brilliantly captures the double-edged viciousness … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: January

The Kills Are Back

The Kills have long been one of our most favourite bands here at MM, and Fried My Little Brains would definitely still rank near the top of my hypothetical “favourite songs of all time” list that we all carry around in our heads. So after a too-long hiatus, we’re delighted that they’re back with a new album, Blood Pressures, released on Domino Records, which is scheduled … Continue reading The Kills Are Back

MM’s Video Update

Here are a few of the better/more interesting videos that have found our way into the in-box recently. First up are The Whigs, a band we’ve posted about a few times. This is the band keeping it simple in their self-directed video for So Lonely from current album In The Dark. Rodeo Massacre are a Swedish/French band in thrall to the sixties garage scene and … Continue reading MM’s Video Update

More from Duke Garwood, new album released tomorrow

London bluesman, Duke Garwood is set to release Dreamboatsafari, his first release for Fire Records, tomorrow. We’ve already given you Jesus Got A Gun and now we have another offering of sparse folk-blues for you in the shape of the skeletal and unsettling Summer Gold. Download Duke Garwood – Summer Gold mp3 (from Dreamboatsafari) Download Duke Garwood – Jesus Got A Gun mp3 (from Dreamboatsafari) Continue reading More from Duke Garwood, new album released tomorrow

Wooden Wand Kickstarter Update

Just received this update from Wooden Wand about his Kickstarter project. “Howdy everybody, Really excited to announce that we have reached our goal – we officially have enough to cover the recording, mixing, mastering and pressing of this LP. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart – this has been very inspiring. But let’s don’t quit now! We undershot by a bit to … Continue reading Wooden Wand Kickstarter Update

Hurray For The Riff Raff to release debut album in the UK

Hurray For The Riff Raff began when a teenage Alynda Lee Segarra started hopping freight trains across the USA to satisfy a yearning to explore its mythical small towns and backwaters and live a life on the road and the rail track. She left her native Bronx, New York at the age of 17, and while riding the rails she hooked up with The Dead Man … Continue reading Hurray For The Riff Raff to release debut album in the UK

Mad Mackerel Recommends…Caleb Stine

Caleb Stine’s music is hardworking, genuine, and unafraid to tell it like it is. Armed with a storyteller’s eye and a restless independent spirit, Stine recently released his latest album (his fifth), I Wasn’t Built for a Life Like This. Described as, “somewhere between the renegade cowboy-poetry of Townes Van Zandt and the sweet rough and tumble sound of Neil Young’s Harvest”, the album is a … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Caleb Stine

Phosphorescent cover Neil Young for Mojo

Following hot on the heels of our plug for the latest edition of Uncut magazine, comes this one for the latest edition of Mojo. The cover CD is another classic album reinterpretation – this time of Harvest and features artists such as Villagers, the Smoke Fairies, Danny And The Champions of the World and Sam Amidon. Of particular interest to us was the inclusion of … Continue reading Phosphorescent cover Neil Young for Mojo