Apparently Dr. Dog will be releasing a new 7″ tour vinyl with four new songs that they recorded after their summer tour. It will be sold on their fall (aka autumn) tour and after that get a release on iTunes. For those that don’t have the latest album Shame, Shame – get it! Buy from Amazon here. They are giving away a song from the … Continue reading New from Dr.Dog
Here at home, in our very small Cotswold town, the only other Giant Sand fan we know is Angus – and so he will be rejoicing today as we have a brand new track to download. Arizona-based musician Howe Gelb has remained the sole epicenter and creative force behind the ever-fluid configurations of Giant Sand for over a quarter century. 2010 marks the 25th anniversary … Continue reading Giant Sand Return – One For Angus!
We’re still trying (and failing) to do justice to all the good stuff, the new stuff, the different stuff and the plain mad stuff that comes into our inbox or through the mail. So, with apologies to the bands involved, all of whom should really have had more than a couple of lines, here is another quick round-up for you covering everything from hardcore to … Continue reading Another Round-up
Everything about Scott Fant is lean, trimmed down and to the point. This is what he told us about his first new release for six years… Texas singer/songwriter/guitarslinger Works hard, writes songs, plays his guitar. 7 Ways From Sunday is stark and sparse – 10 stories, guitar & vocals. Texas Folk Americana and Gothic Country music. Try 8lb Sledge below and you’ll see the few … Continue reading Introducing…Scott Fant
It is always good to support your local music scene, and we’re lucky to have Oxford as ours – for its size, it is one of the most vibrant and diverse in the UK. Recently, we’ve had three or four ‘breakthroughs’ hoping to follow in the footsteps of recent successes like Foals and Stornoway. First up is Moshi Moshi’s latest signing Trophy Wife. The Oxford trio are … Continue reading MM Goes Local – Oxford Roundup
Well, Mrs Mackerel unbound! Shaking free from the rather genteel tethers of a typical Friday night in downtown Charlbury, we are heading towards the Big Smoke for a gig where I reckon MM and I could be the oldest fish there. And hurray, we have seats! I’m far too old to stand up for too long, even if it is Mumford & Sons. Poor little … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday
Dawn Kinnard possesses one of those voices that sounds like it floated out from a 1920s jazz cafe – believe us, describing it as smoky doesn’t come near to doing it justice. She recently released her second album Wrong Side of the Dream and it is a surprising and engaging listen with plenty of musical left turns that stop it from ever lapsing into the … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Dawn Kinnard
So last night it was off to Oxford to see recent Mercury Prize nominees The Villagers supported by Cate Le Bon. I was accompanied by major-league Villagers fan Stu, so was hoping that expectations would be met… We only managed to catch the end of Cate Le Bon’s set (on at a ridiculously early 7.30pm), but what we heard was enough to make us wish … Continue reading The Villagers Live
Yesterday saw the release of The Apothecary EP by Leland Sundries. At first you might think it is just another in a long line of “find and replace” folk, but led by Nick Loss-Eaton, Leland Sundries’ take on Americana sits comfortably alongside contemporaries like Elvis Perkins, Jay Farrar, and A.A. Bondy, yet is informed by decades of history, too. Like many great folk songs and … Continue reading Introducing…Leland Sundries
Pancake Breakfast gave us the ridiculously catchy (and current Mackerel family fave) The Ballad Of Maynard Noe recently. It comes from their new self-titled album, and the band have now embarked on a plan to release a video for each of the eleven tracks on the album. So, first up is the marvellous Pedro Infante. Watch it below in all its monochrome beauty. Buy the album … Continue reading Pancake Breakfast unveil new videos
The Mad Mackerel 