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
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
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
Every so often we highlight the Daytrotter Studio session downloads that can be yours for a mere $2 per month. Often three sessions per day handpicked from the very best of both the up and coming and well established artists across a whole range of musical genres – there are treats and delights galore to be found. Just in the past few days there have … Continue reading Joe Pug & Timber Timbre on Daytrotter
Six more artists and seven tunes to brighten up your Sunday. From the garage reverb of King Tuff to the mournful acoustics of Sun Kil Moon to the punk clatter of Pangea and the rootsy rock of These United States. Courtesy of Aquarium Drunkard we have two covers by Wooden Wand as he takes on punk rockers Born Against and the quirky pop of Jonathan Richman (more … Continue reading Sunday Means Six Of The Best
Can’t quite understand how we missed this, but thankfully picked it up from the ever excellent Folk Hive blog and thought you may have missed it too. Either way it was definitely worthy of a repost. Shaking Through is a documentary series about bringing a song to life. Each year, ten of the most exciting songwriters around are given a challenge to write and record … Continue reading MM Shorts 140: Strand Of Oaks
In common with many, Denison Witmer is a singer-songwriter who has drawn influences and inspiration from such legends as Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. His latest release, the deeply personal The Ones Who Wait, is out now and has been receiving much critical praise – you can purchase it direct from Asthmatic Kitty Records. He also has an excellent back-catalogue to dip into as well and … Continue reading Free Album Download From Denison Witmer
Insound have made another free Vinyl Mixtape available for download. Featuring twelve tracks across a range of genres and styles, the April mix includes MV & EE, Father John Misty, Birthmark, White Fence, Suckers, Radar Eyes and Choir of Young Believers amongst others. Check out a couple of our favourites from The Retribution Gospel Choir and Birthmark below or just head over here to get … Continue reading MM Shorts 139: Another Insound Free Mix
So much can happen in one week, even when you feel that time stands still. Simone Felice at the Jericho Tavern, for example. There I was, MM photographer for the night, fins flailing, blinding everyone by inadvertently turning on the flash. Fortunately no-one asked me to leave, particularly as it was such a great gig. More like a front room jam. A couple of days … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (13th April)
Hot on the heels of our earlier post about the Wooden Wand / Duke Garwood split for Record Store Day comes news of a deluxe edition release of last year’s excellent Briarwood album, again on Fire Records. It includes eight, stripped down demo versions of the James Jackson Toth’s penned album tracks. These were all recorded solo, at home in Lexington, KY, on a Roland BR1600 digital … Continue reading And More From Wooden Wand
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