Jim Dead’s second album Ten Fires sounds like it originated in the dusty wilderness and plains of the midwest, and carries with it the classic songs of love, loss, dashed dreams and regret. Like the best of its genre the tales carry at their heart a black humour and sometimes a faint flicker of hope that things might still take a turn for the better. … Continue reading Introducing…Jim Dead
We’re a little behind with this one – The Warped 45s new album Matador Sunset came out at the end of last month. Taster track Grampa Carl is a wonderful tale of prohibition, the story unfolding on the back of a foot stomping riff and a climactic cacophony of electric guitars – wonderful stuff. Like us, you can track the album down at Maple Music … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…The Warped 45s
In August, Brian Keenan (of cosmic Americana outfit Proud Simon) releases his debut solo album Today This Year. Brian Keenan writes songs that connect the two places he’s known best, his upbringing in upstate NY, and his current residence in Brooklyn. The high lonesome country sound grounds the sonic landscape, while the live-fast die-young energy pushes the tempos and sparkles on the surface. The words … Continue reading Brian Keenan: Debut Solo Album
Next week Vetiver release their fifth album, The Errant Charm, on Sub Pop Records. We first became aware of them after hearing a copy of Thing Of The Past, their album of twelve beautifully done cover songs. Since then we’ve gobbled up everything by them that has come our way and 2009’s Tight Knit album was a particular favourite of that year. Straddling gentle sunshine … Continue reading New Album from Vetiver
It’s that time again. The Insound monthly free digital mix is one of our favourites and we almost always discover a new gem or two within the fifteen or so songs they put out. As usual it is there for a week only so click here to get the whole thing or check out a couple of our favorites from this month, another track from … Continue reading Insound Free Digital Mix: June
For anyone who didn’t pick this up from the ever reliable Stereogum, this is an absolute gem of a track – truly as good as the band’s name is bad. Bobby (what?) are an indie band from Massachusetts and will release their self-titled debut on 21st June. Taster track, Ginger (Water Birth) features Mountain Man’s Molly Sarle and is a gorgeous exercise in musicianship. The … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Bobby
Lauren Shera is a singer-songwriter who releases her album Once I Was A Bird tomorrow on Such Small Hands Music. It is the follow-up to her 2006 digital only debut In My Bones. While it may seem a long gap between records, she is still tender in years. However, her music has a wonderfully poignant quality that makes you think she should be a lot … Continue reading Introducing…Lauren Shera
Little Horn began when Atlanta musician Keith Forrester wrote some songs about, as per usual, hard stuff he was going through. Being shy and reclusive about singing, it wasn’t until a group picking session in Alabama where he was asked to sing a folk song that everyone else had forgotten the words to that his friend Daniel Bellury noticed his potential. After that fateful day, … Continue reading Introducing…Little Horn
On June 27th, the excellent Grass House will release A Cradle, A Short Breath as a follow-up to last November’s single Lazy Bones. In a conscious effort to avoid being type-cast in a dark or brooding vein, the song hints at the lighter side of the London group’s repertoire. Even so, it is still menacing enough to send most other indie bands screaming to their … Continue reading New Single From Grass House
After posting about Savaging Spires last week, their record label Critical Heights got in touch to recommend recent Fire Records signing, The Virgin Passages. This is the opening track from their first official album. Horizon is taken from the album of the same name and is due out in October 2011. Virgin Passages have a most engaging folkish strum intersecting with psychedelic experimentation and a … Continue reading Introducing…The Virgin Passages
The Mad Mackerel 