Introducing >>> Virals

On May 7th (digital)/May 21st (physical), ex-Lovvers frontman, Shaun Hencher will release Coming Up With The Sun EP for his new project called Virals. Check out and download Gloria, a three-minute gem bedded in the middle of the record that shines through with an insanely hooky vocal and charged guitar riffs, taking cues from the sunny California coast yet retaining a suitably English feel. It has the … Continue reading Introducing >>> Virals

Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: April 2012

So we exit April, which true to form turned out to be wetter than a Mackerel’s handshake. No matter, banish the blues with this scorching mix of some of the best downloads we offered in the month, plus a few new ones to get to know and love too. Download Alexander Tucker – Window Sill mp3 (from Third Mouth) Minimalist string arrangements with electronic manipulations … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: April 2012

More From The Shrouded Strangers

We’ve already posted a couple of times about The Shrouded Strangers following our discovery of Featherbed, a skuzzy slacker anthem that is nothing less than a glorious amalgam of surf guitars, krautrock rhythms and fuzzed up hillbilly stomp. It comes from new album Lost Forever, a sputtering fever-dream of disembodied pop tunes and psych sing-alongs that comes out a mere 13 years after their debut – apparently … Continue reading More From The Shrouded Strangers

Ten Bandcamp Treasures

Trawling Bandcamp can from time to time reveal the most extraordinary treasures – more often than not they are free or a nominal ‘pay what you want deal’ and so here are ten of the bands that have been tickling the Mackerel’s fancy recently. First up is uncompromising garage-punk noiseniks The Bats Pajamas who have featured on MM before and have a new EP called … Continue reading Ten Bandcamp Treasures

Streaming Round Up

Here are a few tasty streams for you to hit the play button on, and a couple to download too. First, some new blissed-out, hypnotic psychedelia from White Fence who have a new three track single out titled Green Balloon via Sexbeat Records in Europe – limited to 500 vinyl copies, and we’ve just pre-ordered one of them… a Next up is the altogether more … Continue reading Streaming Round Up

Introducing >>> HOboken Division

The curiously named HOboken Division are a French delta-blues/garage duo that recently released their self-titled debut EP via Bandcamp. Their description of their music as ‘the wedding of blues and rock in the sludge’ gives fair warning of what to expect. This is sleazy, rapacious stuff evoking the long dead spirits of the bluesmen and of greasy, out-for-kicks rock ‘n’ rollers. But that’s not all … Continue reading Introducing >>> HOboken Division

MM Shorts 142: Laurence and the Slab Boys

There is always room int the world for more music that combines fuzz-guitar, dulcet feedback and contorted, echo-soaked vocal harmonies. So it is with Glasgow-via-Berlin noise-pop collective, Laurence and the Slab Boys, with their debut single, Mushroom, released on Monday 28th May 2012 via Grumpy Recordings. Lets just say it owes less to the Beach Boys than it does to drunken pirate shanties. Have a watch/listen. a a Continue reading MM Shorts 142: Laurence and the Slab Boys

Sunday Means Six Of The Best

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

Wednesday Means Eight More Of The Best

It is time for us to offer up eight more new songs for your listening pleasure. We have a Madonna cover from Magic Wands, and a Nirvana cover from Dive. We have tracks from garage rockers Black Lips, garage-pop from The Creepy Crawlies and some fuzzy indie jangle from The Memories. Tiger High keep up the overriding theme of the day with some truly excellent garage-psych … Continue reading Wednesday Means Eight More Of The Best

MM’s Slightly Contrived Easter Mix

It is Easter. I’m using it as an excuse to give you an entirely contrived and slightly spurious soundtrack for that Egg hunt. On the other hand, some cracking tunes to add to your iTunes library. Download The Faith Brothers – The Easter Parade mp3 (from Eventide) Download Easterhouse – Whistling In The Dark mp3 (from Whistling In The Dark 7″) Download Brimstone Howl – Easter At The … Continue reading MM’s Slightly Contrived Easter Mix