Blind Daughter of Death is the first single released from the forthcoming sophomore album by the relentless psychedelic rock group Death Hawks. Their self titled second album’s release date is September 13th. The single is a waltz for the darkening summer nights, a blend of 70’s krautrock and psychedelia. Have a listen. Continue reading New Death Hawks Song
If there is any justice in the musical world, Zachary Cale will soon get the acclaim and the rewards his talents deserve. Amid an overcrowded genre, this singer-songwriter seemingly plucks philosophical tunes of love, longing and heartbreak out of the ether and imbues them with the emotional nuances and lyrical poignancy to create something very special indeed. This tune, the wonderful Hold Fast comes from … Continue reading New Album From Zachary Cale
It has been too long since we’ve heard from Jessica Lea Mayfield and so we are glad to report she is back and in fine form on a new tribute album to Country stalwarts Alabama. High Cotton has fourteen tracks reinterpreted by artists such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero, T. Hardy Morris, and Jason Isbell with John Paul White amongst others. However, we’ll happily wager than none … Continue reading Jessica Lea Mayfield Covers Alabama
And so it was Wilderness again (or Wildness if you were the somewhat disconnected and over-excited John Newman) – this year even bigger (an increase in capacity to 15,000) and still sold out. It is surely the premier boutique festival on the circuit in the undeniably stunning setting of Cornbury Park, which happily lies within a short walk of Mackerel Towers. By its nature it … Continue reading Live Review: Wilderness Festival 2013
Pop. 1280 memorably delivered a debut album, The Horror, that was so brutal in parts it managed to be almost physically painful to listen to. At the same time it had enough within its hardest of hardcore sensibilities to keep the visceral savagery tautly contained, imprisoned in a way that was mighty tense, but which also rewarded the listener with some mighty fine tunes to, well to … Continue reading Pop. 1280 – Imps Of Perversion
The Persian Leaps are a four-piece noise pop band from St. Paul, MN. They’re releasing their 5-song debut EP, Praise Elephants on Aug 15, and while they think they sound like Big Star meets My Bloody Valentine, we think if we could play the guitar we would want to play it just like they do on this brilliant track Silent Treatment (click here for a name-your-price download). … Continue reading MM Shorts 425: The Persian Leaps
The Sussex Sessions is an EP by Isobel Anderson & Ruby Colley reinterpreting three traditional British folk tunes in extraordinary fashion. Both hailing from the Sussex coast line, they first met after playing together on Glastonbury’s Acoustic stage in 2011. This is their first collaborative release and the simple, unfussy arrangements allow the full, haunting beauty of the songs to shine through. Using just guitar, violin … Continue reading Introducing Isobel Anderson & Ruby Colley
As concept albums go, this is one of the better ones we’ve come across. It is based upon the true story of the childhood humiliation visited upon Hank Williams, who as a small boy growing up fatherless in a rented shack, lived nearby to the neighbouring (and rich) family of Herman Pride. His fondness for playing with toy guns led him to be nicknamed Two-Gun … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Collisionville
Fantastic Sam from Gap Dream’s new long-player Shine Your Light is probably not typical MM fare, but damned if we haven’t been completely won over by the electro-glam undertones and the most infectiously catchy slab of dance-pop since, well since we don’t know when. Have a listen and we defy you not to tap something along to this tune. Out on Burger Records in November. Continue reading MM Shorts 424: Gap Dream
Rev up your Sunday with these videos from HABITS (trippy and hypnotic), Generationals (infectious, West Coast indie), Kitten Pyramid (experimental rock), and Detroit Rebellion (gritty blues). . . . Continue reading Videos of the Day: HABITS || Generationals || Kitten Pyramid || Detroit Rebellion
The Mad Mackerel 