Halo Sparkle are a new five piece band that hail from Minneapolis and have just released their first EP. We’ve listened to three tracks from it and it shows a lot of promise – well crafted songs with an nicely defined edge and not afraid to stray from the indie-by-numbers rulebook either. Watch the video for lead track Bessy, and download it below. a Download … Continue reading MM Shorts 75: Halo Sparkle
Like many bands currently riding the wave of interest in all things traditional, New York’s Town Hall are firm inhabitants of the folk landscape, but unlike many such bands, their first full-band EP Sticky Notes & Paper Scraps has proved to be an unexpected treasure. Deftly moving from sweetly sung harmonies and gentle balladeering to something altogether more adventurous and unusual, the combination of lush, almost orchestral … Continue reading Introducing…Town Hall
I so hope my only daughter begins adult life with a little more self-belief and confidence that it has taken me years to find. When I was a girl and, actually many years from that time since, shy and tired eyed (thanks, Laura) I would kowtow and bite my lip. Old habits do die hard. For me, I would say retreat is always the best … Continue reading Mrs Mackerel’s TFI Friday (13th January)
Death-blues punk red-necks from the deep South (of Yorkshire), Wet Nuns unveiled their new single Heavens Below at the end of 2011, available exclusively from their website, along with a remix of the track by the Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders. Riff of the month! a Continue reading MM Shorts 74: Wet Nuns Video
Our favourite experimental blues boys The Owsley Brothers made it in to some of the MM guest Top Tens of 2011, and so it is a real treat to have a new single from them so early in 2011. Even more of a treat is we have it to give to you for nothing. Grab yourself Rotten On The Vine and head over to their … Continue reading New Owsley Brothers Single
The Great Lake Swimmers release their fifth album New Wild Everywhere on April 3rd. Take a listen to the lead single Easy Come Easy Go – surely the most up-tempo and upbeat song we’ve heard from them. a Pre-order the album, including signed copies, here. Continue reading MM Shorts 73: The Great Lake Swimmers
Last February we enthused about the nightmarish dreamscapes and uneasy folk of Fosdyk Well and their mini album Slumber And Stark Lots. Now we’re equally enthused to introduce a separate project featuring Scott from Fosdyk Well. Called Kam Kama, they release their debut 6-track EP titled The Tiled House next month. This time the tempo has been turned up a few notches and propulsive percussion and dark, sinewy guitar … Continue reading Introducing…Kam Kama
We’ve got new mp3s and downloads coming out of our ears…and hopefully into yours. So, here is our pick of the best new tracks currently doing the rounds. They include the cantering desert folk of Laura Gibson, the uncannily Syd Barrett like individual psychedelia of The Doozer, some primal garage rock from both King Khan & The Shrines and the wonderful Mind Spiders, some brain … Continue reading Thursday Means Six of the Best!
I have to confess I was unacquainted with underground folk/rock crooner Donovan Quinn until an e-mail from Northern Spy Records arrived announcing his signing to the label and a two record deal. The first of these, Honky Tonk Medusa is released on Valentines Day and is described as a story of decaying American cities, Internet age entropy and equal parts romance and loneliness. We are … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Donovan Quinn
You know the score by now. Each month Insound release a free monthly digital mix which is around for a week or so and which you can get for the price of an e-mail address or sometimes a Facebook like. Either way it is worth it because they are unfailingly good and there are always one or two new gems to discover along with some … Continue reading Insound’s Free January Mix
