New Single From Grass House

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

St. Vincent Covers Big Black

Big Black’s Kerosene is a bonafide classic in our book and not a song to be tackled lightly – not even on a Big Black tribute night – you’ve got to be very brave or very stupid. Thankfully St. Vincent more than does it justice in this live cut from The Bowery. In fact this, as they say, rocks. You need to watch this… a Download … Continue reading St. Vincent Covers Big Black

Introducing…The Virgin Passages

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

New From Dave Cloud & The Gospel Of Power

To be frank you wonder what would have become of Dave Cloud if he hadn’t been a musician. New album Practice In The Milky Way is 20 tracks of unhinged musical madness that is perfectly described as gutter-minded blues. After his 20 year catalogue was rediscovered by Fire Records and reissued in the Napoleon Of Temperance compilation of 2006, Cloud, accompanied by various members of … Continue reading New From Dave Cloud & The Gospel Of Power

Introducing…Armand Margjeka

A couple of days ago we received a copy of Margo Margo – the debut solo album from Armand Margjeka. It is a rich, mellifluous album, a record that makes you want to drift idly downstream in a boat while it plays in the background. It moves from softly plucked acoustics to upbeat, catchy folk-pop with a quiet, calm confidence and while not easy listening, … Continue reading Introducing…Armand Margjeka

Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: May 2011

Here are the juiciest cuts from our May postings rounded up and presented as one marvellous mix plus a couple of cracking new tracks as well. Be sure to check out all our previous ‘Best Of the Month’ mixes in the sidebar too. Download Country Mice – Morning Son mp3 (from Twister) Country rock and blistering sonic experiments combining to deliver a brilliant apocalyptic ballad. Download Howling … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Best Of The Month: May 2011

New from Efren

On June 28th Efren will release their first full length, full band album, Rise On Up And Melt. Efren began as Scott Low, who wrote and recorded the debut album Thunder and Moan in the spring of 2009.  With friends Low performed the songs live and the band was born. Playing almost 100 shows in the first year and recording and releasing a full band … Continue reading New from Efren

Solo Album from Phil Cook of Megafaun

Megafaun produced one of our favourite album’s of 2009 with Gather, Form And Fly and followed it up last year with the excellent Heretofore mini-album. However, when Phil Cook isn’t touring the world with Megafaun, he’s on the porch. Specifically, the sunny porch of his North Carolina home, playing acoustic guitar while Willie, his loyal dog, lays by. New solo album, Hungry Mother Blues was recorded in … Continue reading Solo Album from Phil Cook of Megafaun

More from Lawrence & Leigh

Lawrence & Leigh’s latest release from their EP Hills and Masts is the lush, dream-pop of Glow. Painstakingly constructed using vintage instruments and subtle synths, the song begins with an exploratory intro built on overdubbed choirs of the duo’s voices before transforming into a beat heavy pop anthem and then ending in 1960s style indie jazz with driving piano, brushed drums and doo-wop backing vocals. … Continue reading More from Lawrence & Leigh