Ah ’tis shaping up to be a good day. First up, no sooner had we posted the utterly gorgeous I Couldn’t Save You from Sharon Van Etten than she lets us know that she will be putting out her second record, a seven-song collection called Epic, on October 5th through Ba Da Bing. Best of all, we have Love More, the record’s closing track, for you … Continue reading More from Sharon Van Etten
Here is our regular monthly round up of 25 of the best tracks posted on Mad Mackerel in the past month, and three new gems too. That’s a more than decent mixtape sorted even if we were crap in the World Cup! The Futurebirds – Battle For Rome mp3 Glorious, up-tempo alt-country gem that recalls Neil Young at his finest Puro Instinct – California Shakedown … Continue reading MM’s Best Of The Month: June
These United States will be releasing their new album (and their fourth in little more than two and a half years) on July 20. Titled What Lasts, the early advance track, The Great River, is another example of their top-notch country rock and songwriting chops. Perhaps this time a little edgier and a little darker? Visit their MySpace here. Download These United States – The … Continue reading New from These United States
Sharon Van Etten has a voice that could make angels weep. This is her simply stunning contribution to the Music For The Builder compilation, a collection of songs coinciding with the upcoming film The Builder, and released by Jagjaguwar on 27 July. It is called I Couldn’t Save You, and it is languid, lonely and desolate. Just about as stark a heartbreaker as you could … Continue reading Sharon Van Etten on Jagjaguwar Compilation
Royal Baths (formerly just The Baths) are a new addition to the Woodsist label and are releasing an album titled Litanies in September. Taster track Nikki Don’t has been around a while previously appearing on a cassette release from the band, and is a suitably cautionary tale delivered with a dark, 80s indie-goth flourish. While it may have its references in the past, there is … Continue reading Introducing…Royal Baths
Howe Gelb is one of those wonderful, but rare, musicians that seems to plough his own furrow oblivious to commercial gain or sensibilities and we love him all the more for it. Boasting a body of work of such immense range and diversity means his output is sometimes challenging, often brilliant, occasionally bizarre, but always interesting, where genres and ideas proliferate, overlap and overflow. His … Continue reading New from Howe Gelb And A Band Of Gypsies
One of MM’s favourite labels, Woodsist, release a compilation on 20th July called Welcome Home Diggin’ the Universe: A Woodsist Compilation. It will only be available on LP and cassette only, without seemingly a download option, and will feature new tracks from many of the top notch acts on their roster including The Woods, Ducktails, Alex Bleeker, The Fresh & Onlys, Moon Duo, and others. Bar … Continue reading New Woodsist Compilation Looks Good
Von Haze play a dark-tinged, sultry psychedelia that has echoes of the goth giants of yesteryear such as The Cure, but also has its feet planted firmly in the current, also calling to mind indie darlings such as XX. Swirling, gloomy synths, staccato drum beats and minimal downbeat vocals are all married together to create an atmosphere of foreboding and drug-induced fatalism. Rather like the … Continue reading Mad Mackerel Recommends…Von Haze
We discovered Hollowbelly via the excellent Ninebullets.net and he’s made a pretty big impression on our listening this weekend. Joe, our youngest, listening in the car observed “he has a voice like lightning” and we couldn’t have put it better ourselves. Hollowbelly plays the sort of stomping, raw, primeval blues so beloved of Reverend Deadeye or Scott H Biram, yet rather than being from the … Continue reading Try Some Hollowbelly
Earlier this month we gave you the first taster from The Sandwitches excellent new one-sided 12″ Duck Duck Goose! Now here is a second in the form of Stardust. Another spooky acoustic lullaby courtesy of the San Franciscans. Out on July 13th, you can pre-order by clicking here. Visit their MySpace here. Download The Sandwitches – Stardust mp3 (from Duck Duck Goose! 12″) Continue reading More from The Sandwitches
