So ahead of our mammoth postings of end-of-year favourites: albums, tracks, covers, old songs heard for the first time in 2010 etc. etc. and posted by Mrs Mackerel, MM, Barry-Sean, Mr Popper, Dr Roddy, Polly Pocket et al here is a quick and dirty round-up of some of the new tunes, Christmas tunes, covers and other bits and pieces that have been doing the rounds. … Continue reading Festive Round Up…Xmas songs, covers, and bits ‘n’ pieces
As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity will know, Howling Owls are one of our favourite discoveries of 2010. They take menacing, insistent, under-stated indie/folk matched with some of the best lyrical wordplay we’ve heard in a long while. The songs pick away at the edges of domestic strife and family troubles, gleefully revealing a queasy, black-hearted underbelly that remind us of those … Continue reading More from Howling Owls
After a few year’s hiatus and back by popular demand, Reverb Records is doing it again! The Fuzzy Ball Seattle will be held at Neumos on Thursday, December 16th (ticket details here) and The Fuzzy Ball Portland will be held at The Wonder Ballroom on Friday, December 18th (ticket details here). On each night 10 bands will go on stage and each play one original … Continue reading The Fuzzy Ball is back…with a new compilation
Jordan Bolton is a solo artist hailing from Manchester and will soon be releasing a debut EP titled Jazz Hands. Take a listen to Carnival Blues which has a slightly jazzy undertone but is more a menacing, bass heavy ride through a freakshow underworld – as you know that’s much more our kind of thing. We think it bodes well for the EP, and marks … Continue reading Introducing…Jordan Bolton
We posted recently about the new album, Kudos, from New Zealand’s Surf City on the wonderful Fire Records. The album has now hit stores (real and virtual) and to celebrate here is a second download from the album. So if you like your Spacemen 3, your Animal Collective or even the angular punk-pop hooks of The Clean you’ll find something here to savour. Visit their … Continue reading Surf City Release Kudos
Here is the best of our November posts, a perfect mix tape to kick off the festive seasons and a nice reminder before we all get immersed in all those end-of-year top tens/twenties/fifties etc. And as always a couple of new ones too. Twenty five great tracks. Enjoy. Download Outer Minds – Until You’re Dead mp3 Pristine nugget of 60s inspired garage rock, twangy rough-cut … Continue reading MM’s Best of the Month: November
School of Seven Bells have released this rather good puppeteering video to accompany their track I L U (which is one of our favourites), from their album Disconnect From Desire. Watch it, and then download below. They will be heading out on a North American tour with Interpol in January starting in Vancouver on the 27th and ending in Boston on February 19th. Buy the album from … Continue reading New Video from School of Seven Bells
Here again is a short round-up of some of the better new releases we’ve come across recently. Once again, they all deserve more in the way of a narrative, but time can be a hard taskmaster on occasion. First up is the rather strangely named EP’s Trailer Park and their strangely compelling folk song tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa – this year’s Nobel Laureate in … Continue reading New Releases Round Up
It seems appropriate on the first day of the new Ashes series to start the day with a butt-kicking band from down under. And despite the geographical name, Iowa, for it is they, hail from the fertile breeding grounds of Melbourne’s alternative music scene. Seemingly begat from the loins of sonic forefathers like J&MC, Sonic Youth, or even Mrs M’s old favourites Ride – they easily and … Continue reading Introducing…Iowa
Longtime MM fave Emily Reo dropped us a line to update us with some news and to give us this rather wonderful cover of Neil Young’s classic On The Beach. First up, The Fmly added both her full length album, Minha Gatinha, and EP, Witch Mtn, to their Fmly Rcrds digital downloads, and you can get everything (plus a few hidden surprises!) for free here! … Continue reading Emily Reo covers Neil Young
The Mad Mackerel 