About a month ago we commended to you here the new album, (Tropic) by Pickering Pick released on Yer Bird Records (buy here). It is a triumph of sweetly fingerpicked, warm folk – unhurried, thoughtful and with a rare ability to grab and hold your attention without needing to holler, shout or pull at your coat-tails. It is a timeless record in the very best sense of … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 8: Pickering Pick
The last few months have not been good for Harry George Johns. On his Bandcamp page a few sparse words sum it up: “Winter 2011. I had an actual breakdown. Homeless, jobless, girlfriendless; I stayed on my friends’ sofa and borrowed food and some microphones and made Post-Breakdown Blues” And so he did. Opening with Drink Myself To Sleep and closing with the stunning Hospital Blues, the scene … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 7: Harry George Johns
On their Bandcamp page, three-piece Rhubarb Whiskey proudly proclaim that they have been referred to as “the anti-prohibition, hellbilly goth, the bluegrass Dresden Dolls, and the fortunate love child of Bill Monroe and Sid Vicious. Bringing you atmospheric, literate, romantic drinking songs that are sexy, rugged and furiously alive, this murder ballad Americana band is here to charm you with their tales of love, friendship and the devils in … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 6: Rhubarb Whiskey
We only came across John Murry relatively recently when following some obscure internet links took us to 2006’s World Without End, the historical album of violent and often brutal murder songs he co-wrote and recorded with Bob Frank. It is about as dark and forbidding as anything you’re ever likely to hear, and naturally it became an immediate favourite. The benefits of our late discovery meant we … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 5: John Murry
After meeting in San Francisco and learning each other’s melodies, San Francisco’s Avi Vinocur and North Carolina’s Patrick Dyer Wolf named their band after the ghost town of Goodnight, Texas, which sits halfway between their respective homes. They found their stylistic midpoint amidst old wooden instruments and a vision of late nineteenth century blue collar America – a grittier, simpler, more mysterious world full of raw … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 4: Goodnight, Texas
A few years ago John Solomon walked away from music. After a long struggle with addiction and a brief stint in jail he broke up his critically acclaimed band Friends Like These and moved to a small town in Wisconsin. And supposedly that was that. Even though Solomon left music, music never left him. After a long hiatus, he called some friends to come to … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 3: Communist Daughter
Hailing from Bridgetown, Western Australia, Emily Barker is a compelling songwriter with a gift for weaving folk-inflected melody and beautiful lyrics. Her talent is perfectly complemented by the elegant arrangements of her band The Red Clay Halo, whose ensemble playing underpins Barker’s agile vocal blend of strength and fragility. Together with her band, she has recorded three acclaimed albums: Photos.Fires.Fables. (2006), Despite The Snow (2008) and Almanac (2011). … Continue reading MM’s 5:1 Interview No 2: Emily Barker
Five to One is a new mini interview series with some of MM’s favourite artists. Simone Felice was the drummer as well as a vocalist and a guitarist in The Felice Brothers. Simone is also an author, having released books entitled Goodbye Amelia, Hail Mary, Full of Holes and Black Jesus. Simone Felice left the Felice Brothers in 2009. Simone Felice has released one of … Continue reading MM’s 5-1 Interview No 1: SIMONE FELICE
The Mad Mackerel 