So the waiting is over, and here are the first twenty entries in our Top 100 of 2012, part of MM’s much expanded Best of the Year review. Over the next five days we will reveal our favourite songs and those of our contributors: Mrs Mackerel, Christy Popper, Barry-Sean, Dr Roddy, Polly Pocket, Middle Sprat, Starbie, and Toy Steve. These are not the most “popular” … Continue reading 2012 MAD MACKEREL’S 100 FAVOURITE SONGS PART 1: 100 – 81
So then, half way through the year already. Time to take stock and see what the first six months have delivered up in terms of new tunes and bands. We asked some of the regular MM contributors to pick three songs that have particularly struck a chord (sorry) with them in the first part of 2012. Kyle Adem – Brother Follow Unlike Brains by Lower Dens … Continue reading Mad Mackerel’s Best of the Year (so far)
No Direction Home Festival || Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire || 8-10 June 2012 The omens were not good for the inaugural No Direction Home music festival, setting out in heavy rain that only got heavier as the traffic got slower the further north I went. However, despite the slate grey skies and constant brake lights of the M1, a journey of over 5 hours was rewarded … Continue reading No Direction Home Festival: A Review
As you read this I will probably still be speeding northwards through the torrential rain on the M1 heading for Sherwood Forest and the inaugural No Direction Home music festival. Having spent the last two years happily enjoying the fantastic End of the Road festival, my plans were scuppered for a hat-trick by a sneaky move in dates making it clash with our first overseas … Continue reading No Direction Home Festival: Free Mix
The wonderful Daytrotter recently announced their 2,000th session and managed to get none other than Country music legend Glen Campbell in to record it, followed swiftly by a new session from the brilliant Delta Spirit. For those that don’t know Daytrotter sessions are typically four songs in length, recorded live to quarter-inch tape in a matter of a couple hours, with no overdubs. They are then made available … Continue reading Daytrotter Reaches 2,000
Here is our semi-regular round-up of what’s new (and good) from our in-box, our favourite blogs, and the realms of the internet. We have some dusty, backwoods Americana from The Great American Canyon Band and Father John Misty and some rollicking country rock’n’roll from Deer Tick’s new Tim EP. We have high octane garage from the Fresh & Onlys with a non-album cut that appears … Continue reading Saturday Means Eight of the Best
A new month, a new free digital mix from Insound available for a tweet, e-mail or Facebook Like. This month features seventeen quality tracks from, amongst others, Beach House, Crocodiles, DZ Deathrays, Eternal Summers, John Maus, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Races, and Zambri. Click here to get the whole thing, but be quick as it is only available for a week or so, … Continue reading Insound’s April Free Mix
The Mad Mackerel 