On Friday 18th March I will be abseiling 150ft down the side of Peterborough Cathedral dressed not as an oily fish, but as a giant bear. It is all for a wonderful charity called Shine who provide specialist support pre birth and beyond for anyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. These are very complex conditions that affect moving, learning and health. And for the record Benny Bear is the charity mascot. Anyway, it is a long, long way up (or down depending how you look at it), and apparently, even on a good day, the top of the tower gets pretty blustery. I can’t say I’m filled with joy at the prospect, more a low level anxiety at the moment, and that’s just dressing up as a giant bear…So have a heart for a fishy old bloke in a furry onesie and sponsor me a few pounds if you can.
Thank you!
Click here to sponsor me.
Titus Andronicus – Number One (In New York)
Follow @madmackerel
Craig Finn and Titus Andronicus are heading out together for some live dates starting next week, and as is becoming increasingly de rigour with tours, it has prompted a cover of one another’s songs.
So here is Craig Finn’s take on Titus Andronicus’ brilliant No Future, which is not bad by any means, and does an excellent job of showcasing what an excellent lyricist Patrick Stickles is.
If you’re weary, I don’t mind sharing the load
Just keep me some company on the road
All I’ve got is a bottle that I ought to leave alone
But it’s the only thing that I can call my own
See them live:
2/29/16 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
3/1/16 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
3/2/16 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
3/3/16 – Asheville, NC – Lincoln Theatre
3/4/16 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt
3/5/16 – Gainesville, FL – High Dive
3/6/16 – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
3/8/16 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
3/9/16 – Norman, OK – Opolis
3/10/16 – Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
3/11/16 – Omaha, NE – Lookout Lounge
3/12/16 – Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
3/13/16 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
3/15/16 – St Louis, MO – Off Broadway
3/16/16 – Bloomington, IN – Bluebird
3/18/16 – Cincinnati, OH – Ballroom at Taft Theatre
3/19/16 – Akron, OH – Musica
3/20/16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Cattivo
3/21/16 – Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall
3/22/16 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt
3/23/16 – Albany, NY – Hollow
3/24/16 – Easthampton, MA – Pearl Street
3/25/16 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
3/26/16 – Pawtucket, RI – The Met
3/27/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Here are our favourite albums of 2015.
15 Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle
14 Joe Ely – Panhandle Rambler
13 Low – Ones And Sixes
12 James McMurtry – Complicated Game
11 Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy
10 Quiet Hollers – Quiet Hollers
9 Girl Band – Holding Hands With Jamie
8 Ezra Furman – Perpetual Motion
7 The Decemberists – What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World
6 Kurt Vile – B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
5 Slaves – Are You Satisfied
4 Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts – Manhattan
3 Houndmouth – Little Neon Limelight
2 Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit
1 Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
Check the list from 30-16 here, and our tracks of the year so far here and here.
Follow @madmackerel
Time for the MM countdown of our favourite tracks of the year to begin. Over the next few days we’ll be revealing our top 100 tracks and top 30 albums of 2015, with contributions from Mrs Mackerel, Chris T Popper, Polly Pocket and Franca. We’ll also share their personal choices with you next week.
So without further ado, here are numbers 100 through to 76.
100 Ultimate Painting – Woken By Noises
99 Samantha Crain – Elk City
98 Diet Cig – Dinner Date
97 Cruising – Safe Corridor
96 Gold Class – Life As A Gun
95 Beach Slang – Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas
94 Arborist – Twisted Arrow
93 Kodiak Deathbeds – Borderline
92 Summer Twins – Demons
91 Together PANGEA – Blue Mirror
90 Tallest Man On Earth – Dark Bird Is Home
89 Wilco – Random Name Generator
88 James McMurtry – South Dakota
87 J Fernandez – Between The Channels
86 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & The Cairo Gang – I’ve Been A Long Time Leaving
85 Drenge – We Can Do What We Want
84 Spray Paint – Thrash Master
83 Bueno – Babyface
82 Slaves – Despair And Traffic
81 Ezra Furman – Ordinary Life
80 Table Scraps – Motorcycle (Straight To Hell)
79 Trance Farmers – Garbage Night
78 The Felice Brothers – Carriage
77 Wavves – My Head Hurts
76 Titus Andronicus – Into The Void (Filler)
Check back tomorrow for numbers 75 – 51.
Follow @madmackerelComing in typical fashion from a band soon to release a 90+ minute, 29-track indie-rock odyssey of an album, New York’s Titus Andronicus have shared video’s for not one but six tracks (including a brilliant Daniel Johnston cover), or as the band call it “the album’s second act”, known as The Magic Morning/Beside Himself.
Clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, prepare to be amused and abused, frightened and saddened. Shot against a fairly stark backdrop, it – like the Shakespeare plays from which the band draw their name – keeps your focus on the human drama unfolding before you, relaying the ‘act’’s core messages through a mix of comedy and drama; tension and release.
It is wonderful, compelling stuff and we can’t wait for the album proper.
.
.
Follow @madmackerelWe’re loving Fatal Flaw, a track from New York’s art punks Titus Andronicus’ upcoming long player The Most Lamentable Tragedy.
Watch the video for it here. Can’t wait to see them in Oxford in November….
.
Follow @madmackerelHere is the second part of our weekly round up of cracking new tunes – another nine from a bumper collection from the past seven days! See Part 1 here.
1. Titus Andronicus – Dimed Out
2. Angelic Milk – IDK How
3. Pet Symmetry – Gone Gone Gone (Even Further Gone)
4. God Damn – Vultures
5. Communions – Summer Oath
6. Guantanamo Baywatch – Corey Baum’s Theme
7. Mates Of State – Staring Contest
8. Battle Ave. – Solar Queen
9. Young Jesus – Dirt
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Follow @madmackerel1. Titus Andronicus – Stranded (On My Own)
2. Cat Meat – Vog
3. Naomi Punk – Firehose Face
4. Goat – Hide From The Sun
5. The John Steel Singers – Common Thread
.
.
.
.
.
.
Follow @madmackerel
A sudden plethora of new tunes have hit the web, and here are eight of our favourites for your aural delight.
First up is psych-heavyweights White Hills persistently hypnotic In Your Room that comes from the space rockers forthoming album So You Are … So You’ll Be, which is out next month on Thrill Jockey. Regina Spektor has an upbeat new song featuring in new Netflix comedy Orange Is The New Black, called You’ve Got Time. Third we have Titus Andronicus and their awesome eight minute cover of Icona Pop’s I Love It, only retitled as I Don’t Care.
Via Brooklyn Vegan, we have Ty Segall’s side project FUZZ who have offered up Loose Sutres – a thrilling slab of slow burning distorted rock ‘n’ roll sleaze from their soon to be released self-titled debut long player. The wonderful Widowspeak have a new single of woozy, narcotic folk that is truly stunning, True Believer comes from their Swamps EP due out in October on Captured Tracks.
Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado is releasing a solo EP titled Law And Order in September, this is Hand In Mine that sounds like it might be an undiscovered gem from Lou Reed’s back catalogue. Next is Owl Paws and their lush, but haunting track Cold Lead Path that is the title track of their upcoming acoustic EP of indie-folk. Lastly we have a track from EONS called Brothers & Sisters which is a wonderfully intimate marriage of fragile folk and sonic exploration. It comes from new album Arctic Radio.
[Click through for free download]
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Follow @madmackerel
Here is our cherry picked selection of our favourite downloads from March for you, together with a few new tracks to create a perfect end-of-month mix. Enjoy.
Download Thee Exciters – Dinosaur Traffic mp3 (from Perpetual Happening)
Psychedelia meets proto-punk
Download The Lonesome Savages – All Outta Love mp3 (from All Outta Love 7″)
50s inflected rock’n’roll revamped and updated with elements of the current garage punk sound – oozes from the speakers in a way that is raw, primal and downright dangerous
Download Lera Lynn – Ring Of Fire mp3 (from Ring Of Fire EP)
Dark interpretation on an upbeat classic
Download Einar Lind – Brother Don’t Steal My Wife mp3 (from Introducing Einar Lind)
Perfect late-at-night soundtrack where you cannot sleep and settle in an armchair with a whiskey to wait out the darkness, while the house creaks and ticks amidst the silence around you
Roomrunner – Super Vague
Pulverising punk rock
Download The Stammer – Follow The Leader mp3 (from The Stammer EP)
A sinewy guitar lead and military percussion over which gloomy tones prevail, provides a two minute rush of monochrome tinged adrenalin
Download Justin Farren – Broken Shit mp3 (from Songs From Spare Rooms)
Comes across like a speed-fuelled Loudon Wainwright III duelling with Arol Guthrie
Download AU – Get Alive mp3 (from Both Lights)
Experimental indie-rock
Download Beast Make Bomb – It Snowed Last Night mp3 (from Skinny Legs)
Combines the distorted punk attitude of the late 1970s with some classic fuzzed out pop melodies to deliver a sweetly addictive tune
Download Violens – Der Microarc mp3 (from True)
Excellent slice of psych-pop
Download Mirel Wagner – The Road mp3 (from Mirel Wagner)
Another cheery tale of death, sparsely plucked and whispered, and coming across like a Strange Fruit for the modern day.
Download The Hussy – Stab Me mp3 (from Weed Seizure)
Like a flick-knife in a crowded flophouse, comes out of the darkness at you with a ferocity and a viciousness that is impossible to avoid and pointless to deflect
Download Dinosaur Feathers – Beatcha mp3 (from Whistle Tips)
Satisfyingly crunchy guitars with infectious groove and jangle
Download Josh & Mer – Mind Control mp3 (from Planet Music)
Unsettling and eerie electro-folk
Download Owsley Brothers – Hot Mess mp3 (from Cobalt)
Crackerjack of experimental blues and rock
Download Roadkill Ghost Choir – In The Lion’s Mouth mp3 (from In The Lion’s Mouth)
Spacey, folk rock
Download Ancient Whales – Everyone mp3 (from Birthing EP)
Insistently catchy, full of memorable guitar riffs, splashes of woozy reverb and hits a sweet spot or two with the cool doubled up vocals
Download Nu Sensae – Gumbo mp3 (from Tea Swamp Park EP)
Scrappy, tribal punk
Download Burnt Ones – Meet The Golden One mp3 (from Meet The Golden One 7″)
High octane garage glam
Download Wye Oak – Pocahontas mp3 (from Daytrotter Session, Neil Young Cover)
Top notch cover of classic
Download Guy Capecelatro III – Switch mp3 (from North For The Winter)
Tale of a killer who meets a woman who proves to be his undoing – with added pedal steel and Hammond organ
Download Titus Andronicus – Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With the Flood of Detritus (from split 7″ with Diarrhea Planet)
Typically raucous, literately sharp punk rock
Download Screaming Females – It All Means Nothing mp3 (from Ugly)
Suitably coruscating and pummeling cut from NJ punks
Download Orpheum Bell – Daddy’s Crying mp3 (from The Old Sister’s Home)
Intimate, waltzy vignette is another example of their elegant and organic sound
Download Chelle Rose – Browder Holler Boy mp3 (from Ghost of Browder Holler)
Ripe with mystery and passion, and sounds like it was plucked from the kudzu-scented air of her native Loudon County in East Tennessee
Download Johnny Bertram & The Bicycles – Miracle mp3 (from Neon City)
Steeped in indie-rock and Americana and filtered through a Deep South lens
Download Ty Segall & White Fence – I Am Not A Game mp3 (from Hair)
Twisty, insistent garage-psych with junkyard vocals
Download Tyburn Saints – Broken Bottles mp3 (from You And I In Heaven EP)
Dark and foreboding indie that feels almost cinematic in its purpose and delivery
Pontiak – Highest Echo
Vintage organic stoner rock
And to finish off we have a breezy new track of indie rock from Maps & Atlases new album, we have the frenetic bank robbing fantasy of Baby Baby’s Nothing To Lose and a welcome return from veteran catchy psych-rockers The Dandy Warhols. Finally, two tracks from Field Report’s much acclaimed and anticipated self-titled debut of fragile, heartfelt folk.
Download Maps & Atlases – Fever mp3 (from Beware And Be Grateful)
Download The Dandy Warhols – Sad Vacation mp3 (from This Machine)
Download Field Report – Fergus Falls mp3 (from Field Report)
Download Field Report – I Am Not Waiting Anymore mp3 (from Field Report)
Baby Baby – Nothing To Lose
a
Follow @madmackerel
