
Here at MM we share, chat, argue, bury and praise music on a pretty regular basis…like daily. So throughout the year, the Mackerel crew (Mrs Mackerel, Barry-Sean, Christy-Popper, Dr Roddy, Polly Pocket, Starbar, MM and others) keep their own ever-changing top tens ready for publication at the climax of the festive season. Fifth in line is the indomitable lion of Hixet Wood...Mr Christy-Popper. 10. Local Natives – Airplanes ( Download here, Daytrotter Session ) The first big tune of the year for me, I sort of rediscovered this while compiling my top ten. [...]

We don't usually do themed mixes, but Halloween is different. So many great songs lend themselves to a night of ghoulish wrongdoing and sorcery. So to get you in the mood, download a marvellous combination of folk, punk, psych-rock, paisley jangle, experimental, indie, and straight up rock 'n' roll. Fifteen great songs, all treats and no tricks. Download The Dream Syndicate - Halloween mp3 (from The Days Of Wine And Roses) Download The Cave Singers - Dancing On Our Graves mp3 (from Invitation Songs) Download The [...]

The Vitamin Sees are from Leicester, but they pass the Scottish test enough for me. Singer Stuart Gray is also in Fence Collective band Viva Stereo , while drummer Mick Harrison was a member of Prolapse alongside "Scottish" Mick Derrick. Besides, quoting influences like Suicide, 13th Floor Elevators and Spacemen 3 makes them ok in my book. Plus, I used to really like Prolapse. A while back I asked them some questions, they answered, and it has taken me ages to get round to posting. Here's the results. Who are [...]

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 mp3 Dreamily seductive slice of icy pop Burnt Ones – [...]

Immer wieder schön, von alten „Helden“ zu hören, die sich nach längerer Sendepause mit einer neuen Band wieder ins Rampenlicht wagen. Mick Harrison war in den 90ern bei der leicht obskuren, aber sehr interessanten Indieband Prolapse zugange und hat nun zusammen mit drei Mitstreitern das Projekt The Vitamin Sees ins Leben gerufen. Die Referenzen klingen genau so, wie sie klingen müssen, damit ich einem Promo-mp3 Gehör schenke: „We're influenced by stuff like The Modern Lovers, Can, Spacemen 3, Mary Chain, 13th Floor Elevators...as usual the list could go on and on.“ Der erste Liveauftritt [...]

Midlands based four-piece The Vitamin Sees only played their first gig a couple of months ago. However, made up as they are of members of bands such as 90s indie faves Prolapse , Fence Records act Viva Stereo , Dirty Backbeats and Ambrose Tompkin s they have the prerequisite musical chops to deliver. And deliver they do with Illuminati Mind Contr ol , the demo track that they e-mailed through to us. Listing influences such as The 13th Floor Elevators , Can , and a whole list of [...]