Artist links: facebook | soundcloud | twitter | bandcamp Tom Sharples - who has recently been cracked on the side of the head with a skillet, but more on that shortly - explains the image just above: It's by a West Cumbrian artist called Percy Kelly . It's an original drawing I have on the wall in my house. He refused to sell any of his work while he was alive but since he died has started to gather a bit of a cult following. [...]
Although they have been a little quiet for a while, the sparse and often deliciously eerie folk duo The Skeleton Dead have made a couple of new tracks available for free download via their Bandcamp page . More new material is due for later in the year. a a Follow @madmackerel
A hibernation mix for your winter blues: --Click here to download the entire gapless mix of mp3s-- Radio for the Daydreamer – 01 Curl Up, Time to Die (from Mother Superior and Her Fields of Migraine ) The Black Heart Procession – 02 Blank Page (from Blood Bunny/Black Rabbit ) Matthew Dear – 03 Headcage (from Headcage EP ) Work Drugs – 04 Flying Zambo (from Aurora Lies [...]
Almost as delicate as glass, and hand-drawn like a book of fables, this is The Skeleton Dead. Even the name promises such fragility of music, albeit in a Blaise Pascal sort of way. The Skeleton Dead are Tom Sharples and Claire Wakeman. "Formed in London in the summer of 2010, they write songs on classic themes of love, seafaring and finding porn hidden in the woods." (It's high time someone did.) Sharples handles guitar and lead vocal detail, while Wakeman carries most of the background vocal weight, on occasion singing lead. [...]
There's a touch of the Cohens and the Caves about new London act The Skeleton Dead 's sober indie-folk. The duo paint tender, sepia-coloured pictures, and their cosy harmonies suit perfectly these ever-darkening days. There's even a listening tip from the pair: "We'd suggest a few pints of bitter, a roaring fire and a packet of 20 Embassy No.1 to enhance your listening experience." It really is Christmas: The Skeleton Dead's entire, self-titled debut album is available for free download from their Bandcamp page .
While we're not great ones for themed mixes on MM, Halloween is one of the exceptions we like to make. Here is a perfect mix for whatever ghoulish event you've got lined up today! Fifteen corking tunes, from the skewed new wave pop of XTC and off-kilter indie of the Mountain Goats to the trashy surf rock of The Cramps and from the folk-stomp of the Men They Couldn't Hang and the gothic drive of Ghost Dance to the pounding blues rock of the Scissormen and 22-20s . Enjoy. [...]
Another bonanza month of top tunes, all rounded up for you in one perfect download mix. Here are the September highlights together, as always, with a couple of top-notch new tracks too. Download The Migrant – The Hurricane mp3 (from Amerika) Distinguished by a slow blues refrain, handclaps and a mournful vocal, it is one of those tunes that sounds like it has been around forever. Download Diarrhea Planet – Warm Ridin’ mp3 (from Loose Jewels) A magnificent cacophony of guitars, pounding bass, thundering drums and begs for [...]
Folkish London duo The Skeleton Dead were originally a discovery of the esteemed Mrs Mackerel, and their brand of often malevolent, and occasionally macabre, lyrics contrast wonderfully with their sparsely delicate instrumentation. We previously described them as genuinely haunting - in the best sense of the word of course. Now they have completed their self titled debut album and made it available for free download via Bandcamp here . The saying goes that when something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Well take our word for it - this is the exception to [...]
Every so often, Jamie or Gareth (or both) will be filling you in on the happenings and movings of almost every new band prompting our interest. Be it the next step towards a stunning debut album, a breakthrough track or an introductory set of songs, or even an interesting promo image or news of signing to a label, this feature will do its best to keep you informed. This Wednesday, you’ll also be able to hear a new MFM Podcast , featuring a few tracks we’ve kept schtum on in the feature below. —————————— —————————— ———— [...]
The Skeleton Dead are a London based duo that have been on my radar for while that I am just getting around to sharing with you guys. You'll immediately notice the minimalistic approach to songwriting, and it honestly may take awhile to get into, but give it a few listens and you'll grow to love the sounds. We have new song "Are You Going to Overreact?" below which will hopefully entice you into downloading the band's new self-titled album for free over on bandcamp . Hell, it's free so why not go on and do it kids [...]
Here are the juiciest cuts from our May postings rounded up and presented as one marvellous mix plus a couple of cracking new tracks as well. Be sure to check out all our previous 'Best Of the Month' mixes in the sidebar too. Download Country Mice – Morning Son mp3 (from Twister) Country rock and blistering sonic experiments combining to deliver a brilliant apocalyptic ballad. Download Howling Owls – Hay Fever mp3 (from When Tipsy Turns Somber EP) Deliciously ominous folk music that creeps from the edges of [...]
The Skeleton Dead have been back in touch with two more tracks of delicately beautiful acoustic tracks that still reveal some wonderfully dark and sinister undertones. Lock The Doors is a brilliantly realised tale of the macabre - follow the twists and turns of a murderous burglar told over a sparse backdrop of gentle instrumentation that acts as a wonderful counterbalance to the coiled menace of the lyrics - this gem gives a twisted new take on murder ballads. By contrast Taken By The Tide is more upbeat, but still [...]
The Skeleton Dead are exposing their sinister side: “ Send me out, lock the doors, tonight I won’t be locking horns but slitting throats, from ear to ear, behind the cash register ”. Tom Sharples takes on the persona of a neighbourhood killer, with his “wicked grin”; dying to get outside and wreak havoc. It’s not long ago at all since we first featured this London duo but in exposing this darker side in ‘ Lock The Doors ’ they’ve both surprised us and surpassed our already high expectations. [...]
Just got an email from the British duo of Skeleton Dead, who we first fell for back in December . Not only have they released two more sparse, gorgeous neo-trad folk tracks on their Soundcloud , there's also album news: "We're currently finishing off the album - should all be recorded, mixed, done and dusted within the month." "Lock the Doors" starts with an ominous thrust of crawling echo that would fit well with " U Smile 800% Slower ," before a car engine turns over and the tale of a murderous burglar [...]
This weeks rounds up of the tracks that I haven't had the space to post... The Active Set From: Austin, Texas, United States Indie pop that bites. [...]
A Nick Cave-like baritone and an ethereal coo wafting atop sea shanty acoustics and a spot of synth, The Skeleton Dead are quite something, that something being despondently uplifting, hopelessly hopeful. If we're often rather superficial, somewhat short-sighted featuring no more than three minutes of any one artist, given the macabre, graveyard ethereality of London-based duo Tom and Claire we're going the whole hog. Here's a rundown of the four tracks we've experienced thus far... A Nautical Theme by The Skeleton Dead Emerging amidst the sounds [...]
The Skeleton Dead sono un duo di Londra formato da Tom Sharples e Claire Wakeman nell'estate del 2010. La band ha reso disponibile in streaming quattro brani e tanto mi è bastato per rimanere completamente rapito dalla favolosa musica suonata dai due. Siamo dalle parti dei primi A Weather , grazie a brani acustici resi magici dall'intrecciarsi della voce maschile con quella femminile. Cresce l'attesa per nuovi brani, nel frattempo mi godo quelli appena pubblicati. A Nautical Theme by The Skeleton Dead [...]
“Be quiet, don’t speak, as we put these men to sleep” As ‘ A Nautical Theme’ enters its hymnal, lullaby-like chorus, your eyes quiver under the pressure of rest, the night turning your head to the other side of your pillow, the beginning of hours and hours of being unconscious. The Skeleton Dead don’t specialise in night-time swan-songs, but they deliver those that they choose to make with such delicate beauty and care that it’s the first thing that allows them to [...]
Despite all the 'best of' lists, the top tens/twenties/fifties/one hundreds etc. and all the Christmas songs too, there has still been a cracking amount of new releases in December as well. So lest you missed out, here is our monthly round-up of the best tunes we've posted in December and, as always, a couple of new ones too. That's the New Year's Eve mixtape sorted at least. Download The Sweaters - Can't Stop Winnin' mp3 A syrupy, garage gem. It’s upbeat and has as much soul as it does jangle and [...]
The Skeleton Dead are a fledgling band of only six months but this is something to marvel at rather than use as any sort of rationale. What sets the bar at a different level is the Greek/bouzouki-style guitar rhythm that hooks you in from the very first bar: it’s both memorable and hypnotic. This is like a combination of many of my favourite musical influences – and I have absolutely no idea what the Skeleton Dead’s are – a little bit of Willard Grant Conspiracy , coupled with a bit of Lanegan and [...]
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