The final post about our favourites of the year, here are numbers fifteen down to top spot of the albums we have most enjoyed in 2012. Don't forget to check back for our 100 Favourite Tunes and the MM contributor's best of lists too. 15 Shearwater - Animal Joy a 14 Patterson Hood - Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance [...]
Today we countdown songs 40-21 in the Mad Mackerel Favourite 100 tunes of the year. You can check out the previous days entries here: 100-81 , 80-61 , 60-41 . 40 ALABAMA SHAKES - HOLD ON Almost a head-banger done country style, love the underlying guitar rhythm. ( SB ) a 39 LOWER DENS - BRAINS When I picked this song out in June I said it was like a [...]
Today we reach the halfway mark of our favourite 100 songs of 2012. Here are numbers 60 - 41 for your listening pleasure. You can check out numbers 100 - 81 here and yesterday's post of 80 - 61 here . And on we go... 60 JAMES LEVY & THE BLOOD RED ROSE - YOU SNEAK INTO MY ROOM A real mellow chill out tune. Reminds me of laid back version of the Divine Comedy. (SB) a [...]
Here are tracks 80 - 61 in our countdown of Mad Mackerel's 100 favourite tunes of the year. Don't forget to check out numbers 100 - 81 in yesterday's post here and check back tomorrow for numbers 61 - 40. Here we go... 80 SUN KIL MOON - SUNSHINE IN CHICAGO Beautifully bittersweet reflections of wandering troubadour preparing for another gig in Chicago and how the times have changed... Sunshine in Chicago makes me sad [...]
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" songs of the year, nor do they lay any subjective claim to being the "best", but they are without doubt the favourites of all those who have written for MM one way or another this [...]
Here we are again. Friday strikes again: half term is nearly over; would you believe the sun shone in Wales; Joe Sprat put in a star turn in goal at Coventry in conditions that would have hardened Mackems reaching for their thermals; went gigging last night with Big Sair; supper with HP this evening; watching the fireworks fly tomorrow; Bingley D and a cup of tea Sunday. Lucky gal am I. Back to the gig. We arrived in time for the support, more’s the pity. I was bored, they were boring; the keyboard player wore a freakishly nasty [...]
Mrs Mackerel has decided to take a short sabbatical and invite some friends, relatives and countrywomen to takeover her Friday night post, a Friday routine as regular in this household as a G&T with lime, or pizza Margherita for the sprats. For week three, we hand over the reins to Big Sair… And with a flourish of my long fishtail, I take the baton for this third week of Mrs M's sabbatical. We had joy, we had fun, but no season in the sun in 2012 – I'm [...]
Fat Possum Records has announced that The Walkmen are releasing a limited edition 7-inch single, featuring the previously unreleased tracks, Dance With Your Partner and Vermeer '65 . The release is limited to 1,000 copies and will be available on Tuesday, November 6th. Additionally the first 100 people to be at The Walkmen's Terminal 5 show (support from the Dum Dum Girls ) on Thursday October 18th will snag a free 73. Show tickets here . The 73 pre-order is now available at Insound and [...]
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 this was an instant hit. A real earthy campfire ditty with a grotesque sentiment I fully approve of. I make no apology for repeating the line [...]
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 this was an instant hit. A real earthy campfire ditty with a grotesque sentiment I fully approve of. I make no apology for repeating the line [...]
The little we've heard so far of The Walkmen's new album Heaven is certainly whetting our appetite. This is the latest track to get an airing, We Can't Be Beat is the lead track from the album, which sees a release on May 29th. To pre-order the album click here . a Follow @madmackerel
It's great to see talented bands like The Walkmen celebrating their 10th year as a band. And it's great to hear that they're still tweaking things even after this long. "We Can't Be Beat" is the ultimate slow-burner - all strummed guitar and brilliant vocals from Hamilton Leithauser - that builds to some really great [...]
The Walkmen were one of our End of the Road highlights last year and they will be releasing a new album, Heaven on June 5th. The title track is our first taste and the first single, and it stays true to their trademark heart-on-its-sleeve indie rock shot through with nervous energy, but this time the production is cleaner and tighter and gives the band a new sheen and a more vibrant sound. It is good. Have a listen. a Pre-order it from Fat Possum here [...]
Brooklyn's The Walkmen will be releasing their latest album on June 5 and Heaven is the first single from the album. The band is one of the more consistent bands in the indie rock world with each album they release, in my opinion, being better than the last. Heaven is a good sample of what's likely to come from this effort. It's very much a Walkmen sounding song and it's pretty catchy, I think. Vocalist Hamilton Leithauser sounds great and really drives the song. Take a listen to the song below:
Sharon Van Etten is a New Jersey native who is currently based in Brooklyn and she's just released her third album, called Tramp . She's another artist I heard on the radio recently, and it was actually the first I'd heard of her at all. A little bit of time on the internet told me she's been making good music for a good few years (her first album came out in 2009). Of great interest to me was the fact that on her latest LP she's worked with members of The Walkmen, The National and Beirut. [...]
Next to share their favourites of the year is part man part canine Barry-Sean... What a fantastic year for music this has been for me. I don’t just mean for music that has been produced this year but more about the music that I’ve discovered from previous years (or, more accurately in most cases, music that has been discovered for me). And, because I’ve spent a lot of time going backwards and forwards to London on the train, I’ve had loads of listening time. Hurrah! So here we go. Here’s my top ten songs of 2011. [...]
It is true to say that our first visit to the End of the Road Festival last year was without doubt the best music event (bar SxSW) we had ever attended. A superb line-up, brilliant layout, and festival goers who were there for the music rather than the 'experience' ensured three days of superb entertainment. It meant we bought tickets immediately they went on sale for 2011, before we knew the line-up, before we'd even washed the dust off from 2010, and waited impatiently for September to come around again. Granted, for us the line-up this [...]
Today Barry-Sean and I head off, pop up tents in tow, to the marvellous End of the Road festival in lovely Dorset. Once again sold out, last year's inaugural trip turned into the best festival visit we've ever had, and we're looking forward to more of the same over the next few days. Even the weather forecast is good! Once again we have a huge number of superb bands scheduled to play and to follow our free Truck Festival Mix (RiP) and our Wilderness Festival Mix , here's the third and final instalment - [...]
Mancunian "mystery band" WU LYF releases its first album, Go Tell Fire To The Mountain.
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