Trawling Bandcamp can from time to time reveal the most extraordinary treasures – more often than not they are free or a nominal ‘pay what you want deal’ and so here are ten of the bands that have been tickling the Mackerel’s fancy recently.
First up is uncompromising garage-punk noiseniks The Bats Pajamas who have featured on MM before and have a new EP called Totally now available here.
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Next are The Graveyard Kids who have recently released this really rather good single of lo-fi bluesy garage rock, The Raft Of The Medusa.
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We have also posted before about the somewhat mysterious Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt whose sweetly judged tales of folk melancholy are a perfect accompaniment to lonely late nights. Try Bits for free from forthcoming compilation of demos, outtakes and instrumentals called All I Ask Ya Alaska.
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On the face of it Cindy Lou Gooden’s EP Kitsch Tapes might be considered to be full of sweetly kooky and upbeat folk-pop, especially when you see the cover art. Not a bit of it, the six tracks contain lyrics that are so piercing and sharp you could probably shave with them…
So cut the crap and cut my tendons
Dice and poach them tenderly
And if my heart makes it to Monday
Put it on a plate to eat
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Thoroughly modern and unashamedly retro duo The Two Man Gentlemen Band channel the mod, swinging lifestyle of 1950s Palm Springs, with drinks in hand, white suits, slicked-back hair, and a new album titled Two At A Time (out next Wednesday). Mixing everything from pre-war jazz to back-alley hokum, jazz guitar pickin’ to jump blues, plus countless other influences, this is a taster from the record, album opener Pork Chops.
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Future History are an experimental, five-piece alternative rock band from Toronto, and will soon release their first full-length record, Loss:/self. They have made a free two-track sampler available – try it out.
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The Last Temptations have a nice solid six track EP of indie rock called Penny Dreadfuls available on a pay what you want deal. This is one of the standout tracks and check out the cover art too.
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The Dirty Feathers are a five-piece psychedelic garage rock band from Champaign, IL. Having already made their excellent album Midnight Snakes available via Bandcamp (here) they have also added this new track, a wonderful slab of fuzzed up mayhem, as a pay what you want deal.
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By contrast Oakland’s Trails And Ways inhabit an altogether more serene world of dream pop. Tereza is the charming first single off their forthcoming debut LP Trilingual and has echoes of a more energetic Beach House or even Wye Oak.
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And lastly High Diner have a jaunty indie-pop sound that is as much inspired by the Beatles as it is Hot Chip. This is new single c.k.f.
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