Artists starting with M

Sounds From the Gulf Stream

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Marine Research, “Sounds From the Gulf Stream” (K, 2000 [?])
After the tragic death of her brother and Heavenly/Talulah Gosh bandmate, Amelia Fletcher regrouped most of Heavenly for one of her best albums ever. Fletcher’s trademark jangly/clangy/winsome take on mid-‘60s guitar-beat-pop is at its most complex and hard-hitting here, and fans shouldn’t miss it.
Try 3, 0
7/27/13

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Mannequin Men

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Mannequin Men, “Mannequin Men” (Addenda, 2011)
Fresh from a single on Hozac (?), these guys check in with a genuinely excellent album of steady garage punk and roll drawn out and deepened into Velvets-esque hypno-strum. If you could picture a mid-point between Tyvek and Real Estate, this band might be it, but their songwriting might be better than either. If you’re looking for that intimate but peculiar feeling of a rainy day in a bar somewhere you’ve never been before, it’s here.
Try A/2, A/5, B/2, B/3
11/26/11

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King Leer

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Male Gaze, “King Leer” (Castleface, 2016)
Their first one essayed the then-current garage-punk/doom-post-punk fusion with an unusually heavy and relentless attack, and I dug it to the max. This follow-up isn’t as heavy, but repeat listens show it to be even better, the kind of record that’s likely to sound classic in ten years. The singer’s voice has gained the depth and command of a bongwater-soaked Bryan Ferry, and the psych-pop usages taken at face value by others are here deployed into mood-shifting et anthemic songs, in an evolution reminiscent – and worthy – of Fuckup-icons of earlier generations from Hüsker Dü to Dinosaur Jr. to the Fresh and Onlys. Very highly recommended.
Try 1, 4,6
4/7/19

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Greatest Hits

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Major Lance, “Greatest Hits” (Epic, 1987; original recordings 1963-64)
From the Golden Age of Chicago Soul, here’s a Curtis Mayfield venture that deserves more attention than it’s gotten. Mayfield wrote and produced these smooth, breezy, resonant songs for the Major, who delivered them with perfect ham-actorly aplomb. They show a more fanciful side than Mayfield permitted himself with the Impressions, showcasing outlandish purported dance crazes (picture yourself doing “The Matador” – go on, really do it) or choruses consisting entirely of monosyllables.
Try 1/1, 1/ 4, 2/ 3
8/16/15

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Ruler of the Night

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Magic Trick, “Ruler of the Night” (Hardly Art, 2012)
Semi-acoustic indie rock that touches on acid/folk, spooky pop, Bowie-esque melodrama, and campfire strumming.
Try 2, 4, 6
7/29/12

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Like A Virgin

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Madonna, “Like A Virgin” (Sire, 1984)
Her second album, and her best. The melodies are more subtle and scintillating than on the debut, but the techno-dance dopamine pulse is coherent and consistent in a way that got attenuated later on. This thing manifests the plastic luxuriance of high-‘80s consumer modernism in its pinkest and purest form.
Try 1/ 2, 1/ 4, 2/1
4/7/19

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The One And Only

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Kirsty MacColl, “The One And Only” (Metro, 2001)
MacColl was a cult favorite among fellow musicians in the 1980s. Morrissey, David Byrne, Elvis Costello and the Pogues numbered among her devout admirers. Her work is similar to Costello’s in its blend of ‘50s country, ‘60s Brit-pop and punk/new wave, but her warm, piercing voice is one of a kind.
Try 1, 2
5/23/12

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