Alt-psych rock band, New Madrid, out of Athens, Georgia have been touring the US behind their stellar latest LP, magnetkingmagnetqueen (April 2016 via Normaltown/New West Records), melting brains along the way. The band has drawn comparisons to any number of greats such as Television, Pylon, Can, Yo La Tengo, and more. While the band has strong garage/psych rock ties, it’s their pop sensibilities that really keeps it tight and separates the band into something special of their own, able to keep the listener’s attention, rocking along, while their rhythmic beats and big swirling guitars seeps into the brain. New Madrid is one of those bands that will take over your ears, until you’re floating along with the band in a sea of rock ‘n’ roll.
This Friday, August 12, New Madrid returns from their latest big tour around the US, back to one of their main stomping grounds in Atlanta at Terminal West. To celebrate, we asked guitarist Phil McGill to take over this week’s Monomania playlist with the tracks he currently can’t get enough of. Check out what Phil is listening to below, and don’t miss Friday’s show in Atlanta. Get your tickets here.
Phil McGill of New Madrid’s Monomania Playlist:
Olivia Tremor Control – “NYC-25”
I hadn’t really made it to the end of Dusk at Cubist Castle until this tour and I was very happy to have found this song. I keep going back to it. Instantly cinematic-good for being blissed out in headphones or windows down cruising.
Triathalon – “I Want It”
This song just came out in the middle of the summer. It is a heater. Like if you had a mirror that could look back into time, and you looked back and got a swath of sultry 90’s R&B and blasted it to the present. A serpentine brightly colored guitar lick drives this song-it’s what makes me shake. No the whole track does. A heavy summery downtempo jam with bite.
Mick Jenkins – “The Waters”
I got lucky to see Mick Jenkins at SXSW this year in a very small room. I didn’t know who he was at the time but every song was grabbing me. He was an incredible performer but more than that his songs are great. He kept telling the crowd to “drink more water.”, aside from it being good advice, I didn’t know what he was referring to. Then I hear this song, and it all made sense. So now when I think of water I usually think of this song or that show and in my mind I say, “drink more water.”
Erik Satie – “Gymnopédie 3”
This is an all time favorite song and I think near perfect. It is the type of song you can put on and someone will recognize it but not know from where, east to be immediately drawn into. Less words is more with this one.
Omni – “Wire”
I was halfway asleep in the backseat and we were driving from Billings, Montana to where we were staying in Red Lodge, Montana. Ben put this record on and it was the perfect extension of my trance l had managed to find myself in and now I can’t get enough of the record. Hard to choose one song but this is one.
Janet Jackson – “Control”
Somebody put this record on in Boise, Idaho…it was 1 am and I had no expectations with what was about to play. The title track, Control crawled in my ear and demanded I listen more. Thus, like we have in a lot of the cities we have been driving through, we reached transcendence with this song in two cities. The first was in Denver on the way to see Thee Oh Sees for free, and the other was driving into Chicago last night at 3 am. /- Phil McGill from New Madrid
All tracks on Spotify added to our “Monomania” playlist (kept fresh with 30 songs at a time) for your on the go playlist needs:
New Madrid’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
8/12: Terminal West ATLANTA GEORGIA
8/13: Grotto Lights Concert @ Big Spring Park, Hunstville, AL
8/20: Druid City Music Hall, w/ MOON TAXI, Tuscaloosa, AL
9/30-10/2: Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) Weekend 1, Austin, TX
