Album Review: New Mexico’s Tan Cologne beam in an extraterrestrial shimmering dream fugue with their new album ‘Unknown Beyond’
New Mexican duo Tan Cologne has just finished supporting the magnificent Trentemøller on their European tour, and they have now released their third studio album ‘Unknown Beyond’ via Labrador Records. ‘Unknown Beyond’ is less a collection of songs and more of an evolving dream state that takes you up into the skies and leaves you in a fugue. There has …
News: Sydney’s SXSW makes a major announcement on the 2025 program, including local icon Holly Hebe, with tickets on sale now.
The Sydney transplant of the iconic SWXW Festival continues to gather life and momentum after two successful years with the preliminary announcement of the program for 2025. With 62 new international and domestic artists (including our much beloved Holly Hebe) and a host of new speakers joining the lineup, along with the reveal of the …
Premiere: ‘Everything Is Temporary’ – but class is permanent as The Valery Trails prove their resilience with their eternal jangly pop sensibilities ahead of new album.
We are very proud to premiere the new single ‘Everything Is Temporary’ from The Valery Trails: a soaring jangly slice of power pop heaven that sets the heart beating with its euphoric delivery. It’s their first release since 2022’s ‘The Sky Is Blue’ (reviewed by me here) and absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder …
EP Review: Adelaide’s Oscar The Wild are a little ‘Blue’ as they release their epic second EP.
Kaurna/Adelaide’s Oscar The Wild deliver a vibrant, expressive brand of indie pop, threaded through with a steely spine and soaring melodies. They have just released their new EP entitled ‘Blue’ and it’s a refreshing collection of guitar driven tracks that sparkle and pop. Opening track ‘Roll with The Punches’ shines with an infectious pace and …
News: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory announce Australian tour to support self-titled debut album.
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory attracted our attention earlier this year with the release of their self-titled debut album (see our review here). It represented a whole new journey for Van Etten, collaborating with a band of musicians closely for the first time, and was a triumph. I wrote: Van Etten’s indelible songwriting …
Live Review + Gallery: Dark Mofo Festival – Crime & the City Solution make an exclusive and evocative mid winter trip to the Odeon Theatre, Hobart, 13 June 2025
Crime & the City Solution‘s recent live performances have been a testament to their enduring relevance and artistic evolution. Fronted by Simon Bonney, the band has seamlessly blended their post-punk roots with a more intimate, acoustic approach, captivating audiences across Europe in late 2024. They brought their set to Australia for an exclusive gig at …
Live Review + Gallery: The Horrors put on an incandescent performance at the Odeon Theatre, Hobart, 12 June 2025
In the heart of Hobart, at an exclusive gig in Hobart at the very edge of the world in the middle of winter and under the enigmatic glow of Dark Mofo’s crimson lights, The Horrors delivered a performance that was nothing short of a sonic séance. The Odeon Theatre, steeped in history, became the crucible …
News: Rowena Wise and Didirri announce Australia tour following the release of their elegantly beautiful single ‘No Cure For Love’
We here at the Antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia have admired Didirri ever since 2018 when we covered his single ‘Formaldehyde’, and we confess we are a little late to the party with his most recent release, the elegantly beautiful duet ‘No Cure For Love’ with fellow indie artist Rowena Wise. ‘No Cure For Love’ …
Track: Naarm/Melbourne’s HighSchool make a welcome return with the louche ‘149’ and news of debut album on the way.
Following up their magnificent EP ‘Accelerator’ last year (see my 9/10 review here), the mighty HighSchool return for 2025 with the vibrant single ‘149’ through [PIAS] Australia. With their trademark insouciance and laid back delivery, HighSchool continue to represent some of the best indie music coming out of Australia at the moment. ‘149’ captures an element of the …
Track: Boorloo/Perth’s EDIE releases the buoyant indie pop track ‘Girl’s Girl’.
Boorloo/Perth artist EDIE today unveils the catchy slice of indie pop that is ‘Girl’s Girl’; a blinding ray of Western Australian sunshine that has an underlying feisty message about the worst kind of betrayal – that from your own gender: Was I a competition?Was I a threat?Cos I don’t understand how it got this badIn …