Track: The enigmatic Johnny Hunter unveils the dark and sizzling new track ‘The Floor’
Johnny Hunter released one of the most enthralling and fascinating albums of last year with their debut EP ‘Early Trauma’ (see my review here). Theatrical, gothic, effervescent and with just a hint of malevolence, this is a band that slaps on some makeup and puts on a show – visual and aural pummeling that is …
Track: Courtney Barnett takes a gentle, wry look at ‘Rae Street’ and announces third studio album, ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’
Australian indie icon Courtney Barnett has just announced the release of her third studio album ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’ on 12 November 2021 through Marathon Artists and released the first single, ‘Rae Street’. ‘Rae Street’ is a gentle, reflective track with Barnett’s signature wry observations on the vicissitudes of life: immediate real and acute …
Track: Interstellar Tay expresses yearning and loss with the sparkling, effervescent ‘Garden Song’
‘Garden Song’ sets off with such a sparkling and effervescent style with its folk timbre and pop sensibilities that its inspiration – the passing of the fantastically named Interstellar Tay‘s grandfather – is hard to detect. The song is a celebration of a lost loved one: joyous and positive with its sing along choruses and …
Track: The Golden Dregs are back with the stunning new single ‘John’ and tour news
Released back in June 2019, ‘Nobody Ever Got Rich (By Making People Sad)’ by The Golden Dregs, still remains for me one of the most outstanding singles I’ve ever reviewed for Backseat Mafia. For some reason, I never got to review the later album, the brilliant ‘Hope is for the Hopeless’, but The Golden Dregs are back …
Track: New Zealand’s Sulfate release the dark, fuzzy track ‘Crossing’ and announce new album ‘Godzone’ through Flying Nun Records
‘Crossing’, from New Zealand band Sulfate, is a delicious, fuzzy, angst-ridden piece of darkness that buzzes with a satisfying intensity. A metallic syncopated undercurrent is swamped by angular, crunchy guitars and yearning vocals that have echoes of the brittle, observational delivery of the Robert Forster side of The Go-Betweens. The themes match the gothic darkness …
See: Colin Moulding (XTC) releases sumptuous new video for title track of his new mini EP ‘The Hardest Battle’.
After recently surprising us with his first solo debut, Colin Moulding (see my review here) has issued a video for the title track of the EP/single ‘The Hardest Battle’ The video is nothing short of spectacular with the sort of majestic pomp and circumstance you would expect from the former XTC singer/bass player. I wrote …
Track: Puppy unveil the thundering ‘Angel’: dark themes, scuzzy guitars married with celestial vocals
London-based trio Puppy have just released a stunning single with video entitled ‘Angel’ that fuses a thundering Smashing Pumpkins spine to a framework of sparkling Beach Boys harmonies. The dark themes that pervade the lyrics add another gothic dimension to this layer of contradictions, and creates a whole that is immeasurably satisfying and quite unique. …
EP Review: Superlove creates an entrancing melange of heavy metal pop delights in their EP ‘….but for the moment’
The new EP from Superlove is a fascinating mix between slamming hard rock and commercial pop: a mix that is dynamic and shimmering and creates something quite refreshing. Thundering guitars sit next to bubbling synths within one track, with a vocal overlay that ranges from synth-infected vocoders to raw and emotional melodies. There is a …
Track: Sydney artist LOVER releases the spacey, dreamy and slightly surreal ‘Palm Reader’
There are layers of lush instrumentation and a dreamy intergalactic aura to the new single from Sydney artist LOVER (the nome de plume of Oliver Kirby. The slightly surreal atmosphere – a dreamy, melodic fugue – is matched by the arresting visuals of the accompanying video. What LOVER does is infect an electronic wash with …
Premiere: Brisbane’s brilliant musical chameleons, Fingerless, reveal sparkling psychedelic new track ‘Leaf of Stone’ and announce launch gig.
Fingerless are consistently proving themselves to be a fascinating bunch: their singles are constantly evolving and changing, and each time they veer in another direction, they prove themselves masterful innovators and extraordinary songwriters. Their new single’ Leaf of Stone’ – which we are very honoured to premiere today – is a psychedelic wig out – …