Album Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain reveal their stunning ‘Glasgow Eyes’ – an intoxicating mix of swagger and attitude with just a hint of reflection.

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EP: The delicately beautiful ‘Creatures of Habit’ from Brisbane artist Aren’t is an exquisite triumph. Plus news of launch date.

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Premiere: Versari exclusively unveil for us their new EP Brûle: an epic filled with glorious edits and remixes casting a whole new light on the originals

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I loved Tyne-James Organ‘s single ‘Sunday Suit’ – finding it to have a frenetic racing pace that is energising and buoyant. Organ’s mellifluous tones somehow combine a silk softness with after effects of gargling whiskey and pebbles. It is classic indie pop at its best, and has been further augmented by a brilliant video. Organ throws …

Earlier this month, psych rock band Japanese Television released an EP of remixes of their much lauded 2020 EP entitled ‘III‘. The band collaborated with UK producers James Lavelle’s UNKLE, Gabe Gurnsey, James Welsh, Space Age Freak Out, and International Teachers of Pop for the EP. According to the band: During lockdown we thought it …

We are very honoured to premiere today the visually stunning new video from Italian shoegaze band CLUSTERSUN for their dreamy single ‘All Your Pain’. And to add to the lustre, Backseat Mafia can reveal that CLUSTERSUN will be releasing their third album ‘Avalanche’ on 20 May 2021 through Icy Cold Records (Europe) and Little Cloud …

Legendary band Garbage have just announced news of a new album, ‘No Gods, No Masters’ – their seventh – for 11 June 2021 and, in anticipation, have released the single ‘The Men Who Rule The World’. The album will be available in a variety of formats including neon green vinyl, white vinyl, and deluxe CD …

Sunshine Coast band Swimsuit Issue pinned back our collective ears earlier this year with the thundering and visceral track ‘Addict’ (reviewed by me here). Now they are back with the announcement of their debut album for release later in 2021 and a new single, ‘The Feeling’. ‘The Feeling’ considerably pumps on the brakes and shows …

Sydney-based band Down for Tomorrow have just released an anthemic and thundering single ‘Good Person’ that shouts a positive message in an effervescent quite/loud blast. It is a song of many parts – reflective verses that are smashed aside by a vaulting chorus and razor-sharp guitars. The track takes a massive turn half way through …

The story behind the new single, ‘Mexican Holiday’, from Tim Ayre has all the hallmarks of a Hunter S Thompson fable involving unhinged characters, consumption of illicit substances, wild journeys and all manners of excess. Appropriate, then, that the song and accompanying video has a bright effervescent indie pop low-fi vibe that exudes a whiff …

The sultry, jazzy/soul style of marigolden (Mel O’Neill) is quite unique: with lyrics that half rap and glide with melody and an instrumentation that defies easy labelling. Her new track ‘Just Like Smoke’ is a powerful anthem for personal liberation and ridding ourselves of others’ expectations. marigolden’s voice is golden liquid and her defiance is …

Coinciding with the release by the legendary Ed Kuepper of his forty year career highlights on vinyl (see more here), Kueper has just announced a series of Australia-wide gigs with the equally legendary Jim White, whose drumming in trio Dirty Three is an entire orchestra in itself (see my review of their live performance at …

Dominic Breens‘s track ‘James Street Tonight’, released at the beginning of March, was lauded by us for its chiming guitars and melancholia, lifted skywards by Breen’s gorgeous vocals. The song continues to haunt: a beautiful and enigmatic release that is growing in stature through time. Breen has also just announced a series of live gigs …