Arun Kendall, Author at Backseat Mafia

News: Luxembourg’s dark folk icon ROME announces debut Australian tour on 20th anniversary and release of album ‘Civitas Solis’

With a dark gothic timbre that sounds like a mixture of The The, Pete Murphy and Editors, the Luxembourg artist ROME has announced a debut Australian tour to celebrate 20…

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News: Ed Kuepper and Jim White release visceral video for the track ‘Swing For The Crime’ as they announce live dates to support their album ‘After The Flood’.

Living icons of Australian indie music, Ed Kuepper (The Saints) and Jim White (The Dirty Three) released the magnificent ‘After The Flood’ on 21 March through Remote Control Records (see my review here). The due…

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Track: Supergroup Bleak Squad( Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner, Marty Brown) release second single ‘Strange Love’ ahead of debut live shows, with tickets on sale today for Sydney shows with support from Ed Kuepper and Jim White

Naarm/Melbourne’s gothic noir Bleak Squad consists of living legends Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, The Birthday Party), Adalita (Magic Dirt) and Marty Brown (Art…

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Album Review: Blackbirds F.C. release the magnificent ‘Desire Lines’ – a treasure trove of pure pop delights – ahead of live dates.

One of our favourite bands here at the antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia, Melbourne’s Blackbirds F.C., has just released their third album ‘Desire Lines’ and it is a dreamy treasure chest…

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Track: ‘Lucy’s Gardening Again’ is Moderate Lovers’ glorious sparkling paean to the pleasures of neighbourly horticulture in the sunshine.

Eora/Sydney trio Moderate Lovers follow up the power pop fuzz-infused serious message of their last single ‘Lost City’ (reviewed by me here) with a glorious sunshine filled ray of light in the…

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News: The antipodean guitarist’s guitarist Ashley Naylor (The Church, The Stems, Paul Kelly et al) announces new album ‘Alexandria Sunset’ and kicks off with sublime single ‘Good As Gold’

Ashley Naylor is simply a guitar god. Not only is he at the helm of the super jangle pop gods Even, a feature player in the Rockwiz Orchestra on the Rockwiz program…

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News: It’s our ‘Lucky Day’ as the legendary The Bats announce new album ‘Corner Coming Up’ through Flying Nun Records, with a glorious new single as a delectable amuse bouche.

The Bats are still swinging from the glorious imperious belfry as the legendary band announce the release of their new album ‘Corner Coming Up’ on 17 October, preceded by the…

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Premiere: Steve Lane returns with a dreamy single ‘A Song You Can’t Write No More’ ahead of new album ‘Where The Rivers Meet’ being released later in the year.

It was way back in 2022 that we were mightily impressed by the single ‘Don’t Forget To Breathe’ from central Victorian Steve Lane, and we are very honoured to premiere his…

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Track: Silver Fleet Ships unveil the ghostly anthemic ‘Gemini’, second single off their forthcoming debut album.

Signed to Meanjin/Brisbane’s marvellous False Peaks Records, Nipaluna/Hobart band Silver Fleet Ships, have just released their second single ‘Gemini’ ahead of their debut album ‘Before Never, After Forever’ which is set for…

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News: Celebrating Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground & Nico – a stellar night with performances by Robert Foster, Mick Harvey, Dave Graney, Rob Snarski and Stefanie Duzel announced.

The Velvet Underground was always one of those bands that might have had less than spectacular commercial success, but probably directly influenced the favourite bands of anyone with respectable music…

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