Arun Kendall, Author at Backseat Mafia

EP Review: Second Idol’s ‘Defence Mechanisms’ is satisfyingly powerful indie rock with a heart, plus tour news

‘Defence Mechanisms’, the powerful EP by Sydney band Second Idol, is a solid, grounded guitar-driven indie rock’n’roll gem filled with memorable riffs, a hard unapologetic rough hewn edge and scintillating…

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Album Review: BSÍ’s doubled edged ‘Sometimes depressed…but always anti-fascist’ is a dream pop delight with some serrated edges.

There are two sides to this story: Icelandic duo BSÍ have released an album of two sides in ‘Sometimes depressed…but always antifascist’. Side one – sometimes depressed – is a…

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Album Review: CLUSTERSUN’s Avalanche is a magnificent, mesmerising and eviscerating piece of gothic shoegaze magic

‘Avalanche’, the new album from Italian shoegaze behemoths, CLUSTERSUN, clearly sets out its sonic intent from the very beginning. ‘Desert Daze’ is an aural buzzsaw, tilting along a thundering rhythm…

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Premiere: Welsh psych-rock exponents BOI release visually mesmerising video for the slinky track ‘Ribidires’ and announce debut album.

‘Ribidires’ is a slinky smooth and effervescent track from Welsh band BOI with a gorgeous pace and delivery: all plonking pianos, razor-sharp guitars and layers of vocals and harmonies. With…

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Track: Moody Beach delivers a scuzzy fuzzy delightful blast with ‘The Other’ and announces new EP ‘Assembly of the Wild’

There is a lovely scuzzy, dirty edge to Moody Beach’s (aka Melissah Mirage) new track ‘The Other’ that fills it was swagger and attitude – matched by Moody Beach’s performance in the…

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Track: Polish Club releases gorgeous ballad ‘No Heaven’ and announce new album

Last time we came across the delectable Polish Club, they were blasting the cobwebs from our ears with a funky dance number ‘Stop For a Minute’ (reviewed by me here).…

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Album Review: Tori Forsyth’s ‘Provlépseis’ is a collection of the most satisfyingly visceral indie rock anthems you could hear this year

‘Provlépseis’ means predictions in Greek, and in the new album from Tori Forsyth, out through Island Records Australia and UMA, becomes a mysterious label for a blistering, visceral piece of…

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Premiere: Sydney supergroup The Finalists unveil evocative video for the shimmering track ‘Hunting Knife’

Last year’s debut album ‘First’ by The Finalists (reviewed by me here) was a highly impressive entrance: I summed it up as being a collection of deeply personal songs that…

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Track: New Zealand’s Voodoo Bloo unleash ‘MMA’: a caustic blast of untrammelled energy and attitude

Like a projectile from a cannon, Voodoo Bloo‘s ‘MMA’ blasts out with indiscriminate intent and an ultimate sense of hedonism and thrills. It’s wild and anarchic, visceral and unhinged and…

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Track: Brisbane’s Austen releases a melody-dripping slice of pure indie pop in ‘North South East West’

Brisbane artist Austen has just released a sun-infused blast of pure indie pop in the track ‘North South East West’. Slinky instrumentation and an indelible melody serve together to create…

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