Track/Video: Belle and Sebastian – We Were Beautiful, plus tour news
Underpinned by a more prominent shuffling EDM-style drum track, the eternal Belle and Sebastian are back with a new single and video for a track “We Were Beautiful” in anticipation of a European tour and an album. This is classic Belle and Sebastian: melodic, intelligent and melancholic pop with added trumpet. The accompanying video, shot …
EP: Cakes – Prescription Bugs
From the salubrious, white bread and somewhat anodyne Gold Coast of Queensland Australia comes the very antithesis in the form of Cakes, an indie post punk duo who are about to release an EP, “Prescription Bugs”. This EP is an anarchic thrash of guitars and drums leavened by epic choruses and flashes of unexpected subtlety. …
EP: Ummagma – LCD
I’m a little late to the party on this one but towards the end of last year, Canadian/Ukrainian due Ummagma released EP “LCD”, consisting of two versions of “LCD” (mixed by Dean Garcia from seminal shoegaze band Curve) and additional tracks “Lama” (one mixed by Robyn Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins) and “Back to You” …
EP: System Corporation – Apathy is Easy
The endless waves of talent emanating from New Zealand continues unabated with the glorious sounds of System Corporation. System Corporation has within it the genes of the legendary The Datsuns – commencing with Phil Somervell and long standing Datsuns engineer Scott Newth who were later joined by Datsuns’ bandmate Ben Cole on drums, and Andrew …
Album Review: Leyya – Sauna
Sophie Lindinger and Marco Kleebauer are Leyya, an electronic pop duo from Vienna, Austria. Today sees the release of their new album “Sauna”, which was preceded by a single, the evocative “Heat”. “Heat” features Lindinger’s gorgeous almost languid vocals over a sparse indie electronic beat and a rousing, charged chorus. Electro melancholic pop that evokes …
EP: TC&I – Great Aspirations
As the conveyor belt of life moves inexorably closer to the edge, it is only natural for one to reflect on one’s impact on the world and whether one has bequeathed anything lasting and meaningful to world. These heavy and sobering thoughts seem to imbue the new EP, “Great Aspirations” from TC&I, the collaboration between …
Track/EP: Heligoland – Coriallo
Heligoland‘s new EP, “Coriallo” is a gorgeous, atmospheric landscape of sound, evocative, maybe, of the windswept north-western coast of Normandy where it was written and recorded. The input of Robyn Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) as producer and mixer gives you that thrill of anticipation before you even begin to listen to this delicate and beautiful release. …
Track: Priest, Our Time Will Come
In anticipation of the new EP “The Lost Lions” due out soon, Priest have delivered another enticing taster in the form of new single, “Our Time Will Come”, following up on the release of “White Wing Dove”, reviewed by Backseat Mafia in September. It has all the hallmarks of the elements I love about this …
Tour News: Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds Announce Australian Tour
One of the best live gigs I’ve seen over the past few years was Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds at the Spiegeltent in Sydney back in 2014. While aware of Kid Congo Power’s incredible C.V., I was not too familiar with Power’s new band and knew not what to expect. What I witnessed …
Album Review: Hockey Dad – Blend Inn
The town of Windang in New South Wales, Australia is just south of the somewhat gritty industrial port of Port Kembla in the city of Wollongong, and paradoxically the gateway to the extraordinarily beautiful South Coast of NSW. This is also the home of one of the most exciting new bands coming out of Australia: …