Live Review: The Underground Lovers, Northcote Social Club 12.05.17 Plus Gallery
Deep in the heartland of the (apparently) hipsterville suburb of Northcote in Melbourne and the hometown of the Underground Lovers: there couldn’t be a better place to witness the launch of the band’s second phase second album, “Staring at You Staring at Me” (reviewed by Backseat Mafia here). From the very start, it felt like …
Track: The National – The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, plus Album /Tour news
Following some mysterious posts on their social networks, The National have just announced a new album – their seventh studio album – entitled “Sleep Well Beast”, due out on 8 September 2017 through 4AD. The song list is: 1. Nobody Else Will Be There 2. Day I Die 3. Walk It Back 4. The System …
EP Review: The Dollar Bill Murrays – Always On
The Brisbane quartet, The Dollar Bill Murrays, may have a quaintly amusing moniker but on the strength of this EP, they are not here just for fun. This is a strong guitar-driven, melodically powerful EP that shows a high level of maturity and portends a great future. Singer Felix Lindgren has that yelpy, louche delivery …
Live Review: The All Seeing Hand at Schmørgåsbaag, Hobart, Sunday, 23 April 2017
In the early evening on a Sunday at the very edge of the world, a fitting place to witness an extraordinary performance from New Zealand band The All Seeing Hand. I had already recently noted the remarkable level of talent coming out of New Zealand in my recent review of Fazerdaze, and The All Seeing …
Track – Velvet Flare – Animal
Straight out of Brisbane and seemingly via the tenements of London comes Velvet Flare with “Animal”, a visceral, angry stab of glam rock that has all the hallmarks of an Antipodean Suede. Singer Paul English has a soaring voice, complete with eviscerating lyrics, that moves effortlessly into a falsetto over a chugging guitar. The accompanying …
Album Review: The Underground Lovers – Staring at you Staring at Me
In 2013, after a nine year hiatus, Melbourne’s legendary The Underground Lovers returned triumphantly with the album “Weekend” – listed as one of Backseat Mafia’s favourite releases for that year. Luckily, this time round we have not been kept waiting so long – four years later and they are back in business with the release …
News: Dark Mofo Festival
Over the past few years, the city of Hobart in the Australian state of Tasmania has been transformed by the building of a privately-funded art museum called the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) on the banks of the Derwent River. The museum has achieved international recognition for its innovative and eclectic collection and …
Album Review: British Sea Power – Let the Dancers Inherit The Party
The iconic British Sea Power are back after a four year hiatus with one of their best albums since my personal favourite “Open Season” (released way back in 2005). “Let The Dancers Inherit The Party” is the same BSP as before but with added melodic bounce, the same amount of fresh, almost childish, optimism mixed …
Track: Secret Shine – For You, plus new album news
Secret Shine’s new release “There is Only Now” is a classic brew of shoegaze and dream pop – elements of Disintegration-era The Cure mixed in with a clearer and more distinct My Bloody Valentine or Lush. It is an album filled with waves of sonic reverb and chorus, with arpeggiated synthesisers interweaving with a more …
News: Fazerdaze announce European tour dates
New Zealand indie quartet Fazerdaze are about to release an album, Morningside. It’s a record that has an evocative mix of angular, chiming music and ultimate pop sensibility. What is even more astounding is that Fazerdale frontwoman Amelia Murray wrote, recorded and produced the album by herself. The three singles released so far perfectly capture …