New Music: Mogwai, Every Country’s Sun
Scotland’s Mogwai are one of those bands that have been on the periphery of my vision (or hearing?) for many years, receiving strong critical acclaim and amassing a huge and dedicated following. I just haven’t had room on my brimming musical plate to encompass them, and to be honest the idea of a (mostly) instrumental …
New Music: Priest, White Wing Dove
We’ve been huge fans of duo Priest since their debut under the name XPriestX and its great to see a new release following a brief hiatus. “White Wing Dove” has all the hallmarks of Priest – yearning melancholy indie electro-pop with expansive skywide choruses and bittersweet melodies. Priest is the result of a collaboration between …
New Music: Unruly Girls, Cruel Tales
Many years ago in the nascent years of Backseat Mafia, we wrote about a number of exciting Italian bands creating distinct indie rock with style and attitude. One of these was a wild and brilliant band called “Sweet Jane and Claire” who (as their name suggested) were very much a Velvet’s-influenced attitude-laden breath of fresh …
New Music: The Raft, A Lullaby/Coming Up For Air Double EP
I could make a droll comment about The Raft ferrying me happily across the Mersey with this bright, sparkling double EP release but that would be too easy and trite. I guess I’ve already let that one slip out, but in all seriousness, this release, from Liverpudlian singer/songwriter Phil Wilson collaborating with producer JPedro, contains …
Video and Album News: Baxter Dury, Miami
Any uncertainty about Baxter Dury’s parentage is quickly dispelled the minute he starts singing. If singing is the right term: he is a blistering, sardonic cockney raconteur just like his brilliant dad (Ian Dury, in case you are not up to speed). The video release of his new song, “Miami” reminds me of the panache …
Video and News: Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Over Everything
This must be the most perfect laconic, low-fi alt.country indie music match in history – Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile are releasing an album together entitled “Lotta Sea Lice”, due out on 13 October 2017. First release off the album is the song “Over Everything” and it is everything you would expect from these two …
New Music: Gold Class – Get Yours
In Australia, the term ‘Gold Class’ is synonymous with an upmarket cinema brand where you can recline in a smaller theatre and be fed morsels as you watch the movie. An apt name indeed for a band emanating out of Melbourne Australia that is offering something that is far above the mundane. The single, ‘Get …
Album Review: tunnel traffic – MEESH
Adam Hachey writes under the name tunnel traffic but we’ve met him before playing as part of a band called Meesh – enthusiastically reviewed by Backseat Mafia a few years back (sadly unavailable on the site at the moment). tunnel traffic have now released an album entitled MEESH just to confuse things, but one thing …
Track: Anna Of The North – Someone, plus news
Anna Of The North is Anna Lotterud from Norway with Brady Daniell-Smith from New Zealand. They first met in Australia where they began writing together and the diverse geographical influences somehow make their way into the new single “Someone” – the arctic, haunting and melancholic voice of Lotterud over the bright synth pop music. It …
Track: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – The Punishment of Luxury, plus album news
One of the best synth bands of the eighties, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), are back with a new single and video “The Punishment of Luxury” in anticipation of their album of the same name due out on 1 September 2017. As I have often written before, creativity does not have a use-by date, …