Backseat Downunder
Track: Bryan Estepa: Trick of the Light
Sydney musician Bryan Estepa has impressive song-writing style that is certainly Beatlesesque in delivery, while maintaining his own distinctive delivery and style. His new single ‘Trick of the Light’ showcases his smooth vocals with an extraordinary range as well as the lush and sparkling instrumentation. ‘Trick of the Light’ is infused with a deep melancholia …
See: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever release playful video for ‘The Only One’ and announce tour news
With the magnificent album ‘Sideways to the New Italy‘ making Backseat Mafia’s top 50 albums for 2020 and my favourite 2020 music list from Australia and New Zealand, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (RBCF) continue to sparkle with the release of a video from a track off the album and an announcement of a further gig …
News: DMA’s announce ‘Live at Brixton’ album and release exciting video for track ‘Lay Down (Live at Brixton)’
Sydney’s DMA’s made Backseat Mafia’s top 100 albums for 2020 for the brilliant album ‘Glow’ (review here) and following a spate of singles and a delayed opportunity to tour the album, they have just announced the release of a double album of their last proper live gig in Europe at Brixton O2 Centre in early …
Track: Heligoland triumphantly return with dreamy new track ‘Palomino’ and announce album ‘This Quiet Fire’
It’s been three years since the magnificent Heligoland released the divine EP ‘Coriallo’, a swooning collection of ambient dream pop tracks mixed and produced by the legendary Robyn Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) (read my review here). There is no better way to begin the new year than with the release of a new track and news …
Track: New Zealand’s Pale Lady release the bright and bouncy track ‘Lost and Found’
Just as New Zealand is the first major land mass to hit 2021, it is fitting that Wellington’s Pale Lady is the first review for 2021 from me. ‘Lost And Found’ is an effervescent start: a bright and bouncy pop track with slightly metal guitar riffs and sky-high catchy melodies. It’s classic indie fare – …
Backseat Downunder: Favourite Releases from Australia/New Zealand in 2020
Last week Backseat Mafia released its Top Fifty Albums of 2020 – a incredibly rich and diverse list of albums from across a wide range of writers with different tastes and a huge spread of genres; a magnificent task delivered well. At the end of a particularly challenging year, I wanted to highlight the outstanding …
Track: EWAH and the Vision of Paradise return with single Vanishing Point
The arctic and chiming sounds of EWAH and the Vision of Paradise somehow echo and reflect the geographical landscapes of Tasmania and the southern climate – wild, unpredictable and ever so cool. The new single ‘Vanishing Point’ is delectable: mesmerising, hypnotic and crystalline with such a posed sense of style. Guitars scythe their way through …
Track: Dumb Whales release another great indie pop single ‘Communication’
Proving that their chiming single ‘The Great Divide’ (premiered by Backseat Mafia last month) was no fluke, Melbourne based indie pop maestros Dumb Whales are back in town with their new blistering single ‘Communication’. Blasting open with a Pixies-blast of guitars and a driving infective beat, this is magnificent indie fare: melodic, sparkling with a …
Meet: We interview Nic Dalton, owner of Sydney’s legendary Half a Cow Records
As a reviewer, from time to time you come across small boutique labels whose enthusiasm and dedication to the music scene is utterly magnificent and completely inspiring. Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed a number of brilliant bands with one common denominator – they were all on the Half a Cow Record label. This …
Album Review: Glenn Richards (Augie March) releases gorgeous new solo album ‘FIBATTY!’
Augie March are pillar of Australia’s indie music scene and, as such, musical royalty. This year was meant to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their seminal debut album ‘Sunset Studies’, accompanied by an Australian tour. However, other events intervened, and, like many creatives, the band was left somewhat in limbo: exacerbated by the fact that …