Music
From an old record box: Babybird – Goodnight
It was 1996, and I was in the Lake District for a summer holiday with a friend’s family; music was key in-car entertainment and one of the principal tapes in the stereo of that lovely old red Volvo 240 estate was a selection of live cuts from Radio 1’s Mark and Lard show. At the …
Live Review: Against The Current – Manchester Roadhouse – 06.12.2014
It’s been a fair while since I’ve been looking forward to a gig as much as this one. There’s a great feeling about going to a gig for bands on the YouTube scene as there’s the definite feeling of everyone coming together to support them. I’ve been pondering the idea of a future article that …
Album Review : My Drunken Haze – My Drunken Haze
One listen to Athens, Greece quintet My Drunken Haze and their self-titled debut, you can tell they’ve done their homework. Their sound is colored with hues found on a late-60s psychedelic color wheel. They veer more on the side of pop than rock, but that’s not to say a fuzz pedal isn’t engaged here and …
Live Review: Screaming Maldini – The Final Show – Queens Social Club – 05.12.14
And so this was it, the last show for Screaming Maldini. The room was packed with people that came together to give them the send off they deserved with a mix of absolute enthusiasm and tears. Coming onto the stage one by one, each member was greeted with a roar of applause and cheering, Maldini …
From an old record box: Cecil – The Most Tiring Day
Between 1997 and 1998 the airwaves of Durham were treated to the finest radio show known (and now lost) to humanity: the Al, Nick and Jonny show. Broadcasting on Purple FM immediately after something called ‘The Culture Bunker’ and before MC Merkin, the show featured colossal indie hits, comedy adverts, amateur talent and, in March 1998, …
From an old record box: Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon (Original Soundtrack)
A Motown martial arts movie ? You heard. In 1985 Berry Gordy produced what ace critic Roger Ebert described at the time as a “great near-miss”. It managed to gross $25m according to wikipedia but it has largely been ignored by history. Ebert also said “my guess is that ‘The Last Dragon’ will be a …
Psych Insight: 20 Essential Psych Albums of 2014
This year I have teamed up with Adam Harmsworth of Psychedelic Drone Rock to bring you twenty albums that have really inspired us in 2014. After last year’s glut of fantastic new albums we really wondered whether 2014 could deliver more great music. We need not have worried because, if anything, this year has seen an even …
See: Screaming Maldini – Solar System (Music Video)
I’ve been reluctant to write this post, knowing that it may well be one of the last I write about Screaming Maldini. In case you’ve missed every recent post about the band, you should know that Screaming Maldini are going their separate ways after spending 5 long years trying to make it in the music …
Album Review; Ariel Pink – Pom Pom
I must confess to being late to the Ariel Pink party. His debut album ‘House Arrest’ came out in 2002, completely under my radar. I stumbled across this new album, ‘Pom Pom’ whilst perusing Spotify for something new to listen to. I had no idea what to expect, but it was clear from the opening …
Premiere: The Black Lamps – The Archivist
Today, here at Backseat Mafia, we bring you the premiere of ‘The Archivist’, the opening track from The Black Lamps self titled debut long player, out on January 12th via Of National Importance Records. The band, Greg Firth (bass), Dean Ormston (drums), Lyndon Scarfe (guitars and keyboards) and Liam Stewart (vocals and guitars) have previously …