americana
SEE: Tele Novella – ‘Words That Stay’: another beautiful, quirky lament
VINTAGE shop owner Natalie Ribbons and rare record collector Jason Chronis had been kicking around in various musical projects in Austin, Texas, but knew they could fashion something pretty special when they met and started creating tunes: ladies and gentlemen, we give you the medieval outsider country of Tele Novella. (Hey, it’s what they call themselves). They …
Album Review: Young Jesus – ‘Welcome to Conceptual Beach’
Saddle Creek ‘s emo-jazz-rock band presents its most accomplished album, a spiritual journey driven by a swirl of enthralling riffs
CASSETTE REVIEWS: A trio of leftfield beauties from Fritz Pape, Stephen Molyneux, and Laura Luna Castillo
WHITED SEPULCHRE is one of those brilliant little labels nibbling away at, and fascinated by, what’s happening out on the margins. The artists driven less by adoring teens and the bucks, and much, much more by exploring what’s possible, following their muse ever deeper into a particular aesthetic. As la mode, many of Whited Sepulchre’s …
SEE: Calexico to release seasonal album; watch the video for ‘Hear The Bells’
ARIZONA’S atmospheric Tex-Mex outfit Calexico have returned after last year’s collaborative album with Iron & Wine, and have announced a new album whose songs are very much concerned with this time of year in the shape of Seasonal Shift. The album is a celebration of the wider winter and festive season and will be released …
SEE: King Hannah’s ‘Meal Deal’; they announce first EP for City Slang
LIVERPOOL’S Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle who, after working as musicians separately for years, met in a bar job, and decided to make beautiful music together as King Hannah, have just dropped their second single after signing to City Slang, “Meal Deal”. Have a watch of the video, below. It comes after the stark, emotionally …
Premiere: Desure releases new track and visuals for the beautifully melancholy Hi/Lo
Los Angeles Desure, aka Joshua Desure, is gearing up for the release of his Pollen EP, out on November 20th, and ahead of it, we’re delighted to premiere the lyric video to the track Hi/Lo right here on Backseat Mafia. Of the track Desure says “Hi/Lo is a perfect example of what the process in …
SEE: Tele Novella – ‘Technicolor Town’: ramshackle and beautiful Texan alt.country
COMING atcha outta Austin, Texas, Tele Novella is currently the duo of vintage shop-owner Natalie Ribbons and Jason Chronis, who collects rare records. Tele Novella arose from the ashes of other musical projects they were involved deep down in Texas: Agent Ribbons, Voxtrot, Belaire. When they met they knew they could fashion something pretty special. Self-described as “medieval …
SEE: The video for Julia Jacklin’s ‘to Perth, before the border closes’ from her new Sub Pop 7″
IN MID-March, superb Australian alt.folk singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin was just one show from finishing a 12-month world tour for her second album, Crushing, when Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, announced the country would be restricting large gatherings due to the ‘rona. Within a week state borders had shut, and the three-month planned gap in Julia’s touring schedule has …
SEE: The video for Fleet Foxes’ ‘Can I Believe You’, from their surprise fourth
IT CAME as a surprise to most when, on last month’s autumn equinox, Fleet Foxes suddenly unveiled their new album, Shore. It’s full of the same wonderful, ethereal and warm folk harmonies we’ve come to expect from them across their 14-year recording career, a career that’s featured such breathless peaks as Helplessness Blues. Do you …
TRACK: Mountain Goats – ‘Picture Of My Dress’: yearning Americana ahead of next week’s album; live stream news
MOUNTAIN GOATS have dropped just one more track ahead of next week’s new album, Getting Into Knives – and they’ve gone with the acoustic Americana excellence of “Picture Of My Dress”. Have a listen to a touching and understated number below. It’s reported that the song’s creation happened in plain sight, beginning with a single tweet …