backseat downunder
Live Review and gallery: The Butterfly Effect, Caligula’s Horse and Thornhill at Hobart Uni Bar 09/10/2022.
Hobart heavy metal fans were treated when Vandemonium Touring, in conjunction with Destroy All Lines, secured this fabulous triple bill of melodic, prog metal bands to play at Hobart Uni Bar on Sunday, 9th October. Headliners, The Butterfly Effect, were on the road to promote the release of their long-awaited fourth album, the aptly titled …
Premiere: The formidable Jo Meares makes a triumphant return with the sumptuous ‘Faster Than A First Kiss’, off his newly announced album ‘Dream Hotel’.
We are cryogenically frozen with excitement to give you an exclusive listen to the new single from the brilliant Jo Meares, ‘Faster Than A First Kiss’. Meares to me is one of the most prodigious talents summering below the surface in Australia: his profundity and eloquence comes across as the love child of Nick Cave …
Premiere: Sydney’s indie pop grunge exponents GRXCE calls out the ‘Pretty Boy’ in a floor busting, skyscraping debut single, with launch date announced.
We are very honoured to premiere the debut track from Eora/Sydney-based outfit GRXCE entitled ‘Pretty Boy’ – a driving track about superficiality and image delivered over a quiet/loud tone and singer Jamila Grace’s evocative, sardonic vocals that lay a soft velvet cloak over the scything guitars. This is grunge pop at its very best – …
Premiere: Arty Ziff says ‘ByeByeBaby’, a delicious wave of bubble pop melancholia featuring the velvet vocals of Jade Alice.
We are very pleased to premiere the silky smooth sibilant sounds of ‘ByeByeBaby’ from Arty Ziff, featuring the velvet vocals of singer Jade Alice. Arty Ziff is the nom de plume of Naarm/Melbourne-based producer, Mitch Kelly, whose mastery of the genre is confirmed with a pop-infused clarity in this new track. Imbued with a neon …
Premiere: Good grief! The Shrugs unveil catchy new single ‘Charlie Brown’ and announce launch date.
Following up on their single ‘Shoebox’, indie popsters and al round groove merchants The Shrugs have released the full throttle blast of ‘Charlie Brown’, which we are very pleased to premiere here at Backseat Mafia. ‘Charlie Brown’ blasts off with the typical Marrickville sound of fuzzy guitar pop and bluster. A crunchy guitar intro launches …
News: Bluesfest Byron Bay adds a further 6 acts to its’ already impressive lineup for 2023.
Bluesfest has unveiled its’ second announcement for the 2023 festival, this time tantalizing festival-lovers with another 6 international acts sure to tempt those still vacillating about whether to go or not. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Counting Crows, The Doobie Brothers (with Michael McDonald), Vintage Trouble and Allison …
Live Review: UB40 featuring Ali Campbell kick off Australian tour at City Hall, Hobart
Hosted by The Hour Group and Vandemonium Touring, reggae royalty, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, kicked off their Australian tour on Friday night with a gig in Australia’s southernmost capital city, Hobart. Whilst the band only retains Ali Campbell from the original UB40 lineup, the gathered musicians who go to make up the band turned in …
Live Review + Gallery: Mannequin Death Squad at Altar 29/09/2022
Having recently returned from a tour throughout the UK, Melbourne power-punk 2-piece, Mannequin Death Squad (El and Dan) took to the stage at Altar here in Hobart and ripped out an explosive set of songs from their catalogue, including new tracks from their just-released album, Super Mental Psycho (which was co-produced by legendary Australian producer, …
Track: Katy Steele says I ‘Feel So Bad’ in an effervescent glam stomp that floats buoyantly along with spirit, and announces live shows.
Katy Steele is an institution ever since her days in Perth indie darlings Little Birdy, and we recently reviewed her contribution to the Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe) track “Graduation Day’. Steele now strikes out on her own in her new track ‘Feel So Bad’: an effervescent rollicking track that canters along like an unbridled horse …
Track: Dunedin’s Soaked Oats release the laconic and uber cool ‘Something’, announce new album and launch date
With a touch of Lou Reed in its insouciant laid-back dry observational style, the new single ‘Something’ from Ōtepoti/Dunedin four-piece Soaked Oats is a delicious track imbued with a laconic easy style and a huge dollop of panache. Of course, Dunedin has a storied history in producing the very best in indie fare, and clearly …