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Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird


We are inordinately honoured to bring you the new video for Melbourne’s fabulous Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird‘s (CTBNF) track ‘Gabriel’s Horn’, off last year’s magnum opus ‘Smiles of Earth’, released through the legendary Double Drummer. To add icing to the cake, CTBNF is also announcing a massive UK/European tour later this year. ‘Smiles of …

In my humble opinion one of Australia’s most exciting bands, Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird (CTBNF) have just announced an Australian tour to promote the release of their fourth single ‘Every Morning It Breaks’ from last year’s magnificent ‘Smiles Of Earth’ (one of my favourite releases of 2022). ‘Every Morning It Breaks’ is achingly beautiful …

In many end of year best albums of 2022 put together by outlets such as The Guardian and NME, there has been a distinct absence of antipodean bands – an astounding omission given the depth of quality exhibited by Australian and New Zealand artists in 2022. For the past few years, to counterbalance this annual …

‘Smiles of Earth’ is quite simply a glorious album and, for me, immediately takes its place as one of my contenders for album of the year. The new album from Melbourne outfit Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird (CTBNF), out through the esteemed Double Drummer, is a perfect storm of incredible songwriting, magnificent instrumentation and an …

A firm favourite here at Backseat Mafia, the enigmatic Melbourne juggernaut Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird (CTBNF) have today announced the release of a new album entitled ‘Smiles of Earth’ for Friday, 26 August 2022 (out through Double Drummer), a nationwide tour of Australia with a new single ‘Red Dirt Angel’ released today. A surfeit …

Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird (CTBNF) are a revelation for me and one of the most fascinating artists coming out of Australia. There is a Burt Bacharach sixties-infused expansiveness mixed with a Jimmy Webb songwriting craft, all layered with an antipodean genetic code stretching from The Go-Betweens and The Apartments through to Nick Cave. The …

‘When This Is Over’ from Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird, is one of those epic, cinematic tracks that makes you hope that it is actually never ever over. It has an imperious majesty about it that raises the hairs on the back of your neck with its delicacy and its fragile melodies and yearning vocals, …