Italy
Track: Unruly Girls – She Grew Up in a Shotgun Row
It’s been two years since we’ve heard from Southern Italy’s provocative and innovative Unruly Girls and their new single ‘She Grew Up In A Shotgun Row’ displays a sharpening of their incisive and slightly anarchic sound. The single is an aural assault – a pleasant and pulse-quickening one – that is inspired by the upbringing …
Track: Julia Bardo – I Wanna Feel Love
Shifting somewhere between Blondie, Gloria Gaynor and PJ Harvey is no mean feat, but the new single from Mancunian Julia Bardo manages to span genres in a seamless and thoroughly enjoyable manner. Bardo was born in Italy but moved to Manchester. Name-checked as an influence too is the legendary Lucio Battisti. Her Italian roots come …
Say Psych: Album Review: Sonic Jesus – Memories
Hailing from Dognella Di Ninfa, Italy and once described as psychedelia’s “best kept secret”, Sonic Jesus have acquired a staunch following in the underground, not least thanks to the exposure provided by Fuzz Club Records for their debut LP Neither Virtue Nor Anger which has now acquired cult status. Memories is much more than a …
Say Psych: Album Review: Throw Down Bones – Two
Italy’s Throw Down Bones are something of an enigma in the experimental underground. Since the release of their highly-praised 2015 self-titled album, they’ve picked up a notorious reputation on the European live circuit for their pulverising, constantly-mutating live shows. In a review of the debut album listeners were told to “make no mistake, this is …
Say Psych: Premiere: Throw Down Bones – Two
Italy’s Throw Down Bones are something of an enigma in the experimental underground – but we hope to change that by bringing you the premiere of their second LP released tomorrow, appropriately titled Two. Since the release of their highly-praised 2015 self-titled album, they’ve picked up a notorious reputation on the European live circuit for …
ALBUM REVIEW : MINDWARS – Do Unto Others
If there is one name that gets me up-and-about regarding Thrash Metal it’s the mighty Holy Terror from Los Angeles. Responsible for possibly the greatest Thrash masterpiece of all time in 1987’s ‘Terror & Submission’ – if it isn’t part of your wheelhouse or you simply have no idea what/or who I’m taking about, then …
Premiere: Stella Diana reveal new track Der Sandmann
Backstreet Mafia is excited to premiere the fantastic new track from Italy’s magnificent Stella Diana. ‘Der Sandmann’ is from Stella Diana’s forthcoming album ’57’ due out on 25 May 2018. The extraordinary tsunami of creativity pouring out of Italy’s rock scene continues unabated with this stellar trio from Naples. They are in the esteemed company …
Album Review: MESSA – Feast For Water
Italians Messa have a striking sound, a kind of doom rock, which is occasionally blissed out with with low key jazz arrangements and soaring bluesy solos. FEAST FOR WATER is a tad more accessible than their equally striking debut from 2016, Belfry. Belfry was a touch more metallic and rawer. Feast For Water sounds like …
Album Review: Japan Suicide – Santa Sangre
We recently reviewed an Italian band called Unruly Girls and noted that the Italian rock scene was both healthy and creative. And no better sign of this good health is Japan Suicide, whose new album, ‘Santa Sangre’ was released on Valentine’s Day last week. Citing eighties post-punk new wave influences like The Cure and Joy …
Say Psych: Track Review: Sonic Jesus – Dead Man
Rating: 8/10 Sonic Jesus are one of the most revered outputs in the modern psych scene and are helmed by mutli-instrumentalist Tiziano Veronese who handles all song writing duties, with the lyrical composition falling to Marco Barzetti. Their debut LP Neither Virtue Nor Anger received international acclaim due to its dark, overbearing tones and earlier this year …