soul/funk
Live Review: Macy Gray / Toshín – The Button Factory, Dublin 12.06.2022
Macy Gray played The Button Factory Dublin with support coming from Toshín. Opening the show was Dublin pop-funk singer Toshín, usually a full band but tonight was only a duo, Tosin Bankole and a multi-instrumentalist playing keys / bass and doing backing vocals.Telling us at one point how in the past she didn’t love herself …
Playlist: Rising soul singer Mica Millar gives us an exclusive playlist for International Women’s Day.
This being the week of International Women’s Day, we managed to get an exclusive playlist from Manchester singer Mica Millar – formally of Red Sky Noise, who’s picked us a playlist of powerful songs from powerful women to celebrate. Her own single Girl came out on the day, and was inspired by the stories shared …
Track: Global beat fusionists The Bongo Hop drop ‘The Red Hill’, prime Latin hip hop vibes to announce soon come mini album.
French musician/producer Etienne Sevet (aka. The Bongo Hop), traveller, sound selector, trumpeter has his finger on so many pulses. Funk, soul, jazz, afro-grooves all pumped up with that racy Latin heartbeat from his one time home Colombia. It’s a blend that makes for a distinct Bongo Hop sound, rhythmically slick, smartly arranged songs for head, …
Live Review: Simply Red / Mica Paris – 3Arena, Dublin 02.02.2022
Tonight a large throng (including us here at Backseat Mafia) gathered 3Arena Dublin for the start of Simply Reds long awaited Blue Eyed Soul tour, and opening up the night is soul star Mica Paris who treats the audience to a set spanning her career as well as tracks from her latest album. Nearing the …
Premiere: Robbi Niles reveals new visuals for current single ‘Melody’
Captivating R&B artist Robbi Niles has returned with a new single, titled ‘Melody’, and we’re delighted to be able to premiere it right here on Backseat Mafia today. The Barbados artist released his debut single ‘Wonder’ at just 16 Yeats old and has found some success, charting on the ACQB Top 200 Chart. Picking up …
Premiere: London based Jazz / Neo-Soul artist Leo Pesci talks us through his new EP Community; hear it here, first
Naples born, but London based singer-songwriter Leo Pesci returns with a new EP, Community, blacked by London Jazz heavyweights Johnny Woodham (Alfa Mist) and Dani Diodato (Pyjæn, Arlo Parks). With echoes of the like of D’Angelo, Jordan Rakei and the RH Factor, we’re delighted to be able to premiere the EP right here on Backseat Mafia this morning. …
Album review: The Allergies – ‘Promised Land’: on a hot streak with huge melodies
IN THESE days, months, or years even, when everything has been dominated by viruses, or at least one in particular, there have been many earnest releases focusing on the despair, isolation and loneliness that these have caused us all. There’s nothing wrong with that at all; after all art reflects life (or near enough anyway) …
Track: Iconic cuts reimagined – Melbourne’s The Pro-Teens announce MF DOOM tribute 7” ‘Peachfuzz/One Beer’ out 26 November
Enigmatic, cinematic-soul scenesters The Pro-Teens have just dropped new single Peachfuzz, with 7″ single Peachfuzz/ One Beer coming on 26 November and a hint at a full-length MF DOOM tribute album to come in 2022 (via College Of Knowledge Records). With prolific drummer Hudson Whitlock (Karate Boogaloo, Surprise Chef) at the helm, this breakaway studio …
Track: Holy Hive release new single Story Of My Life ahead of second album
We’ve long been mad about Holy Hive, and out right now is the bands new single, Story of My Life – taken from the bands self-titled second album, out on September 24th via the ever brilliant Big Crown Records. Pre-order the album on cd or two versions on vinyl – black and a blue and …
Album Review: He’s still here – a refined and redefined Chet Faker checks us into ‘Hotel Surrender’- out now via Details Records/BMG
Five-time ARIA-award winning producer, songwriter and artist Chet Faker (aka Nick Murphy) has delivered his highly awaited sophomore album, Hotel Surrender via his own label Detail Records, in partnership with BMG. Six years after stepping away from the Chet Faker identity, Melbourne-raised, New York-based Murphy revived the project last October and created a reintroduction of …