Not Forgotten: Rowland S. Howard
In 1975, Rowland S. Howard wrote a song called ‘Shivers’, one of the best songs ever to come out of Australia and indeed anywhere (in my humble opinion) at the tender age of 16. Originally written for Howard’s first band,The Young Charlatans, Howard took the song, ‘Shivers’, with him when he joined another local Melbourne …
Album Review: The Orielles – Silver Dollar Moment
Backseat Mafia recently interviewed Halifax band The Orielles following the release of a couple excellent singles in anticipation of their debut album, “Silver Dollar Moment” due out on 16 February 2018. We’ve had a listen to the album and it really is an extraordinary debut. Sweet harmonies over a scuzzy layer of instruments is not …
See: ShapeShiftingAliens reveal new video for Showing My Face
Taken from their self titled debut album, Showing my Face is a brilliant electro-goth romp infused with cool yet not self-absorbed swagger matched with a stunning video that perfectly captures their theatrical steampunk stomp. The Swedish duo, Niklas Rundquist and J.P Cleve on vocals, are not newcomers to the scene – in fact the former …
Track: Eilish Gilligan – S.M.F.Y.
Backseat Mafia were highly impressed by Melburnian native Eilish Gilligan‘s single “Creature of Habit” late last year – a haunting, sparse piece of electronica that highlighted Gilligan’s extraordinary vocals. Gilligan is back with S.M.F.Y., which, almost impossibly, ups the ante. Instrumentally this is a far more complex dance-orientated piece with synth riffs and a driving …
Album Review: ShapeShiftingAliens – ShapeShiftingAliens
There is no doubt that the vocals of Swedish duo ShapeShiftingAliens (SSA) will immediately make you think of David Bowie, and there are echoes of some other of my favourite vocalists from Nick Cave, Wayne Hussey (Sisters of Mercy), Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten). Vocal style alone, however, does not a great band make and SSA …
Interview: The Orielles
Backseat Mafia recently reviewed the new single “Blue Suitcase (Disco Wrist)” from the magnificent The Orielles, a band we have been following closely since 2015. In advance of a highly anticipated debut album, “Silver Dollar Moment”, due for release on 16 February, a UK tour in February and a European tour in April, we caught …
Track, Video and Tour News: Candace – Rewind
“Rewind” is the stunning new single from Portland, Oregon band, Candace from their forthcoming album “New Ruins”. I’m new to Candace (formerly called Is/Is) and feel both a sense of regret that I haven’t come across them before and yet excitement at hearing what’s to come. “Rewind” has all the elements of the stuff I …
Interview: Colin Moulding (XTC, TC&I)
Backseat Mafia recently enthusiastically reviewed the new EP “Great Aspirations” from XTC‘s Colin Moulding and Terry Chambers, released under the name TC&I. We were very luck to get the chance to fire some questions to XTC’s legendary singer/bass player Colin Moulding about his new release and about the place XTC held in the pantheon of …
Track/Video: Belle and Sebastian – We Were Beautiful, plus tour news
Underpinned by a more prominent shuffling EDM-style drum track, the eternal Belle and Sebastian are back with a new single and video for a track “We Were Beautiful” in anticipation of a European tour and an album. This is classic Belle and Sebastian: melodic, intelligent and melancholic pop with added trumpet. The accompanying video, shot …
EP: Cakes – Prescription Bugs
From the salubrious, white bread and somewhat anodyne Gold Coast of Queensland Australia comes the very antithesis in the form of Cakes, an indie post punk duo who are about to release an EP, “Prescription Bugs”. This EP is an anarchic thrash of guitars and drums leavened by epic choruses and flashes of unexpected subtlety. …