Album Review: Mako Bron is ‘Halfway Home’ and it is a shimmering enigmatic journey filled with soaring anthems and an air of wistfulness.
The mysterious and criminally underappreciated Mako Bron is the moniker of one Chris Brookman whose work we have followed assiduously now for years – his EP ‘Cloudbites’ made our list of favourite antipodean releases for 2021 and, now, his debut album ‘Halfway Home’ has just slipped in under the barriers as a late entry to our …
Live Review: Lloyd Cole (solo), Theatre Royal, Hobart, 10.12.23
Lloyd Cole had a rather bad start to his Australian tour commencing in Hobart. He recounts that he had arrived a few days early to have a quick break in Hobart (Cole enjoys a game of golf), but the national carrier had decided to send his two guitars on their own solo tour elsewhere in …
News: Royel Otis are full of whimsy and ‘Heading for The Door’ with their new single, album and tour news.
The indefatigable Royel Otis are continuing their rapid ascent into the firmament with their new single ‘Heading For The Door’ and news of a massive Australian, US and EU tour. All this will be bolstered by their forthcoming album ‘Pratts & Pain’, being released through OURNESS on 16 February 2024 We here at the antipodean …
Premiere: Bryan Estepa delivers a powerful romantic epic in ‘That Was The Day’.
Philippine-born Australian resident Bryan Estepa is a powerful songwriter and musician whose work is greatly admired here at the antipodean headquarters of Backseat Mafia, and we are very honoured to premiere his new single ‘That Was The Day’. The track is in fact a cover of a track originally written and recorded as a solo …
Track: The fabulous HighSchool is out with haunting, atmospheric new track ‘August 19’, on news of signing to [PIAS]
London-based Melbourne trio HighSchool are back with another shimmering sparkling and enigmatic track, ‘August 19’, out now through the esteemed [PIAS] with whom they recently signed. With a more organic feel than their last single, there is a ambulatory liquidity about this track with its distant louche vocals and shining and chiming guitars, confirming their …
Meet: We chat to Martin Kennedy (All India Radio, Kilbey/Kennedy, Observers) about recording, heavy metal, and collaborating with Steve Kilbey (The Church)
Martin Kennedy has a had a long and impressive career in music. He was given a guitar with four strings at the age of fourteen, made up his own chords and eventually formed Melbourne band Pray TV, releasing 5 albums and touring the US, before forming All India Radio and collaborating with other musicians such …
Track: Melbourne’s Hooper Crescent experience a little jaunty ‘Karaoke Love’ ahead of ‘Essential Tremors’ album release.
Melbourne art pop band Hooper Crescent are developing an impressive body of highly original tracks that are about to be released in an album, ‘Essential Tremors’, due out on 5 February 2024 through Spoilsport Records and Earth Libraries. As a taster, they today release the single ‘Karaoke Love’ which is a jaunty, spiky slice of …
Premiere: ‘Don’t You Dare Go All Sentimental On Me’ – open up the False Peak Records Advent Calendar window as Dänmark are back with another brooding delight ahead of the label’s 5th Summit Instore Crawl
It’s that time of the year again when the illustrious False Peak Records deliver a tempting Advent Calendar of delights in the lead up to Christmas – 24 mysterious offerings released progressively over the next month. We are very honoured to premiere the first treat in the form of the new single from the enigmatic …
Track: ‘January Makes Me Sad’ – Anna Smyrk unveils reflective new single and US tour news
Following up from her EP ‘Cortisol and Blue Light’ earlier this year (read my review here), long time favourite here at Backseat Mafia, Melbourne artist Anna Smyrk, has unveiled her new single ‘January Makes Me Sad’ ahead of news of an extensive 13 date US tour. ‘January Makes Me Sad’ has that signature Smyrk tone: a self …
Premiere: We get an exclusive look at the stunning new video for Samuel Gaskin’s evocative single ‘PRESSŪRE’.
Earlier this month we reviewed the beautiful new single ‘PRESSŪRE’ from Melbourne based queer Māori musician Samuel Gaskin, and we are honoured to bring you a first look at the stunning video for this shimmering track Immediately, Gaskin confronts the viewer with shocking epithets over the face of a young child that contrast with the gentle …