Backseat Downunder
Track: New Zealand’s Pale Lady release the bright and bouncy track ‘Lost and Found’
Just as New Zealand is the first major land mass to hit 2021, it is fitting that Wellington’s Pale Lady is the first review for 2021 from me. ‘Lost And Found’ is an effervescent start: a bright and bouncy pop track with slightly metal guitar riffs and sky-high catchy melodies. It’s classic indie fare – …
Backseat Downunder: Favourite Releases from Australia/New Zealand in 2020
Last week Backseat Mafia released its Top Fifty Albums of 2020 – a incredibly rich and diverse list of albums from across a wide range of writers with different tastes and a huge spread of genres; a magnificent task delivered well. At the end of a particularly challenging year, I wanted to highlight the outstanding …
Track: EWAH and the Vision of Paradise return with single Vanishing Point
The arctic and chiming sounds of EWAH and the Vision of Paradise somehow echo and reflect the geographical landscapes of Tasmania and the southern climate – wild, unpredictable and ever so cool. The new single ‘Vanishing Point’ is delectable: mesmerising, hypnotic and crystalline with such a posed sense of style. Guitars scythe their way through …
Track: Dumb Whales release another great indie pop single ‘Communication’
Proving that their chiming single ‘The Great Divide’ (premiered by Backseat Mafia last month) was no fluke, Melbourne based indie pop maestros Dumb Whales are back in town with their new blistering single ‘Communication’. Blasting open with a Pixies-blast of guitars and a driving infective beat, this is magnificent indie fare: melodic, sparkling with a …
Meet: We interview Nic Dalton, owner of Sydney’s legendary Half a Cow Records
As a reviewer, from time to time you come across small boutique labels whose enthusiasm and dedication to the music scene is utterly magnificent and completely inspiring. Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed a number of brilliant bands with one common denominator – they were all on the Half a Cow Record label. This …
Album Review: Glenn Richards (Augie March) releases gorgeous new solo album ‘FIBATTY!’
Augie March are pillar of Australia’s indie music scene and, as such, musical royalty. This year was meant to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their seminal debut album ‘Sunset Studies’, accompanied by an Australian tour. However, other events intervened, and, like many creatives, the band was left somewhat in limbo: exacerbated by the fact that …
Premiere: Warmer releases whimsical animated video for ‘Fishes Swim and Coral Grow’
Back in May I reviewed the gorgeous album ‘Wooden Box with Strings’ from Sydney’s Warmer – the solo project of the enigmatic John Encarnacao from The Nature Strip. This is an album that simply continues to grow in stature. Following the release of a single from this album, we are very pleased to premiere the …
Meet: We chat to genius songwriter Robert Scott from The Bats and review the sparkling new album ‘Foothills’
In times of uncertainty and change, there is nothing more constant and reassuring than a new album from New Zealand’s legendary The Bats. Like a guiding star in the firmament, The Bats have a steady and consistent hold in the musical pantheon – giving direction and a steady path. ‘Foothills’ is simply brilliant – it …
Track: Sunflower release summery track ‘Thin Skin’
The sunshine state of Queensland continues to provide bright sun-bleached pop wonders that capture the quintessential light that emanates from the region. Brisbane band Sunflower does just that: their new single ‘Thin Skin’ has all the hallmarks of the shimmering pop gene that runs through the blood of Queensland musicians, tempered by a thread of …
Soundtrack of Our Lives: Eilish Gilligan takes us through her fascinating musical influences, plus we review her epic EP ‘Hospital’
Melbourne’s Eilish Gilligan is a one person tour de force who has bloomed during the harsh (but ultimately very successful) lockdowns in Victoria. She has been releasing some stunning singles over the past year, undertaking fascinating live shows during lockdown through Twitch and has now released an epic self-produced EP, ‘Hospital’. This EP is a …