Features
Feature: The 50 best albums of 2020
Well, it’s been a bit of a year, hasn’t it? Global pandemics, George Floyd, environmental issues, terrorism, dissatisfaction with those in charge, not least in the ongoing (it seems) fallout from the American Presidential election. None of that has stopped artists from all persuasions and genres making some fantastic music over the last 12 months. …
Feature: The rise of the reaction video – and anyone can do it
YouTube. What would we do without it, right now? One of the few ways that remain of accessing ‘live gigs’ for starters – the ones you attended at least, whether they were filmed professionally or shakily on a ‘phone – or your favourite ones that you didn’t attend. A trip down Memory Lane in the …
Droppin’ Knowledge: World Premiere – Rapper Hernon & Producer Frowns Share Their New Album Masterplan, Discuss Its Creation
The artists discuss their new album and share it with Backseat Mafia. Virginia rapper Hernon and Toronto-based producer Frowns met the way many artists meet each other today, on social media. After exchanging some direct messages on Instagram, they began to collaborate on a project together, their new album, Masterplan. While the process of creating …
Feature: Does Manchester really need the two largest music venues in the country?
It opened in 1995 and was originally planned as part of a bid to land the 2000 Olympic Games. With a maximum capacity of 21,000 spectators it is the largest indoor arena in the country, and in Europe, and for several years in the noughties it was the busiest in the world by ticket sales, …
Droppin’ Knowledge: There’s A Fervor In The Music – A Profile of the Rap Artist Chimezie
Chimezie, the rapper, first discovered hip hop when he was around eleven years old. The artist, who is also a prolific reviewer of rap albums on YouTube, grew up in a religious family. He heard gospel music around him, both in church and at home. He attended a Baptist church when he was a child, …
Premiere: Key Out releases video for haunting single ‘Buildings’ plus list top ten influences
Key Out are a phenomenal Sydney band – I recently rated their brilliant album ‘Anthropomorphia‘ a well deserved nine out of ten. Backseat Mafia is therefore utterly delighted to premiere Key Out’s new double sided single consisting of the opening track from the album, ‘Buildings’ as well as a remix of earlier single ‘Chorus’. ‘Buildings’ …
Backseat Downunder: A Summary of Recent Australian and New Zealand Releases
This is a new section of Backseat Mafia that provides a quick rundown of recent releases from the shores of Australia and New Zealand. Kylie Minogue, the Australian national icon, assumed a mantle of coolness when she collaborated with Manic Street Preachers and Nick Cave and associated with Michael Hutchence from INXS, and it cannot …
Feature: CARDIACS – A Backseat Mafia top ten playlist in memory of Tim Smith
A personal selection from Backseat Mafia contributors Richard Farnell and Briandroid TO CHOOSE just ten tracks from Cardiacs’ impressive body of work is a near-impossible task. You might think they didn’t do that many albums compared to some, but they often crammed an album’s worth of ideas into just one song. Had circumstances been different …
Feature: Scratch the Surface: The Wolfhounds albums Bright and Guilty / Blown Away (1989), and an interview with Dave Callahan
THE WOLFHOUNDS formed in Romford, Essex in 1984, plying their trade in the local Rezz Club before playing gigs further afield, notably at The Clarendon in West London. Debut single “Cut The Cake” arrived in February 1986, gaining single of the week status in all three of the main music papers. Sadly, early critical success …
NOT FORGOTTEN: Edsel Auctioneer – from the Pump Room to the Duchess: life in the 90s’ noisepop scene
In an exclusive look at the 90s’ indie scene, Backseat Mafia interviewed Ashley Horner of Leeds’ The Edsel Auctioneer. Ashley proved warm, voluble and candid about life in a nearly famous British noisepop band in the 90s. It’s a cracking interview. Read on …