Music
Not Forgotten: Jethro Tull – War Child
Released in 1974, War Child found Jethro Tull at a crossroads in their career. Having had their previous album, the dense and generally grumpy A Passion Play, critically mauled and a subsequent mis-step by management that saw the band apparently announcing their retirement without their knowledge, War Child was the opportunity for the band to …
See: José González releases video for ‘Every Age’ / announces 2015 tour dates
Here’s the basics. Its José González’s first solo album in Seven Years, its called Vestiges & Claws and its out via Peacefrog records on 16th February. From it he’s releasing a single ‘Every Ege’, which comes out on November 30th and features a video thats a unique collaboration between José and directors Simon Morris & Chris Higham. …
Say Psych: Album Review – I’m Your Mind Fuzz by King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard
It was a rainy Thursday night in Leeds, and I had just had a long and full day which I had found pretty exhausting. I’d dragged myself out of the place where I was staying and, even up to the point of getting to the doors of The Belgrave Music Hall where the band were …
See: Afghan Whigs release video for “Lost in the Woods” video, announce 2015 European Tour Dates
Taken from the recent album ‘Do to the Beast’ album, and following on from Algiers and Matamoros comes a new video from legendary Alt-Rockers Afghan Whigs. Lost in the Woods is the latest track on the album to get a video makeover (is that really the right term) directed by longtime collaborator Phil Harder. The …
Meet: China Mac interview, and watch his new video for “Buck a Cop”
China Mac has had it tough. Two things have always been a constant in his life – hip-hop and trouble. Sent to a group home at eight years old and writing his first rhyme whilst sat on the bunk bed of a juvenile detention centre, its a wonder that the Chinese-American, Brooklyn born rapper ever …
Meet: We interview Alicewell, new Swedish kids on the Rock block
Meet Alicewell; a new band from Sweden. Even though this is the case, take one listen to them and they sound as if they could have stepped straight off the UK rock scene. Alicewell are an unsigned band, but despite this, they have recently released their debut album Wounds, and just finished a tour of …
Live Review: The Blackout / Yashin / When We Were Wolves – Corporation, Sheffield 6.11.2014
It’s a Thursday night in Sheffield, and the aptly named When We Were Wolves are getting things off to an explosive start on the Blackout’s Wolves tour. Hailing from Wales, the same as tonight’s headliners, these openers are metalcore through and through, and they put the crowd through the wringer complete with an excess of …
Premiere: A Jokers Rage – Temptress
Out on November 21st is ‘Black Sheep’, the new EP from Yorkshire alt-rockers A Joker’s Rage. At once alternating between sweet and sour, powerpop to pure aggression, the band have been earning fans (including us here at Backseat Mafia) for their outlandish live shows, so when we had the change to premiere ‘Temptress’ from the …
Album Review: Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman – Deluxe
Now that the storm of the remastered re-issue is calming down, I feel its time to write about one of my all time favourite albums. One of the main things that struck me while reading through various reviews from a number of fawning critics was that at the time of its release I don’t remember anyone really …
Live: The Specials – O2 Leeds Academy 10.11.14
It’s not been heard for a while, but it’s familiar all the same; the chant is ‘Rude boys! Rude boys! Rude boys!’, what with that and the chequered drum kit,it can mean only one thing… The Specials are in town and they’re ready to wind back the clock and have us skanking like its 1979. …