backseat downunder
News: UK rap phenomenon Stormzy announces rescheduled Australian/New Zealand ‘Heavy Is The Head’ tour.
UK rap phenomenon, Stormzy, has has announced that he will bring his ‘Heavy Is The Head’ (H.I.T.H) World Tour to Australia and New Zealand in November/December 2022, through Handsome Tours, Astral People, and triple j. Kicking off this November, Stormzy will perform his biggest Australian shows to date in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide, …
News: Hobart’s magnificent EWAH & The Vision of Paradise announce a showing of ‘Finding Paradise’ – a film based on their stunning album ‘The Warning Birds’
EWAH and the Vision of Paradise (EVoP) released a magnificent album ‘The Warning Birds’ earlier this year (see my 9.2/10 review here) – an album that I described as being a palimpsest for beauty and decay, wild and turbulent landscapes with the intrusion of modernity and the threats and ugliness this can entail. It is …
Track: Hobart’s Caelo releases debut single ‘Tides’: a jaunty rollercoaster of a track that sparkle and shines.
Caelo is essentially the nom de plume of Hobart’s Abe Parsons, and he has just released his debut single ‘Tides’: a whimsical and jaunty track imbued with an air of seaside sunshine mixed with a touch of melancholy and yearning. Horns atmospherically frame the track, with a jingle jangle pop sparkle that recalls George Harrison, …
Track: Melbourne trio J4 exude bright rays of sunshine from their exuberant debut single ‘Try to be Cool’.
Do you remember that fantastic single ‘Steal My Sunshine‘ by Len? An utterly brilliant and joyous track that brought – and still brings – a smile to the dial. The debut single ‘Try To Be Cool’ from Melbourne trio J4 imports that same carefree joie de vivre: it’s a catchy uplifting and jaunty tune that …
News: Melbourne quintet Surprise Chef sign to Big Crown Records + make triumphant European debut with funk fuelled ‘Velodrome’: UK tour dates on sale now
Brand new to the Big Crown family but already proving to be a perfect fit, Melbourne’s self-proclaimed ‘cinematic soul journeymen’ Surprise Chef are serving up a special blend of jazz, soul and hip-hop, with a generous side of psyche, soundtrack and folk folded in. The delicious result is the pure groove of instrumental debut Velodrome. …
News: Chris Bailey from the legendary Brisbane band The Saints has died.
We at Backseat Mafia are thoroughly saddened to hear of the passing of the iconic and enigmatic Chris Bailey, singer from Brisbane’s legendary The Saints. The Saints 2 hours ago announced: It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer and songwriter of …
Track: Introducing Sophie May’s debut single and video for the charmingly nostalgic ‘With the Band’
Despite not having officially released any music previously, 23-year-old rising star Sophie May’s online reputation most certainly precedes her. Already amassing a huge TikTok following, with megastars like Billie Eilish commenting on her videos and Celeste reaching out to suggest a collab, Sophie’s dedicated fans can now take a breath, as she drops her very …
Track: Sydney’s Loose Fit unleash ‘Stupid Drama’: a visceral piece of mosh pit slam dance joy.
Angular, visceral jaunty pop punks Loose Fit are whipping up a deeply pleasurable storm again with their new single ‘Stupid Drama’. This is a band that defies description, but given it’s my job to do just that, just think something wild and excessive that throws an element of funk into a raw febrile earthy mix, …
Premiere: New Zealand’s Voodoo Bloo unveil thrilling video for their explosive track ‘Small’ and announce new album ‘The Blessed Ghost’.
We are huge fans of New Zealand outfit Voodoo Bloo and we are honoured to premiere the exciting video for their new single ‘Small’. Voodoo Bloo started off as a project of Rory McDonald – a native of Sheffield in the UK but now based in Wellington New Zealand – and we covered the dynamic …
Track: Hobart’s The Tinderboxers’ new track ‘Who Are You’ is a cool and jaunty sonic whirlpool from the deep south. Plus tour news.
There’s a fairground whirl to the new track ‘Who Are You’ from the youthful The Tinderboxers, straight out of Hobart, which canters along at a jaunty pace with its Hammond organ/leslie speaker whirl and unbridled exuberance. This is classically formed indie pop fare with a beating heart, relatively raw, charmingly earnest but bristling with vibrancy, …