dream pop
Album Review: Japan Suicide – Santa Sangre
We recently reviewed an Italian band called Unruly Girls and noted that the Italian rock scene was both healthy and creative. And no better sign of this good health is Japan Suicide, whose new album, ‘Santa Sangre’ was released on Valentine’s Day last week. Citing eighties post-punk new wave influences like The Cure and Joy …
Track: Night Flowers – Cruel Wind
Dream pop at its best, the new single by London-based band Night Flowers – Cruel Wind – is nothing short of gorgeous. With generous slabs of melody that hug you and won’t let go, chiming guitars and vocals that are melancholic and sweet, it is crystalline pop that uplifts and sets the heart racing. The …
Track: Mallrat – UFO ft Allday
Mallrat is the project of Brisbane resident Grace Shaw who has been receiving a great deal of well-deserved interest – firstly across Australia and now internationally. Mallrat has been selected to play at the legendary SXSW and will be doing some dates in the US to coincide. Her new release, ‘UFO ft Allday’ represents well …
Track, Video and Tour News: Candace – Rewind
“Rewind” is the stunning new single from Portland, Oregon band, Candace from their forthcoming album “New Ruins”. I’m new to Candace (formerly called Is/Is) and feel both a sense of regret that I haven’t come across them before and yet excitement at hearing what’s to come. “Rewind” has all the elements of the stuff I …
EP: Ummagma – LCD
I’m a little late to the party on this one but towards the end of last year, Canadian/Ukrainian due Ummagma released EP “LCD”, consisting of two versions of “LCD” (mixed by Dean Garcia from seminal shoegaze band Curve) and additional tracks “Lama” (one mixed by Robyn Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins) and “Back to You” …
Album Review : Slowdive ‘Slowdive’
Okay, I must admit that prior to Slowdive’s brand new self-titled album I hadn’t really delved into their music. Yes, I know it’s a travesty and I’m making amends right now by falling completely head over heals for them. I didn’t partake in the shoegaze punch in my younger years(with the exception of Lush’ Spooky …
Track: Secret Shine – For You, plus new album news
Secret Shine’s new release “There is Only Now” is a classic brew of shoegaze and dream pop – elements of Disintegration-era The Cure mixed in with a clearer and more distinct My Bloody Valentine or Lush. It is an album filled with waves of sonic reverb and chorus, with arpeggiated synthesisers interweaving with a more …
EP: The Clouds – Zaffre
Along with bands like The Underground Lovers, The Falling Joys and Ratcat, The Clouds held the banner for classic indie pop in Australia in the late eighties, early nineties.The sweet duel vocal harmonies of Jody Phillis and Patricia Young were underpinned by a muscular rhythm section and jangling guitars. Their album, Penny Century, is often …
See: The Veldt release new video for ‘In a quiet room’
Legendary NYC-Raleigh shoegaze quartet The Veldt have released anew video for ‘In a quiet room’, take from their new five track EP, The Shocking Fuzz of your electric fur, released by Manchester’s Leonard Skully label. Produced, at least in part by the similarly legendary A.R.Kane, the EP see the band return from a significant haitus. …
Track: Wet Leather – Secret Preference
If anxiety pop is a real thing, as NYC’s Wet Leather describe their music as, then we here at Backseat Mafia are immediate converts. Secret Preference is their new single, and it’s as if Girls Just Wanna Have Fun has been dragged to a party, got horribly drunk, and been laid out on a car …