indie features
Feature: Top 20 albums of the year – Backseat Mafia staff pick
How do you judge what were the best albums of the year? Well, here at Backseat Mafia its a collaborative affair, where everyone that writes for us has as much of a say as everyone else (how did I let that happen?). Happily, in line with the widely and wildly varied nature of our ethos …
A buyers’ guide to They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants are an act who have forged an utterly unique music career over thirty-odd years, from their early days as an act more cabaret than their contemporaries punk rock, via their Dial-a-Song service, sixteen studio albums, eight EPs, another eight live albums (and an additional live promo album) and ten compilations. Riding …
Feature: Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Pete Howard (EAT)
EAT have been described as one of the indie scenes best kept secrets. Their 1989 debut album,’Sell Me A God’ , with its heavy leaning towards the sounds of Creedance Clearwater Revival, but also taking influences from the likes of The Doors, Gang of Four, and Big Audio Dynamite, was hailed as a one of …
Features: Tournee De Satanists – Dirty White Fever / Eye of the Liger – Tour diary (part 3)
Welcome to part 3 of Tournee De Satanists.[Parts 1 and 2 can be found by clicking HERE] Last week we left the bands flailing around in a dark windowless room with a cricket bat come broard sword – like you do – here’s what happened next… Day 6: Metz – Le troubadour –22/01/15 The next …
Feature: New Music For The New Year – Albums To Look Forward To In 2015
I know, I know. This should be my favorite albums of 2014, not albums I’m looking forward to in 2015. As much as I love the favorite lists, and as satisfying as it is once I’m done with making my own and sharing it with the world, I have to admit it’s quite a daunting …
Soundtrack of our Lives: We Were Promised Jetpacks
Out this week is the new album from Edinburgh five piece We Were Promised Jetpacks, called Unravelling. Sometimes dour, sometimes uplifting, sometimes epic sometimes understated but certainly all Scottish, its an affecting and brilliant collection of songs. We spoke to Sean from the band to find out more about the songs that inspired them, that …
A Buyers Guide to XTC
For reasons I’ve never been able to adequately explain, the majority of my favourite musicians have never achieved the level of success that their talent deserved, instead achieving artistic integrity while other, lesser talents, enjoyed far bigger commercial success and radio play. Super Furry Animals, Eels, Cud, are all bands that deserved to be much …
A Buyers Guide to Eels
Eels are a band that too many people viewed as post-grunge alt-rock oddities as they rose to prominence in the late 90s. This wasn’t help by such stunts as appearing on Top of the Pops playing toy instruments to promote early hit single “Susan’s House” and having such oddly unsettling artwork on their debut album. …
A Buyers Guide to The Shins
Initially an offshoot of Flake Music, The Shins were a solo side project for bandleader James Mercer to dabble with during the downtime of his main band. At some point in the mid 90s, Flake Music basically morphed into The Shins, and initially consisted of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mercer backed up by Flake Music’s Jesse …
A Buyers Guide to Ben Folds
Habitual piano botherer Ben Folds is one of those artists in rock and roll whose reputation far exceeds their sales. Both as a solo artist or leading his misnamed Five, he has been much admired, having been regularly being sought out for collaborations, contributions to soundtracks and generally being considered a musician’s musician and a …