Indie
Album review: Chad VanGaalen – ‘The World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener’: an excellent, multifaceted curio of psych and fun
YOU’VE gotta love Chad VanGaalen, the Albertan singer-songwriter who completely follows his own muse, sees the world his own goddam way, thank you very much; and who’s been delighting those of us in the know for a decade and a half now. He first emerged blinking into the musical sunlight with his Infiniheart album for …
EP REVIEW: Blanketman’s ‘National Trust’ – A Northern state of mind
MANCHESTER indie-pop and post-punk outfit Blanketman have come a long way since their early years. A band that has created a hard-earned and well-deserved name for themselves after performing extensively in their hometown, it’s no surprise that their debut EP, the brilliantly titled National Trust, is very much about their own story and identity. Arguably …
See: The Catenary Wires reveal new video to accompany single, Mirrorball; get an early peek here
We’ve covered the track earlier, here, so let’s cover the facts, just to be clear. Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey, aka The Catenary Wires, following a track record that features Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Tender Trap and Marine Research, are rightly revered as indie pop deitys. These days they’re still preaching the jangle pop word through …
See: Fufanu frontman Kaktus Einarsson reveals video for new solo single ‘Kick The Ladder’
Icelandic post-punk Fufanu frontman Kaktus Einarsson has revealed that his solo album ‘Kick The Ladder’ will be out on May 21st via One Little Indian, and he’s just released a new video for the title track. This ominous sounding guitar riff emerges from atmospheric electronics at the beginning of Kick The Ladder, and as it …
News: Ex-Creation Records band Hurricane #1 sign new deal; new music and live shows expected this year
In news that will see a shudder of excitement flow across the loins of indie music officianados of a certain age, ex-Creation Recrords indie rockers Hurricane #1 have signed a deal with Golden Boot Records with big plans expected for 2021. in their 90s heyday, the band scored a couple of top 20 albums and …
Track: Kalbells – ‘Diagram Of Me Sleeping’: languid synth’n’sax pop to wrap up in the covers to
YOU WANT dreaminess? Kalbells, the collaborative synthpop-cum-artpop project of Kalmia Traver, Angelica Bess, Sarah Pedinotti, and Zoë Brecher, has just dropped a dear little nugget of Eighties-inflected pillowtalk bliss, “Diagram Of Me Sleeping”; yet another reason to get yourself booked aboard the first flight out on their album Max Heart, which is coming out on …
Premiere: The Pretty Visitors release video for the epic, soaring single Western Skies
We are very honoured to premiere the new video for ‘Western Skies’, the single from the glorious The Pretty Visitors. The track itself launches with a thrilling wall of guitars and shimmering vocal harmonies. It is epic and cinematic indie pop of the highest degree. The partly spoken verse has a lyrical poetry infused with …
EP: The Great Emu War Casualties release the dynamic and shimmering indie pop EP ‘Vanity Project’
Australian-based and evocatively-named The Great Emu War Casualties (TGEWC) have released the EP ‘Vanity Project’ – a dynamic, fresh and dazzling collection of effervescent shimmering tracks. There is an indefinable sound to the band, but it is one grounded in a great musicianship and creative, innovative songwriting – an indie pop sensibility that has been …
Album Review: The Ghost of Helags unveil the shimmering and impressingly beautiful album ‘We Came From the Stars’
Here at Backseat Mafia HQ we have been following synth pop duo The Ghost of Helags for a while – covering a series of extraordinary beautiful dreamy singles and even capturing a live session of single ‘Chemistry’. The Berlin-based Swedish duo have collected all the singles together and added more tracks to release an exquisite …
Premiere: Ski Lift release new video for the exuberant indie pop of ‘Portal’
South London trio Ski Lift are gearing up for the release of their new single ‘Portal’, out tomorrow (12th March) and the follow up to their 2019 debut ‘Comfortable Here’, and we’re delighted to premiere it right here on Backseat Mafia today. Built around Welsh singer songwriter Benji Tranter, the band is completed by Alisa …