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Here Comes Your Band-Pixies Announce Exclusive Australian Sideshows – Backseat Mafia
Pixies have announced two Australian headline shows.. Fresh off a main-stage summer in the UK, they’re bringing their “still-punk-at-heart” dynamism to two exclusive sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney, cozied up in venues where every chord and Frank Black howl will reverberate like a pulse in the chest. November 15 marks The Croxton in Melbourne; November 20, Liberty Hall in Sydney. This time around, they’ve got The Belair Lip Bombs as guests—a band with a name that suggests what these shows are sure to be: a sonic explosion. In a week, they’ll be launching their Australian tour alongside Pearl Jam, but these sideshows, intimate and rare, bring them back to that…
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Dolium Reignite the UK Underground Scene with 20th Anniversary Box Set and Reunion Show – Backseat Mafia
In celebration of Sister 9 Recordings’ 20th anniversary, Dolium, the pioneering lo-fi/post-punk band that shook up the UK underground scene in the early 2000s, returns with an ambitious 4-CD box set. Fronted by Rhys Bloodjoy (aka Reece Adamo), Dolium quickly gained notoriety in Sheffield’s indie landscape, capturing the attention of BBC legend John Peel in 2004. Although the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2010, they’re back with their original lineup to mark this milestone, performing a reunion show at The Hallamshire Hotel in Sheffield on November 22nd. The box set is a treasure trove for fans and newcomers alike. It features remastered versions of Dolium’s complete discography, curated by…
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Welsh Singer-Songwriter Lily Beau Unveils Debut EP ‘Little Old Me’ – Backseat Mafia
In an emotional milestone, Cardiff-born, Welsh-speaking artist Lily Beau releases her debut EP Little Old Me, a heartfelt and soulful dive into themes of unrequited love, the anxieties of growing up, and the journey of self-healing. For Lily, an artist of Irish and Jamaican descent, the EP marks both a musical and personal evolution—one that’s been a long time in the making. “Little Old Me is really significant to me as it marks my musical debut in English,” Lily says. “I’ve had some of these songs in my notebooks since I was 17, and I can’t wait for them to be heard outside of my four bedroom walls.” Growing up in a…
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The iconic Ups and Downs announce 40th Anniversary tour with the brilliant The Crystal Set – Backseat Mafia
In big news for those of us with fond memories of the paisley-tinged jingle jangle scene in Australia in the eighties, the iconic Ups and Downs have announced they will be celebrating their 40th anniversary next year with a tour. To add icing to an already enticing cake, the hugely underrated The Crystal Set from that era will be reforming as support. They were an indelible part of the paisley revolution in Australia in the eighties – drifting in the slipstream of The Church but along with bands like Crystal Set, Falling Joys and the Hummingbirds forging their own brilliant expression of jangly, chiming pop songs. Lead singer and songwriter from…
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Live Review – Bob Vylan/ Hyphen/ CLT DRP – o2 Institute Birmingham – 03/11/2024 – Backseat Mafia
Sparks fly as Bob Vylan make their triumphant return to Birmingham with the ‘Humble As The Sun’ tour After seeing Bob Vylan a number of times during the festival season this Summer, when this tour was announced, I knew I wanted more and this show did not disappoint. First up were Brighton’s 3 piece CLT DRP. Straight away you could see that these guys were fired up, from the heavy beats of Daphne’s drums, Scott’s dirty guitar riffs and lead singer Annie spitting lyrics with a smile on her face. Having listened to these guys on streaming sites before the show, I was suprised how heavier they were live compared…
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Kings Of Thrash / Andry – Sheffield Corporation, Sheffield 01.11.2024 – Backseat Mafia
When two thrash legends such as David Ellefson and Jeff Young roll in to town it is too good a proposition to turn down, so I hot footed it down the M1 and made my way to the Corporation just as support band Andry were making their way onto the stage. Andry was a decent enough support slot, the voice from Andry herself was dominating and charismatic and she was the ever-present frontal figure, working the stage with flair and authority. The strings worked together to create a platform on which Andrys vocals sat and the kit was being worked with an understated and constant work rate. The set had…
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Tiffany Twisted – Cauterised – Backseat Mafia
Dynamic rock artist Tiffany Twisted has returned after a brief hiatus with her brand new single ‘Cauterised’. She Comments: “This is a crying out to God. An admission that my way didn’t work and that I didn’t justwant, but had a deep need, to walk His way instead. I chose resurrection over seekingdeath. Renewal over recklessness. Sanctity over insanity. This is the sound of cauterising oldwounds.” Featuring a good chunk of 2000s grunge inspiration and a golden striking voice with a bite, especially during the chorus, where the track’s addictive qualities kick in. There’s just no one that quite sounds like Tiffany Twisted. Check it out, here Find out more…
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Rising to the Occasion – Viagra Boys at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney 5.11.2024 – Backseat Mafia
Viagra Boys stand as one of Europe’s most electrifying live acts, and tonight they’re making the Enmore Theatre in Sydney the epicentre of their chaos. It’s a sold-out spectacle, their first time here since 2019, and they’re roaring back with their Australia Shrimp Grand Prix tour. Sebastian Murphy, the ringleader with a voice that slides between smirk and gravel, steers the ship through jagged waters of biting satire and gritty humour. And as the U.S. election unfolds thousands of miles away, the timing feels on the nose. Murphy’s lyrics, skimming society’s underbelly without moral grandstanding, resonate louder. The music, laced with irony and derision, reflects the absurd theatre of modern…
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Swansea Risers The Stray Pursuit Share new Single ‘I Don’t Know’ – Backseat Mafia
Swansea risers The Stray Pursuit share the vibrant new single ‘I Don’t Know’. Brimming with energy and catchy melodies, the track brings together an alt-rock intensity with infectious indie-pop songwriting to create a track which flirts between the two styles. Opening with an atmospheric guitar strum, soaked in blue sky reverb, the track soon bursts into a wall of punching drums, tight distorted guitars and warming bass. Moving to a melodic, melancholic verse, the vocals shift to a more urgent, gritty delivery and the drums enter once more pulling the track to its anthemic chorus. Building throughout to a climactic closing chorus, the track is a great example of the…
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Dead Air – Violently Blue – Backseat Mafia
South London alt-rock newcomers Dead Air have shared their new single ‘Violently Blue’. The track is the first taste of a larger body of work set for release in 2025, with further details to be revealed over the coming months. The track was born during Dead Air’s sessions from Squarehead Studios, Kent. After writing relentlessly morning till night (even camping out on blow up mattresses, sleeping on the studio floor), the London three piece wrestled their powerful new masterpiece into shape. Commenting on the track, frontman Reuben Moonasar says: “The single explores the idea of two beaten and broken souls who are plagued by circumstance. As one half unravels, so does the…
