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Jupiter & Okwess, Congolese fusion funksters, preview new album with the sizzling ‘Congo Blinders’. – Backseat Mafia
They may be veterans of the tight Congolese street music scene but Jupiter & Okwess have always thrived on going beyond these roots. Formed by Jupiter Bokondji in 1990 the band’s popularity spread when they climbed aboard Damon Albarn’s African Express adventure in 2012. Support slots with Blur, recording on Albarn’s ‘Kinshasa One Two’ album plus sets at WOMAD and Glastonbury all followed before they released their debut ‘Hotel Univers’. Since then, Jupiter & Okwess have become world music big hitters, touring internationally and building their catalogue with two fine albums 2017’s ‘Kinsonic’ and ‘Na Kozonga’ from 2021. Afrobeat drive, earthy Congolese funk, sultry Soukous and some rock muscle have…
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Inhaler’s New Album and Australian Tour Confirmed – Backseat Mafia
Irish rock juggernauts Inhaler are set to electrify Australia once again, announcing their highly anticipated Open Wide Tour for June 2025. The tour arrives hot on the heels of their third studio album, Open Wide, dropping Friday, 7 February. This marks the Dublin quartet’s triumphant return Down Under following their sold-out 2024 tour, where they left Aussie crowds begging for more. With a reputation for delivering euphoric, arena-worthy anthems, Inhaler’s latest record is primed to cement their status as one of rock’s most exciting bands. Open Wide is shaping up to be a defining moment for Inhaler. The Dublin four-piece have been on a meteoric rise since their debut, It…
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Bishopskin – Old Sock – Backseat Mafia
London avant-folk collective Bishopskin return with new single ‘Old Sock’. Delving into themes of spiritual fatigue, circular journeys, and the surreal interplay of human frailty and divine power. The song’s evocative imagery blends frontman Tiger Nicholson’s signature lyrical depth with the band’s hallmark sound: a potent mix of pastoral English folk, bluesy lamentations, and spiritual fervour. Recorded alongside the band’s own James Donovan in Hastings at the home studio of the renowned jazz trumpeteer James McMillan (James Brown, Van Morrison, Amy Winehouse) who also plays trumpet on the track. Frontman Tiger describes the childhood illustration of Christ sleeping uncomfortably on a coil of rope that inspired the track: “What is this song about ?…Christ probably fell…
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Hotgirl Announce ‘Blast Off’ EP And Share New Single ‘On The Brink’ – Backseat Mafia
Dublin upstarts Hotgirl announce their EP titled ‘Blast Off’ due out April 10th via Cartoon Records. The band collaborated with esteemed producer Neil Kennedy (Milk Teeth, Creeper) on the EP and have shared a teaser with new single ‘On The Brink’. Exploring relationship dynamics in their brand new release, Abbedeen explained: “‘On The Brink’ talks about my sadness, my insecurities and my past trauma in a way I’ve never felt able to speak about. I try to remind myself, though, that I am not special and everyone goes through this sadness and loneliness, and we can find comfort in each other by sharing that. I’m just trying to forget how shitty I’ve felt about myself for so long and embrace…
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Emily Barker embarks on UK-wide tour – Backseat Mafia
Australian singer-songwriter Emily Barker has come a long way since the release of her debut solo album Photos.Fires.Fables in 2006. There followed a lengthy hiatus, before she began more consistently releasing music in 2015, culminating in her song Nostalgia taking its place as the theme tune to BBC crime drama Wallander and more critically acclaimed albums. A decade on from The Toerag Sessions, we are on the eve of Barker’s UK Tour which is hot on the heels of the success of last year’s sixth studio album Fragile As Humans. A deeply personal record, exploring themes of grief and loneliness, it also rings with resilience and hope. The vocals and…
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Goat And MC Yallah Release New Single ‘Nimerudi’ – Backseat Mafia
Goat’s recent, eponymous album hit the listener like hip hop reverse-engineered — a record built to be the perfect fodder for samples and sound systems. Its mix of breakbeats, funk-scuffed guitar, and burnt sonics offers up a producer’s playground waiting to be rifled through and roughed up, but why wait? Scrapping the need for the DJs to come carving, the band’s latest single ‘Nimerudi’ finds Goat entering the hip-hop ring of their own accord. Removing crate digging from the equation and tapping directly into the marrow, the band offers up a new song that underscores bars from Kenyan-born, Ugandan-based rapper MC Yallah. Created in their Gothenburg studio and volleyed back and forth between…
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Perfume Genius drops new single ‘It’s a Mirror’ & reveals new album release date – Backseat Mafia
Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) has confirmed that his new album, Glory, will drop on 28 March via his long-time label home Matador Records. Produced by Blake Mills, Glory marks the seventh entry in Hadreas’ mesmerising discography. Alongside the announcement, he shared the album’s lead single, ‘It’s a Mirror’, accompanied by a striking music video directed by Cody Critcheloe. The video reunited Hadreas and Critcheloe, who had previously collaborated on the groundbreaking visual for ‘Queen’, an iconic queer anthem. Critcheloe, known for his work with Robyn, Kylie Minogue, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Yves Tumor, delivered another bold, visually arresting piece. For Glory, Hadreas teamed up once again with trusted producer…
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Julien Baker and TORRES Reclaim Country’s Soul in ‘Sugar in the Tank’ – Backseat Mafia
Julien Baker and TORRES have dropped the official video for their acclaimed debut single, ‘Sugar in the Tank.’ “We were really honored that the Stud Country folks were willing to have fun with us and prepare this line dance for the song! Everyone involved is so talented and they were patient and sweet with us while we learned the moves. For us it’s particularly special to find someplace and some people to do cowboy shit with here in NYC.” Julie Baker and TORRES Teaming up with Stud Country, a queer country dance party collective, the video is a vibrant celebration of community. Choreographed by Stud Country co-founder Sean Monaghan and…
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Young Knives continue to confound expectations with brilliant new single, “Cause & Effect” – Backseat Mafia
We’ve been fans of Young Knives since forever it seems, having spent time at the very same aviary and carillon in the park that made Loughborough Suicide speak to us (well, me) so vividly from the second it landed as part of their brilliant 2006 album Voices of Animals and Men. Their new single, Cause & Effect, taken from the forthcoming album Landfill, sees the band mix up their angular melodies and post-punk leanings with hip-hop, and it makes for something unexpectedly brilliant. Poetic and keenly observed, the clash works with dayglo electronic whoops and these anxious guitar lines accompanying the flow. As lead singer and guitarist Henry Dartnall explains:…
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Wardruna Bring Norse Mysticism to Australia and New Zealand for the First Time – Backseat Mafia
Next week, Norwegian collective Wardruna will land Down Under, bringing their evocative and atmospheric soundscapes to Australia and New Zealand for the very first time. Known for their ability to conjure ancient Norse traditions through music, this long-awaited tour promises to be a transcendent experience for fans of their unique sonic world. Timed perfectly with their visit, Wardruna’s latest album, Birna, will drop on 24 January, delivering another immersive dive into Nordic cultural and esoteric traditions. On the same day, the group will also release Wardruna: Live at the Acropolis, a live album that captures their spellbinding 2022 performance at the iconic Greek landmark, where their otherworldly sound met the…
