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Merpire has a ‘Premonition’ – a deliciously yearning and romantic track, ahead of live appearance. – Backseat Mafia
It’s been four years since we reviewed Merpire‘s last official release, the album ‘Simulation Ride’, and the Naarm/Melbourne-based award-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter (the nom-de-plume of Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt) is back with a new single ‘Premonition’. Merpire’s yearning style and velvet soft vocals remains to the fore in this silky smooth track, filled with a languorous dreamy atmosphere ripe for release on Valentine’s Day. The song is built on an aquatic synth riff with a driving insistent beat and chiming guitars, expressing a charming romantic melancholy: There’s a pull in my skinTo show you where you’ve not beenIt’s all I think about Merpire says of the track: I was reading my first…
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Lola Young’s Sydney appearance now just over a week away – Backseat Mafia
Fresh from tearing up stages across the UK, Croydon’s own genre-bending sensation Lola Young is headed to Eora/Sydney’s iconic Metro Theatre on 8 January 2025, as part of her inaugural Australia tour. A true dynamo with a knack for flipping the script, Lola’s live performances are a dazzling cocktail of slow-burn soul, thrash-and-trash indie, and razor-sharp banter. It’s no wonder she’s already an NME cover star and one of Britain’s most electrifying emerging voices. Lola’s latest album, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway, has been lauded as “a winningly messy mix of zingers and vulnerability.” With 11 tracks of raw, relatable storytelling, it’s a record that swings effortlessly between empowerment…
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US DIY folk-punks, The Taxpayers, announce debut Australian tour dates along with HOBOFOPO appearance – Backseat Mafia
After an eight year hiatus, The Taxpayers have made a dream comeback in 2024, selling out shows all across the USA and Canada, and seeing their Spotify numbers jump from 500k monthly listeners to 1 million. They will top off this stellar year with their first ever international tour, to Australia. Their acclaimed 2012 concept album about the rise and fall of a fictional baseball player, “God, Forgive These Bastards” was widely considered one of the best albums of the year. It featured the song “I Love You Like An Alcoholic” which was also turned into a musical stage production. The Taxpayers will be playing their way across Australia throughout…