Say hello to The Duke
It’s a splendid thing, the Scottish music scene. Home to the humble kilt, the slightly less delectable haggis and, err, the bloke who played long-suffering Little Mo‘s deranged husband in…
The Bobby McGees: eager to please
Like many a literary theory, anti-folk music is difficult to pin down. Some people will eulogise about it for hours, but ask them to define it and they’ll run away…
Den Saakaldte – All Hail Pessimism
Drawing from the blood of bands such as 1349, Gorgoroth, Shining and Dødheimsgard, Norwegian supergroup, Den Saakaldte’s members are very much a part of black metal royalty and so had…
The Answer – Everyday Demons
“Classic-fucking-rock ‘n’ roll.” Those were the words that entered my head as soon as Everyday Demons, the latest effort from 4-piece The Answer, kicked in. I could tell as soon…
Getting frank with Frank
The Badger loves new music, so when Frankmusik was in town – short-listed by the BBC as one of 15 acts to look out for in 2009 – we just…
Filthy Dukes – Nonsense in the Dark (taster)
Despite being only 5 tracks long, the sampler for the Filthy Dukes upcoming album manages to provide a song for every part of your night out.
Great of the Pier
Synthesisers, guitar licks and electro beats are what this inspired and palm-sweatingly original band are about. Having listened to their sound, one might not have guessed they are from the…
Ida Maria – ‘Oh My God’ (Waterfall)
Ida Maria’s not so new but re-released single ‘Oh My God’ seems to have caught on better this time round. After the success of ‘I Like You So Much Better…
The King Blues – ‘Save the World, Get the Girl’ (Island)
Blue they certainly are not: Ska-Punk-Folk-Rock with a touch of class and a whole load of humour is a tad nearer the mark. ‘Save the World, Get the Girl’ is…
The Saturdays – ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ (Polydor)
Anyone who likes uninspired covers of classic songs which add nothing to the original track have got something wrong in the head (if you belong to this category then I…
The Walkmen need to start taking bigger strides
Through every fault of my own, several years have lapsed since I was first acquainted with The Walkmen. The story of how I came to discover New York’s best kept…
Write them off at your peril
The Perils @ Latest Music Bar, 19 Jan Rough Trade’s Breakthrough event at the Latest Music Bar most definitely made like Ronseal and did exactly what it said on the…
Cara Dillon – Hill of Thieves (Charcoal Records)
When I put this CD into my laptop, iTunes told me it was a pop record. I can’t really see how that applies to this album other than perhaps it…
Lady GaGa – The Fame (Polydor)
Despite my best efforts, it’s stupidly difficult to believe that Joanne Stefani Germanotta was ever in the position of being dropped from a record label. “It just wasn’t working for…
Animal Charm
Animal Collective @ Concorde 2, 15 Jan It’s a cold, windy January night and the approach to Concorde 2 is scattered with small clusters of punters, wrapped up tightly in…
Franz Ferdinand – ‘Ulysses’ (Domino, 19 Jan)
Anyone who read the The Badger ‘Review of the Year’ at the end of last term will know that I had tipped Franz Ferdinand – back with a new album…
Lilly Allen – ‘The Fear’ (Regal, 26 Jan)
During the two years that have passed since she released her debut album, Alright, Still, Lilly Allen has been repeatedly and relentlessly plastered on the glossy and not-so-glossy pages of…
Morrissey – ‘I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris’ (Polydor, 9 Feb)
I think it’s quite safe to say you have to be a special sort of person to embrace Morrissey and, dare I say it, become a disciple. Sure, anyone can…
Music (Brighton arts this year…)
Now that the ‘Christmas Hits’ CD has been packed safely away to gather dust for another year, it’s that time again to look ahead to 2009 and start getting excited…
Getting explicit with XX Teens
If nothing else, XX Teens certainly possess an impressive knack to make one feel as though they’re single-handedly leading music journalism into ruin. A bunch of comedians in disguise, it’s…