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…
Hudson Fall – The Factory EP
The debut EP from Liverpudlian quartet, Hudson Fall (myspace.com/hudsonfall) has so far garnered praise from Sir Paul McCartney.
Not from round here: I’m From Barcelona
I’m From Barcelona @ Concorde2, 26 November The Scandinavians have a reputation for being the most depressive people of Europe; an unfair stereotype based on the 28 members of Swedish…
All Good Funk Alliance – The Raid: Part Deux (Jalapeno)
After recently rediscovering my enjoyment of the likes of Ugly Duckling, De La Soul and Jurassic 5, I was eager to give this funky compilation a good listen.
Russelling up a storm
An amazing night was always guaranteed when I saw Alice Russell would be playing Komedia with backing from the Jack Baker Trio. And as she charged on stage and leaped…
Stereophonics – Best of: Decade in the Sun (V2)
I stand firm. I will not bow beneath public disdain and suggest that my fondness for the back catalogue of the Stereophonics is a guilty pleasure. On the contrary –…
Floorplay… better than sex?
After meeting in a record store in 2006, Brighton boys Ben Prok and James Fitch honed their collaborative sound to reflect the very essence of what they stand for –…
Tallulah Rendall – ‘Lay Me Down’
Sounding distinctly akin to P J Harvey, Tallulah Rendall has perfected her art amongst some of the capital’s finest musicians – though it was not until recently when asked to…
Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak
Kanye West reinvents himself again on 808s and Heartbreak, an extraordinary album of such a personal nature that it seems indecent to listen.