Improvisation of epic proportions
The Bays and the Heritage Orchestra @ The Brighton Dome, 21st November For those who missed the interview The Badger ran a couple of weeks ago, The Bays are a…
The Vanguards – ‘Regress’
The Vanguards are a 4-piece from Manchester, and describe themselves as a ‘hard edge, sub pop band’. In the musical tradition of Manchester, the band are trying to develop an…
Mosshart and Hince kill the mood
The Kills @ Concorde 2, 21st November If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot from The Kills. Critically acclaimed they may be, but when it comes down to…
Brighton’s adopted son comes home
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ the Brighton Centre, 23rd November Standing among the huge crowd gathered at the Brighton Centre on Sunday, it was hard not to notice…
Alice Russell – Pot of Gold (Pinnacle)
As a big fan of Quantic, the Columbia based DJ and producer with whom Alice Russell has worked, I had high hopes for this album. Well before the likes of…
Haunts – Haunts (Black)
Hailing from north London and Hertfordshire, Haunts prove that indie can grow and throw up new strands of music.
Hot Chip: the real McCoy
Hot Chip @ The Brighton Dome, 5th November When I order peanuts at a bar my expectations aren’t high: I don’t expect them to be cheap; I don’t expect to…
Introducing Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon is a young folk musician from Northern Ireland. The winner of a host of folk music awards, her sentimental, melancholic sound is steeped in Irish tradition, which in…
Tom Jones – 24 Hours (EMI)
Mr. Jones should be seen in a fair light. Most 68 year-olds find it hard to crap in the right place and ruin their grandchildren’s afternoons with the constant repetition…
Fox Cubs headline USSU Introducing…
USSU Introducing… @ The Cube, 11th November The first of the 3-band selection tray at The Cube on Tuesday evening was Hold Fire – a 4-piece with an extremely polished,…
London orchestra comes to town…
As part of a season of concerts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, appeared at the Brighton Dome on the 8th November to perform two of Tchaikovsky’s lesser-known…
Switch & Sinden – Fabriclive 43 (Fabric)
Since the series started in 2001, the honour to compile a fabriclive is like receiving a knighthood in the dance world. This time it’s the turn of bloggers’ favourite Sinden.…
Deerhunter – Microcastle (4ad records)
I have encountered many criticisms for the online publication Pitchfork from friends, claiming it to be snobbish and elitist, rubbishing some bands, then insisting on overhyping and supporting others, ascribing…
Le Band Extraordinaire – Le Band Extraordinaire EP
Brighton quintet Le Band Extraordinaire clearly did not have modesty in mind when they were choosing their band’s name, and considering they have performed alongside acts such as The Guillotines…
Introducing… Bear Hands
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Bear Hands play a dark, melodic brand of indie with a hint of punk-rock. The band combine spiky, angular rhythm guitar and sparse, mechanical drums…
The View are on fire
I admit it: I was a little nervous about chatting to The View. OK, maybe more than a little. After news of their shambolic appearance in Nottingham just days earlier…
Cello… It’s nice to meet you
The London Philharmonic Orchestra is a an internationally renowned collective of top class musician who play a repertoire that would outstretch the length of the entire REM back catalogue. Yet…
A free beer (and a little culture too)
With all the Dub-step and Gabba that students apparently like, its easy to forget that you can still get melody and sophistication during your student years. If you fancy listening…
Those Dancing Days – In Our Space Hero Suits (Wichita)
It would be easy to congratulate Those Dancing Days for playing instruments and writing their own songs, but that’s extremely patronising considering it’s never remarked of male acts. In Our…
Stephen Dale Petit – Guitararama (333 Records)
Guitararama is Stephen Dale Petit’s debut album following his success busking on the London underground, and one cannot deny his talent as a blues guitarist. However, with songs such as…