Leslie and the Badgers at Velour

With a thundering roar, Leslie and the Badgers pulled into a rainy parking lot behind Velour in Provo. Almost simultaneously the rain stopped; the band got out and their 5 smiling faces had somehow driven the rain away. Such was the Ora of the night, as if Leslie and the Badgers and crew brought with them a sort of light. The show opened with local Drew Capener and his band. We talked with him later to ask him what his band name was. His reply: no name 'yet'. He did point out that he will have a record come fall and we will for sure be on the look out for it. After hearing his voice, everyone in place wished the record was already out. Olin and the Moon (out of L.A.) followed up with an energizing set of country/folk-rock, that set the stage perfectly for Leslie and the Badgers.  Hailing from L.A. Leslie and the badgers have received quite a bit of good press lately and deservedly so. Leslie Stevens immediately greets the crowd in the first number of their set by singing out in an almost-Irish canticle that is mesmerizing. It doesn't take more that 3 seconds for the crowd to silence, and off they go. Immediately you are struck by the bands demeanour. They are a happy group, interacting on stage, smiling, cheering one another on and inviting crowd members and Olin and the Moon onstage to sing along with them. Leslie and the Badgers isn't the type of band you would expect to "get there" some day, they have already arrived! Soon enough you find yourself dancing in front of the crowd, lost in the beauty of their music. It's a little bit, country, a little bit folk and a lot of rock all of which you are into just by listening to this band. By the time their set is over you wish it wasn't and the journey from quiet acoustic numbers to rolling country numbers is over and the band has left the stage. As local Favorites The Devil Whale take the stage playing a combination of vintage-rock and indie folk that brings band mates from Olin and the Moon and Leslie and the Badgers out dancing in excitement. Putting an end to an amazing night. Soon enough you find yourself out in the June rain again, wishing the show wasn't over. Luckily enough for you Leslie and the Badgers plays again tomorrow night (Jun. 14)  in Salt Lake at the Woodshed with Olin and the Moon and Blue Sunshine Soul. If you couldn't make either show, then check out a few of their latest tracks at the band's myspace page. Their song: Old Timers just so happens to be a MMMMOVE REVIEW FAVORITE.

J. Tillman

Your life would be better of with J. Tillman in it. Recently we rediscovered him while reading Fricke's Picks in the Rolling Stone, where he is quoted to be: "a compelling whirl of Laurel Canyon-echo balladry and desolate-psychedelia stomp." We consider Tillman to be among the great songwriters of our day.  You may know him better for his drumming in Fleet Foxes more than for his solo work, but that will soon change. Tillman is getting more and more recognition as a solo artist and we feel he is well on his way to becoming a much bigger name. We only hope he finds time to break away from the successes of the Foxes, to come our way soon.  His new album, "Year In The Kingdom" is scheduled to come out in September through Western Vinyl and Bella Union. Amazingly enough you can take a sneak-peek listen at an unmastered  track entitled "Earthly Bodies" here. You can also hear a few more unmastered tracks from the upcoming record on Tillman's myspace page.  Also take listen to a track off of his latest album Vacilando Territory Blues here.   (this track just so happens to be a MMMMOVE REVIEW FAVORITE: Steel on Steel)