Band of Badgers Presents...#1 The Pilot

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE 1 TO YOUR COMPUTER.

   EPISODE 1: THE PILOT

Well. After much ado and not even a little bit of nothing my first podcast episode is now published and available on the interweb. It is actually scary. What if it's crap? What if no one checks it out or listens? By crap I mean my own bits and bobs, certainly not the amazing musical talent it is showcasing!

Ah, well it was a lot of fun to do and as I've mentioned previously all the support and encouragement I've received from the bands and artists on the playlist has been fantastic. I only hope I can repay this and gather up a decent sized audience for it whereby people who may not have come across their music in any other way will do so thanks to Band of Badgers Presents. I tend to go out there looking for new music but am always grateful when people suggest new bands or artists to me or if I suddenly start being followed by them on Twitter. I hope this podcast will serve for those who may look for such content with a playlist they can listen to for sampling and then take something (if not everything) from it. 

Given individual preferences this may not happen for all artists featured on the playlist but then that's not the aim, just to put a good selection of music crossing genres (particularly but by no means exclusively, rock, alternative, soft rock, folk, folk-rock, singer-songwriter, nu-folk) out there for people to sample and enjoy. Although I will tend to focus on the genres above, these are not in any way exclusively what I'll be sticking to. If I come across something I really do like and it does not fit into these then it will still likely find itself on a future playlist.

For me, it is about my own preferences but these are often so varied (as you will no doubt be able to gather from this first episode) I will never exclude anything that perhaps doesn't fit into any specific category. In fact I only use categories and tags for searching and clarification purposes. I've read many an interview from artists I respect who often despair at being pigeon-holed into such categories. Nevertheless categories is kind of how it rolls, I guess so I'm afraid I can't escape them on that level.

You can listen to this episode by streaming via the above player or by visiting the podOmatic page at http://bandofbadgerspresents.podomatic.com. There's a description and introduction on there too so I'll refrain from including it all here as I've been rambling on for a little too long already.

I will however include the tracklist so you can click on website links if you'd like to and check out other fantastic tunes from these great bands and artists:

1. Alone in Berlin by One Cure For Man
2. Inseparable by Under a Banner
3. Reaction by Whitestar
4. Love is a Burning by The Survival Code
5. Infidelity by Mutineers
6. Open the Door by Andrew Page
7. Break Me by The Walla Recovery
8. Can We Keep This by Angel Kelly
9. White Lies by Luke Jackson
10. C.C.T.V by The Last Republic
11. But Without Light by One Cure For Man

Thanks to Mark Blasco at http://www.podcastthemes.com/ for the theme tune. Please check out the website and also make sure you check out Mark's own site for his own music. 

It should also soon be available via iTunes and on Soundcloud but I will add these links once this is sorted.

To the Future

In future episodes I'll hopefully be able to include interviews and rare samples of new tunes, perhaps even demos that artists may wish to try out. This all depends on potential playlists of course but in putting together one for episode 2 I've received the same kind of amazing support from bands and artists as I did for this one. 

I will also be including more songs from the artists featured above. There'll likely be at least one from above featuring in episode 2 but others will return as and when.

Hopefully I'll be sorting out a better microphone for recording them now I'm intending to do this on a semi-regular basis. It's the intention to record a new episode once every two weeks but this may be more or less often depending on other commitments. I will maintain a regular momentum though.

With the 2012 festival season fast approaching I'm considering doing a festival special although I'm not quite sure what this will entail just yet. Keep your eyes peeled (such a macabre saying) or rather your ears open! Maybe I can get hold of some live recordings to play for a start?

Coming up in Episode 2 so far will be:

Sky Burns Red

Page 44

I Divide

First Things First

Howard James Kenny

Rainy Boy Sleep

Tom Mcrae

Gypsy Fire

Thanks for listening.

Contact: bandofbadgers@hotmail.co.uk

Books:

I recently finished That Bear Ate My Pants by Tony James Slater. What are you waiting for? Buy it, click for it like your life depends on it because you'll regret missing out on a fantastic read if you don't. It's so genuinely laugh out loud the situations Tony wound up in as a volunteer at an animal rescue centre (well it was an outdoor centre up a mountain actually) in Ecuador. Chasing a bear up a tree is just one of very many of these. I'll be writing a review ASAP but until then just take my word for it and buy it! 

I then started reading Joe Vampire by Steven Luna while waiting for my first train back from a few days away. There I was sitting in Brighton train station glued to my Kindle. There I was sitting on the train from Brighton to London Victoria still glued to my Kindle. Then again sitting around at London Euston I resisted what is usually a very strong urge to people watch (although I had loaded myself up on this particular activity while sitting in a Costa Coffee shop for the majority of the previous afternoon) by remaining glued to my Kindle. For the final leg of the journey home from London to Northampton you guessed it, I was again glued to my Kindle. I do so love having this time available to read in this way. For the most part it's uninterrupted bliss. This is always a complete and utter joy when the book turns out to be such a fantastic read. 

I know I've not yet finished it but Joe Vampire is a refreshing tale of an ordinary dude who is reluctantly turned into a vampire. Steven demonstrates a masterful skill in making this such an interesting unputdownable (this really should be a word by now) story considering vampires feature so heavily in the current market. I believe this is very much one that breaks the mould and treats the subject in such a way that instantly connects the reader so much more closely to main character Joe. It's great news the author has recently been generating ideas for a follow up. Already, I can't wait to see what surprises lie in store for Joe and Co. 

A link to the blog can be found by clicking here.

I've been truly blessed with the last few books I've read all being online e-book purchases for my new Kindle from authors who work hard to help promote their hard work via Twitter and Facebook. I've been blessed even further (so many blessings I'm now an honorary blesser of sorts (I don't know what this means in the slightest, stay with me, it sounded funny in my head....please note my use of the word soundED)) by being able to interact and chat with these authors while hopefully helping to promote them a little myself as well. Their thanks for my support is humbling but I thank them for writing such interestingly, different books that have kept me fully entertained.

I've written very well deserved Five Star reviews for The Squirrel That Dream of Madness and Life Knocks both by Craig Stone and as mentioned above I'll be writing a review of Tony's book, That Bear Ate My Pants over the next few days. It goes without saying (and I'm not saying, I'm typing) that once finished I'll also write one for Steven's Joe Vampire.

Come on folks. Get reading!

Movies:

I went to see The Hunger Games on Monday and found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable film. I'll only review it if I get chance which given my current commitments is not likely to be any time soon. I'd certainly recommend it as being worth a watch though! 

Preliminary score: 3/5

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