"There are words the dead say
and words the dead sing,
and my life will be through
fore they mean anything."-Leslie and The Badgers c. 1972
We are Leslie and the Badgers and we formed in Los Angeles....
"Canyon Country Bands are as common as brush fires in LA but the thing that
separates this combo apart is the voice of the titular Leslie...a rounded
shining thing that evokes Patsy Cline¹s sass and sorrow in one swoop." - LA
Times
"Leslie & the Badgers are quietly turning into one of the city's best...what
makes the songs magical is the way Stevens spruces up the retro country-pop
settings with clear-eyed and thoughtfully incisive lyrics." - LA Weekly
"As the heart of its expressive ability, Leslie Stevens' voice is the picture
of gorgeous restraint, a refined mixture of urbane sophistication and
genuine country honey...radiant with style and intellect...her singing is
more about movement than volume, and it's what makes it an enduring marvel."
Flagpole Magazine
"A fresh, ear-pleasing sound that's attracted a growing Eastside
following...'Los Angeles' and pleading 'Winter Fugue' serve notice Stevens
is a writer to watch." - Pasadena Weekly
"Seasoned as the weather itself...like a gypsy caravan picking up musicians
and fans along the way...real enough to steal one¹s heart away." - LA Record
"Roomful Of Smoke is an unexpected pleasure and a record that fans of
Whiskeytown and Neko Case will find as comfortable as a well-traveled pair
of boots...too many standout tracks to list...'Los Angeles,' sounds like it
was inadvertently left off Case's Canadian Amp EP, while 'My Tears Are
Wasted On You' will likely rocket up the country charts as soon as some
savvy producer convinces one of Nashville's cookie-cutter starlets to warble
her way through it." - My Old Kentucky Blog
"Los Angeles-based Leslie & the Badgers make the exact style
of country music you wish Jenny Lewis had when she dabbled her feet in the
country waters...damn if Leslie & the Badgers don't put her to shame.
Unfortunately No Depression just called it quits, because if there ever was
a band that magazine was going to break, this is it." - The Portland
Mercury
"...led by adorable, sweet-toned singer-songwriter Leslie Stevens whose
pipes and presence recall such honest and heartfelt vocalists as Emmylou
Harris, Iris DeMent and Alison Krauss, with a touch of Patsy Cline's
guilelessness...literate, emotionally-accessible, sometimes whimsical and
always heartfelt lyrics...." -
MOG dot com
sooo excited you guys are coming down to san diego and playin at soda bar dec 13!! now that i have moved away from los angeles i miss catching your shows. can't wait!
yes, last monday night poolside here in maui at 8pm my thoughts went back to a little dark room in echo park---i got those thoughts out of my mind in a hurry but the ipod went to roomful of smoke just to hammer it into my brain---hope the final night was great as the first 3 i saw were really good---good luck for the eagle rock music fest---
you guys played a great set on monday night! sad to see your monday nights at the echo come to an end. will be in attendance at the EAGLE ROCK FESTIVAL. HOpe to catch your set.
Hi Leslie, I was very fortunate to catch your show Monday night at "The Echo".A new favorite for me. Thanks for the great music...you and Badgers where awesome! PEACE! DAVID JASON
