Alberteen, the hotly tipped ‘rhythm and noir’ band which features Professor Phil Shaw from our School of English and Gareth Warden from our Catering Services Division, released their debut album Metal Book last week, to great reviews.

Uncut called Metal Book an “archly literate blend of ‘60s RnB pop and Lynchian soundtracks” while the Independent praised “the band's arrangements [that] involve darkly cinematic soundscapes in which the metallic twang of the guitar carries the sharp smack of indie attitude.” Singer Phil Shaw's delivery, added the Indie “has the wordy deliberation of Howard Devoto*, and the ambitious lexicon to boot.”

Produced by Mike Bennett, who has worked with The Fall, The Stranglers and many other top British artists, Metal Book features guest appearances from Mark Refoy (ex-Spiritualised) and Tony Robinson (Super Furry Animals). The album includes the single ‘A Girl and a Gun’, which received a lot of airplay last year and was included on the BBC6 Music ‘end of year mixtape’, as well as the forthcoming single ‘The Butcher’s Daughter’.

On the live front, Alberteen played a sell-out show at the Albany Theatre Deptford in December, complete with a troupe of aerial artists and circus performers. Phil and the boys have also announced two importants gigs for next month:

That punishing Alberteen UK tour in full

• 27 March 2012 - Band on the Wall, Manchester
• 31 March 2012 – The Bowery, London

To find out more and keep up to date with the band's latest news, visit www.alberteen.com. Or you could enrol on an English degree.

*Original Buzzcocks lead singer, later frontman with Magazine

• School of Rock: English Professor's band reforms, wins praise for single (Newsblog, November 2011)