The vulgar, decadent world of Wild Beasts  The vulgar, decadent
world of Wild Beasts  Leeds-based band Wild Beasts creates
"erotic downbeat music," which is a slick PR compression of
something that requires far more explanation. Basically, its
sound involves a triangulation of the already eclectic stylings
of Kate Bush, Antony And The Johnsons, and Suede, plus errant
strains of Afro-pop and smooth jazz. The band's two singers are
interlocking opposites—Hayden Thorpe with his vaudevillian
falsetto and Tom Fleming with his deep, cool croon—who spar
stylistically even as they agree on the songs' lyrical content
(typically, ill acts committed by desperate, hubris-racked men).
Last year, Wild Beasts released their second album, Two Dancers,
and their profile has been rising steadily since. Prior to the
group's Feb. 27 performance at The Black Cat, The A.V. Club
caught up with singer/keyboardist/bassist Fleming at his
parents' house in his hometown of Kendal, England, a place
famous for its mint cakes and, increasi