Dirty Pretty Things

• Genre: Indie/Alternative

About

Carl Barat started off as guitar-slinging foil to Pete Doherty in the pre-millennial post-punk band the Libertines, and his new outfit, Dirty Pretty Things, just might prove more durable. With the Libertines, Barat wrangled and strangled his instrument and made some of the more memorable rock 'n' roll of recent memory. But that all came crashing down with Doherty's increasingly scandalous drug abuse, and Barat had better things in mind anyway. He announced the forming of Dirty Pretty Things in late 2005, naming the band after the London club night where he often DJed. With Libs drummer Gary Powell, rhythm guitarist Anthony Rossomando and bassist Didz Hammond, formerly of Cooper Temple Clause, Barat set out to establish his own sound and style. DPTs replace the leering, druggy, reggae-inflected swagger of the Libertines with a more aggressive, urbanized punk stance, Barat's vocals seemingly telling off his fans while simultaneously drawing them in. It's a powerful combination, and the push-pull tension of DPTs is raw, thirsty and undeniably strong.

- Jonathan Zwickel