Some of the tracks included on Indiana rockers The Heavy Company‘s new pun-titled tape, Uno Dose (or The Uno Dose, I’ve seen and referred to it as both at this point), have been floating around for most of this year. “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” showed up in a video back in January, and “State Flag Blues,” on which Geezer‘s Pat Harrington guests on slide guitar, appeared as a single as well, while “The Humboldt County Waltz” and “One Big Drag” — performed, as they put it, “more or less live” here alongside “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” on side one — come from 2013’s Midwest Electric full-length (review here). That can give Uno Dose something of a hodge-podge feel from one half to the next, but honestly, the band’s jams are so laid back and with the context of a release — being a tape EP — it barely matters. Far more important is what the three songs on side two seem to signify in terms of The Heavy Co.‘s overall direction.

Since their 2011 debut EP, Please Tune In… (review here), the trio — now comprised of guitarist/vocalist Ian Gerber, drummer Jeff Kaleth and bassist Michael Naish — have specialized in unpretentious, natural sounding heavy rock. What made Midwest Electric work so well was how the direction shifted more toward open-sounding jam-based material while maintaining the songwriting at the core of the debut. Uno Dose pushes further in both directions, the newer cuts on side two, “El Perdedor,” “State Flag Blues” and “New Song to Sing” grooving out laid back tonal warmth at a comfort level that only enhances the overall listening experience. In the case of “State Flag Blues,” Harrington‘s guitar adds a psych-blues flourish alongside Gerber‘s rhythm track and some surprisingly aggressive, socially-conscious lyrics working in themes of Indiana politics; a classic protest song given a tonal beef-up.

The instrumental “El Perdedor” before it sets up a smooth-paced, jammy vibe, and “New Song to Sing,” which closes out Uno Dose, unfurls a languid funk of starts and stops and grooves with just the slightest undercurrent of wah foreboding. A recording job by Kaleth captures some subtle layering, and a key change in the vocals finds Gerber tapping his inner Mark Lanegan for the bridge to a brief multi-layered solo, The Heavy Co. getting more complex even as they expand the breadth and cohesion of their jams, seemingly stripping their approach down to its most fluid elements. Their particular blend continues to impress even on the first half of the tape’s live renditions, and as they move forward from Midwest Electric I think we’ve just seen the beginning of where their explorations might carry them. In giving a glimpse of the work in progress, Uno Dose earns a hearty “right on.”

The Heavy Co., Uno Dose (2014)

The Heavy Company on Thee Facebooks

The Heavy Company on Bandcamp

Last month, Indianapolis heavy blues trio The Heavy Company released a three-song show recording, Live at the Vogue, which as you might expect was taped at The Vogue in the band’s hometown. The set — and at three jammed-out tracks, I’m pretty sure it was their full set — was made available as a $2 download with the proceeds going to Small Stone Records, which in August suffered a flood that destroyed its office (you may have seen something about it around here, like at the top of the page for the last month), and while it’s definitely a live show recording, it still shows off the continually progressing chemistry of the three-piece, guitarist/vocalist Ian Gerber, bassist Michael Naish and drummer Jeff Kaleth tearing into classic psych blues jams across “Groove a Mile Wide,” “One Big Drag” and “Smokey Little Number,” none of which check in at under seven minutes long.

I can get down with that. Kaleth recorded and edited the performance, and it is an engaging bit of wandering they get up to throughout. Their new live video for the track “Smokey Little Number,” which closed out at over eight minutes, switches back and forth between a couple cameras to show The Heavy Company on a big stage in languid form, effects tripping out an easy groove that lives up to the song’s name. Unlike “Groove a Mile Wide” and “One Big Drag,” both of which come from The Heavy Company‘s 2013 Midwest Electric full-length (review here), “Smokey Little Number” has yet to appear on a studio outing — it seems also to be newer than the 2014 Uno Dose EP — so if it’s a peak at where the band is headed, it would seem they’re just gonna keep on jamming and find out where it takes them. Again, I can get down with that.

Check out the video below for “Smokey Little Number” and then head over to The Heavy Company‘s Bandcamp for the rest:

The Heavy Company, “Smokey Little Number” official video

The Heavy Co. on Thee Facebooks

Live at the Vogue on Bandcamp

Click Here to Download

[mp3player width=480 height=150 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=aot38.xml]

As I’ve tried not to do since I started making podcasts again, I kept away from a consistent theme this time around, but I wanted to at least get a blend of bands you’ve probably heard and bands maybe you haven’t. Of course the new Sleep was a given, and new cuts from Electric Wizard and Karma to Burn felt like they needed to be there as well, so they are. But there are a few corresponding inclusions of stuff I’ve been digging that I haven’t had the chance to write about yet — looking at you, USA out of Vietnam, Lewis and the Strange Magics and Deamon’s Child — and while I’ve no doubt you’re already down with those and the rest of what’s included here because you’re on it like that, putting them in here seemed a good way to feature them for anyone not yet exposed who might be interested in checking them out.

If that’s you, please enjoy. The second hour, as usual, is consumed by longer songs, but there are a few in the first hour as well (that Electric Wizard track is over 10 minutes, and the Sleep is close to it), but of the podcasts I’ve put together in the last few months, this one easily flows the best. It was pretty late as I was putting it together last night, so I had the headphones on and was working totally without distraction. I know it’s an unrealistic expectation to think anyone will be able to listen in that manner, but if you get the chance or if you don’t, I hope you have a good time.

First Hour:
Sleep, “The Clarity” from Adult Swim Singles Series (2014)
Electric Wizard, “I am Nothing” from Time to Die (2014)
Lewis and the Strange Magics, “Cloudy Grey Cube” from Demo (2014)
USA Out of Vietnam, “You are a Comet, You are on Fire” from Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes (2014)
Serpent Venom, “Lord of Life” from Of Things Seen and Unseen (2014)
Deamon’s Child, “Lutscher!” from Deamon’s Child (2014)
Rabbits, “Reek and Ye Shall Find” from Untoward (2014)
Karma to Burn, “Fifty Seven” from Arch Stanton (2014)
The Heavy Co., “One Big Drag” from Uno Dose (2014)

Second Hour:
Wolf Blood, “Dancing on Your Grave” from Wolf Blood (2014)
Frown, “Harpocrates Unborn” from The Greatest Gift to Give (2014)
Merlin, “Lucifer’s Revenge” from Christ Killer (2014)
Causa Sui, “Incipiency Suite” from Pewt’r Sessions 3 (2014)

Total running time: 1:57:27

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 038

Indiana heavy blues rockers The Heavy Company have confirmed the details of their new tape EP, Uno Dose. The release, which was originally slated to appear in March — we all know how it goes sometimes — will be pressed to tape in limited numbers and made available this weekend at the Days of the Doomed IV fest in Cudahy, Wisconsin, where the trio will play the pre-show Thursday night with Spyderbone and Sons of Ghidora.

The video below for “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” was first shown here in January, but it shows the continually intriguing direction The Heavy Company have taken following their 2013 full-length debut, Midwest Electric (review here), laid back psychedelic blues balancing well with a heavier rock edge. If you can’t make Days of the Doomed IV, copies of the tape will reportedly be available through Ripple Music‘s Heavy Ripples distro afterwards.

Word from the band follows, sent down the PR wire:

From The Desk of The DPR:

The Heavy Co. would like a moment of your time if you don’t mind. Thanks.

The guys in The Heavy Co. wanted to let you know that they are putting out a tape just in time for their appearance at this year’s Days of The Doomed Festival. Yeah, a tape… as in a cassette. That’s hip, right?

This particular release is called Uno Dose and is a double EP. Side A was more or less recorded live in a big barn somewhere in the middle of a cornfield located in the Indiana country side and features the debut of a new composition called ‘What’s Eating Harry Lee?” for which THC released a companion video for a few months back. Also, there live versions of “The Humboldt County Waltz” and “One Big Drag” which were originally released on THC’s 2013 release, Midwest Electric.

Side B features two never before released studio recordings entitled “El Perdedor” and “New Song To Sing” and also a re-mixed version of their previously released single “State Flag Blues” which also features Pat Harrington of Geezer/Gaggle of Cocks/Electric Beard of Doom notoriety on slide guitar. It’s a pretty fun ride if you want to buy the ticket, but don’t take our word for it. As we say around The DPR: Please tune in…

Officially speaking, Uno Dose will be available on the band’s Bandcamp page June 24th but it might show up earlier. Guess you’ll have to be surprised. Copies of the cassette will also be available via Heavy Ripples Distribution shortly after. All of the tapes will come with digital downloads of the record or you can pay what you want for the digital download. Whatever you have to spend is awesome, but at least download it even if you are light on cheddar and share it with everybody.

If you have another spare minute, visit theheavycompany.bandcamp.com for past releases and give ‘em a “like” on Facebook.

The Heavy Company, “What’s Eating Harry Lee?”

Pat Harrington of Geezer‘s slide guitar fits so easily in with The Heavy Company‘s bluesy push that on first listen to “State Flag Blues,” you might not even give it a second thought. It makes enough sense alongside the guitar and vocals of Ian Gerber, the bass of Michael Naish and the drums of Jeff Kaleth throughout the six-and-a-half-minute new single from the Lafayette, Indiana-based outfit that it feels like of course it would be there. It’s not obvious, Harrington being in New York and The Heavy Company being in the Midwest, but works really, really well.

“State Flag Blues” is the latest output from The Heavy Co., whose 2013 full-length, Midwest Electric (review here), found them refining blues-psych jams for loose grooves, not sloppy, but human. The new single builds on that, adds Harrington for the guest spot, and brings a newfound political edge to the lyrics. Gerber champions an anti-prejudicial stance and calls out Indiana governors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence by name in the last verse:

Well, you ain’t my man, Mitch
And Pence, you son of a bitch
Keep your hands off of my Hoosier home
‘Cause I’ll tell you right now
Even in my hometown
We think your shit is getting old

It’s a particularly bold statement in a heavy genre that’s usually apolitical if not inherently conservative, but you won’t find me arguing either with the message or how well Gerber, Naish and Kaleth make it flow in the song itself. If it’s a one-time thing or a new direction, I don’t know, but it comes across with conviction and the band’s usual lack of bullshit, and the track is cool, so there you go. That’s about all I need to post it.

Find the song on the player below, followed by some words from The Heavy Company about its origins and a quote from Harrington about contributing slide guitar. Enjoy:

The Heavy Company, “State Flag Blues” (2014)

Every once in a while you have to shake things up a bit. That’s what State Flag Blues is meant to do. While most of our counterparts in the stoner/doom genre are focusing on wizards, dragons, and galactic travel, The Heavy Co. has decided that it’s time to use their music for change. Don’t get us wrong. We love talking about wizards, dragons, and galactic travel, but sometimes you have to get your head into the real world. Being the proud Hoosiers that we are, we figured we aren’t going to let a small minded agenda get in the way of the social progress that desperately needs to happen. Not only in Indiana, but in our country as well. It might not be the popular thing to do, but it’s the right thing. Coincidentally, with yesterday’s passing of musician/activist Pete Seeger serving as a poignant reminder, we hope this song finds its way to the ears of those who need to hear it the most.

We hope you dig our new tune. We also really appreciate Pat Harrington of Geezer for lending his bodacious slide guitar to the track. As we say around here, he’s good company.

Please tune in…

Says Pat Harrington:

When Ian asked if I was down to play slide guitar on a new THC track, I said yes right away. I was a fan of their last release, Midwest Electric and definitely relate to who the band is. We both tread in those waters between blues and doom, too heavy for the blues purists and not heavy enough for the doom purists, so I was more than happy to contribute what I could to a kindred spirit. The fact that it was a good ole fashioned protest song just made it all even cooler! It was a lot of fun to do and I’m proud to be a part of it.

The Heavy Co. on Thee Facebooks

The Heavy Co. on Bandcamp

Why, it seems like only three posts ago I was noting the impossibility of keeping up with the many recent additions to various festival lineups. And so it was. Nonetheless, we press on, and Days of the Doomed IV have checked in with a couple noteworthy inclusions to their metallic fare, including the full three-band bill for their official pre-show, which includes Indianapolis groovers The Heavy Co. and New York’s Sons of Ghidorah alongside Chicago’s Spyderbone. Not a bad lineup, and with Moon Curse — who stomped a veritable mudhole in the first day of Days of the Doomed III last year — and Milwaukee stoners Flying Medusa added, the fest proper is only getting better.

Behold the latest announcements and let your consciousness be at one with them:

It’s official! The Days Of The Doomed Fest IV Pre-Show will be held on Thursday, June 19th at The Metal Grill! Blown away by the killer bands we’ll have priming us up for the weekend! The tripped out groove of Indiana’s The Heavy Company, the stoner/doom riffage of New York’s Sons of Ghidorah, and welcome back the “Dukes Of Debauchery”, Chicago metal heads SPYDERBONE!

So many of you last year asked me, “Where has THIS band been hiding?” that it only took a second to know they must come back again! You want more Milwaukee doom? Please welcome back to Days Of The Doomed Fest IV… MOON CURSE!

Continuing on with the Milwaukee theme, I am stoked to bring you a new act from Brew Town! This semi-instrumental outfit takes its homegrown doom, mixes in equal parts ‘shrooms and THC, and proceeds to take you on a supernatural trip of the best kind! Zip up your space suits, as Days Of The Doomed Fest IV welcomes… FLYING MEDUSA!

http://www.daysofthedoomed.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/
http://mooncurse.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/flyingmedusa414
http://theheavycompany.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SPYDERBONE/103360236379765
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sons-of-Ghidorah/1397740957134113

The Heavy Company, Midwest Electric (2013)

Indiana-based riffers The Heavy Co. have a new live EP in the works. Cleverly-titled The Uno Dose, it’ll be the trio’s second live outing behind their 2012 digital release, Live at Lafayette Brewing Company. To mark the occasion of the coming release, the wheres and whens of the recording for which are still something of a mystery, not to mention who’s playing bass on it, they’ve put together a video for the song “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” as the first glimpse at the set.

Near as I can tell from the clip, The Heavy Co.‘s approach to semi-psych laid back grooving is well intact from their 2013 debut full-length, Midwest Electric (review here). The song continues their unassuming sensibility in a restrained but still moving nod, guitarist/vocalist Ian Gerber‘s voice hinting at classic heavy rock swagger over the mid-paced push. They’re an easy band to listen to for heavy rock heads, but as the album had a deceptive stylistic breadth to it, I’d be surprised if “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” tells the full story of The Uno Dose upon the EP’s March 1 arrival.

Until then, here’s the video and some info about it, the EP and where it was recorded:

The Heavy Co., “What’s Eating Harry Lee?” video

Here’s the first look at our video project that we’ve been working on. On top of that, it’s a completely new song.

Here’s the first glimpse of our upcoming live EP, entitled “The Uno Dose EP”, due out March 1, 2014.

You know that line from ‘The Humboldt County Waltz’ that says ‘The one thing in life that I really need is a stash like Willie’s and some room to breath”?

Yeah? Well, Hooker Corner is one of those places and we are VERY thankful to Mark and Autumn for putting us up and helping us do this.

Recorded live at Hooker Corner by Mark McGregor
Mixed by Jeff Kaleth
Video editing by Ian Gerber

The Heavy Co. on Thee Facebooks

The Heavy Co. on Bandcamp

Based in Lafayette, Indiana, heavy rock outfit The Heavy Company made their debut in the form of the 2011 EP, The Heavy (Please Tune In…). It was a release that, despite raw self-production, had a number of things working in its favor — most notably a prevailing lack of pretense and natural sensibility. When it comes to hearing the follow-up first full-length, Midwest Electric, the discovery that those elements have carried over from the EP (review here) comes with some measure of relief, since it’s precisely this modest ethic that stands The Heavy Co. out from the bulk of their peers. If anything, it’s amplified on the seven-tracks of Midwest Electric, which is out on a limited CD run through the band’s own DPR Records in hopes of financing a vinyl pressing, and the album nestles itself easily into an overarching groove while maintaining sonic and structural diversity between its individual pieces. The band, down to the duo of guitarist/vocalist/bassist Ian Gerber and drummer/vocalist/guitarist Jeff Kaleth from their original trio incarnation — bassist Scott Gilkey plays on the first half of the album — elicit a strikingly organic, jammed sensibility, resulting in a full-album flow that’s unmistakably aware of European heavy psychedelia but hardly at all reaching for it sonically, instead weaving into and around American-style riff rock with understated finesse, here a Clutch groove, there an organ-laced tribute to Neil Young that sounds more like Mark Lanegan, at least in terms of the vocals. The Heavy Co. remain underproduced, but what’s encouraging about that in terms of the manageable 37-minute stretch of Midwest Electric is they turn that roughness into a part of their aesthetic, so that the opening push of “The Humboldt County Waltz” comes across with a garage sensibility, like a less urban The Brought Low underscored by a steady rumble of stoner-rocking low end, indicative perhaps of some of the sonic shifts to come as the songs play out. They never quite touch on Americana, and they never quite touch on retro ’70s rock, but there are pieces of both brought into the melting-pot-stew of their sound.

That’s evidenced on “The Humboldt County Waltz” well enough, but more so on the subsequent “A Groove a Mile Wide,” which is longer and more psychedelic thanks in part to a guest solo by Michael Rafalowich of Brooklyn’s Strange Haze. A cut in the tempo gives Kaleth‘s drums some sense of bounce, and the vocals seem content to ride the laid back groove through the verses, making room for ascending and descending guitar runs in between. There’s an undercurrent of psychedelic noise and effects that’s subtle, but there all the same, and it rises to prominence just before two minutes in when Rafalowich‘s solo takes hold. Gerber joins and the two guitars hold something like a mini-freakout, departing as quickly as they game as watery vocals return over more present low end and backwards cymbal washes. They cap “A Groove a Mile Wide” by delivering the title line and then seeking to embody it, and but for some of the tastier riffs to come on “Greasy Mush” and “One Big Drag,” I’d be inclined to say they got there, but the instrumental ending of “A Groove a Mile Wide” serves its purpose well nonetheless, and by the time the moodier “Neil Young” arrives, it has become abundantly clear that The Heavy Co. are working with a much wider sonic breadth this time around than on The Heavy (Please Tune In…). Quiet guitars strum out cleanly amid rising and falling organ swells and smoky vocals — could be Kaleth taking the fore from Gerber, I don’t know, but the style is different enough to make me think it’s someone else — and though distortion never feels far off, by the time it arrives, the band has successfully widened their scope and given a lonelier vibe to more accomplished songwriting. Lead notes echo out behind “Neil Young”‘s final moments, and the song ends with guitar and organ in quick succession, which does little to setup the shift into the fervently stonerized groove of “Greasy Mush,” but obviously recognizes that the latter is so immersive it doesn’t matter anyway. A riff easily mouthed along with, “Greasy Mush” makes the most of its central figure, stretching upwards of six minutes and peppering an open-sounding instrumental chorus with some of Midwest Electric‘s best bass work — the “voom”s in the would-be verses are a nice touch as well, as the band themselves say when the jam has ended. Before they get there, the guitars lead the way down an extended heavy psych jam that keeps its soothing sensibility even as it moves further away from the song’s initial idea, which is brought back at the end to excellently bookend the proceedings.

Read more »