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Friday Full-Length: Amplified Heat, How Do You Like the Sound of That

Amplified Heat, How Do You Like the Sound of That (2007)

The lesson here is simple: If you can chase down Amplified Heat records, do it. They’re not always the most politically correct of bands, but chances are that they can out-boogie just about anyone else in the room. Based in Austin, Texas, and comprised of brothers Jim Ortiz (guitar and vocals), Gian Ortiz (bass and backing vocals) and Chris Ortiz (drums), Amplified Heat stand among the most powerful of power trios I’ve ever had the pleasure to see grace a stage, and it’s a no-brainer to consider them one of the most underrated classically styled rock bands active on any level. I mean, we’re talking Radio Moscow-level good. Boogie as a frantic, manic-expression of raw thrust. You can hear it even in the acoustic/handclap tomfoolery of “Moonshine” on their second long-player, How Do You Like the Sound of That, which Arclight Records released in 2007, let alone in dirt-rocking scorchers like “What Went Wrong,” the quick drum-solo blast of “S.A.P.O.,” the ultra-catchy “Rambler” or the later title-track with its channel-swapping lead work over blown-out cymbal wash. Pure fucking righteousness, front to back.

When one considers this record came out a decade ago, right around the same time Graveyard were making their debut, and it’s Amplified Heat‘s second outing behind their 2003 self-titled EP and the next year’s debut long-player, In for Sin (also on Arclight), the context becomes even more intriguing. But Amplified Heat have always been more concerned with being behind their time than ahead of it. In their construction, in their raw presentation and in their base of influence, they’re a true ’70s-inspired outfit, seemingly ready for private-press vinyl at a moment’s notice, and even as it starts out with the time-to-kick-ass threats of “Tough Guy” and gets all sloppy with your ladyfriend in the groovy “Man on the Road,” it does so with such a command of songwriting and performance that it’s hard to do anything other than go along with it. Their earlier work on the EP and In for Sin was more formative, but How Do You Like the Sound of That is more than confident — that’s not to say arrogant — enough in its swagger to live up to the challenge its title poses. The Ortiz brothers come along with this bluesy attitude in “She Drank that Wine” and the comedown closer “Sickness,” and on first listen, it seems like their greatest asset might be the energy of their delivery, but the truth of the matter is it’s their underlying core of songwriting that sustains them. Not only do they pack this punch in their sound, but the songs eek their way into your head. “Rambler?” “Through and Through?” Even the instrumental shuffle of the penultimate “Amplified Boogie” seems to have a hook, and the Ortizes make them all work to their advantage throughout the record’s still-quick 36-minute rush.

Again, it can be a tough one to keep up with, but if you need to listen twice, Amplified Heat more than earn that with the quality of the work itself, and the subtle twists of arrangement that find them working from all-out Blue Cheer worship into the slow-ride nod of “Through and Through,” with acoustic guitar layered in even under the torn-through solo at the finish. When they seem to be a garage band, they’re pulling the wool over your eyes so they can blindside you with the next round of heavy fuzz, grab your drink and guzzle it on the quick while you’re not looking. It’s like that. Hey, they’re on a budget, and beer’s not cheap in Austin these days.

To my knowledge, it’s been a minute since they got out and properly toured, but they remain active playing shows around their hometown — the social medias shows them on stage next month with Corky Laing’s Mountain and Duel, and that seems like appropriate enough company (event page is here). Their most recent studio work came in the form of 2011’s On the Hunt, which refined the craftsmanship on display throughout How Do You Like the Sound of That in memorable tracks like “Dirty Love, No Romance” and “Give it to Me,” but yeah, the bottom line when it comes to Amplified Heat is that there aren’t nearly as many people worshiping at their altar as there probably should be. I don’t know if they’ve got another record in the works or what — six years later, you’d obviously call them due — but you definitely wouldn’t hear me complain if one happened to show up.

Until then, if you know these cats, I hope you dig the chance to revisit, and if you don’t, I hope you dig their particular brand of push ‘n’ swing. As much boogie rock as is out there nowadays, few groups do it so well or with as much conviction as Amplified Heat. And they were doing it a decade ago.

In any case, I hope you enjoy, as always.

It’s the morning. Some cinnamon-flavored protein powder in my coffee doing me right as we approach 6AM. In a little bit, I’ll have to get up, put on real pants — those real pants, over there — and drive to work. Then, as though in preemptive penance for the two days off I’m about to enjoy over the weekend, I’ll have to drive back.

Rest assured, I’d much rather stay here, in my pajamas, and casually sip my coffee on the couch alongside the sleepy Little Dog Dio. Yesterday was her 11th birthday. She celebrated with a beef marrow bone. We celebrated with crust-less pesto quiche and sauteed spinach on the side. I cooked extra garlic for my spinach in chili powder and red pepper flakes. It was glorious. Shaved parmesan cheese and coarse-grated black pepper everywhere.

And yes, if you’re wondering, my making and eating cooked spinach is the result of an inspiration I brought back from this year’s Roadburn fest. Roadburn always changes you. This year, it changed me into someone who loves cooked spinach.

This week started off pretty rough. Enough so that I got a note in response to the photo captions, which happens rarely enough for me to pretend that no one reads them (this is just fine by me). I’m hoping that today will bring it to an at-least-innocuous end and I can affect some kind of mental reset on Saturday and Sunday. Part of it is being down post-Roadburn. Part of it is work — knowing that I’m losing my current job next month and still having to go every day is a drag. There’s other stuff too.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the years embracing the idea of caveats, of obstacles. “If only X, then Y,” where X is some pain in my ass and Y is living with a reasonable sense of contentment about myself and/or my situation. “If only I made more money, then I’d be fine.” “If only I had time to write, I’d be set,” and so on. The harder truth? The issue isn’t some circumstance in my way. The issue is I’m a miserable bastard. I always have been and I always will be. There’s always going to be something. It’s inescapable. If it’s not obvious like “golly, I sure would feel better about my day if I wasn’t about to be shitcanned,” then rest assured, I’ll dig through until I find something else. I’m the problem.

Time for meds? Maybe. Hitting that point is usually a pretty good sign we’ve arrived there. Meds make you gain weight — not that the occasional bit of quiche doesn’t — which terrifies me, but yeah, we’ll see. Maybe if I’m on meds I won’t care. Ha. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next Thursday to have blood drawn for a general checkup, so maybe I’ll be like, “Hey, so I’d like to drive into the median on the way home. Something we can do about this?”

Anyway, one presses through because that’s what one does. I’m not gonna sit here on my couch with my snoring dog listening to dreamy psychedelic rock and pretend I have it the hardest anyone has ever had it.

Here’s what’s in my notes for next week, subject to change as always:

Mon.: Yagow full album stream/review. This one’s a gem. Also Hermitess video.
Tue.: Causa Sui live album review. Doing myself a favor. Also Big Kizz video.
Wed.: Six Dumb Questions with Vokonis. Also PH video.
Thu.: Samsara Blues Experiment interview. Might also have a track premiere.
Fri.: Second Coming of Heavy review and whatever else comes along.

Full week. Monday and Tuesday are already packed for news and whatnot as well, so you know. We keep busy over here.

I hope you have a great and safe weekend. Thanks for reading, for checking in this week if you did, and for continuing to support this site. We’re about to get back to a place where The Obelisk is all I’ve got again, at least for a couple months, so expect some gushing about how much your ongoing involvement in this project means to me. Because it means an awful lot. Thank you.

Talk soon. Forum and Radio.

The Obelisk Forum

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2 Responses to “Friday Full-Length: Amplified Heat, How Do You Like the Sound of That

  1. Blake T says:

    Well, the upside, for us anyway, is that there will lots and lots of posts coming from you in the weeks to come! More updates, more news! That said, good luck on the job front….

  2. Linoleum blownapart says:

    Nice shout out to the Heat. They bring it live. They do have a new one coming soon.

    Lucky to have caught them as “kids” as the Blues Condition, must have been in the wee early 00’s. That demo really smokes. But the name kind of painted them into a corner.

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