Drenched in attitude and classic sneer, Heavy Velvet‘s “Modern Love is a Shame” offers boozy sway and a herald of things to come from the Austin, Texas-based band. There’s a heavy riff churning at its center from guitarist David Kent, formerly of Slow Season, but the I’m-about-to-do-something-I’ll-regret-oh-wait-I-already-did-well-fuck-it vibe comes through the vocals of Erika Leigh, duly molten but ready to throw a punch if it comes to it. And from the sound of the song, it might.

Five years ago, a different incarnation of Heavy Velvet released the full-length Sessions as a self-recorded debut, with Mucho Drums (Great Electric Quest) doing Bonham stomp during the open spaces of “Pretty Politician” and so on. The lineup has changed for “Modern Love is a Shame,” with bassist Justin Sedillo and drummer Jordan Espinoza holding down the groove, and true to the song, the production intent is a little fuller sounding and more modern, but the crunch is still there and the song wastes no time getting down to it, with Espinoza setting the pattern for the first verse in the intro and the band picking it up smoothly to set the scene for Leigh‘s vocals to reside in the cyclical riffing before a backing layer delivers the title line to open up to the chorus.

Tension and release, a hook, and a sense of purpose behind a ’70s/’90s/’10s meld, it can only be the stuff of future past. The kind of show where you might get a drink thrown on you by some overexcited reveler testifying to gods that can be heard and not seen. So it goes. You can wash that shirt, and if you need another in the immediate, well, you were probably going to hit the merch table anyhow. Is that modern love? Is it a shame? I don’t know. But Kent‘s riff remains at the core of the single and from there sources a tension that belies the short three-and-a-half-minute runtime, and in presence and performance across “Modern Love is a Shame” and the two other singles to come that I got to hear — those being “The Itch” and “Scarlet” — it becomes clear that Heavy Velvet both knew what they were doing when they chose their moniker and have disruption in their hearts. If you believe rock and roll is supposed to be dangerous, the gospel they’re preaching will surely resonate.

I don’t have info on a release plan or anything like that. I’m not plugging an album here. I think maybe they’re… just… putting out… songs? Crazy, I know. But hey, I like songs, and I like being punched in the face — not true; I’d cry because I’m sensitive — and all the rest of that about-to-careen-into-the-wall, mix-your-metaphors rebellious whathaveyou, and Heavy Velvet pack it in on “Modern Love is a Shame,” so right on.

You got three minutes for something you haven’t heard before today? Hell yes you do.

Enjoy:

Heavy Velvet, “Modern Love is a Shame” video premiere

Taking notes from rock titans from Led Zeppelin to Wolfmother to Cream, Heavy Velvet entwines sonic elements of grunge, psych, and blues to create a rock and roll sound all their own. Heavy, unrelenting riffs lay the foundation for the fiery and sultry vocal stylings that drip with a raucous edge.

Heavy Velvet aims to harness the nostalgic energy of the classics while exploring new uncharted territory through raw, explosive rock and roll energy, and an unforgiving live performance.

Ex-Slow Season (RidingEasy Records) guitarist David Kent, along with powerhouse vocalist Erika Leigh, relocated recently to Austin, TX to assemble a smoldering rhythm section for a sound that evokes classic 60s-70s hard rock with just a touch of 90s grunge.

Heavy Velvet:
Jordan Espinoza: drums
David Kent: guitar
Justin Sedillo: bass
Erika Leigh: vocals

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