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The apparent hubris I showed in bragging last time around at the silly method by which I transferred audio editing software from one laptop to another came back to bite me in the ass as I put this podcast together. Finally, last night, I turned to Thee Facebooks for assistance and received an amount of input that was both useful and encouraging on a personal level. Thanks to everybody who took the time to help and to recommend alternative programs to the one I was using. I’m by no means technically inclined, so it is very much appreciated.

So yeah, there was a bit of drama in the making maybe — it was right around the Buzzo track that everything went to hell — but I don’t think you’ll get any clue of that from the audio, which has a few unexpected turns in its progression. At least in the first hour. Hour two is huge jams, because basically there was no way I wasn’t going to put that 17-minute-long Wo Fat song in there and I wanted to have some other stuff to stand up to it, but hour one takes a couple different avenues toward heavy rock and I guess I was feeling some bluesy psych this time as well. I won’t spoil it any more than I already have. Hope you enjoy.

First Hour:
The Scimitar, “Babylon” from Doomsayer (2014)
Moab, “No Soul” from Scion A/V Presents Billow (2014)
Monobrow, “Cicada” from Big Sky Black Horse (2014)
1000mods, “Horses’ Green” from Vultures (2014)
Mat McNerney & Kimmo Helén, “Blood and Bone Revival” from The World is Burning OST (2014)
The Atlas Moth, “City of Light” from The Old Believer (2014)
Highlands, “Your Let Down” from Dark Matter Traveler (2014)
Blues Pills, “River” from Blues Pills (2014)
Sea Bastard, “Door Sniffer” from Scabrous (2014)
Major Kong, “Acid Transmission” from Doom for the Black Sun (2014)
Buzz Osborne, “The Ripping Driving” from This Machine Kills Artists (2014)
Prisma Circus, “Napalm” from Reminiscences (2014)
The Heavy Company, “One Big Drag” from Uno Dose (2014)

Second Hour:
Mope, “Doomed to Feed the Ground” from Mope (2014)
Idre, “Witch Trial” from Idre (2014)
Harsh Toke, “Weight of the Sun” from Light up and Live (2013)
Wo Fat, “Dreamwalker” from The Conjuring (2014)

Total running time: 1:58:41

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 037

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