The Heavy

So I remember growing up with the Big Chill Soundtrack and loving the sound of anything Motown at the time. Then when I got older I realized that the R&B that I had loved so much was dead and that now it R&B had turned itself into what I call "humpin' music". Gone were most of the big band sounds that made Motown so influential & musically enjoyable. That was R&B in the 80's & most of the 90's for me. It seemed to have lost its soul.

The late 90's & early 00's gave us the Neo-Soul movement that I loved so much. There was soul and real passion other than just for the opposite sex, it was easy to love. Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Angie Stone, Jill Scott, Macy Gray & the sort really sparked a soul revolution. Then came the Daptone Label, which brought back a lot of the funk and live band element that had painfully absent.

With this revolution artists like Amy Winehouse borrowed the Dap-Kings from Sharon Jones and sold well over one million albums based, in my opinion, mostly on the sound backdrop created for her. By the way, if you have not heard her, check out anything Sharon Jones has done. True SOUL.

Anyway, there is a group from England , The Heavy, who just released an album a few months back. You can tell that they have been on a classic soul kick, but aren't totally immersed within it. They still have some modern flavor to them to go along with the slow drippy soul and deep funk they utilize so well. The first time I had to tell anyone about this group I said the lead vocalist sounded like Lenny Kravitz before he stopped playing instruments and just programmed a computer to make his music. Remember when he rocked? Am I the only one??? Someone else said that the vocalist had more of a Curtis Mayfield vibe to him...so if it makes them more easy to listen to, the guy sounds like Mayfield and not Kravitz.

The album is called "Great Vengeance & Furious Fire" and it is so deep and dirty like a deep south fried funk soul hybrid, you wonder how the hell these guys came out of Britain. It sounds like they were cryogenically frozen & just recently thawed. It also sounds like they have been getting into some of the great hip-hop & electronica of the last 10-15 years as an additive to their sound scape.

The album starts out deliberately & slow with the "Brukpocket's Lament." The narrative of the song is great, and the use of a great bluesy guitar is the perfect element. "Colleen" really kicks off the big soul sound. It has a brilliant usage of female vocals in the chorus and sounds like I would have found in an old record store rather than on a new album. "Set Me Free" continues this trend masterfully, while "That Kind Of Man" has an element of some old Sly & the Family Stone to it with the big horns. "Doing Fine" may be where the Lenny Kravitz comparison comes in for me. It sounds like a more soulful & gravelly version of something I may have found on "Mama Said." The fuzzy vocals & guitars of "Dignity" are so different from what had been heard prior on the album that it really sets itself apart. It feels a little out of place comparatively, but works in the grand scheme.

"Girl" is a standout track on the album with its stark departure from everything else that had been heard on the album. This is certainly where the modern music has taken hold of the group. It is bold, brash, & brilliant. No matter how many ties I have heard this profanity-laced track, I can't get over how good it is. The album closes with "In the Morning" which is big and loud, along with "Who Needs the Sunshine?" which is more of the slow & somber sound that the album opened with.

Overall the album is a fun listen. You would not expect to hear so many differing sounds on an album that is not a compilation, but it works well. I will be very curious to hear the next project these guys put together.

Band of Annuals

So for an odd reason, I have found 2 locals to post about for the first posts I have done. It is only odd because I never have been a huge fan of local music as it always seems halfway done. Also, it just seems to get a little boring.

This one is thanks to Taylor with whom I worked for the last 4 months at a local CD store. Taylor is a huge music fan, as are most who work with music. Taylor has a variety of things he gets in to, but it seems that a favorite is always the twang of some country. Artists in the alt-country genre like Whiskeytown and obviously their front man Ryan Adams (or as Will calls him "cRyan Adams"), The Avett Brothers and a ton that I had never heard before were always streaming throughout the store.

On a particular occasion, I decided to pay attention to a particularly interesting sounding band he was playing. This band was called "Band Of Annuals". Their sound was addictive. Beautiful harmonies and a feel of music of a past era. It starts with "Lessons Learned" which builds slowly and deliberately then transitions masterfully in to "Blood on My Shirt". This is such a great track and has a couple of my favorite lines from the album. Another stand-out favorite is "The Ballad of Casey Jones". It is haunting and just flat out amazing. "Ain't Lookin' Back" moves along with the rhythm of a railroad train. It sounds like I should be camping around a burning barrel with all my belongings tied up in a handkerchief on a stick eating beans out of a can all while waiting to hop on the next train. "Don't Let Me Die" is the big anthemic track of the album. It starts small and by the end it sounds like the whole band is belting out the chorus. I knew how catchy it must be when my kids were singing along to it.

So I started playing the album on a regular basis and 3 months later, it still gets better with every listen. The songs just beg you to sing along. They are mostly a somber feel, but perfect for a long drive or a rainy day or any other kind of day for that matter. Not only have I enjoyed it, but my wife & kids are also quite enamored with it, which is generally a good sign on my part.

The band is definitely at the forefront of the local folk & country scene in Salt Lake City. In addition to recently getting signed to Kilby Records, started by the owners of the famous Kilby Court venue, B.O.A. has started their own label Beartalk Records to help further the genre not only locally, but nationally. Already Dead Horse Point, David Williams, Chaz Prymek & Black Hens have signed to Beartalk. They have already released or slated to be released 3 records on the label.

Band Of Annuals are currently on tour, so check out their schedule to see when they may be in your neck of the woods. Also, check out their website to hear samples of their music. There is even a live radio EP to download for free. You will be glad you did.

You can buy it here!!! Or if you are in Salt Lake, hit up Slowtrain.

My favorite Fisch

I am from the Salt Lake Area and I am also a huge fan of the hip-hop. That can prove to be a really hard combination at times, but there is an individual I know who is making that a whole lot easier.

Daniel Fischer is, in my mind, a musical genius. He can make a great pop track, a killer instrumental and his rhymes are poignant and easily relatable to the average listener. Maybe it is because can write a lyric that my 30 year old brain can actually wrap itself around.

Nonetheless he makes dope music. From the time the man himself gave me the album "She & I" by his former alias, Furthermore, I was hooked. The choruses were all sing song and super catchy, the lyrics were all very memorable. The whole thing was great. From then on, every time I have seen Fisch I make sure to ask him what he is working on and I have picked up everything I can get my hands on.

There have been a couple of incarnations that he has done in the meantime. He later made an album with another local producer, BriskOne. Brisk has worked with greats like Rasco & Planet Asia, so when I saw this project I had to pick it up. Later he rechristened himself as Daniel Tiger and started an instrumental project called Fisch Loops. He also made an album with Dego & DJ Shanty of The Numbs (another SLC hip hop group) called The Rotten Musicians.

The Daniel Tiger project is short & sweet coming in at about 15 minutes total. This could be my favorite release of the last year, regardless of genre. It has just the right blend of singing , rapping and instrumental. The first time I listened to it, I played it straight through 6 or 7 times. Pure musical gold.

Fisch Loops is a little more widely recognized. I have found various reviews for the album. This has a masterful use of old kids television samples spice throughout that almost work as a narrative to the album. Other than the samples, the album is completely instrumental. It is very similar in feel to DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, but it totally has its own vibe. On the whole it is just amazing.


The Rotten Musicians is a complete departure from everything else Fisch has done. It is dirtier and a little more raw. At first I wasn't sure I liked this side of him & I was kind of disappointed. But, being a true fan I stuck it out. Boy am I glad I did. This album is infecting my days. I find it so soothing and true to what I want to hear. It doesn't sound forced or contrived and I love it.

All in all this guy is just a great musician. He writes and produces nearly everything he does. The beats are delicious. If life could have an instrumental soundtrack, I would ask him to write me one. They are that good. The lyrics are not profanity-laced & over the top. I can actually relate to these. I get excited listening to these. Not only that, everyone that I have played it for does too.

The one and only problem is that he is not on a national label, so finding some of this may be a little difficult to find. But fear not...I have linked you to every possible place I know that may have any of this. You shall not be disappointed.

P.S. Fisch is also involved in the Julio Child project with Ebay Jamil (SLC). Check it out, too!