September 6, 2007

Get into some heavy trash with Jon Spencer

Jon Spencer’s blues are not currently exploding, now he is into Heavy Trash. The frontman of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has a new gig –well, since 2005, I am just hearing about them– with former Madder Rose/Speedball Baby member Matt Verta-Ray (which totally sounds like a superhero name, or an aquarium animal). Heavy Trash released their self-titled debut in 2005, and this week followed up with their sophomore effort, Going Way Out With Heavy Trash.

Kissy Baby – Heavy Trash
Way Out – Heavy Trash

Currently signed to YepRoc Records, they have rough and tumble rockabilly punk sound that makes me want to drink, smoke, and fight. And I don’t even do two of those three things. Their website boasts, “As boozy and frantic as a trailer park stabbing,” and from the opening crunchy reverb surf riffs of “Double Gold” to the Sex-Pistols-thrash of “Into Oblivion,” or the traditional ’50s rockabilly structures of “Outside Chance” (not a Turtles cover, but just as retro), this album is stuffed with the genres and sounds I love. “That Ain’t Right” is straight up cash money, and by Cash I mean Johnny.

The first time I heard Heavy Trash, I found myself verbally egging on the song while I was listening to it; “COME on now!” This is one band I would absolutely, positively go see live. I mean, just listen to em. I think the ideal tour pairing would be with the Ike Reilly Assassination, but I kinda get the feeling Ike and Jon might beat each other up.

Here are their upcoming tour dates:
Sep 8 – Tompkins Square Park, New York, NY
Sep 11 – Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
Sep 12 – Grog Shop at Coventry Yard, Cleveland Heights, OH
Sep 13 – Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
Sep 14 – Schubas, Chicago, IL
Sep 15 – Headliners, Louisville, KY
Sep 17 – Ravari Room, Columbus, OH
Sep 18 – Club Café, Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 19 – The Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
Sep 20 – Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 21 – Luna Lounge, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 22 – T.T. the Bear’s, Boston, MA
Sep 23 – Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Nov 7 – Modified, Phoenix, AZ
Nov 9 – The Casbah, San Diego, CA
Nov 10 – The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
Nov 13 – Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz, CA
Nov 14 – Cafe du Nord, San Francisco, CA
Nov 16 – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Nov 17 – Chop Suey, Seattle, WA

You should absolutely buy their new album, Going Way Out With Heavy Trash [stream the whole thing here].

To entice you to heights of devotion, here are three bonus tracks that didn’t make the main album.

Didja Hear My Name – Heavy Trash
Kloi – Heavy Trash
Wet Book – Heavy Trash

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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