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Whistleblower

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An Inconvenient Plant

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National Features

Broward-Palm Beach New Times

Last Step to Redemption

Drug counselor Richard Entrekin swam a little too easily in a sea of sharks.
By Amy Guthrie
Village Voice

The Cro-Mag Diaries

Remembering the brutal life and times of John "Bloodclot" Joseph, New York hardcore icon.
By Rob Harvilla
Miami New Times

Class Warfare

At a Florida school, kids threaten teachers, whose bosses look the other way.
By Francisco Alvarado

The Heavy

Great Vengeance and Furious Fire (Counter)

By Dave Pehling

Published: April 30, 2008

Where:

Mezzanine

Details:

The Heavy performs on Saturday, May 3, at 9 p.m. Admission is $15; call 625-8880 or visit www.mezzaninesf.com.

Subject(s): The Heavy by Dave Pehling

Throwback R&B acts on both sides of the Atlantic have struck gold by mining the classic sounds of James Brown, Motown, and Aretha Franklin, but few have touched on the fuzzed-out end of the soul spectrum occupied by the likes of Funkadelic, Rare Earth, and psychedelic-era Temptations. Grafting growling guitar licks and falsetto vocals reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield to gritty, booming backbeats, UK band the Heavy offers a credible update to the rawk-and-soul combo on its debut album, Great Vengeance and Furious Fire. Mayfield's shadow looms large over the proceedings, both as the principal inspiration for vocalist Kelvin Swaby's delivery and for the echoes of blaxploitation classic "Freddie's Dead" heard in the hammering funk of "That Kind of Man." While the Heavy shows off range and solid songwriting chops with more sedate numbers like simmering album-opener "Brukpocket's Lament" or acoustic-guitar groovers "Set Me Free" and "Our Special Place," its strong suit remains feral, distortion-laced funk. On the driving "Dignity" (with its cheeky nod to the Spencer Davis Group's version of "Gimme Some Lovin'") and the ferocious album-closing hidden track "Big Bad Wolf," The Heavy lays down soul with a garage-punk intensity that reveals the band has more in common with the Dirtbombs than Amy Winehouse.

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Music

Most Popular

Many say homeless guys who help commuters find street parking provide a valuable service. But others complain that they cause trouble.

By most accounts, David Kessler's four years as UCSF's medical school dean were a rip-roaring success. So why was he fired?

One of the world's rarest plants grows in the Presidio. Plans are under way to save it — and ax thousands of trees in the process.

Bondage, fellatio, feces-swapping, and intimate cleansing at the S.F. Art Institute

One of the world's rarest plants grows in the Presidio. Plans are under way to save it — and ax thousands of trees in the process.

Ralph Nader and running mate Matt Gonzalez are looking to make a difference in the upcoming presidential election. Early polling suggests they just might.

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