There is nothing like vintage R&B and Jim Jarmusch films to bring a band together, particularly if you want to name your band something heavy, like, for example, The Heavy. Jarmusch may be a minimalist, but these guys craft some pretty complex neo-funk crunch rock. And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you craft an opening paragraph based solely on facts from Wikipedia.

No seriously, UK rock outfit The Heavy and their latest release from '09 has been sitting on our desks for a few weeks, and the time seems to be right to pop in the disc and give it a spin, as evident from the NPR song of the day today, a horn-heavy tune called "Sixteen." The band combines soul-soaked elements with gritty guitars, a nu-retro sound that in the Dead Weather era might prove attractive to modern ears.

The band will be in New York this week, making some radio appearances (WFUV at 3:30pm today and WNYC at 2:00pm on 1/14), and playing some shows. We may or may not be in attendance.

The House That Dirt Built is out now. -joe puglisi

Tour Dates for The Heavy

1/12 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg*
1/14 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
1/16 - New York, NY - 92YTribeca
*with the HotRats


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MP3: The Heavy - "Sixteen" (The House That Dirt Built)
The Heavy on Myspace