The Heaves

Open a disc with a cover? A Willie Nelson song to boot? Go figure. These crazy kids out of Brooklyn have done just that, and put a nice heavy twist on the song. Sounding somewhere in the Social Distortion spectrum, with a country rock taste akin to Jason and the Scorchers, their sound is Americana cow-punk, and that's all right with me. The boys also bring it down, as on "Wisconsin," which features some nice repetitive guitar lines. Singer Patrick Smith has that southern drawl to his vocals, without sounding too hokey, at times straying into a Jagger-like drawl, but either way it works. The guitar work of Ed Smallman is simple and cutting, with all the right notes, and no wasted flash. Bassist George Burke and drummer Jimmy Sturges round out the band, and are as electric and dynamic as their band mates. And while these ears detected a little unevenness in the production, this disc is a diamond in the rough – a hoot to listen to, just needing that big-label dollar plunge in the studio to make it to the big time. - http://www.nyrock.com

Opening with a Jason & the Scorchers-ish version of Willie Nelson’s "On The Road Again" and wrapping up some 30-minutes later with a lo-fi shot at Johnny Cash’s "Jackson" -- the Brooklyn four-piece formerly known as The Dry Heaves fill the grooves in between with a winning combination of Westerberg-, Sidewinders-, Goo Goo Dolls-,X- and Bottle Rockets-type influences coupled with punky, Blasters-meets-Bon Jovi beats and, on "Cape Fear," the warped perspective of Robert Mitchum’s character from the movie of the same name. - Al Muzer

Four chords never sounded so perfect. In a town where the amount of bands trying to make it is enough to make one's eyes glaze over, NYC's The Dry Heaves sound completely fresh. Maybe it's because they never pretend they're playing The Garden instead of the bar. Maybe it's because they're not a super-hyphenated emo-industrial-ska-nerdcore-neo-folk-rap act. But mostly, it's because they're simply great players playing great songs. Any indie label worth its salt should snatch these guys up and put'em on tour pronto. They might be from Brooklyn, but there's no reason to think an act this good wouldn't go over well in any rock club in America." - Submitted by sjms - http://www.musictv.com/

I've given'em separate "thumbs up" for two previous releases. Both raves, however, came with "taste reservations" attached, as do the accolades that grace anything to do with this effort.

A full inside CD panel devoted to random thoughts, tasteless "tips" and pointless barroom bravado ending with a bold print "Fuck You!" can lead to unpleasant opinions about a band before their disc even leaves it's packaging.

It's a good thing songs like the Sidewinders-meets-Stones-ish "Tragedy's New Son"; the Neil Young-like "Little Party"; the graceful junkie-prom waltz of "Something About You"; a jangling romp through "Backdoor Of Your Mind"; and the Westerberg-raw "Seven Septembers" make it easy to forgive Burke, Smallman, Smith, and Sturges their thoughts, opinions and the inclusion of a secret track 14. - Al Muzer, The Aquarian

At the end of the liner notes, the band writes, "P.S. This CD is dedicated to us. Fuck You!" And normally, a statement like that might give you pause. But after reading the liner, and more importantly, listening to the disc, I'm convinced that this quartet would be a blast to hang with, either getting drunk, listening, or both. There's a hard-rock sensibility, but also an ear for the melodic side, and the two clash quite well. On a slow-paced song like "Movie Songs," there's almost a country inflection as the song ambles along, a lead guitar slogging around. On an up-tempo number like "Venus," you might note a Paul Westerberg feel, maybe Tom Petty, but it's a rootsy, Midwest kind of flavor coming from these Brooklyn cowboys. It's nice to feel both the beat and the emotion from the numbers, and again, the mix of melody and harmonies make this disc well worth listening to. - http://www.nyrock.com

"You may have asked yourself, 'What is the exact definition of originality?' Well, look it up in the dictionary and you will find a picture of THE DRY HEAVES. Ok, maybe not, but it should be. This is one of the most diverse bands I have ever heard. Some songs sounding like punk (Brooklyn, NY), some sound like 80s rock (Riot Act), some like alternative (The Only One), and some like good old rock with a punk twist (the rest of the songs). If you like any of these types of music, pick this disc up. If you don't, pick it up anyway, they will get you hooked."


nikki matthews, flickmusic.com

Vocals: A- (3.8)
Lyrics: B+ (3.5)
Guitar: B+ (3.5)
Bass: B+ (3.5)
Drums: B+ (3.5)
Other: B+ (3.5)
Overall: 3.55 (out of 4)

Radio Probability: A- - www.flickmusic.com

"Featuring two electric and two acoustic guitarists, two primary and two backing vocalists, a drummer/keyboardist and a rock-solid bassist; this Brooklyn-bred six-piece have been making a joyous noise in the tri-state area for more than 10 years now-and I'll be damned if they still don't sound about as fired up as a gang of punk-ass Social D.-, Dictators-, Saints-, Motorhead-, Blasters-, Guns 'N' Roses-, Goo Goo Dolls-, Tom Petty-, Replacements- and Beat Farmers-fans with some major shit on their minds.

A potential 'classic' (with a nudge or two from a savvy label rep) that stays true to the group's natural need to kick melodic ass while it offers a little something for everyone with each glowing new hook; an occasional hint of borderline racism (vague) and misogynist stupidity (blatant as all hell) doesn't stop "Two Honkies In A Tub" from sounding like one of the most complete, entertaining, satisfying and commercially promising discs I've heard in ages." - Al Muzer, The Aquarian

"I was majorly into this CD. From the opening song, 'Pale', which has a bit of a Social Distortion rockabilly vibe. To 'The Only One' which is (GASP!!) a ballad! I didn't think anyone did those anymore! The last song on the CD - 'She's A Bitch" is a rather epic song going on nine minutes is another standout. The Dry Heaves are hard rock which seems to be a rare find these days. The band plays extremely good, well arranged non-pretentious hard rock! There's not a throw away song on the CD. Great memorable songs, good production, vocals, - EVERYTHING! CHECK THIS OUT!!!! - Droux Suicide, Crypt 33

"Let me start by saying this is nowhere near what I expected from the name, so don't let that be a turn off if you've gotten this far. These six guys from Brooklyn do play hard, fast, and loud, but with a flair for writing songs that should please a wide audience. In general, it's easy to compare The Heaves to Social D, with the thundering guitar and drums leading the way, and a melodic style that adds to the appeal. Dig a little deeper under the surface and you'll be impressed how they can mix up the sounds without detracting from the tone of the disc. Of course, there's the mandatory mellow cut, "The Only One", nicely done as well, but that's the exception here. That one aside, these guys could be to the modern rock movement what the Ramones were to the late 70's and early 80's. Heads-down jams with interesting twists and turns, such as the interesting country-punk of "Hard Lovin' You", the classic crash pop of "Acid Rain" and the r-rated, anti-yuppie "Brooklyn, NY" and their less-filling hardcore "She's A Bitch". It took ten years for the band to get around to putting out their first disc, let's hope the next one comes a lot sooner than that."

Top Cuts: Pale, Hard Lovin' You, Rather Go And Die - Scott Pazur, CDReviews.com

The Heaves - A rock and roll band - and I do mean a rock and roll band - from New York that goes down like a double shot of Jim Beam: never seeming like it's a good idea, but you're always glad once it settles into the bloodstream. Nodding to everyone from Johnny Cash to the late great Replacements, the Heaves record, Are You Still Mad at the Dry Heaves, is a tinny, howling, rock and roll barroom gone mad. And I want to be there. - Kurt Hernon Liner Notes: A Real Life Guide to Independent Living