Formed by childhood friends Dan Taylor and Kelvin Swaby (from one of the first West Indian families to settle in the area) who bonded over a shared appreciation of R&B, soul, and Jim Jarmusch films, the band grew with the addition of bassist Spencer Page, drummer Chris Ellul, and keyboardist Hannah Collins. Their 2007 debut, Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, gained buzz on the merits of single “That Kind of Man,” which drew inspiration from the funk-rock soundtracks of blaxploitation films, but still might have been a dud without the strength of the bellowing, raspy vocals of frontman Swaby. Their 2009 follow-up, The House That Dirt Built, saw the band really coming into their own. “Oh No Not You Again,” is a garage-rock sprint to get crowds going while “No Time” sounded like a Jimi Hendrix cover with more dissonance and clash. “How You Like Me Now” sounded like it was written in another era — an instant classic with the verve of a ’70s soul and the anger of ’80s punk. And Swaby’s huge voice has room to roam. “If I sing a sad, sad, sad, song would you give it to me?” he sings angrily, knowing we’d rather he didn’t. Over sad songs, we prefer what The Heavy gives us: songs that are thumping, loud, full of anger and flash.

Photo Credit: Michael Maxxis