Yesterday (which was actually last Thursday) and every day since then was a beautiful day here in west-suburban Chicago. I spent a great weekend (the first in awhile) with my happy and (finally) healthy daughter. Blue and sunny skies and high temps hovering between 70 and 80 degrees didn’t hinder my great mood either. I found myself listening to the Heavenly States’ excellent 2005 release Black Comet for the fist time in some number of months and realized I had forgotten just how great this album is. It was #13 On my best of 2005 list, but probably could (and should) have been a few spots higher.
Despite having a prominent violin/fiddle player, that is really the only similarity they share with groups like Yellowcard and the Arcade Fire. The Heavenly States are an Oakland, CA trio that is anything but typical. Frontman Ted Nesseth plays his guitar upside down and backwards and knows every Dead Kennedys song by heart while siblings Genevieve and Jeremy Gagon are formally trained classical and jazz musicians. The band’s songs are gruff voiced alt-country punk-pop that has been infused with rambunctious zydeco flavor and bluegrass strings. They also have the unique distinction of being the first rock band to ever play in Libya.
Their latest album Black Comet (which has gotten a lot of plays on my iPod lately) comes across as a crazy collision of rough-around-the-edges Hot Water Music-esque workingman’s emo rock and the vibrant eclecticism of Little Feat. Combining elements from a wide range of styles, the band creates their own passionate style of American rock music. Buy it now from Baria Records.
MP3 | The Heavenly States – Look And Listen Black Comet
MP3 | The Heavenly States – Elastic Days Black Comet
Love this album! Glad to see other people giving it some love too!