70. Black Diamond Heavies – “A Touch of Someone Else’s Class”

We interrupt our Black Crowes run with a short stroll over to the record rack for our weekend vinyl spinning session.

Here’s an album which just wouldn’t sound right delivered via CD, or heaven forbid, as a download.

This duo from somewhere in the south of the US have been hailed as doing for soul what The Black Keys (coming soon) did for blues, i.e. dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st century with a determined dirtiness. That recommendation was enough for me to buy their two releases, and to seek them out when they supported the Datsuns in Melbourne last December.

The sound here is damn filthy. The lead singer has one of those ‘lived extremely hard’ voices. At times this could be a younger, skinnier Tom Waits belting out the tunes while bashing the hell out of an organ. Alongside this, the drummer rides his cymbals in a similar fashion to Patrick from the aforementioned Keys.

This is wonderul, visceral, shake you-to-your-bones music. It can only be played loud. The cover of Nutbush City Limits on here would make Ike very very happy (and kill most wedding reception crowds). Further reworkings of Nina Simone and T-Model Ford numbers give further guidance to their lineage.

This is brilliant. Please buy it. Here’s a further taster:

File under: Not polished but so precious