New Bands

New band: The Heavens

Note that I independently write and research everything in this article. But it may contain affiliate links.

The Heavens from Leeds are the brainchild of singer/guitarist Richard Green, best known for his time spent in ’90s indie-gods Ultrasound. Joining him here are Robert Simpson (organ), Steve Ward (bass), and Dave Fairbrother (drums).The_heavens

Together they mix ’60s British psychedelia, American folk-rock, and ’90s shoe-gaze to beautiful effect. Their 4-track demo is better than most current bands’ singles. ‘If You’re Lost For Somewhere Else To Be’ jangles in a lush Byrds-meets-Teenage-Fanclub manner. ‘Second Day Blues’ has a touch of prog rock about it; five-plus minutes of menacing organs and multi-layered vocals that seem to kiss the sky. The rocker ‘Beautiful Machine’ is perhaps a bit aimless in a ‘poor man’s Ride’ way. However ‘Echo Serena’ shows their epic grandeur to stunning effect; the light melody floating along on a tide of tremolo guitar and controlled feedback.

With their celestial harmonies and decent pedigree they are mainstream enough to merit some chart action in the near future. Decide for yourself if they are any cop by catching them live at one of the following shows:

Manchester Night And Day (July 25th)
Bradford Love Apple (31st)
Leeds Hi-Fi Club (August 1st)
Batley Frontier (31st)
Leeds Cardigan Arms (September 12th)

You can hear The Heavens on Myspace here. If you are a Myspace member you can download for free their 4-track demo currently online.

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