The Heavy

Appearances to the contrary, "Colleen," from the Heavy's debut album, 2007's Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, doesn't feature the late Curtis Mayfield circa 1972 or his band at the time. That's Kelvin Swaby singing, and along with the rest of the band, he's managed to make soulful rock and roll that you don't hear much these days outside of maybe the Bell Rays and Earl Greyhound. In fact, maybe only Mayer Hawthorne has channeled that great early-'70s R&B/soul sound as believably. The Heavy is a rock band from Noid, England (don't bother looking it up; it doesn't exist) that fully embodies its moniker, actually being heavy — and, no, that's not a veiled reference to down-tuned, distorted guitars and deafening volume.