Customer Reviews

Heat Miser

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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I regularly saw these guys perform live when I was a student at the University of Northern Iowa. I'm suprised they never really made it bigger than the midwestern scene, they are indie rock at it's finest. They had a different sound all togeather that grows on you. You have to see them live, they sound better live than on the albums. I can attest to that. Though the home club they played in has been since reduced to a pile of rubble saddly on College Hill, these albums remain a testiment to their musical prowess.

1. Heat Miser 2:56
2. The Works 2:58
3. Lovely, But Deadly 3:18
4. I Know What I Like 4:34
5. Big Bag Of Dope 3:29
6. Oh Yeah (Yeah) 2:52
7. A Tower Bends 2:18
8. The Other Part 1:57
9. Death Buggy 2:30
10. Half-Breed

HOLS is best descibed as Hick Indie Rock. The term 'Hick' isn't to be taken in a derogatory way. The 'Hicks' of this country have industrialized the world. Not a small feat by any means. At the same time the hicks are usually modest, straight-forward people with a good work ethic. They also invented the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy and HOLS embraces this approach. This is not over produced, over thought, over anything. It's honest, sincere and down-right rocking; a perfect balance of essential elements. This power trio dishes out some tasty grooves and they have a very infectious sound. If you let these songs in to your head you'll never get them out; it's not a bad thing though. Heat Miser is the follow-up album to their debut One Big Cake. Both of these albums are excellent, but Heat Miser has a bit more of any edge to it; it is the hard-line according to HOLS. The only way they could of made this a btter album would have been to put the song 'I Am My Own Grand Paw' on it - one of my all time faves that somehow never really managed to appear on any albums - better call Carl Mulden about this unexplained mystery. Buy this - you won't regret it - promise!

Being a long time HOLS fan, Heat Miser never leaves my CD rotation. Tracks such as Big Bag Of Dope, Oh Yeah (Yeah) and Death Buggy bellow with much aggression and yet are soothingly melodious and crisp. Heat Miser is still my favorite album by HOLS (it's a hard decision to make) and may not be for long when the long anticipated live disc, Idiots Out Wandering Around, hits the airwaves and will surely pack a punch to anyone who listens.