J*DaVeY vs HEAVy ?



no .

but i came across this interview that we did with the philly weekly & it's a little strange . why do journalists need to pit artists against one another ? J*DaVeY & HEAVy are two separate entities that are both fresh & unique in this bland musical spectrum . why spend half the article on how we feel about each other ? is that even relevant to our massive amounts of talent ? no . i guess it's simply "fascinatin news" ? whatever . peep the swipe :

POWER OF SOUL


photo credit: ALEX FINE

Funk Punks

Two black groups think outside one box, are put inside another.

by Craig D. Lindsey



There are two music groups on two separate sides of the country, and both consist of one guy and one girl. Both met up back when they were teenagers. And both are a copy editor’s worst nightmare, spelling their names in ways that are downright wacky: J*DaVeY and HEAVy.

At first glance you suspect these two groups are following in the same pattern as boy/girl musical unions like Eurythmics, Everything but the Girl, Groove Theory or even the Captain & Tennille. There’s the girl at the mike, the guy behind the keys. Now, let’s start to dancin’!

But it isn’t just all about churning out club grooves with these two. Both J*DaVeY and HEAVy subscribe to the belief that R&B and rap aren’t the only cornerstones of black music. They believe New Wave, electro, synth-pop and even punk can be done—and done well—by those with a darker skin tone.

J*DaVeY are practically making it their mission to spotlight their eclectic influences. When the L.A.-based pair did a guest DJ set on my favorite public-radio show Chocolate City a few months back, they played David Bowie, Brian Eno, New Order, the Stooges and a bootleg track from Prince. And how did the listeners react? “People were actually really into it, which was cool,” says vocalist Jack Davey. “We were happy about that. Somebody called and thought we were from London.”

Davey, along with her music man Brook D’Leau, have been indie darlings for several years now, dropping their own New Wave soul bombs from the City of Angels. New Wave soul—that’s a good way of putting it, right? “We’re still finding out as the days progress,” says D’Leau with a laugh. “It’s definitely becoming dance- and electronic-oriented, but there are so many other facets and elements incorporated into it.”


The group’s fresh sound has gotten them attention from Warner Bros., which has them working on an album for an early 2008 release. “The label came to us,” says Davey. “It wasn’t like we were out, you know, searching for a label to find us. That was never our intent. We were content for a while with just doing what we do. And if it came along, then great. We went along with it.”

HEAVy—residing way over on the other side of the country in South Jamaica, Queens, New York—also have a record deal. Indie label BBE just released their first full-length JAzzmonEY$$ in October. The album’s title is based on a long and complicated dream lead singer Nicky Guiland once had, and has the same electronic, synth, retro vibe as the band’s West Coast counterparts.

“It’s not that we were going for that sound for this album. That’s just who we are,” says producer/keyboardist/saxophonist Casey Benjamin. “I mean, we’re ’80s babies, you know? We grew up when pop had substance.”

Both parties are aware of each other and their respective music (both have mutual friends), but they’ve never crossed paths. They also aren’t looking to start some East Coast/West Coast, Biggie/Tupac beef.

“I’ve heard their music before, and honestly, I don’t think we sound alike” says Davey. “I don’t think we’re to be compared. I think the only reason people compare us is because we’re black kids who are doing something that isn’t urban music. So people automatically want to pit us against each other. It’s not even like that.

“We respect what they do. We’re just glad that more black artists are going out on a limb and doing something different and actually being bold enough to break through this monotonous shit and still do well. And they’re independent, and they’re doing very well.”

Those kooky HEAVy kids take the comparisons way less seriously. “I’m just like Jack Davey,” says Guiland, inciting a huge laugh from Benjamin. “I look just like her. We’re actually twins.”

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maybe me , brook , casey , & nicky should form a quartet , since we're practically the same band . or so a lot of u seem to say . regardless , keep rockin it HEAVy !
&
we'll do the same .