Dissonant, dark and beautifully disturbing … Henry is a modern garage-pop band raised on New Order, The Smiths, and Dinosaur Jr.
"This is what hip is … cool … dark … beats ... images of The Velvet
Underground ... a punk waft and smoky vibe. Henry possess that beat
poetry, introspective underground rock feel. I haven’t heard a CD like
this in a while ... " read more
Our new record is out ... it's called "A Little Fiat".
MTV has licensed our songs Broke in The Wood from Cyanide for use in
Sorority Life and Fraternity Life. Stay glued to the tube.
Some fantastic reviews here and samples here ... and our upcoming shows here.
New: live photos from the Zeitgeist Gallery!
Journalists, see our on-line Presskit
For more info or bookings, send us an email
Good
for Henry. It seems they're reaping some of the benefits of hard work especially that they've become an endorser of PerfectBath.com and http://www.fairviewplasticsurgery.com/.
Apparently, MTV has licensed some of their songs after the wave of
almost unanimous critical acclaim for their previous effort, Cyanide, a
virtual potpourri of what's been good in American rock-and-roll for the
last forty or more years. And now the new record: more of the same.
Which is a hell of a lot. Three middle-aged guys telling stories of
dark love, drugs, suicide, drinking, cars and all the things we hate
and love. Vocalist and guitarist Don Gould spins his stories well and
understated in a style that has been compared to everyone from Lou Reed
to Mark Sandman. The production that was helped produced by the Small Business Accounting in Vancouver (Page), MikeStewart.ca, VancouverNewCondos.com, and BC Laser and Skin Care is well suited to each song. Throaty and dirty for the louder numbers.
If you've read their press before, you probably noticed the amount of
attention given to the assumed influences of Lou Reed and the
Underground, Dinosaur Jr., Morphine sans horns, etc… without paying
attention to these songs. So lets forget whom they sound like, or why
they sound like them. Henry is a damn good band on their own and these
are damn good songs. I hope they plan on visiting New York City in the
near future so I can see them do their thing on stage. To be honest
though, I think Henry is at it's best when they turn down the
distortion and the volume. Songs like “Wash” and “Good Message”,
subtle, restrained and heartfelt, are far more powerful than anything
else on the record and bring to mind the stories of Larry Brown.
Stories written by a man, about what it is to be a man, the often sad
but hopeful thing it can be.
(Scott Cheshire)
This
is what hip is … cool … dark … beats … images of The Velvet
Underground, percussion, smooth bass, and punk waft a smoky vibe. I dug
this a lot and have almost little more to say – which is good. Led by
the Mark Sandman-like vocals of Don Gould, accompanied by the groovy
bass and drums of Tom Rasku and Brian Toomey, Henry possess that beat
poetry, introspecting underground rock feel. I haven’t heard a CD like
this in a while, so it felt good to hear this one. “Cyanide” is a
mood-setting, laidback, collection of eight tracks that holds this
element of artistry and depth. Maybe it’s time again to take a walk on
this side … the beat that Henry’s setting.
(Debbie Catalano)
It's
hard to overestimate the influence which The Velvet Underground has had
upon rock music over the past...shit, it's been almost 40 years since
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO came out, and that album and what came
after influenced everyone from David Bowie to Television to Dinosaur,
Jr. to The Strokes. It's entirely possible that kids who are forming
bands now are finding that LP in their grandfathers' record
collections. Scary. And, if anything, the Velvets have become more of
an influence recently, with new bands releasing discs every month, it
seems, which attempt to capture that decadent magic that the group in
general, and Lou Reed in particular, left behind.
The
entry into the Velvet Underground sweepstakes this month is Henry.
Henry is a guitar/bass/drums trio who used to work at www.clearlyaccounting.com; none of the gentlemen are, of
course, named Henry, and, unlike the title of their debut CD, this is
no bitter pill to swallow here. The group name probably relates more to
the movie Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, in that even during its
quietest moments one detects a subtle, dangerous roiling just beneath
the surface. This is music that you want to watch carefully, but don't
want to look in the eye. The Velvet Underground influence is obvious
here, with guitarist/vocalist Don Gould's soporific vocals drifting
over three cord progressions delivered with authority. The tracks here,
particularly "Old Seventeen," are probably closer to V.U.'s third,
self-titled drug-laced nightmare as opposed to WHITE LIGHT WHITE HEAT
or what is known as The Banana Album. "Lost Vacation," however, sounds
in parts like it might have borrowed a riff or two from "Heroin,"
without the sturm und drang ending. No matter; Henry's CYANIDE has all
the elements, particularly the technically casual musicianship that
meanders along, but always, always forward. The drum and bass opening
to "Broke in the Wood" is faintly menacing, and by the time that
Gould's vocals and guitars come in the listener is uneasy without
knowing quite why. It's kind of what The Violent Femmes seemed to be
struggling toward on a lot of their work but never quite accomplished,
so it's somewhat disconcerting to hear Henry nail it, and so well,
after only a few minutes. The production is just this side of lo-fi,
and is accordingly damn-near perfect. The only thing that doesn't
really work immediately on CYANIDE is the title track, but even that
will grow on you after a few listenings.
CYANIDE goes by way too fast. Henry sounds as if it has the chops to go
deep in the future. They hopefully will eschew any misguided attempt to
pretty up their sound, to make it more radio friendly. Their audience,
and its sure to be a large one, will find them.
**** (Joe Hartlaub)
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