Heatscores

Hailing from Saskatoon and billing themselves as the “originators of the Hub City Hot Rod sound,” the Heatscores pack a heavy instrumental punch. Formerly known as the Handsome Devils, the Heatscores have already released a cassette and a CD independently under that name. From the cover shots of these leather-clad toughies to their album intro with a spoken word about “punks packing switchblades,” you know this isn’t going to be a delicate or lightweight surf record. The band injects heavy amounts of rockabilly into their surf-based sound and at their best, most distinctive moments they turn up the distortion and really rock out. Take a listen to highlights like the Link Wray-influenced “Rumbleseat,” the truck drivin’ fury of “Eight Balls of Fire,” as well as the title track and it’s pretty obvious where the strength of this band lays. They also do a pro job on mellower, more country sounding numbers like “Shot Fulla Holes” and “The Drifter.” A little more rockin’ than your average instrumental band, the Heatscores can easily hold their own with any of the bigger instrumental groups today.