By: Sam Houghton
Rating: 6/11

Courtesy Tier is another band using the Indie train to bring us back to the blues. Like the Black Keys and White Stripes and a couple others, Courtesy Tier pounds off with the drum and guitar duo trick. With only three mics and a room not larger than a closet, the two recorded their first album last summer, Map and Maker. The result shows us a band with some heavy noise and grunge. Guitarist Omer Leibovitz keeps his melodies simple but poignant and sharp, speeding up old John Lee Hooker riffs. His guitar has a definite edge and oomph to it. He uses a similar technique to the old blues greats, before electric basses were invented, keeping a thick rhythm with the lower strings and ripping out treble with the higher strings. Drummer Layton Weedeman compares with Stone Temple Pilots’ drummer, Eric Kretz: really loud, but clear and crashing drum lines. He’s radical, smashing with might. Their strength is definitely in their instrumentals, not jams or solos but extended rock outs where the hair and sweat flows and the high-flying noise expands and claims the environment. Songs like “Friends” may border on head-banging, making them an easy target for The Trash Bar, but where some heavy metal bands melt and fade into silliness, Courtesy Tier remains a more soulful, heavy blues band. A great song to check out is “Buddy Casey,” one of their more psychedelic numbers. It’s slower, but has a definite rebelliousness and drive to it. It’s the sound of an army of vigil antis lurking in the shadows, dwelling in their desire for some sort of vengeance. Courtesy Tier is a reminder that good things happen when you stick to the roots.