The Dirty Little Heaters

Ok are you ready to rock? We are and so are The Dirty Little Heaters! They have what it takes and live they take you with them. Formed from defunct bands about town. Reese found Mel or Mel found Reese...we are just not sure. A short free demo of 4-songs pulls you in as we are waiting their first release due out mid-June.

Go see them when you can! - So Sorry Weekly Zine

MAY 3, 2006
The Dirty Little Heaters

BY GRANT BRITT

Grace Slick fronting X? Janis Joplin sitting in with the Germs? Think smaller and closer to home.

Durham's Dirty Little Heaters--drummer Melissa Thomas and guitarist/vocalist Reese Gibbs--take the two-piece concept to another dimension. If you're thinking a sound similar to another local two-piece, Melissa Swingle and Laura King's The Moaners, you need to rethink your position. "We're like the difference between night and day," says Thomas.

The Heaters hit it hard: Thomas swings a heavy set of sticks that'd be right at home in big beat classic rock.

"Recently at a show a guy said, 'You're like a third cousin of Keith Moon,'" Thomas recalls. "And I said, 'Well, that's kind of an over-the-top compliment.' Maybe he had a couple of beers."



Thomas cites a wide range of influences, from The Ronnettes and Hank Williams to Joan Armatrading and Weezer. And even though the music has a punky undertone, Thomas says she never really put on a punk record and played along with it.

With Gibbs' '70s style rock guitar power chords and big-mama-blues belting, backed by Thomas' powerful percussion, The Dirty Little Heaters get a lot of post-show testimonials from stirred up attendees.

"I think it's so funny because I don't ever remember going up to a guy in a rock band and saying, 'Man, you sound like Elton John,'" Thomas says, laughing. "At the end of a show, we must get half a dozen people saying, 'You sound like Ann Wilson from Heart' or 'You sound like Janis Joplin. Holy shit! I loved it.'"

"She's got that thing," Thomas says of Gibbs' vocals, "and people like to eat it up."

The Moaners are fans as well. First paired on a bill for the Durham Music Festival, The Moaners were standing outside the club when the Heaters started playing. They came running in, and the duos have been friends ever since.

"Melissa really loves Reese's voice," Thomas says, "and we kind of asked them jokingly, but seriously, 'Hey, would you do a seven-inch with us?'"

Even though The Moaners are under Yep Roc's wing, Thomas--who runs the new Durham label 307 Knox Records--says they are open to the idea of putting a Moaners song on one side and a Heaters tune on the other.

In addition to her percussive duties with the Heaters, Thomas was the chair for the area's first Ladyfest, held in Durham this past October.

"The roots are from Seattle within a group of women and men who thought, Let's get some artists--some visual artists, maybe some dance troupes and some rockers--during the ending of the grunge era," Thomas explains. "Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre and a couple of names in visual arts jumped on board."

The festival wasn't incorporated as a non-profit, but it was established as a template for any city simply to pick it up and do. The two-night Durham edition took place downtown with panels, workshops and a slew of bands--six the first night and 11 the next--playing in venues all over town.

But the Heaters are starting to spread their roots beyond Durham. The Janis Joplin-Moaners buzz has earned interest in the Heaters from all over the country, from Vermont to Detroit and New York City.

"We're a little overwhelmed with invites to play," Thomas says. "That's a good thing."

And as excited as they are about their new-found popularity, the band has enough savvy to realize that their real work is just starting.

"We're also looking to tour as much as we can in the summer," Thomas says. "The thing is, we gotta pay our dues."

The Dirty Little Heaters' EP, Got It?, is out now on 307 Knox. The band plays Saturday, May 6 at 305 South in Durham with Bang Bang and at The Brewery in Raleigh on Friday, May 12 for Mamapaloozza - The Independent Weekly-Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham and such..

The Dirty Little Heaters won our hearts with the song 'Young Turk'. They rock and almost every song from the 7 track CD, Got It?, is airing on the Radio Stars 1, 3 or Punk hours on Church of Girl Radio. A review will be published later.

http://www.churchofgirl.com/stars.php?page=/stars/thedirtylittleheaters - Chruch of Girl-May 2006 Stars

Coming soon! - Indy

Coming soon! - Chapel Hill Herald

Reviews: The Dirty Little Heaters ~ Got It?
Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 @ 09:39:32 EST
Topic: Reviews

Artist: The Dirty Little Heaters

CD: Got It?

Home: Durham, North Carolina

Style: Punky Rock

Quote: "These girls are wild, but make no mistake -- it's on their own terms."

By Catherine L. Tully

Something punky, something raw, something else! Reese (Vocals/guitar) and Melissa (Drums) are it. This is listening to a cool, basement music jam session. These girls are wild, but make no mistake -- it's on their own terms. Not a big fan of punk music, I found I really enjoyed these ladies. Fellow Indie-Music writer and self-described lover of this musical style Joe Wallace would be shocked to hear me say it!

Little bits of Janice Joplin's emoting pop through here and there in the voice, but it's just the right amount. This is punk without dissonance for its own sake -- it happens when it happens, and it's right on, not forced. The only complaint I have is that the guitar got a little repetitive for me at times, but nothing too rough or too distracting.

Just when you think you have the style down, track 5 gives a "soft," teasing intro before it goes right off, screaming ... I liked the trade-off between reflection and anger in Reese's voice. It gave it more power and impact.

Coming in with just the right amount of tracks for this CD at 7, I have to say that these ladies were a surprise. The appeal of a garage punk band with enough meat on its bones to keep me interested. Fabulous.

http://www.thedirtylittleheaters.com - Indie Music.com

Sunday, February 05, 2006


Got It? EP Review.......
Current mood: tired

Got It? The Dirty Little Heaters (307 Knox Records)



Melissa Thomas & Reese Gibbs, the dynamic duo, will be making you play air guitar and making funny faces.

These seven ditties, were penned by Ms Gibbs, and from what I can gather she is pissed. Thomas throws in some thundering war beats, complementing the bolts of flash lighting guitar and the from the belly vocal assault.

This is like finding money. This is that guilty pleasure you cannot speak of but cannot deny. From the red devil horned angry girl on the cover to the last grinding fuzzed out note this plastic platter just screams rock like no one is watching. Rock like your ass is on fire.

The Dirty Little Heaters is sassy assed girl punk from Durham NC, and they�ve got IT, Got it? Head on down to www.307knoxrecords.com and get yours today. Now you got it.

Ron - Village Idiot