Nicky B Hannas – Shoot From The Hip (Gunslingin’)
Does anyone have the energy anymore, or the unchecked ambition, to take over for Damon Albarn or pop man-machines like himself? Probably not, and it’s likely that there are very few kids who could even muster the strength to act as assistants to those kinds of characters.
Sure, we look at people like Paul McCartney with great reverence. We even confess to admiring the work ethic of these brilliant ego-maniacs. But is this really an era where overzealous, work-til-you-drop will get you anywhere?
Nah, this is the time of the rockstar as magnetic hero who never leaves their basement, at least, not sober. This is a time where we need musicians who can tell us the truth because they don’t care about sparring with our feelings, people like Nicky B Hannas.
That’s not to say that Hannas is preachy. Quite the opposite. He believes in rock n’ roll as an ugly, mud-drenched thing that you throw at the world and dare it to throw it back to you. “Shoot From The Hip (Gunslingin’)” sounds like Blue Cheer reuniting while under the spell of the world’s most effective speed. Yessiree, it’s a time for rockers like Nicky B Hannas again.
Harlan Hopkins – Little Green Car (Featuring Jody Porter)
You’re not a musician, are you? Perfect! You’re just the kind of perfect that I want to speak to. Now, let me ask you, when you think of a rock n’ roll song, how would you describe it? What are the sounds that immediately pop into your head?
Now, I don’t mean one of those metal overload cheese fests where the guitar plays while being strapped upside down from a bulldozer. And, I’m not talking about songs where the repetitive drum machine pattern does the heavy lifting.
No, what I’m talking about is rock n’ roll. And let me just assume your answer for a second. You’ll describe it as fast and rousing. You think it’s the kind of music that encourages you to get out of your house and seek adventure. It’s music that goes “Whooosh!”. In that case, you should hear Harlan Hopkins.
“Little Green Car” is a proper garage rock tune, music meant to get your heart pumping and make you want to take your own vehicle out for a ride. There’s little calculation involved here, plenty of feel and, of course, the involvement of Jody Porter, guitarist for one of power-pop’s greatest bands. Fountains of Wayne.
