January 17th, 2011
Charles Bradley & The Bullets :: Modern Funk
Various Artists – Modern Funk (Buy)Label: Freestyle Records
Charles Bradley And The Bullets – Now That I’m Gone
5-Star Album
![The Budos Band :: El Rey Theatre January 14th [Photos]](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Budos12.jpg "Budos12")
![The Budos Band :: El Rey Theatre January 14th [Photos]](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Budos13.jpg "Budos13")
January 16th, 2011
Artist To Watch :: Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Hometown: London
Album: Gregory/Down In The Sea 7″ (Buy)
Label: New Pyramid Records
Chapter 24 – Hepcats
January 14th, 2011
Rollo & Grady Interview :: Hanni El Khatib
![Hanni__0787_Final []](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Hanni__0787_Final-1.jpg "Hanni__0787_Final []")
2011 is going to be a big year for the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Hanni El Khatib. The San Francisco native generated industry buzz when local music blogs Passion of the Weiss and Aquarium Drunkard each presented him in shows last year. Soon after, his music was featured in the HBO series “Hung” and he landed a slot opening for Florence and The Machine.
Hanni’s music is straight up rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of soul and blues. Influences range from Johnny Cash to the Sonics, and his cover of “You Rascal You,” is a dead ringer for a Black Keys song. Still, his sound is his own, transporting a hybrid of the past and present. “Build. Destroy. Rebuild,” Khatib’s second single, sets the tone for his debut album Will The Guns Come Out, which will be released May 2011 on Innovated Leisure. When he is not touring, Hanni serves as creative director for HUF, a skateboard company founded by professional skater Keith Hufnagel.
January 11th, 2011
Obits :: You Gotta Lose
Obits
Album: Moody, Standard and Poor (3/29)
Label: Sub Pop
Obits – You Gotta Lose
Related Posts:
Artists Pick Best Albums of 2010 (Click Here)
![Middle Brother :: Me, Me, Me [Video Invisible Children]](http://www.rollogrady.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/middle-brother.jpg "middle-brother")
January 11th, 2011
Bob Lefsetz :: The Black Keys
This Greg Kot story is full of nuggets.
1. The band intentionally tried to create a radio single.
In other words, you can follow your muse all you want, maybe create some great shit, but there are rules for radio, and if you follow them, you’ll have more success. A great track is not necessarily a hit. A hit is something infectious, that people need to hear again and again, usually a bite-sized nugget that tastes good but requires further consumption, like potato chips.
2. Just because the band had a hit, that doesn’t mean this new audience is going to stick with them. I’d say the odds are low. At least the Black Keys have a real fan base they can rely on. But if you think the casual listener, the Johnny-Come-Lately who likes your track, is really a fan of your band, you’re dreaming. Some people like the cut, check out more and become diehards, most people bop their heads and forget you. Unless you’ve got another hit. But then you’re in the hit game, not the career game, and it becomes what have you done for me lately and those people play clubs, not arenas, at least not for long. Hell, look at Christina Aguilera, how many real fans has she got? DMB hasn’t had hits in eons and they do 20,000 a night, Christina Aguilera had to cancel her tour because of low demand. Sure, ticket prices were high, but sometimes you can’t even get people to come for free, because it’s not really free, you’ve got parking and eating and merch and…time.
