Hanni El Khatib is best known for his late-night brand of 60s inspired garage rock which he brought back to KCRW after a little bit of a tune-up.
In his first album, Hanni delivered a no-frills, stripped down and in your face style of rock n’ roll with his guitar and drummer, Nicky Fleming-Yaryan. And while the style between the two releases has stayed intact—basically the soundtrack to bar brawls and drag races—the production has been overhauled.
In his interview, Hanni tells Jason that it was at a bar in Paris where he met The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach and the two of them talked about Hanni’s upcoming recording (over glasses of absinthe one would imagine). After that, Auerbach signed on to produce “Head In The Dirt” and the result was a more layered & dynamic sound which still features the heavy guitar and smash-mouth lyrics.
In his return to Morning Becomes Eclectic, Hanni rips through new tracks like the rollicking “Save Me” the shiny and radio-ready “Penny” (which was the first song he wrote for the album and was before meeting Auerbach) and the street anthem “Can’t Win Em All” which made its debut during the Super Bowl behind an ad for Audi.
Someone in marketing is paying attention.
Editor’s Note: Hanni was just announced as a performer at the Twilight Concert Series this summer. It’s part of KCRW’s free, all ages show series Summer Nights!
Hanni El Khatib Live on KCRW — Set List
Penny
Skinny Little Girl
Save Me
Family
Head In The Dirt
Pay No Mind
Can’t Win Em All
Loved One