HANNI EL KHATIB at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Sunday (October 6), 8:30 pm. $15. HS, TM, SS, RT.
Hanni El Khatib’s vintage sound nods to rock’s forefathers – Elvis Presley, Iggy Pop, Joe Strummer of the Clash – but the L.A.-based crooner cum guitarist cum art director isn’t trying to emulate his idols.
“It’s not intended to be a rockabilly, retro rock or a rock revival thing. That’s not the goal at all,” says Khatib over the phone from somewhere between Salt Lake City and Denver.
“Just to make contemporary rock ‘n’ roll.”
With this objective in mind, it was serendipitous for Khatib – still riding the success of his 2011 self-produced debut, Will The Guns Come Out – to meet Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach at a bar in Paris.
A few whisky shots later, the two were hatching a plan for Khatib to record his sophomore album in Auerbach’s Nashville studio, a cool recording house that’s becoming a go-to for nostalgic tones. (Tennessee folk/blues singer/songwriter Valerie June and Americana trio the Devil Makes Three have recorded there.)
Surrounded by racks of vintage guitars from the 70s and earlier, a 60s recording console and shabbily grilled amps, Khatib recorded Head In The Dirt (Innovative Leisure) in just under a month.
“When we recorded, we all sat in a live room with no baffles, tons of mic bleeds. Everyone was recording live all at once. It was dropped into a computer and mixed but then went back into tape,” explains Khatib.
“At the end of the day, we added kicks to the drums and synths – all these things people wouldn’t do in the 50s and 60s.”
This technique of combining the old with the new is clearly evident on the record: Khatib’s vocals are bluesy with a modern, punk-crooner vibrato the guitar riffs sound as if they were recorded in a suburban Californian garage the bass lines are bombastic and gritty.
Khatib’s not interested in becoming the torchbearer for the rock ‘n’ roll revitalization movement, but his brand of rock is catching the ears of giants.
Elton John was recently singing his praises on the BBC, even spelling out his name on air for listeners.
Naturally, Khatib played it cool: “He read a review and decided to check [my album] out. I imagine he’s just constantly looking for stuff to listen to.”
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