NEW MUSIC: Hanni El Khatib - "Will The Guns Come Out?"

Have you discovered this guy yet?  I first heard his music on 88.9 KXLU.  His first full length album hit stores in September and it's pretty bad ass.  "Will The Guns Come Out" is a rockin', crunchy, kill-or-be-killed record from Hanni El Khatib.  Part Filipino and part Palestinian, El Khatib comes from the San Francisco area with roots planted deep within the skateboarding community.

He's taking from blues, doo-wop, and mixing it all with a thick garage rock sound.  It's clear he's influenced by people like Elvis and Louis Armstrong both of whom have songs reimagined by El Khatib on this record.*

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking: "That last paragraph disproves your entire theory of a need for music expiration." I'm also certain that if Hanni El Khatib ever came across this blog, he'd probably stick a switchblade through his computer screen.  All I can say is, yes, it's true that artists influence artists and new sound comes from old sound.  But you know what?  New sound can also rise from nothing.  It's possible to create music with limited to zero influence from other sources.  Isn't it?  And what if it's THIS MUSIC that really changes things?  Is it so crazy to think that older music, in a way, restricts significant growth?  Is it impossible to make huge strides toward new and interesting sounds without having Billboards top 50 of the past century on your iPod?**  I don't know, but I sure as hell would like to find out.

And yeah, if I could get the whole world on my side, records like "Will The Guns Come Out?" probably wouldn't exist, and that'd be a shame.  But El Khatib would still be a person with things to say and I'm sure he'd find a way to express himself.  Whether via music or some other medium.

Regardless, this record is excellent, and I highly suggest you spend some time (albeit no more than twenty years) checking out his music.  Might I suggest the tracks "Loved One" and "Dead Wrong"?

*Both of whom have expired physically and musically.  Presley ('77/'97ish) & Armstrong ('71/'91ish)

**I have no idea how long Billboard's been keeping stats, i just went with a nice round number.