Hatchet staff writer Hayley Burgess shares her latest musical obsessions.
“Natural Disaster”
City and Colour
I’ve designated this as my official study song of the fall, which really comes as no surprise. Not only is its title entirely appropriate given the past couple of weeks in D.C., but also in true City and Colour fashion, “Natural Disaster” is mellow, soothing and meaningful – without putting me to sleep. Lead singer Dallas Green is a true talent, and with each song and album released, he never ceases to provide me with the perfect study tunes. Be sure to catch City and Colour at 9:30 Club in December. Remarkably, there are still tickets available, but I’m sure that won’t be the case for much longer.
“You Rascal You”
Hanni El Khatib
When I first heard this song at a concert over the summer, the opening vocals sparked instant familiarity. The lead singer sounds remarkably like that of The Black Keys. But once I realized that no, it’s wasn’t The Black Keys, I came to the conclusion that whoever I was listening to was fantastic. You Rascal You is dark and edgy, with almost bluesy guitar rifts and a chorus that repeats, “I’ll be glad when you’re dead, you rascal you.” Hanni El Khatib, a duo from the Bay Area in California, has been receiving a lot of hype from major publications as an emerging band to keep an eye on, and I completely agree. “You Rascal You,” from the album “Dead Wrong,” came out in 2010, but a new album is expected to release Sept. 27 and is currently available for pre-order from iTunes.
“Miracle Worker”
SuperHeavy
It’s the best super group I could have imagined but would never have thought of putting together. SuperHeavy is the ultimate band – Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley and A.R. Rahman. It’s almost too good to be true. As per expectations, “Miracle Worker,” released less than a month ago, is soulful (Joss Stone) with a whole lot of reggae (Damian Marley) and a little bit of rock (Mick Jagger). The individuals that make up SuperHeavy are indisputably talented. The standout voice of this song is that of Joss Stone, who seemed to fall off the radar a few years ago but clearly is still as amazing as ever. Together, the band mates are effortlessly cool in what sounds like the best jam session ever. The whole album, which should debut sometime in September, is definitely something to anticipate.
