You say no to videos with orgy-loving Asian motorcycle gangs, Hanni El Khatib can’t. There are no pretensions to the San Francisco-bred, LA-based rock and roller. You might think it is a preposterous gimmick to film a video with Spider, Snoopy and the rest of the crew. But if you know Hanni, this was an inevitability. No idea is too hare-brained to flawlessly execute.
“Family” kicks off with the lyric: “I wanna be somebody else today,” but that’s not entirely true. Hanni’s music feels consistent with who he is. He borrows from doo-wop, dirty garage rock, and the blues but spins it in a way that feels fresh. You have heard these sounds before, but the voice and attitude are unique. It is raw and grimy, but with enough songcraft to get airplay on Morning Becomes Eclectic. This is for people who like their whiskey straight, their shoes without shine, and their families with flaws. The glass isn’t half empty, it’s cracked over someone else’s head.
The note from director Nick Walker is below the jump. Hanni’s Head in the Dirt is produced by Dan Auerbach. It drops April 30 on Innovative Leisure.
Notes from director Nick Walker:
“I directed the video in the beginning of Jan 2013 up at the Wright Ranch in Malibu. I had written that treatment 3 yrs ago in a notebook with other ideas and concepts. After a few conversations with Hanni about different video ideas… I sent him over some scans from the notebook with a few different ideas. A year after receiving these he asked me if I was still interested in doing the Wild Asian Motorcycle Sex Gang video… And I said of course.”
