Nikki Hill – ‘Heavy Hearts Hard Fists’ (Hound Gawd! Records)

Nikki Hill – ‘Heavy Hearts Hard Fists’ (Hound Gawd! Records)

An olden forgotten should be classic gets dusted down shaken up and released on vinyl here in Europe for the first time just prior to Christmas and thank Gawd! Nikki first came to our attention with her ‘Feline Roots’ album and we were impressed with her Blues meets Rock and Roll tunes and a voice that was as soft as Marshmallow and as loud as a clap of thunder.

As good as Nikki might be on record I’m sure she comes alive and playing Rock and Roll shows so Covid and all the shutdowns haven’t been good to her but we’ll have to make do and this delve into the back catalogue is a welcome relief from all these here lockdowns.

 

Think the obvious -Tina turner (for that soaring vocal), Joplin (for that raw blues n soul), DC (for the volume and Rock and Rolla) and hell yeah The Bellrays for lighting the touchpaper for all this noise.  All this talent would be irrelevant if Hill didn’t have the songs to back it all up and walking the walk as well as talking the talk is something Nikki Hill most certainly does.  Take ‘Oh My’ for some straight down the line boogie-woogie Rock and Roll that just kicks out the jams old school. or the Stonesy ‘Struttin’ ‘ that comes from the same school as The Black Crowes did.

The shake and shimmer of the more laid back darker ‘And I Wonder’ makes way for the glorious Faces barroom of (Let Me Tell You Bout) Luv’ it’s sunshine Rock and Roll that deserves to be heard and to compliment Hills vocals the rollicking barroom joanna playing is wonderful. It’s definitely the more swaggering staggering blues numbers that steal the show here.  ‘Hot Shot’ is gloriously confident and the lyrics “Too little ain’t enough for me” is about spot on.  The licks might be as old as time but the delivery is superb and that solo hits the spot.

 

It’s not all bluster and partying because tucked in the tail is the stingingly beautiful soulful ‘Nothing With You’ where Hill shows restraint again playing the song, which is excellent, rather than just wailing and less is certainly more here. But wait, the yang to the balladry is ‘Scratch Back’ that was surely written to be rocked out live which is where all this leads – Live has to be the place to hear this album much like the excellent ‘Feline Roots’ as an artist you can see Hill growing from one record to the next and this is a well-rounded place to start full of top tunes handled by professionals who clearly believe in what they do and if Rockin is their business then business is good…no business is great.  Check it out and come join us in twistin’ the night away.

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Author: Dom Daley

Nikki Hill’s ‘Feline Roots’ gets Europe release through Hound Gawd Records

Nikki Hill’s ‘Feline Roots’ gets Europe release through Hound Gawd Records

Hound Gawd! Records will re-release Nikki Hill’s third album entitled “Feline Roots” on April 24, 2020 across Europe on vinyl and CD.  We first brought Nikki Hill to you when Gerald Reviewed ‘Feline Roots‘

www.houndgawd.com is the home for some amazing releases hit the link to pre-order

Hill lets her soul rip on this new collection of songs, displaying her now well-known stance to champion for the pioneers of roots and rock n’ roll, while remaining in perpetual forward motion, inviting anyone who wants to come along for the journey. Johnny Thunders straddling guitar, Bad Brains’ rock meets reggae, Stonesy groove, Sister Rosetta Tharpe rave up rockin’ gospel power, all receive nods of recognition. Hill is unafraid of her past or experiences and puts it out there for the sake of the song. The songs imagine the southern soul rocker at times waving her flag in surrender, then in the next moment finding her way back into the climb, bending through supercharged blues, punk soul, revival tent gospel, rockabilly shouts, whatever it takes to get there. It’s her version of rock n’ roll that can only come from her stories. Nikki has never been afraid to take the road less traveled, and it’s clear with “Feline Roots” that she’s living every word.

That Was The Week That Was

That Was The Week That Was

2018 is quickly running out of weeks and before we know it we’ll be crashing into 2019 and another year of new records and great bands to see. Before everything blurs into one we have to reflect on what happened last week never mind last year so the final week of November saw RPM review some amazingly talented artists like the brand new up and coming force of nature that is Nikki Hill and her album ‘Feline Roots’. 

As well as the new talent we also welcomed back the return of US Bombs with their long player ‘Road Case’  

There was also musical collaborations that we found really appealing like The wicked EP by The Dahlmanns that we would highly recommend you check out and seeing as its Christmas why not give yourself a little treat.

Whilst on the live front RPM were present for the umpteenth show from the amazing UK Subs who are forever on tour as are The Quireboys but it was the line up of Helldorado that really caught our imagination as Europe seems to have really hit paydirt as far as the amazing line up goes. With top turn after top turn hit the stages and RPM was there to regale the magic for our readers.

Interviews we had them as well as Leigh spoke To Mike Christie about Guitars, Amps and general Guitar related Tech and we also caught up with Sal from Electric Frankenstein to hear all about his compilations and a general EF chat. On the feature front, Ben continued his adventure across the West coast of America and managed to catch a few live shows whilst he was talking in what Frisco, Vegas and LA had to offer.

Anyway enough looking back how about looking forward and this coming week on RPM we’ve got plenty of live action coming your way from some of our favourite bands still making music as well as some tasty new albums as well as a bunch of reissued classics you might have missed out on first time but now is your chance to pick em up. So we welcome December with a cheeky snap from He Who Cannot Be Named for you and as always Stay Sick and keep it RPM. Til next week that is.

 

Rainy Days And Mondays

Rainy Days And Mondays

These weeks Monday morning video selections are all culled from some of this weeks revies starting with today’s album review the fantastic Nikki Hill performing a Chuck Classic. view away those Monday mornings. blues.

Next up, Later this week we review the brand new album from Californian punk legends the US Bombs. until then we’ll leave you with this classic.

Finally this week we bring you the brand new album that features Honest John Plain so its only fair that we round up this week three videos with a classic released on the same label as this weeks review.  Take it away John…

Nikki Hill ‘Feline Roots’ ( Deep Fryed Records)

Nikki Hill ‘Feline Roots’ ( Deep Fryed Records)

Talk about nice timing for an album. Nikki Hill delivers a rock and roll album that is raw, vital, infused with blues and soul, and in need of being heard. Hill grew up in Durham, North Carolina and transitioned from singing in church to lending her vocals to other performers passing through town. Her development would take her to St. Louis where her confidence grew, which combined with her independent streak has gifted us with a hard hitting artist that can go from smooth soul to AC/DC in her live shows, which she is doing about 200 nights per year. ‘Feline Roots’ showcases a variety of sounds across these 10 wonderful songs that are going to take up residence on your stereo.

Hill wastes no time in showing she means business with the opening guitar riff of ‘Get Down, Crawl’ setting the speakers on fire as Hill sings over a hard driving bluesy beat. The bass (Nick Gaitan) and drum (Marty Dodson) work here immediately stand out as well. This is an opening number that immediately grabs the listener by the neck and says you’re not going anywhere. Hill sings with a healthy swagger that showcases the confidence she has developed. ‘Don’t Be the Sucker’ storms in on a bluesy electric guitar riff that is part vintage Rolling Stones, part Dylan, and part garage rock. Hill’s vocals hit that magic spot and pop in the live sounding mix. The chorus allows her a brief acapella spot to showcase her melody. The guitar solo makes me aware that my feet are tapping, and I am playing some air guitar. Pounding on the drums leads us into a killer vocal by Hill at the start of ‘Just Can’t Trust You.’ The guitar riffs slice and dice as Hill offers a great vocal over the pounding beat. The chorus simply melts into your brain. Closing my eyes, the sound of the album really lends itself to sounding like we are capturing an incredibly special live show, kind of like ‘Live at the Star Club’ by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Mixing things up completely, ‘Can’t Love You Back’ features a reggae beat and has grown on me with every listen. Hill showcases some dynamic versatility that really speaks to what a great singer she is. Matt Hill showcases some nice riffs throughout this one as well with Laura Chavez laying down guitar as well. ‘Holler Out Loud’ ushers in the end of the first half of the record with Hill displaying some soul and channeling the magical spirit of rock and roll. This is another chorus that gets stuck in the brain with some great electric guitar licks that falls somewhere between the blues greats, Chuck Berry, and Johnny Thunders.

‘Poisoning the Well’ gets the second half started with Hill and the drums introducing the song with some similar vocal phrasing to ‘War Pigs’ by Black Sabbath before the rest of the band comes in on the back half of the verse. Hill is not rewriting the rulebook here or laying new ground. She is standing proud though on what has come before and asserting herself as a member of rock and roll royalty. There is a fire in these songs that just touches the soul with the guitar solo being just one example within this song. The pause before that last chorus is explosive and gets my adrenaline pumping every time. ‘Take the Ride (It Don’t Matter)’ continues to power the train down the tracks with urgency, passion, and some awesome layered backing vocals on the chorus for maximum effect. The slow electric guitar strum of ‘Tell the Next World’ immediately turns into a bluesy rock and roll boogie with Hill sounding like an angel who is perfectly within her element. Repeated listens really reveal just how special this album is and how lucky we are to be able to experience this.

The slow bluesy beat of ‘Might Get Killed Tonight’ gets the body moving and grooving. The hook is a little more subtle, but it just wraps itself around your brain a little bit more with each listen. Wrapping the album up way too soon is the pulsating ‘The Fire That’s in Me.’ This really serves as the perfect closer with the up-tempo beat allowing Hill to show off how she can nail those AC/DC covers live. Hill simply nails the vocals each and every time. The band is on fire with everyone feeding off one another for the perfect finale to this special album.

Nikki Hill may be a new name to many, but I don’t see how anyone could leave a show or listen to an album without immediately realizing that your musical world has been missing a vital ingredient. With a voice that can sound like velvet or coarse sandpaper, Hill is already a star; we all just need to hear her. This is one of those end of the year albums that makes you tear up your list of the best albums of the year because you realize you now have to start all over again to sort everything. Simply put, ‘Feline Roots’ showcases Nikki Hill as an artist that pours every ounce of her soul and spirit into her songs and performances. Highly, highly recommended.

‘Feline Roots’ is available here

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Author: Gerald Stansbury