Hooka Hey
Austin, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF
Music
Press
Sometimes, you can judge a band by its name — and song titles. The tunes “Nasty” and “Untamed” by Hooka Hey suggest down 'n' dirty, well, “untamed nastiness,” and that’s exactly what’s dished out. Bluesy, sweaty, energetic stomp-rock is purveyed by a Frenchman (via Austin, Texas) with the fantabulous nom du rock of Hugo de Saint Quentin. Digging deep with classic-sounding grooves redolent of Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age, Hooka Hey could be the bastard son of Jack White and an Eighties Sunset Strip band: a great spirit of soul-blues meshed with a cranked-up sleazy sex 'n' booze vibe. Hooka Hey make music to drink whiskey by. The show is free and open to everyone 21 and older. At Rockwood Music Hall, the music begins at 3 p.m., but Hooka Hey goes on at midnight.
Katherine Turman - Village Voice
“There’s a reverence here for the kind of serious rockin’out that leaves you sweaty, grimy and wanting more.” - KUTX
“It is a layered, dangerous ride hinting at Eastern mysticism and crazy, seductive Creole voodoo.(...) Their work is urgent and unrelenting, possessing a musical confidence even early in the game. (...) And like any burning passion, they will leave you wanting more” - Culture Collide
“With a steadfast focus on straight-forward and unadulterated rock and roll, we’re excited to watch Hooka Hey rise to the top of fans’ radars” - Diffuser
Hooka Hey makes music with an attitude that mixes a bit of each slogan, creating strange, exciting new sounds that are hard to categorize, but addicting to listen to. “Untamed” is a vampy, slow-burning track, oozing with a dark and seductive charm. - Elmore Magazine
This is not the kind of music you bring home to meet your parents. This is the music you pull out your dirty dancing moves for - For Us Not Them
Shaken and dangerously harmful blues-rock with more heat and tears than a smoky Southern barbecue -
“The track is soaked in blues and mysterious seduction” - New Noise Magazine
“A pretty hot straight burning punky classic rock tune with hints of psych and trippiness” -
“Hooka Hey gets right what most in their genre get wrong–craft structurally sound songs, then add distortion, thick vox affectation, sludgy bass, and not the other way around as in the case of others.” -
“Hooka Hey plays the type of rock music that never goes out of style. Fast, aggressive, and sort of grimy” -
“Fast and fuzzy guitars and a catchy bass round off this great EP. Little Things is a cool EP and a great representation of what the future may hold for this band.” - The Soda Shop
This is a beautiful introduction into the world of Hooka Hey and if you’re a fan of unconventional, blazing rock ‘n’ roll with balls and attitude by the skip-full then you owe it to yourself to check this out. (…) make sure that Hooka Hey are on your ‘ones to watch’ list because on this evidence their album is going to rule. - Sonic Abuse (UK)
"So let’s hope their full-sized record appears quickly; cause we have an appetite for a wild and thrilling night…” - Stoner Hive (NL)
“... Something like 12 minutes to prove themselves. Well… It doesn’t seem like they needed longer.” - W Fenec (FR)
First acoustic attempt at the song Hush Me.
Recorded for Wrangler Showroom opening in Paris - Wrangler
Awesome music video for the song Hush Me.
Directed by Dessil Basmadjian - Abel 14
rough rock n’ roll with style is the real job of Hooka Hey - Legacy Magazine (issue #76)
“Powerful guitars and pleasant, slightly raspy vocals; Hugo and the crazy rhythm of these three songs are interesting even to those who would not listen to every day of such music.” - Terapija.net (Croatia)
Discography
Hooka Hey (LP - 2008) All Tube Records / Underdog Records
The Country Side (EP - 2009) All Tube Records / Underdog Records
Little Things (EP - 2011) All Tube Records
Untamed (EP - 2015) All Tube Records
Photos
Bio
Hooka Hey a recent addition to Austin, Texas
by way of Paris, France, plays blues-based tribal beats with smoky, sludgy riffs drenched and
charged like the air just before a rainstorm. Organic and raw, Hooka Hey’s
“Transylvanian Voodoo” sound encompasses a wide variety of grooves and tones
evoking artists like Queens of The Stone Age or Jack White.
Over the
years, Hooka Hey has collaborated with great names in music. The band found
themselves in sessions with Youth (producer for The Verve, Paul McCartney) at Olympic Studios in London and Mark Plati (producer for David Bowie, The Cure…) along with playing gigs with international artists including Built To Spill, Ted Leo and Miles Kane. The band was also invited to open for the Black Keys.
Band Members
Links