The Planets Align For Some "Hard Stuff"

Who says rock and roll is dead? Well, I do. All the time, actually. But leave it to some seasoned veterans to nail the sumbitch!

"Splitsville Or Bust" the impossible 2019 debut from 70's NYC scenesters Binky & The Planets, was a fave of last year. You can read my gushing over here.  Now, less than a week into 2020, they are back with "The Hard Stuff," a three song E.P. that feels like a greatest hits sampler of all that I love about rock music.

It begins with The Planets fearless leader, Binky Philips, whose specialty seems to be creating earworms on his guitar that would torment Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend if they had the nerve to listen. And speaking of the mighty Zep, the rhythm section of Mike Greenberg on bass and Bobby Siems on drums are giving Jonesy and Bonham a run for their money on these three tracks. Out front, singing all this home, is Nolan Roberts, a rock howler with a lot of soul. A singer, for damn sure.

The lead track "Better Watch Where I'm Going" employs one of those Binky riffs to die for, with a Cheap Trick chorus, to boot. But I am going to make you work to hear that one. "The Hard Stuff" is less than three bucks over at CD Baby. Give a listen to my favorite of the three up above, then click yourself on over there and pick up the rest. This will be the ten most exciting musical minutes of your day,