Barry Whitesnake
Given the way that hipster culture devours easy irony and recycled pop-culture references, it’s somewhat amazing that no one thought to choose “Barry Whitesnake” before now. Really, it seems like a perfect nom de plume for a winking laptop DJ project or insufferable nightclub photo site flush with red-nosed kids in deep V-neck shirts and pleather jackets. But alas, all future pretenders will have to yield to this shout-y local hard-rock group, who were apparently the first to stake their claim on an imagined musical world where David Coverdale’s plaintive cries of, “Is this love that I’m feeling?” are answered by a reassuring baritone saying, “We’ve definitely got our thing together, don’t we baby?” and where—once the clock hits half past gettin’ it on—that cock-rockin’ leather pants and peasant blouse ensemble is shrugged off in favor of a crushed velvet smoking jacket that smells vaguely like Old Spice and lube. Those genius bastards. Congratulate them on their foresight at their Headhunters show this Saturday. And for you jealous latecomers, buck up: There’s no shortage of so-dumb-it’s-brilliant mash-ups still ripe for the pillaging. Here, you can have Boyz II Megadeth and Masta Don Cherry on us.
