The Key Studio Sessions: Sunny Ali and the Kid

Without even checking our archives, I can tell you that this week’s Key Studio Session packs the greatest number of songs in the shortest amount of time. But that’s what Philly duo Sunny Ali and the Kid is all about: directness and simplicity. When the band stopped by the station to record the eleven tracks beolow, Abdullah “The Kid” Saeed likened it to J Dilla’s 2006 record Donuts: when you hear music that’s so exciting, but so short, you almost involuntarily want to listen to it again right away. Hassan “Sunny” Malik points back to seminal UK art-rock act Wire, and the craft of making short songs feel epic and information-packed. The duo’s own musical brevity mixes tongue-in-cheek cowboy stylings with raw punk aggression and a cinematic flair. Check it out in the music (and video clips) below, and catch Sunny Ali and the Kid this Saturday when they’re on the massive lineup of Pi Lam’s Human BBQ XXXIV.