#EYE blame red bull 🤠

[forzaroscoe]

he is beauty✨ he is grace✨ he almost fell✨ on his face✨

[theemporium]

Max ready to destroy the earth if someone so much as disrespects or pisses Trouble off

it’s low-key giving will smith🤠anyways thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

.

Max was always very blunt and honest in conferences and interviews, it was just the way he was.

And it wasn’t uncommon for him to defend himself and his friends in said interviews. He did it countless times when journalists tried to push stories about him being too aggressive, too angry, too competitive on track.

He did it countless times when they would come for Charles and blame he was taking for his team’s mistakes. He did it countless times when people questioned Daniel’s performance and his right to have the Red Bull seat. He did it countless times when they tried to drag Lando for not achieving highly when McLaren weren’t giving him the car he needed to be proving he could do as much.

And he would be damned if he didn’t do it for you too.

It was after a race. He was tired, exhausted even, and all he wanted to do was wrap up the rest of his duties so he could maybe sneak a nap in with you before you both joined the rest of the team for a night out to celebrate his win.

He was approaching the last interviewers, a name he vaguely recognised and his nose scrunched up when he remembered most of the man’s questions were tasteless and dry. But he shrugged it off, keeping a passive face as he approached the journalist with his PR manager lingering behind him with a tape recorder in hand.

“Max Verstappen, how does it feel to be a winner again?”

He gave the man a tight-lipped smile and hoped it was enough to hide his exhaustion as he continued the interview.

And it was going fine, in retrospect. The man’s questions were similar to the countless ones he had been asked before. But he couldn’t complain because they were easy to answer, and easy to mostly zone out until he knew he had to answer.

Until he asked something that caught Max’s attention right away.

“Any plans to celebrate with your side piece after your race win? Maybe get her on her knees?”

Max blinked, and for a short moment he wondered if he just completely mistranslated what the man said.

“What?”

But the man repeated the question again, a slimy smirk on his face and your name was rolling off his tongue. And truthfully, Max didn’t even remember moving or reacting or even breathing in that moment.

One second the man was holding a microphone to his face, awaiting his answer. And the next, he was on the floor as he clutched his bloody nose and screamed Bloody Mary.

He was vaguely aware of other drivers and journalists and PR managers looking over, trying to understand the scene in front of them. He was vaguely aware of security being called and someone mentioning Christian or Helmut. He was vaguely aware of someone trying to tug him back, but he just shrugged them off.

“She’s my girlfriend, you moronic dickhead,” Max spat at the crying journalist. “Put some fucking respect on her name.”

“Alright, let’s go before you break any more noses,” he heard Daniel mutter behind him, and this time he let himself be pulled back.

But then his eyes caught the wide, scared gaze of the cameraman who was recording the whole thing, and he glared. “I hope that bullshit was live. Because next time, I’m breaking more than a fucking nose if anyone ever disrespects her again.”

Despite the commotion being sudden, news spread very quickly around the paddock so it was no surprise to Max that you knew by the time he made it to his driver’s room.

“Playing the knight in shining armour now, huh?” You teased as he entered, still sprawled on the couch without a bother in the world.

“He deserved it,” Max stated simply as he made his way towards you. No matter what happened, no matter what put him in a shitty mood, just being near you always helped.

“He did,” you hummed as you opened your arms and let your boy settle on top of you, his face pressed into the crook of your neck. “Thank you for defending me.”

“Always, Trouble,” he murmured in reply.

A few beats passed.

“You know, I wouldn’t mind seeing you do it again,” you said, trying to keep your voice as casual as possible as you ran your fingers through his hair. “It was kinda hot.”

You could feel his smirk against your neck. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Max lifted his head, his eyes a little darker and his mood significantly different to when he entered minutes ago. “Hot enough for me to fuck you over this couch?”

“Hot enough for you to have me any way you want me,” you confessed, your words a little breathier than usual as you felt his hands graze down your side.

Max’s smile was almost sadistic. “Bend over the couch, Trouble.”

.

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

THE HHMR ISSUED A STORM WARNING: A NORTHER IS BLOWING IN AS SHANE SMITH AND THE SAINTS ROLL OUT THEIR LATEST RELEASE

Areas affected include: The Heart, The Soul, & Your Tappin’ Toes. Prepare accordingly.

Strong. Fast moving. Cold. Breathtaking. Those are adjectives to describe a Norther or Blue Norther, a storm bringing in fast cold winds from the north into Texas and surrounding states. Those words also perfectly describe Shane Smith & the Saints newest album, Norther. This album hits you hard and fast! Shane, Bennett, Dustin, Chase and Zach put together an eclectic record that, in my humble opinion, is their best work yet, even topping my favorite, 2013’s Coast.

Before I go any further, I will give a disclaimer that this review is biased—for good reason. I have no affiliation with the band; I’ve only met Shane twice, I’ve met the other members each once, and I follow Bennett on instagram (he’s also originally from my adoptive city of Louisville, KY). BUT, they are my *favorite* band! I may have Timmy Ty’s lyrics tattooed on my arm, but there hasn’t ever been a band that puts me in a trance quite like Shane Smith & the Saints. I’ve seen them at: Tumbleweed (LaCygne, KS), the Basement East (Nashville, TN), Headliners (Louisville, KY), Bulls, Bands, and Barrels (Lexington, KY), and most recently for their headline debut at the Mother Church, the Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN). So yes, I am a fan—to say the least. I *may* even fanboy out when they are within a 4 hour drive. That may ruin the credibility of my review in some people’s eyes; however, in others it makes this review even more true and authentic as I have been a fan for 10 years for no reason except for the facts that they make damn fine music, and that they are the some of the nicest artists I have ever met. And to “kind of” quote Uncle Dallas Moore, “there ain’t no one [reading] my shit anyway.” 🤠

Norther opens with “Book of Joe,” a hard hitting ballad with a heavy fiddle presence from Bennett and drums that hit you so hard that your heartbeat matches that of the drum beat. “Book of Joe” repeatedly tells us that “It’s a rich man’s war, it’s a poor man’s fight”—no matter which side of the dollar you are on, this life is always a battle. Next up, we get “Fire in the Sky.” Shane starts out by “deep talking” the lyrics, reminiscent of some of Johnny Cash’s lasts works. But then it goes into a toe tappin’, head banging song that isn’t country, Americana, or red dirt, but in my limited Eastern Kentucky vernacular can only be described as Rock.

We have to go all the way to track number 7 (out of 13) for what may be my favorite song on the album, “Wheels.” One set of lyrics in particular makes this song my favorite…“You can’t blame the memories because they brought you a long long way.” As imperfect humans living in a broken world, we have all had experiences that that have shaped us. Some are great and some we could do without. Personally, looking back at those memories, the good and the bad, they all taught me a lesson or changed my direction; something I am thankful for from the Man up above. And “Just like wheels caught in their motion,” we keep trudging forward throughout this crazy life. Jumping down to the 10th song on the album, “1,000 Wild Horses” gives something to the lover of “real country.” While it may be a little faster and have some great instrumentals, the focus is obviously Shane’s deep voice, the lyrics, and the melody.

Y’all, most albums have one or two of those “skip over songs.” That isn’t the case with Norther. The album has 13 imposing songs, 6 of which were singles starting with “Hummingbird” back in 2022. I’ve already told you once, I am biased because Shane Smith & the Saints are my favorite band for no other reasons except they make great music that casts a spell on me every time I hear it; and that in my few interactions, they are all humble, friendly and down to earth fellas who work as hard as hell to make the music they want to make. So, I know it is only March, but this album has the potential to have my vote for best release of 2024!

Do yourself and the band a favor and go listen to these independent artists right now. Stream them on your preferred platform, check out their merch, and lastly go to the show! I’ve been to a ton of shows over the years, but not one show impacted me the way Shane Smith & the Saints with Justin Wells did at the Basement East. P.S. and that was a show they played with borrowed instruments from Turnpike Troubadours (I think) after their van burned!

-Cheers, N.

Below is the music video for “Adeline,” a track off Norther