The Fashionably Late Top 60 of 2013: #10 – Night Beats

When it comes to year-end lists, y'all know I don't mess around. I don't post my picks from the previous year for weeks after the next year has started. In 2013 there was a bounty of music that entered the world that made me deliriously happy to be blessed with the sense of sound. So I have pondered, marinated, and contemplated for weeks. Music from 2013 has been digested for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and yes, even dessert). And now, friends, it's time. Time to share with you what I consider the cream of one heck of a crop indeed. You might see things omitted here that you think should be on a Best Of list. This list isn't what I think you want to read. This list is what I feel about last year. These are records and songs that really mattered to me for one reason of another. If it's not here, I either didn't spend enough time with it or just didn't love it quite enough. A big, big thank you to all of the artists who created the music on this list, the music that I fell in love with last year.

WHO: Night Beats

WHAT: Sonic Bloom

WHEN: September 2013

WHERE: The Reverberation Appreciation Society

WHY: There is rock and roll, and there is fucking rock and roll, and Seattle's Night Beats make fucking rock and roll like nobody’s business. Right out of the gate Sonic Bloom brings sizzling, white hot noise, and it doesn’t look back. Carrying a bit of a torch for Motor City of Stooges and MC5 vintage, not to mention Austin heroes the 13th Floor Elevators, the Night Beats wail, howl, shimmy and shake their way every song on their record. Their sound is raw, it’s rambunctious, and it makes it next to impossible not to fall in love with Sonic Bloom.

MY JAMS: “Love Ain’t Strange (Everything Else Is)” “Sonic Bloom” “Playing Dead” “Outta Mind” “Real Change” “Satisfy Your Mind” “As You Want” “At The Gates” “The New World”







[posted 3.19.14]