In July, Night Beats — the Texas-born brainchild of Danny Lee Blackwell — released their sixth full-length album, Rajan (via Suicide Squeeze Records).
Now, Night Beats goes on tour with a show at Black Cat in DC on Saturday, Sept. 16.
As Night Beats, Blackwell creates music like one might assemble a puzzle. The Western psychedelic auteur builds his work from one moment, an initial spark, that must fit a certain criteria: It must give him goosebumps. If that sensation arrives, Blackwell will pursue the idea relentlessly until he has a new song; if not, he moves onto the next moment, constantly looking for the perfect molecule of a song.
On Rajan, the songwriter is at his strongest, creating works that shine with captivating melodies and hypnotic rhythms, but are underscored by subtle choices of craftsmanship that can only be achieved after countless hours in the studio. Blackwell creates a work that lands somewhere between Spaghetti Western film score and psych-pop opus, a career-defining album that reveals much about Danny Lee Blackwell’s artistic philosophy while keeping that ever crucial air of mystery intact.
Watch the official music video for “Hot Ghee” by Night Beats on YouTube:
With six albums under their belt — their self-titled 2011 debut, 2013’s Sonic Bloom, 2016’s Who Sold My Generation, 2019’s Myth of A Man, 2021’s Outlaw R&B, and now Rajan — Night Beats have garnered a reputation as one of the finest purveyors of contemporary rock’n’roll around. They’ve clocked up critical acclaim, toured across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa — and shared the stage with the likes of Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, The Black Angels, Roky Erickson, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Zombies, among many others.
Night Beats
W/ Moonwalks
Black Cat
Saturday, Sept. 16
Doors @ 8pm
$20
All ages