Is 2010 the Year of the Night Horse?

NIGHT HORSE has been around for a while now but they really made their name on the scene last year.  It took guitarist Justin Maranga's second band, ANCESTORS, which mixes elements of prog, psych and doom to sound like nobody else, to put them on my sonar.  NIGHT HORSE is a whole different animal.  They play staight up blues-based rock 'n roll (that might be a pleonasm) and are led by Sam James Velde, a frontman who has a stage presence that leaves no doubt he, like me, grew up in the 80s.  The music is nostalgic and familiar on one level, but completely relevant and in your face on another, and their live shows are an undeniably good time. 

NIGHT HORSE recently announced they will soon begin to record the follow-up to their accidental 2008 debut, The Dark Will Hide You, at Infrasonic Studios with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Botch) at the helm to ensure it stays heavy.  The band's sound has gelled over the last year, solidified its lineup, received an invite to Roadburn, and now faces some serious expectations for its new material. The album should come out on Tee Pee in the summer, but you don't need to wait that long to get a taste.  NIGHT HORSE will be playing on January 15th at Spaceland supported by another of our favorites, Santa Cruz's DUSTED ANGEL, who get a third opportunity to play the City of Devils after being denied twice in one weekend last mong.  Before that, NIGHT HORSE will be paying tribute to one of their inspirations, when they play the Jam for Ron Asheton at the Roxy with fellow Stooges Scott Asheton, Mike Watt and Steve Mackay, along with Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addicition, and the always entertaining Jesse "The Devil" Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal.  Nice company.