Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Surfer Blood

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SURFER BLOOD
Demon Dance
From: Pythons
Released: June 11

Domestic violence is an ugly thing; after being arrested for domestic battery last year, Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts at least had a jumping off point for writing Surfer Blood's sophomore album. There is remorse, shame and regret all over this record, an appropriate musical response to an unforgivable situation where (cough cough) others have carried on like nothing's wrong. Like it or not, this has become part of Pitts' legacy if he leaves one; he might as well own up to it, and on Pythons he seems to be doing just that.

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