I Need You Bad

Sonny Smith of Sonny & The Sunsets handpicked the bands to be part of this 2013 survey of the San Francisco–and–beyond garage rock scene. The groups' locales range from across the bridge into Oakland, down to Los Angeles, and up to Portland, Ore. But what's consistent is the chiming simplicity of the chosen tracks. Melodies are of chief importance, with harmonies rating just beneath. Some tracks here have guitar tones that have slightly evolved since the days of the Nuggets and Pebbles compilations of lost '60s singles and the ensuing ‘80s garage rock revival, but other songs here could have a 1965 copyright date and no one would raise an eyebrow. Warm Soda’s “Tell Me in a Whisper” is an immediate pick-me-up, with Sonny & The Sunsets’ “Those Drawings I Told You About” self-explaining why they’re a bigger name in the scene. Jessica Pratt’s “Dreams” captures a nocturnal world. Earth Girl Helen Brown’s “Far Away Place” is magical in its basic approach. The Sandwitches end things with the brutally raw “Sun in Rain.”