Finally, from the King of Trash Pop

Nearly a decade into his ambitious project Dance America Dance, Monrovia's musical mad scientist Desmond Thesman, 25, has finally let slip a bit of his progress. The title track, featured here, is not strictly new. Though this is the first time it's been released, the song was among the first Thesman conceived when he began planning his genre-bending assessment of the state of music in 2003. Since then, Thesman - who has referred to himself as King Dez, King Thez, The sMan, and other permutations of his name - has devoted nearly all of his time to creating what he promises is not just a pop masterpiece, but "the pop masterpiece." Dance America Dance is to be a quadruple album that deconstructs the last 80 years of American popular music and reimagines it through his vaguely dancey, trash pop lens. His endless devotion to the Dance project has become a source of constant worry for his family and friends, however. "There were several nights when... he simply did not sleep," says mother Bethany. "He developed a serious caffeine addiction [and] when he got withdrawals it was terrifying." Eugene, a friend of Desmond's, recalls a particularly low point during which Thesman rode his bicycle naked around Library Park. "Even after all these years he's locked himself away," says Eugene, "he's still the best cycler around. The cops couldn't catch him for days." There was also the issue of recording. If Thesman was unhappy with any part of a recording, he simply destroyed it and began again, a practice that eventually led to an astronomical sum spent on cassettes. Despite these difficulties, Thesman was able to send us this song as proof of his progress. The artwork, of course, is the same that was released in 2008 much in the same spirit, though we're still unsure whether this is the definite cover for the album. What is certain is the engaging nature of this song. "Dance America Dance" is most likely a take on the disco era, though from another universe where disco groups recorded strictly onto cassette, and it invites one in to search among its contents for hidden treasures. This is too broad a work to reduce it to one description, thus we will leave it up to you to analyze in the comments. Get ready to enter another dimension:


Catch Desmond Thesman this César Chávez Day at the Brass Elephant's Banquet Hall at 8PM. We'll keep you in the know on any new developments on Dance America Dance.

Monrovia Nightlife: Mystery Alley

For the crowd that filled a nook of apartment buildings deep in the heart of Monrovia on the 4th of February, the night was nothing short of pure, unfiltered joy. Those gathered had the great fortune of being a part of what could be described as a "life-changing experience" or "really cool." This was the second performance by the presently-titled Mystery Alley, a collective that may prove to be the hottest band of 2012. At the core of Mystery Alley is the ferocious trio of local legend/guitarist Will Cragoe, amateur astronomer/bassist Maximo, and fish expert/drummer Jonathan Hastings. These three craft meticulous modernist-pop masterpieces that take the audience on a tour of the emotional spectrum, often within a single song. Also of note is the band's strict professionalism, rigorous training schedule, and low-carb dieting. For all its perfectionism, Mystery Alley has so far at each of its shows collaborated with spontaneous performance artists: a mysterious noise-slinger named Danny whose postmodern style of guitar playing provides a startling counterpoint to that of Mr. Cragoe, and an unknown character who performs tape collages and tone poems from somewhere behind the band. This tension only adds to the already-enormous amount of excitement the band generates in its witnesses. There are more shows soon to come, so make it a priority to catch them at least once, if not twice. The band has also informed the Monrovia Renaissance that a demo is in the final stages of production and will soon be released; rest assured, we'll bring it to you as soon as it leaks.

Into the Planisphere: The Tale of Freak Funk

You cannot call yourself a true Monrovian if you have not heard the wild, infectious rhythms of the genre taking our beautiful city by storm: freak funk. For several years now, our young ne'er-do-wells have been feeding rock and roll to the dog to make room for an exciting, imaginative dessert. Freak funk began with The Star-Town Troubadours, one of the most famous bands to flourish in the Monrovia musical underground. Their approach was simple: take the rhythm section of funk, which almost dares listeners not to flex their groove muscles, and add to it the eccentric experimentation of psychedelia. The effect is something that excites both band and audience, which in turn creates more excitement. As uncomplicated as this combination may seem, there could be no denying its success. The Star-Town Troubadours had a top-selling album with their 2002 debut, Our Sunday Clothes. Soon enough, other artists were taking on the approach as well as adding their own personal flair. A small psych-pop outfit called Little Yogurt had found only moderate success until they teamed up with a rebellious young man from Finland who had a dual passion for James Brown and Sun Ra. After their legendary two-month "pure magic nonstop jam," Herb Bombgarden and the Little Yogurts (pictured) took the stage in the summer of 2009 to deliver one of the most dynamic concerts in Monrovia history, reinterpreting funk standards in their own hyperactive image. Sharing the stage that night were fellow legends Time Machine Modulus, who have since rejected being labeled as a freak funk band. Yet they need not be so defensive. There are currently hundreds of garage bands keeping the genre alive, some of whom, like The Wild Freak-Outs, Atomic Giants, and Boog, have worked tirelessly to expand on their forefathers' truly revolutionary visions. While this may just be a fad about to fade, it's an amazing ride for all who dare to explore the outer reaches of music.

Our Own Little Music Fest

The Monrovia Renaissance is proud to present our very own (hopefully annual) summer art and music festival: Jam Time! Most festivals are ridiculously long, some taking up whole weekends, and can cost hundreds of dollars. The Jam Time musical extravaganza will compress all that fun and excitement into just a few golden hours and will only cost zeros of dollars! Wowee zowee! Jam Time 2011 will take place at the parking lot of El Rancho Meat & Provision in the heart of lovely Arcadia, California. The company's loading dock provides a perfect stage for the audience to catch our team of expert rockers and rollers summoning up some mad energy. The tentative line-up consists of the anthemic Mellow Maniac, the cryptic Sunscribe, the rowdy Death Valley Saints, and the electric Transpose. We'll also be showcasing the finest of art from local mavericks. This show is guaranteed to knock your mock doc's socks off or we will give you a full refund. Count on it!

Click here for the Jam Time 2011 Facebook event page

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Death Valley Saints are unable to make it to the show. That doesn't mean you can't still check them out though! Our final line-up keeps Mellow Maniac, Sunscribe, and Transpose, and adds the soaring Savannah Van Band and the whoa-that's-actually-their-last-name Graves. As promised, there will also be several artists, as well as some live painting. That's where they paint something in front of you, not where they paint animals. Either way, if you miss out on this, we'll have Sam the Sham call you an L7. And no one wants that.

Breakfast In Song With Boy Cragoe

Monrovia's notoriously bearded balladeer, Will Cragoe, joined us in our studios this past Sunday to record what would become the next installment in our Monrovia Renaissance Singles Series. Though better known as the force of nature behind the controlled chaos of Sunscribe, the faithful renderings of Toma, and the brutal blues of Skip, Cragoe is also a noted acoustic doodler, delighting in compelling, intricate fingerpicking. For the first time ever released upon the ears of you, the discerning music listener, is a song Cragoe has been holding onto for quite some time. "The Optimistic Song," is deceptively titled in terms of subject matter, but the lyrics are well-crafted and witty. The sighs and subdued delivery make this as much excellent acting as it is suberb singing. The single's b-side was somewhat accidental, arising from a bit of spontaneous inspiration that certainly paid off. This performance of Devendra Banhart's "At the Hop" showcases Cragoe's aforementioned fingerpicking skills as well as a vocal delivery that is somehow soulful and easygoing at the same time. A kazoo-playing tramp managed to sneak past security and weasel his way onto the track (don't tell him we kept his bit in the mix). While we get our Research Department on the task of understanding what we just said, feel free to listen to the single, or download it to listen to it for all of eternity, or for all of your iPod's battery, whichever comes first. Also, be sure to look out for all kinds of stuff from all those bands we mentioned.

Click here to go to the Singles Series page and listen to Will Cragoe

Photo credits go to Matthew Vogel and Megan Stubbs.

For Your Listening Pleasure

And now, the most anticipated announcement of the summer: the official introduction of our Monrovia Renaissance Singles Series! You already trust the Renaissance to bring you the most timely and exclusive information on the hottest Monrovia bands, and though this makes for an impressive resume, we refuse to stop there. Click on the "Singles Series" link above to to listen to rare recordings you can find nowhere else. You can even download them to your portable music player and add our snazzy cover art. Be the envy of your gym, library, or hipster party! The Monrovia Renaissance Singles Series... it's the most!

Sunscribe: Out Of Hiatus?

2010 saw the rise of many awe-inspiring bands, and foremost among them were notorious post-surf rockers Sunscribe. The brainchild of guitarist Will Cragoe, backed by brother and drummer Ben, and "bassist" Jeff Sizemore, these brutal bricoleurs were capable of summoning impressive blasts of sonic joy. Sunscribe was perhaps notable for winning 3rd place in the Monrovia High School 2010 Battle of the Bands, an almost-victory that left rabid fans vowing revenge. Despite all the hoopla and a succesful (if brief) summer tour, the band took an abrupt hiatus so that Sizemore could attend the coming college school year. The break left Sunscribe with no record of its progress other than a video from its final show at Chain Reaction in the lovely Orange County. Last night, however, the band announced via its Facebook page that they are "officially back in business," meaning that fans may at last have the recording spectacular they've been waiting for. We unfortunately could only speak briefly with Jeff Sizemore about the band's future plans. He only revealed cryptically that people should be "ready for the ultimate experience." They should probably get a new bassist. Either way, look out for new material and shows this summer from this galactic group.

Check out Sunscribe's facebook for upcoming shows and news and their myspace for demos and other bits of glory.

The Beginning

For years now, an impressive cultural movement has exploded in the small Southern California city of Monrovia without recognition. Until now.

Monrovia's daring artistic revolution can no longer be kept a secret. An immense amount of creative energy is contained within the city's many marvelous musical acts, each of them pouring their very souls into their well-tempered craft. Now it is a crucial moment in history. Now it is time for the musical juggernaut to be unleashed upon the world. Now it is time for the Monrovia Renaissance.

We are committed to delivering nothing but the latest and greatest in pure electricity direct to your eardrums. Stay tuned as we delve into the musical history of the future. Join the Renaissance.