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.

Fresh Sounds: Jared Valenzuela's "Sleepless Nights"

Winter seems to have just woken up and grabbed its coffee, and yet some are already anxious for summer to amble over once again (though The Heepers probably aren't among them). This seems to be the sentiment behind the new track "Sleepless Nights" from six-stringer Jared Valenzuela. A supporting member of his previous band Toma, which was a crowd favorite at the most recent Monrovia High Battle of the Bands, Valenzuela shows here that he is just as comfortable taking the spotlight alone, weaving layers of guitar into beautifully emotional soundscapes. His latest is a tender track that evokes a sense of nostalgia for the peace that follows a fun summer day spent at the beach. Much like the sound of waves that bookends it, the song has amazing soul-soothing powers. Together with Jee Wallis, this may be the start of a new era in Monrovia folk. Start applying your sunscreen now:



As always, we'll keep you up to date on any new developments.

Post-Teens With HEEPS Of Talent

Summer is just about over, and that means it's time to start packing away the sunshine melodies and bring out the sad stuff. Luckily, a new band has just the thing to slap a wistful look on that sunburnt face. The Heepers, made up of guitarist/vocalist Ethan Felding, Jr., bassist Lenora "Lenny" Walker, and drummer Cameron Culan, weave tales of woe sure to leave you with bittersweet longing. This should not be a surprise considering the band's history, however. Legend has it that Felding decided to start his new project the very morning after a catastrophic Valentine's Day left him without either a girlfriend or a band. His frustration fueled a flurry of songwriting, and he began taking his fledgling songs to coffee shops to help regain his confidence. A month later, he was noticed by Lenny Walker and Cameron Culan, who were on their way back from a trip to Santa Cruz when they stopped at Sierra Madre's Bean Town - just in time to catch Felding's performance. After the show, the two approached Felding and asked whether he was looking for a world-class rhythm section. "Or you could settle for us," quipped Walker. Soon enough, The Heepers were rocking every house, coffee shop, and garage that could hope to contain them. As for the name, none of the members are sure what it means. "We had a brainstorming session that turned into us just saying random sounds," recalls Felding. "Then out of nowhere we were all just saying 'heep!' over and over again. We must have gone crazy for a second." We're pretty crazy about The Heepers right now, so we invited Ethan Felding, Jr. over to our studios to cut a single. The first song is a new one for those who have been keeping up with the band, "My Pall Malls," which Felding is still in the process of writing. It features Felding's signature haunted narrator, this time leaving his presumed lover under unknown circumstances. The B-side is a cover of Beat Happening's "I've Lost You" that works lyrically as a continuation of the story. Head on over to the Singles Series page and get ready for some depressing goodness.

Click here to go to the Singles Series page and listen to The Heepers

Be sure to keep a keen eye out for shows and recordings from The Heepers (they don't have any websites yet).