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.

State of the Renaissance

My fellow tune-addicts, keyboard ticklers, twangers, boppers, hipsters, hopsters, headphone heroes and all the rest, I assure you:
the Monrovia Renaissance lives on.

I owe you an apology, dear readers, as I had ceased updating my humble blog without notice or, until now, an explanation. My love of music in all its wild forms has carried me away from my hometown once more. For two months now, I have traveled with my trusted musical mentors across sea, land, and air in search of exciting new sounds. Needless to say, the expedition has proven most rewarding. Do not, however, take this as a sign that I have quit my role as self-appointed official scribe for the Monrovia music scene. This is not the case. I have simply taken a brief hiatus from which I will soon return with more tantalizing reviews, interviews, overviews, and rearviews. After all, we still have a lot to talk about.

As always, stay tuned.

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.

David Dirks Shows Off His Steez

Easily the most eclectic of Monrovia's mental mavericks, David Dirks has been involved in countless, varied projects. The man's creativity seems to have attention deficit disorder as he shifts from more traditional band formats and music production to outrageous yet awe-inspiring performance art at the firing of a neuron. After his tenure as one half of seminal folk punk balladeers The Lethargic Gay and the Aggressive Stepfather along with singer/multi-instramentalist and fellow genius Clayton Rose, Dirks joined alleged cult Collateral Jammage and His Young Friends to terrify the parents gathered at Greg's Backyard Show of Winter 2010 with a primal display of brutal pounding, scattered thoughts, and wild dancing. Dirks broke through into the Monrovia mainstream when he won the 2011 Monrovia High School Battle of the Bands. Performing with mysterious twin anachronisms under the moniker Bob Marley, Dirks unleashed his inner demons and captivated the auditorium for a haunting ten minutes which would prove to be unforgettable. Recent rumors suggest that this was a preview of what could be expected from the vagarious vaudevillian. Dirks' new project is called Primo Steez, an ambitious effort that seeks to blend the aggressive verbosity of  rap music with the lush atmospheric sounds of current bands like Animal Collective. Dirks allowed the Monrovia Renaissance into his lair for a brief interview as well as a two-song performance that recalled his earlier work. Buckle your seat belts:

 

Monrovia Renaissance: What do you feel is the current state of music in Monrovia?

David Dirks: Monrovia specifically is in shambles. I heard we’re the birthplace of Reel Big Fish and some other bands, and it makes me feel kind of down sometimes. When I’m down though, I just pick up my instruments and just keep playin’ em, and playin’ em, and playin’ em…

MR: What do you find gives you the most inspiration to make music?

DD: Definitely Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, without a doubt. His energetic acting skills really inspire me to be a more of an energetic person.

MR: Tell us about your current work: what have you been working on and what is the feeling behind it?

DD: I’ve been working on a solo project I call Primo Steez. It’s a collaboration inspired by various rap artists such as Gang Starr and Wu Tang. I think it’s going to be a great hit.

MR: And you think the folks in Monrovia are ready for this?

DD: No, I don’t. I think they’re still pretty hooked on Reel Big Fish.

MR: Have you considered a Lethargic Gay and the Aggressive Stepfather reunion?

DD: You know, I have considered it here and there and I think it’s about time we did have one sometime. Maybe this summer.

MR: Possibly at the next Greg’s Backyard Show?

DD: If he’ll have us.

   

Look out for further updates on the Lethargic Gay reunion tour and official  releases from Primo Steez. In the meantime, enjoy these two songs from David Dirks, the first release in our Monrovia Renaissance Singles Series.

Click here to go to the Singles Series page and listen to David Dirks 

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.