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.

Sounds From the Little World

As sad as it can be to have a good friend go well out of reach, it makes it that much more exciting when that friend sends you a bit of their craft. Such is the case with the little demo we received from Monrovia's own musical knight-errant, Jee Wallis. Jee's wild spirit brought him infamy among the town's more traditionally-minded (some would say "closed-minded" or, better yet, "boring") musicians, his music as well as his onstage persona being like a raging beast refusing to be tamed. While his abrasive music may have been an acquired taste, an intense feeling of satisfaction always awaited the listener at the end. That same infamous, wild spirit recently carried Jee away from home, to the misty mysteries of San Francisco. Whether it was to provide inspiration or a more like-minded audience, Frisco would be the perfect place for Jee to temper his craft. What we did not expect, however, was what he sent us only a month after his arrival. Jee Wallis' most recent demo, titled "Daly City",  sees a radical change in his approach. The gentle acoustic strumming heard here washes over the listener like the waves of a nearby beach. Though the emotions may be different, peacefulness replacing discontent, the intensity remains. That same satisfaction greets the listener, and will very well greet more than before due to the new, welcoming sound. We can't say just yet where Jee's music will go from here, but it will be sure to please. For now, take in the soothing sounds of San Fran:

Click here to download "Daly City"

We'll keep you updated on any and all of Jee Wallis' goings-on.