Video: Jesse LaMonaca and The Dime Novels

Last Saturday night, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels celebrated the release of their second record, The Lament Of Tumbleweed Hawk, to a sold out crowd at the Casbah. Joined by The Blackout Party, The Black Sands, and The Fire Eaters, the mood of the night was quite celebratory. Since the crowd was packed into the venue, I decided to shoot some video from above and behind the soundboard. Below is a playlist with four songs from the night: "The Well Has Run Dry", "Heaven Knows", "You Don't Wanna Talk To Me", and the title track from their first record, "Until The Stars Came Out".

Download/Stream "The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk" by Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels

In anticipation of Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels' CD release show on Saturday, Jesse decided to share "The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk" with the world. For free. Download/stream the record below, then show your support on Saturday night.

The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk by Jesse LaMonaca

SoundDiego Spotlight: Jesse LaMonaca

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels spent much of 2011 working on their sophomore record, "The Lament Of Tumbleweed Hawk". Since I'm not a musician, I've never experienced the thrill and stress of recording a record, but I feel like I was very close to the process with Jesse and I feel so proud of my friend for putting his heart on his sleeve and writing an amazing record. I'm so looking forward to the CD release party this Saturday night at the Casbah. Check out his profile on NBC.

View more videos at: http://stage.nbcsandiego.com.

 Feb 18 2012 at the Casbah- OFFICIAL ALBUM RELEASE SHOW w/BLACKOUT PARTY, THE BLACK SANDS, THE FIRE EATERS
(BUY TICKETS)

Video: Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels Release "The Lament Of Tumbleweed Hawk"

As you probably know, I've been a cheerleader for Jesse LaMonaca & The Dime Novels for some time now. I've seen firsthand the heart and soul that went into the recording of their sophomore release, The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk, and I'm really proud to have been let in on the process. The album is done and ready to spread its wings. The official release of the record is February 18th at the Casbah and as a teaser, we've launched a new website, added a couple tracks from the record, and now have the video for the title track of the record. I felt a little too close to the process to write a review of the forthcoming album, but Al Howard of the Heavy Guilt has some great things to say.

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels are poised to release their second record, the Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk. The music is both eclectic and focused, subtle and potent. At moments it is driving early Motown soul, with Stax era horn stabs and a deep pocket. At other points it explores Americana’s roots with sighing trumpets and whispering violins. The band’s seasoned musicians can seamlessly move between genres with the tightness of a road tested soul unit and the loose feeling of a Friday night dive bar. But the key to this album is Jesse LaMonaca’s powerful vocal delivery. He tests his range and delivers with a supple falsetto. He can move from a delicate hush to a robust sandpaper growl. He can weave a story, plead for your heart and demand your attention. This album conjures elements of so many sections of great American Music, there are homages to blues, ragtime, rock, soul and folk, yet the band finds itself comfortably traversing all these different terrains, creating something all their own.
-Al Howard, The Heavy Guilt

You can get tickets to the release show here.


Jesse LaMonaca & The Dime Novels - The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk from Kevin Joelson on Vimeo.

Wednesday Night! Casbah Time!

It's the first Casbah show of the year! Come out tonight at Olin & The Moon and Maxim Ludwig and the Santa Fe Seven kick off a weekly residency. Tonight they'll be joined by Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels. Jesse's record is finally done and being pressed before their big CD release in February, but just a warning, you're going to hear me go on and on about the record because it has been playing nonstop since I got my fat little fingers on a copy. But back to tonight...my DayQuil seems to not be doing the trick, so I'll be accepting shots of Bulleit to clear the noggin.

xoxo


(please don't judge the show on my 5 minute flyer)

This isn't on Jesse's record, but here's a little free download of a song Jesse recorded over Thanksgiving while he visited Nashville.
The Deal by Jesse LaMonaca

New Music: Jesse LaMonaca "The Deal"

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels have spent many months putting together their second full length record, The Lament of Tumbleweed Hawk, which will be celebrate a release party on February 18 at the Casbah. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, when that record was being mixed and mastered, Jesse visited Brandon Conway in Nashville and they went to Blackbird Studio for some fun and ended up recording a couple songs while there.

This is Jesse LaMonaca and Brandon Conway performing "The Deal".

Latest tracks by Jesse LaMonaca

11:11 11.11.11

It's 11:11 on 11/11/11 and there's a lot of beauty in the mathematics and mysticism of the numbers, even if some of it crosses the line into crazytown. Whether there's any special meaning or relevance of Eleven Eleven in your life, I thought I'd share an older video I have of Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels performing "Eleven Eleven" from their debut CD, "Until The Stars Came Out" (iTunes).



And, for beer week, don't forget that Stone has released their Vertical Epic for 11.11.11. Get your hands on it!

Friday Night: Blackout Party CD Release Party at the Casbah

This Friday, Blackout Party celebrates the release of their new record, Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed. The show takes place at the Casbah and Blackout Party will be joined by Grand Tarantula, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, and Trailduster. This show is not to be missed and will sell out, so I recommend buying tickets in advance. Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed by Blackout Party Jesse LaMonaca and Brandon Conway by sddialedin

View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.

San Diego Music Thing: SD: Dialed In Presents Tonight at Soda Bar

I just got home from Day 1 of the San Diego Music Thing. I have a million thoughts about the day and learned some lessons, like when the universe sends your entire county a blackout, take the opportunity to sleep and not drink twice the amount of shots as usual just because other people are buying them. It is my fourth year participating, so I'm not necessarily learning new information at the panels, but I always appreciate making new contacts, meeting bands who give me CDs, and just paying attention to the people around me who are making an effort to build their own careers by simply showing up and asking questions. It was two years ago that I met Josh Damigo because I was so impressed with his participation and though I thought I'd bounce around venues tonight, I ended up hanging at Bar Pink all night, seeing old friends and meeting new people. Super awesome thanks to Jake, Pete, Vito, Eric, Andrea, David, Nick, Maynard, Daniel, Tim, Josh Z., Josh D., Steve, Chris M., Chris V., Colin, Craig, Dang, Kevin, Anya, and everyone else who made the day & night so awesome.

For day two, I will have a spot at the trade show at the Lafayette Hotel, so please come by and drop off a CD. I'll be pimping my showcase at Soda Bar, giving away 4 song EPs from The Heavy Guilt and convincing everyone to buy $5 tickets to Rocktoberfest. I will also have some lists for people to sign up if they're interested in my booking opportunities, giving out $5 comp cards for West Coast Tavern, and just hoping to meet as many people as possible. (Tequila shots accepted at all hours of the day).

Soooo...about my showcase-- I am SOOO thrilled to have the bands I have. Please come check them out.



In order of appearance:

Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels (Check out some acoustic tracks here.)

Brett Detar (The Juliana Theory) (Check out his site for a free download of his full album)

The Heavy Guilt (Download their 4 song EP here.)

Strange Vine

Inspired Flight (Check out their album on Bandcamp.)

Save The Date: August 13 at the Ken Club with Dynamite Walls, Jesse LaMonaca & The Dime Novels, The Morgansterns

I know I've been all over the place this week but gotta keep chugging along. I'm always trying to navigate this existence and how to make ends meet and the one thing I completely left off the list was the simplest of all: show up. Whether that means coming to shows that I'm involved with or not, the validity of this whole site is best demonstrated by supporting the local music and shows that are posted here daily.

That said, I've got a slew of shows coming up and one I'm particularly excited about is taking place next Saturday at the Ken Club. Dynamite Walls, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels and The Morgansterns (from LA) will all be performing for your enjoyment. If you haven't been to the Ken Club in a while, I suggest you change that. My showcase at Eleven was fine but since they brought in a new talent buyer, I was left to fend for myself and my dear friends at the Ken Club stepped it up to let me host some fun shows. I know that it sometimes seems like all the good stuff happens in North Park, but for your information, I've walked from Kensington to Bar Pink and The Whistle Stop and it's not that far (1.7 and 2.7 miles, respectively.)

This week I'll post videos and such from all three bands, but in the meantime, enjoy your weekend after you add August 13th at the Ken Club to your iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid, or whatever it is that you use to keep track of where you need to be.

The Horde and the Harem, Skyline Union, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels @ Soda Bar, 8.3.2011

I haven't really written about a show in a while, but since there were so few people at Soda Bar last night, I thought I'd fill you in on what you missed. Before that, I'll rewind a little and say that I spent the afternoon poolside at the Handlery Hotel, where Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels performed for the better part of three hours. It's worth mentioning, too, that the band is currently in the studio recording their follow up to Until The Stars Came Out. When Jesse performs...whether it's a mix of originals and covers to a passive pool or pub crowd or whether it's a show like the Soda Bar, Jesse never gives less than a full performance. My throat hurts just thinking about what he's doing to his when he hits certain notes. So after three hours at the pool, Jesse's voice was worked, but he kept it together for their 35 minute set at Soda Bar. Matt, the bassist for the band, couldn't make it, so it was really cool seeing Jesse play acoustic with Brandon on electric guitar and James with just a floor tom, a cajon, and some tambourines. They played a song I've heard them do a couple times but I still don't know the title (video here) and another new one, "Meteorite Shower" that I love for a million reasons including the fact that Jesse incorporated his dog's name into the song. ("we can say the same thing five million different ways/but Rosco T. he don't know what it means anyway...")

Following up was Skyline Union. The band was made up of familiar faces but I didn't know any of them personally. Turns out the singer, Frank, was the lead for Campaign For Quiet (or so I was told). His voice was amazing and sounds like he can do well with any genre or style of music. It kinda reminded me of Kevin from Better Than Ezra in certain ways. I couldn't really classify their music...it's rock with a bit of a throwback to classic rock (and an obscure Stones cover to prove it), but with the keyboard front and center, there's definitely a unique quality to what they're doing. I also have to say that I had fun talking to Frank after their set because he has this amazing positive energy and radiated enthusiasm. You would've thought that he was seeing his all time favorite bands as he supported JL&tDN and The Horde and the Harem. I know it's so hipster cool to hate life and be indifferent to everything, but someone like Frank defies that and it was very refreshing.

Finally The Horde and the Harem took the stage. They're from Seattle and didn't seem to mind that the crowd was mostly made up of the other bands and family. They were happy to be there, they seemed to like Soda Bar, and during their set, they mentioned returning in March 2012. I loved them. I loved the multi-part harmonies, I loved when they switched up instruments, and I loved when they switched up lead vocals. Their music certainly fits the caliber of indie rock coming out of the Pacific Northwest and I suspect the next time they come around they'll have a lot more local love.

Here are a few videos of The Horde and the Harem at Soda Bar:

Sunset Sessions: Daniel Glass of Glassnote Records

I just got out of a one one one interview between Matt Deal of Rolling Stone and Daniel Glass of Glassnote Records. What an incredibly inspiring interview and discussion. Daniel's got many mantras in running his businesses (they also started Four Song Night publishing), but one especially important one was, "You have to turn over the tables." With an extensive history in music through SAM Records, SBK, Rising Tide, Universal, and Artemis, Glass attributes his current life to learning what not to do in the past...how artists should be treated, how a company should be run, and being transparent with his "family" which not only includes the people working directly for Glassnote, but the artists themselves, publicists, managers, agents...everyone.

When someone asked how things happen...how do you get the introduction, how does a record hit, how does a career launch, he responded with a hockey analogy- "You never know how the puck gets in the goal," explaining that he never really got hockey because the puck moves so fast that you never really see the shot or misfire or deflection as the puck enters the net, but the entire team is working toward that end result. I think of the bands on Glassnote: Temper Trap, Givers, Mumford & Sons, Royal Bangs, Phoenix, Secondhand Serenade, Two Door Cinema Club, Justin Nozuka, and Kele and I think you can see how hard the label and the bands have worked to grow their fan base, to tour, to not shoot for instant success but rather the slow build, and it is absolutely inspiring. I would've never forgiven myself if I didn't ask a question, so I asked about what they provide tour support and he said it is the greatest initial expenditure along with the servicing of product to media, labels, etc, but if the artist is as great as Glassnote believes them to be, they are worth the investment of providing that initial tour support. I also would've never forgiven myself if I didn't take the opportunity to me Daniel and Adam and slip them a card and a CD, so hopefully they'll enjoy Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels on their way to the airport this evening.

For old time sake, I thought I'd repost my first Mumford and Sons show at the Troubadour.

Jesse LaMonaca's Left Coast Sunshine Tour- Fall 2010

Late last summer, Jesse LaMonaca, at the suggestion of friends and family, decided to take trip to Australia. He booked ten shows and with the help of those close to him and a Canon T2i camera, he was off to the Other Side of the World. Since his return and in between his crazy busy performance schedule, he's been working with Aaron Browning of Flicker Fusion Video to compile some video diary webisodes of the adventure. The videos are FINALLY done, as is the live video shoot of the song that came from that journey, "Other Side of The World" at Lost Ark Studios in Pacific Beach.

"Other Side of the World" Live at Lost Ark Studios:


All three episodes are embedded after the jump. Go to JesseLaMonaca.com for more info, videos, photos, and free downloads of four tracks from the Dirty Thursday podcast he did about a month ago.

Episode 1-San Diego To Sydney


Episode 2-Western Australia to Melbourne


Episode 3- Back To Sydney

Friday: Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, The Shivers, and The Janks @ Bar Eleven

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing The Shivers at the Casbah. They were a late add to The Tree Ring show, but they were awesome despite being sick and performing as a duo. They have a full band that will be joining them tonight at Habitat House (showtime around 8:30) and tomorrow when they play at Eleven. The Janks open that show and Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels headline, so it's gonna be a good night on The Boulevard. The show is only $6.





And since I don't think I ever posted them, these are the two songs Jesse played live when I did the Coup d'etat on FM 94/9 a couple weeks ago.

Jesse LaMonaca "Holding Onto Nothing"

I feel like I was born to live in this age of social networking. Tweeting and facebooking and blogging all come pretty natural to me, and I'm almost always available one way or another. But for some people, the self-promotion feels contrived and takes a lot of effort to get into the groove of staring at a phone instead of enjoying "real life". I've been encouraging several bands to step up their social media, so I'm happy to say that Jesse LaMonaca stepped up his game today and made a quick little video of a new song he finished this week.



On Sunday night, I'm taking over the airwaves at FM 94/9 for the Coup d'Etat from 6-7pm. I'll be playing new stuff from Josh Damigo, The Heavy Guilt, and Jesse will be with me to play a song or two live on the air. Maybe I can convince him to do this new one so be sure to tune in.

Tonight: The Builders & The Butchers, Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets, Jesse LaMonaca & The Dime Novels

I am sooo looking forward to tonight's show at the Casbah. I've been a fan of The Builders and the Butchers since the first time I saw them play the Casbah in 2008. Their shows have always been some of the most fun shows to attend with all the handclaps and singalongs and such. The last time they came through (in February), they were joined by Damion Suomi (sue-me) and the Minor Prophets and those guys really blew me away. Tonight both are back and Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels are opening, which I had nothing to do with (yeah right). Ed Kornhauser, who plays keys for Jesse, is taking off on a world adventure and tonight will be his final performance, so come out early and plan on staying late. Here's the other thing I wrote about the show. Below is a video playlist of all three bands (click the right or left arrows to navigate). The show is $12 at the door.

My Friends Done Good: Josh Damigo, Jesse LaMonaca, The Heavy Guilt, D/Wolves

As my life has evolved from media assistant to media buyer to media planner to unemployed to this around the clock barely-paying-rent music lifestyle, my refusal to get a day job has forced me to wear many hats...blogger, booker, social media manager, consultant, stage producer, merch girl, door girl, band manager, band momager, publicist, and people connectress. That last one is my favorite...putting people in touch with each other to do good things for San Diego music (though I still haven't figured out how to make that one pay the bills). While all of these things leave me broke as hell, I get to share the pride when my friends do well. Here's a little roundup of some exciting things happening with Josh Damigo, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, The Heavy Guilt, and D/Wolves.



D/Wolves recently recorded their EP at Black Box with Mario Quintero. Today they were featured on This Music Doesn't Suck based out of Brooklyn. They were also featured on the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang e-zine last week, getting two "Agents' Number One Bullets" for the week. I posted about our trip to Vegas last week and hopefully they can do some more out of town gigs soon.



Jesse LaMonaca and The Dime Novels have been busy in the studio working on a recording and video for their song "Other Side of The World". He invited guests to watch the process and it was a pretty great night in Pacific Beach. The video is still being edited but will be available soon and then Jesse's got some decisions to make about recording a new record or EP or live album before he heads to the East Coast for an as yet undetermined amount of time. Crossroads, I suppose you could say. For now, along with Jesse's bar gigs all over town, I'm happy to say he's opening for The Builders and The Butchers at the Casbah on Tuesday and will be playing with my twitter friends The Morgansterns on Wednesday at the Redwood Bar in Los Angeles. Hope there's room in the car for me for that one! He also went to Dirty Boulevard Recording Studio and recorded some songs for their podcast. Check it out here (Use the full Podcast download, as I couldn't get the stream to work past 3 minutes).



The Heavy Guilt have recorded a new record and though I only have my paws on an unmastered version, it is AMAZING. Plans are in the works for a big summer release party, but in the meantime, check them out in 944's Music Issue (go to page 60-61) as one of "San Diego's Bands To Know If You Don't Know". They're playing tonight at Winston's if you wanna gimme a ride :)




Last but certainly not least, Josh Damigo has been ALL OVER the place since he's moved to L.A. and it is so exciting to see someone so deserving getting so much love. Whether it's the San Diego Troubadour cover story, Wechter guitars bragging about him or SESAC calling him a "Social Media Powerhouse" or some of the killer gigs he's been getting all over Southern California, I've never seen anyone so aggressively yet gracefully steward their own career.

I'm happy to say that all four bands will be performing on the Main Stage of the North Park Festival of Arts. This is a free all ages event on May 15. There's also a Bar Pink/FM 94/9 stage in the ticketed Craft Beer Block, so I suggest you buy tickets for that portion here.

Keep rockin, San Diego. You make a broke and tired blogger proud.

This Sunday: Suds For Surgeries Craft Beer Festival

This Sunday, March 27, the Handlery Hotel & Resort is hosting the 2nd Annual “Suds for Surgeries” from noon to 6pm. The event features four bands, including Missy Anderson, Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels, Safety Orange, and Geezer. The event also featurs 15 chefs and 30 local craft breweries. All tastings are unlimited.

The event raises money for Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, a not-for-profit organization that brings children with facial and other physical deformities to San Diego to receive free reconstructive surgeries and therapies at Rady’s Children’s Hospital.

Tickets are $35, but if you enter the promo code "sddialedin" when purchasing tickets, you'll get $5 off. Click the banner above to get to the ticketing site which has all band, chef and brewery information.

NBC SoundDiego Session: Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels

I can't believe it was almost a month ago that we recorded this SoundDiego Live session with Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels. I only posted one of the songs, and since I know you're coming to check him out tonight at the NBC party, I thought I'd finally share the other video we shot that day. This is "Wildcat". You'll also be treated to the lovely music of John Meeks, The Tree Ring, and if you're invited to the private 3rd floor party, Stevie & The Hi-Stax and Red Fox Tails.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

Should be a pretty crazy night. I don't know about you, but I'll be attempting to catch Writer at the Casbah after the party and then make it to FLUXX for Louis XIV. Wish me luck.

SoundDiego Session: Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels

As I mentioned yesterday, I spent the evening at NBC studios as Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels recorded two songs to help promote this Thursday night's SoundDiego Live event at Anthology. The first of those videos, for "Fool's Errand", is available for your viewing pleasure below. I also shot the songs with my little HD camera, so after I review, I'm sure we'll be posting those down the line as well.

I hope to see all of your pretty faces out for the free show on Thursday night. There will be drink specials all night ($3 beer/$5 wine), so it won't break the bank, plus you get two great bands with The Blackout Party and Jesse LaMonaca and the Dime Novels.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.