Deep Sea Diver

Jessica Dobson announces the new band name of Deep Sea Diver.

Though I consider myself a late comer in discovering Jessica Dobson's music, I guess I've been around long enough to see her mature in style and gain real notice in the area. My first encounter with her music was back in 2003 while researching the old Hub coffee shop show listings [I owe a big thank you for my favorite redhead for this and for oh so many reasons] in Fullerton around the same time I started to explore the local music scene after living a different life away from music and shows for almost 8 years. In that period I think attended only two concerts: Weezer (pinkerton) and Green Day only because the we had won tickets. This lack of music, a continued struggle to reclaim my Bay Area identity, and maybe more importantly, a soured relationship had made me incredibly unhappy during this part of my life.

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So here I was with one old and one new friend exploring the local OC and LA scene and discovered some favorites such as Midway, the kiss or kill folks and of course Jessica Dobson. It was awhile before I saw her perform (life gets in the way of fun) but I fortunately came across these recordings (weird. link was fine two days ago) which tied me over to more songs as she migrated onto myspace. I wasn't surprise to find that she now had a development deal with Atlantic records or that the new track Most Sundays would become one of those songs that connected with what I was going through at the time.*

Eventually Margo Lee became the name in 2004 for her band and the label posted more songs onto the defunct margo lee dot com site which I would let loop for hours while I worked. As reported elsewhere, there was a Margo Lee record completed and then scrapped, a handful of sporadic solo shows as the Margo Lee period was discarded and a 2006 trip to the Pacific Northwest for new recordings.

So now with the new name Deep Sea Diver there are some wonderful new tracks up for you to listen to on her myspace. New Cave finds a nice balance between the the stripped down solo show sound and the more produced Most Sundays and while Tsunamo is Snowed In feels the same I have to go with the solo performance memory still floating around my head from a year ago. The last track is Confindence which was one of the demos endlessly streamed and this new full version is even better with a much deeper sound/production(?) to it.

Now all I can do wait for the EP to come out in the next month or two, cue up the tracks I already have and hit repeat.

*I don't know what her songs are based on in reality, but you know how it only takes maybe just the chorus or as all one needs to make that song yours for that moment.


Jessicapoolza starts this weekend:

Sat 3.10.07 @ Koos Community Art Center
$5 with The Blank Tapes, 5-10pm (flyer)

Sun 3.11.07 @ The Prospector, LBC
$3, 21+ with The Slings, The Gingerbread Patriots(I like the songs I've heard so far)

SXSW

Fri 3.16.07 @ Homeslice Pizza SXSW day show, Austin
Free - 3 fifteen minute sets at 3:45 4:40 5:15

Sat 3.17.07 @ The Six Lounge/Tap Room, Austin 12:00/i.e. noon
Indieclick sxsw day show with Limbeck

Thur 3.22.07 @ Evocal, Listenow! Costa Mesa (flyer)
Benefits the OC Rescue Mission. Admission: one can of food

Every Monday in April @ Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa, Free, 21+

photos/artwork by m. de feo