Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Don't Miss Deep Sea Diver Tomorrow!
()
Post by Willy Blackmore, Special to LAist
If you’re planning on catching Conor Oberst and Mystic Valley Band at the Glass House in Pomona on Wednesday, we suggest you plan on arriving early. Long Beach’s Deep Sea Diver
But wait—a Japanese tour coinciding with a debut EP? How could this be? No, it is not just a Tom Waits-esque big in Japan moment, but yet another part of the growing mythology that has been surrounding Dobson’s nascent musical career for the past few years. As the guitarist for Beck’s touring band, Dobson may be more familiar than you realize, having performed at the Hollywood Bowl and on David Letterman in 2008, not to mention those recent dates in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Support for LAist comes from
With more than enough stage presence to confidently rock Beck’s many famous guitar lines for crowds measuring in the thousands—not to mention having a few false starts and second chances under her belt (including the self-imposed shelving of her Atlantic Records debut album—it just wasn’t good enough)—and recording sessions with indie mega producer Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Mudhoney, The Shins, etc.), Dobson certainly has the resume to warrant OC Weekly’s claim that she the best thing you’ve never heard.
The problem with such a resume is, of course, one of comparisons. Does Deep Sea Diver have the hip hop influenced, sample laden sound of Beck? Or is it more of a nod to the soft, care-free pop styles of The Shins? Matt Wignall, producer of both Cold War Kids albums, had a hand in “New Caves” as well. Is Dobson following in the steps of her fellow Long Beach-based band, working to create an heir to g-funk, a new official sound of the LBC? The answers are no, no and no.
Deep Sea Diver may take certain cues from her peers and collaborators, but she has a sound that is all her own. An accomplished guitarist, her picking and strumming features at the forefront of majority of the tracks, often dosed with ample reverb and maybe a bit of fuzz—recalling more the guitars of surf rock than shoegaze, but with a modern twist. From the straight-up rock riffs of the opening title track to the free-ranging and diverse melodies of Wearing Thin, a beautiful, stripped-down track of only vocals and guitar, Dobson shows impressive musical chops over the course of the EP’s six tracks. Guitars make way for the Fender Rhodes on Confidence, the analog sound of the keyboard carrying the song, a simple high hat and rim shot rhythm section giving a jazz-like ting.
The Rhodes is a perfect foil for Dobson’s smooth, slightly bluesy vocals—reminiscent of Chan Marshall, in a way—as she sings “I wish I had/your confidence” on the hook. As she finally embarks on her solo career with this debut release, already a veteran of international tours and having worked with top producers, it is hard to imagine whose confidence she could be hoping for, when “New Caves” seems to prove that she has plenty to spare herself.
Photo courtesy of Deep Sea Diver
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist