Big Business means big business in San Francisco.

The duo Big Business, now a trio after adding renowned studio engineer Toshi Kasai on guitar, has been seen sporting MONO product! We're glad we caught them when they strolled into town headlining the new Totimoshi cd release party of Milagrosa. The night was hot, I mean it was literally 90 something degrees at 12 Galaxies. It was enough for even die-hard fans to leave their respective spots on the floor to get a quick breath of colder San Francisco air outside. It was there that we got to catch up with Toshi and what's been happening in the world of BB.



By the time they got onto stage, the floorspace was gone. The place was packed so I headed upstairs where photo opps were waiting to be had. The dynamics of Coady Willis (drums), Jared Warren (bass), and Toshi on guitar are freaking amazing. There's a chemistry already brewing with the trio that has spilled over when it was just Willis and Warren tearing it up. It's of no surprise to say that you could hear some Melvins within the loudness of sonic glory. Heavy is kind of an understatement when listening to this band.







They played a grip of songs from their latest "Here Come the Waterworks" and "Head for the Shallow". We hear that they are in the studio right now working on a new album. Don't sit on your hands...grab this one quick.

Owen @ Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/29/2008

The whole day did not, in fact, revolve around this show. It actually revolved around the fact that I was about to get 2 wisdom teeth pulled out of my head. I was especially afraid of looking like a chipmunk after the procedure and have always heard of horror stories of the swelling never really going away. Why do people tell you these things?



The wisdom teeth were pulled at around 3:30 in the afternoon and I was supposed to be doped up with Nitrous...well I was, but I didn't really feel it doing much of anything. Anyway, aside from some bleeding and two holes in my gums, I would have to say that I felt rather good. I made dinner for my wife and drooled over not being able to consume any of it, and then we promptly changed to head into the city.

A good friend of mine got us tickets and we headed into Bottom of the Hill and this being my first time and all I gave it a good going over. It was small as expected but nice inside. There were quite a few people there and I quickly found out that the show was sold out. Rocky Votolato was headlining the event, but I was there to see Kinsella being a fan of American Football, Joan of Arc, and Capn' Jazz. I'll skip to Owen's set as the opener was someone I hadn't heard of...

Like many of his shows that I've caught and heard of, Mike was talking to the crowd quite a bit. He opened with a song that was interupted by cell phone interference coming from his monitors...it seemed to lighten the mood even more.



By the third song, it was apparent that someone needed to turn that ish off. Ahhhh back to Owen and his delicate fingerwork on the guitar. Being a guitarist, I am always impressed by his work on the instrument and have found respect for his vocals as well. I felt a connection with his lyrics and it was obvious that his storytelling was comical as well. We come from the same generation.

Totimoshi CD release @ 12 Galaxies 7/8/2008

Milagrosa just hit the shelves, and you better run out and get it. You don't want to miss Totimoshi's fifth LP that sends them into another level of music. The one thing I've found that stays consistent with each passing album is how they get better and better after each listen. It's never a surprise to find how much of Toti's sound seems to always involve their roots of culture and nationality. What is a surprise is the amount of attention they are receiving. I really pray that this album breaks them into a deserved stage that will catapult them onto another level. We at MONO are so proud to be supporting their efforts.

Now to kick off the concert photos. We had a bit of fun poking around outside talking about Mexican food since we were in the Mission district. My stomach, as I type this, yearns for some good carnitas and a tall glass of horchata. So we met up with Meg and Toshi about an hour before tip off and we had some catching up to do. Totimoshi is just about to embark on a fairly long tour as well as Big Business, headliners of the evening. Let's go for some pictures...

Off to NAMM!

Pack your bags, load your ipods, and get ready to rock. Tomorrow we hit the road for our second debut at NAMM! This is going to be an awesome show and we are STOKED!

It's amazing how fast the year flew by. Thanks to all of you who have been supporting MONO and spreading the word since our official launch at last year's NAMM show. Come see us at booth #1252, hall E. We got a double-wide this year so it won't be so cramped.

Some of our players will be coming by too, including the guys from Helmet and THE Victor Wooten. We're going to try to get a jam session going on.

To those of you who can't make it, a full report will follow.
Go Play.

Battles: In their own galaxy...

We knew this day would come. When Mono would reach a point where crossing paths with our favorite bands would become more frequent than not. Now we can say "pshhhhh, rockstars" without flinching. There's still the awkward moments where you feel like your foot was permanently attached to your molars. "Uhhhh" and silence with staring pretty much summed up most of the conversation. But what was important was said and meeting Battles was not only a cross off the checklist, but a chance to see and hear a band that Mono believes is groundbreaking. They stretch the boundaries of what some would call music, and others just noise. But there is an element of genius that lies not within the sound of Battles, but the imagery that comes with the sounds. It's a progressive package, you see, you listen, then you hear and realize that there is no band out there quite like them. You need not look closer than their album art and the pure design scheme they are going for. This is why Mono is so proud to be endorsing Battles. We feel a strong connection to not only their sound, but who they are, and what they will become. Plus Stanier kicks the crap out of any drummer we know.

There was a concert and there were pictures. And we took them, for you.















Visit Battles Here

Matt Pond PA & Jesca Hoop

What can I say. Amazing show at the Great American. We came to see Matt Pond and friends (which we did, and they rocked), and we were caught off-guard by Jesca Hoop who opened for them. Wow! She is one to watch - I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her. Matt, Dan, Steve, Matthew and Chris are super cool people and it was nice to get a dose of East Coast in San Francisco. The band's off to Japan now but do catch them when they come through your city.

Check out Pat's Mog post for and excellent recap of the show and a peek backstage.

21 hours to Matt Pond PA

That's right. In 21 hours we'll be immersed in the brilliant sounds of Matt Pond PA at the Great American Music Hall. If you haven't heard this band, you must. They hail from my hometown of Philly, where the Yuengling flows like wine and the women say "Yo!".

Pay a visit to their slick new site.
And check back at the MONOLOG for some excellent photos from the show later this week...