Happy New Year! Tonight the ball drops in Times Square on one of the best years I can remember – we started the year having just released “The Silent Generation” and we end it wrapping up work on our second full length record and having just released an EP of what’s to come in the “New England EP”.

‘08 was a year of politics in this country – I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was a year of crazy ups and downs – from $4 a gallon gasoline to stock market crashes – a year where I had the chance to go to Italy and experience an incredible art and culture…and climb castle towers. It was a year of writing songs, almost 30 songs (that I’ll admit to), all surrounding the history and people of an amazing place called Boston. It was a year of new instruments, new beards, new friends and old friends…

Every year has it’s up and downs, but, for me anyway, 2008 had many more ups than it did downs. If you all get a chance to reflect on the year a bit, let us know what you’ll remember most about 2008. Happy New Year!

The Dimes – Auld Lang Syne (click to listen)

Johnny

I finally had a chance to see the recent John Adams series done by HBO (with Paul Giamatti playing the former President and Laura Linney as Abigail Adams) - we finished the last two episodes last night and I really enjoyed the entire series from start to finish. The story begins just before the Boston Massacre and takes you through the incredible life and trials of John Adams, right up to his death on July 4th, 1826…50 years to the day the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Continental Congress.  Obviously, Paul Giamatti is a master and completely nails the performance, and Laura Linney as Abigail was amazing as well. I really felt like I got to know them and their relationship, as well as John’s very complicated friendship with Thomas Jefferson, who incidentally died on the very same day that John Adams did. The last living founding fathers die on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence…pretty poetic, wouldn’t you say?

Anyway, as any reader of this blog probably knows, I’m not only a history buff, but I’m working on a group of songs about New England and in particular the Boston area…and John Adams hailed from Quincy, MA, just outside of Boston, so this series was a must see for me. Check it out if you get the chance – interesting stuff.

Hope you’re having a good start to the week -

Johnny

We’re all impatiently waiting for Saturday night in The Dimes’ camp this week – yep, this Saturday, November 1st, we’re releasing a brand new disc called the “New England EP” at the Doug Fir Lounge here in Portland. “New England” is a glimpse of what’s to come (and here’s a glimpse of the album cover) as we’re spending most of our autumn and wintry days in the studio finishing our next full length record.

We’re joined at the show Saturday night by our good friends Derby and the incomparable Matt Sheehy – the show starts at 9pm and Los Dimes will be taking the stage shortly thereafter – this is one you don’t wanna miss. We’re all very excited about this EP and the next record, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the release of the “New England EP” than here with our good friends at the Doug Fir.

And, as a little Halloween bonus, here’s a link to hear a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” we did a few months back with our friend Jasmine Ash (of Portland’s own fantastic foursome “Oh Darling“). I grew up on Buddy Holly and thought it’d be fun to try one of his tunes…

You can play or download it – it’s posted over towards the right…

I hope you’re all having a good week and we’ll see you Saturday night!

Johnny

p.s. – if you like the album cover art and want to see more art like it, check out more of Doug Blair’s work at his site, Two by Toons…