Seraphina Lotkhamnga on November 29th, 2012

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Chilly weather didn’t stop show-goers from heading out on Monday night. And if there were any who second guessed their choice to leave their cozy homes, the double bill of Wild Belle and Deep Sea Diver made sure to turn up the heat at the sold-out show at the Echo.

||| Photos by Kelsey Heng

Chicago’s Wild Belle returned to the City of Angels in support of their forthcoming debut ‘Isles” and boasted a popular island-indie sound, but it was Deep Sea Diver’s Jessica Dobson who really had fans embracing the past and the future.

Dobson’s skills, which earned her an ill-fated record deal years ago when she was a youngster in Orange County, have taken her far via gigs as the guitarist for acts such as Beck, Conor Oberst, Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and most recently with the Shins. But it’s her solo work that has proven most magnetic.

Having never been one fond of doing anything cookie-cutter, Dobson surprised Deep Sea Diver fans on Monday with her introductory song – a Christmas carol, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to be exact, using looped guitar. She escaped too much seasonal sentimentalism by quickly jumping behind the keys for “Keep It Moving.” Playing mostly songs off of “History Speaks, ” Dobson provided a strong set of intricate guitar work despite the sound engineer’s struggles to get anything resembling a decent mix. The sing-a-long chorus in “NWO” served as a mighty declaration, the balladry of “The Watchmen” swooped the audience deeper into her tapestry of stories and the PJ Harvey-esque “You Go Running” promoted roaring approval, which exclaimed the long overdue album was worth it. A couple more months on the road, and the Seattle-based band could be a major force.

Chicago’s Wild Belle did their best to keep building a relationship with L.A. fans with their attempt to rejuvenate reggae. However, despite Natalie Bergman’s soul-influenced coos and swaying model figure and several saxophone appearances (courtesy of band member and brother Elliot), Wild Belle merely seemed to be treading reggae-and-ska water. And songs like their hit “Keep You” suggested that their calypso-and-keyboard-accented pop dwells in a shallow pool. Wild Belle’s edge is sharp enough to draw an Urban Outfitters crowd (even with on-going technical difficulties), but the five-piece band fell short of playing a memorable live show.

L.A.’s Pageants opened the night with brand new songs, including “August Moon” and “Musings of the Tide,” off their self-released 7-inch vinyl.