The Casbah is hands-down the best of intimate music venues in San Diego. That said, watching Dirty Sweet, one of the finest local bands, kick off a national tour at the venue for their sophomore release of American Spiritual; well, that’s double the treat. (photos here)

Formed in the fall of 2003, Dirty Sweet found an immediate audience of rock-loving fans just months after their inception. They have been selling out shows around San Diego, Europe and the rest of the United States ever since. This year they took home ”Best Rock” honors at the San Diego Music Awards for the 3rd time, and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

After a couple of years of pounding the rock and roll pavement and non-stop touring supporting their debut release, Monarchs and Beggars, Dirty Sweet is once again road-ready and revitalized with a fresh rebellion in their forthcoming release American Spiritual.

If there is one thing that sets Dirty Sweet apart from other bands of their generation it is the songwriting. The group has a knack for writing great hooks. Their melodies, like the driving rhythms and organic harmonies, are immediately infectious. The songs are all written as a group, with each member contributing equally to the Dirty Sweet sound.

Dirty Sweet has quite the eclectic mix of musical talent; contributing to the overall success of the band. Rhythm guitarist Mark Murino and drummer Chris Mendez-Vanacore played together in a few bands prior to Dirty Sweet, one of them being the independent rock band Jejune. Bassist Shaun Cornell anchored the rhythm section for the band Convoy, whose remaining members would later form Louis XIV, also based out of San Diego.

Lead guitarist Nathan Beale joined Dirty Sweet after leaving the band Moods for Moderns and moving to California. In lead singer Ryan Koontz the group found an undiscovered vocal anomaly. Possessing both a unique vocal style and natural stage presence, he completed the band as the group’s front man.

View more Dirty Sweet live Casbah concert photos here (3/5/09). And, check out 2008 San Diego Music Awards photos here.

Dirty Sweet is ripe for a rock and roll revolution. Look for American Spiritual later this year. Until then, check out dirtysweetmusic.com.