06/01/06
"High time honey, hell yeah, watcha know, I'm back again, yeah... " -Clutch
Hello all...it's been a little while, I know. But, rest assured, we haven't been sleeping. There are some very interesting things brewing on our horizon both in the immediate and not so immediate future. The first of which will be a short promotional tour on our way to and from this years Millinium Music Conference with stops in Ohio, NY, and PA (with more on the way), ending with a July 5th slot opening up for Mike Doughty at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI on the U.S Cellular Connection Stage. Stay tuned to the shows page for the latest developments and, those of you East of here, mark your calenders tell your friends! Lock up your daughters and hide your fine wine....the Dammitheads are nigh!
More on this and other things later.
In the meantime, join us briefly at Milwaukee's Cactus Club on Sunday, June 4th where we will be lovingly sandwiched betwixt Dead By Monday and Riverboat Gamblers. Showtime is an almost work-friendly 9:00pm sharp. Go. You know you want to....
Complimentary work excuses shall be written and signed as needed by myself and Nurse Hawkins. ((what.))
Stay tuned and stay up....we worry about you.
.[dt] d/Hz.
05/30/06
"Opening lines and opening lines..." -Jesse Malin
Dear [you],
I think you were so right when you said that people should be more personable on the internet. All these blogs and spaces really are killing our sense of the meaning of humanity and our regard for personal identity. In fact, now that I think about it, it hasn't done much for our vanity either. I digress. It was very nice to see you. Have you lost a bit of weight or was that great new outfit just flattering the ever loving hell out of you? Maybe a little of both? Go on....you're so funny!
Texas was great. We all had a great time and did so on very little sleep. I'd like to give a shoutout to all of those friends who, in the immortal words of Sean Carter, could have been anywhere in the world but were there with us. Thank you guys....the Sunspot crew, the Bascom Hill gang (special thanks, Marissa), the Muckrakers, Dave Silbaugh, our man in the industry Pete Ganbarg and friend Ken Antonelli, our favorite lawyer Sonya Southward and friend Abby, and last but not least, Jen Schmidt. Thank you all....it was great to be so far from home and among friends. Thanks also Alexia, Beth, Lawrence and bartender Kelly for a good time and great opportunity. Pics can be found HERE.
Don't forget to mark your social calender for Friday, 4/28 at McAuliffe's pub where the Dammitheads will share the stage with The Dark Horse Project. You may remember the very talented Liv Mueller from the Lovlies. We're looking very forward to it.
Forward to it,
[dt] aka [sucka MC's should call me sire]
03/06/06
"Man, I'm gonna get me a new Bob Dylan next week." - Bob Dylan
SxSW time slot change, new online interview, sock puppets and better focus through space travel...
Our SxSW date and time has been changed to the new and improved slot of Thursday, March 16th from 9:30-10:15pm at the Coyote Ugly. We welcome the interested and Austin bound to stop in and say hello.
In other news, the online music resource zine, the Chicago Music Guide, has published a brand new Dammitheads interview which can be found at either their website or ours. We'd like to thank them very much for their support.
You didn't really expect a section on sock puppets or hallucinogens, did you?
[dt] aka [bb]
03/06/06
"Man, I'm gonna get me a new Bob Dylan
next week." - Bob
Dylan
SxSW time slot change, new online
interview, sock puppets and better focus through space
travel...
Our SxSW date and time has been changed to the new and
improved slot of Thursday, March 16th from 9:30-10:15pm
at the Coyote Ugly. We welcome the interested and Austin
bound to stop in and say hello.
In other news, the online music resource zine, the Chicago
Music Guide, has published a brand new Dammitheads
interview which can be found at either their website
or ours. We'd like to thank
them very much for their support.
You didn't really expect a section
on sock puppets or hallucinogens, did you?
[dt] aka [bb]
02/27/06
"Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when
you're tryin' to be so quiet..." -Bob
Dylan
SxSW show confirmation and site
update:
Greetings from Planet Dammit. I'd like to start this
one out by taking a moment to thank everyone for their
continued support and enthusiasm in recent endeavors.
We're very happy to have such good folks to share it
all with. You people are all fu(k1n6 nuts and we thank
you for that.
It has been confirmed that The Dammitheads with be playing
SxSW this year in Austin at the world famous Coyote
Ugly (yep, that one). Our set takes place on Saturday,
March 18 from 3:00 to 3:45. We encourage anybody who
might be there to stop by and say HI! to the Dammitguys.
Can't be there? Don't fret...we have a little something
for everybody. We have added high resolution MP3 highlights
of our 02/10/06 show at McAuliffe's Pub to our music
page. It's nothing fancy...we hope you all enjoy
them none the less. Feel free to download and distribute
at will.
It for now...be good to one another.
[dt] aka Bob "not Dylan but, hey..." Bomb
02/02/06
"I don’t know just where I’m going...
But I’m gonna try for the kingdom, if I can." -Lou Reed
Well, the world may be fu(k3d but that doesn't mean
we can't still be friends. I hope you're all well. We'll
call that my state of the union address.
Good news! The Dammitheads have garnered some unexpected
attention as of late and we could use your help. Our
new record's title track, "The Heart of
the Matador", has made it to the final
round of the International Songwriting Competition.
This is actually quite an honor as the judges include
many very distinguished individuals in the music business
such as Tom Waits, Loretta Lynn, Darryl McDaniels and
Isaak Brock, to name only a few. The New York Times
calls this competition "THE songwriting competition
to take note of." This competition is broken up
into many catagories. One of those catagories is the
"People's Voice" catagory....well, you're
OUR people and you have a voice! Please go HERE to vote. The "finalists" link appears at the
bottom of the page. You have to register but it's pretty
painless and you can actually vote once per day! Go HERE to check out the full list of judges. Voting closes
February 28 and the winners will be announced in March.
In other news, I have hinted at a BET reality show using our song, "Edward H.
Armstrong". The preliminary word is that
show is a six-episode piece exploring the famous marching
band and football team of Grambling State University,
entitled, "Season of the Tiger".
Watch for the show to begin on May 4.
Finally, don't forget to join us Friday, February
10th at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine where we
will be performing with Soul Amp (from Madison) and
the very talented Ryan McIntyre. Don't be late! That's
all I'm saying....
I learned to drive in a city that dies all day,
[dt] aka "Hey, man...you gonna pay for
that? I'm callin' a cop."
01/05/06
The Dammitheads last minute show reminder, take 1...
Hey everybody....I have a confession to make.
I'd really rather have done a legitimate newsletter
complete with musings on how I CAN'T be the only person
alive who witnessed David Letterman clown that blow
hard such and such, Bill O'Reilly, on 01/03. I'd love
to have taken the time to further point out how my faith
in ol' Dave had been on the wane over the last few years
and to further elucidate on how Mr. Letterman's subtle
but highly effective smile-while-flashing-the-rapier-wit
not only did my heart good as a free thinking individual
but also served to restore my faith in Mr. Letterman
as one as well. I'd likely have made some obligatory
tongue in cheek excuse for expounding here on topics
so blatantly politically motivated and boob-tube related
but luckily for me, it's not a legitimate newsletter
and, therefore, it never happened.
I really should have taken the time, though, to point
out how there are updates to the picture page and a couple of short bits added to the reviews
page. I meant to....I really did. I would have
likely let a little bit of "up and coming"
type of info slip about how Edwin H. Armstrong,
off of Heart of the Matador, has recently
been chosen to appear in a new BET reality series. Of course, I would have quickly pulled
out on some lame teaser like, "Stay tuned for more
info". Yeah, it's tired but it seems to work...people
love that cliff hanger stuff.
Yep. It would've been a classic. Instead, I guess all
I'm going to do is drop a last minute reminder that
we are playing Friday, 01/06 @ The Klinic in
Madison, WI and Saturday, 01/07 @ The
Reptile Palace with our good friend Mark
Harrod in Oshkosh, WI. Please
try to make it out....we'd love to see everyone there
with raised fists singing those parts on the record
everyone wants to hear but I can't sing all by myself!
In hopes that the new year has found everyone less apt
to take pills and fire handguns than it has me,
[dt] AKA The dude who saw what you did. Yeah...you.
12/06/05
"I'm wild and lethal...a mile deep though. A river
runs over whatever it wants." -Paul
Westerberg
Ah, December. Yes, December...December very officially
brings the cold and does away with yet another year,
inevitably reminding us of something more we should
have accomplished. For me and Keith, it's another year
older. Man, December. It fills the stores and the icy
streets with bargain hunting humanoid mercenaries, insane
hallucinatory-like visions of various holiday symbology
and way...way too many colored f**king lights. It's
a lot to take for some people, what can I say?
Well, I don't know what Keith's doing, but you'll find
the Dammitheads playing their last show of the 05 this
Saturday, December 10th at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine.
Skip that Christmas party you know you're only attending
with intentions of kissing up to the boss. Screw him...he's
a weasel. You worked your 40x52, now let's rock a little.
Our friend and yours, Norm Pratt III, will be on hand
and on stage to warm up the show and make believers
out of even the most jaded of your winter blahs. Deck
the halls, ye sinners.....Dammit Claus is coming to
town.
Rockers! Let's rock.
[bomb] aka [dt]
11/02/05
"A witty saying proves nothing." -Voltaire
We dared to dream it. You wondered, "What the hell."
We told you it was only a matter of time. You wondered,
"When...and furthermore, what the hell?" Well
I'm here to tell you that the time is now and the age
of The Heart of the Matador is finally at hand.
In somewhat less melodramatic terms, this means that
The Dammitheads' newest, brightest and most anticipated
record is finally officially released and available.
You know the legend; dubbed The Dammitheads' East Coast
record, mixed in Brooklyn by the amazingly talented
Joel Hamilton at Studio G, the awe-inspiring, heart-wrenching
guest spot on violin by the inimitable Carla Khilstedt,
close to a year in the making minus a pause or two for
this that and a near deadly car accident. Funerals,
f&%kheads, hangers and bangers, ups and downs, gasoline
and saltwater and most importantly, rock and f&%kin'
roll. We live it so you don't have to, yet it can all
still be yours in this conveniently condensed 50 minute
package. Nice.
If that isn't enough to tempt you, don't forget to check
out the updated merch page. We have a new T-shirt design
available in both men's tees and women's girlie-tanks
as well as a limited run DVD-R entitled, "These
Are the Days", painstakingly put together by your
favorite drummer, aka stevehawkins for you, our friends,
to enjoy. The DVD-R is exactly that...a self duplicated
DVD originally put together for a private listening
party that got many purchase requests. We decided to
run off a modest quantity for those interested. It's
basically an entertaining montage of video that loosely
chronicles the making of its soundtrack; it's The Heart
of the Matador set to video images of The Hey! Low Sound
System, Renwood Messenger Studio, Studio G and Brooklyn
in general. It's $10 on it's own but is being discounted
to $6 with purchase of anything on the merch page while
supplies last. This is a website only deal.
Check into the PHOTOS page for brand new video goodness
as well; The Heart of the Matador, I Kid You Not (taken
from the DVD-R "These Are the Days) and a few short
but fun-filled vignettes from a day in the life of recording
with The Dammitheads.
Watch the Shows page for more dates in the works. Don't
forget 11/10/05 @ The Klinic in Madison, 11/12 @ Rider's
Saloon in Kimberly and 11/18 @ Riverwest Commons in
Milwaukee.
And I'm out AKA gone.
[dt]
10/19/05
"It's too bad that most art is subject to talent-less
f&$ks claiming that they are qualified to comment
and/or participate in it.' -the
brother Tom Reschke
Can you dig it?
I just got old school with one of the movies that greatly
aided in the warpage of my poor, impressionable pre-80's
mind; that's right, suckahz...The Warriors. What does
this have to do with you? Well...not much...except for
the fact that all that NYC subway footage and the random
burning of cars on the open city streets reminded me
of something I wanted share with you.
"Dam-mit-heads, come out to play-i-ayyyy...."
The Heart of the Matador is finally upon us
and, while the official release date is next week (10/25),
don't forget that Christmas comes early for those venturing
out this weekend (10/22) to the official CD release
at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine. Not only will The
Heart of the Matador be available in it's entirety,
but also making their official debut will be brand new
T-Shirts (including oft-requested girly tanks), buttons
and even a surprise limited edition DVD (well, DVD-R)
entitled, "These Are the Days" which
takes a random look into the days, details and general
ballyhoo of the making of it's soundtrack. Our friends,
The Mahp, will open the festivities and if you pay close
attention you might even notice the author of this newsletter's
quote graciously guesting on the stage. 2 drummers for
the price of one? Well...we certainly do our best to
cater to the ever-growing faction of bargain minded
consumers.
In other news, On Milwaukee Dot Com recently did a little
profile on what we'd like to think of as your favorite
band....of course even if we're wrong, you might still
find the piece an enjoyable distraction from the drib
and general drab of common day to day existence. News
for now...
http://www.onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/dammitheads.html
Ad Infinitum....and
BEYOND!
[the-you-know-who] AKA [you-know-who-else, suckahz]
10/05/05
"Nah...it's cool, just keep it." -RA
So, during a grocery
getting excursion recently, I had a musical epiphany.
Underneath the near X-Ray bright ultra-flouresence,
somewhere between the Heinz 57 and the Captian Crunch,
the grocery store's signature AM-band-frequency-limited
loudspeakers rained down to me this one single life-altering
truth:
In a purely Yin
and Yang sort of sense, Sting is like, THE quintessential
white man's white man. You know? It's like how there
can be no sadness without happiness or cold without
heat; Sting is the direct polar opposite and the Yin
to, say, James Brown's Yang. Are you following me here?
it's like you can actually hear the sound of people
not sweating. It's fucking amazing if you think about
it....not the sound of people not sweating, but the
revelation in and of itself. I mean, how have I so blindly
traveled this far through the darkness?
That said...our
new record, The Heart of the Matador is so close you
can almost hear it. In fact, there are 3 downloadable
songs on the MUSIC page for your listening pleasure
right now and we are currently taking pre-orders for
the entire record which will ensure that your copy is
sent either on or before the official street date of
10/25.
This may also
be a good time to mention that the record will also
be available at our official CD release show on 10/22
at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine, Wi. Mark that date down
and we'll do our best to ensure that it lives forever
in infamy whether due, on our part, to some accidental
greatness or other utterly tragic stupidity. You'll
ultimately have to be the judge but it's likely we'll
just arrive at some very Dammithead midpoint....accidently.
Stay tuned...new
merchandise and other cool stuff on the way.
[dt] aka [bb]
08/29/05
"So just open fire when you hit the shore, all
is fair in love and war... HOIST THAT RAG!" -Tom
Waits
The city was good
to us and said to say hi. Yep...we're back from Brooklyn
with a brand new bag, only this bag drops in the form
of the Dammitheads' eagerly awaited second record, entitled
"The Heart of the Matador".
For those not
in the know, The Heart of the Matador was mixed at Brooklyn's
own Studio G by the incomparable Joel Hamilton who's
talent can only be rivaled by his kindness and the uncanny
knack for finding just the right analogy to bring just
about anything on home.
I digress. We're
really into this one and can't wait to get it out to
everybody. The official street date for the release
is set for 10/25 but for those who need theirs sooner,
the record will be available at the record release party
scheduled for 10/22 @ McAuliffe's in Racine. Pre orders
will likely be taken before all that so keep an eye
out!
The mixing trip
was really a great time had by all. Little did we know
we weren't even quite done tracking. Joel helped find
some interesting things to add to the record...bass
synths, tape loops, SOS calls and the one woman symphony
known as Carla Kihlstedt, whos credits span from Tom
Waits to Third Eye Blind to her own projects such as
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, 2 Foot Yard and Book of Knots.
Carla was kind enough to come in on short notice and
do the kind of indescribable thing that can only be
done by those with such immeasurable talent and true
sense of art.
Special thanks
and gratitude to Carla Kihlstedt, Joel Hamilton and
Tony Maimone for a great time, a great studio and a
record we're really proud of!
That's it for
now...check out the updates on the photo page and don't
forget 9/02 @ Rider's Saloon in Kimberly, WI and 9/03
@ The Reptile Palace in Oshkosh, WI.
Over.
[dt] aka [bb]
06/16/05
"And I do this all in time to the music that dances
like fools set on fire" -Ryan Adams
We've been exceptionally
busy lately trying to finish up the new record. It's
going well but...what can I say...the muse, she's a
cruel mistress at times. Never the less, the mixing
of said record is slated to take place in August at
Studio G in Brooklyn, NY. Further information on these
matters and much, much more in due time...
Other news...good
news, too...
Freeze Motherstickers
has recently been added to the playlists and even the
charts of many radio stations all around the country.
Some of them include:
KQAL Winnona, MN
KFKX Hastings, NE
KWAR Waverly, IA
KRLX Northfield, MN
WPTC Williamsport, PA
If you happen to be in an area where these stations
are picked up, please drop them a request and let them
know you appreciate the addition!
Those of you in
the immediate area, don't forget to get your rock on
this weekend! The Dammitheads play Racine's Harborfest
opening for The Knack on the Cool Cat's Cove Stage promptly
at 5:30. Nice big stage, long set and lots of grass...lawn,
I mean. We likely won't make use of the drum riser so
if anyone has a dancing monkey act or maybe a dog that
drives one of those funny little cars, we'd be happy
to share the stage. or perhaps, it might make a great
spot for a giant velvet Elvis. We'll see...and we'll
see you there.
Up, UP and AWAY!
[bomb]
04/27/05
"They were gonna make me a major for this...and
I wasn't even in their f*#kin' army anymore."
Back to business...someone
let loose the clowns and strike up the band. Call in
the balloon twisters, acrobats and the whole damn Girl
Scouts if you have to but either way, it's all going
down.
We're looking
very forward to this next batch of shows, the first
of which casts us, the unruly psuedo-intellectual rock
band, in a supporting role as the perfect antagonist
to veteran actor, The Mahp's, most challenging and gripping
role yet: the passionate young white rockband with a
NEW CD to pimp. Don't forget the popcorn and do NOT
attempt to resist the urge to kick the loud bastard
in front of you with the cell phone, yo.
Super then. It's
a date....
Saturday, April
30th
McAuliffes Pub
w/ The MAHP & Ryan McIntyre
3700 Meachem Road
Racine, WI 53405
[dt] [AKA] [bb]
04/13/05
"I'm a rock star, a fruit jar, I'm a yellow snake
in a can..."
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Regretfully, we had to cancel 4/14 @ the Abbey as well
as 4/16 at McAuliffe's due to illness. All apologies
in advance for any confusion and many thanks to those
who had plans to attend...we'll see you all soon!
So, wouldn't you
know it...I managed to make it all the way through the
winter without so much as a sniffle only to make up
for it all during the first relatively decent week of
the year. It figures. Though things could be much worse,
I suppose...full recovery underway.
There isn't a
whole lot else to report to those of you who've been
keeping up with the Recording Journal. "Speed Boats,
Art Kills" is coming along well but it's getting
down to the wire and there's still quite a bit to do.
It's been a lot of work but a lot of GOOD work. I think
this record's quite a bit of a departure and may just
surprise some people. Frankly, I think we've been a
little surprised ourselves with a lot of it!
In other news,
it turns out that both "Ultrakinetic" and
"Stop Engo" were used in seperate episodes
MTV's "Real World" series recently. Yep.
I think that's
about it for now. Keep an eye on the ever changing Shows
page and recoil in absolute shock with a side of somewhat
feigned disgust as we freak out with our geeks out on
the Recording Journal page. Yep...right in front of
God and everybody.
Stay up.
[dt] AKA DBA and
ODB Bob Bomb
02/02/05
"Playing makeup and wearing guitar..."
So where are we
at? Everybody in? Can I get a show of hands? Can I get
a witness? Can I get one of those frozen choco-bananas?
Can somebody get me something to wet to drink?! Is thing
even on?!
Ok..check.
Not as much to
report this month but I think we can cover at least
a few relevant bases. I'd like to firstly thank everyone
with enough rock and roll in their hearts to brave the
weather that threatened to put a frozen damper on our
collective spirits. You people are our heroes; the blood
and power. May you be the divine inspiration to a thousand
non-believers!
A huge thanks
goes to Braam for braving the drive from Chicago as
well. We had a great time. We'll do it again sometime.
In the news....
Don't forget this
week's (02/05/05) show with the Ike Reilly Assassination
at the Mad Planet in Milwaukee. It's kind of a short
and sweet set. The doors open at 9:00pm and we go on
promptly at 9:30pm till about 10:00pm...promptly being
the operative word for anyone actually wishing to catch
the set! More details on the you guessed it Page.
Stock Answer is
being used on a newly released German BMX DVD.
Alright is slated
to be used in an upcoming table tennis documentary that
looks so sweet it nearly promotes tooth decay. I saw
a bit of a preview...this ain't those guys at the YMCA.
These cats can get down. Table tennis done by cats who
can get down is the nearly the very definition of hardcore.
Oh, you don't think so...but it IS! Believe it.
That about concludes
this transmission. Don't forget to check the recording
log. I know I've been slack about it...I'll be better,
I promise.
See you all in
there....
Bob Bomb
AKA [dt]
01/08/05
Songs about drifters, books about the same...
Alright...
It's a brand new
year and it's been a good long while since our last
transmission so I suggest you put on some decent music
(maybe something you haven't listened to in a while),
pour something tall and comforting to drink and try
your best to just bear with me if I get a little long
in the tooth.
Shows have been
added to the "you know what" page so I suggest
you start there. We're looking very forward to getting
back to putting the proof back in the pudding and kicking
it all in the guts again. First out should prove a great
night for those who still love rock and roll. Our old
friends, Braam, are coming to share the stage and if
you haven't seen them in a while you're missing the
good stuff.
We've been quite
busy recording our next record, "Speed Boats, Art
Kills" and it's shaping up to be a pretty interesting
record...a little like the last one, a little not. Looks
to be about 12 songs long and more dangerous than bees
in your shorts... a diary of it's progress can be found
here. It'll be updated as we go, so keep checking in.
Of related interest...
Our friends, The MAHP, have been busy finishing up their
new record, much of which was recorded here at The Hey!
Low Sound System by Steve and I. It's beem a fun process
and has really shaped up to be an interesting record
that I believe everyone involved can be quite proud
of. Maybe not quite as dangerous as bees in one's shorts
(!), but damned enjoyable none the less, so be on the
lookout for that.
OH! SNAP! (!)
Ring tones!
Yeah...(crafty
bastards that we are) we have downloadable ring tones
complete with samples Here. It does cost a tiny amount
but that's because it costs us a bit on our side and
they're still cheaper than most others! Download your
favorite and rock it out while helping to spread the
good word of the band that loves you most!
So have you given
any thought to the last rant about independent radio?
Did you try to find out what your community and/or colleges
had to offer? If not your own, there are many others
available streaming on the internet...KEXP comes to
mind a really interesting independent that plays some
great music in various genres.
Check into satellite
radio... Ignore/destroy Clear Channel... Support independent
thought and most importantly, MOST..importantly, possess
it.
Tell you what...
I challenge each of you... make it a new year's challenge
if you want... to find 10 bands this year that you like
with the stipulation that the bands do not have singles
on commercial radio or videos on MTV. They can be local,
they can be from anywhere in the world. They can be
old or new, they can be classical or metal. Try to find
a few that you like in genres you don't normally pay
as much attention to...hip hop comes to mind here...there
are some BRILLIANT underground hip hop acts that go
completely unnoticed that even those who don't like
"rap" would be hard pressed to deny. It's
not all weed, gangsta and funk samples, ya know.
Go forth and bring
'em back alive. These bands are counting on YOU!
Bob Bomb
aka [dt]
09/27/04
"Suppression is a state...
we will NOT be diplomatic!"
I'm happy to report
we are now officially back in action and through the
worst parts of a darker period that involved the last
4 weeks and certainly the most serious car accident
I've personally ever been involved with. Some serious
injuries were sustained, both physical and mental. Consider
this transmission a standing up and brushing off.
The above came
about the afternoon before our last McAuliffe's show,
which to the surprise of most, we played. While much
of the evening still seems a bit fuzzy to me from pain
meds and exhaustion, I know there was nowhere I'd have
rather been. I could not possibly consider this a standing
up and brushing off without thanking everyone who helped
to make that show a positive among the negative. Thank
you. Very much.
Now...It's been
a while so I have a few things to say. Please bear with
me if it gets long.
First off, I don't
usually use this section as a forum for personal rants
or politics but something caught my eye recently that
made wonder if more people shouldn't be made aware of
it. I won't tell anyone what to think, but if you have
any interest in the industry of music and how and what
your entertainment dollars vote for, please read THIS,
THIS and THIS.
I don't suppose
that the record buying public at large is aware that
such things go on and that every consumer dollar spent
as a result of these types of schemes is a vote positive
in favor of their existence.
As if it isn't
hard enough for smaller bands and labels to make honest
livings...most consumers and even independent music
supporters are also not aware that no matter how great
their local/favorite independent labels and bands are,
modern day commercial radio is no longer driven by people,
it is driven by corporations.
In the old days,
a DJ could slip in a few records by personal choice
or by choice of "the people" and that is all
but impossible now save for the few stations that have
some local specialty show (that somehow always manages
to air like once a week in the late hours of weeknights).
Do as you must,
but for the love of art, please support community, college
and internet radio stations. Most of them are still
driven by the people. Be a tastemaker or be a casual
listener...but by any means, do NOT be dictated to by
people who don't even LISTEN to music.
Onto more positive
notes...
We have officially
begun recording our next record, which is to be titled,
"Speed Boats, Art Kills". Granted it'll be
a while before it's released but we've begun putting
down tracks and have every reason to believe we have
reason to be excited. Here is a short slideshow of some
drum recording shots....and one of me in Florida thinking
about drum recording!
As always, please
stay tuned to the SHOWS page for the latest entries.
Chances are, you'll notice a few in the weeks to come!
Thanks for reading
this far....you f*#king rock!
out.
[dt]
08/25/04
"Never wanted to be no Pop Singer"
One last minute
reminder and a couple of bits and pieces to share.
Our Reviews page
has been updated with a rather favorable and kindly
review of "Freeze.." from the good people
at Maximum Ink. Many thanks to them and Mike Huberty.
Look for a Dammitheads
Local Riffs feature in Friday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinal
as well. (8.27)
New Artist Radio's
Indie Limelight is streaming a Dammitheads feature this
week. It features an interview and a couple of songs.
I think it only plays through Monday (8.30) or so, so
go listen to it ASAP. The Dammitheads feature is about
20 minutes long. Click the link to listen and move the
scroll bar to about 29 minutes.
Last but certainly
not least...
McAuliffe's Pub
Saturday, 8.28.04 with our good friends The MAHP, Norm
Pratt III and Favorite Monkey.
Show time: 9:00pm
Wear your Dammitheads T-shirt and recieve half off the
price of our eternal gratitude and general wishes for
abundant good fortune. Unfortunately, show admission
will still be 5 big ones.
In lieu of the
usual report of what's in my CD player, I am just going
to tell you that the other day at the book store, I
bought 2 books.
This might not
seem odd in and of itself except that the 2 books were
"The Art of War" by Sun-tzu and a book about
the real lives of pirates called, "Under the Black
Flag" by David Cordingly.
Does that mean
anything? It's gotta be worth something.
out.
[dt]
07/23/04
For those about to rock...FIRE!
Indeed...and whether
you're about to rock now or save it for a little later,
we certainly still salute you. It is worth noting, however,
that we here at Our Damn Academy firmly believe it is
of the utmost consequence to commit one's self to staying
wholly prepared to rock at a moment's notice, should
an event call for it...and sometimes even if it does
not.
Our good friend,
Amy Buchanan is one such person who rocked when the
moment called for it and helped us to gather a monster
load of radio related information. Amy, we salute you!
That said, we'd
like to take the time to report on at least a couple
of points of interest:
Firstly, the people
behind the Oxygen Channel's "Good Girls Don't"
have decided to use "Stop Engo" in yet another
episode. .
Secondly, the
management here came up with a great way for people
into the band to get more involved in helping to spread
the word. The idea has been wryly dubbed Our "Damn
Nation" by the largely inscrutable and even sometimes
incomparable, Stevehawkins. More detailed information
is available at www.ourdamnnation.com.
Lastly, of notable
mention is a show at McAuliffe's Pub, August 28th, featuring
our good friends, nay family, The MAHP. Don't miss out
on this one as it promises to be a good time with lots
of good music and that's what it's really all about
now, isn't it?
I might also remind
everyone of the always smart and fashionable gear available
in the STORE. By the way...wish we would make something
in particular? A certain color? Drop us a suggestion!
Again, we salute
you.
In Rotation:
John Vanderslice/Cellar
Door
Wilco/A Ghost Is Born
AC/DC/Back In Black
Beulah/When Your Heartstrings Break
31Knots/It Was High Time To Escape
PJ Harvey/Uh Huh Her
[dt]
07/05/04
AYE! Come all and feast yer deadlights.
Back from Pennsylvania.
Bloodied but unbowed, we were, boldly navigating the
deadly mettal testing waters of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Tollway.
Death hung low
to the tune of shoulderless hairpin turns forward the
prow, starboard mile-high drops and the constant threat
of falling rock all around. We persevered...on all through
the day...and on all through the night.
Now....that said.
Please take notice
to the brand new pixels on the site this month.
Firstly, we are
damn proud to introduce the first of our own damn Dammitwear
Collection: majestic logo'd T-Shirts and stickers to
wear on your body and stick to police cars with pride.
Please visit our STORE area for details!
Secondly, new
snaps and shots in the PHOTOS area, visually chronicling
mass volume induction and various other coarse acts
of rock marauding. Enjoy.
Thirdly, the REVIEWS
area has a couple of new pieces submitted for your approval...the
first, a record review done kindly by our local Shepard's
Express and, the second, a nice little album feature
from the Patriot News in Pa.
Chicago Gigs kindly
saw fit to feature us last week for the second time.
Chicago Gigs, we salute you!
The mail list
is now cleverly part of the page headers. If you haven't
signed up yet, please do so...it's painless and, best
of all, it serves as proof you are better than everyone
else. Snub the uninitiated with your signed allegiance
to your favorite rock and roll freebooters.
Oh...and umm...buy
our stuff. Please.
Over.
In Rotation:
Honestly, mostly
Dammithead demos of songs intended to make up a future
recording. A little "Monk's Music", sure.
But creativity is a jealous God. Yikes.
_________________________________
06/10/04
"Playing is not something I do at night, It's my
function in life."
Firstly, super
thanks to all who've kept up with us lately despite
my general lack of news updates.
The Dammitheads'
song "Stop Engo" is set to be featured in
the second episode of a new comedy on the Oxygen Network
called "Good Girls Don’t" which airs
on Friday, June 11th at 9pm/8C. It will air again Saturday,
June 12th at 2pm/1C, 2:30pm/1:30C, 10:30pm/9C &
Sunday June 13th at 1pm/12C, 9pm/8C, 9:30pm/8:30C.
You may have to
set your VCRs if you plan to catch the first airing
though, because we will be in Appleton with our good
friends, The Mahp at Mill Creek Blues and you might
want to join us! Show time 9:30pm.
You can check
out the REVIEWS page for a new review from Bettawreckonize
and a piece by Peter Brothum from the York Daily Record
in Pennsylvania about Our Damn Participation in The
Eighth Millennium Music Conference on Friday 6/25 at
Fisaga.
On a related note...700
bands were narrowed down to 38 and now it's up to YOU!
We are in the running to participate in Pennsylvania's
Pop In the Park and now we need your vote! Go HERE to
pull the lever.
And now for something
completely different...we made Buzz Kilman's May 7th
Top Ten Best Band Names List. What're gonna do, I guess...can't
offend everyone.
Lastly and very
sadly, this newsletter's subject line is a quote by
(and my own tribute to) one of Jazz music's finest,
Elvin Jones, who passed away on May 18th.
And I quote, "His
dedication and love of the drums was such that even
in the face of health problems he continued to mount
the drum stand, occasionally accompanied by an oxygen
tank."
Man.....man.
More info on Elvin
can be found HERE and HERE.
It for now....over
and up.
Rotation List:
David Bowie/Pinups
The Kills/Keep On Your Mean Side
Thelonius Monk/ Live at the It Club
Can/Tago Mago
John Coltrane/Live at The Village Vanguard
[dt]
_________________________________
04/26/04
Brought to You In Part By the Number 1...and the Letter
D.
So. Freeze...
has been out for almost 2 months and has continued to
garner good feedback many good people. Get it if you
ain't got it and definitely got if you ain't get it.
Also, be sure
to keep up on the Shows Page. This Friday at the Kaz
Bar with our peeps, The Mahp is still all systems nominal,
however, the May 2nd deal at Chubby Rain's is cancelled
and being rescheduled for a later date. Don't forget
about the May 12th
Meca conference show either...good times and more on
the way.
There are a couple
of new reviews and things to report as well. Delusions
of Adequacy was quite kind to us whereas some dude from
Splendid apparently didn't like my voice a whole lot.....what're
ya gonna do?
Watch out for
an interview/spotlight type thing in My Global Sound's
very fine online E-Zine next month as well.
I think that's
about it at the moment. Hold tight...more good news
is in the works.
In Rotation:
The Black Keys/thickfreakness
Joe Henry/Tiny Voices
Joe Henry/Fuse
Thelonius Monk/Straight No Chaser, the DVD.
Jay-Z/The Black Album
Prince/Musicology
And a bunch of new Dammitheads demos just for this month's
indie cred.
And.....I'm out.
[dt]
_________________________________
03/02/04
Freeze Motherstickers!
Much artwork drama
and several situations later, The Dammitheads' Freeze
Motherstickers... is finally all systems nominal and
ready for public consumption. If you haven't already
pre-ordered, please make sure to go HERE and order your
copy! It's still just $10 post paid and check/money
info has been added for those with personal aversions
to PayPal.
Pre-orders are,
of course, shipping as well and, again, I'd like to
thank everybody for hanging in there and either pre-ordering
or continuing to check back. Better late than never,
I suppose!
Freeze... will
also continue to stream for a while on the website for
all of your enjoyment.
In other news...the
Dammitheads' feature on Soulshine can be found HERE.
Good stuff!
In Rotation:
The Walkmen/Bows
and Arrows
Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Fever to Tell
John Coltrane/The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings
The Constantines/Shine A Light
John Vanderslice/Cellar Door
More later.....
[dt]
_________________________________
01/18/04
We’re Counting On You…*
Note: Due to a
situation involving the artwork for the record, the
release date has been moved to February 17. We apologize.
Thanks for your patience and keep checking back.
In the meantime,
the album will be streaming 24/7 in it’s entirety
on this website for all to sample and enjoy. May it
take root in your psyche and become the soundtrack to
your lives.
Also of positive
note is some of the feedback the record has already
been garnering. Check out the REVIEWS page for the latest
on that.
We are being featured
on Smother.net’s newest compilation entitled “Smother.net:
The Very Best of the Underground” which can be
gotten/read about HERE and HERE. All proceeds will be
donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Pick it up and check out some music your friends don’t
have while simultaneously helping to defend the individual
rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this
country.
A few of the songs
can also be heard charting on various web radio stations
broadcasting from literally all over the world. I just
did an interview for a feature/review on Soulshine.ca
out of Canada…look for that to be posted there/here
in the next few weeks as well.
Currently In Rotation:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Fever
to Tell
John Coltrane/The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings
John Coltrane/Interstellar Space
Those Peabodys/Unite Tonight
Paul Westerberg/Come Feel Me Tremble
(* This newsletter’s
subject refers to a line from an upcoming great record
by a band called the Walkmen….also out in February.
Check it out!)
____________________________________
11/23/03
Because It’s On Like Donkey Kong
Yep.
A classic reference
from the good ol’ days when Ice Cube was still
“Dealin’ wit the devil with his muthaf$#kin’
steel”.
But I digress.
I just thought
I’d drop a little reminder about a couple of things.
First off, the
release date of “Freeze Motherstickers…”
is steadily approaching…still January 13th. Pre-Orders
are still being taken on this site and will still ship
the day we get them here. You can probably expect some
sort of little release party sometime soon after. For
that, details are still in the works.
Secondly…we
hope to see you this Thanksgiving Eve (details below)
at McAulliffe’s. Everybody’s favorite Local
Lady, Betsy Ade, will be kicking off the night with
an -as usual- great solo set, followed by the Dammitheads
and finally…the incredible…The Lovlies.
NOVEMBER 26TH
McAuliffes Pub
3700 Meachem Road
Racine, WI 53405
262-554-9695
w/ THE LOVELIES
& Betsy Ade
(of Rainy Day Crush)
Hope to see everybody
there.
Currently In Rotation:
Atmosphere/Seven's
Travels
French Kicks/One Time Bells
The Cars/The Cars
The Constantines/Shine A Light
_________________________________
10/21/03
El Cabezas de Dammit!
OK….just
a couple of things.
Our Damn Website
has been undergoing some nips and tucks and those of
you who have had problems viewing it on different browsers
and operating systems should be all set now. If there
are still problems, please email and let us know.
Good news and
bad news….
The good news
is that the update includes some MP3s from the forthcoming
and oft mentioned “Freeze Motherstickers…”
record. That, of course, means that the record came
back from mastering with a clean bill of health. Thanks
to Mr. John Golden.
The bad news is
that the record will not be officially available until
January 13th. The artwork still needs a few touch ups
and the record needs to be pressed.
It’s worth
mentioning that “Freeze Motherstickers…”
can be pre-ordered from this site using PayPal….it’s
quick and painless. Pre-Orders will, of course, get
absolute priority and will ship the moment we get them
here. Pre-Order customers may also benefit from the
possibility that the record gets back to us ahead of
time…you may just get it before you know it!
So go check out
some MP3s from the record my man Norm III calls “DT’s
personal jihad on 'pop' music” and let me know
what you think….it’s been a process and
I’m glad it’s almost out there.
Records currently
in rotation around here:
The Stones: Exile on Main Street
The Stones: Sticky Fingers
The Clash: London Calling
Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Zykos: Comedy Horn
On until I say
so….
[dt]
_________________________________
09/15/03
We left San Francisco in ruins…
Well…sort
of…I mean it was sorta fuck’d up before
we even got there. It was nothing much to do with us,
I guess.
Progress, people…
The Dammitheads record, “Freeze Motherstickers…”
is officially mixed and in the process of being mastered
by John Golden. The actual release date is still a bit
uncertain for a couple of different reasons but there
will be songs available on the website as soon as it
comes back to us.
As some of you
know, the record was mixed in San Francisco at John
Vanderslice’s own Tiny Telephone studio by our
new pal Jay “the Russian Auger” Pellicci.
Jay is awesome…good dude and great engineer too!
We had a good
time there. The studio is quite cool and John and Jay
were very nice. John kept stopping by and telling us
we were his hereos and how much we rocked, rocked and
f’ing rocked…full of compliments as usual.
We talked of the virtues of home recording, studio mixing
and 50 Cent. His cell phone would blow up and he’d
be off, presumably, on some great adventure…like
picking up the old Plate Reverb he scored while we were
there.
Both John and
Jay’s bands will be on tour through here very
soon and I urge everyone to go and see both of them
if you can.
On a related note,
I will be doing a solo show Friday, Sept. 19th at Mill
Creek Blues in Appleton with Rainy Day Crush at about
9pm or so.
There should be
shows a bit more often now that the record is done so
please stay tuned for those and further info on the
record.
The site has also
been updated with photos from SF. Please be sure to
check ‘em out.
Till I say so…
[dt]
..................................................
06/19/03
Please send 5 or 6 of your best handclap samples…
hold the nuts.
Site Updates….about
time? Maybe.
At any rate….the
site…well, it’s been updated. Go ahead and
check out the MEDIA page if you don’t believe
me. You’ll find a few of the old demo mp3s still
there, a super dope set of photo slide shows, some fly
little videos of Steve and I recording guitars….and
one supahella fine little set of genuine Dammitheads
wallpapers that’ll have em’ all up ons,
for sure. Yep….so go ahead and indulge….we’ll
make more.
Oh….and
the record is getting nearer and nearer…in fact….never
mind, just stay posted.
Always remember
to ask yourself, “What would 50 do?”
WW50D,
[dt]
..................................................
4/11/03
The Rock and Roller Coaster
First off....
I apologize that parts of this news installment will
undoubtedly seem redundant to some of the peeps on the
mailing list but there are some new names on said list
and I wanted to make the news page on the site reflect
these emails.
The record seems
to finally be taking shape... Steve and I have been
pretty diligently working on it and I think we're both
pretty pleased with way things are coming along. My
man Drew from www.toothpastefordinner.com did some great
paintings for me that will be the basis for the CD artwork.
Check his stuff out... the guy is brilliant!
The official working
title for the record is "Freeze, Motherstickers...
(...This is a Fuck Up"). It's being tracked completely
at our own Hey! Low Sound System and will be mixed at
John Vanderslice's own Tiny Telephone Studio out in
California in the fall. Should be fun! I just want to
get it done and get playing out more.... this working
thing is for suckers!
I was actually
thinking of adding a studio log documenting the pitfalls,
mishaps, and failures of the process of recording the
record but I don't know if anyone would read it besides
Steve! We'll see....maybe......
Anyway....keep
checking in and watch that shows page! I seem to take
them as they come....not very organized of me but somewhat
Rock and Roll to say the least.
Somewhat Rock
and Roll,
[dt]
..................................................
3/03/03
The Art of Living Up...
Welcome to Our
Damn Website....The Dammithead Connection....Home of
the D-Funk...The Bomb...Comin' for to carry you home.
Yeah...the dust
is still settling...we're filling in the blanks and
fixing the leaks the best we can for the moment. The
site will expand with some extra things very soon so
stay tuned to this page. You can also sign up on the
email list to get the up to the minute word. Help yourself
to the Ext. page while you're here.
I've had several
inquiries recently about what we're up to and if we're
going to do shows anytime soon. Right now the emphasis
seems to be on finally getting some product to the people
so it's mostly recording and writing and recording some
more but we're kind of hoping do a few shows here and
there in the meantime, either as a full group, Steve
and I or just myself. It's kind of up in the air but
this is definitely the place to find that stuff out
as it comes together.
In the interim,
tune in here for frequent updates on the process of
recording, the art of rocking, and general musings on
life itself.
Dave out........ |
