The Damnwells NEXT RECORD

From The Damnwells:

"First, thanks to all of you who have downloaded and continue to download our record, One Last Century [reviewed here on BMF]. It’s been a great experience for us to be able to connect directly with our fans, as well as make some new ones. Thank you all for your continued support. Consider One Last Century as our gift to you, though really it’s just payback for all the great support you’ve given us over the years.

As we embark on a new recording project, we need to ask for your help. Bands rely on their fans. You’re the people who come to the shows, buy us drinks, sing along, and make us feel pretty. The Damnwells need to take that one step further. Don’t worry; you can keep your clothes on (for now, anyway). What we need is your help in making our next record. We’ve recently partnered up with Pledge Music, an organization that helps independent bands raise the money necessary to make records. What’s so great about Pledge is that not only do they help independent bands get their records made, they also donate 10% of the money tallied to charity.

Here’s how it works. By pledging your donation here (http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/90), you will not only be able to directly assist in making this new record, you will also have access to EXCLUSIVE Damnwells b-sides, video posts, blogs, photos, not to mention helping fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. For this project, we’ve decided to offer 10% to The Global Fund, a humanitarian organization committed to providing much-needed resources for the prevention and treatment of these devastating diseases. Oh, and you also get to download the record once it’s done.

But wait! That’s not all! (cue Vanna White.)

Check out the “Exclusives” section on our home page for, well, exclusive opportunities. Get your name in the credits. Come hang out for a rehearsal. Have us come play your house. Go nuts!

For now, head to the site and enjoy a free download, a little taste of what you’ll have access to when you pledge. The song is called “Death Defier,” and I suppose it embodies some of what we’re talking about here. (Click on the “download” button at the bottom of the page to get it.)

Help us continue to make music and maybe, possibly, really change some lives.
Fans, this one’s for you.

Love, as always,

The Damnwells

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/90

Review: The Damnwells "One Last Century"

"As of February 10, 2009, Paste Magazine will be offering the new Damnwells record, One Last Century, for free download from their website. Go to www.pastemagazine.com/thedamnwells and download the record for free.

A few words regarding this free record.

I suppose the hardest thing to explain to people is why I’m giving this record away. “You’re just going to give it away?” seems antithetical to the human brain. “Is this just a bunch of b-sides or something? Some ‘give away’ material you don’t mind releasing into the ether?” No. Quite the contrary. I have never worked so hard or put so much of myself into a collection of recorded songs. It is for just this reason that I want to give it away. To me it makes perfect sense. I just want people to hear this music, and I don’t want them to have to enter into some kind of contractual agreement with a third party to do so. Download the record, copy it and give it to your friends, lovers, and enemies. Whatever. It’s so hard these days just to get the actual music into people’s houses and cars, let alone their ears. Besides, I know everyone’s broke, maybe I can supply the soundtrack. So, I just want to give this music away because I want people to hear it. I should have done this years ago. I’m starting over.

Enjoy, Alex Dezen"

BMF: Wow - a FREE record from a marvelous band! This is becoming more and more common (yeah!), so the questions that now emerge are: is it worth my time and is it worth taking up space on my hard drive? In the case of The Damnwells, the answer to both of these questions is an enthusiastic YES! For those not aware, The Damnwells are rapidly rising as the premier acoustic-based rock band. Fans of artists like The Jayhawks and Wilco are going to fall in love with The Damnwells. "One Last Century" is full of timeless, easy-going jangle pop and folk rock that is both melodic and lyrically engaging.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

The Damnwells on MySpace. Official site.