Last year around this time, Alex Dezen of The Damnwells wrote on the band’s MySpace blog that he was busy recording some new songs in Mississippi with the band’s former manager Wes Kidd (ex-Triple Fast Action) overseeing things. With the depatures of drummer Steven Terry and guitarist Dave Chernis, and with bassist Ted Hudson seemingly giving up the rock n’ roll lifestyle for a paying career, it seemed as if the music Dezen was recording was destined to be a solo album. But, as Dezen told me earlier tonight, there never really was the thought of releasing the stuff he had been recording under just his name. Regardless of who is playing in the band and/or contributing to the songs, it’ll always be The Damnwells in name.
It came as a shock then to learn just a few short weeks ago that The Damnwells were going to forgo the traditional label route and, instead, partner with Paste Magazine to give away … yes, I said ‘give away’ … the new CD, One Last Century, for free on the Paste Magazine website starting Tuesday, February 10. The Damnwells aren’t the first band to give away music but Alex has always had interesting ideas about how to get the music he writes out to the masses and he’s interested to see how this whole experiment goes.
While I’ve had the CD for a little over a month now (it pays to know people within The Damnwells camp), I’m going to hold off on a review of the CD until a later date. I’d rather you check it out for yourselves, without hearing any of my opinions, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
Take a listen to what Alex had to say just a few short hours before the on-line release of One Last Century. The interview is just shy of 40 minutes.
DOWNLOAD: The Damnwells – One Last Century
DOWNLOAD: The AtomicNed.com exclusive Alex Dezen interview
Thanks for this. I am enjoying the new album.