In a world of mediocre cover bands and auto-tuned popstars, Alex Dezen is a reliable source for great music. In short, Alex Dezen is a rockstar. Lead singer/guitarist of the Brooklyn-based rock band, The Damnwells, Dezen packs each song with poetry, cliche’less love, and intrigue. Fans of The Nadas will quickly identify with The Damnwells music as Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith have been covering the musical gems “Kiss Catastrophe” and “I Am A Leaver” for years.

In 2001, Dezen made the move from photo assistant to musician. Six flawless albums, one major record label deal, and an award-winning rock’umentary later, Dezen and The Damnwells continue to define what good music is. A total of twenty talented souls have lent their musical skills to the Damnwell family over the last decade but ...]]> “The Damnwells are a musical group revolving primarily around the songwriting efforts of Alex Dezen.” – TheDamnwells.com

In a world of mediocre cover bands and auto-tuned popstars, Alex Dezen is a reliable source for great music. In short, Alex Dezen is a rockstar. Lead singer/guitarist of the Brooklyn-based rock band, The Damnwells, Dezen packs each song with poetry, cliche’less love, and intrigue. Fans of The Nadas will quickly identify with The Damnwells music as Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith have been covering the musical gems “Kiss Catastrophe” and “I Am A Leaver” for years.

In 2001, Dezen made the move from photo assistant to musician. Six flawless albums, one major record label deal, and an award-winning rock’umentary later, Dezen and The Damnwells continue to define what good music is. A total of twenty talented souls have lent their musical skills to the Damnwell family over the last decade but Dezen remains the constant leader of the pack, and we remain his loyal fans.

The Damnwells released their latest album, “No One Listens to the Band Anymore” on March 15, 2011. In the following weeks the album found a home on Billboard’s Top 200, climbed the iTunes Best Seller Charts, was deemed “buzzworthy” by MTV, and has appeared consistently on my personal Top 3 #LastFM Artist plays.

Recently Alex chatted with me on some of his tour downtime. Here are the highlights of our conversation:

Emma: When did you first start playing music?
Alex: I started playing music when I was probably like eight years old. I didn’t have a musical instrument yet but I did have the name of a song: DEFCON 4. See I thought DEFCON 4 meant “war is imminent” so it was a good rock song name. But DEFCON 4 actually means “we are at peace”– I just didn’t get it.

E: So DEFCON 4 was your first song, but you didn’t have an instrument?
A: I had a tennis racket for a guitar and then pots and pans and stuff for drums.

E: When did you get your first guitar?
A: I was in Scranton, Pennsylvania and I was living there for a brief period of time. I got a Stratacaster-type guitar and a little amplifier. That was when I was 9 or 10. And since I was in a play at the time, I bought the guitar and amp myself.

E: The Damnwells were born in 2001. What bands happened between Death Con Four and The Damnwells?
A: The first band I officially joined already had two guitar players but I really wanted to be in that band so I kind of pushed myself on them. I kept saying “we should probably have three guitar players”. That was a punk band called “57 Blankness” and we really had three guitar players. (laughs) I don’t even know what “57 Blankness” means.

The next band I was in was called “Liedke”. It was very conceptual, more of a progressive group. No body sang. I guess we just wanted to be like the bands that we really liked…(laughs) I keep wanting to say we were like Pearl Jam but we didn’t even like Pearl Jam so we definitely weren’t like Pearl Jam.

E: And then The Damnwells. How did that band come to be?
A: Ted Hudson and I met in college. We were living in the same dorm. We were two of four men on all of the northern part of campus so we spent a lot of time trying to impress girls. Then Steve and Dave, both original members who are no longer in the band– I met them when I was living in New York, trying to put a band together.

E: How would you describe The Damnwells to someone who hasn’t heard your band before?
A: Rock and roll. I try to not over explain it. That’s like trying to describe sex to someone, y’know?

E: So where do you get the songwriting inspiration for your rock and roll?
A: It comes from all over the place. I’m always just kind of writing about stuff that I think is interesting I guess. It’s usually about me in some capacity. I don’t write things very literal though– it’s all kind of what my friend calls “emotional landscaping.” Words that describe feelings and emotions and stuff– and I always try to avoid the cliche. There’s a lot of interesting stuff that falls around a cliche, stuff worth touching on. I guess I take that and I make a point to make the music interesting to me. As long as it’s interesting to me, then I think that I’ve done what my fans expect. I often hear from people, when I am talking about my songs with them, they’ll say “man, I love the lyrics in that song. I have no idea what they mean but I love them.” To that I kind of take a bow but I also wonder if maybe I should start explaining it better.

E: Before this album, you were signed to a record label. What can you tell me about that venture? Be as lengthy or brief as you like.
A: It was definitely very helpful to be on a major record label. People think they’re the devil. And they are the devil just as much as money is the devil. They’re just the messenger among many other messengers. They gave us a record budget, paid for a bunch of gear, and were incredible. The problem with major record labels is they tell you one thing and then they do the other. I imagine it’s like that in any business. But I’m not a business man. It’s pretty depressing to see them say “before we signed, we want to develop your band over many records,” but then they said, day before we went in to make Air Stereo, the guy was like “I want you to sell a million records. That’s what we do here.” So I kind of ignored him and after we turned the record in, we had to go back and recut two songs twice. But they just were trying to turn us into something that we weren’t. And the thing is, as soon as you guess what people want to hear, you start to ruin the nuances and what’s interesting about the music.

E: So you are on the road touring “No One Listens to the Band Anymore” — what is your favorite thing about the touring life?
A: My favorite thing is going home and my least favorite thing is touring.

E: That’s awesome. So I know what I take away from your music. What do you hope that your fans take away from listening to you?
A: It’s always the same thing. To be moved in some way that cannot be explained. To be affected. I try to affect people in some way because that’s what music always did to me.

The latest album from The Damnwells proclaims that “No One Listens to the Band Anymore.” With a successful Pledge Music campaign that empowered fans to raise 119% more than the initial goal established, it is clear that when it comes to The Damnwells– a strong, loyal fandom continues to support and appreciate what Dezen brings to the table. His dedication to songwriting and rock’n'roll style sets Dezen and The Damnwells far above the musical market offerings. It is his unique talent and ability to captivate since the turn of the century that keeps Alex Dezen and The Damnwells on our radar.

In support of James and his family, we are offering the compilation album “…and, James”. All proceeds from your purchase of “…and, James” will go to James Biehn and his family. Please go to jamesbiehnbenefit.com for more information on how you can help a great man in such an important time.

Anybody who has seen James perform knows he is one of the most talented musicians and instructors in the region. ...]]> James Biehn has earned fans around the state and across the country not only for his amazing talent as a musician and teacher, but for his easy going demeanor, friendly smile and willingness to help anyone in need. Recently, James, a husband, father, self-employed musician and small-business owner, was diagnosed with lymphoma. The Des Moines community is pulling together to provide support for James and his family as they are facing financial hardship while he fights this illness.

In support of James and his family, we are offering the compilation album “…and, James”. All proceeds from your purchase of “…and, James” will go to James Biehn and his family. Please go to jamesbiehnbenefit.com for more information on how you can help a great man in such an important time.

Anybody who has seen James perform knows he is one of the most talented musicians and instructors in the region. It’s such a universal opinion that James is often THEE go-to by other musicians and songwriters to perform on their record. When you’re listening to some of your other Des Moines favorites, a lot of times, you are listening to James Biehn too.

In addition to performing in bands and as a solo artist around Central Iowa, James has taught hundreds of students of all ages to appreciate music and encouraged them to create their own. As founder of the Central Iowa Music Lab, James has provided a professional training ground for future musicians and created opportunities for other musicians to share their passion with students.

If you’re a fan of James, you won’t be surprised to hear all the different styles represented on this complication disc, entitled “…and, James”.

This compilation album is just a snapshot of what he has done over his career. From Pop/Rock to Country – here are some songs that all have a touch of James magic…

1. Strike Me Down – The McKenzies
2. Do Right – Bonne Finken
3. Greed – Mary McAdams
4. Feel Better – The Nadas
5. Maya – Hyde Park
6. Crash My Monday – The McKenzies
7. Possibly Impossible – Bonne Finken
8. Sonny Liston – Soapbox Prophets
9. Carve Your Name – The Nadas
10. Bubbles – Mary McAdams
11. Apartment Zero – Soapbox Prophets
12. Sweetness – Bonne Finken
13. Snozberry – Hyde Park
14. Clear – The Nadas
15. Little Sister – The McKenzies
16. Found My Cure – Mary McAdams
17. Ghost of the Ocean – The McKenzies

Buy “…and, James” now.

By the ...]]> During multiple trips to Austin, TX for the annual SXSW (Professional conference equivalent for the Music & Film Industry), we get the opportunity to see tons of music. some we have heard and are already fans of, some we run across and become fans of. First time I came across this band, Uncle Lucius from South Austin, TX, was on the way home after a weekend of fun (I mean professional conferencing). They were actually set up in the airport terminal jamming. Where else in the world other than Austin can you find a live band playing in the airport terminal? Well anyway, I had the chance to hear a couple of songs before I boarded the plane for home. Thought they were really good, so I looked them up online, bought a couple of songs, and pencilled them in as a must see for next year’s SXSW.

By the following year, I had already downloaded as many of their songs that I could, and was hooked. We all discuss at the beginning of SXSW, who everyone wants to see. Uncle Lucius was the only thing on my list. One midnight, we went to see them play at a local hole in the wall and they did not disappoint. These guys are old school cool. When you see them take the stage, you can’t help to think to yourself “These guys are rock stars”. Not only are they rock stars, some of the friendliest wholesome musicians you will find anywhere, simply put, really nice guys.

Made up of Kevin Galloway on vocals and rhythm guitar, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar, harmonica and vocals, Hal Vorpahl on bass and pulled together by Josh Greco on drums, Uncle Lucius has a sound remnant of 1970′s southern rock with a modern twist that you do not hear on the radio today, a sound that could be compared to the Black Crowes and make the Allman Brothers proud.

There first album from 2006 Something They Ain’t, gives the listener a chance to break into their unique sound with great vocals and guitar licks. The lyrics to Liquor Store make you have flash backs to the south in the 70′s. I am not sure if Kevin lived that life or not, but his soulful delivery makes you think he did. 97 Reasons will make you get up off your couch and move a bit, the number one reason is some really cool guitar playing by Mike Carpenter.

The most recent studio record from 2009′s Pick Your Head Up shows the quick evolution and maturity of the band after three years of playing together. The second track off of that album, Everybody Got Soul, is the band’s mantra. They have soul, and after you here it live, you too will have soul!! I have never been to San Bernardino, but the song by that title really shows that UL can slow it down and let the lyrics and rhythm shine through. Makes you want to get in the car and drive west. Probably the most radio friendly song, Ain’t It the Same brings out lyrics that we all have felt like saying for years.

In 2010, the band recorded a live show at the world renowned Saxon Pub, entitled appropriately Live From the Saxon Pub.
This album showcases the “Soul” that the band has and gives you an idea of how really entertaining they are live. Mike Carpenter gets to show off his vocal chords on Fire On The Rooftop, a live favorite. The album finishes you off with a 15 minute version of Liquor Store allowing Hal, Josh and Mike to show some mad skills that makes you keep coming back for more.

Recently the fellas headed up to the mountains of East Tennessee to hide out and write some new stuff. Be looking for the next album to come out soon, we are sure it will be a good one.

Another reason we love these guys at Authentic, is they are going all out. They have been hitting the road for the last year easily playing more than 150 shows, from New York to California and back to Texas again. Try and get out and show ‘em some love when they play in your town, tell them Authentic sent you. The only way a band can make it these days is if people show up to watch them play and buy some merchandise.

The band first began in 2007 with the name Joey is Just an Alias, and from that evolved into Foxboro this past January. In addition to Jeff Oatts, the band consists ...]]> Foxboro is an exciting new band making a big noise in Des Moines. Made up primarily of music majors from colleges all around the country, the band’s excellent songwriting abilities and superb musicianship help them to create music that is funky and fresh. When asked to describe their music, drummer Jeff Oatts has this to say: “We have never been able to place a genre to our music, so we just call our music Progressive Funk. Our live shows can best be summed up as FUN(ky).” These shows have been creating quite a following for the band, and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to check one out. You will not be disappointed by Foxboro’s high energy entertainment.

The band first began in 2007 with the name Joey is Just an Alias, and from that evolved into Foxboro this past January. In addition to Jeff Oatts, the band consists of Chris Oatts (woodwinds and vocals), Eric Oatts (tenor sax), Travis Patton (electric fiddle), Dan Kristan (bass), JT Minor (guitar), and John Cheatem (lead vocals). The nontraditional instrumentation gives the band a unique and refreshing sound, in a time when so much music sounds the same. Foxboro just finished recording their first album, “Time to Say Hello,” which they hope to release this August. It will be made up of seven original songs, each very different from the others. You can check out Facebook for news about the band, and info about their CD release party in August.

Review Written By: Ralph Roberts

Arin was born in Lexington, South Carolina but grew up in Ankeny, Iowa. These locations are reflected beautifully in each note as her ...]]> The first time I listened to Arin Eaton’s (aka Elizabeth Arynn) music, it occurred to me immediately that she was a talented singer, piano-player, and poet. Her songs tell the story of taking chances, moving across the country, and standing strong even when you find yourself alone in South Carolina while your family and friends remain in Iowa. With a voice reminiscent of artists Regina Spektor and Ingrid Michaelson, you will swear you have already been listening to Arin for years on shows like Grey’s Anatomy. Though she shares that songbird appeal that both Spektor and Michaelson are known for, Arin boasts a unique performance independently and diversifies her sound when accompanied by Scott Yoshimura on vocals.

Arin was born in Lexington, South Carolina but grew up in Ankeny, Iowa. These locations are reflected beautifully in each note as her sound is infused with a laid-back, middle US attitude that you could listen to, on repeat, for days. Unfortunately for us, Arin’s first EP will not be available until this September.

The Nadas are no strangers to our cameras, as we welcomed them on the bus for our first outing to Memphis for coverage of Folk Alliance in 2009. And they brought booze, rye whiskey, I believe. I was not a rye drinker until that moment, but I saw the light!

The guys formed at college in Ames, Iowa in 1995. By 2001, they were heralded by Playboy Magazine as “The Best College Band You’ve Never Heard Of.” After 16 years together, Mike Butterworth (vocals, guitar) and Jason Walsmith (vocals, guitar) have recently released their 7th album, Almanac, a year-long project, during which they wrote, recorded and released a new song each month, crafting a portrait of 2009. What’s more, every step of the process was streamed live on the ...]]>

The Nadas “Drink It ’til It’s Gone” by Jessie Scott for Music Fog

The Nadas are no strangers to our cameras, as we welcomed them on the bus for our first outing to Memphis for coverage of Folk Alliance in 2009. And they brought booze, rye whiskey, I believe. I was not a rye drinker until that moment, but I saw the light!

The guys formed at college in Ames, Iowa in 1995. By 2001, they were heralded by Playboy Magazine as “The Best College Band You’ve Never Heard Of.” After 16 years together, Mike Butterworth (vocals, guitar) and Jason Walsmith (vocals, guitar) have recently released their 7th album, Almanac, a year-long project, during which they wrote, recorded and released a new song each month, crafting a portrait of 2009. What’s more, every step of the process was streamed live on the band’s website, delivering unprecedented access to the creative process. Fans were allowed to offer critique on everything from lyrics to instruments, and some of the suggestions were even incorporated into The Nadas’ music. In September of 2009, select fans that had joined the Almanac project were extended an exclusive invitation to a special songwriting session to write that month’s addition to this most unique album. That’s brave and head’s up stuff indeed, but it doesn’t surprise us that they are embracing social networking in such an interactive way, as The Nadas were our Twitter spiritual guides early on.

“We started The Nadas sixteen years ago with just a couple of songs, a van and a newsletter, then grew a community from there,” said Walsmith. “The tools we have now to communicate with and build that community are crazy. But it’s still about the songs, and our fans. They’re why we do this.” Music Fog, as fans, invited them back for a session on the Threadgill’s stage in Austin, TX this past March. And what do you know, they gave us a drinking song!

Des-Moines based rock band The Nadas just released their seventh album, Almanac. The record is fantastic, filled with one alluring folk-country tune after the next. The album was written and recorded virtually live, giving fans a chance to watch the band’s every move via a live stream on their website. Not only that, the band released one song per month throughout 2009, wetting listeners’ pallets for when the album dropped on March 16th. The Nadas- ...]]> The Nadas latest release Almanac is slowly but surely starting to garner the attention of the media, and Laura McDonald from the Denver Music Examiner hopped on the bandwagon to get the latest on what the band is up to as well as how the process of writing and recording a song each month effected the band’s creative process.

Intervivew with unique rockers The Nadas by Laura McDonald for the Denver Music Examiner

Des-Moines based rock band The Nadas just released their seventh album, Almanac. The record is fantastic, filled with one alluring folk-country tune after the next. The album was written and recorded virtually live, giving fans a chance to watch the band’s every move via a live stream on their website. Not only that, the band released one song per month throughout 2009, wetting listeners’ pallets for when the album dropped on March 16th. The Nadas- Mike Butterworth (vocals/guitar), Jason Walsmith (vocals/guitar), Jon Locker (bass), Jason Smith (drums), and Becca Smith (violin)- recently passed through Denver on their way to SXSW. I got a chance to talk to Walsmith about the new music, their online communmity, and how they use their musician status to help those in need.

The Nadas’ home is in Iowa and they have a large and loyal fanbase there. But Denver has always been good to them. “Colorado sort of rivals Iowa,” Walsmith tells me. “Denver is a great place for us. It’s just full of music fans.”

The Nadas’ new album was just officially released, but they have been slowly releasing one song per month over the course of the past year. The approach is unique and so is the music. Bigger and fuller than their previous albums, Walsmith explains that the new music on Almanac flowed naturally from the band. “I think it was a natural progression,” he says. “But I don’t think it’s necessarily going to get bigger every time. I fully expect there to be an acoustic record next, but you never know. We have a lot of new friends that are great musicians that were hanging out in the studio that helped us make this record and I think that’s part of what you hear. There were several songs where we went in and were like ‘Ok we’re just going to do a stripped down, simple version’ and then two weeks later it’s got full orchestration and strings and all kinds of stuff.”

The band streamed the entire recording process live from the studio. The idea to approach it in this unconventional way just sort of happened. “I don’t think it’s necessarily revolutionary in its pieces, but the way that it was all put together I think is pretty unique,” Walsmith says. “We’ve been streaming our shows for a long time and streaming goofy stuff, like going down the road in the bus or breakfast in some weird diner, and so we kind of were doing that anyway. We thought that it might be an interesting peek at the process.”

In the beginning it was unnerving for the band to be constantly under the watch of their fans. “At first it was really scary because writing a song is not necessarily that pretty of a process,” Walsmith admits. “It’s sort of like when you’re drawing a picture and it doesn’t really make sense until you get mostly finished with it.” But the fans were patient and supportive. “Our fans were pretty understanding,” Walsmith continues. “Not everybody would enjoy watching that, but the people who did get into it enjoyed it and were forgiving in the process. Same thing goes with recording, the first time I’m singing some of those parts it’s pretty sketchy and I sometimes sound like a prepubescent boy in choir. It’s really scary but people were cool about it and we got used to it. It ended up influencing the project in a good way, just kind of feeding us this energy off people who are interested.”

Fans of The Nadas interjected their thoughts during the process, but the band didn’t let listener comments run the show. “We really tried to ignore that as much as possible,” Walsmith reveals. “We enjoyed the interaction, but we also tried to discourage and ignore input for the most part because it wasn’t necessarily about that.” He pauses to think. “I will say that a couple of times the feedback influenced us, especially one song in a major way,” he reveals. “We were writing another down-trodden, sad song and all the people online were like ‘Come on, enough of this already, write a happy song!’ So we instantly cranked out a happy song for the month. And that’s why that song is on there.”

The Nadas have built themselves a flourishing online community and are thankful for what the internet has done to bring the band and their fans together. “Our community, between ourselves and our fans, has always been the biggest part of our band,” Walsmith relays. “Social media networks allow that community to thrive and interact around the country, not just one show at a time. I’ve sort of turned into a geek with it and spend way too much time on Twitter and Facebook.” Walsmith doesn’t see much of a downside in the online world. “It’s sort of distracting sometimes,” he offers. “Sometimes I wish I could unplug, sit with a guitar, and just be a musician.”

The Nadas recently reworked and rereleased the song “Wrecking Ball” and are selling for $1 to raise money to help rebuild Haiti. “The catastrophe and tragedy inspired us to do it,” Walsmith laments. “We’re in a unique position where we have people’s attention for entertainment, but sometimes it can be helpful and purposeful. All we really have to give is music and people know they can go directly and donate anyway, but this way allows us to help raise awareness and attention.” Benefiting Haiti is not the only charity work that The Nadas take part in. “We always try to get involved when things like that happen,” Walsmith adds. “There’s not a whole lot you can do as an independent working band, but that’s one thing we can do. And that song just seemed eerily appropriate. I think the new version that’s not on the record is the better version. It took it from being a poppy song to being a heartfelt, emotional song. I hope people get a chance to hear it.”

The Nadas down-to-earth, hard-working approach to rock and roll is refreshing and so is their music. If you feel like your lacking something in your life, pick yourself up a copy of Almanac by The Nadas and let them make you whole again.