The Damnwells’ latest album is self-titled for a good reason: It’s the first to include the original quartet since 2006. That was the year Epic dropped the band after a hellish 18 months of two-faced A&R nonsense, endless remixes and postponed release dates. On The Damnwells, the chemistry remains fully charged between frontman Alex Dezen, guitarist David Chernis, bassist Ted Hudson and drummer Steve Terry. Recorded at Texas Treefort Studio in Austin with producer Salim Nourallah (Old 97’s), its 11 tracks ooze a relentless swagger born of perseverance. Dezen will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on the band.
Dezen: With little interruption, I’ve been wearing various pairs of high-top SK8-HI Vans for 25 years. Usually, the navy/white is my go-to, but in a moment of weakness in my 20s, I did own the camouflage iteration, which now darken the back of my closet. I wasn’t even a skater when I bought my first pair. In fact, when I was a skater, I never wore these on my board. The rubber edge was too dense, always getting caught on the board grip when I would try any tricks, sending me on my ass and the board sailing into the middle of Flatbush Avenue. Besides all that, they are the perfect most-weather shoe. They’re even good in a little rain and snow. Plus, Ian MacKaye wore a pair of the low-tops on the cover of Minor Threat’s Salad Days EP, and that song/band/man changed my life.
Video after the jump.
