Das Damen
| Das Damen | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, New York, USA |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1984–1991 |
| Labels | Ecstatic Peace, SST, Twin/Tone, City Slang, Sub Pop |
| Associated acts | Cell Arthur Lee (Love) Roy Loney (Flamin' Groovies) |
| Past members |
Jim Walters Alex Totino Phil Leopold von Trapp Lyle Hysen David Motamed |
Das Damen was an alternative rock band from New York City, United States, formed in 1984. The band released several albums before splitting up in 1991. The band's name is fake German and allegedly translates to "the ladies" (the correct German form would be Die Damen).
History
The band was formed in the 1984 by Jim Walters (vocals, guitar), Alex Totino (guitar, vocals), Phil Leopold von Trapp (bass guitar, vocals), and Lyle Hysen (drums). Totino and Hysen were previously in the New York Hardcore punk band, The Misguided. They released their eponymous debut album on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label in 1986.[1] They subsequently signed to SST Records and released Jupiter Eye in 1987, which has been described as "quasi-hardcore that touched on MC5-like garage psychedelia".[1] A third album, Triskaidekaphobe (which featured Wayne Kramer of MC5 on guitar), and the Marshmellow Conspiracy EP (which was withdrawn when it was discovered that the track "Song for Michael Jackson to $ell" was in fact an uncredited version of The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour", and later reissued without the track) followed in 1998 before they left SST.[2] The band's next release was the 1989 album Mousetrap, on the Twin/Tone label. Von Trapp left to be replaced by David Motamed, and the band then moved on to City Slang for the live album Entertaining Friends, recorded at CBGB, and their final release was the High Anxiety mini-set in July 1991, co-released by City Slang and Sub Pop.[1]
Musical style
Ira Robbins of Trouser Press described the band's debut as "six badly mixed long songs that are noisy but fun".[2] They mixed alternative rock with metal, psychedelic rock, and acid rock.[3]
Discography
Albums
- Das Damen (1986), Ecstatic Peace
- Jupiter Eye (1987), SST
- Triskaidekaphobe (1988), SST
- Mousetrap (1989), Twin/Tone
- Entertaining Friends (live) (1990), City Slang
- High Anxiety mini (1991), City Slang/Sub Pop
Singles, EPs
- Marshmellow Conspiracy EP (1988), SST
- "Noon Daylight" (1989), What Goes On / Twin/Tone (UK Indie No. 12)[4]
- "Sad Mile" / "Making Time" (1989), Sub Pop - Sub Pop Singles Club release
References
- 1 2 3 4 Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 876
- 1 2 Robbins, Ira "Das Damen", Trouser Press, retrieved 9 January 2010
- ↑ Huey, Steve "Das Damen Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation, retrieved 9 January 2010
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1998) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 59