Twin/Tone Records

Das Damen

Das Damen is Jim Walters (guitar, vocals), Alex Totino (guitar, vocals), Dave Motamed (bass) and Lyle Hysen (drums). Lyle and Alex formed the band in late 1984, after the demise of their punk rock band, The Misguided. They hooked up with Jim while they were all attending New York University. Dave Mo (for short) was the original Damen bass player, but he was soon replaced by Phil Von Trapp (or whatever he happened to be calling himseif that day).

They gigged around New York, building a name for themselves. They somehow managed to be very New York, without sounding like a New York Band. Go figure. Damen had too many admittedly (at the time) uncool influences. Sixties psychedelia? Ugh. Seventies hard rock? lck. British new wave/punk pop? Passe. Now they can thumb their noses. But they're too nice to do that.

Damen's first release came out in early 1986, a seif-titled EP on the Ecstatic Peace label. They put up all the money and did all the work, which garnered them their first US tour, fanzine and distributor attention, and a deal with SST.

SST re-released the eponymous EP, and the band toured. They released their first album (Jupiter Eye), and the band toured. They released their second album (Triskaidekaphobe), and the band toured. They released another EP (Marshmellow Conspiracy), and the band toured. Then the shit hit the fan. You all know the story -- how Michael Jackson caught wind of the "Magical Mystery Tour" cover on said EP (cleverly re-titled "Song for Michael Jackson to Sell"), scrunched his little plastic face up, threw a little snit fit, and sicced his lawyers on them. Don't think this was all a publicity stunt either -- who do you think these guys are, Negativeland? (The EP is still available, just without the offending song.) And the band toured Europe to heaps of attention from the British press.

Meanwhile bassist Phil was hanging around without really digging that Rock thing (even the Damen version), and he left the band earlier this year. Dave returned to the fold, and all of a sudden it clicked. Cohesion -- personally, visually and musically. With the release of their new album, Mousetrap, you'll see what we mean. For those of you who dig the Damen wig, we think you'll be very happy. For those of you who don't get it yet, just give this record an objective listen. We think you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

A little make-up, a little leather, and Das Damen might almost look like a typical rock and roll band.

But they're not. Thank god.

- from a 1989 Twin/Tone bio