Week 40: Damn Right!
Welcome back, friends!
It’s a new week here on 4BB Weekly – Week 40 to be exact. And we thought this would be a good time to try something new…literally new – as in brand spanking current and right now!
We are really proud to present long-time friends and followers, Damn! and their 4BB exclusive “Headstone EP” – six damn fabulous tracks…five of them from their latest album “Let’s Zoom In” (their third or fourth album, depending one how you count) and one previously unreleased track, the unfinished outtake “I Wanna Know”!
I’ve been following this (surprisingly enough) Swedish funk outfit for at least 15 years – after having had the pleasure of experiencing the pre-Damn! band Agurk Players in a steamed up festival tent…which included like half of today’s line-up. Already back then, an hour into the concert everybody in the audience knew that these guys were gonna go places – or we all hoped so at least.
Fast forward to 2008, when I asked Svante (lead vocals, guitars and percussion) if Damn! couldn’t do something special for the 4BB Beat Competition…he promptly and politely replied that they would have loved to participate, but that they were kept busy alternately touring or recording in the studio – what later would become the “Let’s Zoom In” album. A week or so later, he sent me a demo of a track called “Headstone”…and I was blown away! Some seriously laid back, horn driven soulfunk…just the way we like it.
So why not pause right here, and let you all get acquainted with that Damn! sound. Here’s a short preview clip from the EP title cut – try it on for size:
Awesome, right?! Now, here’s some useful information taken from the label press release that came with the “Let’s Zoom In” album release:
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Damn! was formed already back in 1995 – but really started out more as a club at the famous venue, Mejeriet in Lund – and at Fredmans in Malmö, Sweden.
Svante Lodén, Måns Block and Måns Mernsten took turns as DJs, along with their own instruments; drums, percussion, synths and rhodes. Not long after, Erik Hjärpe joined Damn! from hiphop group Poetized. Some nights they even called in the Hello Bobbadee horn section (Sven Andersson – saxophone, Petter Lindgård – trumpet, Jens Lindgård – trombone). As well as the bassist Gustav Lindroth (also from Poetized). These are the eight members of Damn! today.
The first album, “Natural Sounds” was made in the band’s own rehearsal room on an old analog 12-track, recording on video tapes. The album was printed in 500 copies and were given out to the audience at their clubs. The song “Stinky, Stinky Ashtray” reached a publisher in New York and placed the song in tv-series such as Sex And The City, Desperate Housewives and the cult film Dinner Rush. Second album “Youth Style” was recorded in their own studio in Lund and was released by DJ Mad Mats’ label Raw Fusion in 2004. The latin rock scented single “Got To Go” became a hit.
By this time, a collaboration with Swedish rapper Timbuktu had begun. When Swedish TV broadcasted the first big concert with Timbuktu & Damn!, it was the starting point of long bout of touring together. The same year, the “Kalas” tour kicked off, and since then Timbuktu & Damn! have toured all of Scandinavia as well as abroad together, establishing them as one of the best live bands in Europe.
The new album is the first in four years. The title “Let’s Zoom In” alludes to the time taken to get all musicians together for studio sessions to make the album. “Let’s Zoom In” gives you 13 tracks, with “I’m Not Going To Live Another Day Without You Girl” being the first single. The album is more linear, with more vocals than previous albums – all of it recorded in Damn!’s studio in Lund.
To sum it all up, we’ll leave you with a quote from Snoop Dogg’s uncle Junebug, who managed to catch Damn! performing live at Debaser, Stockholm in 2007:
“These motherfuckers are pretty tight – I’m getting ready to party!”
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Yeah, Junebug – they sure are…and yep, me too!
The 4BB/Damn! collab EP is actually long overdue – it was originally planned to be launched much earlier this year (about the time of our 6 month hiatus)…so we’re all very pleased of finally getting it posted. All six tracks on “The Headstone EP” are winners in my book…but if you’d twist my arm, I’d name the super funky “Get Your Grown Man On”, the title cut “Headstone” and the beautiful “Another Language Died” as my personal favourites! Let us know yours – leave a comment, why don’t ya!
And to make the most out of it, we’ve talked Damn! into helping us with the upcoming “4BB Remix Competition 2009” – which will kick-off already next week! So stay tuned, friends!
In the meantime, go visit the guys on their MySpace – or take a day off (or two) and try and locate a copy of Damn!’s new album! It’s actually damn hard to come by, since “Let’s Zoom In” is still awaiting a proper release here in the US…but it’s readily available on iTunes Music Store in Scandinavia. If we’re lucky, we’ll soon be able to cop a CD right here though! Or you can settle for second best and buy their previous album, “Youth Style”, here! (Well, or you could just enter our remix competition next week – all participants gets a free copy! :¬D)
UPDATE: After pulling some strings, Damn!’s “Let’s Zoom In” album is now available on CD over at Dustygroove! Wohoo! Go get it while it’s hot!
Big thanks to Universal Music and Pope Records for letting us have some fun…but first and foremost, mad props to Damn!; Svante, Måns, Erik, Måns, Petter, Jens, Sven & Gustav – thank you for the music!
See you all next week!
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(No password needed this time around! Don’t forget to leave a comment on the post!)
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(Ps. Still haven’t figured out what classic LP we’re paying homage to with “The Headstone EP” cover?! Oh, come on…you know this one! Or you could give up, and simply click here – but I’ll be checking the click statistics, just so you know!)
68 comments on “Week 40: Damn Right!”
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4BB | Album Of The Week 
4BB Weekly is damn proud of this EP – enjoy! And please remember to leave a comment on the post…and while at it, say hi to the band!
LISTEN:
CLICK HERE!
No password needed this time around! 😉
Sweetness!
Sure is! 🙂
/L
Many Thanks.Great Stuff!
Guido/LF
I only know 2008’s Let’s Zoom In, so this new one will be a treat! also curious ’bout the other stuff btw…thanks for sharing.
peace, E-mile
(the cover, well, I’ve seen it before, but i give up, I’ll go clicking now 😉
Aw, man…you knew that one…please, tell me you knew! 🙂
/L
yeah, Laf, I KNEW!
(but sometimes my brain is a bit unwilling with pulling a name to a pic [:-)
Hahaha, it’s so damn obvious…still, there’s been over 25 clicks on that cheat link so far! 😀
never heard of this group before but im really feeling that clip so i gotta see what else in on this. Thanks alot Laf and Damn!
Yeah…good new ish! You won’t be disappointed! 😀
Damn good!
Yes it is!
This is a treat indeed. Can’t wait to bump the “Damn” thang! Thanks Laf.
Thanks for proving the funk’s not dead. And for the ego boost, since I knew the album this cover pays tribute to.
Funk will never die, you know that!
And you’re welcome!
It’s nice to hear someone actually figuring this one out without cheating (over 100 clicks on that damn cheat link)! 😉
/L
cheers b
sweet funky swedes
Sverige är funky!!!!
Thank you Laf and Damn!
Yeah, Damn! really proves that Swede’s can be funky too! 😀
Sorry I’m so late in leaving a comment on this one. One of the things that sealed me and Laf’s friendship was when we discovered that we had a mutual admiration for DAMN!
When I bought their LP Youth Style, the first thing I said was, well, DAMN! They really deserve to be bigger here in the United States than what they are. They are better than half the bullshit artists that are played on the radio today. I sincerely hope that this post and the subsequent contest will help to expose them to more music lovers.
Thanks to Laf and to the “DAMN! band” for this excellent post.
nice find….thanks
Sonray! I definitely hope to see you among the remix contestants…you came real close to winning last time! 🙂
haha i love the cover. at first i was like “what in the Dexter Wansel hell . . .” i’m definitely going to give these guys a try.
Ska bli ett sant nöje! Big Up!
[…] kan laddas ner på 4BB (vet inte om det bara funkar denna […]
yes of course please send me a reminder when it starts dude….
Will do! 😀
Hot!!! Maybe this can be a regular type of post. Current music which follows the funky vibe of the normal post. Keep it up!!
Yeah…that’s a great thought – just need to find artists that are both good enough and willing to participate! 🙂
/L
Sweeeeet!!!!! Sounds like my kinda party!
Love the work you guys are doing!
Words cannot do justice to the gratitude i owe you!
Thanks for the kind words, Kizza!
We sure like having you around as well!
/L
Well DAMN!! I can say that these guys are definitely funky! They have a new fan here! I played this EP a gazillion times so far. A few music loving friends of mine who have never heard of them were quite impressed as well. I think this is going to be a very interesting remix contest. Can’t wait to hear the entries.
Told you so! 😉
And yeah, I can’t wait to hear the reworks either!
/L
Lafayette, you where right this right up my alley…I love it…DAMNNN!!
Many thanks for the great hook up..
Peace
Blak
For sure, Blak…this really is damn good music!
Fantastiskt, tack för grym musik!
Bra jobbat, broder!
Thank you! 😀
Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Much Thanks! Hot Damn!
5 days later, we’ve now reached exactly 250 clicks on that cheat link! Hilarious! And I really thought you knew your Wansel! 😀
/Laf
Thank You!!! Very nice!!!
hi, i hope you’re fine. many many thanks for your time and work for all the soulful lovers in the world, peace. and my door is open if you ever come to france, have a good time!
We’re great…thanks for asking, Sodis! 🙂
very groovy!
thanks for letting us hear this!
i’m swedish but having lived abroad for a long time, it’s easy to lose touch w the scene…
Sounds like D’angelo meets Curtis Mayfield
supercool – and if you like this; check out a singer called Tuomo from Finland
D’Angelo + Curtis Mayfield is the perfect description!
And yeah, Tuomo is definitely cool too…definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t already..
/Laf
Man, what a treat!
I am on vacation and this ROCKS!!!
Yeah, Beef…ROCKS!
/L
incredible post!!! a true gem and to rare an album to find in my neck of the world.. great job, keep up the great work and thank you for sharing
Thanks, Jay…and yeah, I wish their “Let’s Zoom In” album had a proper distribution – worldwide! 🙂
/Laf
This is funky as hell………loving it!
Yeah, I’m actually wondering if the upcoming Remix Competition really can add any funkiness to Damn! – we’ll just have to wait and see! 😉
Freakin’ sweet! I am totally speechless to say the least. Thanks for sharing.
[…] Competition is running we will of course keep up with our standard weekly routine – just click here to go straight to the regular blog […]
Wazup peeps!!!!! It sure is good to be back. I see I’m just in time for some fun too with the contest and all. Not that I can mix a damn thang but figured maybe somebody might let me lick the spoon? 🙂
Hey I didn’t click no cheat link! I knew what that was as soon as I saw the post. I think people just wanted to click that link cause I know darn well they knew it was Life On Mars. One Million Miles From the Ground is my all time favorite Wansel cut from that LP.
Have not had a chance to check out the DAMN EP but I expect it to be good.
Tks!!
Nice to have you back, Bowlisha!
And yeah, I think you’re right about that cover as well, it’s really way to obvious to be missed!
I guess all them clicks was made just as a tease…I sure hope so anyway! 😉
/Laf
❤ KÄRLEK
[…] your skills heard on a fairly large scale, then head on over and get the full skinny. While there, be sure to pick up the exclusive Headstone EP, graciously provided by our good friends at Pope Records and Universal Music. Big thanks to all […]
Many thanks! Appreciate it!
Hey everybody, just wanted to say hi and thank you for listening to our music. These comments make us feel like we need to get back in the studio soon! And waiting for the remixes has us climbing the walls!
For those of you outside of Scandinavia: talk to your local vampires, vendors and venues! We would love to be more available.
Love,
Svante//DAMN!
more music and more @
myspace.com/damntheband
Hi, Svante!
Yeah, can’t wait to hear the reworks either…one entry has already arrived in my inbox, but I’m eagerly waiting for some more for the Sunday update of the competitions page!
/L
Okay folks, our full length album is now available on cd at dustygroove.com!
Much love from Damn!
Svante
About time they got their act together over at Dusty! 😉
I can’t believe I live less than 4 blocks away from dusty groove records on ashland in chicago
[…] Big thanks once again to Pope Records/Universal Music, Music Super Circus, and of course, to Damn! for allowing us the privilege to bring this contest to the masses. These cats deserve to be heard, in fact, you can now pick up their latest offering. “Let’s Zoom In” at the mighty Dusty Groove America! In addition, the exclusive Headstone EP is still available too… grab yours before it’s too late […]
Good Looks, doope
[…] GENERAL INFO: Damn!’s “Let’s Zoom In” album is finally available on CD over at Dustygroove.com! Do yourself a favour – go get it…right now! And if you haven’t already, go check out the 4BB exclusive Damn! “The Headstone EP” right here! […]
[…] more about he band, check out the previous post on their 4BB exclusive “Headstone EP” here or […]
Thanks!
Just love the wink to Dexter Wansel cover!
This is for sure awesome album!