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Damn The Maps
In the eighteen months since the release of their debut album 'Input Output', Melbourne's Damn The Maps have released two singles and three music videos from the release. While that in itself may not seem that interesting, consider this tact against the combined glut of EP releases and live shows used by the vast majority independent bands to improve their profile and you can see a rather startling point of difference. 'Input Output' was the debut of Damn The Maps in every sense- they felt no need to test the water to gauge reactions as almost all bands do.
Damn The Maps have in this sense gone out on a limb, but in the opinion bass player and vocalist Martin Green it's nothing new, just in line with the tacts of their favourite bands.
"The mentality behind the first album was clear, along the lines of 'Siamese Dream' (second album from The Smashing Pumpkins) or Radiohead's 'The Bends'," Green explains. "We've looked to our mentors, looked to the people who have done it before us that had a decade behind them so they can measure their results. 'The Bends' was exactly the same as 'Siamese Dream' in the respect that it had beautiful music on it, but at the end of the day there were still four to six singles that they released off those albums. The way I see that is that the guys that we aspire to be are not releasing EPs, they're releasing album after album after album. Where we are is that we're at the very bottom end of success whereas these guys have got billions of dollars behind them, we still aspire to be like our favourite bands so we studied them and worked out their methods. Whether it's the first, second or third album, which brings success and allowed these band to be free musically, that's the method we feel is the right one. After all, with the Smashing Pumpkins, 'Gish' came out but it was overlooked, but then they released 'Siamese Dream' and what do people do? They go back and find 'Gish'."
This faith is refreshing against an increasing industry impatience for breakthrough success. As the band prepares for their first appearance ever in Adelaide at this year's Scorcherfest, Green is keen to dispel previous assertions that the band's music rests alongside profiled Australian rock bands. Three things should stand out for those set to hear the band for the first time- a sensibility to the structure of pop music, the simple yet direct ethos of their lyrics and a willingness to move beyond the standard balance of guitar-to-bass-to-drums and push more towards a bass heavy, melodic brand of rock music accompanied by subtle vocal harmonies rather than any screaming or explosive riffs.
"I wonder if our past comparisons (made to bands like Something For Kate or You Am I) are a result the reviewers trying to pigeon hole us, to help the public they're writer for to associate us with something else local," Green muses. "Perhaps, if they see it as a local thing, the think it would be best to apply it to something else local too. But then again people have assumed that we were from the US straight off the bat of hearing our music.
I guess it therefore depends on, perhaps not the motive, but whatever is behind what people are saying. So people saying that we sound like You Am I are saying we sound Australian because that's there job, but the people that say we're a bit like Tool, or The Smashing Pumpkins are the one's coming up to us at the end of the shows and seeing us, face to face. We've had a tendency to go with what people are saying to our faces rather than what people are writing about us as their job."
In anticipation of their Scorcher performance, Green also commented that the band had received notable online support from Adelaide fans, especially on the back of their music videos, presently circulating on Rage.
"We'd released four music videos in the last 18 months, and around 2 months ago we got a message on facebook from a gentleman, and he said 'I've finally found you. I've been trying to track you down for a long time. I saw your very first music video on Rage about a year ago. When can you come to Adelaide and how do I get an album?' So we started making a few phone calls and hooking some things up in our spare time then the opportunity for Scorcherfest came up and we thought that would be the best opportunity for us to play Adelaide, so we submitted for that as well. Then I got a call about three weeks ago from Andrew at Scorcherfest who said that we were playing. It's probably the best possible way for us to come over and the beauty of it is that the guy who wanted us to come over was just one of around four that eventually started contacting us. Whether they're friends of a friend, who knows and who cares. We're coming to Adelaide."
Damn The Maps will appear as a part of the Scorcherfest line up on Sun 4 Oct at The Duke Of York.
By Ryan Winter - September 15 2010
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BEAT MAGAZINE REVIEW
Album opener We Thought We'd Seen It All sets a blistering pace from the get-go; it's all At The Drive In-style, 'kamikaze' riffage, snarly rock vocals, and a tight bottom-end. Cynicism toward the modern surveillance-age is evident throughout ("I can be on video no matter where I go/You got cameras, cameras"), before a frenetic guitar solo heralds a crushing climax to a rather rocking-rollercoaster of a first track.
All Aboard leaps from the speakers, with a blissful, sing-a-long vibe. This track has been garnering some radio play of late, too, and it's no surprise: it's a light, inoffensive head-bobbing feel-good melody, accompanied by some like-minded guitars, and it leaves you with a smile on your face. I wasn't too crash-hot on the Wheels On The Bus vocal breakdown during the bridge, but the closing chorus was strong enough to dust that memory from the mantle.
In total contradiction to the title, the albums' first ballad Happy Ending blends hauntingly melancholic strings, robust rhythm section and Martin Green's fragile, 'pleading' vocal, to deliver the stellar moment of the album.
It's a brooding, eerie-in-a-Radiohead-kinda-way moment (that's pretty eerie), and it's clenched at your collar until the very end.
Fans of fellow Aussie rockers Something For Kate or You Am I will definitely find something in Damn The Maps, as will Radiohead enthusiasts, and it's not that they sound like each other, but you could certainly see the bands rubbing shoulders.
Combining that 'feel' with the focused songwriting of the trio, and Input Output sets off a phonic-flare, announcing to the Australian rock music scene that Damn The Maps have arrived.
- Esteban Crooke - Beat Magazine 6 August 2008
TOXIC PETE (UK) REVIEW:
'Input Output' is the debut album release from Australian melodic indie rocksters Damn The Maps; a real polished and ballsy work that properly pushes indie into rock territory and brings rewards for its individualistic approach and sound. Massively enjoyable and, for me, right on the money, 'Input Output' is pretty much an unbeatable work and its certainly very unputdownable! And, 'Input Output' by Damn The Maps will have global appeal; this album would work anywhere in the world and grace anybody's collection. As good as it gets, 'Input Output' is a distinctive and inspired work by a band that seem to have everything ready and waiting for a move on up into the higher echelons of the music business - fantastic stuff!!
Damn The Maps' 'Input Output' rings the indie rock changes with kerranging guitar chords, blinding riffs and gritty fills striding out atop of some great work by the rhythm section that sets the pace with atomic-clock precision as bass and drums punctuate as they drive. Stunning vocal work is the sensationally sweet icing on the already sumptuous cake here; descriptive and emotionally charged voices croon, cry and growl out the excellent lyrics. Musicianship apart, Damn The Maps wouldn't work without great songs and here they show, and leave no doubt whatsoever, that they can indeed pen outrageously exciting songs that compete easily with the best there's been - the whole thing coming together beautifully and setting a high standard for their contemporaries to match. Damn The Maps are probably one of the best and most rockingly astute outfits I've heard coming out from 'down under' for donkey's trousers!
'Input Output' also benefits from the degree of variation it contains; 'light and shade' only goes part-way to describing Damn The Maps continually flowing style - like a deep, dark river that, when you're navigating it, is in a constant state of change - fast and flowing one minute, slowly ebbing the next, frequently broiling into whirlpool or eddy, big, adrenalin pumping rushes of 'white water' frequently followed by calming pools of serenity and respite. Damn The Maps certainly know how to compose exciting and interesting music and their delivery of that music is nothing short of brilliant.
To pull out individual tracks for discussion or comment would be not only difficult but pretty futile; 'Input Output' is rammed with great songs (fourteen actually!), each has, quite obviously, been given great consideration and commitment during its gestation and recording phases. And, that well considered crafting, layering, mixing and mastering has resulted in a fine example of modern indie rock music to challenge anything currently out there! 'Input Output' by Damn The Maps' is pretty damn stunning! 'Input Output' is the real mutt's nuts of modern indie rock music - superbly conceived, wonderfully crafted and stunningly executed - certainly better by far than most and definitely as good as the 'big boys'!
'Input Output' by Damn The Maps is a massively competent debut album - it doesn't sound or feel like a first offering and its scary to wonder how Damn The Maps will manage to follow this quite brilliant album! I love what Damn The Maps are doing, I love their organically grown music, I love their ability to capture and hold the attention and I simply love 'Input Output' to bits!!
- Peter J Brown a.k.a toxic Pete (www.toxicpete.co.uk)
LOUD NOISE & PICTURES
I just couldnt get enough of their debut release Input Output, its just so addictively great. I dunno which is a more apt description of their work - catchy pop songs that rock, or good rockin songs that pop.
- Loud Noise and Pictures September 08
