The Damn Personals
Encyclopedia
The Damn Personals were a Boston based rock band that existed from mid 1998 until late 2005. The concept was the brainchild of singer/guitarist Ken Cook and guitarist Anthony Rossomando
. After several false starts, they finalized their line-up in the summer of 1998, with the addition of Jim Zavadoski on bass and drummer Mike Gill, who had both played in previous bands with Cook and Rossomando respectively.
The band quickly made a name for themselves within the east coast indie and garage-rock scenes of the time, becoming known as much for their earnest, catchy songs and unique arrangements as they were for their rambunctious live shows.
In the fall of 1998, Mike Gill's friend and house mate Chase Lisbon (now of Supercult
) allied his screen printing business with locally based indie record label Big Wheel Recreation
. While silk screening T-shirts, Chase played Big Wheel Recreation's owner, Rama Mayo, The Damn Personals' recently completed 4 song demo. Rama became a quick fan, and asked Gill to arrange a meeting with his band to discuss a record contract.
The resulting 2 album deal would yield The Damn Personals' 1999 debut, "Driver, Driver" (with producer Darron Burke) and 2002's follow-up album, "Standing Still In The USA" (with producer Michael Deming).
From 1999 until 2005, the band toured the US a dozen or so times, often performing with notable acts such as Piebald
, The Explosion
, The Mooney Suzuki
, Radio 4
, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists
, The Strokes
, Jimmy Eat World
and The Hives
. They toured Europe and the UK once, when they were invited to be the support act for fellow Boston band, Cave In
, on a spring 2003 tour.
In mid 2003, Jim Zavadoski left the band and was replaced by ex-Nigel 6 member, Mike Faulkner. Later that year, the band became label-less with the dissolution of Big Wheel Recreation. 2004 would see Ken Cook's relocation to New York City, and increasingly frequent requests from England's The Libertines
for Anthony to fill in for their notoriously awol member, Pete Doherty
.
Regardless of the disarray, the band recorded an album titled "The World Will End" with producer Andrew Schneider
. This would become their final record.
The Damn Personals decided to call it quits in late 2005, playing their final show on New Year's Eve, ushering in 2006 and a new era.
Anthony formed Dirty Pretty Things
with Libertines members Carl Barat
and Gary Powell
. Jim Zavadoski joined Boston's The Snowleopards. Ken Cook took up keyboard duties for Brooklyn's Weird Owl, a band fronted by former Damn Personals tour manager, Trevor Tyrrell. Michael Gill formed The Murder Mile with his old friend, ex- Spring Heeled Jack USA and Lost City Angels
frontman, Ron Ragona. Michael Faulkner joined the Murder Mile in the summer of 2008.
In late 2007, The Damn Personals final album, "The World Will End," was released exclusively online for internet download.
In September 2011, it was announced that the Damn Personals will reunite for a 10/20/11 show at Webster Hall in NYC, within a Fenway Recordings CMJ showcase headlined by their friends, We Are Scientists.
.
Driver/Driver (1999) Produced by Darron Burke at Makeshift Studio.
Standing Still In the USA (2002)
In 2005, The Damn Personals recorded and completed a full length record titled The World Will End which is available for download at: http://www.myspace.com/damnpersonals.
Anthony Rossomando
Anthony Pasquale Rossomando is a guitarist, most recently with Carl Barat's rock band Dirty Pretty Things. He previously stood in for Pete Doherty in The Libertines, after Doherty was first suspended from the band and then sacked due to his drug habits...
. After several false starts, they finalized their line-up in the summer of 1998, with the addition of Jim Zavadoski on bass and drummer Mike Gill, who had both played in previous bands with Cook and Rossomando respectively.
The band quickly made a name for themselves within the east coast indie and garage-rock scenes of the time, becoming known as much for their earnest, catchy songs and unique arrangements as they were for their rambunctious live shows.
In the fall of 1998, Mike Gill's friend and house mate Chase Lisbon (now of Supercult
Supercult
Supercult.com is an alternative pornography or alt-porn website, started by Chase Lisbon in early 2001. Lisbon took his psedudonym from the 1993 Jeffrey Eugenides' novel The Virgin Suicides.-Concept and launch:...
) allied his screen printing business with locally based indie record label Big Wheel Recreation
Big Wheel Recreation
Big Wheel Recreation was an independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in the fall of 1994 by Rama Mayo and Richard P. Cummings. Started as a hobby, Big Wheel became a fully functioning record label in 1999...
. While silk screening T-shirts, Chase played Big Wheel Recreation's owner, Rama Mayo, The Damn Personals' recently completed 4 song demo. Rama became a quick fan, and asked Gill to arrange a meeting with his band to discuss a record contract.
The resulting 2 album deal would yield The Damn Personals' 1999 debut, "Driver, Driver" (with producer Darron Burke) and 2002's follow-up album, "Standing Still In The USA" (with producer Michael Deming).
From 1999 until 2005, the band toured the US a dozen or so times, often performing with notable acts such as Piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
, The Explosion
The Explosion
The Explosion was a punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. On February 13, 2007 the band announced that they had left Virgin Records. On April 30, 2007 the band announced that they were to split up...
, The Mooney Suzuki
The Mooney Suzuki
The Mooney Suzuki is an American garage rock band that formed in New York City in 1996. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Sammy James, Jr., guitarist Graham Tyler, bassist John Paul Ribas and drummer Will Rockwell-Scott, the band has released four studio albums – People Get Ready ,...
, Radio 4
Radio 4 (band)
Radio 4 is a band from Brooklyn who formed in 1999. They claim that their sound, which has been described as "danceable punk", is "made in New York, is about New York, and sounds like New York"....
, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. and currently recording for Matador Records. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
and The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
. They toured Europe and the UK once, when they were invited to be the support act for fellow Boston band, Cave In
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
, on a spring 2003 tour.
In mid 2003, Jim Zavadoski left the band and was replaced by ex-Nigel 6 member, Mike Faulkner. Later that year, the band became label-less with the dissolution of Big Wheel Recreation. 2004 would see Ken Cook's relocation to New York City, and increasingly frequent requests from England's The Libertines
The Libertines
The Libertines were an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty . The band, centred on the song-writing partnership of Barat and Doherty, also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career...
for Anthony to fill in for their notoriously awol member, Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty
Peter Doherty is an English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist. He is best known musically for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he reformed with Carl Barât in 2010. His other musical project is indie band Babyshambles...
.
Regardless of the disarray, the band recorded an album titled "The World Will End" with producer Andrew Schneider
Andrew Schneider
Andrew Schneider is an American screenwriter and television producer, whose credits include writing for The Sopranos, Northern Exposure, and Alien Nation. He frequently co-writes episodes with his wife, Diane Frolov. In 1992 Schneider won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama...
. This would become their final record.
The Damn Personals decided to call it quits in late 2005, playing their final show on New Year's Eve, ushering in 2006 and a new era.
Anthony formed Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things (band)
Dirty Pretty Things were an English band fronted by Carl Barât, a member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Barât and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004. Barât had worked with Vertigo Records and had...
with Libertines members Carl Barat
Carl Barât
Carl Ashley Raphael Barât is an English musician, actor and author. He was the frontman and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, and recently debuted a solo album, but is best known for being the co-frontman with Peter Doherty of the garage rock band The Libertines.-Early life:Carl Barât was...
and Gary Powell
Gary Powell
Gary Armstrong Powell is a British drummer. He is primarily the drummer for The Libertines, as well as doing the same for the band formed by his bandmate Carl Barat after the Libertines split, Dirty Pretty Things and Guyanese artist, Eddy Grant...
. Jim Zavadoski joined Boston's The Snowleopards. Ken Cook took up keyboard duties for Brooklyn's Weird Owl, a band fronted by former Damn Personals tour manager, Trevor Tyrrell. Michael Gill formed The Murder Mile with his old friend, ex- Spring Heeled Jack USA and Lost City Angels
Lost City Angels
Lost City Angels were a punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Their most well known lineup consisted of members, Ron Ragona, Adam Shaw, Chris Duggan, Drew Indingaro, Scott Vierra and Nick Bacon.- History :...
frontman, Ron Ragona. Michael Faulkner joined the Murder Mile in the summer of 2008.
In late 2007, The Damn Personals final album, "The World Will End," was released exclusively online for internet download.
In September 2011, it was announced that the Damn Personals will reunite for a 10/20/11 show at Webster Hall in NYC, within a Fenway Recordings CMJ showcase headlined by their friends, We Are Scientists.
Members
- Ken CookKen CookKen Cook is president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group , a public interest research and advocacy organization focused on protecting human health and the environment. Cook is the author of dozens of articles, opinion pieces and reports on environmental, public health and...
(vocals, guitar) - Mike Gill (drums)
- Anthony RossomandoAnthony RossomandoAnthony Pasquale Rossomando is a guitarist, most recently with Carl Barat's rock band Dirty Pretty Things. He previously stood in for Pete Doherty in The Libertines, after Doherty was first suspended from the band and then sacked due to his drug habits...
(guitar) - Mike Faulkner (bass guitar, 2003–2005)
- Jim Zavadoski (bass guitar, 1998–2003)
Releases
The band released two full length records for Big Wheel RecreationBig Wheel Recreation
Big Wheel Recreation was an independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in the fall of 1994 by Rama Mayo and Richard P. Cummings. Started as a hobby, Big Wheel became a fully functioning record label in 1999...
.
Driver/Driver (1999) Produced by Darron Burke at Makeshift Studio.
Standing Still In the USA (2002)
In 2005, The Damn Personals recorded and completed a full length record titled The World Will End which is available for download at: http://www.myspace.com/damnpersonals.