Michael Dean Damron “Father’s Day” (In Music We Trust Records)

Portland Oregon’s Michael Dean Damron, or Mike D. as he was known when fronting his former hell-raising roots-rock band I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House, isn’t your garden variety sensitive, market tested, conveyor belt type of singer/songwriter. The emotion, fear and anger is laid out on his third solo release Father’s Day for all to feel. He’s not just singing, he’s testifying.

The youthful flame-thrower intensity of ICLASOBITH has been condensed into a focused,  welding torch constructing a dark and twisted terrain of one mans life and soul.

The lost love songs here – Dead Days, Boy With A Car and the provocatively titled I Hope Your New Boyfriend Gives You Aids (do NOT judge the album based on the title of this song, it doesn’t show up once in this beautifully heart wrenching cut.) display just as much defiance as they do remorse. Love songs are welcome, whining is not.

The specter of the Damron family patriarch is summoned and exorcised in the title track. The song tells of Damron’s father’s life as a hard, violent, and lonely one. The song is both a celebration and an unflinchingly cautionary tale. The excellent Angels Fly Up carries on the divisional theme, devils and angels, suicide and celebration- that seems to run through Fathers Day.

Tornado Song is a chugging blues-Gospel number veined with wailing harmonica and I’m A Bastard has Damron unmitigated affirmation of his place among the best of the worst in the troubadour trade.

As if the original songs weren’t enough to make this a fine album the three covers Damron has chosen to include speak volumes, fit nicely and are done with deftness and deference. Drag the River’s Beautiful And Damned is a solemn pedal-steel laced number and a ’round the campfire treatment of Thin Lizzy’s Dancing In The Moonlight are wonderful. The real courage, as with anyone willing to cover the Late Great Townes Van Zandt, comes with the inclusion of an accomplished rendition of Towne’s bleak tale of perseverance Waiting Around To Die.

Damron’s whiskey-and-dust vocals  brings to mind modern day contemporaries like Ryan Bingham, Drive By Truckers’ Patterson Hood, William Elliot Whitmore and Lucero’s Ben Nichols. The worn nature of the delivery adds another depth of ragged beauty to each of these gems. Damron sites Steve Earle, Alejandro Escovedo, Townes Van Zant and Waylon Jennings as heroes. But I believe that the true Patron Saint to his unique style of edgy storytelling, with a penchant for tenderness might well be David Allen Coe.

Sure Father’s Day is not a sunny Summer party album, who cares. It’s a great example of a  mature and excellent singer/songwriter venting his own private Winter.

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Father’s Day mp3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDIYDNi2uTI[/youtube]

2 Replies to “Michael Dean Damron “Father’s Day” (In Music We Trust Records)”

  1. Sounds like the perfect candidate to participate in this sort of a project:

    I live in Bakersfield and work a couple of blocks from Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace. In Bakersfield, we follow in the footsteps of Buck Owens and other genre-busting pioneers from the Bakersfield sound era. My name is Dr BLT and I run a blog called:

    Bakersfield Sound Underground
    http://www.bakersfieldsoundunderground.com

    Today, I’m putting out a challenge to other country sings to join me in putting together a Michael Jackson tribute CD featuring country covers of Jackson songs.

    Country fans are clamoring for copies of Dr BLT’s Kern County country rock (Kccrock) cover of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Hears a sample:

    Billie Jean
    Dr BLT
    country arrangement by Dr BLT
    http://www.drblt.net/music/billieDemom.mp3

    The whole song will be available around July 5 at:
    http://www.drblt.net

    by July 6, 2009.

    Stay tuned for updates at:

    BSU
    http://www.bakersfieldsoundunderground.com

    Or contact Dr BLT here, or at drblt@drblt.net for further

  2. Mike D, would you like to join me in the studio to record some new collaborations. Here’s the latest on me:

    Press Release:

    Dr BLT’s country remake of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, heard here:

    Billie Jean
    Dr BLT and Penny Marie
    (also featuring Kim McAbee of the Buckaroos)
    http://www.drblt.net/music/BJmusic.mp3

    which features Penny Marie on second vocal, Kim McAbee of the Buckaroos on an additional vocal track, Pat Frase on drums, and Reggie Langendorfer on lead guitar and bass, debuted on KWMR’s Bakersfield and Beyond radio show on Thursday, August 6, 2009.

    It was released on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at:

    http://www.drblt.net
    (hit music link and go to “Songs from CD, From Buck Owens Blvd to Merle Haggard Drive”)

    and it is featured as a one-song soundtrack to a skit performed by Dr BLT’s university students here:

    http://www.psychologycomesalive.com

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