A fascinating portrat of American college rock (as it was then called) in the mid-Eighties, the 1986 EP debut from Das Damen has been reissued by Dromedary Records. Originally on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace imprint, then on SST, this EP is here buttressed by rarities and bonus cuts galore. What emerges is a rounded picture of a band offering up music that clearly inspired nearly all of those Pacific Northwest grunge acts a bit after that. But 1986: Keeps Me Wild also works as a nice introduction to the group's sound, a robust cousin in stylistic terms to what we heard Mould and crew doling out in the early-to-mid Eighties.
"Trick Question" churns and builds up a real head of steam, while "House of Mirrors" has a vibe not unlike early Husker Du to these ears. Elsewhere, "How Do You Measure" adds nuance to the proceedings. It's easy to hear this and think that surely Nirvana cribbed from these guys early on. "Behind My Eyes" roars and provides evidence of the sound that likely attracted SST. After that one, the bonus cuts kick in, and there are a bunch.
A version of "How Do You Measure" with Thalia Zedek (Live Skull, later Come) burns with purpose. There's a lot going on here, mostly proof that emotion and depth can be added to volume. A run at "Behind My Eyes" with Dez Cadena (Black Flag) is also of note. "Living Statues" is the gnarliest thing here, a real nasty bit of business in terms of grinding hooks. Das Damen were masters of this stuff, earning their place through subsequent recordings next to all the bands I've mentioned above. All of 1986: Keeps Me Wild has the spirit of the era in it, with even the most casual of fans likely eager to dig up more Das Damen after playing this collection of early recordings. Things never get more polished, but the fire here continued throughout the career of these players, even into 2023 with drummer Lyle Hysen's The Royal Arctic Institute.
I'd urge you to order 1986: Keeps Me Wild by Das Damen as soon as possible so that your copy comes with a copy of Lyle Hysen's fanzine "Damaged Goods", which serves as the liners for this burning set. Dig it!
1986: Keeps Me Wild by Das Damen is out now via Dromedary Records.
[Photo: Das Damen]