dammienalexander

Dammien Alexander
We Are Who We Have Been Waiting For
(Live Village Records)
Philadelphia-born Halifax resident Dammien Alexander mashes R&B, gospel, hip-hop and funk to support his vocals, which fall between Lenny Kravitz’s and Ben Harper’s. For standout tracks, go to the harmonies and mesmerizing piano of track sixth, “Satellite,” which sounds similar to Coldplay. “Love Jones” tells a humorous, clever tale that will make those out on the Halifax bar scene crack up---either knowingly or derisively. He sings: “It’s 2am. I’m goin’ to the Liquor Dome/to find a pretty young thing and bring her home.” The 13 tracks invite everyone in for a listen.

Genevieve MacIntyre
categories: Local artist,Canadian artist - TheCoast.ca

The Run-Off Groove 162: Will Give Dap For Rap
By da bookman on July 9, 2007 - 11:22pm. - John Book, of MFA

From Philadelphia comes Dammien Alexander, a very expressive singer/songwriter whose combination of soul and pop (with some hints of rock) is very effective and worthy of many listens. Beautifully (Live Village/Curve Music) is the work of someone who enjoys what life has offered him, but isn't afraid to be socially conscious as he does every now and then throughout the album.

Sometimes comparisons do not do an artist justice, merely used as references. In this case, Alexander sounds like a mix of Rob Thomas, Van Hunt, John Legend, Corey Glover and Lenny Kravitz, with the kind of spirit represented in Res' music. These songs are perfect as is, and if he continues to pursue this, it would be cool to see if he would be able to collaborate with Seattle's Leroy Bell (of Bell & James fame).

His music has the kind of broad appeal that would make him a favorite among anyone who listens to him. The unfortunate thing is that in this day and time, he would not appeal to American mainstream audiences unless a singer or musician from England hears this and finds this to be as incredible as I do. When that happens, the rise of Dammien Alexander will begin and people will wonder why music like his hasn't dominated the charts.
- www.musicforamerica.org

Halifax Pop Explosion:: Featured Artist - Dammien Alexander

I have to say, I was a little surprised when we were sent Dammien Alexander's new album Beautifully and told he was from Halifax. I say that because Dammien's brand of hip hop mixed with acoustic funk and rock is kind of unique for the Halifax scene. Certainly other folks are doing similar things, including a friend of mine, but I was surprised that someone was doing it here and this was the first I was hearing of it. Why do I think I should hear about all developments in the Halifax music scene? I have no idea, and it kind of makes me sound like a douche, so I'm going to move on.

Originally from Philly, it seems Dammien made his way up to Halifax to play some university hoops and stuck around afterwards to work on a career in the biz. Like many talented Haligonians, Dammien now spends the majority of his time in Toronto, but he's playing plenty of shows around the Martimes this fall, one of those being October 20th at Ginger's for the Pop Explosion.

The Philly roots certainly help explain the authentic soul feeling Dammien puts into the eclectic music he makes. Beautifully opens with Proper, a very funky, uptempo acoustic number with guitar, bass and handclaps backing Dammien's hip hop inspired vocals. It really is a catchy, sing-along type jam, but it's followed by Eveready which, despite Dammien's soulful vocals, is structured more like a rock song with some heavy guitars and pounding drums on the chorus. Just to ensure that he isn't fitting into anyone's box, the third song, Satellite is a lovely, sparse song which features Dammien breaking out plenty of milky way metaphors over a simple heartbeat and keys melody. It doesn't stop there as Dammien continues to mix things up with bluesy, old school R&B flavours (Love Of A Lifetime), straight up hip hop over live instruments (The Heater), and straight-forward acoustic rock (Carry me).

That's just a quick overview, but Dammien really does change his style up in a Son Of Bazerk like manner. While, in my opinion, Beautifully isn't classic from start to finish, when Dammien is on, the results are impressive. That being said, it's obvious that he's a talented and charismatic guy, and it wouldn't surprise me if we heard big things from him in the future. So if you're intrigued by any of my ramblings, check out Beautifully for yourself, or catch Dammien live at a venue near you.
- Jim B.

Dammien Alexander evolves his creativity in two parts: Singer / Songwriter and Playwrite / Actor. Everything you want to learn about this man is right there in the language of his soul. - idiscover.net

Producer/singer/songwriter Dammien Alexander takes an in-depth peek into the world of Electronic-Acoustic Fusion. - Atlantic Jazz Festival 2007

Dammien Alexander wrote at 4:32am
The September issue of 10 Magazine in Seoul in the concert listings reads:

"By mixing genres such as rock, folk, blues and reggae together, Dammien delivers a powerful and interactive live performance. His dissonant yet hook filled musical style is reminiscent of the Dave Matthews/John Mayer school of songwriting"
by Dave, Reporter for 10 Magazine in Seoul, South Korea - 10 Magazine