Richard Wagner, J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Frank Black, Tom Waits, Shpongle, The Decemberists, The Shins, Elliott Smith, Cake, Beck, Bela Fleck, David Grisman, Charlie Hunter, Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service, Beastie Boys, Lyrics Born, Blackalicious, Deltron, Dan the Automator, Busdriver, Ben Folds (Five), Doja, Noah Nelson, Xoc, Koji Kondo, Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Frank Zappa, Ween, Grandaddy, Jets to Brazil, Smoking Popes, Kanye West, Gang Starr, Goldfrapp, Franz Ferdinand, Danny Elfman, Kings of Convenience, Led Zeppelin, Marc Ribot, Portishead, The Beatles, T-Bone Burnett, The Flaming Lips, The Streets, They Might Be Giants, TJ Kirk, Willie Nelson, The Presidents of the USA, Raymond Scott, Bob Marley, Esquivel, Roberto Juan Rodriguez, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Johnny Cash, Medeski Martin and Wood, John Hartford, Jimmy Luxury, Buena Vista Social Club, Pixies, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Nirvana, Simon and Garfunkel, Z-Trip, SO MANY MORE...
Sounds Like
Rock // hip hop // electronica // folk // tango // blues
I write in many genres, with an emphasis on great melodies and counterpoint, and modern production techniques.
At age 3, Damian Sol was encouraged to choose an instrument from the wall at Jack's House of Music in Carmichael, California. As a classic example of "be careful what you wish for," he chose a tiny violin.
Under his mother's diligent tutelage, he was soon fine-tuning his classical chops for 3-4 hours a day, and by age eight began winning competitions and performing solo slots with various orchestras. At age 16, he was co-concertmaster of the Sacramento State University Orchestra.
Unfortunately, by this time, he was also miserable with classical music. Groomed to be a prodigy, his violin teacher had him playing Paganini's Violin Concerto 1 for three years, with big plans to ship him off to New York to attend the Julliard School of Music.
This is when he discovered KILL 'EM ALL, Metallica's first major label release. He plugged his violin into an amplifier shortly thereafter, officially beginning his quest to ROCK.
To further this pursuit, he became an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, teaching himself guitar, bass, piano, drums and voice, as well as furthering his exploration of the violin through the study of jazz, country, rock and pop styles. He spent the last 16 years recording and performing with various projects in Northern California, along the way spending four years behind mixing consoles as a student of the recording arts.
Damian paid his punk rock dues as a superb drummer in the sadly defunct OLD MAN HOMO, a persistent favorite of the Sacramento punk scene in the 90's.
He explored multiple musical roles -- and practically every style of music conceivable -- in the obscure experimental collective STICKMAN LINCOLN, progressing from a noisy garage hobby into a full-fledged folk-metal ensemble, and back again.
He delved into the backwoods intensity of country fiddle with the FREIGHT TRAIN RIDERS OF AMERICA BAND, a traditionally twisted (and highly critically acclaimed) acoustic bluegrass group. During his time in the band, they won the Sacramento News & Review's Sammie Award for best new band.
He has appeared as a guest musician on various recording projects: Little Guilt Shrine, Roberta Chevrette, James Finch Jr., The Proles, Headrush, Autumn Skye, Chelsea Wolfe, Songs for Presidents and many more.
He is most commonly known as a member of the klezmer/rock/surf/prog band known as LAS PESADILLAS. A five-time recipient of the Sacramento News & Review's Sammie Award, this band was eventually inducted into the Sammie Fall of Fame for winning so many times. Their 2005 semi-scientific concept album, "Quantum Immortality" was released and distributed by The Americans Are Coming Recordings and very well-received by college radio stations around the country.
Las Pesadillas was sustained for 9 wonderful years as a full-fledged rock band, and continues today as a folky duo made up of Damian and Sammie Award-winning songwriter Noah Nelson.
Currently, Damian is based in Lake Tahoe, CA and plays with Northern California bands Hard Clumpin' Litter (acoustic blues) and The Fire Ants (live acoustic Argentine tango). You can catch him playing live tango on the second Tuesday of each month at Firehouse 5 in Sacramento, CA. Details here: Firehouse5.com
It’s an honor to meet you, & to have your support,
Digital Current - was created with the mindset to break out of musical norms. To create something fresh with classical elements and sweeping, pulsing electronic thump. It's a unique blend of drum and bass, IDM, breaks, virtual orchestra, techno, ambient, reggae, chill, & rock.
You can check out my new CD “The Fallen Rise” at cdbaby.com (mp3 & hardcopy), fixtstore.com (mp3 only) under the indie section or on iTunes - Just click on the appropriate photo links on my page to purchase.
I’m already at work on a remixed album and have numerous demo’s uploaded to listen to.
Shoot me a line or two, I’d like to hear from you.
I hope Texas treated you well... I am going to try like hell to see that Pesadillas acoustic show, maybe I can get that copy of the Radio Orangevale disc from you as well!
I did pretty decent in yoga, was actually able to focus, but yeah, I have a long way to go to get back into shape. I saw a personal trainer today and one more time on Friday, he assessed my bad body mechanics and will show me how to stretch those spots out and how to do the right weights too! I am super excited to have something healthy and productive to do out of the apartment besides walking by myself in crappy weather or reading in the bookstore. Lots of other people with tattoos there, mostly guys, but at least I feel "at home" in a way, and it's fun to see all the other cool art. Walking on the treadmill rules too. And the sauna is a good cleansing, also to get me ready for the heat I haven't had to endure for over 10 years. UGH on that one.
Just forwarded you a link to Ben Folds' MySpace blog. Read the one about the a capella groups. Sounds interesting. :) Hope you're well. Super rad about the Taxi stuff and the gigs in Tahoe. I shall keep my fingers crossed for you.
yes, we totally need rain, there will likely be water rationing in Sacto. this year. widespread bummage in Humboldt too even with the sunny days that they hardly ever get to enjoy like the valley. It's bizarre.
