AMEN DUNES is like sweets, wine or women: The minute you show them your weak spot (your heart) you’re in trouble. Cause you can’t stop, need more and forget about things people not being infected wouldn’t. Like dishwashing. Or laughing. So we here at the freezing NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION intensive care igloo, are really happy to at least treat one of your fatal addictions. Just like that, Damon McMahon sent us seven of his favourite slow burning winter jams to get through this strenuous season. And if this wasn’t enough, you get a little amuse gueule to prepare for the upcoming AMEN DUNES EP Cowboy Worship, which is due out Monday 19 January 2015. Listen to the luring THIS MORTAL COIL cover of ‘Song to the Siren‘ right here, before you start cuddling into McMahon’s selection of songs.
01. True Widow – ‘AKA’
These guys just write the juiciest, heavy pop songs and riffs. Was obsessed with their first record when it came out in 2008, but rediscovered it this winter and have been playing it on repeat. Just the most infectious, sweet and heavy shit. One of my favorite new bands.
02. True Widow – ‘Flat Black’
Was hard to choose a second song, this is a good more uptempo but still heavy pop jam of theirs.
03. Low – ‘Amethyst’
These guys are the masters. There really aren’t many bands in the world I would like to tour with, but this is one of them for sure. I’d do it for free, ha. This newest record of theirs got so overlooked, which is always how it goes it seems…Our drummer Parker insisted I come see them when they came to NY last, and I was like ‘nahh’ cause I don’t really like live music, but I was so happy I did. Was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. And that show is what gave me the idea to call the last A.D. record ‘Love’.
04. Low – ‘Holy Ghost’
Listened to this driving through Holland last month and almost drove the car off the road, ha. They’re both incredible, the two singers that is, but she is somehow the fulcrum of it all. She’s profoundly deep and beautiful. True gothic songwriting. Like all gothic music it verges on the edge of being saccharine, but never is. It has to get close to that to work. Have a strong memory of listening to this in the van in the rain in Lyon outside of a warehouse venue this fall, watching the traffic lights change, and not wanting to go in and play.
05. Nirvana – ‘On A Plain’
NIRVANA has always been one of my constants when thinking about music, but particularly has been a reference/inspiration for the next A.D. record, and the Unplugged album specifically. Basically one of the best examples of dark songs ever.
06. Nirvana – ‘Something In The Way’
Had an amazing afternoon at the beach in southern Portugal, where I was living this winter, where I played this record over and over and tried to do some kind of major mind absorption with it. This song is one of the ones that hits me particularly hard. It’s so simple and sort of dumb in a way, and at the same time devastatingly heavy. Fucking rules very hard.
07. Skullflower – ‘Can You Feel It’
Always the no-brainer when you want sweet slow heavy jams. Stole a title from this record for an A.D. record as well.
—