Damnably At 8: Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio

Event information

Damnably at 8 is a series of concerts celebrating our 8th birthday with some exclusives & debuts from our favourite acts.


Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio play their European debut.

Joel RL Phelps is a Montana born singer and songwriter who co-founded punky upstarts Ein-Heit in 82’ and then the legendary band ‘SILKWORM’ in 1987. After 3 albums he left to form ‘Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio’ with William Herzog (EARTH, Citizen's Utilities, Neko Case,Sunn0)))), Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter) and Robert Mercer (Zebra Hunt).
The band made 4 critically acclaimed albums and 2 EP’s. Joel disappeared for almost a decade then resurfaced with the exceptional album ‘GALA’ released on Damnably. 12XU & Triple Crown at the end of 2013.

“a very welcome return” Gideon Coe BBC 6Music
“I want a way to break that Nashville sound,” Phelps sings on Gala’s lead off track, and though he can’t break that mold for everyone, there’s no danger of the Downer Trio lazily aping an aesthetic. Phelps’s fuzzy guitar is more gristly than meaty on this loud/quiet/loud track, and his voice is as oddly endearing as ever, resembling Stephen Malkmus or Jeff Mangum in the way he goes from a seemingly disengaged baritone to a cracked, spine-tingling yelp. “Put some shoulder in it, boys,” he implores, and the band complies.” Joel Oliphant Pitchfork
"Joel R.L. Phelps has put out some of the most compelling 3:00am- and- a- bottle- o'- booze music around." - Jeremy Schneyer, Pitchfork
“...impressive blend of brooding post-punk, plaintive folk-rock and Crazy Horse guitar rock.” Don Yates KEXP Radio
“the most direct and rock-like work since his contributions to Silkworm.” Dusted
http://joelrlphelps.net/

Zebra Hunt (solo)
Robert Mercer’s Seattle based trio drawing inspiration from the Feelies, The Clean, Thee Oh Sees, Woollen Kits and producing a spacious catchy, clever and not so quantifiable spiky indie rock.
http://zebrahunt.bandcamp.com/

Lazarus Clamp
Celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2014, the Leicester founded post-punk 5 piece release their 5th lp this year 'The bird is not the metaphor'.
Lazarus Clamp are one of the minor, undiscovered, rough-cut gems of British independent music." Drowned In Sound.
http://music.lazarusclamp.co.uk/

Former Utopia
East London’s Gideon Coe, Tom Ravenscroft approved alt folk/post folk trio, whose ‘Collapsar’ 10 track EP garnered a steady 8/10 on press aggregate.

http://www.damnably.com/former-utopia/
Whisperingandhollerin (IR)8/10 “Former Utopia inject new life into the faded denims of grungey slackerdom, with the crunching guitars and twisted pop dynamism of the Pixies and the plaintive tones and monster solos of Dinosaur Jr. And it’s totally welcome.”

http://www.damnably.com