"The way I see it - if they laugh when they're supposed to laugh, think when they're supposed to reflect, and rock out when we blow the roof off the joint, then I'm doin' my job," says David Brake about the new live CD "Spin Around." The new release on Westerland Records is a live recording of all new songs. "I was a little scared at first about the idea of releasing the new songs live," says Brake, "but the results really paid off." Most of the tracks on Spin Around were recorded on October 9th at Reno's in Clear Lake by Jack Holmes, who runs house sound there. (His son Kevin sings lead for the band Still Standin'.) Two other venues that made the cut are the JPHops House and Bernie's 19th Hole. "We asked all of the audiences at each venue on the recording to scream real loud so they could be heard on the CD, and they all obliged." The CD was mixed by Jay Hudson at the Hit shack in Austin. David credits Jay for being the "5th Beatle" on the project, and says he has an amazing ear. David Brake writes the songs, sings lead, and plays acoustic guitar. He also plays piano with his right hand while playing bass with his left. This is accomplished with a custom Yamaha CP-80 electric grand piano that has a bass split on the lower notes. "Not many people do it this way, but we're a four piece band and Jeff needs to be free to play fiddle," says Brake, "it's a big part of our sound." Jeff Duncan plays the fiddle and sings what Brake calls "perfect sky-high harmonies." He also fills in on the bass when David plays acoustic guitar. Jeff has been in the band the longest, and has a knack for finding "just what the song calls for." Ronnie Dobbs plays lead guitar on the live CD, weaving the lead lines in and out of the backbeat with the fiddle. You can tell he's a very accomplished picker when he solos, and he makes all of the parts fit perfectly. He also sings all of the low harmonies, rounding out the vocals and giving That Damn Band that "perfect three part blend." Chuck Payne plays the drums and keeps the backbeat for the band, steady and driving--just what you would want for a band somewhere between Texas country and alternative rock. Together, these four have a sound that can only be described as all their own. "I'm glad we had the opportunity to make a live recording and release the new songs live," says David Brake. "Now if we play a show where there's not many people, I know those who didn't come can hear what they're missing."

- Laura Finck / Westerland Records.com

David Brake's debut CD on Westerland Records "Lean Mean Texas Machine" is a combination of Rock, Country, Folk, & Blues Americana reflecting influences like Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Hornsby, Townes Van Zandt, and The Beatles. On the CD release, many regional musicians like Scott Mcgill/slide guitar, Terry Westbrook/ drums, Scott Johnson/fiddle, and Rankin Peters/bass make guest appearances in That Damn Band. The CD was engineered by Dan Workman, and mixed at Sugar Hill studios. The 1st track "Even Five to Closing Time" received airplay on radio stations across Texas and the U.S., and the title track "Lean Mean Texas Machine" was the Featured New Artist Track on the Official Texas Music Countdown (syndicated on over 25 stations).

David Brake has been entertaining audiences for almost a decade in Houston and toured the country as a musician for nearly twice that long. Born somewhere in rural Michigan, his family moved frequently around the country as he discovered a love for music at a very young age. He sang his first acapella solo at seven years old at a church in Kansas, and taught himself piano and guitar by ear before taking lessons and "faking sight reading." His professional experience includes playing with groups & recording artists of many genres and from many regions (The Heat & The Cold Sweat Horns/Baltimore, Boyd Chisolm/New Mexico, The SparkPlugs/Virginia, The Classics/Ohio, & The Move/Kansas City), as well as playing nightclubs in band, duo, and solo formats.

He was the headlining piano player/singer at City Streets nightclub in Houston for 8 years, but then he started playing his own music. The catalyst for this was a throat surgery that resulted in the removal of a polyp from his vocal cords. "I had been writing songs since I was a little boy, but I never played them for anyone. When the doctor told me I might never sing again, all I could think was that no one would ever hear them." Thankfully the surgery was a success, and six months later, his voice was back better than ever. He immediately set about recording his songs, and along the way formed the group that would later be known as That Damn Band (unknowingly named one morning by a neighbor who was disturbed by the drums)…the results are found on "Lean Mean Texas Machine."

- Laura Finck / Westerland Records.com