Damon and Naomi

Damon & Naomi are an American dream pop/folk-rock duo, formed in 1991 by Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, formerly of Galaxie 500.

History

After Galaxie 500 completed a tour of the US supporting The Cocteau Twins, guitarist and vocalist Dean Wareham quit the band, forcing the cancellation of an imminent Japanese tour. Damon and Naomi had recorded a few tracks before the split, and these were released under the name Pierre Etoile by Rough Trade (UK) in July 1991. The duo then spent time working on their book publishing company Exact Change, with no plans to return to recording, until producer Mark Kramer urged them back into the studio. The resulting album, More Sad Hits was released on Kramer's "Shimmy Disc" label in 1992.

Following the release of More Sad Hits, Damon and Naomi were contacted by Kate Biggar and Wayne Rogers, whose band, Crystalized Movements, had recently lost its rhythm section. The two couples teamed up to form the psychedelic rock band Magic Hour, and released three albums between 1993 and 1996. At the same time, Damon and Naomi continued to record as a duo, releasing their second album, The Wondrous World of Damon and Naomi on Sub Pop in 1995. The album was again produced by Kramer, however there was controversy as Kramer's production recreated the psychedelic leanings of the band's debut rather than the acoustic approach the band now preferred. Kramer initially refused to make changes, and although he eventually relented, he refused to return the original masters, claiming that they were destroyed. In 2013 that initial mix (including a heretofore unreleased track) was released as The Wondrous World of Damon and Naomi, Bootleg Edition on the band's on 20/20/20 label in celebration of Record Store Day.