Dennis Davison - Putting Up With People
What do atheism, nature, salamanders, the year 536 BC, lo-fi electronics, and garage rock have in common? Perhaps not much on paper, but they all swirl together in lysergic glee on Dennis Davison’s third solo album, Sirens and Hellbenders, which will feature the single, Putting Up With People. Davison’s sonic Chaos Theory is well-crafted, paisley pop-rock.
“Sirens and hellbenders are words that imply chaos, but they’re also two types of salamanders. I’ve always loved nature—it’s a beautiful jumble,” says the LA based singer/songwriter.
Davison is a solo artist, multi-instrumentalist and the lead singer and songwriter in the Grammy-nominated band the Jigsaw Seen. The band has been immortalized by being included on the seminal Children of Nuggets Box Set, but Davison’s place in neo-psychedelia was already assured as a member of the early 1980s band United States Of Existence.
Davison began his solo career in 2020 and since then has released his debut album, a 5-song EP, and an album of voice memo demos. His songs and voice can be heard in many films and television shows, including the six-time Emmy Award-winning animated sci-fi series, Futurama, and the black comedy drama, Shameless.
The first single from Davison’s latest album, Sirens and Hellbenders, is the hard-rocking, “Putting Up With People.” The song bursts with burly power-chord riffs and melodic and driving basslines, recalling the anthemics of British rock bands such The Move and The Kinks. “Putting Up With People” speaks to Davison’s patience with interpersonal relationships. "I was thinking about some particularly difficult people who I’ve been involved with throughout my life, and wondering how I managed to stick it out for so long. I came to the conclusion that I must be good at the art of putting up with people. It’s both a skill and a curse,” he says. One clever and illuminating lyric passage is: There is no room for misanthropes and cynics/A lonely tomb awaits those who despise/But you’re in luck ‘cause I could run a clinic/A healthy dose of charity’s advised.
In a gesture of punk rock roguishness, the single’s artwork cops the font style of vacuous 1960s pop act Up With People and it features a typically corny photo of the group.
“Putting Up With People” features special guest backing vocalists Paul Kopf (Strangers in a Strange Land) and KXLU Melody Fair DJ, Michelle Krupkin, who is also Davison’s wife. Joining the party is drummer Teddy Freese, Davison’s old band mate in The Jigsaw Seen.
