Musician Alex Dezen releases his new album under The Damnwells moniker today (Tuesday, 3.15.11). After label deals with Epic and Rounder, the band opted for a less traditional route for its new album: No One Listens To The Band Anymore was funded completely by the band’s fans via PledgeMusic.

No One Listens To The Band Anymore contains some of Dezen’s best songwriting to date (on “Werewolves” and “The Same Way”), and while the band created the album without label influence or interference nothing in its sound seems to have changed. Not that it’s a bad thing, mind you. The band keeps it mostly low-key throughout, understandable given Dezen likely wrote much of the album acoustically. He also continues his use of humor to make a point, such as on “The Great Unknown” (“Oh beautiful for spacious skies / what a shitty soundtrack of our lives…”), and remains adept at writing hooks–not that the general public ever paid attention (see the Golden Days documentary for more on the band’s past). The album suffers lyrically in spots, most notably on “She Goes Around” (“Yeah, she goes around-round / She goes up, down, and she’s goes around / Yeah, she goes around-round / I go up, down, and she goes around”). But this is a minor offense on an otherwise thoughtful album. What ultimately sticks are catchy songs like “Feast of Hearts” and “The Monster”, which listeners will be humming for hours after listening.

You can buy the digital version of No One Listens To The Band Anymore on Amazon or iTunes, or order a vinyl copy via Clifton Motel. The CD version is also available.

Read the interview with Dezen for Houston Calling‘s 2010 SXSW preview.

The Damnwells plays its official SXSW showcase in Austin this Saturday (3.19.11) at The Tap Room At Six at 10pm. The band also plays in Houston at Fitzgerald’s on 4.5.11 (get tickets here).