Damage Control 2025

DAMAGE CONTROL (2025)

Louie is returning to something like Rock and a little bit Country with an album of 17 new songs. Louie is singing lead vocals, playing bass, keyboards and lots of guitar, and guests include Vocalist Extroadinaire: Nedelka Sotelo, Pedal Steel and Lead Guitarist David Friedlander, Trombone by Doug Fischer and Saxophone by Travis Calvert. Also look out for superb additional Background Vocals by Valeri & Lyudmila Kim. There's even some background vocals from my friends David, Ross and Cory of the the great rock band Fandango NYC.

The album started as a personal challenge to write some quick and easy songs to jam on with friends (shouting out to John Jones, Pat Morin, Robert Wood and Jason Kalb), but of course it got out of hand in no time. The world seems to have gone extra crazy and much of this is reflected in the lyrics. Needless to say this album was recorded in its entirety in the Red Room Recording Studio in beautiful Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. And I'm happy to report that the amazing Erica Harris has made the art for the cover and promotional materials.

DAMAGE CONTROL album credits

SIDE A: Scratch The Surface
Three Chord Banger
It Is What It Is
If These Walls Could Talk
Chaos Machine
Going Straight To Hell

SIDE B: A Few Minor Bruises
Don't You Know
Oncoming Train
Alone
Scene of the Crime
Art of the Lie

SIDE C: Dumpster Fire (CD & Digital only)
Good Morning Déjà Vu
Luck of the Draw
Too Good To Be True
Last Gasp of Rock & Roll
Get Out Of The Way
Good For You
Making It Home To You

SIDE D: The Old Switcheroo (instrumentals)
Negotiations (It Is What It Is)
Know-It-All (Don't You Know)
Twogether (Alone)
Truly (Art of the Lie)
Kangaroo (déjà vu)
Destination (Making It Home to You)

MUSICIAN CREDITS: Louie performs vocals, guitars, bass, keys on all songs

Three Chord Banger
El Coño, Ross Byron, David "Rocky" Friedlander, Travis Calvert (bg vocals & handclaps), David "Rocky" Friedlander (lead guitar)

It Is What It Is
Nedelka Sotelo (bg vocals), Doug Fischer (trombones), Travis Calvert (saxophones), David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

If These Walls Could Talk

Chaos Machine
David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Going Straight To Hell
Nedelka Sotelo (bg vocals)

Don't You Know
Valeri (bg vocals), David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Oncoming Train
David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Alone
Nedelka Sotelo (bg vocals), David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Scene of the Crime
Nedelka Sotelo (bg vocals),

Art of the Lie
Nedelka Sotelo (bg vocals), David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Good Morning Déjà Vu
Valeri (bg vocals), David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Luck of the Draw
Lyudmila Kim (bg vocals)

Too Good To Be True

Last Gasp of Rock & Roll

Get Out Of The Way
El Coño, Ross Byron, David "Rocky" Friedlander, Travis Calvert (bg vocals),

Good For You
David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Making It Home To You
David "Rocky" Friedlander (pedal steel guitar)

Produced, Written, and Recorded by Louie Fleck
Vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion and drum sample editing by Louie Fleck

Mastering by Alan Douches (West Westside Music)
Cover art: Erica Harris
Illustrations: Walter Robinson

In Memoriam: Sandra Imhoff and Walter Robinson

Thank You: Lyudmila, Laury Webb, Travis Calvert, Doug Fischer, Nedelka Sotelo, Valeri, Fandango NYC, Gabe Kirchheimer, The NYC Reggae Jam Crew, Brooklyn Academy of Music, John Jones, Jason Kalb, Pat Morin, Robert Wood, UAW 2110, The Blazing Salads Crew, Mom, Bela, Sascha, Lisa & all the Rosens, Paladinos, and Kims.

A Very Special Thank You to everyone who supported though the Kickstarter campaign.

REVIEW from Rádio Brumas
https://radiobrumas.wordpress.com/2025/07/29/louis-fleck-reinventa-o-classico-em-um-disco-de-corpo-e-alma-em-damage-control/

Louie Fleck unleashes a veritable sonic kaleidoscope with “Damage Control,” a 23-track album that spans a vast musical territory without ever losing its cohesion. Recorded at Red Room Recording Studio in Brooklyn, the album sounds like a carefully crafted jam session, where the spirit of the compositions seems spontaneous, but the execution reveals a seasoned and meticulous artist. The influences are clear but well incorporated: Beatles, Kinks, Tom Petty, Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, and even our own Brazilian Jobim. Each appears in small doses, as references rather than crutches. In “Three Chord Banger,” we have a nostalgic anthem that celebrates direct and uncomplicated rock, with a catchy chorus and garage energy. “Don’t You Know” evokes folk-rock with a sixties feel and harks back to the Californian psychedelic era. “Last Gasp of Rock n’ Roll” sounds more comprehensive and seamlessly synthesizes the album’s spirit. There’s also room for forays into bossa nova, funk, and country, all woven together by lyrics that capture the anxieties and absurdities of our time, with a critical yet humorous perspective. The production focuses on organic tones and clean recordings, using real guitars, amplifiers, and drums, which brings an analog freshness to the experience. The mix emphasizes the arrangements, especially the horns (with Travis Calvert’s sax standing out) and the backing vocals (excellent Valeri & Lyudmila Kim). Nedelka Sotelo shines in her guest appearances, bringing an extra emotional dimension. With such a large and fluid album, it’s too compact to try to cover all the tracks in a single review. But “Damage Control” feels like a large project, and it is. Even in times when many artists distort their work with artificial visual and aesthetic presentations generated by AI, Louie Fleck soars with an incredible and impactful visual presentation that reinforces the work’s identity and amplifies its power. “Damage Control” is a project born of simplicity and elevated by the intensity of the historical moment we live in. It’s an album that doesn’t attempt to be modern, but ends up being current by conveying contemporary confusion with soul, humor, and humanity. Louie Fleck delivers a dense and accessible work, capable of connecting with both the average listener and the classic rock aficionado. One of the most authentic independent releases of the year. (7/31/2025)

REVIEW: Damage Report: Louie Fleck’s DAMAGE CONTROL Is a 23-Track Tornado of Rock, Truth, and Sonic Soul-Searching
https://apricot-magazine.com/review/damage-report-louie-flecks-damage-control-is-a-23-track-tornado-of-rock-truth-and-sonic-soul-searching/

Brooklyn’s own Louie Fleck is not here to play it safe. With DAMAGE CONTROL, a sprawling 23-track album released on July 28, 2025, Fleck doesn’t just dip a toe into the waters of rock history—he cannonballs straight in, then invites you to come up for air only when you’re ready to confront the chaos of both the world and yourself.

A genre-blending odyssey that spans power pop, classic rock, folk reflection, garage grit, and even moments of jazzy brass and pedal steel melancholy, DAMAGE CONTROL is a defiant declaration of musical independence in an age of fleeting singles and shrinking attention spans. This is the sound of an artist refusing to cut corners, embracing the full breadth of his influences and inner voice, and daring to craft an album that demands to be played from start to finish. From the first track, “Three Chord Banger,” Fleck sets the tone—equal parts reverent and rebellious. It’s a loving punch in the gut to every garage band anthem you’ve ever screamed from the back seat of a rusted-out car. The guitars are crunchy, the hooks relentless, and the lyrics a wink to the past while charging into the future. And that’s just the start. “It Is What It Is” follows, dripping in philosophical weariness yet never losing its swagger, while “If These Walls Could Talk” invites you into a room full of ghosts, memory, and unspoken truths. Collaborating with a stellar cast of musical accomplices—including powerhouse vocalist Nedelka Sotelo, pedal steel wizard David Friedlander, trombonist Doug Fischer, and saxophonist Travis Calvert—Fleck constructs an album that feels both lived-in and electric. Background vocals from Valeri & Lyudmila Kim add texture and warmth, while guest appearances from Brooklyn rockers Fandango NYC help cement the album’s gritty, East Coast backbone.(7/31/2025)

DAMAGE CONTROL

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