Unreleased raw cuts and jewels in the rough. The singer/songwriter from Handsome Devil (RCA/Dirty Martini Records) and guitarist/songwriter from WANK (Maverick Records). Kickass melodic punk a la Social Distortion and Rancid.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Punk, POP: Power Pop



Details:
The kid is hooked â an absolute junkie for rock and roll songwriting. Danny Walker, singer/songwriter/guitarist for HANDSOME DEVIL, has been blessed in the business of rock n' roll and is still very hungry. With two major label cuts getting nationwide rock radio rotation, âMakinâ Moneyâ (Handsome Devil-RCA) and âForgivenâ (Wank-Maverick), and co-writes with platinum rock group Lit among others under his belt, Walker remains driven in his pursuit of the song. He quips, âIâm just a fan of rock nâ roll â a sucker for a great song.â

At age 14, Danny played bass in his first band, Norwegian Wood, a Beatles tribute band with his high school buddies. He moved on to play lead guitar in several cool bands (including Idle Scenes, Skin and Bones, Rick Parkerâs Lazy Stars, Silver Jet, and Beautiful Chaos), and then studied business at Chapman University. While in college, Walker formed WANK, a punk rock band with a melodic spin. Performing in Orange County, WANK caught the attention of Social Distortion front man and punk icon, Mike Ness, who offered to produce them. On producing the song Larry Brown, Ness said, "I'm not easily impressed. It's not everyday that a band catches my ear. Putting three chords to a melody and not sounding generic is not that easy to do." A major label bidding war ensued when Los Angeles radio station KROQ added their song, âForgiven,â to regular rotation, and Madonnaâs Maverick records signed WANK. Their CD, Get A Grip On Yourself, was released in 1998, and WANK toured the country (with Warped Tour, Goldfinger, the Specials, and the Vandals) to support it â what a dream come true. When WANK was released from Maverick, the band broke up.

Walker and Billie Stevens (WANK guitarist) still wanted to pursue the rock n roll dream so they called on good friend and hard hitting drummer, Keith Morgan. Thumping bassist Brian Wedmore was recruited to complete the rhythm section, and they would call themselves HANDSOME DEVIL. With the help of Lit guitarist Jeremy Popoff and his Dirty Martini label, Handsome Devil was soon courted and signed to RCA records. Their debut album, Love and Kisses from the Underground was released on September 11, 2001. It was a hell of a time to put out a CD, but HANDSOME DEVIL persevered and toured the nation 4 times over the year that followed (with the likes of Social Distortion, The Used, Lit, Zebrahead, Sprung Monkey, Hoobastank, Good Charlotte, and the Warped Tour). Handsome Devil CDs, Love and Kisses from the Underground (2001), Knock Yourself Out (2004), and Fully Automatic (2006), have received critical acclaim and have provided the foundation for an explosive live show, and Walker savors every moment of it, "My band HANDSOME DEVIL will kick your ass!!!"

In 2006, Walker was invited to Nashville, TN to participate in a Songwriter Boot camp led by country hit guru, Jeffrey Steele, who's written several hit songs for Tim Graw, Rascall Flatts, etc. Of the experience, Walker said, "Songwriting with someone like Steele, with so much talent, is so inspiring and energizing. I came home and wrote like 20 songs the next week - 3 of them on the plane!" Walker is planning on independently releasing three CDs of raw cuts (Volume 1-3) from his studio archives as well as his punk rock concept album, The Demise of Johnny Creeper, in 2007.

Walkerâs songs have found their way into film (Out Cold, Mr. Deeds, Paulie Shore is Dead, Ultimate X, Bad Reputation), television (Malcolm in the Middle, Smallville, Family Law, MTV), X-Box, and into the ears of fans, for which he is most grateful. âI must be the luckiest dog on the street. Iâm so thankful for my family, my band, our fans, and rock n roll. I love you all!â