Singing their sad but catchy songs

If it weren't for producer Mark Kramer, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang wouldn't be marking a quarter-century making music or 20 years as a tandem.

When Galaxie 500 - featuring Krukowski on drums and Yang on bass - splintered after vocalist-guitarist Dean Wareham left in 1991, it was evident what Wareham would do. He formed the well-regarded alt-rock band Luna.

Krukowski and Yang, on the other hand, were ready to give up on music as a profession.

"We definitely were leaning in that direction," Krukowski says on the phone from London. "But Kramer talked us into continuing. He thought we had something."

Kramer was right. Krukowski and Yang sang. Krukowski tried his hand at guitar while Yang continued to cling to her bass.

"It's interesting how reluctant we were to start this musical union, but once we got started we couldn't stop," Krukowski says. "We've been so focused. Forming Damon and Naomi was the smartest thing we've ever done."

The group's music, which has been dubbed sadcore, slowcore and dream-pop, has been wonderfully melancholy since the act released its first album, "More Sad Hits," in 1992. There is something comforting about D&M's somber and ethereal songs.

"It's just something that's natural for us to do," Krukowski says. "Our music is just what comes out of us. We're not trying for a certain way of making music."

That attitude makes the duo willing to take chances. In fact, Damon and Naomi took its gentle sound and vivid lyrics to another place with its exceptional 2007 album, "Within These Walls." The poignant collection merits the tag slowcore; if the band's pace were more tortoise-like, it would be moving in reverse. The result is dramatic and, at times, eerie.

"Going that slow was very deliberate," Krukowski says. "We try to do something a little different each time. But with our last album, we were inspired by listening to Frank Sinatra records from the '50s. Man, did that guy sing slowly. He took breaths like a deep-sea diver. He had so much control, and we gave that a shot and it was so enjoyable to do. The album is a reflection of our live shows. We tend to slow it down live."

Damon and Naomi's forthcoming album, "False Beats and True Hearts," coming out next week, goes the other way.

"When we were making this new one, it was a bit of a reaction to the last one," Krukowski says. "We just let the pleasure of the music come out."

Music that might never have come out if Damon and Naomi had chosen another vocation. "I guess we should celebrate the fact that we kept this going," Krukowski says. "I can't imagine what else I would be doing."