Just like Bob Dylan, The Ramones, Johnny Cash, and countless others who have written whole chapters of musical history, acoustic punk performer Joie/Dead Blonde Girlfriend has written his chapter in the clubs, streets, and cafes of New York's infamous East Village and beyond. Now it is time to take it to another level. This time he is bringing friends. Dead Blonde Girlfriend is that new level. With all of the critical acclaim (Time Out New York, Dazed and Confused, Mojo, New York Magazine, and others) for Joie/DBG (a.k.a. Joie Blaney, the driving force of Dead Blonde Girlfriend) it is easy to see why he has sold out five of his self-released records. He toured solo in the U.K to packed houses and was the opening act for Rough Trade/Sanctuary recording artists the Moldy Peaches in Europe for six weeks. Joie also has one of his songs featured on the Rough Trade/Sanctuary Antifolk compilation. "It was time for a change. I think I took the solo guitar Antifolk/Acoustic punk thing as far as I could" explains Joie. "That's why I put a band together consisting of J. Brown on bass, Joseph Fusco on Drums and fresh from the New Orleans scene James Mercer on electric guitar. These guys make it feel like a band." They have been working with the production team of Paul Kostabi (Dee Dee Ramone, Youth Gone Mad) and Jason Carmer (Third Eye Blind, The Donnas, Run DMC) bringing some of Joie's songs together in band form. Joie says "I love working with producers and recording with a band. It is quite an experience for me taking solo acoustic songs and adding more instruments to them. It brings out other elements emotionally and sonically. To me a good song will always be a good song, no matter what you do to it, laughs Joie. He even produced the five song CD entitled "I hate myselfbut I love you" with the band and Jerry Teel (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Patti Smith) at the now defunct Funhouse studio in the East Village. In an era where bands act way too cool and write mindless songs that sound so predictable, it is time for something new and different. "Most bands wear their influences on their sleeves. They look and sound so retro and play it off as being original and hip." Joie adds, "In this band we can’t or won’t do it." Dead Blonde Girlfriend is a band that lives for the moment while not getting lost in it. Reflecting upon the past but not living in it. Rise, fall, and redemption are what Dead Blonde Girlfriend's poetic songs are about. Many emotional themes are felt throughout the music as they mood swing you from a full on barrage of sound to an unexpected silence that leaves you speechless. Honest, confessional, vulnerable and introspective lyrics are mixed with a little sadness and hope of trying to understand the cruel and insane beauty of life and everything that goes with it. "To me lyrics are so important in a song. I want these songs to be a voice in the void we call pop culture. Words and feelings you can identify and sing along with," explains Joie. One listen to the songs of Dead Blonde Girlfriend and you will never look at music the same way again.