Street Joy

Street Joy, a new Los Angeles-based alternative duo, will self-release its self-titled album on June 1 on its own Trick Pony Records after issuing a series of sumptuous rock tracks over the past few months. One of the group's standouts is the crisply produced track "Moon," which you can hear in full below:

"This one takes a little more to get into," says Jason DeMayo, Street Joy's lead vocalist and guitarist, of "Moon," which we wrote nearly three years ago. While previously released songs like "Laurel Hill" and "Same As Me" might be more immediate, "Moon" captures the sun-kissed rock aesthetic that Street Joy is aiming for, with DeMayo's voice piercing through the dissonance with slick confidence.

DeMayo and drummer/backup vocalist Scott Zimmerman met in high school and started jamming as students at the University of Oregon. After a year in college, the pair left the school and move down to Los Angeles to focus on Street Joy full-time. "That's when we really decided to go all in," says Zimmerman.

After recording at a house in Silver Lake for nearly two years with engineer Michael Coleman, Street Joy will finally issue its debut LP next month. Although the pair has received interest from record labels and publishing companies, they're satisfied saying independent -- and building Trick Pony, their own label enterprise -- for the time being.

"We don't necessarily want to do it in a more traditional way, where we feel like we're working for a label," says Zimmerman. We want to work for ourselves, and if we can work with somebody, we're definitely interested in having someone get the album into people's hands." - Billboard

Los Angeles garage-pop outfit Street Joy has been churning out fuzzy, killer singles for a while now. These guys have a serious handle on what makes a good three-minute rock ‘n’ roll tune, and each of their songs is as unstoppable as the next. Today, CMJ has the premiere of the duo’s newest offering. Wrong Cloud departs from the frantic energy of the awesome, sprawling recent single Disappoint You Girl, and lets the California sun shine in just a little bit. The song, which comes off like the Hives with an attitude adjustment, is melodic and catchy as all get out. Check it out below. - CMJ

Los Angeles-based indie duo, Street Joy, just released “Same As Me” a couple days ago, and we’re of the opinion that it’s not something you’re going to want to miss. The sound is vaguely Lo-fi, but not because it wasn’t produced well, rather, these guys have a decidedly raw edge to them that is refreshingly simple in much the same way a lot of Jack White’s work is. There’s nothing flashy about the music you’re hearing, but the minimalist guitar chords and bare-bones beat achieves a much more visceral listening experience than most tracks can these days, and Jason DeMayo’s fuzzy vocals are the perfect way to round out the package. What’s really impressive though, is that they don’t try hide the soul of the track behind extra layers of instrumentation. It’s a huge risk to lay out just a few notes, a bass line, and a couple lyrics during recording and then call it quits. The song could come off as lazy, or underwhelming, and there’s absolutely no margin for error if you screw it up. The listener will hear every flaw and inconsistency.

On the other hand, if you get it right with just the minimum amount of sound, the end result has the potential to be absolutely stunning. If it’s handled correctly, less it truly more. Street joy has taken that truth and masterfully applied it to their latest single. If “Same As Me” doesn’t have you hooked by the time the bass rolls in, you should get your speakers checked. - Hillydilly.com

Like the string of singles Street Joy released as an EP in January, the L.A. duo’s new music is beholden to no particular genre. It’s as if a riff or idea appears out of thin air, and singer-guitarist-bassist Jason DeMayo and drummer-singer Scott Zimmerman traipse of down a path that finds them channeling history’s more recent indie greats (i.e., the Strokes, early Spoon), or ’60s soul, or early garage-pop — always with an unfussy production approach. In their new creative surge, they’ve been working and experimenting at All Welcome Records and at Big Bad Sound studios, ending up with a batch of new songs that “are kinda all over the place,” DeMayo says. “But we think that’s cool for now — it’s transparent. Every time we went in to record a song, we seemed to have a pretty different inspiration, be it an early Beatles track, or a Bee Gees/Michael Jackson vibe. But the overall theme of these tracks seems to be angst and anxiety. It’s been an interesting year.” Before they hit the studio to record a proper album later this year, Street Joy will unveil nine new songs they’re calling the “Good/Bad Luck Sessions,” because, DeMayo says, “it’s not an album, and not quite an EP — it’s just a collection of songs that are the result of our time at All Welcome.” And the first of the series is the raw-boned “Telephone,” which thematically recalls the Nerves’ gem (later covered by Blondie), “Hanging on the Telephone.” Says DeMayo: “It’s basically about the anxiety that comes from waiting for a phone call/text from someone that is important to you. People can leave you hanging, and that always blows.” - Buzzbands.LA

There are many sides to rock ’n’ roll, and not only does L.A. duo Street Joy (and producer Michael Coleman) seem to know how to touch all the bases, but each single (there are six altogether now) they pump out stay with you long after the last note, no matter how different they are from one another. Singer-guitarist-bassist Jason DeMayo and drummer-singer Scott Zimmerman have slinked hard in “Same As Me;” they’ve cut loose with bluesy energy in “Laurel Hill;” they’ve gone garage-rock with “Wandering In Your Mind;” they’ve thrown psych-rock into the anthemic “Disappoint You Girl;” and they’ve even gone soft in the folk-rock ballad “Moon.” Their latest single “Wrong Cloud,” however, may show their sunny SoCal roots the most with that bright guitar riff peeking out of the percussion like a surfer coming out of the waves every now and then. If you’re searching for an undeniable two-piece band that leaves the ostentatious to the Black Keys, then Street Joy comes to your rescue. - Buzzbands.LA

We can’t help but feel nostalgic when we first listened to LA’s Street Joy and their debut single “Wandering in Your Mind.” Our mind’s immediately went to our younger years and all of the sun-soaked days outside in the summer. Comparisons to The Strokes are inevitable on the song, but you probably need to look back further to somewhere between Thin Lizzy and The Cars, a time before smartphones and computers, to really get a grasp of the youthful exuberance conveyed in their sound. This is about getting in your car and driving without having a plan as to where you are going or thinking about consequences. Those calm, cool vocals that unleash themselves at all the right moments, the woofing bass lines, and fuzzy guitar licks are everything we love about rock and roll. Can you tell we are excited about this SoCal duo? “Wandering in Your Mind” will be released on February 24th via Trick Pony Records. Stream it below. - My Old Kentucky Blog

"Wandering in Your Mind" is the first single by fuzz rock duo Street Joy, a scorching garage burner that pummels with a scrappy guitar lead as it pierces through a stomping groove. Centered around the confident vocals of Jason DeMayo, the song weds a heavy melodic edge with Mersey-beat backup vocal harmonies courtesy of drummer Scott Zimmerman; imagine a period in the sixties where boy bands where beginning to expand their pop hooks with barn-burning licks and you get a good idea of where the duo stand. Finding that kinetic balance is what makes the track resonate, striking a soft focus mid-fi production that really makes that rattling distortion really pop out instead of submerging it with a thick, murky tone. The track is said to be the first in a series of singles, which should give more clues into their overall sound. At least this one track proves that they're having a blast, offering a tight synchronicity that makes their official recorded debut a very anticipated one, indeed. - Juan Rodríguez - The Deli LA

The new song from LA duo Street Joy, 'Laurel Hill', clocks in at a short but sweet 2 minutes and 15 seconds, but that's all it needs to get you grooving. It's got a retro sound with just enough of a modern twist that it could see them catapulting into the upper echelon of alternative in no time flat.

Street Joy combine funky guitar work and relaxed vocals with a dash of attitude to craft a brand of rock all their own. 'Laurel Hill' could be the soundtrack to those summer nights filled with cheap beer and good friends, partying the night away, and you can check it out below! - The 405

Need something to knock you out of your morning funk and get you into the groove for the weekend instead? Enter Street Joy. The L.A. duo has been making some noise around town with a true-blue sound that recalls two or three different eras of rock ’n’ roll. The third single from singer-guitarist-bassist Jason DeMayo and drummer-singer Scott Zimmerman is the spare but steamy “Same As Me.” With its rattling retro-pop and distorted guitar licks dancing with insistent percussion, it’s another bullet of swagger that is delivered with impressive finesse. From the first snare drum roll to the thrilling buildup for the intoxicating guitar solo in the last quarter of the song, the track is downright slinky. Street Joy’s self-titled debut is slated for a June 1 release date via Trick Pony. This one belongs on slightly scratchy vinyl, and near the front of the stack. - See more at: http://www.buzzbands.la/2014/04/10/ears-wide-open-street-joy/#sthash.6ZOYeM1E.dpuf - BuzzBands.LA

http://www.crayonbeats.com/street-joy-laurel-hill/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed - Crayon Beats

How about a Friday double header? First up this is Laurel Hill, the second single by Street Joy. It’s breezy Friday night rock & roll that would perfectly soundtrack a bar scene from the Dukes of Hazard. Download it for free direct from Soundcloud above.
In contrast here is the bluesy, swamp rock of Wandering In Your Mind, (the first single) imagine Ocean Colour Scene jamming with the Strokes. This will get your blood pumping.

Read more at http://www.rightchordmusic.co.uk/street-joy-laurel-hill/#YlMPx8eye75jDlcP.99 - Right Chord Music

I like the idea of being able to wander in someone’s mind and these clever lyrics by Los Angeles duo Street Joy give me the impression of what it might be like.

The confident swagger of the vocal delivery are all wrapped up in a gorgeously late 60′s garage, distorted, fuzzy guitar noise.

We are advised that this is the first in a series of singles from the boys. Am looking forward to hearing what they send us next.

Street Joy are Jason DeMayo on vocals and Scott Zimmerman on drums. - Backseat Mafia

Some lo-fi indie for our track of the week and its the latest single from LA based duo Street Joy.

A newly addition to the Danger Village roster, Street Joy will be bringing you more music over the course of the year, for now check out the explosive single Wandering In Your Mind – crackling bass lines, hard-hitting percussion, killer riffs and rocking vocals that’s get you buzzing! - CreativeSessions/The Flux