DK & The Joy Machine
Brooklyn, NY | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
Music
Press
Back in September I had the privilege to see DK and her Joy Machine, which is to say her Appalachian dulcimer, perform...sitting in a room of fifty or so completely silent people while listening to the unearthly sounds coming from that box was absolutely the most intense live music performance I've witnessed. It's not just her chops, though. DK brings a punk sensibility to traditional music that helps keep her craft fresh and vibrant. - Adobe and Teardrops
The diversity of her music is one of the highpoints to DK’s music. She has such a passion, love, and respect for what she does that each song she crafts/creates come out sounding original, quirky, and smart. It is, however, her command over the dulcimer that is the best part to how DK and her Joy Machine sound to others. - Junior's Cave Online Magazine/Early Summer (June/July 2013) Edition Music Now Spotlight
..a rare example of contemporary folk, ancient as a medieval melody, wide as the sun. KME - Karel Music Expo - Karel Music Expo
Like I have mentioned on other ocassions, words aren’t really necessary in order to make a song or band awesome. In fact, many of the music made before was all pretty much about rhythm with no words, just dancing and some dudes maybe “aahhh”-ing or “oeh-oeh-oeh”-ing. One proof of this is DK & The Joy Machine.
Love Harder is an album with heart, feelings, beauty, and passion. In every chord, note, or string you can feel poetry, sincerity, greatness. Two pieces of evidence for this are “Siamese Twins” and “These Four Walls.” In the latter track, Dian takes the time to sing and her voice will immediately remind many of us of singers such as Dido/Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries)/Alanis Morissette.
“Love Harder” is another song where string instruments combine to deliver something powerful, epic, and really experimental with no organization. “Thinking About You” is a little more folk, and once again everything is just great.
“Come On Down” and “Jubilee” are the last two tracks on this record and both keep showcasing this artist’s creativity. It’s really poetic and captivating, and it takes you back to the old days.
In conclusion, this is a record to closely pay attention to and be delighted by. There’s really not so much planning, but pretty much the opposite: it’s all pretty random in a good way.
Rating: 4.7/5
Review by RJ Frometa
Edited by Marion Lougheed
- VENTS magazine
What a treat! Last night I got to hear DK and the Joy Machine perform at Sidewalk.
DK commands both acoustic and electric dulcimer with graceful mastery. She was joined by Sho Handa on percussion. Beautiful sounds. Her original songs are quirky and smart, and her singing is just wonderful. Lovely range from soft highs to much deeper notes. It was a fabulous evening and I look forward to more. - What I Read and Watched Notes on what I read and watched (and saw)
"What a pleasure to have DK and The Joy Machine perform for our July 4th BBQ Fest at the Paper Box! Her cool tunes and folkish vibe delighted the crowd. We're looking forward to having her back soon." ---Erick Verela, Owner, CEO
The Paper Box - Music & Art, Williamsburg Brooklyn
"DK and the Joy Machine play lovely, heart-felt songs centered around Dian Killian's beautiful dulcimer playing. Don't miss them!" ---Karen and the Sorrows/Queer Country Monthly
"While our wedding in Central Park was low key, it was also dignified and encompassed all the hopes we had for the day because of DK & The Joy Machine's wonderful dulcimer music. We were enchanted with the selections and DK's playing. Her performance added to the perfection of the day." John Concannon and Christina Weppner - ...from Paper Box to the Branded Salon...
"DK" is an NYC born, urban mountain dulcimer performer and singer-songwriter who plays both traditional “lap” and “Nova Scotian” style on four and five string dulcimers, holding the electric dulcimer like a guitar. It’s easy to get a sweet, seductive sound out of the dulcimer but DK takes it to another level---playing power chords, original fiddle tunes, edgy and mournful trad tunes and some lesser known covers, and original material that has a reputation for “rocking out” on this trad instrument. Even when playing acoustically, much of her work is beat driven with a roots undertone. She accompanies “The Joy Machine” (as she calls the dulcimer) with singing that is melodic, heart-felt, and powerful---with the gutsy, full-hearted voice you’d expect a “roll up your sleeves, there’s work to be done” woman to have---the kind of woman who would have worked the railroads or tilled a field.
DK performs a range of material, varying her set and sound depending on the gig and who's joining her on stage. Her repertoire includes old-timey, "trad," and fiddle tunes, original songs and instrumentals (ranging from an alt-folk sound to acoustic punk) and some covers. All of it's got energy and passion---and, of course, thanks to the dulcimer, a kind of dark, melodic joy.
Her sophomore album "Shy One" has been described as quirky and smart with sultry vocals and intricate dulcimer playing. - Curve Magazine
“Blood curdling anti-folk and rootsy Americana ...Music that directly touches the heart and convinces in pure beauty [with] traces of the deep south [and an] expressive voice reminiscent of Patti Smith …[with] an obvious kinship ...with PJ Harvey, Indigo Girls, and Lucinda Williams.” - Alt Country Forum
Discography
SHY ONE (LP) ++Addiction Records, released July 12, 2015
Love Harder (EP) ++Addiction Records, released Jan. 25th, 2013
Photos
Bio
DK and the Joy Machine brings you innovative music on mountain dulcimer to move your soul. Her new album, SHY ONE, has been described by Curve magazine "as quirky and smart with sultry vocals " and AltCountry Forum as "anti-folk and rootsy Americana...that directly touches the heart and convinces in pure beauty with traces of the deep south and an expressive voice reminiscent of Patti Smith with an obvious kinship with PJ Harvey, Indigo Girls, and Lucinda Williams.”
Known for her well crafted songs and genre-blending, innovative work on mountain dulcimer---plucking, strumming, bowing and “rocking out” on this trad instrument, “DK”'s music is at turns evocative, moving, playful and fun. Her "quirky and smart" songs celebrate all the crucial things in life: unrequited love, falling in love with feral cats, and treating yourself with kindness. "Love Harder," her first studio recording, was described by VENTS magazine as "an album with heart, ...beauty, and passion. In every chord, note, or string you can feel poetry, sincerity, greatness... a record to closely pay attention to and be delighted by."
Mid-East Mountain Dulcimer champion, “DK“ also won first place on “The Joy Machine” in the Great Trails Dulcimer contest in her 20s. After being on hiatus for 18 years, she came back to performing with gusto in 2012, writing new, innovative material and further pushing the boundaries on this trad instrument.
As a teen, "DK" made her first dulcimer out of cardboard, from a kit, with fret wires out of bent nails. Once she got her hands on a real wood dulcimer, she gave up guitar to focus exclusively on the instrument that stole her heart. “The dulcimer is sweet, earthy and mournful, haunting and unique in the West (other than the hurdy-gurdy) as being the only stringed instrument with a drone (like a Western sitar or stringed bag pipe). So many singer-songwriters play guitar---I was drawn to something different. I still am.”
Already an accomplished songwriter and composer, for eight years, while living in Dublin, Ireland, she adopted Irish tunes for dulcimer, playing in trad sessions and traditional Americana on the stage, including with Hank Halfhead and the Rambling Turkeys. After returning to the US and winning first place in several dulcimer contests, she went on hiatus for more than a decade. During this time she worked as a writer, union organizer, and activist. After being told by her cat (via a cat whisperer) that she should sing more and a statue of five Ganesha miraculously appeared in her home via an Indian holy man---each playing an instrument, DK took this (and other signs, such as encouragement from Terre Roche, of the Roche Sisters) as divine intervention and began singing and playing again, writing new material and performing out on dulcimer since April, 2012. Since then, she has been a featured performer at venues and festivals in NYC (including Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, Union Hall, and the Dixon Place HOT! Fest), Paris (France), Germany, Cambridge (MA), Washington, DC, and in the South.
In addition to creating own music, DK is also an arts activist, curating THE SONGBIRD SERIES creating visibility for women artists: https://www.facebook.com/SongBirdSeries and is curating the first ever NYC dulcimer festival to be held at the Jalopy Theater in 2017.
Band Members
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