"He's a beatnik in the wrong decade, with a taste of country rock and urban, brazen, outsider romance. It is as if he wants to be Allen Ginsberg, Paul Westerberg, Waylon Jennings and Keith Richards at the same time. He succeeds surprisingly well."--Honkey Deluxe Blogspot

Called, "an alt-country innovator . . . in the tradition without being derivative," Avenue A Records recording artists Joe Cassady and The West End Sound, combine the best of the singer-songwriter tradition with roots, Americana and modern rock forms. Their debut CD What’s Your Sign? was named as one of the best CD’s of 2007 by editors of USA Today and Soundstage! and was spun by legendary UK DJ Bob Harris on his BBC2 radio show. The follow-ups, 2009’s The 47th Problem and 2010's The Chymical Vegas Wedding both appeared on the Euro-Americana Charts and received extensive airplay in the U.S, Australia and South America.

Founded in 2005 out of Manhattan's Lower East Side, Joe Cassady & The West End Sound are among the main protagonists in a growing roots/rock music scene arising in the Big Apple. In 2009 they completed their first European tour, winning over crowds at The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and Tartan Heart Festival Fringe events in Scotland, in addition to other dates in the UK and the Netherlands. In 2010 they returned to Belladrum, this time sharing the stage with big acts like KT Tunstall and Harper Simon.  In the United States they have performed with notables such as Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Bernie Worrell of Parliament Funkadelic and Talking Heads and Garth Hudson of The Band, as well as acts like Olabelle, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, the Zen Tricksters, and the Jim Weider Band. In the words of Midwest Record's Chris Spector: this is "an up and comer that's going to go the distance no matter what marketing handle they hang on the genre. Top shelf stuff in any bar."

"Wasn't necessarily expecting good alt-country from a Manhattan band, but got it anyway. The songs' obvious intelligence doesn't get in the way of the solid, often enthralling music."
Ken Barnes - USA Today

“Cassady and his pals continue to merge the best of various fringe and underground sounds into a special Americana gumbo that you label that way because there’s no other way to make the uninitiated understand.” Chris Spector - Midwest Record Review

"Can someone tell me how I've been able to miss this band? Tell me!” Frank Ostergren - "Best Right Now"--Rootsy.nu

"Heavy shit indeed." Jan Wolfer - Hooked on Music

Joe Cassady (Songwriter, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar)
Shu Nakamura (Lead Guitar& Keyboards)
Aaron Gardner (Bass)
Robert Bonhomme (Drums)
Melissa Masser (Backing Vocals)