Original Release Date:
Label: Avenue A Records
Tracks & Lyrics

It was an invitation to a Carny wedding in Vegas . . . at The Venetian I think. Jack Daniels, The Book of Revelation, sleeping in the grass and a morning plane to Denver. A turbulent landing--a blue convertible. I lost my glasses somewhere along the way--thank god for Lens-Crafters . . . I guess. Pike's Peak, ghosts of Leadville, bottles of Coors, and altitude sickness. Orphaned children. The Matchless Mine and a Silver Dollar. Hot springs, no guardrails and then sunrise on the desert. Lots of desert.

“Ya got a dollar, man?” in Gallup. “Sorry.”

Rt. 666 and the Navajo Nation. Dinsoaurs, teepees, standing on a corner and an ancient extra-terrestrial onslaught. Energy vortexes, hippies in Lexuses and running late. Dam the river and channel it’s energy. Irrigate and lay down sod. The damned American spirit.

Then Vegas, The Mirage and a hotel mirror I couldn’t trust. Sorry Elvis.

(Sometime later Shu--the guitar player--bought a banjo and the electricity went out. We had a cold winter in New York. The beer froze outside of the studio door and the label was out of cash, so we had to wait awhile. Fortunately I had a copy of The Koran so no one froze.)

joe cassady
9/11/10

Original Release Date: March 3, 2009
Label: Avenue A Records
Tracks & Lyrics

The 47th Problem (hi-fi & Musik Magazine and Rootsy.nu Choice for one of "Best of 2009", Reached #8 on Euro-Americana Chart, #13 of Freeform American Roots Chart).

"Like a 21st century carnival barker, in his left hand, Cassady holds an iron link chain with an unseen anchor that grabs into an almost forgotten American past. In his right he holds the beacon and tickets to the future. Step into his tent ."

"Cassady is no longer the cool pen-as-a-sword poet at all here. Instead, he is a bold painter of musical imagery: lyrics all softly defined brush strokes, supplemented by the pallette of Robert Bonhomme's thundering drums, Aaron Gardner's slinky bass, and Anthony Bax's crystalline percussion hurling dramatic handfuls of color and depth. The artistic signature to seal the deal belongs to Shu Nakamura, mando-guitar / dobro / keyboard artiste extraordinaire, who convinces us that he can take a guitar to places where man has never gone before!" Torchy Blaine, WDVR FM

Original Release Date: June 30, 2007
Label: Avenue A Records
Tracks & Lyrics

This self-produced Avenue A Records release marks, Joe Cassady & The West End Sound's full-length, full-band, studio debut. Recorded by Mitch Rackin at Tonefloat Studios on Manhattan's Lower East Side and mixed and mastered by the Grammy winning duo of Nick Cipriano (Beat Street Music) and Steve Kadison (Sony Music), What’s Your Sign? features the songs of lead singer and songwriter Joe Cassady along with the cosmic barroom backing of his crack band, The West End Sound. Shu Nakamura lays down crunching rhythm guitar and soaring slide licks as well the occasionally well-placed mandolin, mando-guitar, or Oud part while Aaron Gardner (Bass) and Anthony Bax (Drums) anchor the rhythm section. Session men Dan Nachimson (Organ, Piano) and Christo Logan (Cello) are the smoke to the live sound that Joe Cassady and The West End Sound have been setting fire to the NYC underground scene with for years.

USA TODAY and SOUNDSTAGE! Editor's Choice for "Best CD's of 2007, 20 + Weeks on the AMA Americana Radio Airplay Charts and featured by Bob Harris on BBC2 Radio in the UK),

Chosen as one of "My Favorite CD's of 2007" Ken Barnes, USA Today

One of the "Best Recordings of 2007" Soundstage! Magazine

Original Release Date: 2005
Label: Avenue A Records
Tracks & Lyrics

The acoustic EP features 5 songs with minimalist/acoustic production.