DAN GUTSTEIN

FROM IMPROV TO PUNK

I began collaborating with punk band Joy on Fire after many years of delivering spoken-word lyrics in Washington, D.C.-area improv bands such as Heterodyne and Fanoplane. Joy on Fire’s hard-charging album, States of America, appeared in June 2022 from Procrastination Records, with video debuts and press coverage at NPR’s All Songs Considered, Jammerzine, American Pancake, ZO Magazine, and several international film festivals, among other media outlets. Anna Meadors and John Paul Carillo (pictured above) are the group’s core members. Scroll down for press coverage and several amazing music videos.

Some recent press:

Bob Boilen of NPR’s All Songs Considered commented that “Joy on Fire intensifies its already fiery sound with the addition of poet and singer Dan Gutstein.”

All About Jazz cited the “wide-eyed Beat poetry of narrator Dan Gutstein” in reviewing the Joy on Fire album Unknown Cities.

Kendra Beltran conducted a fabulous interview with the band at ZO Magazine.

25YL referred to Joy on Fire’s “bubbling energy and layered orchestration” when debuting the video for our song “Unknown Cities.”

Honors for music videos:

“Unknown City” (below) has been a finalist and / or official selection of London Rocks, Brighton Rocks, and Hastings Rocks International Film Festivals (2022-2023).

“Uh Huh” (below) was awarded best music video at Obskuur Ghent Film Festival (Spring 2021) and was a runner-up, finalist, and / or official selection at 14 other festivals between 2020 and 2022, including Oregon Short Film Festival and Brussels Independent Film Festival.

American Pancake noted the jagged punk eruptions for song and video “Happy Holidays” (below).

Jammerzine described the Joy on Fire song and video “Selfies” (below) as being “sonically decadent in all the right spots.”

Gun collage for Thunderdome EP (on landing page) by Gerald Ross. You can visit his website [here].