Joel Van Dijk is a Los Angeles transplant living in the heart of the POP Machine. A certified "triple threat," Joel makes his living playing guitar and producing, while in the meantime recording, writing and singing on his own records. He is set to release his highly-anticipated second full album A Kind Of Blues, which is either a modern take on the blues genre or a prime example of blues blasphemy. "This ain't your daddy's blues!" he says about this eclectic blend of swampy blues, jazz and soul, hiphop beats and electronic elements, . "This is not a throwback record, this is for the current generation." Joel was raised on the blues. His mother hosted a blues radio show in his hometown while his father taught him the I-IV-V chord progression and the blues scale in the infancy of his guitar training. Blues music was unavoidable in the household. He wowed audiences at blues jams at the early age of 15 years old and while he cast off the blues in his late teens and throughout his career, the soul and the sound of the blues still haunted his voice and his playing, something he could not deny. After hearing his first record Truthseeker, his colleague and friend (singer Algebra Blessett) said to him "You are a blues man!" Coming to terms with this potential fate he began to craft his own "kind of blues."  "A Kind Of Blues" transitions seamlessly between swampy bass beats and grooving live band arrangements and everything in between. The album topic range is a recount of the two years since he released Truthseeker. From songs about life on the road life as a touring musician with chart topping Aloe Blacc, and observing Aloe's rising career (see POPMachine, Road Again, Wherever I Go) to the revolutionary spirit embodied around the world via Occupy and the Arab Spring (see Revolve, Freetrain), and finally his thirst for expression and desire to follow his artistic path (see, My Song, BeYoself). Not without a sense of humor, JVD covers Aloe Blaccs hit tune "I Need A Dollar" with a slowed down sexy-fied groove and later features Aloe singing a fresh new arrangement of the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine." Lending to the influence and reference of Miles Davis, Joel revamps the classic tune "All Blues" with an electro-downtempo twist featuring Bridget Barkan on vocals. Wafeekee of The Flux drops by for a rap verse on My Song and A Kind Of Blues (the song) . For all instruments and voices not supplied by Joel (he plays all of the instruments on some of the tracks), he enlists his all-star band of friends and world-class musicians, dubbed "Special Force" for the studio and live shows. This very talented group of individuals have a staggering credit list, playing for likes of Mariah Carey, Van Hunt, Aloe Blacc, Snoop Dogg, the Scissor Sisters and more. They are a musical steam train when in motion.  Yes, It's been done before, but not like this. It's self-conscious and socially-conscious, it's blues but it's not the blues, it's hard to describe but easy to feel. You could compare it to the likes of Outkast, Beck, Ceelo, Doyle Bramhall II or new blues sensation Gary Clark Jr., but that would only get you in the ballpark. This is new and original music from an upcoming force to be reckoned with. Buy Joel Van Dijk "A Kind Of Blues," on 12.1.12 and check out the new video for POP Machine today -joelvandijk.com "One of the best guitarists I know coming with blues for a whole new 
generation - JVD - say no more" -Aloe Blacc "A fresh breath of air from the smog of the PopMachine."- Joseph Gonzales "Trippy and smooth but still pop and catchy."-Peter Dyer A Kind of Blues Album Credits ------------------------------------------- A Kind Of Blues 1. POP Machine 2. Road Again 3. My Song ft. Wafeek 4. FreeTrain 5. Revolve 6. Ain't No Sunshine ft. Aloe Blacc 7. I Need A Dollar 8. Wherever I Go 9. Be Yoself 10. The Tale 11. All Blues 12. A Kind of Blues 13. The Nothing Blues 14. POP Machine (Clean) Musicians: Bennie Rodgers II-Drums 2,4,7,8,12 Joseph Gonzales-Bass 5,12 Peter Dyer-Keyboards/Synthesizers 2,4,5,6,8,9,11,12 Ron Avant-Rhodes, Organ 7,12 Te'Amir Sweeney-Conga 12 Douglas Showalter- Guitar, Vocals 10,12 David Olivas-Saxophone 8,12 Randal Fisher-Flute 7,12 Jose Rios-Harmonica 1 Just Matter-DJ Scratch 4 Joel Van Dijk-Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Programming Leah Hanna King-Vocals 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,12 Bridget Barkan-Vocals 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,11,12 Alex Hughes- BG Vocals 12 Aloe Blacc-Vocals 6,12 Wafeek-Vocals 3,12 Assistant Engineers-Nevin Thomas, David Burris, Anas Canon Additional Mixing- Erik Madrid, Nevin Thomas all songs Written/Recorded/Produced/Mixed by Joel Van Dijk VAN D. MUSIC (BMI) except for* *My Song- J.Van Dijk, D. Murray *FreeTrain J.Van Dijk, P. Dyer *A Kind Of Blues- J.Van Dijk, B.Barkan, D. Murray *The Tale- J.Van Dijk, D. Showalter *Ain't No Sunshine- Bill Withers *I Need A Dollar- L. Michels, E. Nathaniel Dawkins, N. Movshon, J. Dynamite *All Blues- Miles Davis. Mastered By Adam Berg at Manifest Music Productions, Santa Monica, CA Artwork by Zoe Van Dijk Titling & Adaptation by Marcus McDougald Van D Music © 2012