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D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers / Press

"It's from this Tom Waits mode that D.on Darox and the Melody Joy Bakers take some of their inspiration. Based in Ventura, not far from Waits' native Los Angeles, the Melody Joy Bakers embody a sound popularized by many gypsy punk bands that emerged in the wake of Tom Waits: rave-ups in waltz time, New Orleans mojo, squealing trumpets, woozy accordions, a preoccupation with baptism and death, and a growling frontman make up the DNA of this outfit."

“D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers make Austin their home during SXSW A trio of traveling gypsy musicians has made Austin their temporary home this week.With cigarettes dangling loosely from their lips, D.on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers flooded the corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue with a type of music they call “dirty gypsy blues.” The eccentric trio perform with a single drum, a white string bass and D.on Darox on accordion and vocals. Their sound is a mix of swing and Americana roots music with a New Orleans vibe, although they prefer to just call it “dirty gypsy blues.” The “dirty” in ”dirty gypsy blues” refers to Darox’s raspy vocals, and the “gypsy” alludes to the band’s nomadic lifestyle. “We just crash in different cities and play on the streets everywhere,” Darox said.The Melody Joy Bakers may be street performance veterans, but this is the trio’s first time at South By Southwest. Although they were temporarily hesitant because of the p”

“I’m not really sure why songs of heartbreak and deals with the devil are so entertaining, but D’on Darox & The Melody Joy Bakers deliver several tunes that will have your mama crying and praying with her pastor. With their “Dirty, Gypsy, Blues” style music, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a smokey bar, near a rickety stage surrounded by hotrods, or around a campfire outside your single-wide trailer, The MJB will lift up the fallen and make them dance their asses off. They officially released their latest album “Tango”, which is their second album after “Agonizing Sad Beauties” from 2012. With a Spring 2014 tour in the planning process, the independent, DIY, homegrown organic sounds known as The Melody Joy Bakers will be going forth and bringing some off-the-beaten-path music to a venue near you. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, The MJB are able to go spread the joy, heading up as far north as Seattle, WA, and as far east as New Orleans, with stops along t”

“A mix of fortune and gypsy luck has brought together this group of wandering musicians who truly live the music that they play. From busking on the streets to playing clubs in Ventura and LA, D.ON DAROX & THE MELODY JOY BAKERS seek to lift up the fallen and downtrodden, boost their spirits and make them dance their asses off. Relying on their strong fan base, D.ON DAROX & THE MELODY JOY BAKERS launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised over $10,000. They asked those who donated to tell them where they would like them to go on tour, creating a fan-based tour route taking them from LA to New Orleans. They will hit the road in March 2014. Their second full-length album, "Tango", was self released August 2013. Engineered and co-produced by Nick Luca (Giant Sand, Calexico, Iron and Wine, John Doe) at New Monkey Studio, Van Nuys, CA. It just became available on iTunes. D.on Darox (song writer, leader, vocals, guitar, piano and accordion), a modern nomad, busked his way from Tennessee to S”

“Was it Louis Armstrong who said the blues weren’t necessarily intended to be an expression of sadness, but rather a cure for it? In that spirit, Agonizing Sad Beauties is the perfect soundtrack for the new depression — the fiddle parts alone could replace a week’s worth of Prozac. Soulful, poignant and skillfully executed, this recording is at once nostalgic and refreshing. Imagine young Tom Waits cradling an accordion on Bourbon Street with a full band beside him and a fifth of whiskey at his feet. The band calls it dirty gypsy — indeed, it seems to leave a gritty residue on the listener. A sample of its well-crafted and memorable lyrics: “You pushed me up against the glass of the Nicholby’s thrift shop, which used to be an antique store and before that it was another thrift shop, and you smiled a smile that you don’t hand out too often.””