Music
Fun After Death
Introducing: Fun After Death - a collection of new original songs written by Joe Gardner over recent months, and the title of his forthcoming debut album as Joe With The Notes.
Highly influenced by 60’s psychedelia, studies of music theory & the classic songwriting techniques of the greats of that era, and lyrically informed by the tumult of life in the 2020’s, Joe’s first official release as Joe With The Notes is a highly anticipated evolution from his previous musical projects.
Already performing many of these songs live in his regular solo acoustic appearances around Austin TX, Joe has been developing full-band arrangements for the record and corresponding live show, and is currently raising funds for their production.
At a March 2024 showcase, JWTN performed some of this music with a full band for the first time, giving fans, friends, and family the first glimpse of his vision for Fun After Death. Included here is some footage and a live recording of that show.
JWTN live at HowMuch?!
March 29, 2024
Video recap
Full Show - Live Audio Recording
Mars
Joe With The Notes debuted his song “Mars” in January 2023 at HowMuch?! Studios’ in central Austin, TX as part of their StudioBar Sessions video series.
The song has become a fan favorite for those who attend Joe’s regular solo acoustic appearances around Austin.
Something About Misery
The first EP release from Joe With The Notes, "Something About Misery" is an exploration of how difficult times can inspire a person to persevere and make it to the other side where life is full of beauty and love.
The 3-song demo/EP, which also includes songs “Peacock Flowers” and “Stranger,” was recorded entirely by Joe in his apartment and released in December of 2022.
Everything Is Great
Just before the world was brought to a standstill in 2020, Joe Gardner had been firing on all cylinders, immersed in a multitude of collaborative music projects, only to then find himself stuck at home.
With in-person human contact, musical collaboration and shows seemingly becoming a thing of the past, Joe found himself unable to muster the will to finish the remixes and other collaborative projects he had in progress.
Joe felt the only way he could keep making music was to remove all creative limits, forget about the need to shape his creativity to fit within parameters of a certain collaboration, and to boldly trust his own creative instincts.
Thus, Joe With The Notes was born.
Released in July of 2021 under his freshly coined moniker, “Everything Is Great” is a playfully sarcastic celebration of the denial so many of us experienced during the quarantine lockdowns, and is the first product of Joe’s newfound approach as an artist.
Previous Musical Projects
FLAVOR RAID
Flavor Raid began in 2013 as the birth of Joe Gardner’s rapper/producer/DJ persona in collaboration with his then musical partner John Aldridge. The electro-hop duo’s mission of hyping club-goers with rhythmic sass, hooky refrains, and high energy beats manifested in a range of sonic forms as Joe experimented with various songwriting & production trends in electronic dance music such as trap, moombahton, funk and house.
While Flavor Raid was not entirely a comedy band, Joe’s curiosity and experimentation with the production styles of varying genres combined with the duo’s fun-loving & comedic personalities often resulted in music that toed the line between homage and parody.
From inception, Flavor Raid performed consistently at clubs and venues around Austin TX and beyond, all the while releasing singles, eventually culminating in the release of their 2016 full length album: “First World Problem.”
Continuing their regular live appearances, remixes, & mixtapes, the duo followed up their album release with their single “Ghostin’ Me,” released on Halloween of 2018, followed by the 4-song EP “All My Life” in May of 2019.
By the end of 2019, Flavor Raid went on hiatus, which ultimately was extended much longer than expected by the COVID19 pandemic.
Despite reuniting for a handful of post-covid performances, Flavor Raid was ultimately disbanded to give way to Joe’s next chapter as an evolving songwriter and artist.
SHARK RIDER
Shark Rider is a biting rock n' roll combo fronted by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Joe Gardner with sweet surfy licks, casual lyrics and an over arching beachy vibe inspired by pleasurable weather, daytime festivities, and an all around rowdy and active lifestyle.
With guitar sounds reminiscent of classic acts such as The Ventures and Dick Dale, and energetic vocals that bury herky-jerky ear worms in the vein of The Cars, Devo, and Weezer, Joe and his band dudes have made waves at many a stage around Austin, TX.
The band released an EP in November 2016 entitled “A Day In Paradise,” produced by Joe Gardner at the Shark Rider HQ buried deep in the heart of Barton Hills, Austin, TX, where the band shared living space and a lifestyle of regular jogging, swimming, and jamming.
Accompanying the first single from "A Day In Paradise" titled "I've Arrived," the band also released a music video, shot on 8mm film and directed by Brittany Ingram.
Following up their initial releases, Joe and the band teamed up with We Color Live in July of 2017 for a live video production of their song “Swimsuit,” an until-then unreleased fan favorite.
Shark Rider could regularly be seen and heard playing all around Austin from their inception up until the COVID19 pandemic lockdowns.
Post covid, Shark Rider has resurfaced a number of times, bringing their rowdy fun-in-the-sun riffs to local Austinites craving those care-free beach day vibes from the before times.
END WAVE
End Wave began in 2011 as Austin-based songwriter Joe Gardner’s expression of radical freedom in the face of existential dread. The name was derived from the idea that the world was ending soon, and we're gonna "surf on the wave of the apocalypse", which also nodded to his use of surf-rock inspired guitar tones encased within a melange of electronic chaos.