Better Off Dead

Part blues part rockabilly, New Jersey's Better Off Dead is comprised of members VD King (guitar/vocals), Don Kenny (guitar), Tim Cassidy (harmonica), Mike Kenny (drums), and Arthur Zo (upright bass). Together since 1995, the group got their name from an obscure Bill Withers single and landed a break when a Canadian concert promoter happened to come across an early demo — landing them a three-night stand at the 1996 Montreal Blues Festival. The quintet continued to play the New York tri-state area regularly, and in 1997, they issued a self-titled full-length debut (which resulted in appearances at the NXNE Festival in Toronto in 1998 and 1999 and New York's Blues 2000 festival). 2001 saw the release of Better Off Dead's sophomore effort, Girl With a Job.