Death is not a joyride.

"Wearing all animal masks, Austin’s Death is Not a Joyride...incorporates a violin player and emits music that is borderline orchestral rock. Great visual presentation too." - Oklahoma Rock Newsblog

FREE WEEK 01/09/10
"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you feel like hopping into the Wayback Machine and going to the sock hop your late-century birth made you miss, and sometimes you'd rather take off for the disco of the future. But for once, thanks to this Lucy The Poodle-helmed showcase, you don't have to choose. Outside, preeminent Austin soul man Tim Crane (a.k.a. T Bird) leads The Breaks through their Stax-era R&B workouts, while The Carrots make like a Phil Spector girl group minus the Wall Of Sound, and The Ugly Beats and The Hi-Tones take their snotty twist-and-shout out of the garage and onto the dance floor. On the inside stage, the former Clap! Clap! members in Missions set a course for Planet Rock, passing through the infinite synth void of the newly instrumental Death Is Not A Joyride." - The Onion

The Human Zoo is not an album for nighttime listening. With its John Carpenter-esque piano, its screeching guitars, its haunting violins, and Kacy Ritter's scream-queen wail, Death is not a Joyride's latest is sure to keep you up at night. The album takes us through a circus of nightmares and dark desires, and though you may be unnerved, you won't want to stop listening.

The musicianship on the album is top notch, especially the string and piano work of Andrew Noble. It not only helps to add to the eerie feel throughout the album, but also enhances the feeling of melancholy present in many of the songs, while ratcheting up the frenzy of tracks such as "Sleeping With Skeleton Keys". Ritter shows great talent, going from other-worldly wails to gritty seductiveness: she is able to moan through slow songs and glide through the faster pieces, and, a few times, even breaks out into straight verse, such as in the album's closer, "This is When the Hyenas Stop Laughing".

Haunting and hypnotic, The Human Zoo will seep into your soul and flow through your mind, until you just can�t get it out.

- Ryan E. Johnson - Soundcheck Magazine

"Death is Not a Joyride will be the freak show of the night--a melding of performance art and electro-goth pop, complete with crazy costumes and some very dark tunes."

- Josh Klein
- Urban Tulsa Weekly

"Death is not a Joyride is a rollicking, zoomorphic avant-pop five piece from Austin who won me over immediately with their butt-wiggling exuberance on the longest, steamiest day of the year. Their first full length album, The Human Zoo, was produced by John Congleton (The Polyphonic Spree, Explosions in the Sky and The pAper chAse) and features 45 blissfully cracked minutes of "girl-fronted dark violin burlesque dance rock."

Fans of Kate Bush, Bungle, Battles, Glass Candy and Stolen Babies are sure to find the songs of Death Is Not A Joyride particularly life-affirming. I'd love to see them on a bill with fellow Austin oddballs, The Octopus Project. Can somebody make this happen, please?!?

-Meredith Yayanos (violinist: Dresden Dolls, Faun Fables, The Walkmen), "Coil House Magazine and Blog" - Coilhouse Magazine + Blog

"Death is not a joyride. takes the term 'art rock' to a new level. With costumes, masks, and a multitude of instruments, this experimental collective has earned itself accolades for its energetic and bizarre live performances and original music. With The Human Zoo, the Austin-based band ... creates a visual spectacle that continues to earn the band devoted fans." - Houston Calling

"Death Is Not A Joyride.'s approach to music is a theatrical one, complete with hand-made animal masks, quirky vocals, and viola and horror-synths in tow. Their ostentatious style and in-your-face mix of music is guaranteed to scare away the weak and wary, but those who welcome musical diversity and visual delights will find Death Is Not A Joyride. to be a rare gem in the Austin music scene, and beyond. "

http://tinyurl.com/dinajlivesxsw09 - Redefine Magazine

"I rushed over to the Mohawk to wait in line for about ten minutes – the venue was packed. I made it inside in time for Death Is Not A Joyride, an experimental electronic ambient group. Their laser light show sets the mood as the members layer guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and viola to create spacey soundscapes. The highlight here was a re-imagined version of the Beatles’ 'Tomorrow Never Knows' – it was post-auto-tune dance-Beatles, and it was different enough to be interesting." - Caitlin Wittlif, I'm Wide Awake

"Death Is Not a Joyride are setting up for a big 2010. They might have parted ways with longtime vocalist Kacy Ritter, but they're recovering nicely, launching a new web site and sharing some free songs to familiarize us with their new lineup.

They're changing some things but staying consistent sound-wise. They're still teetering between avant experimentation and a more out-and-out post-punk instrumental sound. The songs they've offered on their web site both offer a significant glimpse at the future of this band -- we're excited to hear more from them in 2010."

http://austinist.com/2010/01/06/death_is_not_a_joyride_announce_new.php - Paige Maguire, Austinist

"Austinites Death Is Not a Joy Ride have a HUGE sound full of every oddball instrument out there that has a minor key or ornate setting. Their latest release the 'Human Zoo' has the loving stamp of production approval of the potent John Congleton who will be headlining the night’s entertainment with the pAperchAse. This perfect pairing complements each other in terms of proggy time signatures and an affection for concept albums. I have yet to catch DINAJR live yet so I am very much strolling down from Girl Talk and catching some girl-fronted dark violin burlesque dance rock."
- John Gross - PartyEnds.com