michael graye

In an age that brings us closer to the retirement of the “album” concept, it seems that many artists have been focusing on the honing of their “singles” rather than full-fledged albums. Avid music-worshippers will probably never let the “album” die, however mainstream and corporate-backed music will continue to see a drop off in quality in favor of quick releases over the next few years.  The indie movement continues to produce intellectual, emotional, and unique music however, and the Dubstep revolution that started in the UK, produced a refreshing injection into American pop music. I was impressed with several albums this year, more than in 2010, and I’d like to share them with you…however I found that I had more issues and criticisms of the majority of music released this year, rather than compliments. I’ve decided to make two separate lists this year: 1. The top five albums of 2011, 2. The top 6 overrated albums of 2011. Enjoy!

5. Wilco – The Whole Love

                After their underwhelming release “Wilco,” “The Whole Love” sees the Americana band returning to form.

4. Eliane Elias – Light My Fire

                She is a class act and her latest is a wonderfully playful Bossa Nova romp.

3. Tori Amos –Night of Hunters

                The brilliant composer manages to pull inspiration from several well-beloved Classical composers on this latest effort including Satie, Bach, and Debussy. The best part is the piano and string work: vivid, emotional, and raw.

2. Feist – Metals

                I love this record. It is so present and vulnerable, crafted with great care. Feist has truly created a masterpiece.

1. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

                There is not much that I could say to do justice to this incredibly written record. Laura matures with every effort; Creature could’ve been written by someone 20 years older, 30 years ago. I can listen to this album over and over and learn new things.

6. Junior Boys – It’s All True

                Dull. Dull. Dull.

5. Fleet Foxes  – Helplessness Blues

                Reverb and harmony does not a good record make.

4. Beirut – The Rip Tide

                Zach’s records are quickly becoming exercises in theme and variation, minus the theme and variation. In short, he keeps writing the same song and calling it something else. The consolation is, it’s very pretty.

3. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

                The eponymous release is repetitive, self-serving, and emotionless; basically the exact opposite of his debut. It is well produced (minus the fact that you can hear only 5% of the words) and it’s beautiful tonally, however it’s sonic art, and I can’t connect in the slightest.

2. Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

                What they had going with Viva la Vida (even if it was somewhat put-on) they’ve managed to kill with Mylo. 5 of the songs sound exactly alike, they rely too much on nonsense syllables (like the rest of the pop world this year), and there was no material here that was slightly interesting after the first listen.

1. Adele – 21

                Adele’s voice is phenomenal, and like most phenomenal singers being represented by a money hungry label, all the attention is given to showcasing the voice. Overall I appreciated some of the production, and two of the songs feature excellent songwriting. “Fire to the Rain,” “Someone Like You,” and “Rolling in the Deep” are some fine songs. My issue is that she didn’t do nearly enough to sustain an entire album, that’s to say she had way too much filler. “21” to me was a very lazy record, meant to captivate easily swayed listeners by showcasing a powerful voice and catchy songs. Believe me, I get why certain choices were made, the bottom line is not an unfamiliar concept to me, I just wish there was more variation here. Adele needs to stop resting on her laurels. I have yet to see a personality from this artist. She is the most overrated recording artist of the year.

                Let’s hope 2012 sees more originality, less repetition, and bigger steps to improve the way that more diverse music is delivered to more people.

The Best Year Ever

January

The year started off relatively slow; I had really began to dig into writing a new album and while Corrine was staying with me, many of new songs began to take shape. The end of January saw me traveling to Las Vegas to compete with the 505 chorus for the 3^rd consecutive year, winning superior marks once again.  The very same weekend, I sang with Horatio Sanz, of SNL fame, on stage at ASSSSCAT 3000; the show that really has defined a big part of this year for me.

Feb

In February I turned 23, a celebration that most of my friends can tell you lasted almost two weeks and included a Robyn concert, an espresso machine, the Lion King on broad way, dinner with friends at Dallas BBQ (my favorite NYC regular restaurant) and hilarity with visiting beauty Rebecca. I did very little writing in February, but managed to remain active in other areas: a cappella group Upper West Sound, subbing with Marble Collegiate Church, etc…

March

During the final, yet forever-stretching final weeks of winter, life consisted of laying low. Mid-month, to celebrate Corrine’s spring break, a group of us traveled to Lancaster and Gettysburg, PA and Washington, D.C. packed into a small van. The trip was a huge success: Amish hunting, battlefield singing (Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan), brewery festivities, ghost stories near an ancient cemetery, and a day-trip to D.C. for sightseeing galore. While in D.C. I bumped into good friend Jeff, whom I met around the same time the previous year on my trip to NYC with Vicky. Vicky, in turn, visited soon after, during her spring break and I was able to spend a week with her including St Patrick’s Day. Jeff visited NYC and the three of us had a great time together, including a hilarious round of Drag Queen Bingo (at which I claimed the blackout jackpot). I also began work with Solomon Page Group, which would eventually become my primary employer. Oh, and I saw Robin Williams perform improvisational comedy for free…two feet away from him.

April

Early in the month, Corrine & I’s co-written single “There Inside” was released to wide acclaim online to celebrate her birthday. The single earned over 500 hits in its first 3 days, mainly through only 2 websites. Using the momentum of this single’s success, I began to write on the album I had started in the winter prior. April also saw my continued involvement with Marble Church for its Easter season. At the end of the month, Corrine and I traveled to Amherst, where she went to College, for a relaxing (albeit college-crazy) weekend away.

May

In May I decided to leave Starbucks Coffee Company after 3 years, with the promise of a full time gig as Host for a prestigious restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. In the weeks before I was scheduled to start there, I had much more free time in between shifts at the coffee company, so I finished a re-mastering effort of my former album “NeuroCreatures;” which ultimately became “NeuroGenic.” During this process I wrote 3 new songs that I used for the re-release (the Machine ep), all 3 of which were written, recorded, and produced in less than 5 hours a piece. This project inspired me to produce an experimental album that would require me to write, record, produce, and release a song for every day of the week. The project was started on Monday, May 17^th with the song “the Crime.” During the first day, I was able to achieve a solid end product, and unique album art for the release, which propelled me through the west of the week. The album, now titled “7 Days,” is still attracting an audience, and is my proudest accomplishment to date. It features several talented friends of mine (Lauren Bowling, Lauren Tart, and Jack Byrne) and incorporates accessible songwriting in strong fashion. I left the coffee company, started at the restaurant…

June & July

…and was out of a job only a week later. The only reason I was given was that “I wasn’t learning OpenTable fast enough,” however after only 1 day’s training I ran an entire shift at the restaurant without incident and was allowed to continue for the remainder of that week and the next. I never received criticism of my job performance directly, and I am still a little bewildered about what actually happened. More important than these events, though, was my exposure to an important showcase at the Iguana bar in Midtown at which I could perform my new material for audiences with connections to New York City music industry elite. Through this showcase I met several influential people who would soon expose me to some exciting aspects of industry presence in the city. I began to work with one such individual on the development of her songs. I am not at liberty to give out the names of these individuals, as they are in the midst of ongoing deals and it would be irresponsible of me to do so without their permission. To them, I say thank you. Much of this continued through July, which saw a fantastic 4^th of July presentation over the Hudson River, John Krasinski and Amy Poehler at asssscat 3000, and the beginning of my work with the ACLU as their headquarters receptionist. I also began to put finishing touches on…

August

…”the controller,” the album that I had been developing on and off for more than a year. In order to finish this record I had to create an overarching story for the songs; I had to realize what happened in my life that caused me to develop them, and why they decided to come together the way they did. This album was the first that really incorporated a concept, and features some of my strongest production so far. August saw Hurricane Irene hit New York (you’ll have to ask me personally what I was up to the night before it did), Corrine’s return to the city from Summer break, the end of my year with former roommates James & Ivan (yay for Lauren and Lori!!), and my invitation to join Marble Collegiate as a full time singer with the acclaimed Sanctuary Choir.

September

 I transitioned to Investment Banking Firm Credit Suisse to their Records Management Department early on in the month, eager to impress as my work experience began to gain prestige (ha ha). I was also informed that my Grandmother, Marianne, would likely only make it another few weeks after having been diagnosed with Brain and Lung Cancer and refusing treatment. I booked a flight home to visit her one last time, and penned “To An Angel” in her honor. This piece incorporates Gabriel Faure’s “Pie Jesu,” sung by Corrine, and an incredible string arrangement arranged by Brian Andrews. On the 26^th of the month I returned home for the first time in 13 months and was able to spend some quality time with my family and a few friends. The site that hosts my music, and usually takes 15% of all profits, generously cut that down so that sales could go to my Grandmother’s hospital bills. During the week I spent home, Corrine came to visit as well and we were able to go to several of my favorite places: St Claire’s Winery, Sandia Crest, Santa Fe, South 14, the Manzanos, and others. We even got to see the balloon fiesta (though that was technically on the first of October). Oh, lest I forget, September saw my 50^th ASSSSCAT 3000 show.

October

The trip to New Mexico was both comforting and enlightening. Not only did I realize more than ever that New York was the place I was meant to be, but also that family is deeply important and the friends that matter will be there for you when you need them. I was able to see many facets of my home in a new light, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity. My Grandmother passed shortly after I returned to New York, and I think about her often. I dressed up as a winter priest for Halloween (which turned out great), began writing new music, and toyed with creating a band with fellow musicians Brian Andrews and Andrew Sheron. Oh, and Cider Week was a great time…if you know me at all, you know my weakness for Cider. Unfortunately, October also saw the disbanding of Upper West Sound due to poor attendance. It’s not dead just…not happening right now.

November

A big part of the month revolved around my assignment at Credit Suisse, which ended the day after Thanksgiving. I mention this because there is a high possibility of returning to the organization after the New Year and because I won 750$ playing the office pool and know jack sh** about football. November saw me start Capoeira training, form a band (that will continue to work together through the New Year), working at the ACLU again, and a terrific Thanksgiving celebration that involved the Macy’s Day Parade (with the incredible and supportive Brea, and radiant Becky), and dinner at a Western themed Chelsea restaurant with Becky & Brian. The final note of the month rang out with the amazing Advent Concert at Marble Church, which has become an important part of my life in the city. It is a pleasure to sing with such talent every week and get paid for it.

December

Yes, it is only the 13^th, so this will be somewhat incomplete…however all I can say is: working at CBS, arranging the First Noel to be released ASAP, Mom is visiting for a week and a half to spend Christmas in the city, Christmas services with Marble, Rockabilly holiday party awesomness with Becky & Brian on the 10th, Yankee swap with Corrine on the 13^th, and New Year’s Eve in the best city in the world.

Ok, so I may just have the best life ever, or maybe I just had a great year, either way I leave you with these parting thoughts:

1. The purpose of life, in my opinion, is simple: find what makes you happiest and pursue it to no end. Don’t be disappointed when every little thing doesn’t work out to achieve happiness, know and have faith that you are working towards the goal of happiness and that it is ultimately up to you. Live with love and happiness will follow.
2. Don’t be afraid to take a risk every now and then, but don’t let others see you weak. If you look like you’re desperate for something, people will take advantage of you.
3. If something is meant to happen, it will. If you want something to happen and it doesn’t, you may be going about it all wrong or you may have your priorities mixed up.
4. The most important people in your life will never need a reason to be, they just will be.
5. Things move fast, things move slow, strike a balance between them so you always know where you’re at and enjoy it while it lasts.

I don’t write greeting cards, I don’t like bullshit, and I am fucking serious.

during the summer of 2010 i faced several changes in my life that altered the overall ideas behind the album: i was preparing to move to Manhattan from Albuquerque – where i had spent 22 years of my life, i left my position as co-director of a local volunteer men’s chorus, and discovered a valuable songwriting tool – the looper. i wrote several more songs for the album, which i was still calling ‘lame raye,’ and began recording them…only to continue to be underwhelmed by the results. i needed another breakthrough, but obviously i couldn’t force it. then something happened that caught me off guard. a close friend told me that he found my music to be uninviting, hollow, and uninteresting to general audiences. i was stunned by his negative criticism, though it wasn’t the first time i had received a similar comment about my music;  i was shaken. i started to question every move i made as a producer/writer, and began to scrutinize every aspect of my work. i didn’t have to question a thing about my musical instincts, and looking back, i wish i hadn’t let his words get to me. i was producing/writing the way that I wanted to, and was not doing it only to seek approval. from that moment, i decided to be more careful, but also more confident in my abilities.

the move to New York City influenced this album more than anything else. people have written volumes on the effect that the city has on songwriting, the ‘new york state of mind’ if you will. i was overwhelmed when i arrived and exploring the city, letting it work it’s magic on me. i didn’t write again for several months. at this point i had several tracks recorded, but no album. i contemplated releasing what i had as ‘lame raye’ several times, but it just didn’t ever feel right.

after a few months in the city i started to feel more comfortable and began to experiment with some new ideas. my next breakthrough came after i began to collaborate with Corrine Byrne, a fellow songwriter and classical vocalist. i believe that what this album had needed all along, was a positive influence. this came in the form of miss Byrne, whose open nature and love for all music, really helped me to pull some interesting music out. our first collaboration came in the form of a re-worked version of the carol ‘star of wonder.’ this collaboration, coupled with the first few months of my time in the city, prolonged the album (6 months at this point) from coming together. then, another breakthrough.

during the holiday season and winter of 2010/2011 i hit a huge creative surge that would end up providing the bulk of ‘the controller.’ my mother and sister came to visit me, during which time i wrote the song ‘what did you say,’ while showing off my looping tools on ABLETON live. this amazing tool allows users to workshop a short musical phrase, and ‘jam’ on it enough to layer attractive ideas into the texture. half of the songs on ‘the controller’ were started this way. after writing ‘what would you say,’ i not only had an intriguing new tone to run with (the song is quite dark), i had a basic premise to build the rest of the album on. Corrine lent her vocal skills to several tracks, and will appear on the album

by the end of the winter (february) i had written 60% of the album, and still had another 15% from other tracks that i believed fit the premise. by this point i had been writing for 9 months and still wasn’t done. i started to piece together what i had, and thought up several new concept umbrellas to put them under. some of the titles i came up with for the album at this point (i had long since ditched ‘lame raye’) were: ‘revolution of i,’ ‘incident angles,’ ‘last night,’ ‘return of love,’ and ‘there inside.’ i soon had more than 20 songs to use for the album, and even decided to do a double album at one point. still, there was an element missing, and my friends’ harsh criticisms rang in my head. i didnt want to release anything that i wasn’t 100% sure about. i knew that eventually the album would pull together.
in the spring of 2011, Corinne and i recorded our first collaborative duet, i finished a separate song along with it, and released both as an ep. it was my first release since ‘mighty chatter,’ besides the ‘star of wonder’ single the fall before. the song is titled ‘there inside.’ it was a successful release, and inspired me to push myself into releasing the as yet untitled album (at this point 11 months in the making). however, before i could, i became sidetracked with two other important projects.
in april and may of 2011, i released two full-length albums through BANDCAMP. the first, ‘neurogenic,’ was a re-master of an old album, originally completed in 2008. ‘neurogenic’ includes three new songs, written specifically for the re-master. the second release was the ‘7 days‘ project, which i was inspired to write after the success of ‘there inside’ and the completion of ‘neurogenic.’ at this point i finally mastered my production technique, and was garnering praise on my new material. it was finally time to finish what i started in april of 2010, and with the added success of ‘there inside,’ ‘neurogenic,’ and ’7 days,’ i had enough drive to finally finish.
at this point, i had more than 25 songs in the works that could tentatively be used for the album. then, an opportunity was given to me to finish the track ‘control,’ and this helped to eventually provide a a title. i was asked to donate an original song to a short film about a dominatrix who, by accident, suffocates her ‘mister.’
‘the controller’ came together because of uncontrollable events. fate, or whatever you call it, even if you don’t believe in it, really shaped the album more than i did. ‘the controller’ is about relinquishing your control to a higher power (possibly fate?), even if the consequences aren’t what you hope for. in the case of the album, i give up free-will (control) in order to have love, and in doing so, find out what i truly desire. when the controller (love) leaves, i am left with confidence, power, and insight. in retrospect, i have begun to question the events that controlled & shaped this album, and how their control influenced me.
15 months in the making, and over 25 songs later, i have finally finished, and will be controlled no longer…what controls you?

tracklisting:

run – wake up, feeling like, something’s wrong, with my life. run from the controller boy

control – control, you know you wanna have it

skin – i have lost control, deep down, underneath you

trigger – you control what happens between us, so what’s stopping you

are you in there love – in all my life i’ve never found someone that wants me. i’m starting to believe there’s something wrong with me

taste of wine – i lowered my guard, lost control, and now you follow me, wherever i go

what it takes – do i have what it takes for you to love me

maybe this is love – dumb, cuz, i’ve been so down and all these things i’ve done have hurt you, i wasn’t trying to

what did you say – what did you say, i can’t hear, from this hollow shell, i can’t hear

control. redux. – control you know you wanna have it, so go ahead and control me. love.

all is forgotten – i’m in control, though it seems like, i’ve lost it all, i still have my mind

the controller – i barely noticed when you left. can you blame me? did i fail your test? i won’t hold my breath for long, or for what i never had. love love love said, “my bad.”

http://michaelgraye.bandcamp.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65768793@N07/sets/72157627308211158/

Never turn down an open bar.

Never turn down an open bar on a rooftop.

Never turn down an open bar on a rooftop with free live music.

Yesterday I received an invitation to attend “Showcase Part Deux,” hosted by Engine Room Studios NYC and Pledge Music. Engine Room, as advertised by the invitation I received, is a “state of the art recording studio in the heart of the Financial District.” My good musician friend Andrew Sheron, a member of the Sonic Scoop family, asked me to come along, and as you can guess (*see never…) I just couldn’t say no. I have been wanting to network with other musicians in the area for a while, and jumped at the chance (*see open bar…).

The studio is a beautiful and welcoming space, accented with a grand piano, high-rise ceilings, and…*gasp, a rooftop patio accessible from inside the main studio. “heaven” for any self-respecting musician.

I was introduced first to Alicia Lemke through mr Sheron, who attended Berklee school of music together, though a few years apart. It was refreshing to hear their conversation about Berklee college days, I hadn’t realized how much I missed “musician” talk. I’ve actually met very few NYC musicians so far, though I have been searching for them…Alicia has been writing/performing her own music for years, though has only been in the city a few months. I was shocked to hear that she was able to get connected so quickly, though not too surprised. I was eager to hear her music.

People began to file in, most of them as far as I could tell were not musicians, but rather media and industry personnel. As I previously mentioned, Pledge Music was hosting the event, and I assume are the main reason that so many attended the event.

Pledge Music is an intriguing system in which artists upload upcoming project information in order to raise money to complete it. For instance, if I had an album coming out, and had no money to advertise, I would upload information about the release to the website, and ask people for donation. The cool part of the program is, once you pledge, and depending on the amount, you get a “gift” in return. Some artists record personalized messages ($100), some sign a t-shirt ($50), others just put up old catalogue albums ($10-20). The system is actually quite amazing, and I hope to be a pledge artist soon!

Now that guests had arrived, and the beer supply was running low, it was time to start. The first act to perform goes by “FIREHORSE.” The band is fronted by singer/songwriter Leslie Siegel. Of course in this small space it would’ve been difficult to squeeze her entire band in for the showcase, so she graced us simply with her voice and guitar. She is an incredibly talented vocalist, and soon enough I realized that she is the “firehorse.” Her raw talent is quite mesmorizing. She reminds me of a mix between My Brightest Diamond and Feist, with a little bit of a Bjork thrown in. She mentioned a forthcoming show at Rockwood Music Hall after she finished, *mental note to attend.

The second band, whose name I can’t really remember, had some buzz surrounding their appearance beforehand, though I didn’t really understand why when they started playing. I was unimpressed.

We close with Alicia’s sweet acoustic pop set, in which she sings about an “Imaginary Man,” from her forthcoming EP. I thoroughly enjoyed her playing and voice, she definitely has a strong stage presence. I urge you to check out her new work.

Engine. Room. Utopia. Check.