Rock - Pop - Acoustic - Blues - Hip Hop - Funk - Soul - Jazz - Be Bop - Standards - Swing - Punk - New Wave - Folk - Electronic - Ambient -
New Music I am diggin : Slow Runner * Butch Walker * The Confusions * ON * 54 Seconds * Richard Hawley * The Whiles * The Silent Leauge * Amos Lee * Keaton Simons * Spoon * Bullets Of Orange * Jonny Goudie * Gary Reynolds * Andy Collins * Jamie Meyerson * Louque * Cary Brothers * Spoon * Reed Foehl * Robin Lane * Summer Lawns * The Hard Tomorrows * Holcomb Waller * Ofer Moses * A Girl Called Eddy * Darcie Miner * Fanfarlo * Lesli * Seamus Mcloughlin * Chris Gavito * Clayhill * Camille Miller * The Truths * Anyu * the Novel i * A Face Like Thunder * the death of jason brody * Charlie Batchelor * inntown * Jona Byron * Deserters * Alan Frew * the good hurt * the Ghost Orchid - Standfast - Tigers That Talk - ein astronaut - the black amps - the new lines - Graeme Macdonald -
Rock / Pop artists/bands I dig : The Smiths - Aztec Camera - Crowded House - XTC - Aimee Mann - Pre Fab Sprout - Llyod Cole - Elvis Costello -Patsy Cline - The Kinks - Fleetwood Mac - Let's Active - Echo & The Bunnymen - Marshall Crenshaw - Game Theory - Neil Young - the Clash - Mark Eitzel ( AMC) - Lloyd Cole - talk talk - U2 - EBTG - Paul Weller - Brian Eno - 60's - 70's - 80's & some 90's 00's rock/pop - radiohead - coldplay - kean - gene - blur- catherine wheel - suede - the the - snow patrol - mother love bone -
Hip Hop I dig : Talib Kweli - NAS - The Roots - 50 Cent - Gang Starr - 3rd Bass - De La Soul - Prince Paul - Dialated Peoples - Public Enemy - Silent Lambs Project - Black Star - Common - Hi Tek - Mos Def - Hank Shocklee - KRS One - People Under The Stairs - Dr Dre - Snoop Dogg -Ice Cube - Ice T - Schooly D - Biz Markie - Wu Tang Clan - A Tribe Called Quest - RUN DMC - Afrika Bambatta & Soul Sonic Force - Method Man - Rah Digga - Flip Mode - J5 - Big Daddy Kane - Kool Keith - RZA - GZA - Method Man - Fat Joe - Mobb Deep - One Be Lo -
Jazz & Swing artists I dig : Monk - Miles Davis - Gil Evans - Billie Holiday - Ella Fitzgerald - Joe Pass - Les Paul - Sinatra - Bird - Charles Mingus - Cole Porter - Chet Baker - Duke Ellington - Fats Waller - Sonny Rollins - Wes Montgomery -
also : Motown - Stax - Chess -
Electronic Music IE: Downtempo - Chill Out - Nu Jazz - ElectroFunk Drum N Bass etc ---
LTJ Bukem * Thievery Corp * Nightmares On Wax * Saru * Roni Size * Fila Brazillia * Pork Recordings * Ninja Tune * Herbalizer * Propellerheads * Sly & Robbie * Lemon Jelly * Meat Beat Maifesto * Plaid * DJ Shadow * Photek * Baby Mamouth * Tosca * Boards Of Canada *Q Burns * Kraak N Smaak * Mama Gravy * Blu Mar Ten * Big Bud * High Alert Status * Groovera.com *
Record Producers who make me say hell yea ! - Brian Eno - Flood - Thomas Dolby - Jon Brion - David Davinchi - Steve Lillywhite - Mitch Easter - Mitchell Froom - Prince - Jam & Lewis - Qunicy Jones - Dave Jerdan - Bob Clearmountain - DJ Hi Tek - DJ LES - DJ Premier - RZA - Sam Sever - Stephen Street - John Porter - Andy Gill - Phil Thornalley - Alan Moulder - Mitch Easter - Brian Wilson - Bob Power - Scott Miller -
Sounds Like
REVIEWS...........................
Drayton Michaels has a complete package for stardom within the 11 songs on "Low Stress In The Deep End". It's crystal clear pop harmonies coupled with amazing orchestration, smooth as silk production and a writer with a knack for catchy lyrics. One full listen to this disc gives you and insight to all facets of a musician, introspective, soulful and engaging. "Everybody" is just one of the many tracks that would fit nicely on the radio airwaves with it's sing-a-long styled chorus and memorable rhythm. An experienced class of musicians lends a hand on the recording but it's Drayton's pure voice and style that will stand at the front and pave his way.
R.I.Y.L.: Rufus Wainwright
http://www.independentsonly.com/reviews.html
Rock, Pop, Soul, Jazz Drayton has successfully fused them together into an excellent body of work. In fact there are three songs here which are brilliant: 'Anyway', 'Everybody' and 'So Cautious' all boast hook-filled arrangements and clever structures. Drayton's voice is precise but always emotive and together with a talented array of supporting band members it's hard to believe this is an independent release. For this is an intelligent and infectious record that is strong enough to reach out to both adult rock and alternative fans alike. 4 out of 5 - Jonathan Leonard, Leonard's Lair ---
Low Stress In The Deep End made Leonard's Lair top picks for 2005
--- http://www.leonardslair.co.uk
Laughing in the face of anyone who says all the best tunes have already been written, EVERYBODY, bristles with a sense of immediateness and unbelievable catchiness that's breathtaking. With a song someone like Rufus Wainwright would probably kill for, this comes across like a slice of classic pop that you can easily picture blasting from radios world-wide over the coming year, a pitch perfect blend between Oasis, Scissor Sisters and Damien Rice - this could well be Drayton Michaels trump card in world domination. LOW STRESS IN THE DEEP END is an album of definite promise and highs, representing the emergence of a singer/songwriter with a genuine talent and bright future. A song like EVERYBODY or GHOSTS OF MANHATTAN, almost floors you with its greatness sounding like the work of someone with the presence to be a global star.. genuine musical gems to proclaim Drayton Michaels as someone likely to be making massive musical waves very soon. - Mike Bond, UK Music Search
Sheds the stereotypes and avoids the trappings of the singer/songwriter clich with his dynamic album Low Stress in the Deep End. His vocal delivery is incredible with over lapping vocals that really give it a good punch like on the first track, Thievery. Not only are the vocals commanding but indeed the rest of the instrumentation lends its own clenched fist to your sternum knocking you down for a cold night on a bare floor. Maybe thats what they mean when they call it 'pop'?" - J-Sin, SMOTHER.net
"This is first rate! You've got it all - strong memorable hooks, lyrics with depth and originality, intriguing melodies....great musicianship and vocals. This is an artist that is ready to be heard by the industry. You've got the goods!" TAXI.com
"Drayton Michaels has such a warm and brooding vox delivery that a listener is instantly drawn to his alluring and earthy soundscapes. A unique artist with a singular musical vision, Drayton's vocal range is equally at home in octave spans across baritone to alto tenor coloration and range. He has such potential and progressive expansion in his inspirational approach to crafting music that one finds his work both enigmatic and beguiling. A ghostly sheen haunts the edges of his sound paintings in such a way as to draw a listener inwards and onwards to repeated listening within the fabric of his songs. Check out Drayton's compelling first album, Low Stress In The Deep End. You will not walk away from the experience, without being affected by his sonic prowess & artistry." Leigh Silberg (United Global Artists)
Tracks like "At Least", with its pounding groove, "Thievery", complete with delicious guitar hook, and the lovely "I'm Not Waiting", with it's twee-pop feel, are proof that Michaels' is headed in the right direction. Low Stress In The Deep End is an ace album for listening to on a late night car ride, or simply semi-chillaxin'.
Soul Shine Magazine
Drayton Michaels voice is the first aspect you notice on the debut from this New Yorker. He procures a subtle depth that doesnt drive itself into you, but lets you immerse yourself in the enthralling timbre. You can let yourself into the music, featuring intellectual lyrics and well crafted songs. Sticking with a mostly acoustic feel ranging from mellow folksy ballad to lightly plugged alt rock, Drayton has created easygoing but delicately intense music.
MusicMorsels
REDEFINE MAG / SEATTLE
On Low Stress in the Deep End, Drayton Michaels has found his unique voice with a fantastic range and a haunting delivery, which gives us an almost bubblegum type of jazz pop. The standout track on Low Stress is Ghosts of Manhattan, which features Michaels and a piano. This stripped-down approach works the best for Michaels, leaving his voice free to float around and explore its full range.
Anyone who would have had the chance to see Drayton at one of his solo acoustic shows probably have gotten a chance to see a great singer work his craft.
NuFutur Mag :
Everybody by Drayton Michaels shows that heirs ear for pop is impeccable... parallels can be made to early-era Elton, especially in tracks like Understand.... I could conceivably hear them on teen-based TV shows and the like Lets make this clear: Michaels work is leaps and bounds better than 99% of most of the singular singer-songwriters.... I have total faith in the ability of Michaels to continually innovate and come back in a year or two with a better disc.
Top Tracks: Everybody, Ghosts of Manhattan
NuFutur Mag Reviewed 31 March 2005
Low Stress In The Deep End is one of those records that you can just pop into your CD player and forget that you have it on but when you do remember its on you are reminded of how good it actually is.....Drayton has really hit a home run with his debut album and everyone who likes great singer songwriters should really check it out. You can pick up a copy pretty cheap at cdbaby.com - The Music Appraisal
"Great modern pop melodies combined with cool flashy undertones of soul standards. A classic ability to fuse jazz and pop aided by a soaring voice. Lyrics are cutting and honest. Very cool and original."
Jonathan Plum (Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Blind Melon)
"Low Stress In The Deep End" has been on our air waves since we opened the mail. A great batch of intelligent songs,well-delivered and with superb backing players.
You may not know his name now, but you will...Trust me, radio stations in Dylan's hometown know good song-writers."
John Ziegler (KUMD-FM Duluth, MN)
"Low Stress In The Deep End is released with humble confidence... this album is gentle and harmonic... Low Stress is like a good coming-of-age album that can grow on you over time if you allow it to happen. Further proof: 'Right By Your Side'. Although the closing track, it's the best on all of the album. A calming, nurturing tune, it's fit for a tear-jerker, edge-of-your-seat, gripping lost-and-found, lost-in-love romance flick as the lovemaking scene commences with a sigh of relief and comfort that She has found Him and He has fallen into love with Her. And so there you have it-- Drayton Michaels singlehandedly puts out his debut with a gracefulness deserving of attention."
-Arie Musil One Time One.com (3 out of 5 stars)
Not Lame Records:
Drayton Michaels has a classic acoustic-pop grounding where his songs shine amidst simple arrangements, intelligent musicianship and dynamic craftings that work on many levels.
DEMO UNIVERSE:
Low Stress In The Deep End stands out for the quality of Michaels' songwriting and the evident care and craftsmanship that went into its making. Midwifed by a cast and crew of seasoned professionals, this record sounds terrific... if you're into Michael Penn or the Finn brothers, Drayton Michaels will surely float your boat.
UNSIGNED MUSIC MAG.COM
This is a great CD in everyway. Productions and lyrics are very well arranged. Each track is very original and the whole project is well balanced. DM sits well in the mix (vocally) and every thing else falls where it’s supposed to; I love that. Okay this is another CD that won’t make it back to the publisher’s hand.
Ear Candy:
Equal parts pop, soul and rock. “Low Stress In The Deep End” is one smooth, polished effort. “Thievery” is the lead off track and it alone was enough to pull me in. That doesn’t happen too often. I guess I would file this in between The Goo Goo Dolls and Suzanne Vega with a dash of Simply Red and Squeeze thrown in. Lush vocals are a constant here. Favorite track: “Understand”. 3 and a half stars
Low Stress In The Deep End encapsulates Drayton's skills as a vocalist, composer, lyricist and guitarist. Guest musicians include Mike Mussberger (Posies), Keith Lowe (Fiona Apple, David Sylvian) and jazz legend Wayne Horvitz.
Produced by Drayton and Gary Reynolds at Electrokitty Studios in Seattle, Low Stress in the Deep End includes five tracks mixed by Robbie Adams (who has worked with U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Spoon). The CD was mastered at Precision Mastering in LA by Ron Boustead.
Low Stress in the Deep End is a collection of 11 songs that span stylistic boundaries from exuberant pop hooks to quiet and reflective. The heart of the material is supported by the singer-songwriter ethic of personal introspection and well crafted tunes that are memorable. Ever present is the rich warm sounds of acoustic guitar and voice. Along with world class accompaniment, these songs offer a future classic sound.
About the Recording sessions for Low Stress In The Deep End - - - - - - - -
In 2002, Low Stress In The Deep End was a motto for a whole slew of home recordings that eventually materialized into the 11 songs that make up the finished disc.
In many past pro and at home recording settings there was always a distraction or detraction from the proceedings on some level. This time I wanted it to be only about the songs and the music. I decided to find players who had been on pro level sessions as well as people who dug the feel of just making music around a song. In order to keep the songs intact and the energy up, I decided to have no "pre production" with the musicians. Much like jazz sesssions - here is the tune let's do it. So I gave the musicians demo copies and we played the songs at the studio.
Gary Reynolds of Electrokitty studios is a recording head and a song junkie. He runs a great studio and stays focused at all times in the sessions. http://www.myspace.com/electrokitty - - -
We made a good team. He recomended drummer Mike Mussberger from the Posies. That was a great start.
All the players on the CD either knew each other or know of each other. Greg Keplinger was the drum sound guru. He tuned, tweeked and gave an overall well earned opinon to the drum sound for the type of track we were recording.
Anyu - www.anyu.net - who played percussion on two tracks was a catylist for having Dale Fanning's drumming and Kevin Hudson's bass playing. Dale hooked me up with Keith Lowe, http://www.myspace.com/keithlowebass and Keith mentioned Wayne Horvitz when I was looking for a keyboard player. All these people have great reps and play with some amazing artists.
Mandy Anderson came my way during some hip hop sessions I was producing. She made quite an impression. When she sang on the demo of the song Anyway, I knew she would fit with that track as well as a few more.
Cristina Orbe was recomended by Dave Miller as someone to book for a show at Studio 7 in Seattle, so I did and was quite happy I took his advice! Cristina is an amazing singer-songwriter in her own right. http://www.myspace.com/cristina. Both of these women are a great addition to the songs.
Dave Miller plays slide guitar on At Least and is one of the coolest guitarists around. http://www.myspace.com/beehive
Michael Clarke lends his electric guitar on two tracks, Anyway & Thievery. We spent many hours hanging and playing. Please visit www.draytonmichaels.com to hear the tracks Under The Radar and Fall Away. Check out Mr Clarke at http://www.myspace.com/mpc3
It all started on August 6th 2004...
The players got the songs a week or so in advance of the recording dates. In most cases there were no more than three takes after a 30 - 40 min walk through, talk through, listen through. I laid down all the acoustic guitars first to a drum loop. Then a guide vocal. We kept whole takes of the performances and kept digital wizardry to a respectful minimum. We finished tracking all the music by Mid September.
Vocals were cut in October.
There were discussions of a mix producer/engineer from early on. Robbie Adams had done some work out of Electrokitty a few months before I began. He was in town at the right time. He gave a great flow to the five songs he mixed. That set us up for the next 6 songs quite well. From his foundation, Gary and I mixed the remaining songs. We wrapped up the sessions on November 24th.
All in all, it took 40 days from August - November 2004 to capture.
I was blesssed to work with all these amazing people. They deserve much credit. Many people touched this recording. It was an honor and a pleasure working with them. They are all busy and talented people who I recommend checking out - they are doing interesting music all the time.
Low Stress In The Deep End available at CDBaby.com
Hi Drayton Michaels Thanks for the add up and checking us out Will be posting a new song on the 13th of july Take care and fell free to leave a msg thanks jimi
"We're going to see the end of the world", is a very powerful song. This mix is definately different from the other you shared with me. I'll be anxious to hear how the others have turned out. Anxiously awaiting the new cd...
Good Morning Drayton! Thank you so much for the add! Hope you are having a wonderful week ... Please let us know if we can help you with anything. All of our love & support, M & T Music Promotions
— Toledo and state laws singling out pit bulls as inherently vicious dogs are constitutional, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled this morning. The dog owner who brought the legal challenge vowed to seek an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ridiculous! The news showed the guy sitting on his couch with his pit bulls licking him and smiling. What a bunch of nonsense!
Wow, watching the news makes me sick on a regular basis, but today was too much. Hearing what is going on in this Pit Bull Fighting Case is unreal. You are part of a very worthy cause, the world needs more people like you. I shed a tear today for the Dogs Of The World...
