Guy Michetti guitars, vocals, harmonica, mandolin
Tom DeVito drums
Greg Deppe piano, organ
Tommy Edwards bass, vocals
Henry Falco vocals
Alex Mahoney saxaophone
Bob Wright banjo
Gary Randazzo drums
Nicole Wright vocals
Mark Farrel Fiddle
Richard Chodes bass, piano
Joe Calcio piano, organ
Produced By Henry Falco
Moon Studios
www.moon-studios.net
CLOSER TO HEAVEN - TRACK OF THE WEEK @ GarageBand.com
Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Hank Williams, Robert Johnson, The Beatles, Elvis, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters
Sounds Like
Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, The Beatles, Elvis, The Byrds, Van Morrison, Hank Williams, Muddy Waters
"Guy, in my opinion, you might be the very best unsigned songwriter anywhere. Everytime I come check out your stuff, I find myself scratching my head that you are not a platinum selling artist." Matty - member of Canandian Hard Rockin' Band Highwater
Guy Michetti may be the best guitarist on the East coast, no joke." Staff of the ETG CAFE in New York City
"I first heard 'A New York City Life' by Guy Michetti sometime in March and I was absolutely knocked out! I've always had this thing for New York and New Yorkers and yet I've never been there... maybe it's got something to do with the fact that Liverpool is a port and almost everyone emigrated to the States via Liverpool and New York back in the day. Either way, that 'thing' drew me to the opening track and on to this incredibly talented singer songwriter.
Guy has mastered socially perceptive, subjective, and objective songwriting in a way that deserves the kind of praise and appreciation you'd normally expect to find after the fourth encore at a huge stadium, but as we're not at a stadium, Guy Michetti and this magnificent album of his 'All in my mind' are just gonna have to put up with my ramblings for the time being at least!
The album opens with A New York City life, and you have to admit that Guy has reinvented a much written and sung about subject theme by making it sparkle with compassion, empathy, and respect in a way that only he could. I love the guitar and vocal work in this track... highly skilled and perhaps more importantly, highly thought and emotion provoking. Guy's vocal athletics are highly captivating and to prove the theory to be true, I've played this track to a whole host of people from varying backgrounds and geographical beginnings. Not one person dared to interrupt the proceedings... not even to cough or to light a cigarette for fear of the peer group bashing that would have been likely to occur!
Can't you see the lonely features a lovely blend of harmonica and streetwise vocal meanderings. This is one of those songs that combines excellent social insight with excellent lyrical mosaics that leave you very impressed indeed. I'm beginning to see lot's of sentiment and heartfelt compassion in Guy's songwriting and we're only at track two! Can't you see the lonely isn't as melancholy as you might expect from such a title, it actually makes you feel good in knowing that the sentiments and compassion that should be etched in all of us, are far more widespread than some people would have you believe!
All in my mind is the song that many of the world's best songwriters probably would have wished they'd written. It's a wonderful song played by wonderful musicians and produced with care and an impeccable ear for excellence! The arrangement is truly superb and I can imagine this song doing really well in live performance. In saying that, if you are ever 'out there' at a time when Guy is performing... you'd be in dire need of some truly efficacious medication if you didn't have the sense to go and see this guy perform!
One of the most brilliant songs I've heard in a long time goes by the title of She's my only one - it has Brian Wilson flickerings all over it production wise, but the songwriting again is truly spellbinding in this amazing love song for every audio-equiped generation with sensible ears. The guitar, piano, and harmonies in this track are cleverly integrated and I can imagine everyone who worked on this track felt like they could walk on water after the final mixdown! You did a fantastic job Guy... and I do hope there's more of this calibre to come!
A long, long time ago just happens to have instantly awakened my memories of that 70s girl I lost a long, long time ago and I find myself struggling to get my attention back to the song! Now that takes real lyrical grandeur and the likes of which you'd only find from seasoned professionals if you ask me... talk about thought provoking! In my attempt to become 'all objective' again, I have to rewind the track back to the beginning and concentrate harder... again, the vocals, piano, guitars and drums are absolutely incredibly well performed and produced. When the harmonica comes back at around the 4.35 mark, you are completely and utterly astonished! Thanks guy... but I need a stiff drink before I move on to the next one!
The opening of I believe in make believe is just what I needed to escape from the powerful sojourn I embarked upon in listening to the last song where i was involuntarily dragged into a pool of sentiment and nostalgia. I'm beginning to realize now that this is one of the finest albums I have heard in a very long time and I'm also beginning to wish Guy Michetti lived next door! This is a superbly crafted song that does the trick for us adults as well as for us kids! It's self realization time without introspection or negativism.. in fact it's quite the opposite... what a superbly affluent songwriter this 'Guy' really is! Now let me elucidate... how many songwriters do you know that could conceivably attach themselves to this genre and do such a fine job! Watch out for the magnificent keyboard work from Gregg Deppe... it's the stuff of dreams but then so is the song!
Who took my freedom away? is laden with some truly amazing musicianship that blankets and caresses the lyrics and vocals magnificently. A whole host of American States and Cities are highlighted in the crafted and skilled lyrics but the musical arrangements are drawn from just about every inch of the United States in this wonderfully patriotic yet socially injured perspective. The fiddle and banjo playing here are absolutely brilliant and help to detract somewhat from any harshnesses in the honesty and integrity of the song. Either way... Who took my freedom away is without doubt one of the best written social commentaries of our times I have seen in years!
With Dianne, Guy ventures into the twilight realm of the kind of ballads that stop people in their tracks within the first two sentences being sung and Dianne really is beautifully and passionately sung! The blend of intimacy in the vocals and the sweetness in the guitar playing works magic for your ears and you find yourself quickly drawn into the composer's world of feeling without ever thinking about reaching out to stop yourself! Dianne is quite simply superb!
She can cry rakes up the beat and invokes the rock for the roll with expert production and really brilliant collective musicianship. Watch out for the magnificently styled Seventies sax and Seventies superstar piano and percussion work. Guy's vocals are widely engaging but that's something we've all come to expect now... what's particularly ear catching however, is the fact that these guys are obviously having fun in this one and it alI goes in to making me wish I could see them live! I wonder how much a flight to New York will cost me if I save up???
With She'll be there I'm at the point of exhaustion! Does this 'Guy' not know any creative or inspirational limits? I really like the way the arrangements for all of the songs on this album have their own sprinklings of star light at some of the most unexpected places and the same is certainly true in this song. There's some fine bass playing in this song and, as a bass player myself, I'm actually a little envious of how well the drums and bass work intricately together here. Then there's the now immortalized magnificence in the keyboard work... very well played and positioned and almost certainly the icing on this very fine but rare musically accomplished cake!
A castle for your heart is one more of those prize winning Michetti adventures in songwriting wizardry. Prepare yourself for the 2.30 mark... it's where the likes of Elvis Costello and Brian Wilson have often familiarized themselves when they were at the peak of their careers. I mention brian and Elvis in this case because they really do share the same pedestal that I have unhesitatingly placed Guy Michetti upon. The man is a lyrically blessed songwriting Saint and this absolute certainty is also blatantly obvious in the final track on the album I don't want love. Thank God I also have a copy of Guy's other album 'Headin' for the crossroads! The poor guy would have been cajoled into legging it down to the post office at the crack of dawn just to appease my newly acquired but somewhat under-nourished musical appetite for excellence! With I don't want love, we're dragged kicking and screaming into that little rejectful but highly addictive world we'd rather not venture into.. the occasional one we've all encountered were fresh morning kisses are born and night time tears are swiftly brushed away. It's hats off again to a fine band who have delivered a truly magnificent performance and to a man who really should have realized by now that he is much much more than just one hell-of-a-Guy!
NYC alt-country musician who writes well crafted and structured music in the vein of Ryan Adams, and Bruce Springsteen. He currently has two cds available for purchase: "All In My Mind" and "Headin' For The Crossroads". I was able to listen to about four or five songs from each album and every song is quite enjoyable. My favorite songs from what I listen too were "Dont Learn War" and "On the Steps of St. Josephs". This is a working man and womens music; and you'd expect to see him on VH1 Storytellers. I also feel a bit of the newer Tom Waits cds, maybe you'll be able to hear it too. And unlike a lot of bands Mr. Michetti has quite a bit of his songs available for download and/or listen.
"Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an unsigned singer/songwriter releases an album that should be on commercial radio across the nation. That is the story of Guy Michetti, an award-winning pop rocker whose latest record is about as FM-friendly as music gets. We live in a lazy, shallow music world, one that champions violence and negative emotions over optimism and a gentle pat on the back. Michetti’s songs are tuneful and thoughtful at the same time, refreshingly viewing love without a jaded eye (“She’s My Only One”} and unafraid of paying an old-school homage to his hometown (the post-9/11 “A New York City Life”). This is not rock & roll that’ll cause scandals or pioneer new sounds. It’s just rock & roll – and it’s rock solid."
Review by Kyrby Raine
"Without even hearing a note on Guy Michetti's All In My Mind album, it was easy to guess what to expect from the cover alone. Wearing shades and carrying a guitar, Michetti is no pretentious or glamorous rock star and neither is he an indie experimentalist. The cover truly says it all: a man, a guitar, and the city around him. Being used to Lou Reed's grit-stained portrayals of the East Coast, it is an enjoyable change of pace to hear "A New York City Life," Michetti's delightfully high-spirited love letter to the Big Apple. Guitars strum and ring like hummingbirds, and it feels like the late '60s again.
The production and arrangements on All In My Mind are retro without being dated, and Michetti has a friendly, pleasant voice that is perfectly suited for his storytelling. At times sentimental, at times romantic, All In My Mind is the epitome of the 'singer/songwriter' record, one that reveals what the person is thinking and feeling. Favorite tracks abound but I am leaning towards "Dianne" and "She's My Only One," with its clever opening female spoken-word bit." - Review by Franklin Richards
"In a cynical, violent world, the heartwarming acoustic rock of singer/songwriter Guy Michetti seems out of place somehow - and refreshingly so. Free from post-alternative ennui, Michetti has produced a collection of gentle guitar-pop tunes with an emotionally uplifting touch.
The opening track, "A New York City Life," sets the style and tone for the rest of the record as jangly guitars and Michetti's understated vocals create an atmosphere of love and peace. To the gloom merchants among you, it may sound old-fashioned and corny; however, after a decade of hearing angry young kids scream suicidal prose in my ears, I welcome Michetti with a friendly handshake. "A New York City Life" has the hummable melodicism of the Byrds while "All In My Mind" soars with Tom Petty's finest.
And Michetti isn't afraid to stretch his creative reach, going for a Phil Spector-ish Wall of Sound on "She's My Only One" and classic country on "Who Took My Freedom Away?" Despite the album's overall feelgood appeal, Michetti doesn't shy away from social commentary like on "A Long, Long Time Ago."
"All In My Mind" is the sound of a man who has studied the greats - the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan - and passed the exam with an A plus." Review by Adam Harrington
Guy Michetti "All In My Mind" awarded honorable mention in the 2006 Billboard Magazine World Song Contest.
"Lyrics are solid and thought provoking." - "Can't You See The Lonely?" awarded honorable mention in the 2004 Billboard Magazine World Song Contest.
Guy Michetti winner of IOMA Songwriter of the Year Award 2006
"I can tell there is limitless amounts of talent and potential ready to unleash that song that will change the world." - Former A&R rep from Arista
"A True lyricist/poet" IOMA Award Wining Composer Mike Milillo
"In this world of Big Names the true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and semi-illusion the ones with solid virtues can be admired for something much more substantial than just well-knownness and prove to be the true unsung heroes. Guy may be one of them. Peace." Johannes, Amsterdam Europe
"Thanks for reaffiming my faith in rock and roll." jon wayne mcneeley
"...reminds me of Bob Geldof, The Clash, Bob Dylan, The Waterboys, The Hothouse Flowers, Tom Petty, and on and on. But it doesn't sound derivative of any, just reminiscent - like you belong in their company." Singer/Songwriter Jeff Crandall
"Listening now to your "I'm Coming Home"...Really hooky - this should be on the radio!!!! It's VERY timely lyrically too. This is a perfectly executed piece of pop/rock in every way. Did I mention that I love your voice? Great sound you have... " Singer/Songwriter Lynn Carey Saylor
Michetti's songs "Can't You See The Lonely?" and "All In My Mind" have each won songwriting awards. "Can't You See The Lonely?" won honorable mention last year in Billboard Magazine's World Songwriting Contest. “His lyrics are solid and thought provoking", said the letter from Billboard. The song "All In My Mind" won 1st place in the "Original Compo-10 Song Competition", where other independent songwriters are the judges.
His music has has received airplay at WSIA 88.9 FM in New York City and is slated to get airplay at KDHX 88.1 FM in St. Louis Missouri with 43,000 watts of power. Other stations will soon be added. Michetti's music has been streamed, podcasted and downloaded off the Internet by people all over the world.
His two CDs, "Headin' For The Crossroads" and "All In My Mind," were recorded and produced on Staten Island at Moon Studios where his producer, Henry Falco, is the Chief Engineer. Last year Michetti released a 4 song EP entitled "I'm Coming Home." The title song raced around the world as it was streamed and downloaded world-wide. The title song is about a wounded solider coming home after a tour of duty in Iraq continues to be a popular download. The CD has had remarkable international sales and hit number 1 for two weeks at an independent music site in the U.K. Michetti has donated all profits from the sale of that EP to Disabled American Veterans.
Michetti is part of the independent music movement that is flourishing around the globe. “The internet has become the next big thing. It allows musicians to share their talents not only in the coffee local houses and street corners of the world, but also with music lovers who want to sample new, innovative artists.”
GUY MICHETTI: All In My Mind
Singer/Songwriter Guy Michetti's music carries on the traditions of musical troubadours Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and everyone in between, His songs are all instant classics.
The music business is changing,” Michetti says. “There are many artists who have free downloads to allow potential fans to become familiar with their music and internet radio is bursting right now, with places like SoundClick, Mixposure and ArtistLaunch that provide great services for Independent artists and music fans alike. Even Amazon.com has independent music like Michetti's available for free downloads and for sale.
A songwriter from Nashville Lex Zaleta http://www.soundclick.com/lexzaleta said this of Michetti and his music:
"Guy Michetti is a walking, talking American jukebox. He has mastered every style of music. Whenever I listen to Guy perform, I feel I could be back in Dustbowl Times with Woody Guthrie or in Greenwich Village with Ochs and Dylan. I could just as easily be in 2093 enjoying his newest release - Guy's music is that timeless. Rarely is that degree of talent wrapped up in so much humility. If Guy were given ten Grammy Awards tomorrow, I would still feel it was too little, too late. You have your own sound - but pretty soon it will be a sound shared by millions. That big break has to right around the next musical corner for you."
Michetti's music is for sale on an online music distributor call CD BABY. www.cdbaby.com CD Baby then takes music by independent artists like Michetti and distributes it digitally to places like Itunes, Napster and a host of other music sites. Places like Itunes have been acknowledged to have helped bolster sales for the music industry and the independents are becoming a part of that bottom line.
Michetti works at his craft and performs in the New York/ New Jersey area in coffee houses like the Muddy Cup and the Perking Latte Caf... "These places are a god send to local songwriters and musicians, and it's a great place to hear some good music and meet new people!"
Michetti is also going the tried and traditional route as well. He peforms live and sells cds at his performances and will be distributing his cds to local record shops.!"
For more info you can access Guy Michetti's web site at Guy Michetti
You can download songs here at my space on myspace. If you download songs, let other people know. Being an indie depends on word of mouth. So, if you like my music, and you download songs here please let your friends know. Thanks alot!!
And if you like to buy any of my cds you can click any of the links that have the buy button. My cds are onsale at cdbaby and at tower records online.
GUY MICHETTI: Headin' For The Crossroads
Guy Michetti is a songwriter in the best traditions of American Blues, Folk and Rock and Roll.
We wanted to let you and your friends know that the deadline for submissions for our 2008 Songwriting Contest is quickly approaching.
With over $15,000 in cash and prizes, performance opportunities at Madison Square Garden and the Live Nation - Jones Beach concert series, recording session packages with Grammy award winner Glenn Barrett at MorningStar studios and with our fantastic friends at Dubway Studios in New York, A feature on Jonathan Clarke's 'Out Of The Box' popular radio show on Q104,3FM, New York and America's Classic Rock station and so much more, this is truly an opportunity not to be missed.
"The Electric Alligator Ensemble", which plays my electronic music live, has posted the first 2 recordings from the ensemble's recent marathon recording session at:
Hi Guy, great to hear from you. I saw that you've put some songs up at ims but have been bogged down at work of late and haven't had the chance to listen. Will do so shortly. I'm doing fine. I recorded an acoustic CD at the end of last year. Did it for promotional rather than sales reasons. I had a good think about what I wanted out of music and decided that as much as I love doing the one-man band thing, it's not the way to properly promote my original material. So I'm hunting around for acoustic gigs. Pared a lot of the earlier songs back for acoustic performance and have been writing fairly steadily. Have started to pick up some reasonable gigs. It's a challenge as for most of what I laughingly refer to as "my career" I've had the comfort zone of either other musicians or more recently midi files to cover my weaknesses.
How are things over your way. I spoke to Lex via email recently. Sadly the loss of mixpo has meant that I don't keep in contact with some good and talented people I met there.
Keep in touch mate. Let me know what's happening with you.
