Grammy winner PJ Curtis: Michael is a terrific talent... a fine poet with a great "lived-in" voice. I love it. Great story songs. "Dancing in the Boneyard," "Country Girl" (great atmosphere here), "Nightbird's Waltz" and "Rockabilly Saturday Night" are the standouts. And [Let's Pretend We're Strangers] must be the first tuba solo I've ever heard that made me stand in amazement! ...a truly superb work.
Radio Ranger, KOPN 89.5 FM, Columbia, MO: I was on board with "Love Boat to Reno" from the moment I heard the first track. "Dancin' in the Bone Yard" is a mesmerizing song with cinematic lyric images and great clarinet hooks baited with a vaporous ghostly violin... From the first tuba note and swing clarinet sounds on the title track, it's obvious you're not on an ordinary journey with Michael's mystic ship on a sea of imagination. By the time the boat docks, you're glad you have been along for the ride.
Don Charles, Dsquared: McGarrah's songs function like an emotional spyglass, peering about the room and soaking in the significant details. He is an iconoclast in the Tom Waits tradition - often the point of departure is so skewed that you feel he's taken you to the wrong place (Love Boat to Reno?). Then the poet does his magic and you realize he had you right where he wanted all along. And he can write a love song that will make you ache for it.
Victory Music Magazine: McGarrah is a story teller. His tenor/baritone voice is compelling and convincing as he weaves his Americana tales.
David Cowling, AmericanaUK...possessed of a voice that can tell a story in many different forms from the Tom Wait’s lite of ‘Dancin’ in the Boneyard’ to folk, country and spoken word, he’ll turn his pipes to any gentle genre. Sometimes he makes a connection with the material: ‘Nightbirds Waltz (How Are You Sleeping Tonight)’ has a cargo of emotion whereas the title track is all about seersucker suited dandyism - he likes to play roles. He’s the narrator on ‘Rockabilly Saturday Night’ and on ‘Iowa’ he shows that he can write ‘the dust has blown her years away, stole the color from her eyes’, this tale of disappointment soundtracked by violin and viola stealing the show. McGarrah is a stylist using generic patterns to tell his stories - there’s humour and emotion packed in with the role-playing.
One of 12 finalists in the 2008 Wildflower Arts and Music Festival Performing Songwriter Competition . Richardson, Texas
Finalist in the 2008 South Florida Folk Festival Singer-Songwriter Competition. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Finalist in the 2007 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Kerrville, Texas
Finalist in the 2007 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest at the 2007 Sisters Folk Festival. Sisters, Oregon
First Place, American Songwriter Magazine July/August 2005 lyric competition with his song "Iowa."
Selected performer, Cape May Singer-Songwriter 2009 Cape May, NJ
Recent placement on the Indie Artists Alliance Songwriters and Storytellers CD Volume 2 Compilation CD with Dancin In The Boneyard.
Thanks to KBCS 91.3 Bellevue, WA. WRKF 89.3 Baton Rouge, LA. KOPN 89.5 Columbia, MO. Whole Wheat Radio
CLICK ON THE HAPPY COUPLE TO PURCHASE LOVE BOAT TO RENO:
Ciao,Michael Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot, Band, and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis, I feel great admiration for you, be really one whom is worth rather a lot! I hope to listen soon to you, in italy .. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music all the best.. from italy.. and good life.. every day neal
Michael, thanks for the kind words and I look forward to seeing you back in Austin!!! The only trouble with SxSW is that there's so much to do and you can barely scratch the surface of what's out there. Normal Austin lets you stay a little more focused.
Funny thing was I just finished listening to your CD right before I logged on to myspace and there was a note from you. I'm reall enjoying your CD, so you're here in Austin musically!!!
Do you know how much I will be missing you this weekend in Cape May, NJ=VERY! To think it was a year ago that I was turned on by your awesome talent, Hope to chat soon, Kat
Hello, Michael! Thank you for adding Renato Társia. This page is to keep his memory and his music alive. We wish you success with your beautiful music! Greetings from Brazil. RT's friends
Dearest friend Michael McGarrah: You are heartily welcome to My Space site and I am happy as a lark that you accepted my invitation and that you're now my new musical friend from Arizona. It does sound kinda redundant to you I know, however allow me please to make some constructive comments on your so fine art. I've fallen in love with your songs displayed on your site, refined melodies over rational lyrics and solos from different instruments sung and played with love, nature, zeal and sobriety: fiddles, saxophone and just wonder, a tuba. Your songs "Nightbirds Waltz", "Hand me that bottle" and "Let's pretend we're strangers" have become my best-loved, they in fact do my head and move with my country roots. While listening and digging your lovely country songs I could picture some other sparkling stars such as Arlo Guthrie and Alberta Hunter,for instance. Mostly due to the so unexpected tuba solo "Let's pretend we're strangers" also reminded me of "When I'm sixty four" by The Beatles, my everlasting heroes. As I think we worldwide musicians should stick together, love and support one another,you are kindly invited to have a listen of my forthcoming CD "Nas quebradas do sertão", a record versed in regional music, my very roots. May our good Lord bless and grant you with love, health, tenderness and inspiration so that you can carry your magnificent musical project through. Please accept a fraternal country embrace from your brazilian admirer, ever,
Today and yesterday the weather here is over 90... thoughts of you out in AZ come to mind... Hope you are staying Cool and know you are in my thoughts, Kat
Dear Michael Thanks for your message. I'll take your CD with me in June when I leave on my coast to coast tour. It will ease the silence of that long lonely road. Very best Rupert W
Hi Michael, Thanks for adding Katy Creek Band to your friends list! We wish you the best at Wildflower and hope to see you around the neighborhood ! Nancy & Wes
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