Influences and Inspirations: Uncle Eoli, my family, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Thelonius Monk, Doc Watson, Little Walter, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, The Zombies, Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Al Greene, John Denver, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Reich, Pink Floyd, The Band, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Sonny Rollins, Bjork, Hank Williams, Sr., Eric Tanis and Atom Wolak, Michael Bechtel, Nick Drake, John Williams, Mississippi John Hurt, Depeche Mode, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, anything Motown, the Carter Family, Leo Kottke, Nirvana, Jesse Fuller, Simon and Garfunkel, Robert Randolph, Art Blakey, Keith Moon, The Animals, Michael Hedges, Jim Chadock, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ben Harper, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Matmos, Television's "Marquee Moon", George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, MIDSTATES, Novasonic Down Hyperspace, Bukka White, Corey Harris, Eugene McDaniels, Shuggie Otis, Tribe Called Quest, Common, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Mos Def, The Meters, the J.B.s, Rhythm Scholar, Parliment, Prince, Sly and the Family Stone, Cecil Taylor, Flaming Lips, Loretta Lynn, Wilco, Big Star, Black Crows, Catholic Church Choir Hymns and songs, Buena Vista Social Club, Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Os Mutantes, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Silver Apples, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Boy Williamson, Aretha Franklin, Stereolab, Tori Amos, Billy Holiday, Sheila Chandra, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Art Tatum, Allman Brothers, John Sebastian, Lovin' Spoonful, Shy Chid, Debussy, Yo-Yo Ma, Django Reinhardt, Danny Gatton, Redneck Jazz Experience, Jimmy Hendrix, Neil Halstead, Digable Planets, Tortise, Beach Boys, Gastra Del Sol, Elvis, The Roots, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Neil Young, the Monkees, Terry Riley, Portisehead, the Cardigans, Mark Knofler, Dada, Matthew Sweet, Metallica, Black Sabbath, MC5, Iggy, The Stooges, the Who, Shearwater, Lionel Hampton, the Blacks, Chick Corea, Catalyst- the funkeist band you never heard of, the Front Porch Music in Valpo, IN, Tom Waits, Danny Elfman, Robert Rodriguez, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick, Jr., The Byrds, Freakwater, Neko Case, Nora Jones, Jolie Holland, Madeleine Peyroux, Nina Simone, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Grateful Dead, Scott Larson, Ken Burrell, Joey Defrancesco, Charles Earland, Rick Wakeman, Bob Moog, the Clash, Scratch Documentary, Urge Overkill, the Beatles, John Lennon, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Tricky, the Troggs, Alvin Youngbloodheart, Rueben Gonzales, James Jamerson, Ledezma Brothers, Violent Fems, Petty Booka, Nat King Cole, Memphis Minnie, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Ernest Ranglin, Alex Chilton, Paul Schmitz, and his book recomendations, Zen Guitar, Free Play, music theory conversations at Discus, Adam Province, all my wonderful instruments present and passed, Cal City, Frank Zappa, trad. Hawaiian music, carter family, iron and wine, Spice Girls, Bjork, Bruce Lee, Louis Armstrong, The Meters, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Petty Booka, Hawiian Music, The Grateful Dead,
Steve Munoz is a professional musician/producer transplanted from his native Chicago, IL home to wonderful Kansai a year ago. Since then, he's hussled the scene to find his place in the live music community of Japan with little to no knowledge of the Japanese language, culture, or business. Steve's played at The Apple Store on Midosuji, regularly at Murphy's in Shinsaibashi, the now defunked Savannah in Amemura, Blarney Stone in Umeda, Nanko ATC on the Bay, Espoir Cafe and Vase in Shinsaibashi, various cafes around Nara and Kyoto, and his home away from home, the great Tin's Hall in Tennoji.
Steve's solo style is a live, sometimes bombastic approach to standards, originals, and improvised compositions, often aided by his multi-instrumental talents, live looping and mediocre beatboxing skills, stomping and crowd participation.
In the States, he's coming off a professional gig as a musician for almost a decade, not only as a solo artist, but in several bands including the original indy rock, psychedelic pop band Midstates(www.midstatesmusic.com) as keyboardist and arranger/co-producer. Midstates still continues in his absence, but this band has been performing and touring America for over a decade, released four self recorded and produced albums to wicked reviews, and continues to test the music and art scene not only in Chicago but where ever the road takes them.
Besides playing solo and in bands, Steve is also an up and coming producer for himself, other artists, and bands. Making use of the Midstates ProTools homestudio, Steve learned hands -on the art of recording. Add to that countless hours over the past 15 years at home first with primitive tape to tape recordings, then with a borrowed 4track(which I still use), an obsolete Yamaha Minidisc 4track(I love this machine), Garageband, and presently learning Adobe Audition, Steve's home-style approach to recording and producing is focused on capturing a true musical moment in it's most natural state and presenting it in a fashion which hopes to inspire the listener again and again with each listen. Simple but honest, fresh and timeless is Steve's goal to produce great sounding, great feeling music.
I grew up in a household full of music. My sisters played classical piano, my brothers were in band, my mother sang a bit of opera and traditional Filipino ballads, and my dad... he whistled and played alittle harmonica. It was inevitable that music would trickle down the bloodline to the youngest of six, and that's how I came to the appreciation of said art. I've never taken any formal music lessons, though my first "teacher" was my uncle Eoli, who taught me how to play the basic chords on the piano and guitar. Though, more importantly, he taught me how to listen and play with my ears and eyes, as well as my hands. In the Philippines it's called playing "widow", or playing by ear. Through the years I've watched and listened, copied to reinvent, played and experimented, and above all loved creating music. That's why I do it and will continue pursuing music, because I love to create these things that can't be expressed only in words; I love the power of a good melody, because such a melody can make you wanna dance, or cry, or get angry, or confuse you, or empower you, but in the end it never ceases to amaze me that these strings of notes and sounds can illicit such true human emotion.
I've taken this love of music and applied it to make a living, and continue learning all I can. At present I sing, play guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, melodica, bass, drums, spoons, washboard, lap steel, banjo, mandolin, jew's harp, I program electronic drum beats, I collect and play vintage synthesizers and electric pianos, and I hope to get started on my assault on woodwinds and brass instruments. I'm currently a solo artist, a one-man-band, keyboardist for Midstates (www.midstatesmusic.com); previously I've played in the bands; Hot Damn(NW Indiana), Novasonic Down Hyperspace(Calumet City/Chicago), The Curtains, The Rain, did a tour with The Blacks(Chicago, formerly on Bloodshot Records), sat in with Defender and Alla(Chicago), and played on the streets of New Orleans.
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hi, sorry no news about tour in japan. very silent from our label their right now. :) a tip: now we have Marching Band T-Shirts for sale on our website. lots of colors. take care /marching band.
Hey Steve! My new EP is finally complete, and up on my page for download. Take a listen if you get a chance. I am excited to hear that you are moving home! I miss a good Munoz show. - Sean
Cool. I can't believe it'll bee that long at the end of summer. But, I look forward to the higher probability of seeing you guys. Yea, "3 is the magic number"
hey man! looks like my T shirt company failed, so i moved back to bangkok. how was your journey to the homeland? stop on by man. i will be here for at least a year.
what airport/city is nearest your hood, steve?... it is a logistical challenge perhaps to get a visa, but the commute would be fun, as would be your company.
I really like your songs! My roommates and I watched your video...btw you apparently know my roommate...his name is Josh VanTuyl...hmm....small world. It was nice to see your face in movement!
steve, happy chinese new year... 'gong xi fa cai'... i am living in jiashan for this holiday and having a great time... lots of great food, fireworks, very festive... lots of love here and to you. Sheng Bo (Bear) is hosting this party, listening to your music, playing cards, eating and smoking. Lots of fireworks to lite at midnight. Gulf Banda forming here!! Paolo.
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