Michael J

From his beginnings in Upstate NY with the band Exploding Boy to his current success as a solo artist, perseverance has been a constant for Michael J. "I've been fortunate enough to be able to sustain a career for much longer than most major-label bands even though I've been flying below radar for so long. I've flatly refused to change my music to fit trends. The only thing I've ever been interested in is finding my own voice musically and that's often a more difficult, (but much more rewarding) road for an artist to take". During the course of his career, Michael J has released 10 independent records (3 with Exploding Boy and 7 solo releases), performed thousands of shows all over the USA, and has shared stages with acts such as The Goo Goo Dolls, Sister Hazel, Howie Day, Colin Quinn of SNL, Cheap Trick, Joan Osborne, Angie Aparo and Art Alexakis of Everclear. He has maintained a strong presence in the world of independent music for many years and continues to do so today. In 1991, Michael J made his national television debut with Exploding Boy in "YAMAHA'S SOUNDCHECK Rock Music Showcase" in Hollywood, CA ranking in the top five from a field of over 2,500 unsigned bands. The syndicated special was hosted by Dweezil Zappa and Holly Robinson-Peete. Judges for the event included Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, the late John Entwistle of The Who, and Randy Jackson of "American Idol" fame. Exploding Boy made their final public appearance as musical guests on "The Jenny Jones Show" in 1998. Shortly before disbanding in August of 1999, Michael's song "Every Mistake" made Exploding Boy one of the "Top 12 Best Unsigned Acts of 1999" according to Billboard and Musician magazines. The song appeared on a subsequent compilation CD released on Atlantic Records. In 2000, Michael J released his solo-debut "Spin" which featured a tightly focused modern-pop sound that drew comparisons to bands such as U2 and Live for its emotional and sonic content. Later that year, the title track was featured on The Album Network's Rock Tune Up #233 compilation CD along with Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, Sevendust and Phish. "Spin" also won the "Best Music" category in the 2000 Abet Music Songwriting Contest. In Late 2001, Michael composed the theme song for a sitcom pilot written by Paul Guay who co-wrote the hit films "Liar, Liar" and "Heartbreakers". "I have an interesting relationship with Hollywood. You really have to know how to be political when you work out there, but the rewards can be huge. I've always wanted to expose my music to the widest audience possible. Any artist that tells you otherwise is lying". In June 2002, Michael released a six-song EP called "Blue" and worked with Stan Lynch, legendary drummer for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, producer/songwriter for Don Henley, Tim McGraw, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Ringo Starr, John Mellencamp, Aretha Franklin, The Eurythmics, and the late George Harrison among many others. Michael's career reached even further heights later that same year when he and his band opened Gator Growl 2002, the largest student-run pep rally in the world, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL to a capacity crowd of 56,403. Comedians Bill Cosby and Harland Williams also performed at the event. Michael J's third record "Static Confusion" was released in January 2003 to rave reviews that compared him to everyone from to David Gray, Edwin McCain, Ryan Adams to Coldplay and John Mayer. "Static" marked a departure from his earlier work in that it is a live solo-acoustic recording. "I've always enjoyed live records by other artists and I felt that it was time to show a more stripped-down side of myself. By the time I started recording "Static" I had played over 700 shows in three years and it was obvious that the live versions of the songs had taken on stronger personalities than the originals". Michael's song "Spin" was recently featured in the film "3 Needles". Released internationally on December 1st 2006, the movie starred Lucy Liu, Chloë Sevigny, Shawn Ashmore, Stockard Channing, 2005 Golden Globe recipient Sandra Oh, and Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis. Another of Michael's songs, "Nothing To Say" was also prominently featured in Episode 109 - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" of ABC Family's hit television series "Falcon Beach". The show is currently airing in massive syndication in 18 different countries including France, Scandinavia, and the UK. Michael J is working on his 8th solo release which will feature guest appearances by Eric Stock and Jens Funke of Stroke 9 ("Little Black Backpack") and Steve Schiltz of Longwave ("Everywhere You Turn", "Tidalwave") to be released sometime in 2009. Michael is currently performing over 300 shows a year in the Eastern US.