Mikey Wax • And A Happy New Year

Mikey Wax is having a great year, with his great new album, 'Constant Motion', and the lead single, "Counting On You" scoring big on several episodes of the Fox series ''So You Think You Can Dance,' as well as having the song featured in the commercial for the movie hit starring Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, and Catherine Zeta Jones. Mikey also found the time to go into the studio and record a Christmas EP, with three classic songs, as well as three written by the Long Island native himself. In fact, the collection opens with "And A Happy New Year," written by Mikey. There is a delightful throwback feel to the song, harkening back to a time when John Lennon was making great music. It is also the source of the first music video for the collection.

The second track off the EP sounds like it might be autobiographical for the singer/songwriter. Mikey pumps up the blues to the next level for "Catch The Midnight Flight". This is an amazing love song, so rich. It is followed by "Across The Universe," the great song written by John Lennon, a part of the fabled Lennon-McCartney songbook. It was released by The Beatles in 1969. Mikey certainly makes it his own, but retains a hint of psychedelia with a bit does of Rockin' Blues. Next Mikey takes on the last of his three original compositions, "Perfect Holiday". There is also a retro quality, and if I didn't konw better, I'd swear Clarence Clemmons is playing the sax on it, giving it more of the Rock-fueled Blues. Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne in 1946, "Let It Snow!" was first a hit for Vaughn Monroe in 1945. Sixty-seven years later, Mikey slows it down a bit, giving a wistful, almost aching feel to the classic. Finally, Mikey sings "Winter Wonderland," written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith, best known for the original release in 1946 by Johnny Mercer. It was so popular, years later a television special was produced for it. Wax breaks out the ukelele, and a bit of a Rock-A-Billy feel, with a little steel guitar to add to the depth. There is such amazing charm to this collection, and it just warms my heart. You can purchase 'And A Happy New Year' on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. To learn more about Mikey, visit his official website.

Mikey Wax • Counting On You Video

Long Island born and raised Mikey Wax has released the first video featuring the music of his latest release, Constant Motion. The first single, Counting On You, is a delicious Pop treat. And the video is a wonderful foray into a phantasmagorical world of superheroes and villains, where a boy with a guitar can wear a gladiator's armor and make all his dreams come true. Yes, he even gets the girl, the one wearing the cape!



Counting On You is the first single off a wonderful album released in September. You can find the album, Constant Motion, on iTunes and Amazon. You can find out more about Mikey on his official website by clicking here.

Great 2011 Releases

Clockwise: Hotels & Highways, Nathan Leigh Jones, Angus & Julia Stone, and Mikey Wax.

With my next to the last post in 2011, I thought I would try to show some appreciation for some of the breeders on my playlist. Look, I know you must feel like a real minority on my iTunes playlists, but you really are appreciated. I refuse to discriminate against you just because of who you sleep with. That said, there was some great music from this group, and I loved listening to that music whenever I could.

I first found out about the music of Hotels & Highways because I was a big fan of Syd's music. So when he got together with Lisa Piccirillo and Patrick Thomas, I couldn't wait to hear what came of it. When they released Lost River, I was blown away, and couldn't hear it enough. They fuse together the rootsy sound with a modern edge like few can, and made a great, complete album. Watch this video from a live performance of Train Whistle from their debut.



You can purchase Lost River from iTunes and Amazon.

I have David Raleigh to blame for my preoccupation with the music of Nathan Leigh Jones. David and the handsome Aussie are friends, and Nathan has produced some music of David's, including the beautiful That's What Friends Are For with Raleigh, Sir Ari Gold, Alan Cumming, and Billy Porter. But it was his great music that really won me over, from his 2008 EP, The Way I'm Missing You, to the newly released Sooner Or Later, I just love it all. In fact, I had to go to New York City to see Jones and Raleigh perform with my dear friend David Dust, and it was a magical night. Only recently, Nathan released the video for Beautiful You, off the latest album.



You can purchase Sooner Or Later from iTunes and Amazon.

I still remember the point when I first decided I would be a Mikey Wax fan for a long time to come. It was when I happened across his video for La Vie En Rose, looking for something to use on the blog. Well, I hit play, and developed a big crush on him, one that has not ended yet. I bought the last couple of EPs and a full album he put out, but with the release of his latest album, I was blown away. Mikey focused his energy on the music, and put out a Pop wonder called Constant Motion. I just love it, and think it should be a mandatory listen for all music lovers. Give a listen as Mikey sings Counting On You, which has recently started to get some airplay on the radio!



You can purchase Constant Motion from iTunes and Amazon.

I don't know where I've been for the last few years, but for some reason, it hasn't been on the same plane as Australian siblings Angus & Julia Stone. However, since finding them, I am completely loopy about their quirky music, and lap it up like it was pudding. I found some of their older music, and love it, just like the latest stuff. And it doesn't hurt I am totally crushing on Angus, damn, he's beautiful. They started the year with a single at the top of the Australian charts, and soon that song made it on to a commercial in the US, and I discovered my new obsession. Watch the video for Big Jet Plane off the album Down The Way.



You can purchase Down The Way from iTunes and Amazon.

Mikey Wax • Constant Motion

I have been a fan of Mikey Wax since I came across a YouTube video of the young man singing a cover of La Vie En Rose. From that moment on, I have followed his career, and purchased and enjoyed his music. So I was thrilled to hear he was back in the studio working on new material, and took the first opportunity to place my pre-order for Constant Motion!



So I was thrilled when it was released last week, and have given it several good listens. I do think the 11-song collection is Mikey's strongest to date, offering up a stronger Pop sound. Prior releases featured that very personal singer/songwriter feel, pulling the listener in. But Constant Motion explodes on the audience, coating everything with confectionery sugar, all delectably sweet and addictive. Like all great albums, we are taken on a journey that includes some twists and turns along the way. Here is a clip so Mikey can tell you a bit himself, and you can hear a sample of the music.



As you can hear from that video, there is a diversity in the music that keeps it interesting. There are moments when I hear the influences of some great 80s Pop, but the album always maintains a contemporary feel, a living and breathing in the moment, today. I would hope that in the several days since I got my copy, I would have been able to pick favorites by now, but I can't. I like them all, and like them very much. So I decided to go with what is ostensibly the title track, Counting On You.



That is the first track on the album, and it just exploded on to my eardrum on first listen, and with each subsequent time since. It makes me think this would be great to hear on the radio, but it sounds like nothing I can think of that is on the air. There is a freshness, and bold energy that comes out on this track. The second track, How It Feels, opens with a sound that pulls me back to classic hits by Go West or mid-80s Hall & Oates, yet still planted firmly in today.



I highly recommend Constant Motion. From start to finish, it offers on Pop confection after the other. To purchase Constant Motion, you can find it on iTunes here, on Amazon here, and get the physical CD at CD Baby here. You can order signed copies of this and other CD at his online store here. You can see me with my signed copy below.

Mikey Wax - Free Album Download

Singer/songwriter Mikey Wax has recorded an acoustic album and is making it available to the cost of a single Tweet, or a post on FaceBook. That's right. You heard me, or at least read me. If you click here, and click on the box for a Tweet, a Facebook post, or to join the mailing list, you will download the album for free. It is a 6-song EP, The Traveler. I am a fan of Mikey's music, and in case you don't remember him, this is a one of my favorite clips of him, singing La Vie En Rose.

Howie & Mikey's Valentines

What could be more romantic than two attractive singer/songwriters, right? Recently, one of the favorites of this blog, Mikey Wax, started touring with Howie Day. Day is most widely known for his achingly romantic 2003 hit, Collide. His rough-hewn vocals contained an aching and longing for that great love. The song appeared on his release Stop The World.



In 2005 he released She Says from the same album. It reached #6 on the US Adult Top 40 chart. The video shows a man bleeding and bruised, presumably part of the injuries from the battles of love.



I've reviewed Mikey Wax on here, enjoying his music greatly, including the newly released EP, For Better Or Worse. But this song is from his debut offering, Change Again. Here is Mikey performing Everybody Everywhere live at the Village Underground on West 3rd Street in New York City.



Twisted Fate opens with some beautiful piano playing, and in the video from Mocha Maya's in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, the opening section gives me a chance to fixate on his fingers. Odd, I know, but I am just being honest. But I really like this song, also from this debut.



So, these boys are touring together at the moment, and the schedule is below. You can also find it at Mikey's website here. You can also get it at Howie's homepage here.

Favorite New Artists - Mikey Wax, Theo Tams & Syd

I thought I might take a look at the favorite new performers I mentioned on this blog this year. These would be the artists who released a debut CD/EP and I just discovered them. They would be, in no particular order, Archie & Mehitabel, Aaron Beaumont, Angela Leo, Belkins, Billy Dortch, Matt Fishel, Erik Hassle, Chris Keys, Toby Madigan, Dave Patten, Syd, Theo Tams, and Mikey Wax. I will just say I enjoy them all, and it would take a far more analytical mind than my own to put them in any order other than alphabetical. So I will choose my favorite video for each, and make a couple of posts out of it.

Mikey Wax


I will start with str8 boy Mikey Wax, the cute guy from New York with the sweet and soft tone. I discovered his debut, Change Again, and was just charmed by the work of this singer/songwriter. You can find him here, get tour dates and also find a couple of free downloads. Here is the video for his single, In Case I Go Again.



Theo Tams


Next is Theo Tams, the sexy winner of Canadian Idol who put out a great debut in Giving It All Away. Theo is an out man, and does a lot of touring in Canada, although I still have hopes there will come a time I get to see him perform live myself. His first single was Lazy Lovers, and was the first song I heard and it just made me a fan of the man! His smooth voice and interesting phrasing are quite good. To get more info on Theo, check out his website here.



Syd


And there is Syd, who is not necessarily a new artist, but new to me. He hails from Vermont, but now makes his home in NYC. This str8 boy was suggested to me by a couple of my favorite artists, and it turned out to be a good thing. His EP Upswing is a great listen, and I look forward to more from him. His rock fuses elements of the 80s music of Elvis Costello with a current sound that is very 'Syd.' Catch up with Syd on his website here.

New Music - Mikey Wax - Change Again

Mikey Wax is another artist I manage to run into on my time on the internet - indeed, I bet I spend too much time here. So I check out his music, and turns out I like it very much. Mikey is an independent singer/songwriter, and released his first CD Change Again to some great reviews. The Long Island-based Wax has been touring all over the country, gaining fans with each and every stop. One reason is the great songs, like his first video release, In Case I Go Again. Sure, he might be a Str8 boy, but I do believe they need love too. Especially if they are cute!



I downloaded the CD at CD Baby, and the 13-song effort charmed me on the first listen. Change Again opened up with Slow Motion, a mid-tempo song piano-driven song with just amazing lyrics. The song is about the end of relationship and letting go, and include these lines: "In a moment she will say these words, I can hear them just before she talks, By the way we stare I know it's going to hurt, And before she can explain, We share the pain." Wow.



That is followed by In Case I Go Again, the video above. I really love that song. Hourglass (Time Will Find A Way) is an excellent up-tempo song, and Change Your Mind is just sweet as a soft ballad. Actually, I really like all the songs, and find he really has a great way with his lyrics. And those lyrics are perfect for his emotive voice.



The music of Mikey Wax is available on iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. He also has several concert videos on YouTube found here.You can find more information about Mikey on his website, found here. On his website, I found a couple of free downloads, one of which is an incredible cover of La Vie En Rose, the Edith Piaf song. I find it breathtaking, so will end with the video.