Re-Uploading "Latchkey Kid" for NPR's TINY DESK CONCERT SERIES

in ,

Hey Everyone,

So, quickly: I had to resubmit my video for the Tiny Desk Concert Series because I upload it a few days before the March 12th start date, and they said that would disqualify the video.  

At any rate, if you could give the video some love, that would be greatly appreciated.  I had 31 likes on the last upload and a lot of comments and that was really neat, but I lost all that positivity because I have re-upload the video.  Here is what NPR wrote me today.  It was very nice of them to do this, and to not just disqualify the video I submitted:

Hi there,

My name is Marissa, and I work on the Tiny Desk Contest. I wanted to get in touch about a small problem we had with your Tiny Desk Contest entry.

While your video did follow most of our Official Rules – being under 10 minutes, showing an original song, featuring a desk (thanks!) – it looks like it didn’t meet one requirement for eligibility: being uploaded to YouTube after March 12, 2019.

The reason we have this “After March 12” rule is to make sure that people are sending us videos that are made specifically for this Contest – to ensure that, we check that videos were uploaded after we announced this year’s Contest.

However, I know that we hinted at the Contest coming back for 2019 a couple times on our site, in our newsletter and on social media over the past few months – and I’d like to give you the benefit of the doubt and imagine that you filmed and uploaded your video in anticipation of the official announcement. If that’s the case, and you’d still like your video to be considered for the 2019 Contest, please consider re-uploading your video and resubmitting. Otherwise, we’ll have to consider your entry ineligible. Please note that we don’t usually allow this kind of resubmission – but this feels like a special situation.

Let me know if you have any questions or any problems with submitting.

Best, Marissa & the Tiny Desk Contest team

At any rate, that link above is for the brand new upload I just did.  I would be honored to have you show it some love if you have the inclination of the time!  It would mean a lot to me. 

Hope you all are having a great day!

Mike

Running Away From Home

in ,

I think I wrote this song in 2015 or so. It’s a story about running away from home in second grade because I wanted to be a werewolf after watching Teen Wolf starring Michael J Fox. I invited my friend Brandon Kite to join me at 4am in the morning. We made it all the way to the outskirts of Visalia before we were picked up a by a Police officer. I was trying to head to Sequoia National Park because I was under the impression there were wolves there, and if I were to drink the water from a wolves’ footprint, it would turn me into a werewolf (that was info from a Scholastic Magazine).

For the record, I tried drinking the water from a dog’s footprint, first: didn’t work. At any rate, this was my Christmas gift to my mom and dad, because I never bothered explaining this story to them, when I was brought back home by the police. Not their fault. Some kids want red fire trucks. I wanted to be a werewolf (or an astronaut... or a park ranger); what can I say? This is available to watch in my IGTV and you can find on Youtube as well. There is a link in my profile for the song with my friends Frank, Tom, and Brad playing on it. I used this song to raise a little bit of money for the Michael J Fox Parkinson’s research foundation.

Running Away From Home 
Words and Music: Mike Vitale 

watching the movie Teen Wolf put the notion in my head 
that being human's boring and I'd rather be a werewolf instead 
but knowing getting bit by one could be a difficult proposition 
I reckoned that the wilderness would improve this disposition 

so we lit out at dawn for the mountains in the distance 
my best friend Brandon along in tow no doubt from my insistence 
1985 was the year of our independence 
two empty seats in a second grade class while the teachers calling attendance 

but there's no need to worry 
I've got everything I need 
a sandwich and a blanket 
and the will to succeed 
I'm heading towards the hills 
where all the lone wolves roam 
so long momma, I'm running away from home 

in order to ensure a proper werewolf transformation 
my days before departure were spent researching Scholastic publication 
and according to my sources folklore lent it several options 
all of which I applied myself to their immediate adoption 

one of which involved drinking water from a werewolf footprint 
but since that wasn't handy I felt a dog's would be sufficient 
and when the full-moon changing never came I was left with one volition 
to pursue a pack of wolves to bring my dreams into fruition 

but there's no need to worry 
I've got everything I need 
I would have asked for your approval 
but I knew you'd never agree 
I'm heading towards the hills 
where all the lone wolves roam 
so long momma, I'm running away from home 

and getting to the foothills would be a days worth of travel 
but getting spotted by adults would make my well-laid plans unravel 
and knowing we wouldn't make it far walking streets in broad daylight
we walked the inner parts of canals to keep us out of sight 

the sun was near to setting and my plan was sitting pretty 
Brandon and I had one street left to reach the outskirts of the city 
yet one small problem remained and left Brandon and I debating 
the portal that would lead us beneath the street was covered by metal grating 

but there's no need to worry 
we've got everything we need 
we can climb this chainlink fence 
and then you and I will be home free 
we're heading towards the hills 
where all the lone wolves roam 
so long momma, I'm running away from home 

and just as we reached the top of the fence a squad car changed the setting 
the officer rolled down his window and asked where we were heading 
we pointed towards the mountains and he got a twinkle in his eye 
he said, "man, that's a long ways away boys, hop in, I'll give you a ride." 

but there's no need to worry 
I've got everything I need 
a sandwich and a blanket 
and the will to succeed 
I'm heading towards the hills 
where all the lone wolves roam 
so long momma, I'm running away from home

Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333) PREVIEW and RELEASE SHOW TOMORROW!

in ,

I’m very excited to be releasing a new live video next week on all my social media: Youtube, Facebook, and so forth. Here is a sample of it. It’s a song off of my self titled EP from 2014, called “Latchkey Kid.” We tracked this song live at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA on January 17th 2019. It features Frank Reina on drums, Tom Bremer on guitar, and Paul Jones on bass. We are going to be celebrating the release of this video tomorrow night (FEB 27th 2019) in Long Beach at The Wine Bar on Ocean Ave. if you feel like coming out to support; music starts at 7pm. There is no cover; it’s a free show. I’m honored to have my friends Alyssandra Nighswonger, Honest Horse and Taylor Crawford joining me to share their beautiful music. We would be stoked to have you there, and I would adore the opportunity to see some friends in the area if it’s in the cards. Thank you to Monika Lightstone for making this video with me. You are amazing and I am thankful to have you as a friend. Thanks to Ryan Lipman for the lovely mix.

The Incredible Shrinking Brain (Acoustic)

in

This song has been proven popular amongst strangers. Maybe you’ll like it? Are you a stranger? I don’t want your candy. No, I’m not going to hop in your car with you. This is called The Incredible Shrinking Brain:

Support and Join the Record Label:  http://bit.ly/2nigMwU
Learn More About Me Here:  http://mikevitalemusic.com
Upcoming Shows:  https://www.bandsintown.com/mikevitale/
Subscribe:  http://bit.ly/2niho5G

Connect with me online and say hi:
Twitter  http://twitter.com/mikevitalemusic
Facebook  http://facebook.com/mikevitalemusic
Instagram  http://instagram.com/mikevitalemusic

Listen to Me Here:
Soundcloud:  http://soundcloud.com/mikevitalemusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WvkxAen388KiPMSxh6joB…
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-vitale/260074369
Purchase Music:
Bandcamp:  https://mikevitalemusic.bandcamp.com
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-vitale/260074369


THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING BRAIN
words and music by Mike Vitale

I feel like a mime with a painted on sad face touching an invisible wall
And it’s a crime I can’t see this behind my shit talk fueled by jealousy and alcohol
Sure, I’m overly critical, but by now I should know better
Maybe I’m just too hard on myself and it doesn't really matter

The longer I live the less I know for sure
When I was a younger man my certainty was premature
There’s all these abstract explanations I could conjure up in vain
But I’m the man with the incredible shrinking brain

Do you feel like an actor dressed up in black face? 
We’re really just canaries in a coal mine
Carried out the shaft like a suitcase, soot trace, smeared across our face and brow
War on race, preference, sex, and creed are indelible 
and noxious as the fumes
And right before we lose our consciousness 
collective conscience looms

The longer we live the less we know for sure
When we were a younger brood our certainty was premature
There’s all these abstract explanations I could conjure up in vain
But we’re people with incredible shrinking brains

Create the fertile furrows from a farmer’s plough
Two fathoms deep shouted across the bow
"Anger and hatred are caustic to the vessel in which its stored,
Far more than to anything on which its poured."

The longer we live the less we know for sure
When we were a younger brood our certainty was premature
There’s all these abstract explanations we could conjure up in vain
But we’re people with incredible shrinking brains

No Vacancy (Live at Monika Lightstone Studios)

in

Here is the second of a series of videos made with the sole purpose of people watching them (go figure). We shall call this series, “Capture and Release.” Monika and I are big game hunters, who will never pull the trigger, except when it comes to releasing music.

This is a song I wrote called No Vacancy. If you happen to like this song, you can listen to the full band arrangement on your favorite streaming service of choice, by clicking this right heya: http://smarturl.it/tx0xoc

Support and Join the Record Label:  http://bit.ly/2nigMwU
Learn More About Me Here:  http://mikevitalemusic.com
Upcoming Shows:  https://www.bandsintown.com/mikevitale/
Subscribe:  http://bit.ly/2niho5G

Connect with me online and say hi:
Twitter  http://twitter.com/mikevitalemusic
Facebook  http://facebook.com/mikevitalemusic
Instagram  http://instagram.com/mikevitalemusic

Listen to Me Here:
Soundcloud:  http://soundcloud.com/mikevitalemusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3WvkxAen388KiPMSxh6joB…
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-vitale/260074369
Purchase Music:
Bandcamp:  https://mikevitalemusic.bandcamp.com
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-vitale/260074369

NO VACANCY

words and music by me

Dancing with a lover on a dead-end street 
Stepping on toes with my two left feet 
I fell asleep under a vacancy sign 
The no was burned out but then she changed the lights 

A foggy walk alone on a new moon night 
She disappeared altogether when I closed my eyes 
The street lights flicker on and off, on and off, on and off like her emotion 
Until I find I'm off the deep end of an abstract notion 

I forgot the melody a caged bird sings 
The door's wide open but I've got clipped wings 
The seed went sour in the dying light 
So I'll sing for my supper 'til the water runs dry 

The quick hide hid under a broken nail 
The Essex split in two over an angry whale 
There were rumors of cannibals living on the island nearby 
So the survivors took the opposite course and ate each other when the truth was in short supply 

I forgot the melody a caged bird sings 
The door's wide open but I've got clipped wings 
The seed went sour in the dying light 
So I'll sing for my supper 'til the water runs dry 

Parallel lines in the wilderness 
Train tracks broken by a small recess 
And as the casualties are listed by a talking head 
She limits the emotion behind words she read 

I forgot the melody a caged bird sings 
The door's wide open but I've got clipped wings 
The seed went sour in the dying light 
So I'll sing for my supper 'til the water runs dry 

I forgot the melody a caged bird sings 
The door's wide open but I've got clipped wings 
The seed went sour in the dying light 
So I'll sing for my supper 'til the water runs dry

My First Music Placement and Homelessness

in , ,
Mike Vitale.jpg

Hopefully, this is something that I won’t forget. It took me 39 years, but I finally had a piece of music picked for use in either a tv show, or a movie (forgive me for not knowing which it is). It’s an independent production called “House Broken.”

From what I am told, they are in the post production side of things, but I have been paid a synchronization fee for the song, so, it’s a done deal in terms of their interest in using the tune. They are pitching it to festivals and networks as soon as they complete the project.

Naturally, my hope is that anyone who works hard on their creative project, finds success with it.

It’s a project that deals with the subject of homelessness. The main character is based off of a real life person by the name of Fred Smoot. Fred was a stand up comedian in the 70’s who found success in his career and made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. This was a big deal for standup comedians in the 70’s.

Later in life, Fred developed dementia and eventually became homeless, living out of his car with his dog. He became a man of few possessions. Literally, he had a trophy, his car, and his puppy.

Fred’s circumstances are far from unusual. A friend of mine and I were watching a documentary called “Lost Angels: Skid Row is My Home” that came out in 2010, regarding Skid Row and it’s homeless population. Many of the people that call downtown LA their home, have preexisting mental conditions—Manic Depression, Schizophrenia, and dementia being several of many.

“House Broken” will be a project that addresses the homeless crisis we see here in Southern California. I see it in my own neighborhood of Eagle Rock. If you are a Los Angeles or Orange County resident, I am sure you do as well.

The song that is being used is my most recent. It’s called “The Incredible Shrinking Brain.”

Here is a private link to check it out if you feel so inclined:

The Incredible Shrinking Brain

words and music by Mike Vitale

I feel like a mime with a painted on sad face touching an invisible wall

And it’s a crime I can’t see this behind my shit talk fueled by jealousy and alcohol

Sure, I’m overly critical, but by now I should know better

Maybe I’m just too hard on myself and it doesn’t really matter

The longer I live the less I know for sure

When I was a younger man my certainty was premature

There’s all these abstract explanations I could conjure up in vain

But I’m the man with the incredible shrinking brain

Do you feel like an actor dressed up in black face

We’re really just canaries in a coal mine

Carried out the shaft like a suitcase, soot trace, smeared across our face and brow

The war on race, preference, sex, and creed are indelible

and noxious as the fumes

And right before we lose our consciousness collective conscience looms

The longer we live the less we know for sure

When we were a younger brood our certainty was premature

There’s all these explanations we could conjure up in vain

But we’re people with incredible shrinking brains

Our incredible shrinking brains

Create the fertile furrows from a farmer’s plough

“Two fathoms deep” shouted across the bow

“Anger and hatred are caustic to the vessel in which it’s stored

Far more than to anything on which its poured”

The longer we live the less we know for sure

When we were a younger brood our certainty was premature

There’s all these abstract explanations we could conjure up in vain

But we’re people with incredible shrinking brain

We’re people with incredible shrinking brains

Don't Tell Our Friends About Me

in
blake_mills_-119_web_credit_Heidi_Tappis.jpg

Today is a bit of a rarity for me—in so much as I have had the whole day to myself... and I have no gig this evening—so I thought, what the hell, I'll make one more cover video for y'all.  This one is by singer/songwriter and guitarist pyrotechnician mad scientist: Blake Mills.

He's a hell of a songwriter, and a damn fine guitarist as well.  The guy can play.  You'll see what I mean if you go down the Blake Mills Youtube rabbit hole one night while eating frozen yogurt on the sofa in your pajamas at 2am.  No one's judging you. Do your thing.

I've had a marvelous day practicing this song and trying to learn it to the best of my ability.  I did get one line in the song wrong.  I'll give myself 100 lashings for this musical sin like a sad character from a Dan Brown novel, after I eat some more frozen yogurt (in reality I haven’t had frozen yogurt in months). Sad face.

Did everyone have a good Christmas?  I hope so.

I'm going to go shop for some more flannel right now, because suddenly it got really cold here in southern California.  Please excuse my brevity.  I hope this finds everyone smiling and well, eating frozen yogurt, shopping for their own flannel, going down Youtube rabbit holes, and listening to some Blake Mills.

Ta ta,

Mike

PS

Help me share this video if you like it

PSS

This video has expletives in it, so beware.

PSSS

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel: http://youtube.com/mikevitalemusic

Between the Bars by Elliott Smith

in
elliott_smith___speed_paint_by_rodrigoelven1.jpg

I had a friend and guitar student many years ago that first introduced me to Elliott Smith. I had heard of Elliott and his music several times from different people, and this friend was the one I finally listened to, caved, and bought everything that he had released at that point.

You know come to think of it, I look back on a lot of my friend’s recommendations, and smile, because they all have remained in a special location of my own heart. He turned me on to D’Angelo too.

However it was immediately apparent listening to Elliott’s music that he was a wounded and struggling soul, who carried around so much burden—but he did what makes any artist truly special: he/she become the voice of those who can not quite eloquently articulate his/her emotions or feelings.

The man struggled with addiction, and this song, from as far as I can tell, is about being an addict, seduced by a bottle of alcohol, like a lover. Powerful words and heart in this tune. He reduced me to tears the first time I heard it back in 1998 or so, having no idea what the song was about.

As always, thank you to all of the Patreon supporters who are helping and allowing for me to make videos such as this one, along with all the material I have released this year. 2018 has been the best year yet in terms of the amount of music I released. I will try to do better for 2019.

If you are an active Youtube user, please feel to give me a like and subscribe to my channel, if you dig what you’re hearing. The support means a great deal to me.

New Single "The Needle of the Human Race" on August 30th 2018

in

My latest single "The Needle of the Human Race" will be available at all digital distribution locations on August 30th 2018.  You know the drill:  Spotify, Apple Music. iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Soundcloud, Bandcamp—all the places.

This was one of the first mixes I had completed from Patreon backers.  A special thank you to all of these people for whom of which this is all happening, because of you and your belief: Erik Gomez, Fernando Gallegos, Heather Renz, Amy Armitage, Austin, Bob Emerson, Bridget Mackiewicz, Carey Brown, Carson Fonseca, Fern Rouintree,  Brenda Matea, Ashley Thom, Jake, Janet Woodward, JayPee, John Sinambal, Joshua Jon Day, Judy and Jody Timmerman, Kelly McDonald, Lex, Matt Vitale, Megan Kaplinsky, Ron Feldman, Sarah Lim, The Luna Eclipse, Tim Grobaty, Yeggi Watts.

The song was mixed by Jon O'Brien at Music Box Studios in Fullerton, CA.  I recently had it mastered by Mark Chalecki and his amazing attention to detail that I admire a great deal.

A big thank you to all of my friends that played on this song.  Frank Reina on drums and Scott Dibble on Keys.  Most of all, thank you my friend Dave Gonzalez who played bass on this tune.  God bless him.  He passed away before having the opportunity to ever hear this song, completed—it breaks my heart to say that—it hurts even more to know that he is gone.  Then again, perhaps people such as Dave never really die, or are gone—they simply become music.  I will lean in that direction with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

A big thank you to my friend Ryan C Jones for the cover photo of this song.  If I remember correctly, he shot this photo on his phone.  You are such a gift Ryan and I am deeply appreciative of you, your talent, and your kindness. 

For anyone interested in Pre-Saving the song on Spotify, simply click the image above and it will put you in a place to do that.

Most of all, thank YOU (the person reading this) for finding interest in me and the music I'm making.  You validate my life and efforts.

New Single NO VACANCY released today!

in

Hey Everyone,

I just released a new full band single today called "No Vacancy."

Here is a link to find the song on your favorite listening platform:

http://smarturl.it/tx0xoc

It is available everywhere.  You name it.  You can listen to it there.

 

For your convenience, you can also just visit my NEW SINGLE page here on this website:

https://mikevitalemusic.com/new-single/

You can also click the album cover and it will take you to a landing page for several of the popular haunts to listen to new music (i.e. Spotify, Apple Music, etc).

Thank you to Frank Reina, Brad Cummings, Tom Bremer, Scott Dibble, Ryan Lipman, and Mark Chalecki for making art with me.

THANK YOU to everyone on Patreon for your help in releasing this new material.  I mean this with all my heart:  I can't do it without you (I tried).  This is working: what we are dong together.  I am more prolific as an artist than I have been in years because of your financial help. I have been releasing something constant and consistent every month since May 2018, because of you.

I want to take a second to thank all of these individuals especially for their continued contributions and help:  Erik Gomez, Amy Armitage, Fernando Gallegos, Heather Renz, Brandi, Bob Emerson, Joshua Jon Day, Carey Brown, and Tim Grobaty.

If you like this song, thank you.  It came from my heart.  It is my life.

 

 

New Single NO VACANCY on Tuesday July 31st 2018

in
Artwork by Joshua Jon Day and Mike Vitale

Artwork by Joshua Jon Day and Mike Vitale

I'd say I'm dropping new music—but it's more like a drip—from a broken water faucet. 

I'm releasing a new full band single called NO VACANCY on Tuesday July 31st 2018.  It will be available for streaming as well as digital purchase that day on all your favorite music streaming haunts: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, Youtube, Soundcloud, iHeartRadio, etc.  AND if you are a really amazing person who still buys music (bless your heart) you will be able to purchase it as well on iTunes, Bandcamp, Google Play, Amazon, and every other digital retail location that is known to man.

In all honesty, this is one of my favorite songs that I have written and produced with friends.  It turned out really lovely and I am so very thankful to have had such a wonderful cast of musicians who helped to flesh out the arrangement:  Frank Reina on drums, Brad Cummings on bass, Scott Dibble on rhodes piano, and Tom Bremer on electric guitar.  A song is only as good as the people you have playing on it and I am very fortunate to be surrounded by all these beasts of badassery.

The song was mixed by Ryan Lipman and mastered by Mark Chalecki.  Thank you guys for making this sound so beautiful and pristine.  I am in awe of your talent.

Artwork was done by myself and my friend Joshua Jon Day.  I took the photograph and he helped me fashion a fabulous album cover out of it.  I really find these old neon signs to be so beautiful.

I make no allusions of being a phenom when it comes to new releases.  I cross my fingers that songs will connect with people and they will share.  This song is no exception.  However, I do try to do my part to find avenues of exposure for songs such as this.  Spotify recently started a submission process for playlists on unreleased songs, and I submitted this tune for their consideration.  Keep your fingers crossed that the curators find something to like in this song and select it for many a playlist.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone on Patreon who helps me to release this new material.  I mean this with all my heart:  I can't do it without you (I tried).  This is working: what we are dong together.  I am more prolific as an artist than I have been in years because of your financial help.  I want to take a second to thank all of these individuals especially for their continued contributions and help:  Erik Gomez, Amy Armitage, Heather Renz, Brandi, Bob Emerson, Joshua Jon Day, Carey Brown, and Tim Grobaty.

My deep and sincere gratitude for letting me do what I love to do: make music and play it.

Record Store Day Performance - Youtube

in ,

Here is a live video of me performing my song TIME MACHINE in Long Beach, CA.  This was an In-Store performance on Record Store Day, April 21st 2018, at Dyzzy on Vinyl.

If you dig it, please help me share the video!  Thanks to our very own Megan from here on Patreon, for capturing the footage and sharing it!  

If you dig this, you can find more by visiting my Youtube Channel here:  http://youtube.com/mikevitalemusic

GONE now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all Digital Retails Locations

in

Today is the big day!  I have been working on releasing new music, that I produced myself, with the help of some very talented musician friends:  Frank Reina, Brad Cummings, Tom Bremer, and Anthony Castiglia.  Much of the audio was captured by either myself or Frank Reina.  The mix was done by Ryan Lipman and the mastering was handled by Mark Chalecki. Artwork is by Alper Yesiltas.

In all honesty, it has taken way too long to release this music.  On the flip side, I'm not exactly rolling in the dough, either.  Thanks to my friends on PATREON and to saving up their contributions, I was able to release this tune as well as prepare several more that I will hopefully be releasing in rapid succession (once a month) over the course of this year.  This is the first on many.

Here is a link to find several of the places where you can either purchase or stream this song:

We will be celebrating the release of this song on THURSDAY JUNE 14th at THE MINT in Los Angeles.  The show starts at 9:30PM.  My friend Marcus Von Rittberg will be performing a set at 9:30pm and I will be playing a set with Frank Reina on drums, Tom Bremer on electric guitar, and Paul Jones on bass at 10:30pm.  Tickets are available in advance for $10 here:  

June 14th 2018 - The Mint 6010 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA.  Music starts at 9:30PM.

Thank you to everyone for their kindness, love, and support.  I am deeply appreciative of the positive vibes and energy.

- Mike

HOUSE SHOW JUNE 2nd 2018 - YOU'RE INVITED!

in ,

I am playing a solo acoustic show celebrating the release of my new full length acoustic duo album entitled EMPTY CIRCLE

This is the third year in a row that I have played this particular backyard, and let me tell you: it's a good time and I would be honored to have you there.  Yes you.  You reading this. Here is the skinny:

 

 

Saturday June 2nd 2018

Jody and Judy Timmerman HOUSE SHOW EXTRAVAGANZA

305 Nieto Ave. Long Beach, CA

$10 suggested donation.  Music starts at 5pm.

All ages welcome and you will be surrounded by wonderful people there who are kind and polite and have a great sense of humor, so please do not feel as if you would not be welcome.  You will be, with open arms.  Trust me on that.

Here is a write up that the Long Beach Independent did to advertise for the show June 2nd 2018:

http://www.longbeachindependent.com/2018/05/listening-to-mike-vitale/

If you are interested in checking out the new acoustic album, it is available for purchase and streaming at these fine online locations:

Psst. I have a secret for you.

in
Cover art by Alper Yesiltas

Cover art by Alper Yesiltas

I just released a full band single for a song called GONE.  It's with the band behind me.  It's not officially being released until Tuesday June 12th 2018 , but since you are here, and you're reading this with those beautiful eyes of yours, I thought I would share it in advance with you.  It is only available in this one place and you can stream it and purchase it here, until it is officially released in the broader digital distribution market places on June 12th (iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, etc.).  Check it out now, funk soul brother.  Right about now (click the image if you want a direct link there—yeah, that's right "I'll take you there."

Long Beach Independent

in

I recently had the opportunity get some press for my new  acousitc album EMPTY CIRCLE by the Long Beach Independent.  Here is a link to checkout the article below.  Thank you kindly to Jewell for the interview!

 http://www.longbeachindependent.com/2018/05/listening-to-mike-vitale/

The Jungle - Single

in

Make no mistake.  From here on out, this year, there will be a rapid succession of music releases.  This is for the month of May.  This is something that was originally released as a The Hawkline Monster song, before I decided to make my own life difficult and go back to using the name my parents gave me (Mike Vitale—what a douche).

With that being said, this song, as of May 26th 2018, has been added to all digital streaming and digital retail services under my own name: Mike Vitale.

I am very proud of this song.

It is a song I wrote about us. It’s about people. It’s about how we behave like complete animals, yet, want to have some sort of unique distinction above them, as if we are not one ourselves. 

Given our penchant for war and destruction, as a species, I find this to be a pertinent topic that should be discussed, even if within the confines of a song. My desire is that the more we are aware of our instinctual animal behavior and our emotional base reactions, such as aggression and fear, the more we might move beyond our reptilian brain, or what Arthur Koestler referred to as the ghost in the machine. This song features my friends Frank Reina on drums, Cory Clark on electric guitar, Brad Cummings on bass, Jesse Nason on synth, and myself on vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. It was mixed by Barrett Slagle and mastered by Pete Lyman.

Here are a few digital streaming links that you can use to listen to this song:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/0GzkZ9M7ltL9M53HXofjZx?si=V0v9cr2mT32iPx7YpuCW0A

Apple Music:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-jungle-single/1390269918

AND

Here are places where the song can be purchased:

iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-vitale/260074369

Bandcamp:

https://mikevitalemusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-jungle

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Mike_Vitale_The_Jungle?id=Bata2klx4ujrvfgotft3mjryldi&hl=en

Amazon MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Mike-Vitale/dp/B07DBHW38V/ref=sr_1_5?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1527705217&sr=1-5-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=mike+vitale

It exists on everything known to man for streaming services and digital purchase sites, so just let me know what you want a link to, and I'll send it to you.

I have another single that is literally about a week away from being released.  It is a full band version of the song "Gone."

No joke people.  2018 is going to be all about me playing a lot of shows and releasing a lot of music.

What I would love for you to do is to help me spread the word about these songs.  Word of mouth is king.  Please talk about them to people so that they do not die a slow death of ones and zeros on the world wide web, in obscurity.

EMPTY CIRCLE is now available on Spotify

in

My sense of humor had been cryogenically frozen along with Walt Disney's head.  THE GOOD NEWS: It just thawed out and it's building a theme park, being crowd sourced by Spotify royalties.  Think a cross between Dollywood and Disneyland.  Help us name the theme park in the comments below.

To open directly in Spotify App:

spotify:album:7hYN1Z5NkNlEfcuPGGQ1C7

To use a browser to open the link:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7hYN1Z5NkNlEfcuPGGQ1C7

Thank you for listening!