"Straw Man" | Mike Vitale (Original)

January 25, 2020 by Mike Vitale in New Music

STRAW MAN | words and music by Mike Vitale

This here scarecrow became your straw man
You dress me up and put me working in the fields
Old crow hangin’ ‘round straw man
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield

I was just a hollow set of clothes
Laying useless across the floor
Someone else had worked hard in me for years
Now I lay there dirty from a day of chores

This here scarecrow became your straw man
You dress me up and put me working in the fields
Old crow hangin’ ‘round straw man
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield

There was a time I felt brand new
Worn proudly on body lay
Now these worn and torn threads seem like old shoe
Good for nothing but to scare the birds away

This here scarecrow became your straw man
You dress me up and put me working in the fields
Old crow hangin’ ‘round straw man
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield

Ain’t got a word in edgewise to say
Farmer’s got me tied and beat
Onlookers see me hanging right there whispering gossip ‘bout me from the street
They say, don’t got a leg to stand on
Ain’t got no foot in the door
That boys quite the strange phenomenon for all the crows to ignore

This here scarecrow became your straw man
You dress me up and put me working in the fields
Old crow hangin’ ‘round straw man
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield

This here scarecrow became your straw man
You dress me up and put me working in the fields
Old crow hangin’ ‘round straw man
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield
Eating them seeds before they ever bare yield

Thank you to everyone on Patreon for helping me to release art into the world—whether it be humble videos such as this from my living room, more professional efforts of releasing video, full length albums, or any other number of ways this original music is being propagated. A special thanks to Heather Renz, Fernando Gallegos, and Amy Armitage.

The Incredible Shrinking Brain (Acoustic)

February 13, 2019 by Mike Vitale in New Music

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:

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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

Fool For You (Live at Hotel Cafe)

February 13, 2019 by Mike Vitale in Live Show

Here is me performing a song I wrote live at Hotel Cafe in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA. My friend Monika Lightstone found this on her hard drive the other day, and shared—I thought I would follow suit.

Connect with me online and say hi:
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FOOL FOR YOU

words and music by Mike Vitale

the touch of your skin against mine
was flawless and supine
as I read your story in braille

my resolve was as frail
as that tall tale that lingered from my tongue
now I'm all twisted up
like a towel that's been wrung

maybe it's the conversation we had in bed
maybe i just want to see your eyes roll back in your head
maybe you're a drag from a stranger's cigarette
but once i've got you on my lips
you're hard to forget

and now that you've got me where you want
you're moving from hot to cool
and now that you've got me where you want
woman, i'm a fool for you

feeling your chest heave
as you're lying there asleep
now I'm bating every breath
so that the moment isn't cheap

are you resolved to entail
a large sail to guide me away
on some nautical course
that perhaps I'd rather stay

maybe you're just playing hard to get
or perhaps you just want me to forget
maybe I'm a marionette on strings
trying to measure your depth beyond anatomy

and now that you've got me where you want
you're moving from hot to cool
and now that you've got me where you want
woman, i'm a fool for you

and now that you've got me where you want
you're moving from hot to cool
and now that you've got me where you want
woman, i'm a fool for you

My First Music Placement and Homelessness

January 19, 2019 by Mike Vitale in Life, New Music, Photos

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

Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)

January 19, 2019 by Mike Vitale in Life, Photos, New Music, Live Show

The reason I started a Patreon page, no joke, was to start doing more things like this. Live videos and live recordings.

Naturally, it's a budget thing.

This video, recorded live on Thursday January 17th 2019, is going to look and sound amazing. Why is that important to me? Because I am trying to land some festival gigs. Playing festivals is a great way to make some new fans, and I can get the band booked if I have videos that look and sound great, like this one:

So, that's what I'm doing. I'm planning on trying to make several more videos like this one. "Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)" is the second of many, hopefully. I need a few up beat songs as well as a mid tempo tune like "Fool For You" to pitch us as a well-rounded act to these festivals.

Paul Jones, Tom Bremer, and Frank Reina at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA. (pictured from left to right)

I was speaking with one of my friend's who is nearly the same age as me. She is suddenly gaining a great deal of success as a songwriter. She mentioned that the reason this is, outside of the music being good, is to have a team of people around her, that are good at what they do.

This is what I am trying to build on right now. YOU are part of that team also, if you want to be: https://www.patreon.com/mikevitalemusic

Mike Vitale performing Latchkey Kid at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA.

Monika Lightstone is part of this team. She is the one shooting this video footage and all of this amazing photography.

Frank Reina, Tom Bremer, and Paul Jones are a part of this team. Studio 333 is a part of this team.

Frank Reina, Tom Bremer, Paul Jones, and Mike Vitale at Studio 333 in Cerritos, CA.

We make really beautiful things when we all work together. I'm hoping that this enthusiasm that I am feeling, is contagious. I hope that you feel it. It's momentum.

This momentum needs to grow in order for my music to reach ears, so I am working as diligently as I possibly can, to create a team, to nurture the project, and to watch this grow.

I am so very thankful to have you be a part of this team and for you to grow with all of us, should this be something you are interested in: To grow older, to grow better, to grow smarter, to grow emotionally.

You have my deep and sincere gratitude.

"Latchkey Kid (Live at Studio 333)" is being edited and is on the docket to be mixed here shortly.

I will have more to share with you soon.

- Mike

Push the button

January 03, 2019 by Mike Vitale in Life, Photos

About two weeks ago, or so, my friend Monika Lightstone did a photography shoot with me in my neighborhood of Eagle Rock, in Los Angeles.

This is one of my favorite shots from that photoshoot.

It's about 4 blocks from where I live. It's one of those huge intersections where they have blinking crosswalk units to help people not get hit by cars in the dead of night. Monica was really digging the way the blinking crosswalk activity light (not pictured in this shot) looked above my head when I would push the crosswalk button (pictured in this shot). So, she kept having me push the button—repeatedly—non-stop.

Traffic would stop.

Traffic wouldn't see anyone crossing the street. They would just see some ass hat stooped in front of the botton (pictured above). They honked their horns.

I would push the button again, because Monika instructed me to do so.

More cars stop. More cars honk their horns—a few even lay into his/her horn like a New York City resident resolutely trying to get a point across: "HEY DICKHEAD, STOP PUSHING THE FUCKIN' BUTTON."

Monica asks me to push the button again.

I politely suggest that I don't push the button again, because it seems to be agitating the traffic around me. She tells me that she's trying to get a cool shot, and begs me to push the button one more time.

I push the button.

Maybe I really will do anything in the name of art (I really love this shot).

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

August 16, 2018 by Mike Vitale in New Music

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.

Mike Vitale LIVE at The Mint on June 14th 2018

The Mint

August 16, 2018 by Mike Vitale in Live Show

Yes, I know. I'm a bit slow on the whole "here are a bunch of photos of me playing music with my friends at The Mint in Los Angeles."

Yet, here are a bunch of pictures of me playing music with my friends at The Mint in Los Angeles. It's only been a month—okay, two months. I've been busy. I'm a busy guy.

A big thank you to Abbyshoot for all the great shots. Deeply appreciative.