Thursday, May 17, 2018

Mike Spine shares 2 new tracks, "like The Kinks' Ray Davies meets Ted Leo"

"Gorgeously arranged folk-rock...Likely to get stuck in your head after the first spin." -- TrebleZine

"Spine balances punk energy, his own political frustrations and bursts of guitar shredding with catchy harmonies, making for a sound that brings to mind the likes of Joe Strummer and Ted Leo but with a slightly gritty edge." -- Glide Magazine


Seattle/Europe based troubadour Mike Spine shares new tracks from his forthcoming double album anthology today. GhettoBlaster Magazine hosts the singsong ballad "Kiss and Remember" HERE (Soundcloud), while Glide Magazine shares the rocking anthem "Meteorite" HERE (Soundcloud.)


TrebleZine recently unveiled "Crumble" HERE(Soundcloud.) And, UK outlet XSnoize previously shared lead single "Delirious" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud.)

Mike Spine is a critically acclaimed Seattle born and Seattle/Europe based musician known for his captivating live performances, intelligent songwriting and support of humanitarian issues. He has played hundreds of shows in five continents since 1995 and has received press and radio airplay throughout the US, Europe, UK and Asia.

Forage & Glean, Volumes I & II, is the 10th full-length studio album for Mike Spine. It is a 32 track double album, an anthology containing the best of Mike's songwriting and recordings from the last two decades.

Volume I is a collection of Spine's best work of folk rock and rock songs, including the memorable and more relevant than ever "Crumble", personal political songs such as "Meteorite", and the labor themed "Sand in Your Teeth".  There's also a hauntingly beautiful version of "The French Girl" and the stripped down "Black Diamond", the lyrically dense and moving tale of families immigrating to work in the coalmines outside Seattle in the early 1900's.

Volume II contains Spine's more explosive rock and punk material. It opens with the dynamic anti-war song "Kiss and Remember" and then launches into fiery, complex and catchy rockers, which touch on the themes of global warming with "Second Hand", empire "Transylvania" and the anti-corruption song, "Power Broker", before transitioning into the hook filled songs like "Iron Lake" hybrid country punk song "Another Day" and the rocker version of "Meteorite".

For twenty years, Mike Spine bounced between the worlds of folk rock, underground rock and punk, while simultaneously working as an inner city language arts and social studies teacher in Seattle, Portland, New York and London.

Since retiring from public school teaching in 2011, Mike has spent his time focused on music, having performed hundreds of concerts and benefit shows in multiple continents, ranging from Italy to Vietnam, Cambodia and Costa Rica. The last few years he has split his time between the US and Europe, touring extensively throughout the EU and often living out of a motorhome for months at a time.

Credits:
The songs on Forage & Glean were predominantly recorded and mixed at Haywire Recording in Portland, Oregon with longtime engineer Rob Bartleson (Wilco, Pink Martini, Pond, etc.). The album was mastered by Ed Brooks (Pearl Jam, REM, Heart, Fleet Foxes, etc.) at RFI/Resonant in Seattle, Washington. 

The recordings were made with a highly talented pool of band mates from the United States, Europe and South America over the last decade. 

Core musicians on Volume I include Joey Prude and Chris Croft on Drums, Martin Flores on guitars, Katie Toft and Ali Ippolito on piano, accordion and backing vocals, Amelia Claire on backing vocals, Robert Bartleson on electric bass, Brian Casey on upright bass, Barbara Luna on violin and Mike Spine on guitars, vocals, songwriting, arrangements, etc.

Core musicians on Volume II include: Jeff Gall and Chris Croft on drums, Martin Flores on guitars, Richie Parish on guitar and bass, Jack Peters on bass, Amelia Claire on backing vocals and Mike Spine on guitars, vocals, etc.

Forage & Glean, Volumes I & II will be available on CD and download on June 1st, 2018. Pre-orders are available HERE.

MIKE SPINE LIVE:
05/23 Milan, IT @ Al Baggese
06/02 Lake Como, IT @ Mountain Lake Music Festival
06/03 Lake Como, IT @ Mountain Lake Music Festival



Artist: Mike Spine
Album: Forage & Glean, Volumes I & II
Label: Global Seepej Records
Release Date: June 1st, 2018

01. Delirious
02. Meteorite
03. Sand In Your Teeth
04. The French Girl
05. Crumble
06. Sinaloa
07. La Frontera
08. Primrose Hill
09. Nora
10. Mouth of Hell
11. Razors
12. The Beautiful Sunset
13. Cutter
14. Black Diamond
15. The Accordion
16. Spanish Anarchy

Volume II

01. Kiss and Remember
02. Second Hand
03. Transylvania
04. Power Broker
05. Iron Lake
06. Another Day
07. Meteorite (Rock Version)
08. Lick and Squeal
09. Miklukho-Maklay
10. La Frontera (Rock Version)
11. Mott Haven
12. First Day of Spring
13. Mouth of Hell (Rock Version)
14. The Ointment
15. Joys of Oil
16. Battle in Seattle

On The Web:
mikespine.bandcamp.com

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