Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
The Noise
May 2004, Issue 241
“Track One is a cacophony of bad synthesizer sounds, and it is a perfect introduction for the hook laden and catchy “Emily Stein,” where the intentional underproduction adds a spontaneous and playful kick. The songs that benefit greatly from the lo fi approach are generally the faster ones, such as the rocking “The G2,” “Easy Tiger,” and “Bad Fer Yer Health.” The latter is a perfect fifities-esque ditty homage. “perfectsong” has a great use of a super muffled and overloaded mic on top of the quiet verses creating a rather strange vibe in the song. The last track “I Guess My Best Wasn’t Good Enough” features a very Beatle-esque background keyboard part which makes it a memorable closing song to teriffic album.”
- The Noise
"...His show rocked! This is not normally what people envision when they hear the phrase singer/songwriter. Michael's energy and movement was far and away, more intense than any other singer in the genre."
- Wlifred Laurier University Post
“This is a very ambition project indeed…It’s very nice to see that there still are people who’re bold enough to go against the flow of mainstream music, and if you think that lo-fi indie with keyboards behind the wheels rather than guitars is the way to go, then “Lo Fi Holiday” is probably your newest best friend.”
- Past and Present Webzine
“…A fantastic unique and wonderful album! Lo Fi Holiday is delightfully different and a welcome change from the mainstream music. “Emily Stein” is a bizarre song, but in a good way and contains more hooks than anything your average modern rock band can write…Every song on the album sounds different and the juxtaposition of hard (the hard rocking “The G2”) to soft (the somber “Introvert”) is a great effect.”
- LSE Student Press
“This album is by far one of the most creative, original pieces of music I’ve heard in the last few years. If’s Michael’s goal was to create a pop record unlike nothing else, he has succeeded. “The G2” is a catchy moody masterpiece…”Easy Tiger” is a keyboard driven ball of energy…The arrangements though lo fi are stellar…he and multi-instrumentalist Matt D’Aprile have created quite an album.”
- Soundwaves Magazine
"...it's amazing that one man is capable of creating such a diverse and unique album with just drums and an acoustic guitar." - Cara Wood
"...This is what emo should sound like! It had heart, soul, but didn't sound whiney or forced. In other words, it's a refreshing change of pace from the normal indie rock cliche." - Dave Jefferies
"Michael is a smart, creative, and talented performer who will go far...his songs are remiscent of the Kinks and Bruce Springsteen and all have their own sound...." - Scott Fine
Discography
Lo Fi Holiday (2004) so far yielded the dsingles "Emily Stein" and "Laugh (It's a Joke)"
radio summary:
GRUV Radio, Luver Radio, Radio Aid, Live365, Pulse Radio, Artist First, Garage Radio, soundclick, vitaminic, music75, MP3 UK, WERS, AB Free Radio Boston, college radio all around the world
COMPILATION INCLUSIONS
“Laugh (It’s a Joke)” – included on buyindiemusic 2004 compilation
“Laugh (It’s a Joke) – included on Kid Antrim Soft Rock Compilation (2004)
“I Guess My Best Wasn’t Enough” – including on music75 2004 compilation
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
It was a simple goal; to make an album in which the songs are based around keyboard riffs and complete electronic arrangements, but in a live setting need only an acoustic guitar. The result of this experiment was lo fi holiday, the new album by Boston based artist Michael Hirsch.
On this ambitious and compelling disc are eleven genre bending songs each with complex melodies and overlays. Together with collaborator and friend Matt D’Aprile, the duo created an exciting original project that sounds like nothing else out today. lo fi holiday is a wonderfully emotional and musical journey which has received critical praise all around the world, including the UK where Michael recently performed a headlining tour.
Recorded on very basic gear, Michael and Matt set out to record songs that have a variety of sounds and styles. The result is everything from new wave (the hook laden lead off single “Emily Stein”) to Beatle-esque keyboard electronica (“I Guess My Best Wasn’t Good Enough”).
“Every song sounds different from the other one.” Hirsch says. “You have a song like “The G2” which is a keyboard dominated/R&B groove in the verses and then becomes a hard rock track. The next song on the disc is a guitar/piano track. We wanted the album to be schitzo like that.”
“Lo-Fi Holiday is many things, but for me, it’s about the fun of making music,” says D’Aprile. “While recording, we wanted to keep things loose and maintain a high level of excitement. In fact, we kept many of the errors and quirky parts in the final mixes because they just added a lot of fun to the music. And the listener can certainly tell that, and it’s infectious.”
In addition, Michael Hirsch has been touring extensively nationally and internationally winning over audiences with his unique approach to being a solo artist.
“People aren’t used to Michael’s brand of irreverent humor onstage especially combined with the intensity and passion of his songs.” Vision Music’s Nick Stamoulis adds. “It’s really very refreshing to see someone so entertaining and bringing the fun back to the S/S genre!”
lo fi holiday is unlike anything released today and given the critical praise and the growing buzz surrounding this young performer, Michael Hirsch is truly a singer/songwriter to watch.
“everything on the radio sounds exactly the same! it is basically just pure bred major label crap and indie label crap that TRIES to sound like major label crap.” Michael says. “I wanted my album to bring something new to the table.”
“we want people to listen to this album and realize that every song sounds different from the other one. You have a song like “the G2” which has a keyboard dominated R&B groove in verses and then becomes a hard rock thing in the chorus, segueing completely unexpectedly. The next track is a guitar/piano track. We want this album to be scitzo like that.” Matt adds.
Michael started his career as a punk rocker in several prominent New York Area punk bands in his high school years (Optimistic Red, And47) before forming Pym, a acoustic duo jam band that had several regional hits in New York and gained regional attention, playing the CMJ showcases in New York and the Adelphia Festival in Philadelphia in the late 90’s.
However, for the last several years, Michael has relocated to the Boston area to go to college and develop his sound as a soloist. Tired of seeing the same type of performer in the coffee houses and bars, he reached out to find his own sound. The result was last year’s Chemical, a well reviewed album that spawned the single “Queen Vanessa” which received significant college airplay in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Ontario.
Though comparable in attitude to Chemical, lo fi holiday is far more complex album, both emotionally and musically.
“This is an accessible album that people can enjoy but doesn’t sound generic. this is the album for anyone who is sick of hearing some guy with an acoustic singing clichéd songs that Bob Dylan already wrote thirty years ago. I want lo fi holiday to be something for today’s audiences that will stand out.”
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