Michael Mazochi
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Michael Mazochi

Band Folk Singer/Songwriter

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"In Studio : Michael Mazochi"

3/30/06 THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE


In Studio: Michael Mazochi


By: Branden Bussolini


Windblown, haggard and desolate; somber, sober and melancholic.

The above terms apply with little hesitation to the carefully wrought songs of country/folk singer Michael Mazochi, who will perform on this week's installment of Live in Studio A on KDVS 90.3 FM.

They beg a question, however: To what extent do they apply to the life of a man who seems more like the type to work at a health-food store than someone who's been in and out of institutions - someone more Jackson Browne than Merle Haggard?

There seems to be an in-progress revolution in indie music, with artists as dissimilar as Jenny Lewis and Devendra Banhart attracting audiences and inciting small-scale blogger wars by tapping into both popular and traditional music.

This is not, of course, to say that pop music has no tradition. And the tradition these musicians draw on is one established by artists who brought country and folk to the pop styles of the time; from Linda Ronstadt to T-Rex, they exert influence on postmodern country/folk.

This roving musician, along with the other artists of his Roving Gambler Records label, traces a stylistic and physical journey through the lonesome underbelly of non-major American cities.

Mazochi the songwriter got his start in an upstate New York college town, where he composed and recorded his debut, A Day Without the Rose. Inspired by his recent relocation to San Diego with friend and fellow songwriter Mike Miller, Mazochi's soon-to-be-released album California Bound displays rambling narratives that unsurprisingly don't linger too long in any one place.

Thicker in emotion and with a more pronounced sense of place, these songs make the above-stated questions of authenticity even more complex; but in the same way that David Bowie both "really was" and "really wasn't" an alien, perhaps we can see Mazochi the musical persona as an introspective projection, a way of resolving these tensions by, quite simply, creating.

The performance will begin at 11 p.m. and will be archived for one week after the airing at kdvs.org.


www.californiaaggie.com


- The California Aggie


"CD Review : A Day Without the Rose"

04/06 WWW.COFFEEHOUSETOUR.COM


Michael Mazochi A Day Without The Rose -

Although highly reminiscent of historical icons like Townes Van Zandt, Springsteen and Dylan this project maintains enough individuality to see Michael through being a credible Indie-folk Hero of the decade. Each track was truly enjoyable and held its own with a different sound and was right on the money with all the earthy energy and clever lyrical content so appreciated in folk music. Earthy, raw and real, Michael is a storyteller of prolific likeability. I dig the tales and the sound and after all the hell these songs went through to get thereIm damn glad we have resilient musical spirits like him among us to listen to. This project holds a special place in my heart, because in his own wordsMichael says ..it shows that artists can make music without multi-million dollar corporations and people in black suits who dont really care about the music but ratherthe quick fix dollar GO MICHAEL!

CHT Pick: A Day Without The Rose


Reviewed By: Annette Warner
- www.coffeehousetour.com


"From Chris Lewis (Shut Eye Records)"

"A multi-instrumentalist with an all-star cast of influences to fuel the fire, Michael Mazochi writes impressive songs enriched with elements of folk, country, blues, and rock n' roll."

-Chris Lewis (Shut Eye Records) - Shut Eye Records


"From Mark Broderick (Ithaca Ticket)"

"In an age of music where fashion takes the place of function, and the musician's hair is often more important than the quality of their words, singer Michael Mazochi stands apart. His songs may be regarded more as poems or stories, and his music is comfortable, yet refreshing. And his lyrical strength and poignant storytelling make him a must-see for all ages"

"It's easy for the audience to become lost within the intricate weave of his words."

-Mark Broderick (Ithaca Ticket) - Ithaca Journal


"Brandon Canfield (CD Baby review)"

"Michael Mazochi's music gives life to a dying music industry. The music is original and every song is a credit to his talent. Unlike so many albums today there is not one uninspired song. Each song will captivate the listener no matter how many times they hear them." 5 Stars

-Brandon Canfield (CD Baby Review) - customer review


"The Blue Frog Coffeehouse"

"We try to stay current and people respect that. Mike is a great artist. People are always asking about him and hes been able to develop a local fan base."

-Karina Murphy (owner of Blue Frog Coffeehouse) - SUNY Cortland Dragon Chronicle


""Self-Titled" album review"

"Michael Mazochi approaches folk music with a racing pulse. The self-titled disc by the singer songwriter-guitarist from Cortland throws open the windows to a musical world that's poetic in verse and positively charged with enthusiam..."

"The same kind of honesty that keeps the best songs of legends such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen alive."

-Mark Bialczek (Syracuse Star) - Syracuse Star


"Ryan (CD Baby review) of "A Day Without the Rose""

"This album is incredible, and it is a must if you enjoy REAL music. Michael seems like he really puts his heart into his music. The lyrics, the sounds, the instruments, all are great. A Day Without The Rose is so unique, and it is all performed by him. This album shows that great music can be made without big name record labels, and is a must if you enjoy and appreciate what real music is all about!"

-Ryan (CD Baby customer) - Customer review


"Unsettling Songs"

Michael Mazochi not just another guy in a coffee shop

by Seth Combs

Michael Mazochi's got a smile that melts hearts. He's got a solid handshake. Factor in his affability and you start to wonder whether he missed his true calling as a car salesman.

Then he hits the stage and it's all business: Mazochi, an acoustic guitar and a palpable fire.

"There's a lot of people out there who just wanna hear, 'This is a quick song, it's a poppy melody, and here's what it's about,' and I've never really been all that into it," he explains. "I also tend to scream a bit more."

He's got a voice that evokes both Gram Parsons and Springsteen's Nebraska, singing melancholic dirges and third-person narratives about the run-of-the-mill and the down-on-their-luck. It's the type of music that would have been revered during the Great Depression, or gotten him labeled a "Red" in the '50s. He's also not quite as sweet and accommodating when he's performing.

In a scene inundated with frat boys imitating Scott Stapp and meandering surfer-stoner jam sessions, the 23-year-old Mazochi sounds like Tom Joad personified. Anyone can tell a story, but to make it resonate in a song is difficult.

"It's more than the story itself," he explains. "It's selling the story, meaning it, playing that role even if it has nothing to do with you. No matter what you do, you bleed a little bit of yourself into it."

Mazochi first started writing songs while attending college in upstate New York. Feeling stifled by the college experience of parties and football games, he self-recorded and produced his debut, A Day Without the Rose. After his friend and sometimes bandmate Mike Miller moved to San Diego, he decided to follow. Traveling west by van and stopping along the way inspired the nomadic nature of his second album, California Bound.

"I didn't even know towns like that existed anymore," he says of the places where he stopped along the way. "One-road towns, a general store, and a train track at the end."

Now that he's here, Mazochi hopes only that his songs are good enough for people to think that he's "not just another guy in a coffee shop." The beaches and persistent sunshine have a way of corrupting the troubadour heart, but San Diego feels ripe for his brand of heart-worn stories.

"I'm settled in being unsettled," he says. "That's kind of the way it's gonna have to be."
- San Diego City Beat Magazine


Discography

Albums -

- "California Bound" (to be released early 2006)
- "A Day Without the Rose (2005)
- " Self-Titled LP" (2004)
- "Violet" 2003

Singles -

- "The Ballad of Cold Tom" (2005 featured on NPR's "All Songs Considered" as well as recieving extensive airplay in northeastern US radio.)

- "A Day Without the Rose" (2005 Recieved extensive airplay in northeastern US radio.)

- "Remembrance" (2004 Featured on Shut Eye Records compilation "Buzzligher 8" alongside Kaki King, and The Firey Furnaces)

- Other Work

Produced and Played on
- "Flowers and Wounds" Sandra Lauren Scholz
- "Wind in the Windows" Ian Thomas
- "Yet untitled debut" Mike Miller

Albums are available at
-CDBaby.com
-Tower.com
-ITunes

Tons of other mp3 sites

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

MICHAEL MAZOCHI: Every once in a while a singer comes along who doesnt seem to sing so much as moan or sermonize---words become only the extensions of an outward looking paranoia---and where the stranger came from is irrelevant---the fact is that today is now and it wont be back again---you certainly wont receive a post card from where it goes to---Sure, its possible to say that Michael Mazochi takes and uses certain elements from the songwriters past---Sure hes like Dylan (He blows a harmonica) --- Sure you can hear Hank (He sings about trains) --- Sure you can see Woody (Theres dust on his boots) --- The Boss? (Yes, you might even find holes in his slacks) --- but is he in anyway unoriginal or uninspired?---Well no---He doesnt claim to break down doors or revolutionize the industry---but, he certainly is honest---and in todays world, honesty is a virtue that can be easily forgotten---Being new can also lead to being set in time---and set in time is one thing Michael Mazochi is not.