Mike Short Jr and StateWide
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Blame It On Me" Reviewed by RadioIndy.com! POSTED BY: momof5pacs POSTED ON: 09 Nov 2009 06:39 PM Mike Short Jr’s terrific debut CD, “Blame It On Me,” is that rarest of 21st century Country and Western albums: it’s full of genuine country music. The fiddles are pure Nashville, the piano is authentic honky tonk, the guitar tones are patented Fender, and Short’s plaintive, down-home vocals recall classic singers with names like Merle, Garth and Buck. Granted, there’s enough contemporary country-rock sheen to make songs like the up-tempo “Good Guys Wear Black” and “Lady in Waiting” completely radio-ready, but such studio polish can’t hide the deep country underpinnings that make this 12-song collection solid from beginning to end. Bookended by the soulful delivery of opening track, “Who’s to Blame,” and the solemn tones of the final song - the excellent ballad, “Soon I’m Comin’ Home,” Mike Short Jr’s hook-filled “Blame It on Me” CD touches all the bases on an album for listeners who still appreciate true country singers and real country songs. -Rice B and the RadioIndy.com reviewer team - Rice B/ RadioIndy
One sample track from Mike Short Jr's new CD on a sampler album convinced me I had to hear more and I'm sure glad I did. He's found a great collaboration in the song lyrics of Erich Yesse (who penned nearly all the songs on this album - the rest written by a "W. Yesse") and his own "country-fied" vocal style.
I was surprised to see that he's based in Pennsylvania, not Tennessee. He sure has that twang in his voice.
Any one of the 12 tracks (unusual, since most country albums only have 10) would fit on a new country station. The typical subjects of "new country" are here: Love, returning from a war and dancing!. The songs all hold up to repeated listening. He's make a great opening act for Brad, George, or Tim (you know who I mean).
Anyway, this is a great first effort and I highly recommend it to country fans.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
- Amazon/ Steven Ramm
While country singer/songwriter Mike Short Jr. currently resides in Murfreesboro, Tenn. where he is a student, his roots are right here in Essex, Md. That’s why he was selected as one of the headliners at Essex Day, being held on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 6 p.m. along the 400 and 500 blocks of Eastern Boulevard. Short and the Downtime Band will kick-off the festival at noon.
Short was born in Baltimore and moved to Ox Hill, Pa. when he was in first grade. His parents, Mike Short, Sr. and Jeanne Dunkle Short, both grew up in Essex, and his grandmother Grace Dunkle still lives in the community.
When home in Pennsylvania from college, Short performs with the Downtime Band. Last year, Short and the band won the "Battle of the Bands" in Doylestown, Pa. They have also been semi-finalists in "The CREAM of Philadelphia - Rising Stars" event.“My band in Pennsylvania and I are really excited to be playing Essex Day. My family grew up in Essex, so it’s nice that I can come back here and play. It’s an awesome opportunity,” said Short.
Short, 19, is in his sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University pursuing a degree in music business. “They have the number one recording industry program in the country,” he said.
During the school year, Mike performs with other musical friends in the Recording Industry program. Together with Dustin Nicholson on lead guitar/background vocals, Brenndon Harp on drums, Lindsay Jurek on rhythm guitar/background vocals and Andrew Gentile on bass, "Mike Short Jr. and State Wide” is currently booking gigs in Tennessee and other venues along the East Coast. At the end of the month, they will perform at Sun Fest and several bars in Ocean City.
Short’s debut album “Blame it on Me” was recorded and produced in Nashville. It is currently available on iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby. He will also have CDs available for sale at Essex Day.
Influenced by the sounds of Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban, Mike Short Jr. fans can expect a traditional country sound in songs such as "Two Step" and "I Can Dance" to a country rock flair in "This Song's For Her" and "Glass Bottles."
Short has written several of the songs on the album by himself, and the others he collaborated on with a group of writers. “I write about girls, typical college guy stuff. And some of the songs talk about the influence of alcohol,” he said. Although Short doesn’t drink, performing in bars has shown him the impact alcohol can have on people.
“Music is putting my head to it and just doing it. Some people get an idea and sit down and write a song right away. But I get an idea and I think about it for days. When it hits me, I can have it done in half an hour,” said Short.
“I named the album ‘Blame it on Me,’ because my whole outlook on this is that it’s my goal or dream. If I fail, it will be my fault. This is my journey,” he said.
Up until eighth grade, Short was into sports — wrestling, karate, football and soccer. But a hip injury which led to a surgery gave him a reality check. Doctors told him if he continued to play sports he would need a hip replacement by the time he was 50. So in ninth grade, Short took up singing, and the rest is history.
When asked about his thoughts on musical reality shows on TV, Short had these thoughts: “‘American Idol’ is a great show and an awesome opportunity. But I kind of want to see how everything goes with me first. I want to play in the bars and get a lot of experience. I know I have a lot of learning to do.”
- The Avenue News
Saturday, April 24, 2010 CD Review: Mike Short Jr - Blame It On Me Mike Short Jr is an extremely well polished Country artist. His voice is as good if not better than any other Country artist out in the mainstream today! His new album Blame It On Me is a wonderful showcase of his skills. The opening song "Who's To Blame" is a wonderful mid tempo song that I can imagine women will swoon over. The CD really kicks into gear with "Lady In Waiting" where he sings about meeting a woman while out at a bar. The next few songs on the CD are great but a real good old dance song is "I Can Dance". This song would be great live with a crowded dance floor! It gets away from the love style songs and puts some great fun into the CD and it is one of my favorites! Basically this CD is a winner. It has love songs, slow songs, dance songs and fun songs as well. Along with his good looks, Mike has a complete package here! Dan Drilling did a wonderful job at mixing and mastering project. The final song is a song about a soldier wanting to come home. If you listen to the song in the right mood it may bring a tear to your eye especially if you have a loved one overseas! 9 out of 10 stars Posted by Tattoo Pictures at 10:23 AM Labels: blame it on me, country music, dan drilling, hardcoremix.com, mike short jr - Hardcoremix.com/ Amanda
His home may be Ottsville but since the release of his debut album, “Blame It On Me,” in April, the twang in Mike Short Jr.’s voice has been catching many a critic by surprise. “This guy could lead off any ‘hat act’ country show and he’s not even from Nashville,” wrote one particularly impressed reviewer. Short, who won the title of Pennridge Idol in 2007 and Doylestown Idol in 2008, has, however been attending Middle Tennessee State University, where he is studying music performance. But in January, he returns to his home turf for two shows at Puck in Doylestown. He’ll be performing with the Downtime Band, featuring guitarist Greg Scheckler, bassist Conor Wright and drummer Bridger Simons, all juniors at Palisades High School. Since Mike's CD release party at Montana West in Quakertown earlier this year, Mike Short Jr. and the Downtime Band has had a busy schedule, performing everywhere from community events such as Quakertown Alive and the Tinicum Arts Festival to notable venues like Puck and World Café Live in Philadelphia, where the group qualified for CREAM: The Best of Philly Rising, from among the dozens of artists featured at a weekly open mic. The band will brings its alt-country sound, fusing traditional country and rock, to Puck, 1 Printer’s Alley, on Jan. 3, performing an all-ages show at 5 p.m. and a 21-and-over show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for the early show, $10 for the later. Information: 215-348-9000; www.pucklive.com. - Bucks County Intelligencer/ Naila Francis
Discography
April 2009: Who's To Blame
REVIEWED BY:Blame It On Me" Reviewed by RadioIndy.com November 2009.
Mike Short Jr’s terrific debut CD, “Blame It On Me,” is that rarest of 21st century Country and Western albums: it’s full of genuine country music. The fiddles are pure Nashville, the piano is authentic honky tonk, the guitar tones are patented Fender, and Short’s plaintive, down-home vocals recall classic singers with names like Merle, Garth and Buck.
“This guy could lead off any ‘hat act’ country show and he’s not even from Nashville,” wrote one particularly impressed reviewer.
By: Naila Francis/PhillyBurbs.com
His new album Blame It On Me is a wonderful showcase of his skills. The opening song "Who's To Blame" is a wonderful mid tempo song that I can imagine women will swoon over. The CD really kicks into gear with "Lady In Waiting" where he sings about meeting a woman while out at a bar. The next few songs on the CD are great but a real good old dance song is "I Can Dance". This song would be great live with a crowded dance floor! It gets away from the love style songs and puts some great fun into the CD and it is one of my favorites! Basically this CD is a winner. It has love songs, slow songs, dance songs and fun songs as well. Along with his good looks, Mike has a complete package here!
Amanda - HardCoreMix.Com
Hardcoremix.com internet radio has ranked three of Mike's songs in the top 5 with two songs taking the top spot.
Newartradio.com internet radio has requested the entire CD "Who's To Blame" for air play.
Music Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WelaQsN_udU
Song, Who's To Blame
Photos
Bio
My name is Mike Short Jr. I was raised in the small town of Ottsville, Pennsylvania. However, my most influential and memorable experiences lay in the quaint town on Hoopers Island, Maryland. It was on this island, where I began writing poetry of Bald Eagles in flight-the place where I remember the smell of sweet salty air. Being in that place is where I truly begun to value the importance of family, heritage and pride. Growing up, I chose to spend most of my time with family. I was different than most of my peers, and I felt it at a young age. I never needed to prove who I was or pretend to be who I wasn’t. I began singing at age 11 in karaoke clubs throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. Poetry quickly turned into song lyrics. As a sophomore at Pennridge High School, I was the underdog who claimed first prize in the singing competition. Before graduation, I made a demo cd to send out with my college applications. It’s the old story of this person- who gave a copy to this person, who handed it off to another person, which led me down the road to Nashville. In April of 2009, my first album “Blame It On Me” was complete. This CD is a mixture of traditional and alternative country. I made my debut as a songwriter on the tunes “Glass Bottles” and “This Songs For Her”. I can’t say that I write completely from experience, but mostly from inspiration. I’ve been told my voice sounds older than my years. In the fall of 2009, I began my freshman year at Middle Tennessee State University, and set about forming my current backing band, StateWide. By that Spring I began performing at local venues in Murfreesboro, Cookeville, Russellville, Knoxville and recently began breaking into the Nashville market. I’ve played Pennsylvania markets of Huntingdon, Philadelphia, Doylestown and Bethlehem, down through Maryland in Cecil, Baltimore, Snow Hill, Berlin and Ocean City as well as a rodeo in Connecticut. I don’t know where my future may take me. However, I have chosen a path to follow. My dreams are to continue writing songs that not only make you want to sing along, but that connect to a crowd emotionally, leaving a lasting impact. I hope to perform on even bigger stages in front of larger audiences. My goal is to succeed in what I love to do, not forgetting where I came from, but using it as the foundation that has made me the musician I am today.
The Band StateWide consists of members Dustin Nicholson of Murfreesboro, TN on lead guitar/background vocals, Brenndon Harp of Louisville, KY on drums, Lindsay Jurek from Chicago, ILL on rhythm guitar/background vocals and Andrew Gentile of West Palm Beach, FL on bass,"Mike Short Jr and "State Wide" is currently booking gigs from Tennessee to the East Coast. This group of seasoned performers are quickly raising eyebrows with their country sound.
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