by Mike Errico | May 22, 2017 | audio, Minor Fits
“Here’s to the End of the World” A pop-rock drinking song for the apocalypse from Mike Errico’s forthcoming album, Minor Fits Best option: Hear it/download it (and everything else!) when you pre-order at Pledge Music Second best option: Download it at Bandcamp Third best option (provided you also click FOLLOW on my profile): stream it at Spotify, Apple Music, or SoundCloud Popdose Premiere/Interview: “Here’s to the End of the World” Popdose Premiere: Mike Errico, “Here’s to the End of the World” “It captures all that I appreciate in Errico’s music. The entrancing and oft solemn quality of his earlier work mixed with the electric guitar fueled passion of his later output…coupled with clever wordplay that can be both incisive and biting.” – Twangville “His lyrics are dripping with truth and passion. The song goes down smooth. If you’re a fan of that electric guitar Americana style, you’ll like this one.” – Ear to the Ground “A supremely gifted performing songwriter” – Performing Songwriter “’Here’s to the End of the World’ is a barroom-style pop-rock drinking song toasting the apocalypse,” explains Errico. “I thought we might need one. It owes debts to The Pogues, Beatles, and my own ample time spent drinking and singing at bars.” Although the song may feel like a response to the present political climate, it was written well over a decade ago. “I never released it, but it stayed with me for years, as if it were waiting for the properly apocalyptic moment. I thought it might be weird to go back to retrieve a song, but I was inspired by Radiohead, who put out the...
by Mike Errico | May 16, 2017 | audio, Minor Fits
“The Arecibo” The second single from Mike Errico’s forthcoming album, Minor Fits This record is being funded by a Pledge Music campaign. Join in and get exclusives, videos, the music (of course) and much more that you can’t get anywhere else: JOIN THE PLEDGE! BUY “THE ARECIBO”: BANDCAMP (RECOMMENDED) | ITUNES STREAM IT (AND PLEASE CLICK ‘FOLLOW’ ON MY PROFILE!): SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC “[The] electric guitar fueled passion of his later output…coupled with clever wordplay that can be both incisive and biting.” – Twangville “A supremely gifted performing songwriter” – Performing Songwriter First single, “My Sinking Ship” featured on Spotify as part of New Music Friday —– This is a fun one, and I’m so psyched to share it with you. Here’s the official story: “The Arecibo” is forward-looking rock and roll reminiscent of Eagles of Death Metal or Jack White. Propelled by honking bari sax, it is retro without being throwback, and is one shade of the varied exploration of Americana pop-rock storytelling from Errico’s eighth release, Minor Fits. The song is inspired by two themes that combine to create one of the more unlikely double entendres in pop music. “Years ago, I fell in love with the 90s sci-fi film Contact, and I have a series of songs that were inspired by it. There’s a Spotify playlist of them, actually. Arecibo is a city in Puerto Rico, and the site of the Arecibo Observatory—the world’s largest radio telescope, and the spot where Ellie Arroway (played by Jodie Foster) scans the sky looking for extraterrestrials. I won’t get into the film too much, but they assemble a craft—that looks...
by Mike Errico | Apr 27, 2017 | audio
“The song finds him at his brooding best, with ominous musical clouds juxtaposed with the delicate richness of his voice… [it captures] the entrancing and oft solemn quality of his early work mixed with the electric guitar fueled passion of his later output, all coupled with clever wordplay that can be both incisive and biting.” – Twangville “My Sinking Ship” From the forthcoming album, Minor Fits is now live on all download and streaming platforms: SPOTIFY APPLE MUSIC BANDCAMP AMAZON …and all the ones I either missed or don’t even know… Better yet: you can download the song, get the full story behind it, including pictures, phone memos, demos, and so much more, when you join the Minor Fits Pledge Music Campaign. “My Sinking Ship” Single Release Party Thursday, April 27th Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 196 Allen St., NYC Doors 6:30 PM / Show 7:00 PM GET TICKETS HERE Please do me a solid and share this news with friends. There is no greater endorsement than hearing from a friend about a great new song. I can’t do that. You can. All I can do is make the best possible work I can. And I hope we’ve done that. “My Sinking Ship” was a long journey, and the result is everything I could have hoped for. I hope you enjoy it. (and share it on social media!)...
by Mike Errico | Apr 9, 2017 | audio, Press, So Good, Video
Long story short: Initially, I had planned on recording a five-song, tight, straightforward EP that I would be proud to give to you. However, as soon as we started recording, I knew something special was going on, and that an EP was not going to cut it. That’s not bragging, it’s just that when you do something long enough, you kinda get a feel for when it’s the real thing, and in this case it was obvious. It also meant that an EP was not going to cut it. So I crashed through the DEAD END sign and kept on driving. I now have a full-length record that is edgy, Americana-leaning, story-based, and deeply connected to all my work that came before it. Minor Fits is being fueled by a Pledge campaign, and I’m asking you to help me see it through to completion. In addition to the finished product, I’m psyched to offer a bunch of things I’ve been itching to give you, including many other studio and live recordings, podcasts, interviews with the people who worked on the record, a quarterly subscription to the all-new and still infamous Tallboy magazine, and more. You’ll be a part of the first-ever non-holiday expansion of the Holiday Omens, which is explained below. And hey, if you don’t see something that you want, just ask me. Let’s make this work. For decades, you have been there for me and I have tried to express my gratitude by making the best possible work I can. I hope you’ll join me now, and continue to play along. So that’s it. Let’s do this. Related show...
by Mike Errico | Sep 14, 2016 | audio
Hey, folks: I’m now in the studio making an amazing record I can’t wait to share with you. I have two questions to ask you about how to make this the best release ever. I’m so grateful for your support over the years, and I want to make sure you know it. So, here’s the story. ABOUT THE RECORDING A good chef will tell you it’s all about the ingredients, and I bet that’s true, though I mostly just grill hot dogs and pour bowls of Grape Nuts. Luckily, this is about music, not food, and for me the main ingredients are the songs. And I’m telling you: These songs are killers. They’re urgent and sexy and snarling, and they’re dying to meet you. (I pulled that from a friend’s Tinder, but it applies, here.) Recording has begun, and you can witness the progress, meet the musicians, hear clips, and watch it all unfold on my Facebook or Instagram pages, as well as right here. There’s already a lot of stuff there, so check it out HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU QUESTION #1: After the record is done, what format(s) do you want it to be in? CD? Vinyl? Thumb drive? Cassette (forget it)? QUESTION #2: What other stuff would you want? Tee shirts; house concerts; lyric sheets; short stories; podcasts; guitar lessons; a reincarnation of Tallboy magazine; a special cover song; Omens; Skype songwriting class; something else? Send me your answers by emailing me here or going to my web site’s contact page. BECAUSE I WANT TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE That’s the story....
by Mike Errico | Aug 24, 2016 | audio, Stories
I’ve been working on new material, and for me, that means taking a look at where I’ve been. I’m finishing the writing phase, and drawing lines through my songs, dating back to the beginning of my career. I thought I’d share what I’ve been noticing, in playlist form. I’ve been drawn to what some people call “story songs.” I found my writing voice listening to punk-folk, rock, country and early hip-hop artists, and particularly loved when the songs told, well, a “story,” as opposed to capturing a mood, or rallying around a single phrase, and so on. Some that immediately come to mind: – Space Oddity, David Bowie – oh, man. When communication cuts off from Ground Control? I’ll never forget when I first heard that. I actually wrote about it here. And here. – Cover Me Up, Jason Isbell – This guy gives me faith. I put him with Sturgill Simpson and Father John Misty, who sang about “subprime loans” and made me feel that there were no limits. – Main Street, Hollywood Nights, Night Moves, Bob Seger – I’m there every time he awakes to the sound of thunder…”How far off, I sat and wondered…” Me, too, Bob! Me, too! – The Distance, by Cake – I love the insane determination of that driver! “Someone for whom…he…still…BURNS.” Me, too, Cake! Me, too! – I Left My Wallet in El Segundo – Tribe Called Quest. In a similar vein as Cake, and maybe a goof, but it isn’t to me. It’s a cockeyed story in which the journey itself far outstrips the destination. Which is kind of the...