Heart Mechanical
The new EP featuring "We're Here to Recruit Your Kids"
Available March 26, 2012, at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and more. See lyrics and details
For every EP sold, I'm personally donating $1 to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. Learn more about the Trevor Project
New Website + Song Preview
In anticipation of the release of my new album, “Heart Mechanical,” I’ve updated the look of my website to simplify things a bit and hopefully make it look good too!
Also, you can stream a preview of the song “We’re Here to Recruit Your Kids,” which I’ll be shooting a video for next month (fingers crossed)! Here’s the preview, with the full song to be available soon:
Let me know what you think, and as always, share with your friends online if you like it!
Donating to the Trevor Project
Part of the message of my song “We’re Here to Recruit Your Kids” is about how destructive anti-LGBT sentiment can be, particularly when aimed at young people who are already facing the challenges of finding their own identity. It made sense to me to give back, so I’m personally donating $1 to the Trevor Project for every purchase of my new EP “Heart Mechanical.”
For those who aren’t familiar, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Their vision is for “a future where the possibilities, opportunities, and dreams are the same for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” I encourage you to also donate! You can even do a simple $5 donation by texting TREVOR to 85944. Visit the Trevor Project website
(Please note — I have no official affiliation with The Trevor Project.)
Saint Etienne Returns!
If you’re not familiar with Saint Etienne, you really should dig through their catalog and have a few listens. But whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering them recently, their new song “Tonight” is lovely — I saw this aptly described as “dance music for adults” and I have to agree! Check it out:
Listen to “Tonight” on Soundcloud
Photos from my Middle East Cambridge Show
I had an amazing time at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA, last night! It was so great to get back on stage and the audience reaction was amazing, I felt so positive about it all and can’t wait to get more shows lined up. I’ve received a few pics from the show I thought I’d share from a few different sources (let me know if you have any as well!):
Also kinda cool — I’m now a legitimate tag on the Weekly Dig Boston website. They don’t review my performance in particular but they do feature one of my songs!
Life is a Disco (studio version)
I’ve been working with my mix engineer behind the scenes to polish up my songs for my “Heart Mechanical” EP (out March 26) and I’m ready to start sharing the results! The first song on the album is “Life is a Disco” — you may have heard the demo version before but I hope you’ll agree it sounds even better as the full studio version. There are still a few more weeks before my EP is available, but in the meantime I’m offering this song to stream online in full:
What do you think? Tell me your thoughts! And please share on Twitter, Facebook, etc. if you like!
LYRICS:
“Heart Mechanical” Album Cover and Track List
I am extremely excited to announce the details of my forthcoming EP, “Heart Mechanical,” featuring 7 songs (some of which I have shared in demo form). They have all been given a professional production & mixing job by my collaborator Yasuhiko Fukuoka and I can’t wait to share them! Album artwork and track list below:
1. Life is a Disco
2. We’re Here to Recruit Your Kids
3. You Don’t Own Me
4. Heart Mechanical
5. Inside
6. This Love is Not Enough
7. Dreams
The (tentative) release date is March 26, 2012. Look out for more information, including song previews and more photos, coming soon!
Tickets available for Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge, MA) – Jan 17
If you’ve been following me on Twitter or Facebook you’ve already heard my announcement that I’ll be performing my first live show since 2008 at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, MA on Tuesday, January 17, 2012! I’m very excited about the show, where I’ll be sharing the bill with Mic Raygun, Glowkids & Fuse, and Young London. I hope to see you there! The details in easy-to-read form:
Michael Hensley with Young London, Glowkids & Fuse, and Mic Raygun
Middle East Upstairs
472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
8PM 18+ $9
Buy Tickets
I will also be announcing details about my new EP, including album cover and track list, within the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!
Voyaging with the Sound of Arrows
I’ve been enjoying The Sound of Arrows since I first heard their remix of Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” close to 2 years ago. I fell in love with their song “Nova” earlier this year and am now riding the dreamy waves of their first full-length album, “Voyage” (including the single “Wonders,” linked in the video above). Lush vocals and even lusher synth-pad soundscapes create airy expanses, while catchy melodies and beats keep the music grounded in the realm of electro pop. I know many of you have been familiar with the Sound of Arrows for awhile now, but a few more kudos for them couldn’t hurt, right?
Updates on the music front
Things have gotten a little quiet around here lately — but not behind the scenes! I just got back from a trip to New York City to work with my producer/engineer virtuoso, Yasuhiko Fukuoka, to turn my songs from demos into finished pieces. The five songs I’ve shared so far, plus one new one called “This Love Is Not Enough,” will be packaged together into an EP, which I will release probably in January. Mixing is still underway but so far things sound GREAT and I am very excited! Some of the songs may sound pretty similar to what you’ve already heard, but others will be getting more significant re-workings, and all of them will sound much crisper, with better vocals, bigger beats, and clearer sound overall.
My hope is to follow the Robyn plan and release one or two more EPs in 2012 to follow up what I’ve done so far. I’m also working on amping up my promotion efforts and starting to perform live again. Things. Are. Happening!
Dreaming with M83
A lot of “dreamy” electro music ends up sounding wispy and fragile. M83 somehow keeps that light, effortless sound alive while still grounding it in strong beats and vocals that make their lush songs sound really substantial. I’m thoroughly loving the new album “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming,” particularly the single “Midnight City.” Check it out and enjoy!
