Totally Michael

VINYL FORMAT. Sometimes, boredom takes us great places. At 20, a musician named Michael, who had amassed some fairly significant musical experience playing in a "crappy punk band" in high school, was living at home with his mom in Cabot, Arkansas, just a little perplexed about what to do with his life. Driven by boredom, armed with a guitar and a swift talent for using home recording software, Michael transformed himself into Totally Michael, a buoyant musician with a penchant for pop hooks and an adoration for Blink-182.

Michael started out selling a five-song demo burned on a CD-R (that was "just the worst recording ever") on tour, followed by a six-song EP, but it wasn't until fate brought him together with Franki Chan at IHeartComix that the future brightened with the promise of a Totally Michael full-length. The infections (in a good way) self-titled album was recorded in January of 2008 in Bloomington ("a cheaper place to record than LA") and sparkles with energetic, catchy songs about Winona Ryder ("Winona"), childhood adventures ("Dearth Hill (Over and Over)"), prom ("Prom Night") and, well, one-time, casual sex ("Casual Satisfaction").

The likeable, sing-along friendly numbers are both humorous and endearing, ready for Michael's signature audience participation onstage. "Cheerleaders VS. Drillteam" for instance, plays on the drama Michael saw between the two groups in high school.