Keeping an eight track mind

Danny Michel`s old tech touch nurtures new ideas

by Fateema Sayani

With the retro credibility of vinyl hanging tough, local guitar-toting balladeer Danny Michel is doing his bit to preserve the oft-maligned eight-track.

The Kitchener-Waterloo ex-pat released his last two solo albums on eight-track as well as CD.

"A lot of people were putting stuff on vinyl and I went and checked it out and decided to go back one step further and put it on eight-track. I`ve sold a few," admits the songwriter, who recently joined Ottawa glam-pop outfit Starling as its bassist and fronts the Wedding Band. Both trios are comprised of the same members on different instruments.

Michel opens the Skydiggers show with his solo act Friday (November 27th) at Barrymore`s (323 Bank).

Authoring 11 clever tracks -- and a few hidden shorts -- on his 98 release Clear, Michel gives us the world from his perspective using his characteristic wry, introspective lyrics and smooth, lustrous vocals.

All the instruments on his Clear -- minus the horns -- and all the production were done solo in a home-studio the DIY-er built expressly for the album.

"A lot of people said, `Danny you can`t make an album at home because you don`t know how this works and that works.` At the same time I liked the freedom of it. I could get up at 4 am and record in my jammies."

Dreamy, delicate and captivating, the album jumps between the past and present like late-night radio with a bit of jazz, motown, a touch of folk and pop that dabbles in a bit of fusion.

"It`s like a jukebox" he says with a coy, boyish grin.

A vinyl jukebox?

"An eight-track jukebox" he retorts with a glint of retrospect in his eye.

His regular Sunday night gigs in the snug dark digs of the Manx Pub seem to be inspiring to regulars who bask in Michel`s revelry -- and his obvious nostalgia.

Keeping in touch with old influences comes as no surprise from the eight-track fan, as Michel will occasioally toss a Clash or Tom Waits sog -- impressions included -- into his set list.

All around him, people jot down illuminations in notebooks and sing along to a familiar verse, peaking Michel`s curiosity.

"I wonder what they`re writing and I think, `What are you doing?` Bring that over here so I can read it in front of the whole class`" he beams slightly louder than his bashful, soft-spoken tone. "It freaks me out."