Biographical and Performance Info

Biography

Sean Michael was born in Hollywood, California. The son of nightclub singer, Sherry Weston, Sean grew up with a band rehearsing in his living room. At a young age, Sean had a brief career in acting, but art and music have always been his passion.

Sean began playing guitar while still in his teens, writing songs and playing punk cover tunes with friends. After he moved to Santa Cruz, Ca in '92, Sean got involved in the African music community and joined a marimba ensemble named Kuzanga, playing traditional music from Zimbabwe.

Still writing and playing his own music at shows and open mics in the NorCal area, Sean eventually moved to San Jose, leaving Kuzanga to focus on creating his first CD, Rhythma (Rhythma Records, 2005). Sean still lives in San Jose and plays frequently in the area. He also helps run two open mics in the area, at the Sofa Lounge in downtown San Jose, and The Blue Rock Shoot in Saratoga.

To say that Sean's music sounds like any popular acts would be difficult. It's pop, it's jazz, it's folk, it's rock, it's electronica: it's all of those. If you dig deep, you can hear other musical artists that may have lent their influence: Pink Floyd, U2, OMD, Led Zeppelin, Baaba Maal, Stella Chiweshe, Cocteau Twins, Cachao, Brian Eno, all have made an impact on Sean's passion for making music.

Instrumentation

In live performances, Sean Michael is a guitar player and singer. Other instruments that Sean plays are bass, keyboards, percussion, and beat programming.

Discography

Rhythma - Rhythma Records RCD-01 - 2005

Influences

AC/DC, Adam Ant, Aha, Ali Farka Toure, Aqualung, Aretha Franklin, Art of Trance, B52s, Baaba Maal, Bassnectar, Bauhaus, Belle and Sebastian, Ben Harper, Bill Laswell, Billy Squire, Binary Finary, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Blancmange, Bob Marley, Brett Dennen, Brian Eno, Broken Social Scene, Burning Spear, Caia, Carol C., Cat Stevens, Chameleons, Chicane, Clarence Clemmons, Cocteau Twins, Damien Rice, David Gray, Dead Can Dance, Deedrah, DJ Tiesto, Djivan Gasparian, Dumisani Maraire, Fleetwood Mac, Forward Kwenda, Frederic Chopin, Fun Lovin' Criminals, GBH, George Harrison, Godspeed You Black Emporor, Hallucinogen, Harry Chapin, Infected Mushroom, Iron and Wine, Iron Maiden, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Jeff Buckley, Jesus and Mary Chain, Jiao Gilberto, Kaki King, Karl Denson, Keane, Keller Williams, Led Zeppelin, Lewis and Clarke, Lights in a Fat City, Love & Rockets, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Manno Charlemagne, Mansour Seck, Marillion, Marvin Gaye, Mercury Rev, Michael Brook, Michael Franti, Michael Hedges, Misfits, Nusrat Fate Ali Khan, OMD, Patty Griffin, Paul Simon, Perry Farrell, Pete Namlook, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Preston Reed, R. Kelly, Radiohead, Ray Lamontagne, Richie Hawtin, Rush, Sade, Sam Cooke w/ The Soul Stirrers, Sambada, Shpongle, Sigur Ros, Simon & Garfunkel, Sinead O'Connor, Soft Cell, Soulwax, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Sparks, Spearhead, Spiritualized, Spool, Steely Dan, Stella Chiweshe, Stevie Wonder, Sugar Cubes, Sun Kil Moon, Syd Barrett, The Arcade Fire, The Beach Boys, The Cars, The Chemical Brothers, The Cult, The Damned, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, The Folk Implosion, The Kingston Trio, The Mission, The Tao of Groove, The The, This Mortal Coil, Tosca, Triumph, U2, Unkle, Velvet Underground, Whitney Houston, Wilco, Xavier Rudd, Zero 7

Sounds Like

Aqualung, Ben Harper, Brett Dennen, Cat Stevens, Damien Rice, David Gray, Harry Chapin, Iron and Wine, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Lewis and Clarke, Love & Rockets, Michael Hedges, OMD, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Ray Lamontagne, Simon & Garfunkel, Soft Cell, Spiritualized, Steely Dan, Sun Kil Moon, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, The Folk Implosion, The The, This Mortal Coil, U2, Wilco, Xavier Rudd, Zero 7

Favourite Music

Hallelujah - Written by Leonard Cohen, performed by Jeff Buckley
Bad & The Unforgettable Fire - U2 - really the whole Unforgettable Fire album
Clarence Clemmons - Serenity - really the whole Peacemaker album
Cinquante Six - Ali Farka Toure
Tjilpi - Lights in a Fat City - really the whole Somewhere album
Deedrah - Reload album
Perry Farrell - Song Yet to Be Sung album
Shpongle - Tales of the Inexpressible and Are You Shpongled albums
Madagascar - Art of Trance - really the whole Voice of Earth album
Richie Hawtin and Pete Namlook - From Within I album
Spool - self titled album
Chicane - Behind the Sun and Far From the Maddening Crowds albums
Carol C. - First Impressions album
Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - written by Arlen, Harburg,
	Weiss, performed by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
The Tourist - Radiohead
Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead, really every Radiohead album
Dave Dudley - Tosca
Heaven is Ten Zillion Light Years Away - Stevie Wonder
Troy - Sinead O'Connor
Birthday - Sugar Cubes
What Are You To Me? - Unkle, really the whole Never, Never, Land album
Sanctum Sanctorum - The Damned
Djivan Gasparian - Duduk Flute From Armenia album
Kayleigh/Lavender - Marillion
Peter Gabriel - Passion
Dumisani Maraire - Mhuri Ya Maraire
Michael Brook w/ Nusrat Fate Ali Khan - Mustt Mustt album
Hallowed By Thy Name - Iron Maiden
Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
Love and Rockets - Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven album
B52s - Wild Planet album
Lagartija Nick - Bauhaus
Third Uncle - written by Brian Eno, performed by Bauhaus
Passion of Lovers - Bauhaus
Pins and Needles - GBH
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Going to California - Led Zeppelin
Battle of Evermore - Led Zeppelin - every Led Zeppelin album
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd - really every Pink Floyd album
Everthing by Bob Marley
Swamp Thing - Chameleons
Dead Can Dance - all albums
Perly Dewdrops Drop - Cocteau Twins
Love's Easy Tears - Cocteau Twins
Hitherto - Cocteau Twins
From the Flagstones - Cocteau Twins
Carolyn's Fingers - Cocteau Twins
Aikai Guinea - Cocteau Twins
Song to the Siren - written by Tim Buckley, performed by This Mortal Coil
The Hem of His Garment - Sam Cooke w/ The Soul Stirrers
The Cult - Love album
Father and Son - Cat Stevens
Where Do the Children Play - Cat Stevens
Sloop John B - written by The Kingston Trio, performed by The Beach Boys
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac
The Hardest Walk - Jesus and Mary Chain
Romance of the Telescope - OMD
Enola Gay - OMD
DJ Tiesto - Just Be album
Take On Me - Aha
Torch (extended version) - Soft Cell
What! - Soft Cell
I Will Always Love You - written by Dolly Parton, performed by Whitney Houston
Angelfuck - Misfits
Green Hell - Misfits
Halloween - Misfts
I Turned Into a Martian - Misfits
Last Caress - Misfits
Skulls - Misfits
Venus in Furs - Velvet Underground
Djam Leelli - Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck album
Tower of Strength - The Mission
Magic Power - Triumph
Last Resort - The Eagles
1999 (Goureyella Mix) - Binary Finary
I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
Cats in the Cradle - Harry Chapin
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
Bluer Than Midnight - The The
By Your Side - Sade
I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly
Tadzungaira - Forward Kwenda
Sexual Healing - written by Marvin Gaye, performed live by Ben Harper
Here Comes the Grump - Adam Ant
Waves - Blancmange
Knowbody Knows - Billy Squire
Ayiti Pa Fore - Manno Charlemagne
The Weaver - Rhythma (Sean Michael)