michael james brooks profile picture

michael james brooks

At least I author my own disaster

About Me


IF THERE'S ONE THING THIS GUY CAN DO WITHOUT, it's labels. Boxes are his enemy and genres his kryptonite. He sometimes flirts with his old flame Kleeshay only to soon forsake her (though he'll be the first to admit, he's made a few booty calls). Sometimes surprising, often original and always honest, he can usually be found playing with words, wording with plays, and attempting to bridge the gap between high art and low, overthought and improvised, "snobby" and "slacker." But there we go with the labels already. Drop the labels and pick up the ladles because what he's cookin' is SOUP!

Michael started playing the piano when he was four years old, and as the saying (kind of) goes, it was love at first song. His fingers never felt more at home than resting between the ivories. To this day he plays as much as he can, often annoying the heck out of his downstairs neighbors with his rock-out pedal-pumpin' and key-slammin'.

Current Projects:
- Adapting the original music from the world premiere of Seven Passages for the film (to be completed early 2008).
- Other misc freelance projects
- Playing with (and booking for) Common Shiner!

Be sure to check out Common Shiner (in the top friends)! Stop by a show and say hi!


My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/19/2005
Band Website: commonshiner.com
Band Members: also a.k.a. known as:
Neutral Moustache Hotel
Masked Planet Lunch Hour
The New Melancholy
Monkey Robot Alien god
(Monkey RAg)
Shades of Orange
mnuc haed
~~*~F11
Pretentious Band Name
To Take All the Glass
He Had a Sun Named
The Cinnamon Survey
Speedbump Retribution
I Am Holden
The New Connecticut
The New Jersey
Babbling Brooks
Eleven Hammered
Bo and Aero
Spency Gin
towerhead
AntiOxygen
Aunty Oksijen
The Holding
Rothko 49
Stockholm
Dr. Bones
A Pissfart Maturity
Road Stranger
Derelict Protractor
The Sky Floor
Frankie and the Transcendental Cheerleaders
Czar Kastik
and finally
Michael James Brooks
Influences: Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Duncan Sheik, Bruce Hornsby, Billy Joel, Bright Eyes, Keane, David Gray, Elton John, Sondre Lerche, Doves, Aqualung, Bach, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Copeland, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Coldplay, Radiohead, Gavin DeGraw, Peter Gabriel, Aimee Mann, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Josh Rouse, Sufjan Stevens, Travis, Sigur Ros, Guster, Jars of Clay, Caedmon's Call, Switchfoot, Death Cab for Cutie, The Mars Volta, REM, Laura Veirs, Red House Painters, Ben Kweller, Monarch, The Shins, Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, Phil Collins, Genesis, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Kevin Cadogan, Jamie Cullum, Weezer, The Cure, Spoon, Sting/The Police, The Jam, Foo Fighters, Incubus, Pete Yorn, PFR, James Taylor, The Who, The Hush Sound, Jason Robert Brown, Cole Porter, Leonard Cohen, Mat Kearney, Gabe Dixon Band, Rogue Wave, F. Scott Fitzgerald, ee cummings, Mitch Hedberg, CS Lewis, Shakespeare, J.D. Salinger, David Ives, Thomas Mann, Michel Gondry, David Sedaris, David Lynch, Monty Python, Stella, À bout de souffle, Singin' in the Rain, unrequited love, Jones Soda
Sounds Like: we're playing charades right now...

Type of Label: None

My Blog

Holy Saturday offering

Ever since being involved in Disciples at Calvin College a few years ago, I have had a special place in my heart for Holy Saturday and the idea of waiting, and not knowing exactly what the hell is goi...
Posted by michael james brooks on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:30:00 PST

"Translation" - The Overture from Seven Passages

"Translation" was the Overture (or really Underture, since it was under dialogue--The Who anybody?) from the World Premiere production of Seven Passages at Actor's Theatre Grand Rapids in Se...
Posted by michael james brooks on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:01:00 PST

Now Everything's Singin'

Just performed this number with the amazing Larry Young at the Make-a-Wish cabaret.  It's a piece I wrote for a wedding of two of my dear friends this past summer, and Alex Agard originally sang ...
Posted by michael james brooks on Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:37:00 PST

"Recently"

So, "Recently"... it's the end of March, i join Common Shiner.  start focusing on music a bit more.  and i get in a fight with one of my closest friends.  mainly a pride/stubbornes...
Posted by michael james brooks on Tue, 05 Sep 2006 04:53:00 PST

February, Tentatively (live)

finally got this on tape after a couple people said they wanted to hear it again. so here ya go, be my guest, hear it again. ;) its actually a pathetic song of self-pity at its core.  but it's ab...
Posted by michael james brooks on Fri, 14 Jul 2006 01:30:00 PST

THANK YOU

...to everyone who came out this last Friday to the Common Shiner So Long... CD release show at Rosa Parks.  it was a smash!   and thanks to The Grey Line for rocking with us.   if by c...
Posted by michael james brooks on Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:33:00 PST

COMMON SHINER "So Long..." CD reviews/release

Be sure to pick up the latest Recoil and Revue magazines for reviews of Common Shiner's new CD, So Long... (out June 23rd).  They're pretty flattering! Then come downtown to Rosa Parks Circl...
Posted by michael james brooks on Sun, 04 Jun 2006 03:29:00 PST

someone's starting to show...!

NOW THAT YOU HAVE OPENED THIS IF YOU DO NOT REPOST IT WITHIN .2983457 SECONDS U R GOING 2 DYE TONITE!!!I'M SERIUS, MY FRIEND DIDN'T REPOST IT AND SHE GOT CHOPPED TO BITS BY AN AX-MURDURER. THIS IS NOT...
Posted by michael james brooks on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:04:00 PST

Town Greyhound

Town Greyhound. Oh boy. Wrote the hook for this about a year-and-a-half ago and it kept creeping up on me even though I tried to supress it.  This is the only song of my own that ever gets stuck ...
Posted by michael james brooks on Thu, 23 Mar 2006 05:26:00 PST

Living Regret

ANOTHER SONG? YOU MUST BE JOKING! nope. whether you like it or not, "Living Regret" - written in October and recorded last weekend. kinda wanted to redo the vocals and add bass, but then my software g...
Posted by michael james brooks on Sat, 25 Feb 2006 02:36:00 PST