Steve Steele

"I'll sing whatever I like to whomever I like",
M. Steele's first CD, InfraRed IntroSpective ( available on iTunes ) was released in 2002. The band at that time consisted of Vernon Keith (drums), Don Mackenzie (guitar), Jose-Miguel Yamal (keyboards), Alex Rodriguez (bass) and DJ Chicken George (turntablisms). Realizing that InfraRed IntroSpective was more for listening and not for performing, Steele started over. After a few stops and starts, Steele, after several starts and stops, and after several starts and stops, began working on his first full-length album—a “British Authoritative” sound that is epic in style yet instantly accessible. The Expat is due to be released on 9.9.09..
Steele, a stylized dramatic baritone trained in the Bel Canto Singing tradition, has the versatility and range that give him the unique ability to sing a fine line between modern and operatic styles. Educated in music composition, theory, and multiple instruments at the renowned music college at The University of North Texas, Steele decided that a complete sea change was in order. Citing as his inspirations the composers Franz Liszt Claude Debussy; the writers T. S. Elliot and John Cheever; and pop musical icons David Bowie and Morrissey, Steele began with the abstract idea of creating a sound that combined energy and ambiance with a surrounding narrative.
Now in 2009 we have The Expat. The album starts off with a minute of mystery that quickly explodes into “Revelation on the Radio” and “Dramatic Girls Forever!” Throughout The Expat, Steele lets the tug of war between energy and ambience play out in such songs as “Via Satellite” and “My Brother, The Devil,” and ”Godwin Park”—the most inconspicuous of songs—whereas songs such as “So Pretty,” “New York City,” and “Staromestaska” in succession give pause to moments of beauty and anguish that capture the listener throughout the album until the more uncertain finale of “Star City.”
Recorded at Sugarhill recording studios with Steve Christensen as engineer, The Expat is a connected (and yet disconnected) nine song collection of performance oriented tracks. Besides Monsieur Steele, Don Mackenzie and Scott Ayres contributed a load of guitars, Richard (Chocolate) Cholakian performed the drums and Jose-Miguel Yamal casually added piano and organ. That's it for now. Please enjoy.