PureVolume

When Paul Michel was 11 years old, his parents gave him the choice of learning either piano or guitar. Thinking he wanted to be a rock star he naturally chose the guitar. That wasnt quite what his parents had in mind. While Paul waited 4 years to get his first electric guitar, he was enrolled in classical lessons with a flamenco-style teacher. Though the classical experience left an indelible mark that permeates Paul's records to this day, an anthemic rock spirit was budding underneath.

In his late teens Paul cut his teeth playing bass in hardcore and metal bands. He slashed and sweated, playing countless D.I.Y. house shows on the punk circuit. Eventually, frustration and disillusionment set in. The energy was there but there was no melody, no connection, no beauty. It was then that he decided to set his own course. He taught himself how to sing by listening to Nick Drake, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley albums. He began making basement tapes with an old Dr. Rhythm drum machine as his band, trying desperately to bridge the gap between his punk roots and the nascent magnetism he felt towards lush, pop sensibilities. Paul began spending more and more time with friend and producer The Gray Kid, whom he teamed up with to record and mix some of his new material. The results were refreshing -- honest, aggressive, free.

The demos landed in the hands of Brent Eyestone and Magic Bullet Records, who immediately seized on what was an undiscovered gem in the punk and hardcore-dominated environment of Washington, DC. Paul's breakthrough EP, Ayuda, was met with praise, and not a little bit of relief. This was something that could be enjoyed by everyone; by the punks who wanted something real, and by the hipsters that craved a break from the bludgeoning monotony of music by political affiliation. As a debut release, Ayuda avoided the downfalls of a typical freshman effort. This record had its own SOUND -- huge beats underneath quirky synths, fierce guitars and plaintive lyrics.

With 'These Are All Beautiful Things,' Paul's recently released full-length follow-up, Paul took those elements and made them into something even greater. His songwriting improved. The guitars got bigger, the lyrics grander. Heavy-hitters like 'Day's Looking Up' mingled seamlessly with crooning ballads like 'You, My Only One.' Indie rock monsters ('Always Right') succeeded electronic eye-openers ('E. Nick') and the record closed with the expansive, sparkling dynamics of 'Heartache (Is Better Than This Nothing At All).' The true shock was that this huge-sounding production was accomplished within the confines of Paul's one-bedroom apartment.

The album was again mixed by The Gray Kid, and subsequently released to even greater acclaim. Amplifer magazine calls the music ethereal and diaphanous, and Upbeetmusic.com says the record comes ...painfully close to being the ideal debut LP. Even the punks love it. Punknews.org calls Paul's efforts "quite inspired and well put together.

Now Paul is setting his sights on bigger things. Touring extensively throughout the US during fall 2005 and spring 2006, he hopes to get this music out to The People, because it is music FOR The People. His backing band, The Friends of Technology, are a rotating cast of characters that include members of The Out_Circuit, Haram, The Monorail, On Fire, Majority Rule and Laura Burhenn, a veritable pantheon of DC's up-and-coming. Paul Michel's music is moving in only one direction -- forward -- and it doesn't look like there's much in the way to stop it. .