MIKE SCHMID: The High Cost of Living (A Love Story)

Mike Schmid

The High Cost of Living (A Love Story)

© 2006 Plastic Chair Music (837101152754)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 40% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

An intimate pop epic.

tracks

1 Prologue
2 The High Cost of Living
3 At Gunpoint
4 It's All True
5 Method Acting
6 Wave Goodbye
7 Mirror
8 Starfish
9 I Won't Sleep Tonight
10 Born Yesterday
11 Is This It?
12 Crazy
13 To Show You My Love
14 Back to You
15 Dear Me
16 Epilogue

notes

"I was writing these songs, and then out of these songs a story was emerging..." This pop narrative crystallized over five years, as singer-songwriter Mike Schmid wrote, recorded, and produced his sophomore album of unbreakable melodies and gripping sonic hooks. The High Cost of Living (a love story) is a cohesive concept album harboring pop singles that stand alone, featured in films and television, in over 900 movie theaters throughout the U.S., and in Disney's "Felicity" DVD. Compared by fans to the passionate Ben Folds, the timeless Billy Joel, and the literary Aimee Mann, Mike's piano-based, lyrically rich songs offer a huge expanse of emotional depth. From the tribal aggression and confrontation of "At Gunpoint" through the unabashed, unleashed adoration conveyed in "To Show You My Love" to the devastating, observant melancholy of "It's All True," the award-winning songs from The High Cost of Living unveil one guy’s heart, and his musicianship of astonishing caliber.

Mike Schmid boldly began creating music at 3 years old; he tried his tiny fingers over the ivories and, finding them limiting, picked up a hammer and applied it to the keys; a sound experiment. His early innovative methods were tempered by thorough classical training, and then revoiced at Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a degree in Songwriting.

Fresh from college, Mike's self titled debut album was released in 2001. Recording artist Grayson Hugh commented, "The originality of his songs, both musically and lyrically, was a pleasure to hear." He moved to Los Angeles and immediately started playing his songs and employing his piano skills for other musicians. His television performances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, playing with Chantal Kreviazuk. He played on the Corrs’ album "Borrowed Heaven" as well as laying down tracks for Van Hunt's self-titled debut. Mike currently plays and records with several local artists including Renee Stahl, Rich Jacques, Gayle Day, and Connie Kim. Mike's music can be heard nationally in films, television, on the internet, and in CD players all over.

The High Cost of Living is a journey that travels highs and lows, both spectrums visited with insight and awareness. "It's so important to me that things are rarely all good or all bad. Truly horrible things occur in this world, while something completely beautiful is happening at the exact same moment. I don't want to glaze over anything. That said, I do think of myself as an extreme optimist."

The gorgeous, bold, and catchy songs on High Cost of Living ultimately depict the harmony and discord of human relationships, however dark and light. But Mike Schmid is hopeful, and sings in his closing lines, "Dear Me, you should know that you can't see / Just how good that it will be, in the end."

Written by Nicole VanBuren
For the full bio, visit www.mikeschmid.com

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • what a gem
    author: Henk-Jan Lammers

    from start to finish this is a true star.

  • Love it!
    author: Sam

    Excellent CD....well worth the wait of having to order online! Great job!

  • Can't take it off from repeat!
    author: Chessimprov

    There are some deceivingly lush melodies with Mike's mellow voice that work so well and are well crafted. Ben Folds has nothing on Mike, in fact none of Mike's music is the least bit wimpy. Ben Folds has some good fun, silly songs, but all of Mike's songs are ace. They hit you so straight in the heart it makes you want to cry, but they are that good. Underrated CD that deserves much more credit than its getting.

  • Fabulous, haunting can't stop playing this cd
    author: monica richardson

    Mike's voice is full of so much emotion. The songs are so well crafted. Mike is an amazing musican, arranger songwriter and singer!!! I love this cd. I love the songs, especially Wave Goodbye and Dear Me. I highly reccommend this cd

  • I love it!!
    author: Nicole

    I love the cd, its got great beat and very original. A kind of sound that you isn't poplar, but very cool

  • Beautiful CD, it was something I was pleasantly surprised with.
    author: Amanda KP

    I'd heard about the CD through working at a movie theatre. I decided to buy it and give it a try and now it's one of my absolute favorites. I love how each song just seems to melt into the next. Very beautifully done. Can't wait to get another! Love and Peace, Doves and Geese! ~Amanda

  • Worth the Price...it will be a favorite!
    author: Deb

    Mike is a rare combination of talent...an amazing writer, singer, producer and performer. I love Born Yesterday...To Show You My Love....Dear Me....Mirror...Wave Goodbye...and even Starfish is "fun". The album takes you on the journey of relationships - one most of us can relate to - pain and conflict, awareness, and eventually resolution and love. I also have to mention the album cover, pictures and layout. Imaginative and beautiful. You will be glad you have this CD in your collection!

  • Loved it!!
    author: Krista Powell

    I went looking for this CD because I heard the song Born Yesterday on a TV show and thought it was great. I bought it for the one song and ended up loving the whole thing. It's been in my CD player ever since. " It's All True", "Born Yesterday" and "Wave Goodbye" are my favorites so far. Keep making great music Mike Schmid!!

  • An excellent work by a talented singer/songwriter.
    author: Phil C.

    This album is very good – no, it’s excellent. When singer and songwriter are combined in the same artist, the tenor of the music seems more real, more heartfelt. Perhaps more of the artist’s soul bleeds into the notes on the paper and is reflected in the voice when sung. Or I could just be a little overly melodramatic. For whatever the reason, "The High Cost of Living" comes across as personal, and that’s a trait missing in a lot of the over-produced, production-line, "music" out there. All the tracks are good – this is one of those albums where they’re all good – but the ones that impacted me the most were, "It’s all True", "Wave Goodbye", and "Dear Me". If you’re looking for some real, heartfelt music (that of course also happens to be excellent to listen to), then you will want to listen to this CD.

  • i loved the cd!
    author: jackie

    I absolutly loved the cd. It was amazing. I seriously couldn't stop listening to it!!!

  • Real music - real lyrics...I'm hoping it catches on cause I'm tired of garbage!
    author: Old Lady - Young Heart

    How great it is for this old lady to be able to listen to music that touches my heart. The path to love can be a steep climb and Mike's lyrics and musicality bring back memories I thought long gone. This CD isn't for mindless - you need to listen. Truth is there. I'm told I can't wear out a CD - sure hope not cause this one is getting played over and over and over and over....... I just didn't know that this kind (definitely my kind) of music was still being produced. Thanks for such a great CD!

  • Well worth the wait!
    author: Aaron Michael Danna

    I remember first hearing Mike's music right before watching a movie almost 2 years ago!! I loved the song and rushed home to Google his name. I've been a fan ever since and am happy to say this was worth the wait. "Mirror" is such an amazing song - the lyrics really hit home yet you can't help but put yourself in your own video when you hear this song. "At Gunpoint" really goes to show how we can really hurt the ones we love w/o even touching. "Dear Me" is another song that I just close my eyes to and remember things about my past. You can't help but connect with this CD. BUY IT NOW!!!!

  • Um...I hate being right...
    author: DJ DarkBoy

    Sadly, they only give five stars on this site. This album, Mike, deserves at least a perfect 10 because that's what it is. Wonderfully written, amazingly playful to the ear and superbly crafted. It has made me look back at some of my past relationships, both the good ones and the bad; the ones I ended and the ones that were ended by the other party involved. There is absolute truth to the lyrics here. Even when you do something for the right reason, it's rarely, at first, taken for that. Everyone is hurt, everyone is sad and angry. But eventually, everyone remembers there was love, there was something to it. And there is a chance to find that again. Magnificient, Mike Schmid. A wonderful album that will be on my top 10 of 2006.

  • Mike Schmid is a TEASER!
    author: DJ DarkBoy

    I give it five stars and haven't even received my copy yet because of this...every song, once the two minute sample was up, made me literally grunt like a caveman and want to hear my magic laptop music box play more! Mike Schmid is lyrically and musically talented. "Talented" isn't even a word that showcases adequately how increbile and stirring his songs are. I've been listening on his website and other places, the scraps and bits of songs from this album as they were being worked on and I'm ravenous to finally hear the completed work. Genuis, pure and simple. Any album, even of just samples, that leaves you salivating like this one has, you know you got to buy it. You know you got to see the shows. And you know you got to tell your friends. Mike needs to be heard by the world, as a whole. VH1? MTV (the actual music video parts)? Are you listening to real musicians anymore? Radio stations? Do you know that real music isn't what your asked to play by big companies who pass you a little extra under the table?! Everyone, take the time to listen to real, hard working artists out there and push their names, push their music. Don't let the music industry tell you "what's in this year". Music is about emotions, thoughts, connecting to a song, to a moment. I'm done ranting. Mike Schmid is brilliant.

email

Please log in to email this artist.