Todd Michaelsen is a singer/songwriter, a cinematic composer of award winning films, and producer living in Brooklyn, NY. He is best known for his work in the rock band My Pet Dragon, in which he and and his wife, Reena Shah, are the founding members.
Todd was born in Colorado but grew up in upstate New York along the Vermont border in a small town called Granville. His love affair with music started with his parents music of Led Zepplin, Springsteen, Dylan, and Neil Young. In grade school Todd started playing the trumpet and sang tenor in the school chorus and plays. Later in high school he taught himself to play the guitar and immediately began writing music. He then formed a rock band at Binghamton University called the Guilders.
He left school and came to New York City in 2002 to pursue music full time. There he became exposed to various kinds of music that eventually shaped his own creations. From Indie Rock and Electronica, to Drum and Bass, Hip Hop and Indian "fusion" music, Todd became mesmerized by the world of possibilities. After a brief stint in the post- rock band Cetacea, Todd branched out on his own and created My Pet Dragon. Along with his wife, actress/dancer Reena Shah, the two performed in New York City under the name My Pet Dragon with live loops and various musicians. He released "First Born", a self-produced collection of rock songs ranging from quiet folk to psychedelic electronica. DJ's and rock fans alike noted the album equally. EthnoTecho.com gave the album 5 stars citing that Todd Michaelsen "forges new territory in blending disparate sounds and influences together into a novel experience." After a performance in Chicago, CollegeNews.com wrote that My Pet Dragon "lulled the audience into a state of complete concentration and fascination" and "the sound Todd creates pushes music in a new direction ".
My Pet Dragon's performances and recordings caught the ear of acclaimed producer Karsh Kale. He asked Todd to co-write and sing on 3 songs for his 2006 release "Broken English" on Six Degrees Records. The song "Dancing at Sunset", received high praise and radio play, especially in England. Todd was later asked to co-write again with Kale, this time for the Anoushka Shankar/ Karsh Kale 2007 release entitled "Breathing Under Water", which also featured the work of Norah Jones and Sting, released on EMI records.
Also in 2007, Todd Michaelsen was asked by cartoonist Nina Paley to create an original soundtrack and score for her first animated feature movie called "Sita Sings the Blues". Todd created 2 original songs including the Title Music (Sita in Space) and Agni Pariksha (Sita Fire), as well the original score. "Sita Sings the Blues" had its U.S. premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and is currently on the film festival circuit. It won "Best Animated Feature" at the Annecy Film Festival in France and has been getting glowing reviews at every festival in which it has appeared.
Michaelsen worked with film maker Lindsay Crystal on her short film entitled "Spoke", a travel film for Holland.com penning the original song "Around the World With You" for the video. Michaelsen also scored Matt Linnell's award winning short called "Security".
In 2008, Michaelsen composed original music for Oscar winner Vanessa Roth's "Third Monday in October", a documentary which follows middle school children through their school's election process. The film won the audience award at the Austin Film Festival and will featured in October of 2008 on the Sundance Channel.
Currently, Michaelsen is working with producer Stephen George on his next My Pet Dragon record entitled "Mountains and Cities". The album will be released soon on Gimme That Sound Records later this year.
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MY PET DRAGON.
In September 2006, Reena and her husband Todd Michaelsen started playing open mics in New York City under the name of MY PET DRAGON. Reena dances using her Traditional Indian Ghungroo Anklet Bells as a percussion instrument and interprets his music & lyrics through dance.
ABOUT MY PET DRAGON....
Todd Michaelsen, a singer/guitarist/producer, living in New York, started my Pet Dragon in the Fall of 2005 as a solo project. Singing over looping guitars and layering sound both organic and electronic, Todd began writing, performing, and recording music he called "My Pet Dragon". During the first year of My Pet Dragon, there were many variations of the live show that often included exciting dance performances from Todd's wife Reena Shah. Rock fans and D.J.'s alike were pleased to hear "First Born", a collection of songs taken from Todd's Dragon's Lair sessions from the Winter of 2006. Version's of "Born on a Sunday", "Holes in the Sky", "Dragon Breath", "Space Love 3000", and "The Painter" show the range of styles and emotions that Todd is exploring in his music. Despite being a self-release, copies of "First Born" have been sold all over the world via myspace and itunes.
MPD's second album, "Pills for Pagans" is in the works and will be released by Spring 2007. Early demos of new songs have been previewed here on myspace and have been getting great responses from friends and fans.
Todd has also appeared on Karsh Kale's new album called "Broken English", which came out March 21 on Six Degrees Records. He sang on three tracks on the record and played shows with Karsh's band called Realize over the Winter and Spring of 2006. The record was critically acclaimed and in the top 10 Electronica downloads on Itunes after its release. Visit KarshKale.com for more info or KarshKale's Myspace
PRAISE for My Pet Dragon
Review by Hadley Tomicki for www.lataco.com
"Perhaps the day's best discovery (at the Artwallah Festival) was My Pet Dragon, comprised of the newly-wedded team of Reena Shah and Todd Michaelsen, who recently appeared on Karsh Kale's new album. Reena's dancing combines her classical training melded with a current, improvisational spirit. Todd, just a lone man with a guitar, seemed to fill the entire downtown area with the force of an entire rock band with beautiful, bittersweet songs, carried across with a stunning voice of lifting intensity, power and flexibility, reminding us of My Morning Jacket singer Jim James' acoustic record crossed with the steady power of Coldplay's Chris Martin (uh, but cooler, sorry for the comparison, Todd). The two are as noticably in love as their song-and-dance combination are forceful and stunning. We imagine more than a few copies of their new CD First Born flew off the tables Saturday, as TACO picked one up ourselves."
Review of My Pet Dragon's "First Born" by Sarika Dani for www.ethnotechno.com
*****(5 out of 5 stars)
" A big contributor to the "dreamy" dialogue is Michaelsen's soaring vocals. Comparisons to Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley come easily and immediately, but the likeness diminishes the more you listen-and realize that the emotion in his voice stems from a place that is entirely his own. Michaelsen cites Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, Karsh Kale, and Bjork as influences, noting that he likes "the sounds and emotions you can get out of blending organic and electronic elements together." Michaelsen does this skillfully on the moody, hypnotic "New York Underwater," and the meandering but rhythmic "Space Love 3000" and "Dreamer's Despair," which both layer guitar and vocals with scattered beats into lush, spaced-out soundscapes. But on tracks like "Born on a Sunday," "The Painter," and "First Born King," Michaelsen tones down the production and favors a simple, acoustic folk sound. It's these variations that reflect the versatility of his talent."
See the full review at Ethnotechno.com
MY PET DRAGON'S MySpace
www.myspace.com/mypetdragon
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PRAISE for My Pet Dragon
Review by Hadley Tomicki for www.lataco.com
"Perhaps the day's best discovery (at the Artwallah Festival) was My Pet Dragon, comprised of the newly-wedded team of Reena Shah and Todd Michaelsen, who recently appeared on Karsh Kale's new album. Reena's dancing combines her classical training melded with a current, improvisational spirit. Todd, just a lone man with a guitar, seemed to fill the entire downtown area with the force of an entire rock band with beautiful, bittersweet songs, carried across with a stunning voice of lifting intensity, power and flexibility, reminding us of My Morning Jacket singer Jim James' acoustic record crossed with the steady power of Coldplay's Chris Martin (uh, but cooler, sorry for the comparison, Todd). The two are as noticably in love as their song-and-dance combination are forceful and stunning. We imagine more than a few copies of their new CD First Born flew off the tables Saturday, as TACO picked one up ourselves."
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Review of My Pet Dragon's "First Born" by Sarika Dani for www.ethnotechno.com
*****(5 out of 5 stars)
" A big contributor to the "dreamy" dialogue is Michaelsen's soaring vocals. Comparisons to Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley come easily and immediately, but the likeness diminishes the more you listen-and realize that the emotion in his voice stems from a place that is entirely his own. Michaelsen cites Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, Karsh Kale, and Bjork as influences, noting that he likes "the sounds and emotions you can get out of blending organic and electronic elements together." Michaelsen does this skillfully on the moody, hypnotic "New York Underwater," and the meandering but rhythmic "Space Love 3000" and "Dreamer's Despair," which both layer guitar and vocals with scattered beats into lush, spaced-out soundscapes. But on tracks like "Born on a Sunday," "The Painter," and "First Born King," Michaelsen tones down the production and favors a simple, acoustic folk sound. It's these variations that reflect the versatility of his talent."
See the full review at Ethnotechno.com
MY PET DRAGON'S MySpace
www.myspace.com/mypetdragon
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