On his sophomore release, This Strange Place (2006),Mike Lasala merges gritty vocals, classic rock influences, and pop sensibilities, to create â[an album] that could be huge on classic rock, modern rock or adult album alternative radio."

11 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Classic Rock, ROCK: Acoustic



Details:
On his sophomore release, This Strange Place (2006), New Haven, CT-based singer/songwriter, Mike Lasala (pronounced luh-sal-uh), merges gritty vocals, classic rock influences, and pop sensibilities to create â[an album] that could be huge on classic rock, modern rock or adult contemporary radio,â says an industry insider. A seasoned solo acoustic performer in his own right, Lasala enlisted a backing band for the 11 song offeringâallowing him to realize his creative vision, while still affording the flexibility of being able to perform the songs live in a variety of configurations (i.e. solo acoustic, duo, trio, or quartet). âWhile I generally describe my style as acoustic rock, I think the albumâs style is best described as neo-classic rock,â says Lasalaâwho cites Neil Young, Cat Stevens, John Mellencamp and The Doors among his many influences. âI was going for a classic but contemporary soundâ¦and I think we nailed it!â he says emphatically. âIt was also nice to be able to showcase some of my electric guitar playing as well since a lot of folks donât know I play lead guitar.â An introspective person by nature, Lasala draws inspiration from his life experience and tries to convey his observations, frustrations, and lessons learned via songâboth for the cathartic value as well as to let others know they are not alone on this journey we call life. Trying to steer clear of clichéd subject matterâon This Strange Place, Lasala opts for story telling (George the Gifter), expressing frustration and imparting wisdom (Lose the Fence, Somewhere to Be), or just generally rocking out (Where I Dwell, May the Sun Shine); even taking a page from the Steve Miller Bandâs classic hit, âThe Joker,â by coining a new word--âelusitivityâ--on the albumâs catchy anthem, We Do What We Want. With a CD release party slated for December 2006, and more gigs to follow, Lasala hopes This Strange Place will be a place others will want to visit for years to come.

"Eleven acoustic-based tunes that reside happily on the corner of Rock and Folk streets. Simple and well written with a smoky vocal coating...Lasala also gets to show off his lead guitar chops which ain't nothing to shrug off" - Craig Gilbert, New Haven Advocate, 12/7/06

"...a voice very similar to Scott Weiland or a later-day Springsteen...With deep confessionals, story songs, and just plain catchy words and melodies, This Strange Place, is a cut above his 2003 debut Somewhere to Be." - Patrick Ferrucci, Register Entertainment Editor, PLAY Magazine, 12/6/06