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Recently featured in Filter Magazine's 'Discover The Undiscovered' and nominated by Deli Magazine for Best of NYC 2011 Emerging Artists, My Pet Dragon’s anthemic songs and powerful live show has drawn comparisons to Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, and the Flaming Lips. MPD is led by singer/guitarist Todd Michaelsen and actress/dancer Reena Shah. They are joined by Mario Padron on bass and Rajeev Maddela on drums. Michaelsen's soaring vocals and strong pop melodies define My Pet Dragon's latest LP, Mountains and Cities. Deli NYC describes the album as "the ideal soundtrack for that cross-country, convertible drive under Augusts’ everlasting sunshine”.
MPD’s unique performances include Shah’s dancing influenced by the classical Indian dance style of Bharata Natyam, and nods to electronic music and stadium rock. My Pet Dragon headlined the 2012 Breckenridge Beer Festival in Colorado in April presented by KSMT - The Mountain and is scheduled to appear at numerous music festivals this summer including Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- NXNE in Toronto, Canada -- the inaugural Catalpa Music Festival in New York City -- the KahBang Music Festival in Bangor, Maine -- and SAWFest in Salem, New York -- with more Festival appearances being announced soon. Fuse TV featured My Pet Dragon’s official music video for their single Moonshine, which is currently in-rotation on radio stations across the United States. MPD is honored to have their song Love Anthem as a part of the Music for Occupy compilation Occupy This Album to support the movement. The compilation includes songs by Yoko Ono, Mogwai, Patti Smith, Tom Morello, Ani Di Franco, Thievery Corporation, Yo La Tengo, and more. Also, Todd Michaelsen was also chosen as a finalist for the 2011 Peacedriven Songwriting Award for Love Anthem. Roll Magazine says, "As U2 and Muse are already packing stadiums around the world... it’s really only a matter of time before My Pet Dragon is doing the same. Thanks to Michaelsen and his musical compadres, they’ve already got the hooks and chutzpah to make it happen. Now all they need is opportunity to knock on the door." "This is big, audacious & brimming with hooks. Considering that’s only kind of rock that gets the big boys to notice anymore, do not be surprised if you’re hearing more from and about My Pet Dragon, and soon." --John Norris (Noisevox, ex-MTV News) Mountains and Cities was produced by Stephen George, the former drummer of the band Ministry. George has worked with a wide range of pop artists including Iggy Pop, the Cars, and Common. The LP also includes contributions by members of Mercury Rev, Gov't Mule, and Hurricane Bells. My Pet Dragon is Todd Michaelsen, Reena Shah, Mario Padron, Rajeev Maddela. Michaelsen has collaborated with world-renowned artists Karsh Kale, Nina Paley, and Anoushka Shankar. In 2006, he sang and co-wrote 3 songs off Karsh Kale's "Broken English" including Dancing at Sunset which received rave reviews and heavy radio airplay in Europe, India, and the U.S. In 2007 he co-wrote a song called Abyss on Karsh Kale and Anoushka Shankar's stunning "Breathing UnderWater" album which also featured Norah Jones and Sting. In 2008, Michaelsen composed the score and wrote original songs for Nina Paley's critically acclaimed animated feature film "Sita Sings the Blues" which has won numerous awards around the world and continues to garner a huge cult following. Most recently he teamed up with Kale again on his gorgeous "CINEMA" album on the song Phoenix Rising on which he sang and co-wrote. Shah was the speaking voice of Sita in Sita Sings the Blues as well as the rotoscoped dancer & singer in the film during the Trial by Fire - Agni Pariksha scene. She was the Assistant Choreographer and a dancer for the Universal Pictures film, The Guru, where she taught Indian dancing to Marisa Tomei, Heather Graham, Jimi Mistry, and Michael McKean. She has appeared with Conan on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in a comedic Bollywood Skit for the show. She has also appeared in numerous Independent Films & Theater Plays worldwide, and has also narrated documentaries. Reena has taught workshops and performed Indian Dancing at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for Midsummer Night Swing, The Kennedy Center, The White House 2011 Easter Egg Roll, 2010 Sundance Film Festival, 2010 Maine International Film Festival, 2009 Wakarusa Music Festival, Central Park Summerstage, S.O.B.’s, Brooklyn Museum, the Queens Museum of Art, and in cities throughout Peru with the American Film Institute's 20/20 Program. My Pet Dragon
BIO The My Pet Dragon story begins with a young Todd Michaelsen climbing into his old, beat-up Buick headed for New York City with a lyric book and Stratocaster in tow... Todd grew up in upstate New York in a town called Granville, a small mining community on the Vermont border not too far from Saratoga. He grew up listening to his parents rock records of Springsteen, Young, Hendrix, and Dylan, but was also very influenced by 90's alt-rock. He had just quit college to expand his horizons in New York City's East Village, where he crashed on his uncle's couch for a year. After meeting artists, musicians, and DJ's, he moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn and immersed himself in the burgeoning music scene of Brooklyn. It was there he started playing with future My Pet Dragon drummer Rajeev Maddela. The two bonded over a love of rock music influenced by big, expansive artists such as the Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, and Bjork. It was at Raj's loft/rehearsal space that Michaelsen met Reena Shah, an actress and classical Indian dancer from New Jersey. A blossoming romance began, while living in a cold water flat in a rough neighborhood. A shared love of music and art, with a journey to Mumbai to visit Reena’s relatives was a memorable time for both. It was Todd’s first trip to India and he was amazed by the experience. The couple explored Jain temples and saw live music, dance and the martial arts of Kerala. Despite intense poverty, Indian culture was thriving. After the inspiring trip, the couple returned to New York and formed My Pet Dragon, named after Todd's imaginary childhood nemesis. Todd and Reena's journey throughout India heavily influenced Todd’s songwriting—rock fans and DJs, alike, embraced their homemade debut album, First Born. A remixed version of the song “Dragon Breath” was played on BBC Radio and the album and subsequent tour received rave reviews. First Born also caught the ear of acclaimed DJ and producer Karsh Kale, who had Todd write and sing three songs on his 2006 album Broken English and appeared on Breathing Under Water, his 2007 collaboration with Anoushka Shankar. (Todd was also featured on the track 'Phoenix Rising' off of Kale's latest record "Cinema", which debuted at #1 on the iTunes World Music Charts this year). Todd and Reena worked together again on 2009’s award winning animated feature film “Sita Sings the Blues,” with Todd composing the score and original songs, and Reena voicing the title character of Sita. All of this activity led My Pet Dragon to producer Stephen George. George, aka Stevo, was the original drummer in the legendary band Ministry and has recorded and worked with a wide range of musicians including Iggy Pop, The Cars, and Common. Stevo was impressed by First Born and a demo of Todd’s new compositions. He offered to produce and release the next My Pet Dragon record on his newly formed label, Gimme That Sound Productions. Recorded in a barn located in the Catskills, the recordings feature new friends Danny Louis (Gov't Mule), Carlos Anthony Molina (Mercury Rev), Carl Jason Molina (Hurricane Bells, Longwave), Anthony Rizzo (Little Embers, Garden Variety), and Vincent Mascolo as well as My Pet Dragon band members Rajeev Maddela, Mario Padron, and Reena Shah. The recordings were inspired by classic and contemporary artists such as Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Smashing Pumpkins, Beach Boys and Neil Young, but invoke a unique, ethereal sound driven by Todd’s frenetic guitar strum and melodic tenor voice. Though many tracks on the record find Michaelsen playing all the instruments and performing all of the vocal parts, during the recording of the album, My Pet Dragon blossomed into a 4 piece rock band who's combination of power, ambience, and passion set them apart right away. It seems as though Todd has finally found the right musicians he was looking for when he headed to New York City years ago. Maddela's mesmerizing drumming matches the energy of Todd's songs, voice, and guitar playing. Mario Padron's exciting performances and expansive bass playing push the band into new territory. Reena Shah has now started playing keyboards while her singing, dancing, and percussion give the band a unique and soulful presence. "MPD", as their fans call them, are as excited about the new record Mountains and Cities as their audience is.
My Pet Dragon released Mountains and Cities [LP] world-wide on August 2, 2011. |
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