Michael J Media Group

10/10/2025

Tune in today!
Our client is featured on NPR’s — don’t miss their incredible performance!

📸: Cassidy Roark/Mountain Stage

10/07/2025

October Newsletter!

I'm thoroughly grateful this month. Not only was the Mike Farley Band reunion show fantastic, fun, and fulfilling; but we are talking about making it at least an annual thing.

And then, two weeks later we went to Scotland for 11 days with my wife's band--Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets, put on by a company called Scottish Folk Tours. The band, an excellent all-female folk/pop/Americana outfit, performed a few times during the trip in which each member brought a spouse or family member, and 20 of their biggest fans to take part in the experience.

The tour folks also booked some local performers to share some traditional Scottish folk music that included lots of vocal harmonies--and stellar musicians who played guitar, mandolin, harp, different types of horns including a soprano saxophone, and a mesmerizing type of "drone" box that resembled both a tea box and an accordion. We even had great weather for much of the trip, which we found out is not the norm.
One of our tour guides, Gail, was a music lover who created Spotify playlists for our bus rides through beautiful countryside--music that was a good representation of Scottish traditional and modern folk; folk/pop, and folk/rock. She even indulged me personally by playing a former client of mine from Scotland, Dean Owens; as well as a song from Jim Kerr and Simple Minds.

The photos above are from the trip, and to show you what a beautiful country Scotland is. It was an amazing month or so and has me recharged and ready to share the latest music, tour dates, and news for the artists we represent. Have a great month!--MJF

Check out the rest on our website.
michaeljmedia.com

09/02/2025

SEPT. 2025 NEWSLETTER!

So, this is a big week for me personally. 25 years ago, the Mike Farley Band recorded and released our first album as a band (I released two solo albums before this), halfaworldaway. We were starting to make some noise in Northeast Ohio and won Best Rock Band in the Cleveland Free Times two straight years. We opened for The Pretenders, Huey Lewis & The News, Dave Matthews Band, and Better than Ezra, among others. We played just about every festival in Cleveland and Akron between 1999 and 2002. We were in rotation on local radio and our song "Can't Be Your Man" is still spun on WSTB in Streetsboro, Ohio.

This coming Saturday, Sept. 6, MFB will turn back the clock to play a 25-year anniversary/reunion show at Brothers Lounge in Cleveland. I like to say I'm semi-retired from making and playing music and singing--I can't hit some of the high notes I used to hit with ease, but that's okay. I also often say that you can always go back, and this is an instance of just that. I'm looking so forward to seeing friends and fans and familiar faces; being on stage with my musical brothers Jeff, Jeff and Joe; and having my own wife and son there (Jen and I met at the release party for that show in July of 2000, and our 18-year-old son Jonathan is so excited about seeing us live as the last time we did this, in 2010, he was not quite three years old.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while life tends to whizz by, it's important to forge your own way and return to your roots when the time and timing are right, and to minimize life's regrets. These ideas have also been recurring with the lyrics on some of the albums we are promoting, including recent ones from David Wilcox, Ron Sowell, and Ross Thorn (see our website for more info!)

As always, we appreciate and thank you for listening, and have a great month!.--MJF
visit us at www.michaeljmedia.com

08/14/2025

An awesome interview with from

https://www.wncw.org/show/new-tunes-at-two/2025-08-11/thursday-8-14-david-wilcox-the-way-i-tell-the-story

08/04/2025

Sierra Ferrell at Lolla. Did you catch it?

On July 31, 2025, Lollapalooza's lineup featured sets from Tyler, The Creator, Gracie Abrams, Sierra Ferrell, and more.

08/04/2025

Our latest newsletter is up on our site, michaeljmedia.com

I'm gonna keep this brief since it's summertime, and many of you are planning an early Friday getaway; what you plan to do over the weekend; or you have a vacation coming up. I've often said once we hit the 4th of July, we snap our fingers and it's Labor Day. Well, we're in mid-finger-snap right now, so best to enjoy this summer to the fullest. And to the dismay of fans of the other 29 MLB teams, Let's Go Mets!

Thanks for listening, and have a great month!.--MJF

07/22/2025

Ross Thorn has a new song "Far Away." We premiered it. Enjoy our quality music reviews and coverage on Americana Highways.

07/01/2025

JULY NEWSLETTER OUT!
Here is a sneak peak:

Hey everyone—I hope you're enjoying your summer so far. Remember when 2024 turned into 2025? Feels like two weeks ago, right? Surprise—we’re already halfway through the year. Time to revisit those New Year's resolutions.

Now, I want to talk about something important: contact information. Or more accurately, the lack of it.

Using bands or record labels as an example—because that’s my world—there are times I hear a great act or get approached to represent someone. I check out their music on Spotify or a link, and I’m impressed. Then I go to their website to follow up… and there’s no contact page. No email. No management info. Sometimes, no tabs for tour dates, videos, or even a bio.

Sure, there may be social media icons, but that’s not always helpful—especially for folks not on every app. You need clear contact info: booking agent, publicist, manager—or at the very least, a working band email.

If you're an indie or mid-level act, don’t make it hard for people to connect with you. That includes fans, media, venues, managers, and labels. You don’t have to list a phone number, but no email at all? That’s a missed opportunity—and looks unprofessional.

I’ve had countless journalists, radio programmers, and podcasters ask me how to reach a band they’re trying to cover. When they can’t find info, it reflects poorly on the act—and sometimes costs them press.

I’ll save my rant about missing bios for another day. For now, take a look at your own site. Can someone easily reach you?

Thanks for listening, and wishing you all a safe and happy 4th!
—MJF

(P.S. I always welcome replies. Got a story about contact info fails? I’d love to hear it.)

06/16/2025

ACCLAIMED ROUNDER RECORDS ARTIST
ANNOUNCES STRIPPED BACK FALL TOUR
BUY TICKETS HERE

Nashville, TN (June 16, 2025)– Today, acclaimed Rounder Records artist Katie Pruitt has announced a special acoustic run of fall tour dates, beginning in Decatur, GA on September 4th and wrapping up in Woodstock, NY on October 25th. The tour will be making stops in Nashville, Washington DC, New York City and Philadelphia, among elsewhere. See a full list of dates below.

“A gritty soft rocker that nevertheless sparkles.” – NPR Music

“…stellar lyricism and earth-shattering vocal prowess…Mantras exhibits exponential growth in every aspect.” – Nashville Scene

Pruitt has been highlighted as a Rolling Stone “Artist You Need To Know,” one of NPR Music’s “Slingshot: 20 Artists To Watch,” and has performed as part of CBS Mornings’ “Saturday Sessions” series, as well as NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk (Home Concert).”

Visit KatiePruitt.com for news and updates

KATIE PRUITT UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
September 4, 2025 – Decatur, GA – Eddie's Attic ^
September 5, 2025 – Asheville, NC – Diana Wortham Theatre ^
September 6, 2025 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records ^
September 9, 2025 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival - Sanctuary ^
September 10, 2025 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark ^
September 11, 2025 – Evanston, IL – SPACE ^
October 14, 2025 – Washington, DC – Union Stage ^
October 15, 2025 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage ^
October 16, 2025 – New York, NY – Joe's Pub
October 17, 2025 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church ^
October 18, 2025 – State College, PA – The State Theatre
October 20, 2025 – Providence, RI – Fete Lounge ^
October 21, 2025 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall ^
October 23, 2025 – Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square ^
October 24, 2025 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall ^
October 25, 2025 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios ^
^ supported by Jess Nolan

Photo/credit Alysse Gafkjen

06/10/2025

Congrats to Ron Sowell Music for making the TOP 10 on the May FAI Folk Music Charts!

https://www.folkradio.org/chart/may-2025/

06/07/2025

Mike Farley Band and friends to reunite in celebration of their signature halfaworldaway album
Show is planned for Saturday September 6 at Brothers Lounge

Cleveland, OH (June 6, 2025)—Mike Farley remembers something specific about the last time his Mike Farley Band (MFB) performed on stage. “I remember when we hit that last note, I said, ‘We’re gonna take a short break, we’ll be back in ten years,’” he said. “Everyone laughed, including us. Then we had a reunion show booked in 2020 which was ten years.”

But then Covid-19 happened, and the show did not, in 2020. Instead, MFB cobbled together an album release of some previously unreleased songs and demos, B-Sides and Rarities.

So now, five years later, the boys from MFB (Farley on guitar and vocals; Jeff Nagel on lead guitar; Jeff Beam on bass; and Joe Rohan on drums) have just announced another try at this reunion thing. The show is set for Saturday, September 6 at Brothers Lounge in Cleveland. Tickets are $10 each, with all of the band’s proceeds going to the Cleveland Food Bank to help those in need during some very difficult times.

As they had planned in 2020, the show will be a celebration of MFB’s signature halfaworldaway album, but it will be a 25-year anniversary instead of 20. Released in July of 2000, the opening track “Can’t Be Your Man” is still the band’s most popular song. “To this day, I still hear from fans of the band that they heard the song on WSTB in Streetsboro,” said Farley, “and it blows my mind that the station has been playing it for that long.” Also on the album is “Far Away,” which was in regular rotation on WAPS in Akron when halfaworldaway was released.

And while MFB did release an album of new music in 2016, Where We Stand, that project was more or less pieced together. Farley and Nagel shared ideas via e-mail and text, then finished co-writing the songs using Skype. After that, the recording took place at various studios across the country as the four members lived in four different cities at the time—Cleveland, Seattle, Portland, OR, and Madison, WI.

06/06/2025

Ross Thorn and The Spine Stealers announce co-headlining late summer tour dates
Upper Midwest Folk-Americana groups team up along with select support

Folk-Americana artists Ross Thorn (from Duluth, MN) and The Spine Stealers (Madison, WI) will hit the road for a three-week co-headlining tour beginning on August 6. Thorn's brand new album, Fitting In, is set for release August 8, so these dates are to promote the new music.

Ross Thorn .thorn
With a pastoral upbringing in northern Wisconsin, Ross Thorn’s music emanates as a warm and soulful hymn, waking up optimistically beside a snow-covered window. His sharply crafted and often humorous lyrics—distinctly reminiscent of great folk artists like John Prine—reveal internal struggles of empathy, questions of human character and virtue, and a search for hope, often finding solace in some unanticipated truth. In 2023, Thorn released his debut album, Hugo, a thoughtful exploration into mortality, loss, and identity. The 9-track record leans heavily into his folk and country roots, showcasing introspective and melancholic songwriting along with political fervor and compassion for others—an album for anyone that appreciates an old sound with a forward-looking message. These songs caught the attention of Trampled By Turtles, who selected Thorn to open for them and Jenny Lewis at their annual sold-out show in Duluth. He will be releasing his new album, Fitting In, on August 8.

The Spine Stealers
The Spine Stealers make spooky folk inspired by dark lakes, brain-burned nostalgia and a melancholic hue. The band grew from the duo of Kate Ruland and Emma O’Shea, who learned guitar together during the height of the pandemic.

2025 began with opening for Basia Bulat at the Majestic Theater in Madison, WI as well as their first tour to Nashville, TN in April. The band is working in the studio recording their second EP and several features coming out this year. They will be traveling outside of the Midwest, eager to take on their first national tour with Ross Thorn in August taking them out to the Pacific Northwest and rugged Western United States.