Lower East Side vet Mike Rimbaud took the name of his new band from a set of cute cartoon signs that
reminded ’50s commuters not to smoke or spit. But it’s that dingy, subterranean, through-the-grate kind
of glow that informs his scruffy-voiced rock songs, invoking ’70s Costello and Springsteen along with an
improbable hint of Brazil—the Baiana guitar (a surfy-sounding electrified acoustic).
(Kamenetz) –The Village Voice

Mike Rimbaud, in basic black, wielded an electric guitar in songs that were terse, telegraphic and propelled
by urgent strumming. Mr. Rimbaud has a rocker’s rasp in his voice, and he knows how to get the most
power out of verses with few words. His songs crackle with New York’s nervy paranoia.
By JON PARELES The New York Times

Mike Rimbaud Press Book (Download)

Interview published in New York City's The Villager:

Mike Rimbaud is an indie musician from New York City. He has released six CD's and he is also a painter who exposes his work. He is performing regularly in the City and in other places. He has visited Brazil many times although you can't feel any "Brazilian" sound in his work, the influence is present by the use of an electric "cavaquinho" (also called "Baiana Guitar", a 60s invention by two musicians from Bahia, used in samba and chorinho). He agreed to give The Villager an interview after we met in person at an East Village pub.

Ernest Barteldes : Tell us a little about your background.

Mike Rimbaud : I was born in New York, spent my childhood on Crosby Street, in Little Italy. I'm a third generation American. I took guitar lessons from Eric Darling, a folk singer who played with the Weavers and the Roof Top Singers,starting when I was six years old. With a couple friends I formed a rock band in high school, I played bass in it and sang some original songs, we did some gigs in Massachusetts where I was living at the time. I started performing solo when I was in college, I played some coffee houses and open mikes, and since then I never stopped. In the early nineties I lived in Paris for a couple years and toured solo and with my band all over Europe, including Russia. I continue to go to Paris regularly and have a side project called "Adam Evening" that I'm recording with a French experimental electronic musician.

Ernest Barteldes : Your working track, 7-11 on 9-11 gives your view of that day. Did the events of that day affect your music in a deeper way?

Mike Rimbaud : I don't think it changed the way I play guitar or write songs, I've been playing since I was a little boy. I've written political songs before, for example, "American Terrorist" and "Blacks sea, Red Light" from my "Red Light" CD, or "Police State of Mind" from "Mutiny in the Subway" my first CD. My song "You Make Love Like you Make War" was inspired by the Gulf War. I'll probably write a sequel for Gulf War 2. It's important to have songs that speak to current events, topical songs are pretty common throughout folk music history. Unfortunately there are very few outlets for many people to learn about and listen to these kinds of songs today, unless you hang out in folk music circles and can tune in some college music stations. Pop music today is so poor and artistically bankrupt, I think it's cheating the public out of the real healing power of song. "Beast of "Broadway" is like my folk music album, it's very minimal, I wanted to record it like an old blues session. My last three records were all rocking with a full band, and here many of the tracks are only my guitar and voice.

Ernest Barteldes : You recorded a Springsteen song, "Atlantic City". Coincidentally, he released a new album this year as well. Is there any particular reason to include this song in your new album?

Mike Rimbaud : First of all, I'd like for him to hear it, and second, I hope he digs it. He's a busy guy, so I'm not waiting by the phone for Bruce's call. This is the first time I put a cover song on one of my albums. Maybe it's like a little wave to New Jersey from the other side of the river. I originally recorded it to be included on a Springsteen tribute album, and I liked it so much, I thought it could go on my CD too."Nebraska" is one of my favorite Springsteen records, and "Atlantic City" has a fantastic atmosphere. I tried to shine a different light on the song, especially the phrase "maybe everything dies someday comes back." Also I always wanted to do CD that was only guitar and vocals like "Nebraska," maybe I should have called it "Beast of Oklahoma."

Ernest Barteldes : You use a "cavaquinho" in the CD. Has Brazilian music influenced your style in any way?

Mike Rimbaud : I've been going to Brazil regularly for the past twelve years, I hope it has. I bought a used Cavaquinho in Salvador last summer in a little shop. It's a black one, and it's electric. I didn't buy it when I first saw it, but I was haunted by it and I went back a few days later to get it, all musicians understand this feeling, I think. A friend of mine who lives in Gavea in Rio plays the instrument professionally in a great group that specializes in old Brazilian songs from the 1920's. Anyway, she's given me some tips for the Cavaquinho and guitar. Three of the songs on my new record were written in Brazil, "Angry in Paradise," "Without sugar", "Turtles have Shells." I wrote the words for "Mind Eraser" in New York and the music in Rio. You can go all over Brazil and find bars and restaurants where there is a lone singer with his guitar, no band, singing beautiful songs. It's not like Bleecker street, in Brazil it's in the air, the way they play guitar, wi! th nylon strings, and those sensual melodies.

Ernest Barteldes : I understand what you mean about Brazilian music. People look at you differently when you make a sound that is completely different from what they are used to hear. Anyway, how influenced are you by Brazilian music today?Are you considering incorporating it into your kind of sound?

Mike Rimbaud: Whenever I go to Brazil I want to listen to new music that coming out over there, weather it's Pagode or Rock. I like "Televisao de Cachorro"(by Pato Fu) and "Chico Science" (the late Brazilian pop fusion artist) but also "RevelaÁ„o" and "Falamansa". I'm really not sure how much it has influenced my music, but I know I'm heavily influenced by the Brazilian lifestyle and attitude, which must touch my songs somehow. My first CD, "Mutiny" was done with only bass and percussion, so I've always loved Latin American percussion, but I think I'm a rocker at heart. when I was a kid I wanted to rock like Jimi Hendrix or Elvis(Presley and Costello) and I still do.

Ernest Barteldes : In some of the tracks, I can hear that you ran an acoustic guitar through an amplifier, but you can hear the sound of the guitar's strings that were probably picked up by the voice mike. Was that intentional, to create a sound somewhat like Eric Clapton did on the Bluesbrakers album?

Mike Rimbaud : That's exactly right, I actually recorded some guitar tracks using a POD, by Line 6, it imitates tube amplifier sounds. Yes, I recorded the vocals live with my guitar playing, so it picked some guitar too. When I started performing around New York, I played solo with a Fender Telecaster and a Twin Reverb amp, very heavy, I like the sound of solo electric guitar too. I used to listen to Billy Bragg a lot, who recorded albums with only electric guitar and voice, like a Punk Woody Guthrie.

Ernest Barteldes :You released your album through an independent label. Are you independent by option or do you intend to shop around larger labels or distribution companies?

Mike Rimbaud : Yes, I'd like to find a larger label and distribution company, but a lot of larger labels won't even listen to your CD if you send it to them. Maybe if I taped a hundred dollar bill to the jewel case, and stuck a joint inside, I'd have better luck. (photo by Pierre Dufour)