Raw, passionate and spiritual, Michael Levine is a singer-songwriter who doesn’t just strum chords and swing on a front porch. Singer and songwriter Michael Levine, based in Atlanta, Ga., combines intelligent lyrics, a unique acoustic guitar style, live percussion loops and a guitar synthesizer to create a powerful solo show. Experimental influences such as Moby and Peter Gabriel crash into an acoustic sound paved by artists such as Paul Simon and Dave Matthews. Levine’s lyrics explore the range of human experience including subjects such as spirituality, equality, and passionate desire. By not relying on “fitting in” to one musical genre, Levine defines a style all his own that is unified and all encompassing. “I like to borrow elements from a variety of styles as they are needed to express each song’s vision,” Levine says. Growing up in Birmingham, AL, Levine wrote music as early as age eight and continued writing and playing the guitar through adolescence. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in Music, Levine traveled throughout the Western United States, China and Israel, using these experiences to further enrich his lyrics and sound. In 1998, Levine returned to Birmingham and assembled the band Michael Levine and Cool Water. Opening for bands such as Dave Matthews, Live, Counting Crows and the Wallflowers, Cool Water was voted Birmingham’s Best Rock Band in 1998. Levine released his debut CD Under the Water in 1999. It received rave reviews and was on the Best Seller Lists in several Birmingham record stores. “Gravity” and “Over My Head” received airplay on Birmingham’s 107.7, the X, and Montgomery's 95.1, the Fox. When Cool Water parted ways during the summer of 2000, Levine moved from Birmingham to Atlanta and recorded the CD “Michael Levine: Live Acoustic.” Levine plans to release the new CD in March 2001. In addition to “Under the Water” and “Live Acoustic”, Levine has produced the self-titled album for singer/songwriter Celia Rose. All three albums were released on Levine’s record label, Watertown Music.
