Bio
In the words of Kurt Cobain “ I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.”
Michael Rubin was born in Whitestone, New York. His parents introduced him to music while in utero, listening to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Zappa - the classics.
It was his grandfather who handed him his first guitar, the one Christmas gift that forever changed his life. Guitar Hero was fun to play but when he actually held a guitar he knew the game wouldn’t be enough.
From that moment on his passion for the instrument began his journey into songwriting.
By the age of 10 Michael was attending classes at School of Rock. “I felt at home there,” he recalls, “there were other kids just like me.” It was School of Rock that introduced Michael to performing. The school had such a profound impact on him that he is now one of the top instructors/directors at three (3) New York area School of Rocks in which he is the co-owner. He is presently using his teaching skills to create an instructional video series in partnership with ESP Guitars, one of his musical instrument endorsers.
At the age of 13, Michael formed his band, The Inoculated Canaries. He was in his Science class when the instructor mentioned inoculating canaries during the bird flu. The band’s first EP The Blue Laws was soon followed by their single “Don’t Be Late” and an acoustic version of the song “Jericho”. Their second EP, Trying Times was also followed by singles “Count Me Out”, “Who Are You?”, “The Lawyer’s Wife”, “Sneakers”, “Donna” and “Hypocrite”. https://theinoculatedcanaries.com/
Michael describes the Canaries: “We want to take those raw human emotions that we all feel in the darkness of our minds and write songs about them. We’re not here to be rich or famous, we’re here to be great. To us, greatness means making music that is real, and the best, but always being original. Greatness is sometimes having to stick up your middle finger to authority, convention and even the person in the mirror…. Side effects may include crying, laughing, a sudden sense of existential dread and/or hearing loss.”
Michael formed a second band, King Falcon. They released their debut single “Shake!, Shake! Shake!” early 2020. “We thought if you took characters from one tv show and made a spin-off that is what King Falcon would be.” It’s a bit more commercial and modern. https://kingfalconband.com/
Signed to Mascot Records and Mascot Label Group they released "When the Party is Over" along with a fun holiday song "Dear Mrs. Claus". The self titled album King Falcon is scheduled to be released summer 2023.
During the Covid pandemic, Michael played Ace Frehley from Kiss in the film Spinning Gold to be released March 2023. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wn4pI3UeAI
Both bands are actively writing, recording and performing.
Today, Michael is endorsed by ESP Guitars. Matt Masciandaro, president & CEO comments: “ESP works with many of rock’s leading guitarists, and Michael’s amazing technique, stylistic range, tone, and phrasing make him a welcome addition to our team.” Tony Rauser, director of Artist Relations, adds: “We are happy to welcome Michael Rubin of King Falcon to the ESP artist family! Michael’s unique and melodic playing style is showcased perfectly in his first ESP video lesson series.”
Michael is also endorsed by Ernie Ball.