A collection of beautiful folk tunes rich with imagery, imagination and soulful vocals.
“Musician [Mike] Rufo releasing new album ‘living is’...Combining social justice advocacy with art woven into former climate consultant’s present, past and future.”
“Helsinki, by Mike Rufo is one of the top Folk Rock albums of the 2022. ”
“The part of my musical consciousness that was nurtured by the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Flatt & Scruggs, and even Leo Kottke donned a warm smile while listening to Mike Rufo’s new album, Helsinki. The melodies are lovely, the lyrics straightforward and honest, and the guitar rings true - beautiful, clear, and unpretentious.
A stand-out track, for me, is ‘It’s Alright’ - akin to The 59th Street Bridge Song, the melody is extremely catchy and it leaves the listener feeling content and liberated from every day cares.”
“A song that jumped out at me [from Mike Rufo’s new album, ‘Helsinki’] was ‘Back to the Bottle (Never Going)’, an amazing song that reminded me of past Christmases with my family and what I had to do to do just that, to never go back.”
“Not everyone needs huge bank accounts or conquering space in life. Most of us have simple, human needs - to hear how the wind sings behind green hills, a stream murmurs, or a melody plays. Humans needs humanity! -Mike Rufo understands this perfectly and shares this humanity with us on his new album, ‘Helsinki’.”
“Harmonies! Mike Rufo and David Johnson are one half of the popular local rock band, No Exit… The tightness of their vocal harmonies really shone through, as did the intricacies of their guitar parts. The duo’s well crafted originals blended with some tasty covers (Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game a particular highlight). [The audience] took an instant shine to the duo from their very first song (Dead Flowers) and stayed with them through both sets. ”
“While some new acts are all about blending different genres together in the search of a new sound, ...[Mike Rufo] is trying to bring back the pure days of folk music with its melodic and harmonious music reminiscent of acts such as Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel with some Beach Boys hints. ”
“...we are delighted to bring you the exclusive premiere of San Francisco artist Mike Rufo... The lyrics are very positive and uplifting, reminding the listener that there’s room for everyone to belong and to ask questions...”
“I’ve enjoyed playing Mike Rufo’s song, “Spyin’ Eyes” on KALW and KALX where the song has been a hit with listeners, staff, and some generally hard-to-impress DJs. The song even drew one of the station’s engineers — a guy who has, literally, heard it all — out of his gear-head cave to cheer it on. I don’t know if that means much in the “real” world, but it’s considered very high praise in radioland.”