Together video by David Smith of VisionSmith Productions.

 Dream A Highway [8:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are two of our heroes. Their music has been such an inspiration for us in terms of songwriting, vocal harmonies, and instrumental textures. One day about two years ago, we decided to set up some mics in my living room on a rainy day. We left the windows open so you can hear the rain in the recordings!

 Together [4:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We’re feeling the sun beating on our caves and have been gradually emerging from hibernation. This website has become something of a diary of our progress and a place we can post some things we’re working on. This is a rough track of Matt’s song Together, which we recorded last month and have been trying to add some backing vocals and bass to. While I’m working out some of the technical difficulties with my digital recording setup at home, here’s a preview… It’s one of my favorite of Matt’s tunes, and I think it came out quite well. I could go on for hours about how equally great and awful Garageband is, but I’ll spare you my rant. Anyway, let us know what you think!

After moving to Lambertville, NJ from South Orange, I wanted to find local musicians to play with. I was advised by friend and former Smoove member, Gregg Weiss to record the songs I had written and put them out there to see if I could find other musicians with similar tastes. Well, I ended up producing a whole 13-song album, with lots of help from my friends. Upon finishing in the summer of 2004, I dropped off a copy to the Fireside Tea House. Next thing I knew, I was in the audience at a Fireside performance, as Matt Pillischer sang Frame of Mind Rag. Shortly after, High Hearts were formed. (Thanks, Gregg!)

 No Moon Tonight [4:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here’s the second installment of the Lost Capa Tapes. We had some difficulty recording this song recently. My son was asleep upstairs and I didn’t want to wake him up, but the result was that I held back a little too much, and the vocals lacked feeling. I’ve also considered singing this one lower, in more of a Johnny Cash range, so maybe I’ll experiment with that next.

 I Wanna Sing That Rock and Roll [3:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is the first installment in a segment of many podcasts.  Usually we do this song differently, but you never know what the spur of the moment will spawn.  I was happy to get not one, but two solo opportunities here.  Woohoo!  This track is from “The Lost Capa Tapes,” recorded by Jerry Adair one night on a whim.  Jerry plays upright bass in a great Bluegrass band called Ramapo Ridge.  Thanks, Jerry!  Keep on pickin’.