Video: Downriver - Live in Studio

You'll Never Know - Tracking

I had such a great time in the studio last week, cutting a new song of mine called ‘you’ll never know.’ We went to my friend Shane’s spot called eStudio, and the results are really amazing.  It’s kind of a classic sounding tune, and the three of us playing together in the studio created a lot of energy that really jumps out of the speakers. I’m planning on finishing this sad song this week with an old school horn section that i’ve been doing a lot of sessions with lately.  That last touch, and this track will be all laced up and ready for a great mix. I can’t wait to share it!  Stay tuned.  Meantime, here’s a few pics.  Thanks to John Vanover for stopping by with his camera. -g

Christmas for Two

I wanted to write a Christmas song this year, and following the lead of greats like Irving Berlin, I figured that my Jewish heritage from Mom's side of the family, and the fact that I live in sunny L.A. gave me just the credentials I needed to write a good one... 2013 will be an important year for me, beginning with the birth of my first child in early March.  I'm currently experiencing all of the feelings I've heard that expecting fathers do, including overwhelming joy and anxiety, among many others. I decided to write about my impending fatherhood as the heart of this new song.  It's called 'Christmas for Two,' and it's about spending one last Christmas with Nikole as a family of two. Special thanks to Matty Alger for playing drums, Jacob Claret for the artwork and John Vanover for his contribution to the video.
 

Philly, Thanks for an Amazing night!!

I was blown away by the crowd of great people that packed both shows in Philly on the night after thanksgiving at the Tin Angel.  Thank you all so much for coming!   This was on of my favorite bands that I've ever put together...as you all know, the talent runs deep in Philadelphia...the band featured the incredible Nate Skiles on guitar, Dave Streim on key, Brian Weaver on Bass, my bro Isaac on lap steel and with the addition of the incredible L.A.-based drummer Matty Alger, the fellas took my tunes to higher heights....

With your help, we also raised a few hundred bucks for recovery efforts in Mystic Island, NJ, which was devestated by Sandy.

Below are a some board recordings and a few pics from the night:

Playlist: Politricks

Just tuned into the DNC, and I'm waiting for Obama's speech.  The guy can give a good one...we'll see how he does tonight.  This whole dog and pony show got me thinking about some of my favorite politically charged  songs. Here are a few of them...chime in if you have a good one...

1. Political Science:  Randy Newman has always been a smartass. 2. Your Flag Decal Won't get you into Heaven Anymore:  John Prine nails it with this one.  So many people hide their fear behind what they call 'patriotism' 3. The Fightin' Side of Me:  Don't talk shit on America around Merle 4. This Land is Your Land:  This song is not as pedestrian as you may think, when you consider the context in which it was written.  Woody was the original Rage Against the Machine. 5. Fortunate Son:  John Fogerty highlights the inequities of our country's social classes.  So pertinent still today. 6. I can't write left-handed:  This is such a poignant song, written from the unique perspective of a wounded soldier. 7. Them Belly Full:  Bob Marley is one of my favorite songwriters for a reason.  Here's one for us 99 percenters.

'Cardboard Baby:' Alone & Acoustic

Here's a live recording of my song 'Cardboard Baby,' from last Sunday, 8/26.

Cardboard Baby is a song I wrote about how our dreams are only real if we believe in and nurture them...and how they disappear the moment we lose faith.  This song takes on such a big sound with band, I thought it might be cool to get it completely stripped down like this.  Look for a massive studio version on my upcoming record.

 

Thanks to John Vanover for his great work directing and shooting this video.

Under the Covers: 'Going up the Country'

Not only was 'Under the Covers' the puntastic name of a horrible cover band I played trombone in when I was 16, it's also the name I've given these posts where I'll share some cover songs that I record!  Please leave suggestions if you think there are any tunes that I should take a stab at... Let's kick it off with a summertime classic, shall we?  (download it for free!) Canned Heat's 'Goin' up the country' brings back great memories for me...mainly because it was featured in one of the Eastern Exposure skate videos my  friends and I watched religously as teenagers.  Something about Fred Gall ripping up the streets of Philly to this song just made sense... that's matty apples on there playing some drums.   So let your freak flag fly, leave this big ol' city behind and head up to the country!  check out this footage of those goofballs playing it on a 60's tv show.  I find the hairy/stoned flute section hilarious.