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[silent-kit]

This Old Town

Video by Andy Whorehall Executive Produced by Lord Thomas Derby  Words + Music + Visuals © 2014 - 2022 Dave DeCastris (Silent Kit) | Reproduction not permitted.  All rights reserved.

https://davedecastris.com https://andywhorehall.com https://derbyreynolds.com https://silentkit.com

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“Johnsburg, Illinois* / Birds and Balloons / Break My Hands (Live Performance in Studio / Medley)”

Unearthed this live 2009 studio medley from the Silent Kit coffin. Starts with a take on Tom Waits’ beautiful song, “Johnsburg, Illinois”, from the 1983 album, “Swordfishtrombones,” and ends with two of my original songs—”Birds and Balloons,” and “Break My Hands”—which morphed into an unexpected medley on the spot. 

Thanks to the boys (credits, scroll down) for being pros and unknowingly following me wherever those elementary major chords took us. Always liked how this turned out because there was no heads up, no practice, and I didn’t know which songs to play until engineer, Mark Gustafson, wondered if it was okay to start recording.

Major props to all who caught the moment; and I ask, where did the last 13 years go?

This particular live performance of one of my favorite Waits songs had zero preparation. Hell, I made up the arrangement on the spot with a few G/C/D chords. The guys helped me out with showing up to the recording in late 2009 for the now-defunct but successful SockMonkeySound Podcast production. 

They were years ahead of the podcasting trend—grassroots DIY, all passion, sweat equity and a genuine joy of music and culture combined with taking a shit on our hometown, Rockford, Illinois, but at the same time, giving the midwest arts and music community the props it deserved that regional wouldn’t (because this entire region is marketed by conservative hillbilly-targeted media amateurs with no respect for most of us working artists)—but the lack of support in our region to generate revenue support to keep it going combined with youthful distractions and career goals put an early end to the show after 200+ episodes.

Major props to all who caught the moment, and I ask, where did the last 13 years go?Note that this is the first and last time I’ve played live with anyone in any setting. Not sure I could do it again without making an ass out of myself with regards to not knowing the names of chords I’m playing on the guitar or piano, the arrangements and rhythm changes are a foreign language, and the technical aspects that go into capturing a song in the right moment and light is a wonder to me. I know when a song is good or not, no matter how it’s recorded and with any given device.  There’s so much more to it all that makes collaboration key— I envy the incredible magic-making musical skills that audio producers, engineers, mixers, mastering pros—all of you—do to provide our lives a soundtrack to discover and enjoy.  It’s magical, take a bow. 

Anyway, thank you to all who made this memory.  Still grateful that anyone gave a shit to capture a past life where I was clearly producing creative work across all media at a focused and chaotic pace that I’ll never enjoy the energy of happening again.  That’s youth and ambition for ya, or foolishness. Okay, time to go tell myself to fuck off again.

Have a nice day on the internet,

Dave is Andy is Lord Derby / Silent Kit

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CREDITS

"Johnsburg, Illinois*/Birds and Balloons/Break My Hands (Medley)" Performed by Silent Kit Live @ SockMonkeySound November 19, 2009

SILENT KIT IS and NEVER WAS: Dave DeCastris, Vocals and Acoustic Guitar Daniel James McMahon,Accordion and Drums Mark Muraski, Lead Guitar Zach Staas, Hammond B3 Organ

Audio Recording by Mark Gustafson

Video Recording by Chip Copeland

Words and Music © 2009 Dave DeCastris (Silent Kit); *Except "Johnsburg, Illinois", Words © 1983 Tom Waits.

Notes:  The full-hour interview episode that accompanies these live, in-studio performances is available from SockMonkeySound and via their Podcast channel in the Apple Music Store. Click below for the direct links. 

EPISODES UNAVAILABLE TO STREAM, but that can change at any moment if one of the four podcast production founders hands the audio archive over to make it available again through a new distribution channel / host provider to resubmit the RSS feeds to Apple and many podcast app platforms etc.

Stream Silent Kit on SoundCloud

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New Madrid – Available on "Just A Fan: A Tribute To Jeff Tweedy + Wilco," 

A compilation of cover songs written by Jeff Tweedy:   https://justafan.bandcamp.com

100% of the proceeds from sales (especially on Bandcamp Fridays) goes to benefiting The Chicago Independent Venue League. Share this tribute compilation's release info and URL (justafan.bandcamp.com) across social media and with music lovers to help save Chicago's music venues during this awful pandemic.  Learn more about The Chicago Independent Venue League at civlchicago.com.

Performed & Recorded by Silent Kit New Madrid © 1993 Sire Records, Composed by Jeff Tweedy & Jay Farrar © 2003 Additional Words & Music by Dave DeCastris Mastered by Justin Perkins, Mystery Room Mastering, 2020 Art Direction & Film Editing by Andy Whorehall, 2020

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I originally recorded a home demo version of this Uncle Tupelo classic song, originally composed by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, in 2003.  Took the freedom to rework a few of the words to align itself with the lonely arrangement I came up with.  That original home demo I recorded of New Madrid, bare bones, is available on my Volumes 1 - 5 download of songs covering 1996 to 2012.

The original song itself appears on Uncle Tupelo’s final album, “Anodyne,” released in 1993 on Sire Records. 

My original demo version sat still for the last 17 years before I attempted to unearth the original session recently to record a few more instruments to possibly submit for a Tweedy/Wilco Bandcamp benefit compilation to be released come Fall 2020 (Just a Fan:  A Tribute To Jeff Tweedy and Wilco).  Alas, I needed to settle on a WAV file export I made of the session in 2003 that I found due to being unable to locate the session archive.

For years I had always heard the version I attempted to record having a wall of rising, slow moving, air traffic control noise; to give weight to the guitar and vocals.  Knowing I was on the verge of destroying the track with too much noise, I stopped and passed my 2020 rework to Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering to see what he could do to help me out, to reel it back into a state of being listenable.

He saved my 2003 amateur hour home demo meets 2020 mud pie mix and washed the dirt off so that what you hear now is as close as I’ll get to the sound in my head  that I’ve always anticipated hearing by honoring “New Madrid,” Tweedy, Tupelo and Wilco.

My friend, artist and art director, Andy Whorehall, found stock film footage imagery to layer and play with in Adobe Premier Pro to export for all of you to stare at it on your smart devices before sharing it all over the anti-social media.

Have a nice day on the internet! SK

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FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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Favorite Person (Demo)

Written by Mossy Vaughn

Mossy, northern IL artist, has written a bundle of songs for the next Sickhorse record, his Nashville-Baraboo-Rockford area band.  He passed me a rough demo of beautiful little tune he wrote, “Favorite Person”. Truly cuts through the noise of life, 2020, people going crazy all around us.  Thought I'd take a no-frills-in-the-moment stab at it—raw and one take, recorded on my phone.

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"The 12 Days of Working With Lord Thomas Derby"

Music and Words © SilentKit.com  |  Song originally written and recorded in 2012 for “Andy and Reggie’s Songs About Stuff and Things Radio Hour Podcast,” by Lord Thomas Derby, Andy Whorehall, Reggie Railroad Reynolds, and Dave DeCastris.  

Video productionVideos are royalty-free stock production.  All rights reserved.  Reproduction not permitted.

LYRICS:

On the first day of working,  Lord Derby gave to me  A speedboat and metal panties. On the second day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Two TALIAN NACHOS,  And a speedboat with metal panties.  On the third day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS,  And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the fourth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the fifth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the sixth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the seventh day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the eighth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Eight PUFFY CHEETOHS,  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the ninth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Nine MEERASAKE’S,  Eight PUFFY CHEETOHS,  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the tenth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Ten SCUMBAGS CRYING,  Nine MEERASAKE’S,  Eight PUFFY CHEETOHS,  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the eleventh day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Eleven LIPPY’S LESSONS,  Ten SCUMBAGS CRYING,  Nine MEERASAKE’S,  Eight PUFFY CHEETOHS,  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.   On the twelfth day of working,  Lord Derby sent to me  Twelve ORANGE BANANAS,  Eleven LIPPY’S LESSONS,  Ten SCUMBAGS CRYING,  Nine MEERASAKE’S,  Eight PUFFY CHEETOHS,  Seven OH HI DOGGIES,  Six SOJAHNOWSKIS,  Five FRIDAY FUNDAYS,  Four MONSTER BUCKS,  Three CRAYSEE BREADS,  Two TALIAN NACHOS, And a speedboat with metal panties.

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New Video: "Upchuck"— wrote and recorded this demo in my apartment kitchen, 2003. Sat on it for 15 years, recently realized it was done and never going to get better than this. 

"Upchuck" Performed by Silent Kit (2003 Melrose Apt. Sessions / Kitchen Sink Demos) Words and Music © 2003 Dave DeCastris, aka Silent Kit. Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. Video by Andy Whorehall http://andywhorehall.com

MP3 version of song is available for free on "Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables:  Volumes 1 through 5," by Silent Kit, free to listen, stream and download:

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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"Ghosts [7" Edmundo Graig Mix]" Words and Music © 2010 Dave DeCastris and Mark Muraski, Silent Kit. Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. This techno-ass-dance version of "Ghosts" was remixed by Mark Muraski in 2010, Fuse Recordings, Rockford, IL. Two other versions appear on "Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables:  Volumes 1 through 5," by Silent Kit, free to download. See below. The original version was produced for the movie, "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride," starring Kris Kristofferson, Peter Dinklage, Lizzy Kaplan, Dwight Yoakam and many more. 

"Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables:  Volumes 1 through 5," by Silent Kit, free to listen, stream and download:

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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“Ghosts” Words and Music © 2010 Dave DeCastris, Silent Kit. Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. This version of "Ghosts" was performed, recorded and mixed by Dave DeCastris and Mark Muraski in 2010, Fuse Recordings, Rockford, IL, for the movie, "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride," starring Kris Kristofferson, Peter Dinklage, Lizzy Kaplan, Dwight Yoakam and many more. This song appears on "Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables:  Volumes 1 through 5," by Silent Kit, free to listen, stream and download:

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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“Cosmic Truck” The individual track is available to download on: “Volume 1: Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetable Scraps” by Silent Kit

“Cosmic Trucks,” Words and music © 2003 by Dave DeCastris (Silent Kit). This version recorded in 2007 at Fuse Recordings, Rockford, IL. Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. Video by Andy Whorehall: http://andywhorehall.com

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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The Staas Sessions [Official Music Film] Performed By Silent Kit

8 songs, 24 hours July 4th and 5th, 2008 Fuse Recording Studio Rockford, IL

Songs from the Staas Sessions, 2008, as they chronologically appear in this film, includes:

1) Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)* 2) Low (The Popcorn Stash) 3) Break My Hands 4) People In Bars 5) Star-Spangled Banner** 6) I.M. America 7) You've Alot of Nerve, Man 8) Curve Balls

Download the songs featured in this short film, click here.

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All songs written and performed by Dave DeCastris. Recorded and Engineered by Zach Staas, Fuse Recordings, Rockford, IL. Additional Performances by Zach Staas, Barrett James, Daniel McMahon. All Songs © 2008 SIlent Kit, Dave DeCastris, silentkit.com; except *"Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)," by Bob Dylan, and **"Star-Spangled Banner," by Francis Scott Key. Video creative direction and editing by Andy Whorehall:  http://andywhorehall.com

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More Silent Kit FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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“Poor People” The individual track is available to download on: “Volume 2: Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetable Scraps” by Silent Kit

“Poor People,” Words and music © 2009 by Dave DeCastris (Silent Kit). Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. Video directed and edited by Andy Whorehall. No rights reserved. Do whatever you want to. http://andywhorehall.com

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FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

Volume 1-4 (ZIP)

Volume 5 (ZIP)

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“Lies” [Demo Version, 2008] The individual track is available to download on: “Volume 5: Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetable Scraps” by Silent Kit

Words and music © 2008 by Dave DeCastris (Silent Kit). Reproduction not permitted. All rights reserved. Video directed and edited by Andy Whorehall. No rights reserved. Do whatever you want to. http://andywhorehall.com

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FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS (ZIP FILES):

> Volume 1-4 >> Volume 5

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Silent Kit, “Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetable Scraps,  (Vol. 5: 1996-2016)″

Volume 5 is comprised of demos left off of Volumes 1-4, 1996-2012.  The 17 songs that make up this collection range in creation dates from as old as 1996 to 2016.

Free Downloads:

Silent Kit, “Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (Volumes 1 - 4: 1996 - 2012)″

Silent Kit, “Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetable Scraps (Volume 5: 1996-2016)″

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"Squirrels" This is Mix 14 of a song written by my frand, Andy Whorehall, for his maker, me.  13 mixes exist, this is the only version you can do or pretend to do naughty things to. Dance, f*ck, drink, whatever you do do it naughty for the animals. They are watching you.  Squirrels are the worst living creatures, though, run from them.  The other versions of this song are very romantic and equally suicidal.  You will never hear them. They were tracked 14 years ago. This was mixed in 2008. Run.

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Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (Volumes 1 - 4: 1996 - 2012)

Free Downloads:

Silent Kit, “Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (Volumes 1 - 4: 1996 - 2012)″ (50 Songs recorded between 1996 and 2012.)

Silent Kit, “Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (Volume 5: 1996-2016)″ (17 Songs Left Off of Volumes 1-4, including new material recorded between 2013-2016.)

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February, 21st, 2013

Friend. songwriter and poet, Cameron McGill, offered to help me tie up a music project in 2011 that I started in 1996. It was abandoned due to many personal, financial, and creative factors.

Over 400+ songs / demos / ideas ended up on cassettes in shoeboxes, and then on hard drives between 1996 and 2012. Some songs worked over and over until they were destroyed rendering my efforts foolish and fueled by digital ego. Some songs ended up straying away from home and for the better.

Midwestern punk rockers, The Pimps, recorded a version of my demo, "I.M. America," for their 2010 record, "F*ck This Sh!t, We're Outta Here".  "Ghosts" barely missed making the final cut for the theme song of the independent film, "Last Rites of Ransom Pride," starring Kris Kristofferson, Lizzy Caplan, Dwight Yoakam, and the magnificent Jason Priestly.  Miles Nielsen borrowed lyrics from a demo of mine, "Good Heart Sway," for a song of the same name on his 2009 solo debut, "Miles".

From 1996 until 2010, I recorded songs under the moniker, "Donkey Boy (USA)".  A popular, European pop group by the same name—Donkey Boy—contacted me in the mid-2000s and threatened a lawsuit, but dropped their threats when I proved with a few documented tape demos that I had been creating under the name far before they existed.

A zip download of songs were freely shared from 2004-2010, "Donkey Boy (USA) & The Anthony Graigs".  A few popular indie music blogs had kind words to share:

“Donkey Boy - "Midnight With Simon". Yes, it's a song that's centered around masturbation, but man, the beats here are awesome. The crunch of the downbeat, the seething feedback, and then the coda's astonishing slip into acoustic guitar. This is part of a new album by Donkey Boy, to be released in 2005. Dave DeCastris is writing song-stories about the absurd sheen of Midwest normalcy, the "freak" neighbors who stare through the window as you eat your cereal. The song's protagonist has his hand in his pants, yes. He watches TV and then he falls asleep. But around it all, the buzz of guitar, the tumble of percussion, and that peculiar shift into glimmery guitar.” — Said The Gramophone, August 20th, 2004

“Donkey Boy - "Upchuck". Donkey Boy's stuff was passed on to me by Dave, whom I assume is Donkey Boy himself, and it's fine, splintered alt.folk - like Sparklehorse with toy instruments and a lofi pop glimmer. I like the wryness that breathes within the dustiness, the way the singer has withdrawn slightly from the back-and-forth of synths and sound-effects. It's sweet and forlorn, but there's a grin behind all that - it's a heartfelt song that ends with someone smilingly talking shit.” — Said The Gramophone, April 19th, 2004

“Speaking from experience and i can only assume this is true no matter your zip, area or postal code, but no matter where you lay your head you are bound to hear of a local musician that is a bit reclusive with their works. i can name at least two guys i know from Chicago that wrote and recorded some amazing songs, but never could be convinced to share them with anyone outside of a select few. God damn shame I always thought, and i tried my damnedest to try and coax, at least one of them, to bring his songs out into the public, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. There’s a chap named Dave DeCastris (aka Donkey Boy USA) that resides just northwest of Chicagoland in the lovely city of Rockford that seems to seems to have been suffering from the same kind of inner struggle as my friend, or maybe he’s just lazy. He’s amassed a shoebox collection of 400+ songs, most of which i dont believe have been put to tape. He’s been slowly working on the album, “& The Anthony Graigs,” for the better part of 13 years. He did some recording at an actual studio, but that studio, Fuse Recordings in Rockford, shut down in 2008. Supposedly he “& The Anthony Graigs” will be released in 2012. In the meantime, what we have here is a rough mix preview of said record. If you are a fan of Lou Barlow’s “Sentridoh,” Pollard, Westerberg, Silver Jews, East River Pipe and bands/artists of the like you should enjoy this. It’s far from perfect, but lyrically he’s pretty funny and the music itself is pretty solid.” — Captain’s Dead, 2009

Many of those songs reappear throughout this collection. Some with new mixes, most never heard to begin with due to creative A.D.D.

I decided to change Donkey Boy (USA) to "Silent Kit" in late 2012 while planning an official release with Cameron of what became Vols. 1 and 2.   Songs had evolved from the bedroom to the studio, from solely creating to collaborating with members of The Wandering Sons, Rusted Hearts, What Army, Joie de Vivre and anyone who cared to lay down tracks between 2007-2010.

I shelved the physical release towards the end of 2012 due to a lack of finances. Reality became that my other life, and work for fellow artists, didn't allow me the freedom to finance my own creative work.

Volumes 1 and 2 features the original sequence of songs planned with Cameron. Volumes 3 and 4 include 24 songs not intended for the original release. All together there are 50 songs here for you to find, listen, enjoy, hate, whatever, please share.

Silent Kit, "Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (1996-2012: Volumes 1 - 4" Produced By: Andy Whorehall All songs written, recorded, performed, edited, mixed by Silent Kit (Dave DeCastris), *except where noted. See credits below.

Recording Notes, Additional Performers, Engineers, Producers and Credits:  1996-2005:  Recorded in bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, garages, offices on various lo-fi devices in Peoria, Chicago, Oak Park, and Rockford, IL.  2006-2010: Recorded at home in my living room, kitchen, bathroom, and additional sessions at Fuse Recording Studios and Sock Monkey Sound Podcast/MIA Studio, Rockford, IL.  Sessions during these years included performances, recording, production, engineering and mixing by Zach Staas, Mark Muraski, Daniel James McMahon, Barrett James, Dave DeCastris, Andy Whorehall, Mark Gustafson, Noah Harris, Charles Koltak, Andy Scarpaci, Jim Westin, Kevin Schwitters and more.  Zach Staas and Mark Muraski handled engineering and mixing on many songs recorded from 2009-2010. Mark Gustafson handled the engineering and recording / mix of the only live-performance band-session by Silent Kit recorded in Nov. of 2009.

* "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," by Bob Dylan. "New Madrid," by Jeff Tweedy. "Johnsburg, IL," by Tom Waits.  "Achin' To Be," by Paul Westerberg.  "Surfer Girl," by Brian Wilson.  "Tonight You Belong To Me," by Billy Rose and Lee David. "After Hours," by Lou Reed.

For direct inquiries, please contact: imasilentkit(at)gmail.com

Bye bye,

SK

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"Low (The Popcorn Stash)" + Recorded with Zach Staas + 2008 + Fuse Studios.

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"Break My Hands"  - 15 minute jam + recorded in 1 take + 2009 + Fuse Studios + with Zach Staas, Daniel James McMahon, Barret Martin and me + first few minutes of the session edited down to a formal song + long version unavailable.