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 incredible Jason Priestly.  Miles Nielsen borrowed lyrics from a demo of mine, "Good Heart Sway," for a song 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 2005-2010, "Donkey Boy (USA) & The Anthony Graigs".  Many of those songs reappear throughout this collection. Some with new mixes, most never heard to begin with.

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.

DOWNLOAD FREE

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

Volume 5, 1996-2016, covers 17 scraps and demos left aside from Volumes 1-4.  More, including videos and free downloads of Volumes 1-5 at http://silentkit.com

17 Falling Out... (2002 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

16 This Old Town (To Beat The Devil, For Rkfdnews)

15 Tired Dogs, Old Trees (For Derek Lutrrell)

14 The Gard'ner (Mix 5)

13 The Company Girl Is Very Sad  (1996 - Oak Park Sessions   Lou Blue It Cassette Demos)

12 Kaytwaah (2010 - 511 Sessions Solo Mix)

11 Married Gurl (2001 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

10 Nova Scotia

09 Noel Gallagher (2005 - Melrose Apt. Sessions)

08 National Anthem (2008 - Fuse Staas Session)

07 Hillbillies In Bergners Suits (Mix 4)

06 Lies (Demo)

05 My Frand Is Frands With John Kruk (Morrissey Mix)

04 Don't Worry About The Math

03 The Gard'ner (Mix 1)

02 Falling In. (2002 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

01 Titan Pride (2005 - Melrose Apt. Sessions)

Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables [Andy Whorehall's Sequence - Volume 4: 1996 - 2011]

4-02 Ghosts (2010 - 511 Sessions / Edmundo Graig 7" Mix)

Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables [Andy Whorehall's Sequence - Volume 3: 1996 - 2011]

3-12 Ghosts (2010 - 511 Sessions / McMahon Mix)

Songs gathered from a set of 400+recorded to tapes since 1996 for a formal release.  55 Tracks selected from the shoeboxes of demos. 26 were sequenced by singer-songwriter and poet Cameron McGill in 2012 for a what was going to be a box set.  Those are considered volumes 1 and 2 of this set.   Volume 1 is #1-13.  Volume 2 is #14-26.  Volumes 3 and 4 are sequenced by Andy Whorehall.  Volume 3 is tracks #27-38.  Volume 4 is #39 - 49   The project has since been abandoned until funds are proper to release it with a matching book of illustrations, photos, short stories, and additional songs.

1-13 Vacuum Floor or Elliot Smith  (2004 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

1-12 Cosmic Trucks (2007 - Fuse Sessions Muraski Mix)

1-09 Sunshine is a Killer (2010 - 511 Sessions Droid Mix)

1-05 Cigarrette Kiss (2002 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

1-03 Lies (2009 - 511 Sessions Muraski Mix)

1-04 Squirrels (2009 - 511 Sessions)

Songs gathered from a set of 400+recorded to tapes since 1996 for a formal release.  55 Tracks selected from the shoeboxes of demos. 26 were sequenced by singer-songwriter and poet Cameron McGill in 2012 for a what was going to be a box set.  Those are considered volumes 1 and 2 of this set.   Volume 1 is #1-13.  Volume 2 is #14-26.  Volumes 3 and 4 are sequenced by Andy Whorehall.  Volume 3 is tracks #27-38.  Volume 4 is #39 - 49   The project has since been abandoned until funds are proper to release it with a matching book of illustrations, photos, short stories, and additional songs.

_________________

A Making of Ghosts:

A few years ago I composed, wrote, recorded a demo song "Ghosts" with a friend, a respected artist who deservingly was a part of the Oscar winning documentary 'Undeafeated' to say the very least (us lifers know awards mean shit), for a western movie starring Kris Kristofferson, Lizzy Caplan, Dwight Yoakam and, ha, Jason Priestly. 

An associate of ours mixed it to include video game friendly, programmed percussion, Dre synth lines and a disco bass line. The song was selected out of thousands of submissions to be a part of 10 songs for a final vote off that relied on community, crowdsourcing support.

I contacted a few local media outlets at the movie producer's instructions with press release info to drive cross media attention to the movie and the song to become its themesong. Not one local, regional outlet responded directly to me.

The one outlet that did, Rrstar, Geo, embarrassingly contacted Dan to inquire, sort of, and then dig for some information on Bun E. and Cheap Trick. He passed my info to her, which she already had with movie contacts, to properly reply. She never did, because this is Rockford and the Cheap Thing is all that matters to the local media hacks. Hacks. Amateur hacks.

The song finished 3rd, regardless, with no support. Zip. 

I received a personal email from Mr. Kristofferson expressing his love for my composition, and wanted to hear more of what I had, for his own interests. So began a strange creative correspondence that affected my writing, phrasing, choice in melody changes and uncomfortable breaks that's more rewarding than local respect.

Loco respect.

I'm asked often why I have such disdain for my community, and I don't. It's not about the community, the community of misfit artists I know of are on par with nationally respected artists. My disdain is for local amateur leaders who have the potential to curve cultural awareness via whatever outlet they are apart of to affect community passion for the arts, everything, and don't. They don't because they're proud, complacent and ignorant.

Who do the artists need to be related to or working for in this town to earn any respect that's worth less in principal compared to receiving an email from the Prince of Darfur or Nigeria? Probably Bun, Rick, Robin and Tom. Maybe not, but I'm rarely wrong. 

I see through you, Rockford. Filthy little ponies... You're all ghosts whether you know it yet or not.

1-02 Ghosts (2010 - 511 Sessions   Muraski Mix)

1-01 We Don't Live Here (2008 - 511 Sessions   Swamp Ass Soul Mix)

2-13 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (By Bob Dylan)  (2008 - Fuse Staas Sessions)

Andy Whorehall and Lord Thomas Derby presents:

Silent Kit
Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables
Volumes 1 - 4:  1996 - 2012

February, 21st, 2013

About a year ago my friend and poet Cameron﻿ offered to help me tie up a music project I started in 1996 and abandoned here and there due to many factors.  One being, I know my limitations and have extreme creative A.D.D..–I'm already bored typing this in a normal person way (without all-caps and F words or made up nonsense).  Along the way over 400+ songs ended up on cassettes in shoeboxes and then on hard drives. Some worked over and on until they were destroyed rendering my efforts foolish and loaded with digital ego.  

A decent 55 demos survived and Cam helped sequence out two volumes, 13 tracks ea. for a 26 song release I shelved in the fall of 2012 due to finances. There will be no Kickstarter, crowdsourcing, etc., for a few reasons: One being I value my personal privacy more than begging publicly which I'd have to do to take your hard-earned money; and two, I have zero intents to perform live despite friends/musicians offering their support to be my backing band in public while you savages talk above each other and against each other.  No, thank you. And three, there are deeper intents I have to make sure this set sees the light of day with a book of illustrations, photos, and more I don't have enough time or money to deal with compiling right now because of other projects and responsibilities to survive. I know my limitations but for now, here's the rabbit hole version of volumes 1 - 4, Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables.  Listen carefully, Silent Kit.

Low Hanging Fruits and Vegetables (1996-2012:  Volumes 1 - 4)

All songs written, recorded, performed, edited, mixed by Silent Kit, except where noted.  

Volumes 1, Tracks 1-13: Sequenced by Cameron McGill   /   Volume 2, Tracks 14-26:  Sequenced by Cameron McGill   /   Volume 3, Tracks 27-38:  Sequenced by Andy Whorehall   /   Volume 4, Tracks 39-50:  Sequenced by Andy Whorehall﻿

Produced by Andy Whorehall
Executive producer:  Lord Thomas Derby.

Recording Notes and Credits:  1996-2012, recorded in bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, garages, offices on various lo-fi devices.  In no random order with vague recollections of who did what with me during various studio sessions and dates at Fuse Studio between 2006-2010: Andy Whorehall, Zach Staas, Mark Muraski, Daniel James McMahon, Barrett James, Dave DeCastris, Noah Harris, Charles Koltak, Andy Scarpaci, Jim Westin, Kevin Schwitters and more, I can't remember–sorry.  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 recorded to date in Nov. of 2009 for SockMonkeySound.com.  

For more information, visit Silent Kit online at:
http://silentkit.com

For more information, contact:
Andy@AndyWhorehall.com

4-01 Fire Cracker Empty (2002 - Telephone Diary Sessions)

4-06 The Girl I brought to see Jeff Tweedy at the Lounge Ax (1996 - Oak Park Sessions   Lou Blue It Cassette Demos)

Silent Kit

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