The great American road trip is alive and kicking in Mike Brown’s songs.  All the mysterious, enchanting back roads that all us romantics sit around daydreaming about come alive on American Hotel.  Listening to the album, you can tell Mike’s logged lots of windshield time, that he’s stopped in plenty of small town cafes to break bread with the type of familiar all-American characters we road warriors know so well.  They’re what have given Mike’s project legs and taught it to run like no other.  Mike and I are kindred spirits, brothers of the open road.  We may set out looking for entirely different things — I cruise back roads looking for rusty gold and other junkyard treasures, while Mike hunts down priceless performances — but our missions share a very similar passion.  We are both driven by love.  There’s no way I could put a price on the new friendships and incredible experiences I’ve had on my journeys, and I’m sure Mike feels the same about the musicians he befriended on his quest, the voices he found sprinkled across the country who together fill this great album.  I hope you guys enjoy the result of my fellow picker’s lifelong dream as much as I do.  God bless the great American road trip dream!  

Mike Wolfe 
Antique Archaeology 
American Pickers


credits:
produced by Mike Brown
mixed by John Morand
additional mixes by Mike Terry, Mike Vizcarra, Mike Brown, and Pete Droge

all songs written by Mike Brown
The Drunkards Progress Publishing (BMI)

road photographs taken by Mike over the course of making the record.
studio photographs made by Nicholas Perry at Temperamental Recordings, November 2010.
photograph of Mike with Mike Wolfe made by Ryan White.

art direction and design by Mike Brown, Annie Stoll, and Brian Grunert for White Bicycle
web design by the Morrissey brothers of Geneseo NY

American Hotel was recorded in all 50 states over the course of six years. 
Quite a bit of it was recorded by me (Mike) out of the back of my vans in various parking lots, 
truck stops, driveways, bars, and anywhere else I could set up without getting arrested. 
I also had the privilege of working in some great studios with some incredibly talented engineers. 
Being that the record took so many years and miles to make, I'm sure a few people 
deserving credit have been accidentally left off this list. So, this page will be updated over time. 
Please get in touch if you helped make American Hotel but don't see your name here, 
and I'll make sure you're add you to the list.


engineers...

John Morand
Jay Bennett
Mike Terry
Mike Vizcarra
Dave Draves 
Alan Weatherhead 
Jerry Marotta 
Eddie Kramer
Jimmy Goodman
Russell Cook
Steven Rhodes
Freedy Johnston
Rami Jaffee
Rafi Sofer
Larry Goad 
Jim Scott
Brian Rosenworcel
Rafi Sofer
Roman Klun
Chris Vrenna
David Matheson
Richard Llyod
Stuart Sullivan
Jason Gossman
Pete Droge
Jim Brunberg
Dana Colley
Don Coffey
Marc Dauer
Zac Decamp
Brian Kunitz
Andy Rose

studios...

Temperamental Recordings, Geneseo NY and Los Angeles CA
Sound Of Music, Richmond VA
Little Bullhorn, Ottawa ON
Freedy Johnston's Cabin, Woodstock NY
Abbey Goad Studio, Nashville TN
Jersville, Woodstock NY
New Monkey Studio, Van Nuys CA
Clubhouse, Rhinebeck NY
Bomb Shelter Studios, Los Angeles CA
The Wave Station, Geneseo NY
Cello Studios, Hollywood CA
Rami Jaffee's Trailer, Malibu CA
Brian Rosenworcel's Apartment, Brooklyn NY
Flying Tiger Studio, Eaglerock CA
Q Divison Studios, Somerville MA
Cash Cabin, Hendersonville TN
Chris Vrenna's House, Eaglerock CA
David Matheson's Apartment, Toronto ON
Truck Farm, New Orleans LA
Richard Llyod's Studio, New York, NY
Wire Recording, Austin TX
Puzzle Tree, Vashon Island, WA
Mississippi Studios, Portland OR
The Cave, Laurel Canyon CA
Hi-N-Dry, Somerville MA
Back of the GWAR Tour Bus, Boston MA
Shilah Morrow's House, Los Angeles CA
Independent Recorders, Knoxville TN
Leopard Studio, Stone Ridge NY
Pieholden Studios, Chicago IL
Chameleon West, Buffalo NY
Sound Emporium, Nasville TN
Avast!, Seattle WA
Swamptone Studios, Orlando FL
Marc Dauer's Garage, Los Angeles CA
PJ Mansion Studio, Montreal QC
Mirror Studios, Anchorage AK 
Asylum Studios, Los Angeles CA
Tone Row, Los Angeles CA


guests (with the bands they play or played in)...

Artis The Spoonman (Frank Zappa, Soundgarden)
Andy Creeggan (Barenaked Ladies, Brothers Creeggan)
Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Alan Weatherhead (Hotel Lights, Sparklehorse)
Avalon Peacock (Mechanical Bull)
Bill "Smitty" Smith (Truth and Salvage Company)
Blair Sinta (Alanis Morissette)
Brian Rosenworcel (Guster)
Bruce Milner (Every Mother's Son)
Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown)
Chasen Hampton (Chasen Hampton)
Chase Pierson (Mechanical Bull)
Chris Trapper (The Push Stars)
Chris Zaloom (Chris Zaloom)
Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Tweaker)
Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets)
Dana Colley (Morphine)
Dave Brockie (Gwar)
Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
David Immergluck (Counting Crows)
David Lowery (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven)  
David Matheson (Moxy Fruvous)
Dave Savage (Dave Savage)
Derek Asuan-O'Brien (Roses Pawnshop)
Don Coffey (Superdrag)
Eamon Ryland (The New Left)
Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin)
Elaine Summers (Elaine Summers)
Eyvind Kang (Bill Frisell, Mike Patton)
Freedy Johnston (Freedy Johnston)
Gary Burke (Bob Dylan)
Garth Hudson (The Band)
Hershel Yatovitz (Chris Isaak)
Isobel Campbell (Belle and Sebastian)
Jay Bennett (Wilco)
Jeff Foskett (Brian Wilson)
Jen Gunderman (The Jayhawks)
Jerry Augustyniak (10,000 Maniacs)
Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel)
Jim & Dani Lacey-Baker (Walkie Talkie)
Jimmy Goodman (A Viberatto)
John Davis (Superdrag)
John Morand (Sound Of Music)
John Regan (Peter Frampton)
Joie Calio (Da Da)
Josef Pelletier (Fantom Frequency)
Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo)
Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty)
Lew (The Sneakies)
Marc Dauer (Jukebox Junkies, Five Easy Pieces)
Mark Smidt (Denim Family Band)
Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, David Bowie)
Matt Rafal (The Brightwings)
Miguel Urbiztondo (Maki, Sparklehorse)
Mike Brown (The Sneakies)
Peter Distefano (Porno For Pyros)
Pete Droge (The Thorns)
Rami Jaffee (The Wallflowers, Foo Fighters)
Rebecca Schroeder (Rebecca Schroeder)
Richard Llyod (Television, Matthew Sweet)
Robby Takac (Goo Goo Dolls)
Rob Brill (Pete Droge and The Sinners)
Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, REM)
Sean Hurley (Vertical Horizon)
Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing)
Sebastian St. John (Roses Pawn Shop)
Shilah Morrow (Sin City)
Soda (Soda and His Million Piece Band, Wax)
Steve Berlin (Los Lobos)
Stu Schulman (Willie Nelson)
Tim Easton (Tim Easton)
Tim Jones (Old Pike, Truth and Salvage Company)
Tony Lucca (Tony Lucca)
Tony Lunn (Tony Lunn)
Zac Decamp (Geneseo)

Gibsonville

Temperamental Recordings