I wrote a few bossa nova songs in 2018 and this is one we recorded at Sleepless Sound studios in Philadelphia with my brother, Richie Taver.  This was the first time in almost 20 years I recorded music with my friend TJ de Blois who was my old bandmate in A Life Once Lost from 98-2000.

Vadim Taver - composition, classical and electric guitar, bass, vocals, shaker, claves, cabasa.

Richie Taver -  mixing

TJ de Blois - drums

Bossa Nova Song 2 (needs vocals)

This song is a cover by Pete Fij (Adorable) and Terry Bickers (House of Love).

It was recorded at our house in March-April 2020.

Vadim Taver - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Melodica, Rhodes, Bells, Castanets.

Katie Fish - Vocals

Mixed by Richie Taver

This is an incredibly beautiful song that Katie and I often sing together at home and it is criminal that more people have never heard the original version as both of the musicians who created it are huge inspirations of mine.  I wanted to create a version that isn't far from the original but at the same time give it a bit of my own style.

If the World Is All We Have (feat. Katie Fish)

Song: Microwave

Recorded through the internet during March/April 2020 during quarantine time.  Began with an idea from Eduardo on just vocals and acoustic guitar recorded in Los Angeles.  Produced/orchestrated by Vadim in Huntington Beach, CA.  Mixed by Richie Taver in Philadelphia. 

Composition, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar:  Eduardo Bouzas 

Additional Composition, Production, Electric Guitars, Bass,  Drum programming, Bells, Electric Piano: Vadim Taver
 
Mixing: Richie Taver 
sirrtaver@gmail.com

Visual Art: Jose Ardila Behar https://www.youtube.com/user/TheJosarbe

Microwave (feat. Eduardo Bouzas)

"All I Have to Do Is Dream"

written by: Boudleaux Bryant (made famous by the Everly Brothers)

Vadim Taver: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drum and String Programming, Piano, Mixing

Melissa Fritz: Vocals

Brendan Ekstrom: Slide Guitar

Nicholas Fritz: Cover Image
www.nicholasfritzimages.com

I met Melissa a few years ago as my old band played with her husband's band almost 20 years ago. Turned out we had a lot of mutual friends in PA, and I learned that she is a great singer. She did not however have any recording equipment, but told me she wanted to record a cover of this Everly Brothers classic. So, I put it together on my own and sent her the song where she recorded 5 takes of her harmony vocals through iphone voice memo in her car. She sent them back to me and I mixed them into the song - turns out our voices blend together very nicely. I then asked my friend Brendan from my old band This Day Forward and currently of Circa Survive to put down a little slide guitar. I mixed it at home in Huntington Beach, CA.

All I Have to Do is Dream (feat. Melissa Fritz)

During the quarantine I sometimes made videos of myself playing random songs, and just for fun I played a section of Shelter's "Better Way" acoustically.  I didn't really think much of it, but then my friend Dave commented on the post saying he always wanted to record a cover of it, and I said, "Well, why don't we do it?"  This is what came out from us sending tracks back and forth to each other from California to Toronto.  To me this is more a re-imagining than a cover.

"Better Way" originally recorded by Shelter

Vadim Taver:  Vocals, Guitars, Moog Bass, Keyboards, Celeste, Mixing

Dave Buschemeyer: Backup Vocals, Bass Guitar, Additional Synths, Artwork, Mastering

Richie Taver:  Additional Mixing

Better Way (feat. Dave Buschemeyer) (Shelter cover)

I met Oliver a few years back at a retro arcade spot and we discovered we both were musicians and worked for the same company teaching chess to kids.  Oliver is a fantastic multi-instrumentalist and he came to me with an idea that was just baritone guitar and a mellotron that reminded me of being in a David Lynch film which I was instantly drawn to.  I started building on it and it became a grand composition.  He later brought in his friend Paula to record some backups and I asked my buddy Dave to master the track.  All work was done in California, except the mastering which was done in Toronto.

"Take Me With You" by Oliver Althoen / Vadim Taver

Oliver Althoen - Vocals/Lyrics, Baritone Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mellotron, Harmonium, Mixing.

Vadim Taver - Electric Guitar, Synth layers, Ebow, Moog Bass, Rhodes Piano, Choir Vocals

Paula Gabriel - Harmony Vocals

Dave Buschemeyer - Mastering

Nicholas Fritz - Artwork
https://nicholasfritzimages.com

Take Me With You (feat. Oliver Althoen and Paula Gabriel)

Mat sent a song to me a while back that was backwards.  He was originally thinking of doing something like the Euphio Question from This Day Forward's "In Response."  I was just going to do some vocals, but once he sent me his drum beats and piano parts forwards, I decided to go wild with the it, orchestrating part after part.  I wasn't happy with the ending I came up with and had to sit with it for about a month until the ending section came to me as I was laying in bed and couldn't fall asleep one night.  This was really my first time writing what I would consider electronic music.  

Vadim Taver:  Guitars, Moog Bass, Midi Synths/Sounds, Electric Piano, Shaker, Theramin, Ebow, Ending Drum Programming

MatPhilly:  Drum Programming, Piano, Loops

William J. Sullivan:  Mix + Master
www.wreckinjoint.com
www.williamjsullivan.com

Gordie Ball: Artwork
IG: @gordondouglasball

OIPHUE (feat. MatPhilly)

I met Chris teaching for Star, Inc. in Los Angeles where I heard him play piano and sing one day. We discovered our mutual appreciation for Elliott Smith and Ben Folds and I invited Chris over to play music at my place in LA. For this project, Chris took a chord progression and guitar lead I've had for 8 years and put vocals and piano to it that fit immediately. I layered what I heard on top of it and slowly we built the song full of harmonies and interesting instrumentation. Richie Taver mixed it in Philadelphia, and I asked my old friend Rich Hall if he'd like to collaborate with his artwork. His painting fit the mood and lyrics of the song perfectly.

Vadim Taver: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming, Shaker, Tambourine, Cabasa, Claves, Music Box, Harmony Vocals.

Chris Kerrigan: Lead and Harmony Vocals, Lyrics, Piano, Organ.

Richie Taver: Mixing and Mastering
sirrtaver@gmail.com

Rich Hall: Artwork
IG: @rich_hall

Possums (feat. Chris Kerrigan)

This song started as a chord progression idea almost 8 years ago with an idea for a vocal melody.  I sent a rough idea to Richie in March of this year and we began working our way through it.  There were periods of time when we didn't touch it, but the lyrics presented themselves to me as a summary of times in my last relationship.  I tried to let the lyrics show the love I have for a person very dear to me.

Hey, Lady run
the setting sun
Relive the past
cause no one won

The ocean breeze
The Summer seas
A lighthouse heart
Replay the night,

again.

How time does fly
every goodbye
Do all things
eventually die?

But even so
through fog + snow
I see your face
I'll let you know,

again.

Vadim Taver:  Vocals, Acoustic + Electric Guitars, Rhodes Piano, Drum Programming, Shaker, Tambourine.

Richie Taver:  Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Rhodes, Synths, Effects.

Recorded in Huntington Beach, CA and Philadelphia, PA.

Mixed by: Richie Taver

Mastered by:  Ian Bennett

A Lighthouse Heart(feat. Richie Taver)

This collaboration began with Pete sending me a demo of him singing over a piano part. I kept his vocal melody but re-wrote the accompanying chords and orchestration. We messed with tempos and keys and eventually got a structure which we built on back and forth from CA to PA, back and forth, back and forth.

The collaboration turned out to be very active and we worked on the track until it became better and better. Pete's bandmates, Dan and Jarod, added Lap Steel and Drums respectively.

Richie Taver mixed the song in Philadelphia and it was mastered by Ian Bennett.

Photography and digital image provided by the lovely Sharyn Frankel.

Lyrics:

Feels like nothing's gonna change.
I download everything around.
I've been strangled in my clothes.
Here lies, someone you might know.

It feels like the parts got rearranged.
I stumble over every single sound.
Yes i've been tangled in my prose.
I steer lines.
but i forget where they should go.

Still after all these years you've been patient with me.

It feels like
Like nothing's gonna change.
But we know it ain't the same.
It's just the problems that we face.
I let you tenderly embrace me
close to feel your skin
and then you kiss me once again
until we sink or we swim.

Pete Hill: Lead vocals, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer

Vadim Taver: Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, Rhodes, Bass, Percussion, Sound Effects

Dan Beaver: Lap Steel

Jarrod Pedone : Drums

Mixing: Richie Taver

Mastering: Ian Bennett

Image: Sharyn Frankel

A New Mourning(feat. Pete Hill)

Songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist.  

2020 is the year of collaborations.   Let's work on music.

Time to get back to my first passion.