JDub Records

Soul Saint Marie - The New Age

Soul Saint Marie - The Golden Ego

If you are reading this blog, by now you are most likely aware that my record is coming out next week. In honor of that, I would like to take the time to salute my co-producer and engineer (and frequent Wailing Wall drummer) Christopher Michael Roush.

Chris is an intelligent, sensitive, and compassionate person who I am honored to call my friend. But more importantly, dude is a F*CKING SICK musician. He has already released two brilliant records under the name Soul Saint Marie - 2006’s D-r-i-v-i-n-g and last year’s Suns 1.0 Pursuit to Algiers divx . Both of these albums are available as free downloads via myspace, and I encourage you to check them out! The two songs I have included here are both from Suns 1.0 . The first, “The New Age,” is actually a drastically rewritten and rearranged (and excellent) take on one of my own songs, “Morning” (I have since repaid Chris by stealing a whole bunch of his lyrics for a new song). The second, “The Golden Ego,” is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard about Buddhist philosophy, and in a perfect world, this song would be a huge hit.

Chris recorded both of his albums and the bulk of Hospital Blossoms

at the studio he built in a converted boathouse on his parents’ property in Stone Lake, WI (check out the video of a sunset there below!). It is an unbelievably beautiful place to make a record - see the video below for proof! Every musician should really have the opportunity to make a record in such a wonderful and inspiring environment, with such a wonderful and inspiring friend.

The Hills Have Eyes II download

• Men in Black II release

• My Best Friend’s Wedding trailer

The Wailing Wall
Hospital Blossoms LP

Hospital Blossoms (128 kbps, 38.1 mb)
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Hospital Blossoms (192 kbps, 57.5 mb)
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The Wailing Wall on MySpace
The Wailing Wall on WNYC

The Wailing Wall, as it appears on this record, is:

Luke Bace – bass, sound effects
Holly Fulton – viola, grand piano
Alixandra Macmillan-Feidel – vocals
Natalie Mirsky – accordion, vocals
Taylor Pavlik – trumpet
Jesse Rifkin – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, harmonica, harmonium, accordion, electric piano, glockenspiel, violin scratches, drums, shakers, tambourine, wood block, field recording of gamelan musicians
Chris Roush – drums, cajon, darbouka, bass synth, shakers, vocals, sound effects, field recording of a thunderstorm outside the boathouse

Recorded by Chris Roush at the Boathouse in Stone Lake, WI and at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, except for “Floral Park,” “No Wind,” and “Morning #2,” which were recorded by Jesse Rifkin at his parents’ house in Annapolis, MD (Chris added all sorts of awesome sounds to “Morning #2” later on though).

Mixed by Chris Roush. Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper.
All songs copyright Jesse Rifkin, 2006-2007.