OLD HOUSE NEWS:

The Old House staff is excited about the recent additions to the studio's gear collection. These include a mid-80s Roland JC-77 Jazz Chorus guitar amp, another Sennheiser e602 dynamic microphone, a late-70s ADR Compex stereo limiter (the same kind of limiter used on the infamous Led Zeppelin "When The Levee Breaks" drum sound), 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar, a 1972 Ampeg B-15N flip-top bass amp, a Noble & Cooley Studio Classic series drumkit, a Bleep Labs Thingamagoop robot synth, a Bliptronic 5000 synth, and another fine Scott Applegate custom fuzz pedal (based on the 1970s Os Mutantes Regulus fuzz).



Old House Studio's chief engineer Chris Garges was recently featured in the January 2011 issue of Gaston Alive magazine. The article offers some thoughts on "working with musicians, playing jazz, and earplugs," compiled by journalist Ben Dungan. You can read the article here.


Indie/Americana singer/songwriter Sunshone Still, is currently working on his fifth recording project with engineer Chris Garges. Also known as Chris Smith, the Columbia, SC-based singer-songwriter returned to Old House to begin work on a new full-length album that features his live band, which includes guitarist Jason Hausman, guitarist Rodney Lanier, bassist Flavio Mangione, and drummer Stowe Barber.


Charlotte jazz saxophone icon John Alexander is currently working on a new album of original funk and latin-based material at Old House. Chris Garges is engineering and drumming on the album with help from assistant engineers Daniel Grimmett and Brandon Nater. Bassist Gerard Benson, keyboardist Gary Marcus, and guitarist Troy Conn also appear on the album, which is slated for an early 2011 release.


China Grove-based bluegrass band Piedmont Natural Grass recently began work on a new album at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The six-piece ensemble is recording entirely live, in the same room without headphones. The new album will feature nine original compositions.


Charlotte-based rock band Birds With Teeth recently completed work on a new project at Old House. The four-piece band recorded six original songs with engineer Daniel Grimmett for an upcoming EP. The group also filmed the sessions with plans to include the video along with the audio release.


Charlotte-based rock band Reader is nearing completion of a new album at Old House. The four-piece band is working with producer/engineer Daniel Grimmett on the project. The album contains eleven original compositions.


Guitarist Joe Whelon is currently working on a new blues/rock recording project at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The project features David "DK Kim on drums and Chris Whelon on vocals and harmonica.


Southern Americana/rock band South 85 recently began work on a new album at Old House. Noted producer/musician Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (Steve Earle, Joan Jett, The Bottlerockets, The Del-Lords) is producing the record and Chris Garges is engineering. The band features vocalists Tracy Wyatt and Kathy Neal, guitarist Mike Bader, bassist Andy Burger, and drummer Eric Howard.


Guitarist and banjo player Dennis Currier just completed work on his second solo album, entitled Sly Dog Blues at Old House. The 14-song album featured a combination of original and traditional jazz, classical, and bluegrass songs and featured bassist Ron Brendle and drummer Chris Garges. The project was engineered by Garges and assisted by Daniel Grimmett. Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering mastered the album.


Charlotte-based rock band Another Lost Year recently completed a new EP at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The band recorded five original songs almost entirely live in two days. The EP was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Singer/songwriter Bill Noonan recently returned to Old House to record some new acoustic demos, following the release of his latest album, The Man That I Can't Be, which was also recorded with engineer Chris Garges and producer Mark Lynch at Old House.

Congratulations to  guitarist Bon Lozaga on the release of ESC Records' Mahavishnu Re-Defined II album. Lozaga's version of the song "Can't Stand The Funk," which appears on the album, was recorded and mixed at Old House with engineer Chris Garges and features features bassist "Tee" Goodwyn and drummer Donnie Futrell. (The album also features Steve Vai, David Torn, Gary Husband, Kai Eckhardt, Michael Manring, and many others.) Lozaga's career includes work with an impressive list of music legends: Gong, Mike Oldfield, Alan Holdsworth, Gary Husband, and his current band, Gongzilla.


Congratulations to Columbia, SC-based band Lunch Money on the release of their third album, Original Friend. The band writes and performs "Indie Rock for kids and adults," and Original Friend is currently available on Squirrel Mechanic Records. The band recorded the album at The Jam Room and at their own home studio in Columbia, SC before bringing the material to engineer Chris Garges to mix at Old House. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.


Congratulations to Charlotte-area singer-songwriter Sy Arden on the release of her new EP, Preposition. Arden recorded several songs at GAT3 Productions before bringing them to Old House to mix with engineer Chris Garges. The EP was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Congratulations to Charlotte- area blues outfit Nita B & The Swingin' Soiree on the release of their new self-titled, ten-song album of cover tunes. The album was recorded "live"in the studio at Old House with engineer Chris Garges and assistant engineer Daniel Grimmett and was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Charlotte area rock band Lambhandler is currently working on a new album at Old House with producer Mark Lynch. Chris Garges is engineering and Daniel Grimmett is assisting.


Americana folk/rock band Time Sawyer recently completed a new project at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The band recorded ten original songs, entirely live with a few additional overdubs, for the album. The album, entitled Time For A Change, is being mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Charlotte-based rock band North 51 is currently working on a new project at Old House with engineer Daniel Grimmett.


Charlotte-based rock band Bounty Hunger recently began work on a new recording at Old House. The band features several members of former Charlotte band Mickey Biscuit and showcases a similar type of high-energy rock. Chris Garges is engineering.


Singer-songwriter Brad Warner recently completed work on a new project at Old House with drummer Chris Rigo of Sugar Glyder and bassist Tyler Richmond of Reader. Warner is recording new original material with engineer Daniel Grimmett.


South Carolina metal band Fubar recently completed a new project at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The band recorded five original songs for the EP. The EP was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA and Brandon Nater assisted the sessions at Old House.


Charlotte-area hip hop artist A10 recently recorded new material at Old House with engineer/producer Daniel Grimmett.


East coast rock band A Town Called Robot returned to Old House to record more original music in late 2010. The band features Matthew Everhart of Baltimore, MA, Joshua Morris, of Kingston, NY, and Chris Garges of Charlotte, NC. Chris Garges and Daniel Grimmett engineered the sessions.


Charlotte area rock band Mego recently completed a new full-length album at Old House. The four piece band worked with engineer Chris Garges and assistant engineer Brandon Nater on eleven original compositions for the release, which was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Pedal steel guitarist Omar Mimms recently began work on a new project at Old House. Chris Garges is playing drums and engineering with assistance from Daniel Grimmett. Raleigh area bassist Kurtis Keyber also appears on the project.


Singer-songwriter Brian Doyle has recently completed work on a new album following a brief hiatus from the Charlotte music scene. Doyle is currently recording new material at Old House with engineer Chris Garges, assistant engineer Daniel Grimmett, and a host of Charlotte-area guest musicians. Drummers Greg Lisi and Curtis Wingfield, bassist Steve Green, guitarists Dan Hood and Les More, pedal steel player Bob Barone, keyboardist Scott Dailey, and cellist Tanja Bechler all appear on the album.


Charlotte-area instrumental rock band Bunky Moon just wrapped up work on their new 12-song project. The band (featuring bassist Ron Brendle, guitarist Troy Conn, and Old House's own Chris Garges on drums) recorded a combination of original compositions and classic cover tunes at Old House (with Daniel Grimmett assisting) before taking the tracks to engineer/producer extraordinaire Mitch Easter to mix at his own Fidelitorium Recording. The band's full-length album, which was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA, will feature ten of the songs and will be available in early 2011. An EP featuring three songs from the album is currently available.


Charlotte band Virgo Musik recently completed work on a new album of original material at Old House. Writers Keith Shamel and Mimi Harkness brought their very able band of Charlotte "All Stars" (including bassist Dustin Hofsess and drummer Scott McLaughlin) to Old House to work with engineer Chris Garges on the release. The seven-song project was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA and is slated for an early 2011 release.


Rock-a-billy/punk legends The Belmont Playboys have completed work on their long-awaited seventh album. (The band's last album was the live One Night Of Sin Live, released in 1999.) This new recording, produced by Mark Lynch and engineered by Chris Garges at Old House, features a combination of originals and classic covers spanning over 15 songs. The album was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA and is slated for a Fall 2010 release.


Congratulations to Washington, DC-area rock band The Public Good on the release of their second album, A Varied Program of Stereo Dynamics For Your Wild Nights Alone on Lost Lyrics Records. The band recorded the new original material at Old House with Chris Garges engineering, producing, and playing drums. Additional recording was done at Inner Ear Studio in Arlington, VA, The Bastille in Arlington, VA, Double Decker Bus in Chapel Hill, NC, and Fidelitorium Recordings in Kernersville, NC and the album was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA. The group has a unique history in NC. Guitarist/vocalist John Elderkin and bassist/vocalist Steve Ruppenthal were both in seminal NC rock bands The Popes and Stumble in the eighties and nineties before relocating to Atlanta and forming The Lovely Lads. The duo is once again writing, performing, and recording their own brand of pop-rock with the help of Garges and multi-instrumentalist Sam Esquith.


Congratulations to guitarist/songwriter Mike Strauss on the release of his fourth album, Ideal Road, recorded at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. Like his 2007 album, After All (also recorded with Garges at Old House), basic recording for Ideal Road included entirely live takes (vocals included!) with Mike and Randolph Lewis on guitar, John Schigoda on upright and electric bass, and David "D.K." Kim on drums. Overdubs were recorded with Donovan Collins on keyboards, Molly J. Brown on trombone, and Beth Brown-Alwari on violin. The seven song album was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Congratulations to Overmountain Men on the release of their debut CD, Glorious Day, available on Ramseur Records. The Charlotte-area "supergroup" of sorts features legendary singer/songwriter David Childers and bassist Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers, New Jersey Transient) both co-writing and performing the material, along with guitarist Randy Saxon, drummer Robert Childers, and keyboardist Scott Dailey. The album was recorded by Chris Garges at Old House, Neal Harper at The Milestone Club, and Robert Childers at his home studio. The album was mastered by Neal Harper.


Congratulations to New River Community Church of Clover, SC on the release of their new self-titlted CD. The church's praise band recorded the ten-song album at Old House with engineer Chris Garges. The album was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Congratulations to Columbian classical guitarist Aris Quiroga Nieto on the release of his latest album, Esperanto. Esperanto features nine compositions recorded at Old House with engineer Chris Garges (who also played percussion on one song) and at Audio Works with engineer Mark Lambert and engineer Matthew Everhart at his home studio in Baltimore, MD. Garges mixed the album at Old House.


Congratulations to Washington, DC-area guitarist Alex Martin on the release of his new album Second Life on Pajarito Verde Records. The talented classical, jazz,and world music guitarist traveled to North Carolina to record at Old House with engineer Chris Garges, bassist Ron Brendle, and drummer Thomas Garner. Ten of the album's twelve songs are original compositions and were recorded with the assistance of a grant from the Prince George's Arts Council. Engineer Daniel Grimmett assisted the sessions and the album was mastered by Peter Humphreys at Masterwork in Philadelphia, OA.


Guitarist extraordinaire Bon Lozaga is nearing completion of a new solo record at Old House. Lozaga's career includes work with an impressive list of music legends: Gong, Mike Oldfield, Alan Holdsworth, Gary Husband, and his current band, Gongzilla. Bon's new record features bassist "Tee" Goodwyn, drummer Donnie Futrell, and organist Kofi Burbridge (Derek Trucks, Aquarium Rescue Unit), and is being recorded by Chris Garges, who also recorded the latest Gongzilla album, Five Even.


Singer/songwriter Rick Spreitzer returned to Old House in 2010 to begin work on the follow-up to his 2006 album, From The Bottom. From The Bottom was Spreitzer's third album and was also recorded and mixed by Chris Garges at Old House.


Charlotte-area rock band In Spectroverse recorded new material at Old House with engineer Daniel Grimmett in early 2010.


Congratulations to singer/songwriter Bill Noonan on the release of his new album, The Man That I Can't Be, which was recorded at Old House with producer Mark Lynch and engineer Chris Garges. The album features drummers Ray Mitchell, David "D.K." Kim, and Chris Garges, as well as bassist Tom Kuhn, banjo-guru Randy Saxon, pedal steel guitar whiz Bob Barone, keyboardist Jason Atkins, trumpet player Jon Thornton, saxophonist John Alexander, and vocalists David Childers and Beth Chorneau. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.


Congratulations to contemporary jazz/fusion ensemble Actual Proof on the release of their new album, Paradigm Shift. The album of all-original material features vibraphonist Eric Mullis, bassist Philip Berkley, drummer Scott Brower, keyboardist Silas Aldridge, and guitarist Clint Presley. The album was engineered by Chris Garges at Old House and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.


Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter David Tomaloff recorded new material with drummer/engineer Chris Garges in 2009. Tomaloff is once again sent audio files to Garges for him to record drums on the new material at Old House, while Tomaloff did additional work at his home studio in Racine.


Monroe, NC world-punk band One Big Love recorded a full-length album at Old House with engineer Chris Garges in 2009. The six-piece ensemble recorded full-band material "live" in the studio and additional hip hop material was recorded as well.


Americana/punk band Trouble Walkers returned to Old House on the heels of their full-length album, Free Cowboy Hat, to record a split single with punk rock band Guam High in 2009. The single was produced by Mark Lynch and recorded and mixed by Chris Garges.


Singer/songwriter Bruce Hazel recorded several original songs at Old House. The project featured music from Hazel performed with drummer David "D.K." Kim, keyboardist Justin Faircloth, bassist and guitarist Shawn Lynch, vocalist Karla Marsh, trombonist Molly Brown, and saxophonist Brent Bagwell. Mark Lynch produced the project and Chris Garges engineered.


Congratulations to Gastonia native singer/songwriter Royce Robinson on the release of his new children's album, Big Kids, Big Plans. Robinson and his six-piece accompanying ensemble recorded the ten-song album live at Old House with Chris Garges engineering and was funded by a Regional Artist Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. The album features Robinson's singing and guitar playing, along with banjo and fiddle player Bill Moore, guitarist/harmonica player Bob Bigger, fiddle player Katie Lawton, bassist Bram Sargent, percussionist Ken Todd, and guitarist Lander Robinson.


Congratulations to northern Virginia-based singer/songwriter Josh Burgess on the release of his new album, Living And Dying Under Orion. Burgess recently brought his excellent band to Gastonia to complete work on his new album at Old House. Burgess brought 2" analog tapes from Cue Studios in DC with four songs to mix, along with six new songs the band recorded at Old House. Chris Garges engineered and the project was mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in Boston, MA.


Singer/songwriter Al Dunkleman returned to Old House in 2009 to record more original music with engineer Chris Garges for an upcoming release.


Guitarist Jordan Klemons was at Old House in early 2009, documenting several new original compositions. Chris Garges engineered the session, which featured Klemons, along with drummer Curtis Wingfield, bassist Ron Brendle, and Ryan Weaver playing Fender Rhodes.


Congratulations to songwriter Todd Busch on the release of the self-titled album from his large ensemble, Buschovski, which features live strings and horns in addition to the normal rhythm section arrangement. The adventurous Buschovski material was recorded by Chris Walldorf at his personal studio and mixed by Chris Garges at Old House and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering.


Congratulations to Wisconsin-based singer-songwriter and Dammitheads frontman, David Tomaloff on the release of his solo album entitled Birds On Wires, which was partially-recorded and entirely mixed at Old House. David sent CDRs with Broadcast WAV files of click tracks and guide tracks and notes on the particulars of each song to drummer/engineer Chris Garges, who played on the songs and mailed the tracks back to David, where he recorded overdubs at his home studio. Garges also recorded pedal steel player Bob Barone for the project as well. Tomaloff then traveled to North Carolina, where he and Garges mixed the ten-song album at Old House. The record was mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen.


Congratulations to Americana/punk band Trouble Walkers on the release of their album, Free Cowboy Hat, which was selected as one of the Top Ten Best Local Releases of 2008 in Creative Loafing magazine. The four-piece band, formerly known as Hot Rod Grease Lighting, features drummer Robert Childers, guitarists Gabe Hinceman and Daylon Brumfield, and bassist Mark Lynch. Special guest Randy Saxon appears on several cuts, playing guitar, banjo, and mandolin, and Karla Marsh sang background vocals. The group recorded 12 original songs at Old House with Chris Garges engineering (and lending an able hand playing tambourine).


New Day Pictures International came to Old House in both 2008 and 2009 to film interview and performance footage for a promotional film for contemporary Christian vocalist Freddy Hayler. The film, directed by Warren Marcus, supports the release of Hayler's CD and DVD set, Song Of Angels.


Old House was featured in a September 2008 article by Gaston Gazette journalist Daniel Jackson. Jackson wrote a local interest story about the house's 133-year history and commemorating the studio's 10th anniversary. You can read the article here.


Charlotte area a rock band Quart-A-Shine recorded original material with engineer Chris Garges 2008. While at Old House, the band recorded several new cuts while completing overdubs and mixing songs recorded at Jamie Hoover's Hooverama Studio in Charlotte.


Greensboro-area funk/blues band Thacker Dairy Road returned to Old House in 2008 to work on a new full-length album with engineer Chris Garges. This was the six-piece band's second project with Garges at Old House. The band spent three days recording twelve songs live with minimal overdubs and one day mixing the material.


Jazz vocalist Phyllis Van Hoy recorded twenty songs in one day at Old House in 2008. The speedy session featured pianist and musical director Bill Gerhardt, saxophonist Patrick Brown, bassist Ron Brendle, and drummer Adam Snow, with Chris Garges engineering.


Singer/songwriter Timothy Scott was at Old House in 2008 working on new material. The session featured Scott on guitar and vocals (live with the band), along with Charlotte-area jazz greats Troy Conn on guitar, Ron Brendle on bass, and Brian Sullivan on drums. Scott recorded four new songs with plans to record additional material for a full-length release.


Singer/songwriter Al Dunkleman came to Old House to record an original theme song commissioned for the 2008 American Legion Baseball World Series held in Shelby, NC. Engineer Chris Garges also recorded several new compositions for Dunkleman for an upcoming release.


Charlotte-area rock band Standing Count recorded at Old House in July 2008 with Chris Garges engineering. The four-piece band recorded and mixed three songs in one day for an EP release.


Engineer David Surratt recently traveled to Old House to record Greensboro-area funk/jam band Silence The Sky in early 2008. The group spent two days recording material at Old House with Surratt, who recorded additional overdubs and mixed the project at his home studio .


Congratulations to Florida-based jazz guitarist/vocalist Karl Louis Weismantel on the release of his new album, In Hand. Karl recently sent a handful of self-recorded songs to Old House for engineer Chris Garges to mix. The album consisted of twelve songs, mostly jazz standards, but included several originals as well. In addition to his singing, the album showcases both Karl's electric and acoustic guitar playing. Brent Lambert at The Kitchen mastered the record, which also features drummers Von Barlow and Peter Miles and bassists Jason Davis and Paul Creel.


Singer/Songwriter Megan Peeler brought her very able band to Old House to record a demo in May of 2008.
The band recorded five songs live to 2" analog tape and Megan recorded an additional three duo pieces with both keyboards and guitar accompaniment.


Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Benji Hughes completed an album of new material at Old House with producer Mark Lynch and engineer Chris Garges in 2008. The project also features some of Benji's former Goldenrods bandmates, including Justin Faircloth on keyboards and bass, Matt Faircloth on guitar, Randolph Lewis on guitar and vocals, Brent Dunn on bass, and David "D.K." Kim on drums. The album was mixed by Chris and Brian Paulson (Beck, Son Volt, Slint). Congratulations to Benji, whose song "Let's Duet" was featured in the John C. Riley film, Walk Hard and whose debut album, A Love Extreme, was released on New West Records in 2008.


Charlotte-area bluegrass group Southern Express completed an album of new material at Old House in 2008. The quartet recorded basic tracks live in the studio and overdubbed vocals. The group mixed eleven songs with engineer Chris Garges for the release.


Charlotte-area rock band Still Life Static recorded a single at Old House. The four-piece band recorded live basic tracks with lead and background vocal overdubs with engineer Chris Garges.


Stanley Pentecostal Holiness Church called on Old House to assemble audio for their 2007 Easter service. Music director Chris Lynch brought tracks for engineer Chris Garges to work on. Voice-over narrations were added and the material was organized onto a single CD for use during the performance.


Columbia recording artist Nicole Atkins was in NC in 2007 and stopped in at Old House Studio. Nicole was recording a few B-sides and promotional cuts to accompany the release of her major label debut album. Randolph Lewis co-wrote material for, played guitar on, and co-produced the sessions. Chris Garges engineered. Congratulations to Nicole on the release of her new album, Neptune City.


Congratulations to Sunshone Still, who has released his second album, an ambitious 17-song concept album/character study of 19th-century American frontiersman Kit Carson entitled Ten Cent American Novels. Also known as Chris Smith, the Columbia, SC-based singer-songwriter returned to Old House to work on his fourth recording project with mix engineer Chris Garges. The album was recorded by David Sleigh at his home studio in Charlotte, Houstons keyboard player/singer Justin Faircloth at his home studio in Charlotte, and engineer Bill Baird at his home studio in Austin, Texas and was mixed by Chris at Old House. The album features nearly twenty guest musicians (including live strings and brass) and is currently available on Potato Eater Records.


Congratulations to Charlotte's own Contagious Blues Band on the release of their album, Ride. Chris Garges engineered the self-produced record at Old House Studio. The record features drummer/vocalist Jr. Howell, bassist/vocalist Jim Bolt, and guitar players Joey Recchio and Hank Shell and was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering. Ride has also been nominated for "Best Self-Produced CD" at The International Blues Festival in Memphis, TN in February of 2008. Congratulations and best of luck to the guys!


Congratulations to blues/R&B artist and Louisiana native Bayou Butch Lucas on the release of his album and DVD set, Come On Over. Butch recorded fourteen songs, both originals and covers, with Chris Garges at Old House for Platypus Productions. Butch performed all the music on the album himself.


Charlotte-area rock band Chocha Loca brought their unique brand of riff-rock to Old House. The four-piece group recorded an EP of three original songs over two days with producer Mark Lynch and engineer Chris Garges.


Congratulations to singer/guitarist Bobby Smith on the release of his 2007 album, 8 Songs, $8. Engineer Mark Williams (Southern Culture On The Skids, Kirk Franklin) recorded and mixed the album at Old House. Chris Garges assisted and played drums on the project, while Bobby, along with bassist Flavio Mangione and additional drummer/vocalist Calvin Thompson recorded eight original songs. Organist Richard Putnum and vocalist Jamie Hoover also lended talents to the Romo Records project. The album was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.


Charlotte area rock star Scoot Pittman was at Old House in late 2007. Scoot and his fine band (featuring Scott Pope on bass, Brent Couch on drums, and Joe Lindsey on guitar) recorded two EPs with engineer Chris Garges. One featured some of Scoot's new original material and one featured snippets of the band's large repertoire of cover songs.


Jazz vocalist Tenya Coleman recorded a new vocal demo at Old House in fall of 2007. Tenya enlisted the help of keyboardist/arranger Alan Kaufman, bassist Ron Brendle, and drummer Jakubu Griffin for the sessions.


Southern rock band Cottonmouth were back at Old House working on a new studio project in 2007. The band, which consists of guitarist/vocalist Rodney Burnett, guitarist/bassist Dale Shoemaker, and drummer Sam Harwell, recorded a collection of cover songs with engineer Chris Garges (who also mixed the band's 2006 release, Rusty Monte Carlo). This collection of material includes several full-band cuts and several acoustic pieces with guest dobro and banjo player Alan Jolley.


Instrumental improvisation band Go There released their long-awaited debut album in summer of 2007, which was recorded and mixed at Old House. The super-group of sorts features guitarist Scott Sawyer, keyboardist/flautist Kofi Burbridge (Derek Trucks Band, Jeff Coffin), drummer Kenny Soule (Nantucket, DAG), and bassists Oteil Burbridge (The Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit) and Ron Brendle. The album was engineered by Chris Garges and mastered by Brent Lambert at The Kitchen in Raleigh, NC. The group recorded 11 songs for the release, which was produced by Sawyer and Chris Garges and is available on Doll Records.


Guitarist/songwriter Mike Strauss released his third album, After All, in early summer of 2007, crafted at Old House with producer Randolph Lewis and engineer Chris Garges. The basic recording included entirely live takes (vocals included!) with Mike, Randolph Lewis on guitar, Ron Brendle on upright and electric bass, and David "D.K." Kim on drums. Additional guests include Jason Atkins on keyboards, Bob Barone and Rodney Lanier on pedal steel guitar, Chris Garges on percussion, and vocalists Shana Blake, Reeve Coobs, the Stragglers, and Lenny Federal.


California-based singer-songwriter Stacey Ericsson was out at Old House working on a new recording in early 2007. Stacey recorded several of his own compositions as well as some jazz standards. Chris Garges engineered and played drums on the session, which also featured saxophonist John Alexander, guitarist Troy Conn, and upright bassist Elisa Pruett.


Congratulations to David Childers and The Modern Don Juans on the release of their latest album, Burnin' In Hell. The group recorded fourteen songs (including an Eric Anderson cover) at Old House with Chris Garges engineering. The group features Childers, his son Robert on drums, guitarist/string whiz Randy Saxon, and bassist Mark Lynch, who also produced the record. The record was mixed by engineering whiz Brian Paulson (Son Volt, Beck, Wilco, Slint) at his home studio in Carrborro, NC and was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte.


Charlotte area rock band Hunter's Travesty completed an EP at Old House in early 2007. Chris Garges engineered the four-song demo of all-original material.


Grey Seal Puppets recently enlisted the help of Latin-Jazz band Fuego Lento and Old House Studio to record music for their production, Salsa Cinderella. The group recorded several short pieces and full length original compositions by saxophonist John Alexander with Chris Garges engineering. The show ran in January 2007.


Greensboro-area rock/blues band Thacker Dairy Road was at Old House in late 2006 working on original material. The six-piece band recorded ten songs entirely live in the studio. Chris Garges recorded and mixed the material.


Charlotte rock band Hot Rod Grease Lightning recorded a demo at Old House with Chris Garges in late 2006. The high-energy group recorded four new songs and have plans to add more in the near future for a full-length release.


Bloomington, Indiana rock band Griffy Rhodes released their latest album, entitled Something Like The Truth in Spring of 2007. The group recorded basic tracks with Chris Garges at Air Time Studio in Bloomington and traveled to Charlotte for overdubs at Old House. The twelve-song record was mixed by Chris at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio in Chicago and mastered by Hoyt Dooley at Open Door Productions in Nashville.


Singer/songwriter Jeff Hartman released his long-awaited new CD, entitled For David, after late Old House owner and engineer David Black in Fall of 2006. Jeff and David began the project in 2004 (their third together) and recorded 11 original songs. David mixed three of the songs before his unfortunate passing and Chris Garges finished mixing the album. For David was mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B in Charlotte and is currently available through Jeff's website. Congratulations to Jeff on all his hard work making this project happen!


Charlotte-area southern rock band Swamdawamp was at Old House in Fall of 2006. The band was rehearsing with producer Joe Boyland (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nazareth) for the filming of an upcoming television show called "City Sessions Live," which features several up-and-coming acts from around the country.


Pop/R&B band The Barnettes recorded at Old House with Chris in fall of 2006. The band (consisting of sisters Elesha Renee, Adrienne, Kristen, and brother Rufus) have tracked eight original songs and one cover for the upcoming release. Check out the recent article on the band in Creative Loafing magazine.


Metal band Straight Drive completed work on a new EP at Old House in spring of 2006. Chris Garges engineered the four-song project for the band, which features vocalist Kliph, guitarist Brad Splawn, drummer Chad Landman, bassist Flounder. Guest vocalists Cassie Sipe and Lauren Pettigren also appear on the EP. The group is currently at Old House working on a new project as well.


The Morris Family traveled from Lexington, NC to Old House to mix their new album with Chris Garges in July of 2006. The group's collection of traditional Irish and original compositions comprise the twelve-song record, which was recorded at Josh Morris' home studio in Kingston, NY. The album was mastered by Hoyt Dooley at Open Door Productions in Nashville.


Congratuations to singer/songwriter Rick Spreitzer on the release of his third album, From The Bottom. From The Bottom was recorded and mixed by Chris Garges at Old House in 2005/2006 and features a host of local talent. Guests on the record include multi-instrumentalist Kevin Edwards, drummer Scoot Pittman, bassist John Schigoda, guitarist Mike Strauss, mandolin players Mike Orlando and J.D. Wilson, fiddle player Jane Hart-Brendle, keyboardist Jason Atkins, percussionist Chris Garges, and vocalists Shana Blake, Leah Howard, Jill Lurie, Salem MacKenzie, Maddie Howard, and David Childers. Scott Applegate assisted the sessions and the album was mastered by Hoyt Dooley at Open Door Productions in Nashville.


Congratulations to southern rock band Cottonmouth on the release of their latest CD, Rusty Monte-Carlo. The ten-song album was recorded by the late David Black at Old House and was mixed by Chris Garges. The album features guitarist/vocalist Rodney Burnett, guitarist Dale Shoemaker, and drummer Sam Harwell, with special guests Alan Jolley on dobro, Joel Van Tassell on bass and vocals, Jennifer Erwin on vocals, and Grubb on organ. The album was mastered by Hoyt Dooley at Open Door Productions in Nashville.