Rosewood Ghosts

Dark skies and torrential rain may have overtaken Hoboken the past few days, but on Sunday that didn't stop the classic rockers of Rosewood Ghosts from getting their work done. Using Paul Vincent Studios' main room as the setting for two new (and currently untitled) music videos and a free showcase later on that evening, the Hoboken-based band enlisted their friends from LocalBozo.com to help them film and invited Patch to come along for the ride.

Rosewood Ghosts—made up of vocalist Joe Montague, guitarists Jamie DiTringo and Saul Slotnick, bassist Steve Brown, keyboardist Adam Weissman, drummer Matt Teitelman and lap steel player Eric Walden—formed in 2009 after Montague, DiTringo, Weissman, and Brown's old band, Bill Owens Five, was put to rest. Those four soon teamed up with the other three guys, and the Rosewood Ghosts sound seemed complete. Rosewood Ghosts released their self-titled and self-produced debut record in May and has been making beautifully crafted rock ever since.

Forming a circle in the space on Sunday, the seven-piece band made things look more like an impromptu jam session or band rehearsal, which could essentially give the footage a more intimate feel. However after watching the initial takes, it was obvious that they weren't just there to play around. They meant business and wanted nothing less than perfection, even if it would take a continuous loop of playing the same song over and over.

"It's a virtue and a vice because your effect is to get things done right," DiTringo said. "But it takes many takes to get it down. We really want to get it down, but over time it did improve."

Don't think that Rosewood Ghosts are a bunch of intense guys that take themselves way too seriously. It's the complete opposite. From bursting into infectious laughter between takes to even cracking on each other during this interview, these guys play as hard as they work.

"We really don't take ourselves too seriously," Slotnick said. "We don't have a game plan either. It's just new music, and we want as many people to hear it."

Sure Hoboken may not be a big city, but Slotnick believes that its mere location makes it an ideal location for more people to see the band. "Hoboken's kind of a middle ground for everybody," Saul said. "You've got people from South Jersey, people from the city. It's right in the middle and in a great place. And there's a great arts community in Hoboken that not a lot of people know about. That's why we're here at Paul Vincent Studios, just trying to help everybody out."

Weissman admitted that the Mile Square is also a muse for the band. "It's been sort of the lifeblood for everybody because it's been where we come to play music and write music together. So it's a classic inspiration just being around here, knowing the city well, being comfortable at home. It's just a good musical vibe here," the keyboard player said.

Rosewood Ghosts won't be shy to admit that they're not attached to a record label, which in a way can work out to a band benefit since the band can call the shots on when they can release new material whenever they wish opposed musicians who are contract-bound and can't necessarily call the shots. "We're not at the mercy of anyone," DiTringo said. "We don't have a record deal. We don't have commitments to just throw out new material."

This isn't to say that they wouldn't love to land a deal and make music their full-time jobs. However with the way things are at the moment, they all hold day jobs that each member makes sure to balance with their rockstar evenings.

"We're not elitist," DiTringo said. "Anything that makes sense for us that we could do what we want to do and be on the road and tour and have a decent living to play music. Whether it be indie or major whatever, sign us now."

With their first record already out, a multitude of other material they can record in the future and a growing fan base, no doubt this band is on the path to a bright future. And if they have to wait a bit longer, Weissman's outlook on the band's unsigned-ness looks pretty positive. "It's a lot of sweat before and after," he said. "You just try to enjoy the in between."

Rosewood Ghosts will be performing at Brooklyn's Spike Hill on Sept. 22 and Court Tavern in New Brunswick, N.J. on Oct. 1. If you're interested in checking out the footage from Sunday's performances, check out LocalBozo.com this fall. - Hoboken Patch

Rosewood Ghosts are a bunch of Jersey boys who grew up listening to bands like Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, and Wilco. They are unapologetic about their love of classic rock. Their self-titled album is full of guitar solos, powerful drumming, and strong vocals. They play blues, country, and ballads but with a focus and unifying drive that is all their own. A few years ago their old band — Bill Owens Five — split up, so they hosted a “Kill Bill” party for their final show and were reborn as Rosewood Ghosts. Below is my interview with Rosewood Ghosts’ Jamie DiTringo.

jacob Singer: Jamie, why did you kill the Bill Owens Five and start Rosewood Ghosts?

Jamie DiTringo: We decided to kill Bill Owens Five when we decided to bring Saul (guitars) and Matt (drums) on board. I personally never liked the name Bill Owens Five. So when Joe (vocals), Adam (keyboards), Steve, and I decided to go in a different direction, both musically and personally, it made the most sense to make a clean break from the Bill Owens Five moniker. A fresh start with new musicians was needed, so we decided to change the band name and immediately began working on new material. - ROCK 'N ROLL GHOST

—by Tim Louie, April 2, 2009

A guy named Jamie DiTringo, guitarist for a band called Rosewood Ghosts, recently wrote to me saying that he reads my column regularly, and was wondering if I would be interested in giving his band a listen. So, I clicked on one of the two links that he emailed me, which led me to the band’s MySpace page, myspace.com/rosewoodghosts, where I got to hear some of their music. My guess is that these boys are so new that they haven’t even been into the studio to record a CD yet because the only music that they had posted to listen to was music from their live shows. The songs “Too Late,” “Sunday Prophet,” and “Walking Lightly” are labeled post classic rock, but I heard more of a country rock feel to these songs ala the Black Crowes. The songs are very well written and seem to have a bit of a kick behind them.

The roots of the Rosewood Ghosts stem from another Hoboken-based band called the Bill Owens Five, which disbanded in December 2008. As the Bill Owens Five, the band shook venues up and down the eastern seaboard for four years. They noted on their Facebook page, “2009 will mark a new musical direction for the band formerly known as Bill Owens Five.” Bassist Steve Brown was quoted as saying, “ We were just sick of answering the question ‘Who is Bill Owens anyway?’” Earlier this year, the original four members of Bill Owens Five—singer Joe Montague, guitarist Jamie DiTringo, keyboardist Adam Weissman, and bassist Steve Brown teamed up with drummer Matt Teitelman and guitarist Saul Slotnick to form their best line-up to date. The Bill Owens Five died in 2008 only to return as the Rosewood Ghosts in 2009. Very interesting!

I actually didn’t realize how new these guys were until now! No wonder they posted live songs on their MySpace page! I am sure recorded versions are to follow! You can catch the Rosewood Ghosts live at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ, on Thursday, April 16. If you can’t wait that long, log onto myspace.com/rosewoodghosts or rosewoodghosts.com to find out more about this band. - The Aquarian Weekly

by Jordan Schwartz, March 17, 2009

The Bill Owens Five died in December 2008, but they’ve returned as Ghosts.

As the band notes on its Facebook page, 2009 will mark a new musical direction for the band formerly known as Bill Owens Five. The Hoboken-based rockers have a new lineup and a new name – Rosewood Ghosts.

The group invited its fans to rename the band in its “Kill Bill Owens Five” contest, but in the end, it was the members themselves who came up with the new moniker.

“Locking ourselves in a room and fighting over names brought us closer together,” said guitarist Saul Slotnick, who grew up in East Brunswick but now lives in New York City.

The change came because of the band’s new direction and a general dislike for the former name.

Who is Bill Owens anyway?

“We got tired of answering that question,” said bassist and Morristown native Steve Brown.

Slotnick and drummer Matt Teitelman, a New Brunswick resident, joined the Ghosts at the end of last year.

“The talent of the band was raised tremendously,” said guitarist Jamie DiTringo of Hoboken. “We’re more edgy sounding now.”

DiTringo started the band in 2004 with Brown, lead singer Joe Montague of Trenton, and Bloomfield resident Adam Weissman on keys.

The Bill Owens Five occasionally had one guitarist and two keyboard players, but the revamped lineup has changed some of the members’ roles.

“There becomes a noticeable difference when you have keyboards filling out rhythms,” said Weissman. “I don’t have to be as prevalent now; I can be more particular and tasteful because I don’t have to back Jamie up, because Saul will do that.”

In addition to singing, Montague plays harmonica but he put down the guitar a few years ago to explore more creative melodies and help him interact better with the crowd.

It appears to be working. At their first show as Rosewood Ghosts on Feb. 21 at the Bitter End in New York, two girls couldn’t help but jump up on stage to dance with the band towards the end of their set.

“We all thought that someone knew them,” said Montague. - Metromix, Jersey Shore