Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Love on a Spindle


Here's a live one we did in 2005 (sort of made up on the spot). We recorded this to the reel to reel. The tape gives out at a couple of points and we had to fade it out at the end because something got messed up on the tape, but it's a rocking little song and we hope you dig it:


Soul Amp - Love on a Spindle - thread spindle on ironing board



Love on a Spindle


I tried to decipher Brad's lyrics (which I believe he made up on the spot) and I posted them here

Thursday, May 24, 2007

A photo of my smashed finger after 2.5 weeks as I take walk around a pond by work


Well I was able to play the gig on May 11th all right. If you listen to the recordings (look for the one's with HOG in the name), you can hear I'm a bit off but not too much more horrible than normal. I think playing on it caused it to re-injure or something. It got infected right after that. Mom and my girlfriend wanted me to go to the doc, but I fought that and now the infection is all gone and it's just starting to feel a bit better... still have some pain with it, but I'm using it to type this. One strange thing is that it got numb, but that's diminishing now too. So here's a pic of it:



Here's all the posts documenting the smashed finger saga (in reverse order):

Anyone with a story of a smashed finger, I'll be happy to post it. Just drop an email or feel free to comment on this post or any of the others.

Here's one from a reader named Gordon:
http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/11/photos-of-finger-that-was-sliced-by.html

And in the meantime, feel free to distract yourself with some delightful music from my band, Soul Amp:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A thought in support of we Procrastinators

if you wait long enough to do something, it no longer needs doing


well....at least sometimes... actually often

but to rebut that thought I did just come across this quote (which Al Gore has been using to encourage us to get our collective act together about global warming):

"The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place, we are entering a period of consequences." -Winston Churchill

but my quote still applies... if we wait long enough to work on fix global warming.. then we won't have to work on it because it will be unstoppable...sorry for the sarcasm there.....

so... I guess we need to be careful to choose to work on the important stuff and choose to not waste time on the unimportant stuff...


which reminds me I have some more tunes I want to post.... I should get to those soon

Thank You!

Just wanted to thank all who attended the House of Guinness gig on May 11th (including my mom..."Hi Mom!"). It was a treat to play for you all and we thank you for your support of our band!

We were able to make a tape of three of the tunes during the second set using Brad's Pioneer - Auto Reverse, Direct Drive RT-707 quarter inch (1/4") reel to reel. Something was wrong with one of the cables or with the mixer or with the reel to reel. We were only able to get a mono recording. The mic was pointed at Brad and his guitar amp... so the keys are kind of muted (not the worst thing since my busted pinky was starting to really bug me).

The tunes are really long and meandering (between 15 and 20 mins each) and include some of our inane chatter... So these tunes are mostly for hardcore fans or for people who were there and what to hear themselves talking in the audience. There are some very tasty bits especially Brad's guitar playing... and M2 was just a monster on the drums (truely amazing stuff). There was a bit of hum in the recording which I eq'd out to no great ill effect to the overall recording. There's also a couple of minor tape glitches, but not too noticeable. So without further ado:
All these tunes (except HOG Funker) are on our album, Strip Mall Heaven.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

May 11 Gig - Reminder!

Just wanted to remind all of you that we are playing tomorrow night
at the HOG (House of Guinness).

We going to break out some Amp Oldies and some new Jams.

Hope you dig it! Hope to see you there!

psst... if you show up, you might get a free CD.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Ice crystal photos in Steamboat Colorado - New tune... "Quizzical Ice" or "Quizzical Tree Knot"? - photos by Mike Fisk

Brad and I, sans M2, created this crazy instrumental last week (bfs - before finger slam). It's a trance, electonica, new wave, punk thing... so this may be the first and only time you will hear Brad on synths and myself on drums. In fact, this is the very first time I've been recorded on drums ....and in fact (again), the only time I've ever been recorded on drums... so this just rocks.... here ya go....

quizzical ice on fence in Steamboat Colo - soul_amp


Quizzical Ice

haha...lucky you... you get two pics for this tune....


quizzical ice on a branch in Steamboat Colo - soul_amp
ok I have a confession... I originally called the tune "Quizical Tree Knot"... but couldn't find the pic I wanted for it... well I just found it... so you can call it what you like and here's that pic.....



quizzical tree knot in Windsor Colo - soul_amp

Check out some other Free Soul Amp music here.

Pics of using a hot needle on a smashed finger to release the pressure... Photos of smashed finger and fingernail fluid release using a heated needle


A number of friends recommended I poke my nail with a hot needle to relieve the pressure and save the nail.... so I tried it.... learned that you can't let the needle cool off... it sizzled on the nail when it worked and I realized you need to remove it quickly after you hear the sizzle...here's the pics of the operation....seemed to work ok...blackness is already diminished... bleeds a long time though... still bleeding as I type this... didn't hurt.

I'm not a doctor (though I have a friend whose father was a doctor)... so unlike me, consult one if you find yourself in the same situation.... =)


heating the needle to relieve pressure on swollen fingernail


hot needle about to make poke to relieve pressure on swollen fingernail


results of hot needle poking to relieve pressure on swollen fingernail

Here's all the posts documenting the smashed finger saga (in reverse order):

Anyone with a story of a smashed finger, I'll be happy to post it. Just drop an email or feel free to comment on this post or any of the others.

Here's one from a reader named Gordon:
http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/11/photos-of-finger-that-was-sliced-by.html

And in the meantime, feel free to distract yourself with some delightful music from my band, Soul Amp:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Monday, May 07, 2007

Smashed a finger...Photo of a smashed finger and fingernail on a Nord Electro 2 keyboard... Will the smashed fingernail ruin the gig?


Over the weekend I got my finger slammed in a car door. My girlfriend I were looking at Toyato highlanders and I had closed the front door and my hand was on the edge of the door. The sales guy then closed the rear door and somehow my pinky got caught. It's blackened, swollen, and painful. I tried playing last night with 4 fingers and it seemed to work all right. I'll keep practicing with 4 fingers and I've been soaking it in ice and hot water with Epson salt. I've also been taking ibuprofen to cut down on inflammation. I hope I can use it on Fri, but if not I can do the 4 finger thing. So here's a pic of it from this morning (it looked worse on Saturday, so that's a good thing that it's improving... sorry I didn't get a pic of it on Saturday for all you ghouls out there...)


m1 smashed pinky on Nord electro 2 - soul amp

click on the pic for a bigger version... if you are so inclined...

Here's all the posts documenting the smashed finger saga (in reverse order):

Anyone with a story of a smashed finger, I'll be happy to post it. Just drop an email or feel free to comment on this post or any of the others.

Here's one from a reader named Gordon:
http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/11/photos-of-finger-that-was-sliced-by.html

And in the meantime, feel free to distract yourself with some delightful music from my band, Soul Amp:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Mascara Death.... an old song...



This one is off Strip Mall Heaven. ... it's a "hidden" track at the end of the CD... no you don't have to wait for it (we hate when artists do that on CDs... big silent wait and then the song plays... and maybe you hate when a track it not listed... touche')....

It was recorded live using a Pioneer - Auto Reverse, Direct Drive RT-707 quarter inch (1/4") reel to reel in Brad's basement... formally known as Cat Box Studio:

pioneer reel to real RT-707 - soul amp

Mascara Death is a punkish song, depicting a true and tragic story... and so without further ado, we give you:


mascara weapon - soul amp



Mascara Death

lyrics