Wrecked Sailboat on Lake Michigan North of Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, WI - photo by Mike Fisk - Novermber 23, 2007

So for those of you into the wrecked sailboat pics, I decided to post the rest of the best. Here's the batch from 11-23-2007. More to come later.

And there are a lot more Soul Amp tunes here:

http://soul-amp.com/freebies

Here's the rest of the posts on the Falcon:

• 11-23-2007


• 11-25-2007 (New pics)


• 11-26-2007


• 11-26-2007 (Additional New Pics)


• 11-27-2007


• 11-30-2007


• 12-3-2007


• 12-3-2007 (Night Shots)


• 12-6-2007


• 12-9-2007


• 12-10-2007


• 12-13-2007

Check out this song too about sailing (it's free):

New Day

Quote about Time and Life --- soon to be famous Time quote/Life quote from M2 -- just brilliant!

"There is more to be gained in life by ignoring time than by counting it."

-Michael Nettesheim, January 2008

..... think about it ......

House of Guinness - Waukesha - Just Announced - Soul Amp Live at the H.O.G. on May 9th - that's Guinness not Guiness - 2 "N"s ! =)

We'll be jamming at the House of Guiness on Friday May 9th. So set your calendars! We'll be doing the standard jam, make it up as we go thing, but also be adding a new surprises this time (maybe a bit new instrumentation). And always, be sure to ask for a free CD!

Here's some samples of tunes we recorded live at the House of Guiness in the past:

Electric Resistor

Morning Song

Desert Song

Make Another Motion of Love

See you there!

Also feel free to check out a bunch of our free mp3s to download here (most of them recorded using the Zoom H4):

Free Soul Amp MP3 Downloads

Milwaukee Alternative Jam Band releases new instrumental "Night Drive" as Free MP3 - Has a very big ending!

Streets of West Allis at Night - by Mike Fisk

Here's a new tune from the Milwaukee Alternative jam band, Soul Amp. Our 11-13-2007 practice session. As usual, this was made up on the fly:

Night Drive

It was recorded in the usual way using the Zoom H4 mounted on a tripod in the practice space.

Also feel free to check out a bunch of our free mp3s to download here (most of them recorded using the Zoom H4):

Free Soul Amp MP3 Downloads

Watercolor and Pastel mix....More Weird "Art"....The Hat, the Stick, and the Wind....Another floating Umbrella?....

Here's another one:

The hat, the stick, and the wind, or umbrella - by Mike Fisk

Here's another watercolor for you to check out:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/flower.html

Here's a water color and pastel image to check out:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/more-weird-artthe-hat-stick-and-wind.html

Also, here's another odd painting the you might like:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/milwaukee-photographer-and-alternative.html

Here's another watercolor and pastel painting:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/lovely-sea-monster-in-underwater.html

Maybe this in an umbrella.... here's another umbrella for you to check out:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/picture-of-floating-umbrella-house-of.html

Here's the top ten songs you need to listen to:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/04/top-ten-songs-from-milwaukees-soul-amp.html

Have a gloriously cool day!

Bradford Beach Milwaukee - the old Pier - November 2007

Here's some pics of the old pier which I took on the way to take my first pics of the stranded sailboat back on 11-23-2007 (I didn't start out that morning to take pics of the sailboat). Thought you might like a look at them. Click here for some more pics of the old pier from the coldest day in Milwaukee so far this year (2008).

Strange Pic of Milwaukee Skyline - Dancing lights on the Milwaukee Skyline from the Mononmee River Valley Layton Blvd viaduct....

Here's another Milwaukee Skyline picture from the coldest morning yet in Milwaukee for 2008.

Dancing Lights on the Milwaukee Skyline from the the Mononmee River Valley Layton Blvd viaduct -- by Mike Fisk

Click her for the best Milwaukee Skyline photo as seen from Bradly's sailboat.

And here's some coldest day in Wisconsin, Lake Michigan ice formation sunrise photos:

• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/pink-and-red-sunrise-mist-ice-photos.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/photos-of-lake-michigan-ice-formations.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/bradford-beach-milwaukee-old-pier.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/dancing-lights-on-milwaukee-skyline.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-so-far-pics-of.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/lake-michigan-shore-ice-formations-ice.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html
  

Discover World Milwaukee - Artificial Tree/Sail thingamajigs - At Sunrise November 2007

Discovery World Milwaukee at Sunrise - tree and sail thingamajigs - Nov_2007 - image by Mike Fisk

Here's a pic from the morning (11-23-2007) when I started taking photos of the Falcon Chinook 34 stranded sail boat. These are large tree-like sails with small coin-like objects on them. When the wind blows the coin-line ornaments rotate in concert to let you see the wave patterns of the wind. It fascinates the heck out of me. There are wheels at the bottom of the masts that allow you to turn the sails. Also there are wooden benches in the same park with drumsticks attached to them that you can play like a xylophone. All very cool.

Boiling water photo --- weird photos of boiling water - looks like diamonds and eyeballs.....

Boiling water photo looks like diamonds (used flash with this one) - photograph by Mike Fisk

I have a cold. As part of my cure, E has me breathing in the steam off boiling water (to loosen up the phlegm). So I had to take a pic or two of the boiling water. It's kind of pain because the steam fogs up the lens and messes with the flash. But I backed away from the water some and was able to capture some bizarre looking pics.

Boiling water photo looks like eyeballs (no flash on this one) - photograph by Mike Fisk

Boiling water photo looks like diamonds (used flash with this one) - photograph by Mike Fisk

Be sure to grab some free Soul Amp MP3s for your player at:

Free Soul Amp Music

Menonomee Valley Blues - a poem by M2

M2's Poem from Strip Mall Heaven

Here's the inside fold of our CD Booklet from Strip Mall Heaven our 2005 CD release. It's a poem that M2 wrote. I may be a bit biased, but I think it's utterly brilliant (and I've read it a bunch and everytime I see something new). It's called Menonomee Valley Blues. Click on the image to expand it and then you can read it. The image and layout are by Rob Nero.

Click here for a post with an early morning picture of Milwaukee's Menonomee Valley on a subzero morning.

House of Guinness - The HOG - One of the top 100 Bars in the USA! and One of the Best Places we've ever played!!

From Bradly:

Trade magazine BAR & RESTAURANT added The House of Guinness to it's list of the nation's top 100 Bars.

It was listed in the Magazine; they have the page on the bulletin board at the HOG.

Only one other bar in Wisconsin made the list; it was in LaCrosse.

Here's a Zoom H4 sample of us playing at the HOG:

The Morning Song (Eaemgie)

Update: We'll be playing the House of Guiness again on Friday May 9th 2008!!! Come and check out the bar and check out a kickass jam band!

Coldest Day in Milwaukee 2008 - Milwaukee Skyline - Menonomee River Valley and other images of Subzero Milwaukee with Lake Michigan mists background

Milwaukee Skyline on the coldest morning -- January 19, 2008 -- image by Michael Fisk (click this one to zoom... it's pretty cool)

More images from the coldest day in Milwaukee, WI so far this year 2008.

Park benches in the sun and the bitter cold -- January 19, 2008 -- image by Michael Fisk

Maple Leaf in the frost of the subzero pavement -- January 19, 2008 -- image by Michael Fisk

Menonomee River Valley Milwaukee, WI on the coldest morning -- January 19, 2008 -- image by Michael Fisk

Below Zero on my temperature guage in my vehicle -- it started at -14 Fareheit, but I didn't take the photo until 3 degrees later -- January 19, 2008 -- image by Michael Fisk

Here's Soul Amp's top ten songs:

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

Here's the Milwaukee Skyline during warmer weather:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-in-milwaukee.html

And here's more coldest day in Wisconsin, Lake Michigan ice formation sunrise photos:

• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/pink-and-red-sunrise-mist-ice-photos.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/photos-of-lake-michigan-ice-formations.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/golden-sunrise-in-mist-on-lake-michigan.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/bradford-beach-milwaukee-old-pier.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/rainbow-of-colors-in-photos-of-lake.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/milwaukee-skyline-photos-at-night-and.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/dancing-lights-on-milwaukee-skyline.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/02/milwaukee-sunrise-skyline-photos-on.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-so-far-pics-of.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/lake-michigan-shore-ice-formations-ice.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html
  

Coldest Day in Milwaukee --- so far --- pics of Ice on Lake Michigan...

Lake Michigan Sunrise - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - photo by Michael Fisk

Yep, it was pretty darn cold this weekend as anyone who watched the Packers game can attest to. I decided that it was a good time to go out and take some sunrise picture of the Lake Michigan shore ice and the mist that evaporates off the lake when it's that cold. I ended up taking other photos as well (which I'll post later). Here's the first post of photos from Saturday, January 19. I'll post more soon... so stayed tuned:

The Southern Gap - McKinley Marina - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - minus 11 degrees Farenheit - photo by Michael Fisk

Bradford Beach - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - I'm not the only crazy photographer- photo by Michael Fisk

Coast Guard Lighthouse - Southern Gap - McKinley Marina - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - photo by Michael Fisk

Bradford Beach - old pier - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - photo by Michael Fisk

Bradford Beach - old pier - Milwaukee - January 19, 2008 - photo by Michael Fisk

Lake Michigan Sunrise - Milwaukee - with log in the foreground - January 19, 2008 - photo by Michael Fisk

Lake Michigan Shore Ice - Milwaukee - Approximately where the Chinook 34 Falcon sailboat was stranded - January 19, 2008 - image by Michael Fisk

And here's more coldest day in Wisconsin, Lake Michigan ice formation sunrise photos:

• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/pink-and-red-sunrise-mist-ice-photos.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/photos-of-lake-michigan-ice-formations.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/golden-sunrise-in-mist-on-lake-michigan.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/bradford-beach-milwaukee-old-pier.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/rainbow-of-colors-in-photos-of-lake.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/milwaukee-skyline-photos-at-night-and.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/dancing-lights-on-milwaukee-skyline.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/02/milwaukee-sunrise-skyline-photos-on.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-so-far-pics-of.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/lake-michigan-shore-ice-formations-ice.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html
  

Here's Soul Amp's top ten songs:

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

Here's the Milwaukee Skyline during warmer weather:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-in-milwaukee.html

Here's some other coldest day pics:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html

Here's some pics of a stranded sail boat:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html

Milwaukee Photographer and Alternative Musician does some art...SCHOOL'S OUT!

Ok, well I haven't really drawn or painted in a long time, but I just got the urge when my niece got a set of watercolor pencils for Christmas and so I thought I'd give it a try.....(and, btw, she's way more talented than I'll ever be =) )... I just let my hands tell me what to make and didn't let the mind get too involved with it's creation... similar to what I've been lately trying to do with music and the band. So here's my art first piece created last night using water color pencils, regular pencils, and enhanced in the paintshop pro to make it look more like cranyons (haha). Only at the end did I discover that they were fish and so I added the eyes... Like everything we do, it's weird. =)

The School by Mike Fisk

... you might want to listen to a recent Werner Piano recording while you look at if you like... cause they seem to fit a bit:

Finding Circles

Six Flags Great America - Illinois Carousel - Columbia Carousel and Chicago Carrousel at Navy Pier - New Werner Piano Instrumental - Found A Cirlce

Columbia Carousel (double decker) at Six Flags Great America - aug 2007 - photo by Mike Fisk

Here's a little summertime for ya... And here's a new tune recorded on my grandmother's Werner Piano using the Zoom H4 set on a small towel right over middle C pointed directly at the strings with the lid shut down (slighly help up with a blanket on the side) over it. It has a a lot noises including the original bench I was sitting (maybe next time I'll find a squeak free chair... and you car hear my mom's birds if you listen very carefully). It a s strange wandeing tune with many themes/acts as it takes it's journey. It's another "made up on the stop" tune. It was recorded in Colorado in December 2007... and to go with the tune some pics of Illinois Carrousels from Six Flags Great America and Navy Pier. And get this... Werner Piano Co was located in Chicago which makes the Carrousel pics all the more appropriate I say:

Found A Circle

Besides the below, some more Six Flag Great America pics can be found here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/six-flags-great-america.html

Chicago Navy Pier carrousel - aug 2007 - image by Mike Fisk

Columbia Carousel (double decker) at Six Flags Great America - aug 2007 - photo by Mike Fisk

Found A Cirle

Chicago Navy Pier carrousel - aug 2007 - image by Mike Fisk

Columbia Carousel (double decker) at Six Flags Great America - aug 2007 - photo by Mike Fisk

Lake Michigan Shore Ice Formations - Ice on the shores of Doctors Part in Milwaukee in 2004 - includes video of waves

Lake Michigan Doctors Park Milwaukee shore ice formations December 2004

On the coldest day this year (2008) I went out and took some pictures of the ice and mist on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. It was minus 14 degrees Farenheit this morning. Brrrrr..... I'll post the photos from today soon, but I thought you might want to see what it looked like at Doctors park in December 2004 (not one of the best years of my life so far... but so it goes...iiwii). Anyhow, here's the pics and video:

Lake Michigan Doctors Park Milwaukee shore ice formations December 2004

Lake Michigan Doctors Park Milwaukee shore ice formations December 2004

Lake Michigan Doctors Park Milwaukee shore ice formations December 2004

Here's a video:

Lake Michigan Shore Ice Video

Here's tune wih the cold in mind:

Deep Mercury

For tons and tons of Free Mp3s of the Soul Amp variety:

Free Soul Amp Music

And here's more coldest day in Wisconsin, Lake Michigan ice formation sunrise photos:

• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/pink-and-red-sunrise-mist-ice-photos.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/photos-of-lake-michigan-ice-formations.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/golden-sunrise-in-mist-on-lake-michigan.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/bradford-beach-milwaukee-old-pier.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/rainbow-of-colors-in-photos-of-lake.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/01/milwaukee-skyline-photos-at-night-and.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/dancing-lights-on-milwaukee-skyline.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2009/02/milwaukee-sunrise-skyline-photos-on.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-so-far-pics-of.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/lake-michigan-shore-ice-formations-ice.html
• http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html
  

Prelude to Something - Werner upright piano (approx 120 years old)

Prelude to Something

Here's a tune I made up on my deceased grandmother's upright Werner piano from 1890 at my mom's house in Colorodo. It's very short. I used the Zoom to record it. More piano tunes to come as well as more band practice sessions. Enjoy. Have a great weekend!! Go Packers!!

Techno Acid Trip Chihuahua - Melvin busts a groove!!

Techno Acid Trip Chihuahua - Melvin busts a groove!!

Staring M2 and V's talented chihuahua, "Melvin". Check him out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cDl-HWgy-c

Movie was directed, choreographed, and filmed by the also very talented Vanessa N. Very cool! Cracks me up!

Rob Nero Photography - Milwaukee Strip Mall Heaven photographer

Milwaukee Photographer - Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven cover

Milwaukee photographer/layout artist, Rob Nero, created the concept, images, and layout for Soul Amp's CD Strip Mall Heaven. Check out Rob Nero's website here. Here's all the images for Strip Mall Heaven . We think they fit in perfectly with the overall theme of the CD and we found them haunting and yet hopeful images (check out the dandelion). Be sure to click on them and expand them to get the full effect of Rob Nero's brilliant work (and be sure to read the awesome poem by M2). Without further ado here's the rest of the images:

Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven images - back of CD case

Milwaukee "Strip Mall" Photographer - Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven images - pages 2 and 7 of booklet

M2's Poem - Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven images - pages 4 and 5 of booklet

Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven images - pages 6 and 3 of booklet

Rob Nero's Strip Mall Heaven images - back cover image on booklet

Be sure to go to Rob Nero's website here. He's available for weddings and whatever other photo needs you might have.

Here's Soul Amp's top ten songs:

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

Here's the Milwaukee Skyline:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-in-milwaukee.html

Here's some coldest day in Milwaukee pics:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html

Here's some pics of a stranded sail boat:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html

Solar Power - Everybody, let's get going on this!

We've got to let everybody know that solar power is a good solution to many of our enery/pollution problems. Check out this recent Scientific American article:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan

...be sure to read the comments for others solar power ideas and some dissension on the idea.

here's another article on cheap solar panels:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/technology/18solar.html?ex=1355634000&en=091b06819623f9d0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Free MP3s... Index of Free Music from Soul Amp....and use the soul-amp.blogspot.com for learning about ways to make music and art! Enjoy!

There is gobs and gobs of Free Music in MP3 format created by Soul Amp and other affliated bands or artists... and it's all here for your enjoyment:

http://soul-amp.com/freebies

Do what you like with them except make money with them. The copyrights to these sound records are all owned by Soul Amp. If you want to use them to make money, contact us at:

mailto:info@soul-amp.com

Send to friends, put them on your mp3 players (iPod and/or whatever else), burn them to CD... whatever you like... just spread the word about this crazy, strange, Milwaukee Wisconsin Jam/Alternative/Alt-Country band.

Also, enjoy browsing through the entries in this blog... there's a lot of weird crap to check out including essays, lots of photos, and even paintings.

Fart Proudly by Benjamin Franklin - Overdriven, distorting, clipping Zoom H4 - a Hammond M3 tune by Milwaukee Alternative Jam Band: Soul Amp

Fart Proudly by Benjamin Franklin

"...To discover some Drug wholesome & not disagreable, to be mix’d with our common Food, or Sauces, that shall render the natural Discharges of Wind from our Bodies, not only inoffensive, but agreable as Perfumes..." - Benjamin Franklin (Here's the "Letter to the Royal Academy" where the quote comes from...which definitely worth a read =).)

Below is an mp3 sample that features the Hammond M3!! The M3 straight. No Motion Sound amp on this one.

Anyhow, in September, Bradly and I got together for a practice (M2 couldn't join us). We came up with tune on the fly and then I added some words later (yep this is the first time I've posted a song where I'm singing... ugh). Before the song started Brad read the title of a compilation of Benjamin Franklin's irreverant writings... so that was recorded and inspired me to write the lyrics.

Unfortunatly, or fortunately, the recording level on the Zoom H4 was set too high and so there's a lot of distortion and clipping in this tune. So this is a good sample of a Zoom H4 overdriven (if you happened to be looking for the Zoom H4 distorting).

So here's the song with vocals:

Fart Proudly with Vocals

Here's the original without vocals:

Fart Proudly without Vocals

Both are pretty "farty" tunes that no amount of studio perfume can fix wouldn't you agree?... enjoy or Not!! Have a great weekend!!!

Ana María Rezk Rezk - Artist

Ana Mara Rezk Rezk Art

Check out the art at this link... very cool stuff:

http://arezka1.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post_8987.html

Just talked to my mom and it doesn't do anything for her, but I think it's quite nice art. It's inspiring me to try something similar using photography. I ran across it using:

http://play.blogger.com/