These are links and discussions of what I'm up to musically.

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This page has been accessed 16402 times and was last modified Thursday, 11-Feb-1999 15:36:42 EST.

• GUITAR!
• Go visit the world of Basitar and Guitbass
• PUSA
• GIRAFFES
• RECENT PURCHASES & REVIEWS

GUITAR!

Ok!  I have officially crossed the line from just listening to music to making music!  (Although for the time being, I have to use the term loosely.)  Here's the brief history of this grand metamorphosis:

If you know me, or have looked at this page before, you might have noticed that I'm heavy into the Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA). Recently my brother loaned me an old Yamaha Acoustic guitar for me to knock around on.  Well, I was doing ok on the thing, but not getting very far.  Then one day I went to a music store and purchased songbooks for PUSA's first two CD's.  The music shows the guitars, as played by PUSA, with string deficiencies and non-standard tuning.  Well, that night I yanked 3 strings off of the old flattop, and there it was, an official 'GuitBass'.  After a few weeks of this I was ready for the real thing.  I quickly found out that electric guitars were not cheap.  After scouring a few local music shops and even a few pawn shops, I found the place for me:  Atomic Music in College Park, MD.  This place has around 300 guitars ranging from around $100 on up, all used.  I took a few laps around the place and found the Guitar for me.
It is a Squier II, (by Fender) Stratocaster, made in Korea.  Now most real guitar players probably wouldnt even consider this guitar even suitable for smashing onstage, but I had to keep things inexpensive.  It is in great shape, the neck feels nice, but as far as Stratocaster goes, it is a little odd.  It has the proper body and neck shape, the neck is a one piece maple, and the body appears to be (ugh) fiberglass? over plywood.  It has what Fender calls the 'Carved Top Strat' look (except no wood grain, just solid red body).  That is, no pickguard, and two single coil pickups (neck and center) and a humbucker pickup at the bridge.  The knobs are the chrome dome type normally found on Telecasters.  It makes a great Guitbass though. I'm busy working my way through my favorites from PUSA's first CD ("Dune Buggy", "Peaches", "Feather Pluckin") and am trying to figure out "Video Killed the Radio Star" (this one isn't in either of my trusted music books).
 

• Atomic Music
• Fender - Maybe someday I'll own a 'real' one.
• Hal Leonard - Publisher of awesome 'Guitar Recorded Versions' songbooks, includes lyrics, music, tablature, and chord charts.  Enter 'Presidents' in the search to find the books I bought.
• Veneman's Music Emporium - The Internet storefront for Veneman Music, a store local to me.
• Victor Litz Music - Another local store.
• Vintage Guitar
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PUSA 

• My favorite band, The Presidents of the United States of America's  'official' page.
• PUSA BBS
• The PUSA-A Page (PUSA Anonymous)
• Buy some PUSA! (Music)
• Buy some PUSA! Stuff (T-Shirts)
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The Giraffes

• The Home Page of Chris Ballew's new solo project, The Giraffes
• The Giraffes' BBS
• Buy The Giraffes (a complete discography of one!)
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My Recent Purchases

• PUSA - Rarities

This is a must have for all hard core PUSA fans.  It includes many hard to get B-sides, some previously unreleased stuff, and a bunch of live tracks.  Highlights are: "Volcano (4-Track Version)", "Japan", "Ca Plane Pour Moi", and "Twig (Semi-Acoustic version)".
 
• Morphine - cure for pain 

This was a PUSA side track.  Chris Ballew and Dave Dederer (PUSA's Basitar and Guitbass players, respectively) credit Mark Sandman of Morphine (2 String slide Bass) for their bizarre string impaired instrumentation and tuning.  I had also heard a number of the tracks on the Longboard Magazine Powerglide video.  This music is dark, but swingy.  Not nearly as fun inspiring as PUSA, but gets points for me because it doesn't sound like everything else out there. Favorite tracks: "Buena", "Cure for Pain", and "Mary Won't You Call My Name."
 
•  The Giraffes - 13 Other Dimensions 

As mentioned above, this is Chris Ballew's, (formerly of PUSA) new solo project.  If you go to the Giraffes' Home Page, you can get all the bizarre (and ficticious) background information on the 'band'.  Bottom line, if you like Beatle-esque 70's ish music, you'll like this.  Chris gets beaucoups points on originality.  This has very little similarities to PUSA stuff, except for the bizarre lyrics including animal/bug references.  Many of the tunes are very infectious.  I'm having trouble getting "Hopeless (Rub it In)" out of my head.  My current standout tracks are: "Comin' Around", "Brain on Yer Tung", "Lonely Chicken", and "Hopeless (Rub it In)".
• a more detailed review from 30 Foot Smurfs (a PUSA fan's page).
 
 
 
• Radiohead - OK Computer 



This CD seems to be on everyone's top list, I think it is good, but not the best.  So far it has not really piqued my interest.  Perhaps I'll have to try again soon.

• PUSA - 

Ran out to Best Buy to grab this on release day.  I'm glad to report that getting my hands on this CD was much more simple than getting my hands on The Giraffes!   Sadly, this is the last of the CD's to be produced by PUSA.  Although it has a hodge-podge feel to it, it is not a pile of crap thrown together to fulfill a contract.  Most PUSA fans (and other newbies brought in by "Video Killed the Radio Star") will love this CD.  Below are my takes on each of the songs.  Also included are Quicktime (.mov) files for the
• "Love Delicatessen" - This is my favorite track on the CD.  The lyrics are hilarious, and the guitar work is great.  I love the chord progressions.  There are actually some solos complete with keyboards!  Towards the end it sounds like someone snuck in a 6 string.  This song is four minutes and twelve seconds long (an opus by PUSA standards.)
• "Video Killed the Radio Star" - This is the version from The Wedding Singer Soundtrack.  This is probably my favorite version of this song.  Compared to the live version on the Australian "Dune Buggy" and the studio version from Rarities.
• "Mobile Home" - This song is along the same vein as "Love Delicatessen", but with a faster, kinda finger snapping bluesy beat.  The guys really get going during the instrumental with yes... more guitar solo work.
• "Japan"  Same as on Rarities, a good straightforward PUSA song.  (Rocking beat, catchy hook, funny lyrics.)
• "Sunshine" - An acoustic number that certainly fits in the "Silly Love Song" category.  With an emphasis on silly.
• "Back Porch (Live)" - A great live version of this song also found on the Limited Edition Bonus CD that came free with PUSA II at Best Buy.  Great ad-lib banter by Chris towards the end with Dave's guitar screaming in the background.
• "Man (Opposable Thumb)" - From the Good Burger soundtrack. A rocking tune, starts with some Peter Gunn like guitars, then gets faster, and never lets up.  Good in the lyrical category, all about the evolution of man..  (...all you could manage is a boner, and your opposable thumb...)
• "Tiki Lounge God" - Also from the PUSA II Bonus CD (see "Back Porch").  A cool lounged-out mellow version of "Tiki God", lets the vocals and guitar work come forward.
• "Teenage Girl" - PUSA does Beach Boys. Great!!!
• "Slip Away" - More standard PUSA. (Rocking beat, catchy hook, funny lyrics.)
• "Tremolo Blooz" - Can be found on the "Mach 5" single.  A cool country sounding song, complete with banjos.  Imagine a cross between "Back Porch" and "Froggie".
• "Cleveland Rocks" - So does PUSA!  From the Drew Carey show.  I liked the original (Ian Hunter), and love the cover.
• "Lump (Live)" - A cool recording of a now PUSA staple.  Has some funny conversation in the beginning and the Weird Al ending "And that's all I have to say.  How 'bout that?"
• "Hot Carl"(Hidden Track) - Can be found at the end of the "Lump" track.  "Lump" ends at 2:55, "Hot Carl" starts at 8:00 and runs for fifteen seconds.  Basically a few cords, and repeat "Hot Carl" 6 times.  Makes you wonder who Carl is.
Here's another review on 30 Foot Smurfs.

•  Eric Clapton - Pilgrim

 

Well, he's back, but I think he should have stayed away.  I used to think that you could count on Clapton for something good, but not so.  Granted the music is OK, and he really gets bluesy but....   Get rid of the damn drum machine!  And wake up!!!!!   This CD puts me to sleep.  The biggest disappointment for me was the remake/ruining of "Circus."  If you saw the MTV Unplugged video, you heard a good version of this song.  It is a very moving song that is based in Clapton's loss of his son.  The version on Pilgrim has no soul.
 

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