Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Band Names, UGH!

Ah the tedious art of band naming. I need to come up with a band name. It's hard. We wanted something relevant but now I'm thinking of going for something that just sounds cool. People I've been asking were totally dissing my names. I like simple. I asked a bunch of friends and aquaintances if they liked the name "sister". No ne responded favorably. Did you know that there is no band named Sister?! I wanna name the band sister. Then there was tiger bomb but that was taken by some people in the UK.

I had a large list that no one seemed to like. Psh. So what makes a good band name in your opinion?

Can't I just name the band "girl eat girl" and be done with it?

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

This Weird Room in the Rideau Center....

Hi! Long time no speak! Back on the Internet and back to ranting.. so weirdest thing yesterday... I'm walking through the rideau centre to pick up my flyer's for the show when I notice this make-shift room in the center of the foyer. It says "relaxation room" on it and has a women getting a message. The sign says "come join us for a relaxing message and learn about non-oral contraception" (well I don't think it said non-oral but it said something to the effect of choices beyond the pill)

So anyway, I'm thinking... "this is kinda odd". However, it is kinda cool to see people trying to openly talk about contraceptives in busy public area. The thing I did notice quickly was that it was completely aim at women.... you know cause it's the ladies responsibility to protect against pregnancy and stds.. men don't even have stds don't ya know!? right..

I tried to remember what website was written on the side but my memory fails me. I figure this was probably sponsored by a drug company. damn I really wish I could remember the website. At any rate, so they're trying to promote some other type of contraceptives. I'm gonna guess it's probably the nuva ring. For those of you who don't know, it's fucking awesome. Completely no fuss birth control. you insert the ring you forget about it for 3 week. Then you throw it out. It's just a silicon ring that's flexible so you can't feel it and it releases a steady stream of hormones into your system. It's more effective than the pill since there is less room for human error and miss-use. Because it delivers a steady stream of hormones and not one shot a day in pill form, there is less tendency to have mood swings. (I am terribly on the pill, it throws my highs and lows way out of wack) As with all hormone contraceptive, you will experience changes in mood but it's not nearly as extreme.

Anywho, I gotta check out this weird room thing in the mall and find out what its really about. Hopefully it's nothing I have to tear down.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Step Aside! Gear Pig Coming Through!

So I got nominated on punkottawa for best post ever! sweet! I just copied my post and revelant info down here. It was a briefing on guitar amps. I hope someone posts something about guitar pick-up next hahah. I could talk for hours...




Subject: tube amps or digital? *updated
Pages: 1 2

Author: the frog queen
Subject:
Date: 06/07/07 9:55 am

I wasn't gonna post on this thread but I'm bored so get ready for too much information...

So my answer..

Let's be honest, very few people, if any, can consider themselves a true musician. Is there anyone here that gets paid to do session work, live or in studios? Is there anywhere here that has been trained there entire life on classical guitar? If so wicked, but the fact of the matter is, if your in a rock band (punk, alternative, metal, what have you..) then your not relying so much on your chops but on the gear your playing and the sound that is condusive of the genre of music your striving for.


effects aside, (and I personally will not buy a pedal isn't true bypass although have owned and gotten rid of digital ones in the past) I have owned many digital, solid state and tube amps. My first amp was a shitty 100 watt Peavy of no descerning model name (had a long drawn out serial number which I can't ermember.) that I found on the side of the road along with a 4/12! awesome eh!? still worked cept for one speaker. but seriously, after playing it for 2 years,I realised that it was a tone sucking piece of shit that was making my beautiful USA fender Bullet sound like ass! So I got rid of it and got a great deal on a Yamaha 2/12 combo. the thing had sooo many options that it was dizzying. Especially since I was completely new to the whole medi thing. (it was pretty cool that you could upload midi right into your amp! about 5 years ago that was just insane...although I don't know what I would do with an amp like that now..)

Sorry for the huge explination, so I dumped the yamaha and got mesa boogie dual rectifyer.. when I tried it out initially before I bought it, I was like "yeah this is so awesomely heavy" a week later I realised it was just a complete waste of money because would not represent the true tone of my strat (i was then playing a wicked fender usa texas special) and it just wasn't a suitable amp for someone who plays single coil pickups. I went through a series of amps after that. There is only one amp I regret selling... :( Zinky.

Through much trial and error and owning everything from random vintage Marshall amps, customer shop designer amps to new-fangled Behringer I feel as though I'm still somewhat at a loss in the amp world.

All I can really trust to let my guitar shine through are the following:

Fender Bassman heads : 1965-1968 non master volume silver faced or black (a little overly specific, but its a great amp and doesn't compare to the other bassmans)

Marshall JMP : a little hard to come by and are single channel but super sweet and warm sounding if you play clean often.

Fender Twin Reverb: anything before the 80's is usually great and then the reissue is pretty fucking good too.

Traynor Amps: before Yorkville bought them they are the best hauling amps. You can drop them down a flight of stairs and they won't break!!

Then it's worth mentioning a few noteable independant amp companies: Reverend Electronics Joe Naylor, (thats right of NAYLOR amps, legendary!!) started this after the NAYLOR series. Although they aren't the same designs as the Naylor amps, they're still pretty damn good)

Zinky Amps- Bruce Zinky use to work for fender custom shop and then branched off and started his own wicked line of amps. He was the first guy to combine, digital, tubes and medi in a guitar amp called "the supa fly!" Also made the Zinky Mofo.. one of my favoriate tube amps! amazing.

So long explination short... you don't wanna hear the amp, you wanna hear the guitar and that requires TUBES in my opinion(hopefully you got a bitchin one) but it depends,cause if your playing music through Fxs that makes guitar sound like keyboard, you might not care as much... and it may not matter as much. i dunno, I play pretty standard straight up rock.

Hope I've been informative. you can't dismiss digital amps if you haven't really played a lot of them. They have some good options for sure, and that Yamaha combo I mentioned was particularly good for a digital amp. But it does get outdated fast...

P.S. Line 6 is pretty much crap besides the Modulation pedal which is just really fun when your stoned... you can make it sound like a chirping bird!

Oh god strike me down!

Hey guess what?! I don't think I sobered up from the show last night and I'm still drunk! and to make things even better... I'm at work.. god kill me. Just take your lightening bolt and strike me down cause I'm a total loser. But really... this has happened before to me. not often mind you.. but it has happened. I get carried away having too much fun. Too much fun for me equal 2 rounds of Glenmorangie, 9 vodka Sodas, and 2 shots of Jagger.... too much fun for a short evening.

I'm not hungover which is cool! but I'm still not feeling 100% sober.. not good. But when I consider how many people actually disapear on their lunch break and come back an hour later uber happy and alchy smelly, I suppose it's not so bad. I had a photography teacher in highschool that reeked of booze everyday! He always had one of those travel coffee mugs and I swear it must have had booze in it. The alcohol on his breath was so nuts! I know that smell. hell I lived with that smell for 17 years growing up. I know that smell. ah but whatever, at least he was functional. Which is more than I can say for some people....

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Death to the DMV.

This is the only press that the late Death March Volunteers ever got. (we were only together for about a year)We're only mentioned a little bit.





__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sleeping Pilot @ Babylon
september-2006 - #1

On a sweltering Friday night, I had to book it after band practice to try and catch this whole bill, and was it ever worth it. Taking the stage a little late, Death March Volunteers -namely Justin Gobeil (who did double duty this night with the headlining Sleeping Pilot), René LeClair, Scott Terry and the debuting Amy Brander- played a solid set -it was their debut performance- of alternating tempo rock. At times haunting, with dual guitars set in contrast -Amy played a hefty tremolo, while Justin provided a solid wall of fuzz and solos to fill in the space- matched up with René's always solid bass licks and Scott's steady beat. About 5 songs still clocked in at 35 minutes, with not a boring moment.
Following quickly after, the Jesus Mullet provided a damn fine stoner set. These talented guys ultimately make their home in low end of the sonic spectrum and always manage to impress with their abundant skill and great guitar tones. "The Mullet" have been a welcome addition to the Ottawa scene since they relocated here in 2004.
The last set of the night came from Sleeping Pilot (see photo). Always brimming with energy, aggression and determination to put on a stellar show, with a singer that I've been told, "would rip off his own arm and smack the crowd with it if he could", Pilot's style melds hardcore with rock, and the pace is always blistering and furious. Between Alex's flying dreads, Justin's constant gesticulation, Pat's relentless drumming style and Scott's vocal craziness, it's almost impossible to concentrate on the tunes, which are flawless nonetheless.
All around a good night, with solid, entertaining performances from all acts, new and veteran. jp.

Monday, June 4, 2007

New band = New guitar


Hi Everyone!!!

So I have to gloat about an awesome jam yesterday with Jordanna! I'm so happy to be creating music that flows so well. Everything just went together so easily! We've got all these bitchin vocal ideas! I can't wait! We still gotta find a drummer and bassist, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Now I think I need to buy a new guitar to celebrate. So my choices? Uh I think I might just go with an SG. But I also have a half a mind to get a big hollowbody Gretch. The Gibson Vegas is pretty damn nice too! The SG Special would make me cream my pants if I were a boy tho. I have always wanted a white SG. Last year they had one called "The Goddess" but it had gold hardware and I despise gold hardware!! This new SG Special is beautiful and has chrome hardware. I should call up and dealer and get a quote.
That's the one up above! Nice eh!?

Friday, June 1, 2007

Oh Vodka

Well, I'm done argueing about racism. Especially since I was basically told I can't have an opinion.

Anyway, I haven't got much whine about today. It's actually fairly pleasant today, I mean it is friday! I'm looking forward to opening a big bottle of vodka tonight. I'm back on my "no-beer" diet. So if I wanna drink, I gotta drink vodka which is basically 100 calories an ounce and none of that carb stuff. Oh tbw, I've heard people going on about how there is no calories in vodka and other hard liqours and they are full of shit. Of course there are calories in them, it's what you mix that counts tho. You go vodka tonic and you got double that cal!! (i don't like tonic anyway, I'm a club soda girl) You know one or two beers isn't the issue for me. I can still happily have one or two. It's just that I'm use to having between 6 and 12 on any given night, whether I'm out or in. So as to keep myself from loosing control of my thighs and stomach, I've decided to try and skim down on the amount of beer I intake, cause lets just face it, beer is full of cal and carbs. As much as I love it, it is responsible for my weight gain over the last year.

I was searching the net to see if I could find any health benefits from drinking vodka.. none.. figures. Besides any amount I would consume would more likely diminish the life of my liver than benefit me in any way.

I did however find wikipedia's definition of a hangover!


A hangover (veisalgia) describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most common reported characteristics of a hangover are headache, nausea, lethargy, sensitivity to light and noise, and thirst.

Hypoglycemia, dehydration, Acetaldehyde intoxication, and vitamin B12 deficiency are all theorized causes of hangover symptoms. Hangovers usually last 12 to 36 hours,[1] although some have been reported to last 48 to 72 hours after alcohol was last consumed.


This probably explains why I'm B12 anemic. I never knew this.. hmm. I'm having a revelation. (because I've been B12 anemic for the last 4 years I have to take high doses of B12 everyday. Thankfully not by needle. I'm taking 1000mcg everyday which is considerably high but doesn't mean I'm in a life-threatening state of course. I'm just always freaking tired)

Wikipedia also has "possible remedies" to hangovers. One is replintishing B6. It also advises against taking acetaminophen while your drunk... which I do all the time and now realise why I shouldn't. I mean poeple always tell me not to, but people tell me not to do a lot of things and I mean "who cares right?". But after learning why, I dont think I'll do that anymore. Actually reading up on the whole "drinking" thing kinda makes you not wanna do it anymore. But dealing with life sober everyday does not sound like an option to me...