The Sound of a Gentle Word Syndication Sat, 25 May 2013 01:54:12 +0000 forum@bzpower.com (BZPower Forums) IP.Blog 60  

 
He has all this money but he still won't fund the mastering of my album, what a fascist nazi communist ]]> Sat, 25 May 2013 01:20:00 +0000
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You will get to see:
 
-Me on lead guitar and vocals
-Windrider (my bf) on piano/keyboard
-Chen on bass
-######'NS on drums
 
We are called Nervous Pudding and we totally rock!]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 18:51:00 +0000  
<3]]> Sun, 05 May 2013 02:40:00 +0000 dedication to art than to injure yourself while creating it?  The least you could do to ease those wounds would be to download it right here: http://nervouspudding.bandcamp.com/track/the-problem
 
Please listen, download, and share - tell your friends, tell your enemies!  Get your socks rocked off!
 
"The Problem" will also be included on my upcoming album, Oh, Tonight, slated for a summer 2013 release.  Keep your eyes peeled!  I'll also be playing a show next Friday, May 10th, at the Balls Bluff Tavern in Leesburg, VA; and another show on June 5th at the Velvet Lounge in Washington, DC.  Come by and enjoy some great music!  PM me for more details about the shows (location, time, etc).
 
Rock and roll!!]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 11:35:00 +0000
 
if you aren't reading bzpstuck, why are you so terrible??]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:08:00 +0000  
Well, I haven't posted one of these in a while, so to make up for it, I'm posting two recipes - a complete meal for your pleasure.  On tonight's menu: kafta, a Lebanese dish made from ground meat; and some spiced chickpeas one the side.  Mmmmm.
 
KAFTA
 

 
Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef, lamb, or other ground meat (I used beef)
• 1/2 tablespoon allspice
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
• 1 onion
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Note: I only made half of this, as I was preparing it only for myself.
 
Preparation
Chop the onion and sauté.  Then mix all ingredients by hand, in a bowl.
 

 
Shape the mixture into long links.  Since I was using half a recipe, it was enough for three links.
 

 
Grill until cooked through.  You did it!
 

 
NOW FOR YOUR SIDE DISH
 
SPICED CHICKPEAS
 

 
Ingredients

• 8 oz chickpeas (1 can)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola, or olive)
• 1 onion
• 1 cm cinnamon stick or equivalent ground cinnamon
• 4 cloves or equivalent ground cloves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cm of fresh ginger, chopped, or equivalent amount of ground ginger or ginger paste
• 1 green chili pepper, finely chopped (I used huy fong garlic chili sauce, which is a vietamese chili sauce)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

I was missing the coriander and the cilantro, and it still tasted ace.
 
Preparation
 
Chop the onion and sauté until golden.
 

 
Add cinnamon and cloves and cook for a few seconds, then add garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander and cook for five minutes over medium heat
 

 
Add tomatoes (with juice) and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
 

 
Add the chickpeas and cook for five minutes, then add some water and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the liquid is gone.  Then add the garam masala and cilantro.  Simmer for just a little longer and you're done.
 

 
You can serve this hot or cold and it's incredibly delicious
 
 
Pair these together with some rice and you've got an A+ meal.  Wasn't that easy and delicious?
 
]]> Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:19:00 +0000
Download here
 
BZPower has always been really supportive of me over the years, as I've slowly learned how to effectively record music.  My simple cover songs in the BZPowercast gave me my first real audience, Maddison (Nukaya) gave me my first radio airplay, and my outings as part of Taped Headphones with Becca (Hahli Husky) gave my my first legitimate musical collaboration.
 
My early output was rudimentary and - let's face it - pretty awful.  But you guys believed in me right from the get-go and gave a huge support.  You kept supporting me as I learned more, got better, started writing my own songs, and started playing real shows in my fearsome college band, the Predacons. 
 
The Predacons split up after we all graduated, but BZPower still was there, still encouraging me, still happy to hear new songs every month.  And BZPower's still been a huge part of my life as I've moved onto focusing on my own original output, formed my new band, Nervous Pudding, and gotten very serious about songwriting and performance, seeking out professional studios for mastering work after recording and mixing the songs myself.
 
That's why I want to make BZPower the first place where I personally announce this, my debut single as frontman of Nervous Pudding.  The song is called "Words, Words, Words" and was written and recorded entirely by yours truly.  This is a really big deal for me - and I wanted to share it with you guys first.
 
You can listen to the song and download it here.  "Words, Words, Words" will be followed by a harder-edged second single called "The Problem" later this month, and by a full album of original music this summer.  The album will be titled Oh, Tonight and I want to look into making a coupon code for BZPower members that will give you guys as discount on the LP. 
 
You guys mean the world to me.  Thank you so much for all the support over the years!!
 
PS: It should be noted that Nervous Pudding also features BZPower members Windrider and Calles!  They are not featured on this track, but will be heard on the album (and live!)]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:53:00 +0000  


Crate GFX-212 amplifier. 120 watts. It's beautiful and it sounds beautiful. 
 
I'm a big believer in checking out a lot of different amps, including odd ones not made by the big name manufacturers - the sound you want can be found in the most unlikely of places.  I almost passed right by this on my way to the Vox Valvetronix I've had my eye on for a while (I've always been a fan of Vox - you can see my trusty little Pathfinder 15R on on top of the Crate in this picture) - but I'm glad I stopped and decided to check it out.  It's got a big, bold sound, and the clean channel is as crisp and clear as a Fender three times its price.  This baby's over a decade old but it sounds like it shipped here straight from heaven. 
 
The best part?  Since it was used gear, it was cheap as dirt. 
 
I should do an entry sometime about making music on a tight budget - like tips in tricks on where to go for good deals on secondhand instruments, as well as recommendations for off-the-shelf stuff that's high in quality but low in price. 
 
Incidentally, I've got two singles coming out this month and an album to follow early this summer.  I'll toss a link up here when they're available, for anyone who's interested.
 
 ]]> Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:30:00 +0000 rad

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