blog

September 26

I was browsing through some old band notes from our college band, Free Association, and I stumbled upon some lyrics to a song I wrote on September 26 — probably around 1998. That was the day my Dad called me while I was at college and told me he had been diagnosed with asbestosis, and it was the first time the thoughts of cancer destroying someone in the family first hit me. Thankfully, the asbestosis never caused him much problem, and the masses never increased in size or really became that much of a detriment to Dad's day-to-day life. He managed fine, by and large. As many of you know, though, he was diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of 2008, and he passed away in 2009. The lyrics I wrote — which are over a decade old — still ring true. After his phone call back then, I remember sitting in my apartment, alone, crying — and I grabbed my acoustic and some paper, and just wrote. It was one draft with the first guitar part that popped into my head, and the guys in the band — my good friends Dave and Jim — we're awesome enough to let me add this tune to our set list and perform it live a few times. For the heck of it, I'd thought I'd share it here:

September 26, by Maury McCown

So many times we run into things
That we just can’t explain

They take us by surprise, and we don’t know what to think

And I wish every time that this happened
I took it straight to You

And this time, I’ve got nothing, nothing else to do

So I will run to You until I fall into Your loving arms
And I know that You will take this pain away and help me make it through

The hurt and the pain that I’m facing
Seems so huge and strong

My emotions are pretty much getting the best of me

The fear of loss and not knowing
What tomorrow brings

Has pretty much had its toll on me

So I will run to You until I fall into Your loving arms
And I know that You will take this pain away and help me make it through

Posted at 8:10am CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Etched Pulse Tap-Tempo Is Here!

I'm stoked to announce the immediate availability of my new, etched Pulse Tap-Tempo! This little guy measures-in at only 1.99x1.99x1.06 inches, so he can fit anywhere on your pedalboard — and the new etched version gives a total of 9 possible color combinations, so you're bound to find one that fits your tastes. The Pulse sports a high-quality, ultra soft-touch footswitch so you don't feel like you have to "click" a switch to register a tap — you just merely tap like you're tapping your foot along with the beat. No power is required for operation. Made by hand, one at a time, here in the USA. Color options are: Etched with Metallic Black Text, Etched with Metallic Blue Text, Etched with Metallic Red Text, Metallic Blue, Metallic Red, Metallic Black, Metallic Blue with dots, Metallic Red with dots, Metallic Black with dots. Best of all, the new, etched Pulse Tap-Tempo is only $30 shipped!

You can get more info at my Pulse Tap-Tempo page.

Posted at 9:43am CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Pedal Enclosures!

I'm working on some new pedal enclosure designs as I add etched versions of my effects to my pedal lineup over at RAILhead Effects.

Posted at 11:59am CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)

My 1972 Fender Jaguar

Posted at 7:01am CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)

F-4 Phantom

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Leica D-LUX 4

I haven't had a ton of time to play with my new Leica D-LUX 4, but based on what I've done and seen so far, I'm kicking myself for not buying one of these sooner. I LOVE the look and feel this camera imparts on an image, and I'm looking forward to doing a boat-load of shooting in New York soon.

Posted at 8:16am CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Camera Day: Leica D-LUX 4

I was in serious need of a new point and shoot, and the Leica D-LUX 4 takes some of the most gorgeous photos I've ever seen in a small format camera — not to mention all the sweet bells and whistles this camera has. Looking forward to shooting with in NY next week! And FYI, this is an iPhone photo that I doctored with my Faux Polaroid Photoshop technique.

Posted at 12:35pm CDT | Permalink | Comments (0)