Tag: David Finley

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SHAM! Volume 1

S.H.A.M.! Volume 1
1992 Sonic Hope Records
Riverside, California, USA

The People and Places Side:

  1. Mandy Horak – “#3 (Dysfunctional Love Song)”
  2. Robert Deeble – “Old Man”
  3. Chad Bryant Edmundson – “Speechless”
  4. Jason Underground – “Hard Times in San Luis Town”
  5. John R. Williamson – “Speechless”
  6. Eric Paulsen – “May”
  7. Michael Knepher – “I Don’t Care (but it sure would be nice)”
  8. Mandy Horak – “The Wren Song”

The Things Side:

  1. David Finley – “Hello Kimberly” (labeled as “Holdover from “People & Places” side)
  2. Bob – “Snowdogs”
  3. John R. Williamson – “Staying in the Realm”
  4. David Finley – “Hesitancy (Make That Move)”
  5. Chad Bryant Edmundson – “Underhanded”
  6. Eric Paulsen – “Someday Soon”
  7. Jason Underground – “Copseatflowers (The Ballad of Rodney King)”
  8. Robert Deeble – “Shantytown”

As you can see by the picture, S.H.A.M. stands for Sonic Hope Audio Magazine. Its a compilation of various artists that were recording for Sonic Hope Records. I haven’t heard all of the releases on this label, so I don’t know if this is a compilation of songs from those releases, songs that weren’t released, or both. I don’t know if there are albums by Mandy Horak or Michael Knephler – but I assume there are. Both Eric Paulsen songs are listed on this 1993 demo A Backyard Auction, but I haven’t  heard that one yet to know if they are the same versions or not. The Jason Undergound songs are different versions that the ones on Songs of Praise and Protest from 1994 (earlier versions maybe?). The BOB song is from their 1992 demo Logride. The Chad Bryant Edmundson “Underhanded” also appears on his 1993 demo Wonder and Strangeness (but the other track here doesn’t). The Robert Deeble song “Shanytown” is a different version from the one released on The Big Yellow in 1992. Most of the songs here are singer/songwriter songs with just vocals and acoustic guitar. A few tracks add some other instruments, while BOB is a full band doing indie rock. I ran into two copies of this tape with different color covers (orange and blue) dubbed to different blank tapes. The cover is a full page foldout, and the orange one had a contest on the side called the “SHAM I AM Contest for All Ages.” Basically, you would answer trivia questions about the bands and the most creative ones would win all of the Sonic Hope releases and a few other things.

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Lefty and the Loopy Dwadlers – Motion Picture Poetry

Lefty and the Loopy Dwadlers
Motion Picture Poetry
1991 Sonic Hope Recordings
Claremont, California, USA

John R. Williamson
Chad Bryant Edmundson
David Finley

Side 1:

  1. Glanced and Babbled; Watched and Hushed
  2. Swinging on a Star
  3. Oh the Hour of Wonder
  4. Long Time
  5. Passing Property
  6. Won’t You Try
  7. Coming

Side 2:

  1. Missionaries in America
  2. Reverberations of…
  3. Splash
  4. Morning
  5. Together for Two

So this is obviously a joke recording of some kind, but the music is not all silliness. Its more satire than goofball comedy. I’m not sure who the Loopy Dwadlers are, but it appears that Lefty is John R. Williamson (since he wrote most of the songs). Chad Bryant Edmundson and David Finley are pictured on the front cover, so they would be a good guess as to the identities of the Loopy Dwadlers. The sound here is the acoustic folk style that you find on many other Sonic Hope Recordings. They bring in some random sounds here and there, from drum machines to a cappella numbers.

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David Finley – Tired Feet, Hungry Soul

David Finley
Tired Feet, Hungry Soul
1989 Sonic Hope Records
Azusa, Arizona, USA

David Finley – Guitar, Voice
John R. Williamson – Bass guitar

  1. Lack-Luster
  2. Brush Me Back
  3. Unplastered
  4. Sitting Here
  5. Skyscape Personal
  6. Grace
  7. A Song Won’t Stop the World
  8. Pulchritude
  9. It Isn’t October Anymore
  10. A New Friend
  11. Sorry Mr. Beckett
  12. Tired Feet, Hungry Soul

This is one of many artists on the Sonic Hope Records label. Finley has appeared on other demos by Robert Deeble, John R. Williamson, and Chad Bryant Edmundson. Williamson also plays bass on this tape. The sound is mostly acoustic singer-song writer folk, with the aforementioned bass guitar adding a bit of texture to the songs. The songs were written between 1987 and 1989, but recorded in 1989. I don’t know if Finley had more tapes before or after this one. Also of note, the artwork in the j-card was by Finley as well (as is the case with most Sonic Hope Records releases, the j-card is a full sheet of paper folded down to j-card dimensions). The liner notes also mention that Finley ran a poetry journal called The Grapevine. While the j-card makes it seem like there were 6 songs on Side 1 and 6 songs on side 2, it turned out that all 12 songs were on Side 1. Side 2 was a collection of song by a band called Household Morgan, which was more alternative rock than Finley. I assume that means that Finley was involved with or connected to Household Martin in some way? I don’t know, but I will treat that side as its own tape.