The Three of Diamonds is based mostly on the percussive part of it. The percussive part is made entirely of sounds of my knuckles cracking (aside from the two handclap samples and two cough samples, which are both me as well).
August 16, 2009
Three of Diamonds: Knuckles
August 4, 2009
Two of Diamonds: Nothing Will Assuage The Birthers
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that “nothing will assuage” the Birthers. I’ve emailed back and forth with one and I believe that to be a true statement. I think this will continue to waste everyone’s time until the end of Obama’s Presidency. Maybe we can just ignore them. I hope so.
Anyway, on to the music. This is another home piece. I made it in Pro Tools but it’s mostly a Reason thing. I did have a keyboard attached to Reason so I actually played some of the organ parts but I programmed the piano and vibes and drums.
This piece reveals my love for things that drone as well as Steve Reich. Eno rules too. Enjoy it!
July 27, 2009
Ace of Diamonds: Buzz Of Fahey
Back in action! After a couple weeks’ rest and some much needed R and R, here is the next installment of The Deck.
This is some “electronic” “music” and is a product of my recording a couple of old John Fahey LPs into my computer so I can listen to them all digital-style. This is built of samples of the empty space before, after, and between songs on the record. There was a nasty 60Hz hum on it so I used EQ to focus that energy into notes. There is a little Mozart quote in the middle.
Note: This is a Diamond and it’s not a cover song. I thought, at the beginning that I wold have more time to do covers as well as originals but that was not “in the cards” for me. If I end up doing any more covers, I’ll make them Jokers. So, now I’ll fill in all the diamonds and hearts with new originals for the rest of the year. Enjoy!
April 22, 2009
Two of Clubs: Let It Rain
Here is the Two of Clubs. It’s late, I know. This is because our apartment was broken into over the weekend while I was in Boston and Hillary was also out of town. I meant to record this song, which was already written (I finished the lyrics in Boston) on Sunday when I got home but I had to deal with the aftermath of the burglary. The Police came, then the Detectives, and finally the officers that took fingerprints. It was an action-packed evening, that’s for sure.
It seems that the subject of this song was eerily appropriate. The basic idea is that sometimes, when we are in a situation that we can’t change, we need to not worry about what’s already happened and concentrate on what we can do now and in the future to make things better. I didn’t know that this would apply to one’s apartment being burglarized. But I guess it can apply to that too.
March 8, 2009
Nine of Spades: Road Song in the Key of We
Nine of Spades is a road song. Road trips are awesome and I wish I was able to take more of them. I still haven’t done a cross-country drive and I really want to do it someday. There is so much to see and do basically anywhere you go. So, that’s what this is about. I did this at home with the acoustic guitar and reason drums. I finished the vocals at the space this weekend.
Now, I’m gonna get in a zip car and go to Long Island.
February 22, 2009
Seven of Spades: O Captain
The Seven of Spades is a song I wrote to a poem by Walt Whitman. A collection called “Leaves of Grass” contains this poem. It’s a bit like what Billy Bragg and Wilco did to Woody Guthrie lyrics except that this poem was published and wasn’t intended to be lyrics (as far as I know).
I did this at home with the acoustic guitar.
February 1, 2009
Four of Spades: Song Of The Sea
The Four of spades is my first foray into the wetter side of life.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be a fish in the sea? To swim around willy-nilly. Join a school and zip around with your friends. It would be fun to explore the depths and see all the pretty things that oceanic life has to offer. Swimming to any point in the wet earth might just be possible. Time wouldn’t be an issue. What does a fish have to do all day except for eating smaller marine life and avoiding the jaws of the larger? Have mass amounts of fun, is what!
Or what about a crustacean? The insects of the sea. Swimming backwards might not be so bad and maybe kinda fun. And some have the added bonus of having claws. What I could do with a pair of claws! Nuts would not be a problem anymore; I wouldn’t need that ballet-related Christmas ornament if I had claws. How exciting to not have internal bones! Oh, to be a mass of slime contained by a shell. Barnacles can go anywhere a ship takes them and they don’t even have to expend the energy to get there. A leisurely life, indeed.
Squids and Octopi? Not too bad either. So many tendrils! The mystery! The ink! Escape under a cloud of darkness and confusion. Cram into that little nook, this cranny. How easy it would be to hide and be safe. And the lucky ones get to grow to immense proportion and have show-downs with the masters of the sea: whales!
Shellfish. I admit that is not as exciting. How to mobilize? Can they even vote? Are there elections in the sea? If not, maybe a clam or scallop could organize the first. That would be a good way to make a name for oneself.
Just listen to the song.
January 14, 2009
King of Diamonds: It’s Good To Be King
I chose Tom Petty’s “It’s Good To Be King” for the first song to cover in The Deck. I didn’t start at Ace because I thought that King would be more fitting for obvious reasons. I did this at home with acoustic and electric guitar, bass, and reason for the keyboard and drum sounds.
January 11, 2009
Ace of Spades: The Beginning
Here is the Ace of Spades, the first card of the Deck. This song is aptly named “The Beginning” and is a simple song with a couple acoustic guitar tracks and a vocal. Here we go…