THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Since this is a gem site, perhaps I shall unearth a few of these with a mind on getting some original stuff up once the smoke of school clears (eight weeks until graduation, yes).

This song is a piano cover of Danzig’s “Cantspeak”. One project I never completed was an album of only Danzig covers called Dancezig, and in perusing various lyrics for that album I found the lyrics to ‘Cantspeak’ to be particularly moribund, even for Danzig. It certainly didn’t fit the pounding beat of the song (though I certainly enjoy the original). Thus, I drew out every ounce of pathos and took Danzig to Emo Piano town.

In my Freezing of the track, some of the instruments dropped out. When I originally posted this song to my blog in 2007, a fellow Atlanta musician (Tricil) told me he enjoyed the dropouts. Plus, I don’t have the original instrument pack installed anyway, so enjoy the random missing sections. It sort of works with the song.

download

8-bit cover of Rude Boy minus the bridge.

MW – Gameboy

Here’s an instrumental cover of Karma Police made using Mario Paint Composer. Enjoy!

Also, I’m new posting, so if anyone has any pro-tips (like how to embed the audio dealy) then I’d love to hear it.

Sorry Bill, but I had this one queued up for today.

This one is an early Rolling Stones song. Their 60′s and early 70′s records always struck me as being raw and non-pretentious.

No pitch correction. Guitar, piano and organ. Once again I sound like a comatose David Bowie. Enjoy.

Michael Jackson died last week. It’s barely at the edge of my memory, but I remember listening to Thriller on tape until my walkman broke, listening to Dangerous on my stereo. I didn’t even realize how much I had listened to Bad until I bought it again this week and started playing it – seriously, “The Way You Make Me Feel” is fantastic.

So I knew I had to do some kind of tribute to Michael Jackson.

I could have done “The Girl Is Mine”, or another one of his ballads, but oh no. I had to decide to do Billie Jean.

Well I’m almost positive I didn’t do it justice. I spent more time on it than any other song I’ve posted here, I’m two days late, and I’m still not sure it’s good enough. Look at what I’m up against, though. I never had a chance.

I’m glad I did it, though. Respect to you, Michael. Rest in peace.

I created the arrangement by ear without referencing the sheet music. It’s mostly sample-tank instruments played on keyboard, with a few bass parts. The drums have some manual corrections because I have no rhythm. It sort-of fits the style of the other tracks that I’ve done. Unfortunatly it’s a bit sloppy and not entirely interesting. Maybe I’ll keep working on it.

I should also mention that I wasn’t going for a traditional or historical sound here, but rather to match the game’s quirky style. I was even thinking of adding a “wah” guitar somewhere.

pavane

This is something that me and a friend have started working on for a new project. It’s just the part with my verse. We’re still working on it. Thanks for listening!

-Donny Jarko

This song was an experiment with acoustic recording, vocal harmony, and singing. It features a guitar, three voice tracks, and a ukulele. I didn’t plan the vocal harmonies beforehand. Instead I punched in and out a lot until I found something that I liked. I’m glad I don’t have to mine coal. Aren’t you?

Come and listen you fellows, so young and so fine,
And seek not your fortune in the dark, dreary mines.
It will form as a habit and seep in your soul,
‘Till the stream of your blood is as black as the coal.

CHORUS:
It’s dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew,
Where danger is double and pleasures are few,
Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines
It’s dark as a dungeon way down in the mine.

It’s a-many a man I have seen in my day,
Who lived just to labor his whole life away.
Like a fiend with his dope and a drunkard his wine
A man will have lust for the lure of the mines.

The midnight, the morning, or the middle of day,
Is the same to the miner who labors away.
Where the demons of death often come by surprise,
One fall of the slate and you’re buried alive.

I hope when I’m gone and the ages shall roll,
My body will blacken and turn into coal.
Then I’ll look from the door of my heavenly home,
And pity the miner a-diggin’ my bones.

P.S. This song was written by Merle Travis.

This is a note for note cover of two songs from a video game.  If you’re the first person to guess the video game, I’ll buy you a frosty beverage of your choosing and moreover win my gratitude that I’m not the only person who’s played that particular game. The segues between parts is my invention, as I’m taking two songs with different feels and basically lumping them together. The point of this exersize was to use a bunch of the gear that I’ve accumulated recently and work on my guitar lead work, which isn’t terribly good and it’s pretty obvious when I cheat like heck. How I cheat is left as an exersize for the listener.

Also, my last track was a little weak due to lack of mastering. I’m working on fixing that now.

2009-02-08

PS: four days since the last hellagem? snap snap people. (says the guy who’s a week late)