Ryan says: For the third year in a row, I’ve released some holiday music.  This time, I’ve recorded a very upbeat rendition of “We Three Kings (of Orient Are).”  I used a few new toys in the production of this track:  An obscure 1980s guitar with some spicy humbucking pickups, a used BOSS overdrive pedal, a Little Big Muff Pi distortion pedal, and a personalized DeRamos Music pick by Clayton Custom Picks — 1.0 mm, white delrin, fantastic!  This stereo mix is quite different than last week’s mono mix (for the LibriVox Christmas Carol Collection).

Anyhow, this past year, I’ve also joined a band called Seven Minute Silence.  I’m their latest bass player, and I’m producing the next EP by the band.  It should be recorded, mixed, and mastered by the end of the winter season.  Combine that with hopefully some new Society of Gloves, Chord du Jour, solo work, etc., 2012 will hopefully a great time for DeRamos Music!

Here’s to averting the 2012 Apocalypse!

Jam Session 307 (5:44)

Jam Session 308 (5:30)

Jam Session 309 (8:24)

Jam Session 310 (6:48)

Jam Session 311 (6:14)

Jam Session 312 (7:36)

For more information, please visit Chord du Jour.

O Christmas Tree (2:22)

Ryan says:  “Last year, I recorded an EP’s worth of Christmas songs for LibriVox.  I almost wasn’t going to record a holiday single this year, but a friend convinced me otherwise.  While deciding what song to perform, I wanted to have this A Night at the Opera vibe, and ‘O Christmas Tree’ was just a perfect fit.  I imagined that an alternate-universe Brian May could have arranged ‘O Tannenbaum’ instead of ‘God Save the Queen’ to close that particular Queen album.  In any case:  I chose, learned, re-arranged, and produced the song in the course of two days.  That’s an accomplishment in and of itself.”

Jam Session 306

For more information, please visit Chord du Jour.

Jam Session 305

For more information, please visit Chord du Jour.

The One Horse Open Sleigh (Jingle Bells) (4:41)

Ryan says: “I tried to give my version of ‘Jingle Bells’ some swagger.  You know, like Elvis meets Mick Jagger meets drunk person.  In the end, though, it could have used even more swagger.  I do love the loose-feeling rhythm, though.”

Jam Session 304

For more information, please visit Chord du Jour.

Künstlertod (3:34)

Ryan says:  “This purposely and mostly atonal mess happens at the same time as Strauss’ ‘Künstlerleben,’ a companion piece of sorts, with leben meaning life and tod meaning death, or at least that’s what various Internet translators have told me.  There are also fleeting references to ‘The Drone,’ ‘Robert,’ and ‘The Stranger‘ in this piece.”

It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1:21)

Ryan says: “This recording is just me, a ukulele, two mics, and some reverb added to the mix – all one take, no overdubbing, and no editing.  Well, I chose the ‘best’ take from about 15 takes.”

Steve's Ideals (1:08)

Ryan says: “This one is mostly regular, underscore stuff.  ‘The Drone‘ is being played at the same time, so I was mindful to have the music be in the same key.  There’s also some foreshadowing, with the boogie woogie-inspired part.”

All's Well That Ed's Well (1:36)

“This is happy ending music, well, for the middle of the movie.  I like the title I gave it:  ‘All’s Well That Ed’s Well.’”