In Bambridge town in the County Down On a beautiful day in July Down from a boreen green came a sweet colleen And she smiled as she passed me right by Passed me right by
No pipe I’ll smoke and no horse I’ll yoke Till my plough turns a rust colored brown And till my smiling bride by my fireside The most beautiful gem in the crown Of County Down
A harsh punk sound with an extended retro fusion instrumental solo and a synthetic vocal.
I originally uploaded this with dumb lyrics and a dumb title (“Norwegian Weed”) but have decided to present it as a respectful treatment of the traditional Irish song, albeit in highly abbreviated form.
*** Song Memo ***
I cloned the BIAB fiddle to a synth for that Mahavishnu Orchestra effect, then added the other-than-human singer from Emvoice.
Guitar: Electric Rhythm PunkHeldPlus Ev 165 Bass: Electric PunkFuzzPicked8ths Ev 165 Drums: RockHardLA^1-a:Snare, HiHat b:Snare, Loose HiHat Fiddle: BIAB solo but I don't know how to get info about it now
Interesting, different, and creative. I love what you did with the synth from the fiddle. That Emvoice singer fits in well with the synth. I enjoyed the sound you created in this.
Much thanks! I am ridiculously pleased with this strange little thing – especially the polyrhythms in the vocal passages!
PS – I just replaced the SoundCloud file with a minor but critical update that fixed a couple of missing drumbeats, but this unfortunately cost me your kind comment there. Sorry about that! Also apologies to TuneMonger, who commented on the earlier dumb version here in a now deleted thread.
Ah, so you ran out of that Norwegian Weed, huh? I'll admit I cringed when I read HARSH PUNK SOUND, but pushed Play anyway. WOW! So glad I did, Mark. This is really cool --very creative. Gave it a couple spins, and it deserves more. My Irish mom might not think so, but I think it is a great piece of musical magic. Really odd melody for the singer. Really enjoyed it!
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
You do the Jan Hammer thing well. This could go full DOOM...the BIAb style has cello rater than violin but it'd work. This is pretty heavy. Nicely so.
I saw Jan with the rest of the Mahavishnu Moptops several times. He was always doing that note-note-note WEEEOOO note-note-note WEEEOOO thing with the pitchbend wheel on his keyboard, which of course is impossible to see from the crappy seats in Madison Square Garden. He'd wave his torso around a bit so you'd have something to watch but I remember it being a fundamentally frustrating experience watching him, there'd be this awesome sound and absolutely nothing to look at.
Thanks for listening and commenting. I value your take on the grim and grueling to which I gravitate.
Ah, so you ran out of that Norwegian Weed, huh? I'll admit I cringed when I read HARSH PUNK SOUND, but pushed Play anyway. WOW! So glad I did, Mark. This is really cool --very creative. Gave it a couple spins, and it deserves more. My Irish mom might not think so, but I think it is a great piece of musical magic. Really odd melody for the singer. Really enjoyed it!
Thanks, Marty! I'm really really glad you enjoyed. Even after "dedumbing" I was worried this might come off as a joke, you know, ha ha traditional song played as a headbanger, which was not at all my intent.
I learned the tune in the summer of 1980, from Robin Williamson's book on how to play the pennywhistle. I played it sitting on a rock near a waterfall while people bathed in the plunge pool (Ithaca, NY). I am outrageously delighted to have found this way to weld it into a heavier piece of metal in 2022.
Oh, and I did indeed swear off Norwegian Weed. Once you've had a taste of Boreen Green, "no pipe you'll smoke" without it. =&^)
I used to frequent renaissance festivals where I first heard Celtic tunes like Star of the County Down. I'm guessing most of those musicians would hate this because, you know, not trad. But I always award points for creativity and this is definitely creative. The fiddle still sounds somewhat to me like a hurdy gurdy (I am a big fan of that instrument.) The vocal is pretty good, I even stopped thinking about it as not human. Anyway, enough rambling. Nice job you did here, all told.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
I used to frequent renaissance festivals where I first heard Celtic tunes like Star of the County Down. I'm guessing most of those musicians would hate this because, you know, not trad. But I always award points for creativity and this is definitely creative. The fiddle still sounds somewhat to me like a hurdy gurdy (I am a big fan of that instrument.) The vocal is pretty good, I even stopped thinking about it as not human. Anyway, enough rambling. Nice job you did here, all told.
Hey, thanks for commenting again.
I actually had only a dim recollection of what a hurdy-gurdy is, so I went a-searchin', and look what we have here: https://midigurdy.com
The vocal is quite good, and the polyrhythm is very cool. Not a style I'd go out of my way to hear, but certainly a very musical result!
Thanks! But I stand on the shoulders of greats: tracing the development of this project back, the chain of files leads directly to an earlier project based on Beethoven's 7th symphony. (The sensitive listener will no doubt have noticed similarities to that work's 2nd movement.)
Also: the beginning takes me back to the opening of Mountain's "For Yasgur's Farm".
Not a cannabis-friendly town. The irony is that Svalbard is the home of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which may in time need to restock the world with Norwegian Weed after a nuclear holocaust.
Originally Posted By: MarioD
Not my bag but a very interesting piece. It is very clever how you put punk into and Irish feel. The synth vocal was very good. Although not my bag I will give it two thumbs up.
Mark, Very unusual synth punk tune. Cool vocal phrasing! I don't think I ever heard Irish folk inspired punk before. Interesting stuff. Thank you for sharing.
Very unusual synth punk tune. Cool vocal phrasing! I don't think I ever heard Irish folk inspired punk before. Interesting stuff. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Misha! I surprised myself with this one, too. Glad you enjoyed. – Mark
What a remarkable sub-genre ... who would've thought it would work so well.
The vocal and synth really fit well. One of the better uses of that technology we have heard.
Great mix too.
Well done!
J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
Creative to the max! What a remarkable sub-genre ... who would've thought it would work so well. The vocal and synth really fit well. One of the better uses of that technology we have heard. Great mix too. Well done!
Yay, I'm my own sub-genre! =8^)
Thanks for listening, folks.
(Side note: I had a girlfriend once who laughed snortingly when she saw that my iTunes music was organized with "Mark Hayes" as a genre. I explained that it was just a way of getting at my own recordings easily, but she took it to mean I regarded my music as a primary domain of human creativity on the level of "Jazz" or "Classical". The relationship never fully recovered.)
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
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SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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