(Some of) The Music of Frank Zappa

Friday the 20th, 7-9pm SL time - While he insisted his music not be remembered (as it was intended only for the time it was released), it's my pleasure to grate against the artist's postmortem druthers and present a two hour set of the music of Frank Zappa at The Velvet.

December might as well be declared an official Frank Zappa month; Wednesday the 4th was the 20th anniversary of the musician's death, and Saturday the 21st would have been his 71st birthday. What better time to construct a set of music showcasing this man's contributions? Frank Zappa's stances on social engineering, politics or pop culture, his genius in musical arrangement, his standing as guitar virtuoso and musical composer, and his willingness to say what he thought - often as sarcastically as possible and regardless of popular opinion - created, I suspect to Frank's chagrin, a legend.

For this evening, I have selected a fairly even mix of standard songs-with-vocals and straight-up instrumentals from the 1970-1985 period. Of course, there's a bonus here and there for the folks who enjoy the really early releases, but this is when Frank produced his best work, IMHO. In other words, tonight will feature a fairly approachable set of Frank's music, including a lion's share of live material, perfect for those not familiar with the artist's body of work. I hope you will attend tonight's set and experience the music of Frank Zappa for yourself.

A Very Ugly Holiday!

Happy holidays everyone!

Ugly's Community Celebration!

A while ago I did a last minute set about and inspired by a show with great music, Community.  Since then I've wanted to rework it and make it a proper set.  Today I'm celebrating Community, both the show and the concept.  Here's the theme to the show by The 88.  Enjoy!

Mahrathon at the Velvet: December 14th and 15th

Mahrathon at the Velvet: December 14th 3:48PM--December 15th 6PM:

Join DJ Maht Wuyts at Velvet for the fifth annual Mahrathon, 26.2 hours of music, dancing and fun to benefit Heifer International. The DJ will get tired, but the tunes never will. What a silly name for such a great cause! It's the most fun you can have raising money to help someone you may never meet. Grab some coffee, slip on some pajamas and your headphones, and strap in for a non-stop set of fantastic, eclectic music and help us help people in need.

Click here for in-world location.

The Name Game

7-9pm Friday, Dec. 6th :: A few weeks ago I did a "What's in a Name" set at another venue, and it went over so well that I've polished it up for you good folks at The Velvet for this evening. I've gone through my library for those songs that have the same name, but aren't covers of each other. There were a lot more of these than I first suspected; in fact, there's only one time in this two-hour set that the same song gets played twice (by separate artists, natch). Surprisingly, there remains some sort of musical congruence to the whole thing. Deadmau5 to Neil Young, Rush to Norah Jones, Flogging Molly to Yes ... yet it all makes sense, somehow. Hope to see you all tonight!

Throwing a Tantrum!

Here's a song by the great Fitz & The Tantrums.  It's impossible not to feel like dancing to their music!  Press play and see for yourself.

The Iconic Women of Indie!

Today for the 10th Anniversary Celebration for Pepito Radio I'm packing a whole hour full of music from the women who have innovated and influenced the indie scene, along with a few tracks from notable newcomers.  This is my favorite video ever by one of the most kick-ass women out there, Amanda Fucking Palmer!  Warning:  It is addictive.

More Outlaw Ugly!

I had so much fun with the Breaking Bad/Outlaw theme a few weeks ago that I'm doing a sequel.  One of my very favorite tracks in the set is Wye Oak's "The Altar."  Enjoy!

Halloweekend at Velvet: October 26-27

A chill fog rolls in from the sea, and a sound pierces the night...

Is it music?

You pull your coat tight to your throat and walk through the trees.

What kind of music? Jazz? Indie? Darkwave?

Something dark swirls around you and you realize, with a start, where you are.

It's the Velvet's Halloweekend-—two days of music from SL's most deranged minds—-and you may not make it back...unchanged.

Saturday:		Sunday:
		9	Cajsa Lilliehook (two hours!)
		11	Galdor Willenov
12	Brodie Oleander	12	Zoidyn Kytori
1	Wiseblood Wisent	1	Zhu Bajie
2	Albert Gainsbourg	2	Lucy
3	Chrisodd	3	Maht Wuyts
4	Baxter Aubin	4	NTropy Sellers
5	Mallory Cerise	5	Ghosty Kips
6	Uglyana Jones	6	Dammi Quan
7	Blanche	7	Ayako Guerrero
8	Paradox Messmer	8	Giara Diller-Borgnine
9	GypsyDoctor Donat	9	Caden Aviatik
10	Jennis	10	Lolotehe Menoptra

Another Proggy Night

What surprised me most about my first night spinning at the Velvet was the number of people who said to me, "I've never heard this kind of music before." I still don't understand how that's possible, but SOMETHING MUST BE DONE! Therefore it's time to put all the other stuff away and serve up another heaping helping of the whimsical, flamboyant, over-the-top flappery that is progressive rock. This Friday, 7-9pm SL, expect more from the likes of King Crimson, EL&P, Yes, Spock's Beard, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull and much more. I do hope to see you there.

Upps! feeds bloggers!: Join us

Upps! feeds bloggers!: Join us

My Blog is on your feed already but, the URL is changing can you please update the link for Bellessima?

The new URL is: https://bellessimablogs.wordpress.com/

The old URL is: http://bellessima.tumblr.com/

Thank you <3

Anabelle Marquis

Outlaws

Inspired by Breaking Bad, today's set is an exploration of outlaws.  This song was featured on the show and shaped the set.  Enjoy!

A Llama Says Hello!

My name is Ghosty Kips, and I am the newest addition to the list of great DJs at The Velvet. Well, some people think I'm a great DJ; I'm a bit too modest for all that. I just like doing what I do, and hopefully, you will like it too.

I'll be making my debut with a 2-hour set on Friday, September 27th at 7pm SL time. It somehow ended up that I'll be doing a prog rock set (Longer songs! Less work!), and if all that flourish and flamboyance is too much, I know a bunneh we can affix blame to. But I don't think that'll be necessary. Future sets will likely be more along the lines of what-do-I-feel-like-playing-now affairs (I like everything from EDM, to post-punk, to good old classic rock), and the occasional theme set might happen from time to time.

Anyway, enough babble. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you on Friday, and I hope you enjoy the music I'll bring to The Velvet.

G

Autumn Mood

I'm still in an Autumn mood from this weekend's Metachromism event, so today I'm continuing with some chill tunes, like this dreamy song by La Sera.  Enjoy!

Metachromatism at the Velvet: September 21, 12PM through 11PM

The end of summer is more than just a shortening of days and advent of cooler weather, more than autumn’s opening act. Autumn brings the stunning majesty of the changing leaves, the crisp furnace air near a bonfire with friends. Autumn brings us new activities: football, a fresh school year, Homecoming dances, pies baking in the oven, new constellations in the sky, the shortening of days, warm blankets at night.

With all the reds and gold, ochres and umbers to be found during this season, Velvet invites you to come share a weekend with us rejoicing and relaxing in a splendid park. We'll have some of SL's finest DJs paying tribute to the beauty, transformation, and the decay of autumn, highlighted by a spectacular light show. On the day before Equinox, the celestial event when light and darkness reach the state of balance, the magnificence and the poignancy of the season will form a similar balance musically.

Join us as we play season-inspired music and shake like the autumnal winds until there's nothing left on the trees but the echoes of the last song played.

Schedule:

12 Mallory
1 Wise
2 Baxter
3 Chris
4 Lucy
5 Dammi
6 Jonesy
7 Ophelia
8 Blanche
9 Lolo
10 Gypsy

Arcade Fire + David Bowie = Awesome

Today's set is built around Arcade Fire's new release featuring David Bowie.  Enjoy!

5 Stages

Today's set is a journey through the five stages of grief.  Sad bastardry guaranteed.

It's Real, Sur!

In today's set (3 pm to 5 pm SLT) I take on The Surreal.  Confusion and déjà vu likely likely likely.

Tranquility

Today's set was about tranquility and my favorite selection was turned in by Baxter Aubin, Dreamsicle Bomb by Black Moth Super Rainbow.  Enjoy!

Mid-Year Album Picks from Galdor

"Foals - Holy Fire
3rd album from the band, shows a strong old fashion guitar base band. Awesome tunes with sounds going back and forth from pop to hard rock will make you jump to your feet and dance away.

Daft Punk - Random Access Memory
After waiting for just too long for this release while promotion over flooded the media, everything pointed for this band to disappoint but, after hearing the whole album for the first time it made me think this two guys really pull it off nicely. Sometimes so different from the other albums but in all, not so far from the distinctive sound we're used to.

Johnny Marr - The Messanger
Not much more to say about this album but FREAKING AWESOME.
From The Smiths, working with Bernard Summers (New Order) in Electronic to Modest Mouse and now as Solo, Marr still has too much to offer. A must have in any music library.

Other albums that i had to leave out but are worth mentioning are:
- Bonobo - The North Borders
- Beady Eyes - BE
- Eels - Wonderful, Glorious
- Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
- City Society - City Society
- Guards - In Guards We Trust
- The KVB - Immaterial Visions
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
- The Neighbourhood - I Love You
and many others… so much to hear, so little time…"

Mid-Year Album Picks from Lucy

"Savages - I am Here
Ok, so this is derivative, and very Siouxsie, but it's done so stylishly, so darn well that it keeps knocking my little black socks off. Faultless really.

Lebanon Hanover - Why Not Just Be Solo
Slight cheat as this was released in 2012 but I seem to recall late 2012. I don't care anyhow as it's a marvel of introspective, angsty, nihilism. 'Sadness is Rebellion' as their strapline goes and LH are rebelling against everything with thundering bass, staccato drums and discordant guitars guaranteed to raise the hairs on your neck. I adore it :)

Editors - The Weight of Your Love
Hmm, edges in here due to the first three tracks being absolutely storming. The jury's out on the remainder but the Bunnymen-esque start really is that good that I'll forgive the remaining tracks pretty much anything."

Moby Tenenbaum's Mid-Year Album Picks

"•    “Floating Coffin,” by Thee Oh Sees. No band pulls together psychedelia, noise, garage, and punk into one neat ball—and has so much fun doing it.
•    “Heza,” by Generationals. The third album by two guys from New Orleans and their friends. Shimmering, catchy, mostly upbeat tunes that draw from a variety of sources—Britpop and Motown among them—and are filtered through a contemporary indie-rock lens. (I also saw them perform live in a small club a couple months ago in front of an adoring crowd and can attest that they’re the real deal.)
•    “Head in the Dirt,” by Hanni El Khatib. Young California dude whose rock ‘n’ roll soul is as pure as the driven snow and tinged mostly by garage and blues. His first album, “Will the Guns Come Out,” was one of the year’s best in 2011 and his newest one is better yet. He’ll remind you of the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, who produced this album."

Photos from the sim anniversary event:

Splash & Burn: The Velvet Sim 1st Anniversary Party

Come help the Velvet celebrate their first anniversary of their home sim by cooling your heels at an all weekend pool party! 25 of your favorite Velvet DJs will spin fantastic music for at least 12 hours each day, at our specially-built outdoor pool. This is the kind of event you'll want to tell your prim grandchildren you attended, so bring your towel and some sunscreen and get ready for a summer bash that will haunt your dreams for months to come. We'll supply the lifeguards and the music. No running.

Poster by Dammi Quan <3

Saturday (July 13)

12 Giara
1 Wiseblood Wisent
2 Paradox Messmer
3 Chrisodd
4 Brodie Oleander
5 Dammi Quan
6 Baxter Aubin
7 Blanche
8 Uglyana Jones
9 GypsyDoctor Donat
10 Lolotehe Menoptra

Sunday (July 14)

8 Maht Wuyts
9 Cajsa Lilliehook
10 Galdor Willenov
11 Frequency Picnic
12 Albert Gainsbourg
1 Ophelia Balczo
2 Lucy
3 Mallory Cerise
4 YoYo Burckhardt
5 Bettie Bouscario
6 Teri Ninetails
7 Hezzy Veeper
8 Dexy Balazic
9 Napili Sands
10 Caden Aviatik

Mid-Year Picks from Sean Glassman

"My picks with no supporting reasoning other than to say this is what I have liked most so far and am too lazy to elaborate:

1) Telekinesis- Dormarion

2) The National -  Trouble Will Find Me

3) Teleman - No real album out yet just a couple singles. New band that consists of 3 of the 4 members from Pete & the Pirates."

Dexy's Top 5 of 2013, so far...

Fuzz - Sleigh Ride 7" (In The Red)
Shannon and the Clams - Dreams in the Rat House LP (Hardly Art)
Hunx / Cassie Ramone split 7" (Famous Class)
Summer Twins - Forget Me EP (Burger Records)
Best Coast - Fear of Identity 7" (Mexican Summer)

Uglyana Jones' Mid-Year Albums

This is impossible, but the albums I've enjoyed so far in 2013 are:

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines

With honorable mentions to Editor's The Weight of Your Love and Phosphorescent's Muchacho.  Maybe The Joy Formidable's Wolf Law because it sounds like celestial grunge rock.  I have a headache now, too many choices!

Mallory's Mid-Year Picks

In Death It Ends - Occvlt Machine

Mater Suspiria Vision - Serenity

Aghast Manor - Penetrate

Tracks/descriptions:

In Death It Ends - Cold Silent

Mater Suspiria Vision - Serenity (In Death It Ends Remix)

And for Aghast Manor... As Andrea explains: “Penetrate is in a way for me a journey through the typical clandestine stereotypes of different European countries, like the songs ’Fleur De Marie’ and ’Today Is My Day’ with atmospheres of Paris’ shady cabarets and colourful harlots. Or songs like ’Asylum ’45’ and ’Worship Me’ with images of Dominas, German asylums and wicked wardens, or the mighty ’The Venice Murder’ which is supposed to invoke images of Venice gloom, phantoms and poisoners, or the bizarre song ’Spy On The Wall’ which reminds me of a James Bond movie with all the creepy Eastern spies jumping from behind doors... Aghast Manor has a lot of ’Galgenhumor’ and I want the music to be there for everybody who likes to enjoy a little strange and haunting experience...it’s best enjoyed alone at night!” (Press release)

Baxter Aubin's Mid-Year Album Picks

"I’m going to do a Top 5, because two of the albums on my list are technically from 2012, but I didn’t hear them until this year – Clairy Browne’s Baby Caught the Bus, and Jenny Hval’s Innocence is Kinky. I believe another one was a 2012 release in Europe but didn’t make it to the US until this year – Jacco Gardner’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Rounding out the list are The Savages’ Silence Yourself and Frank Turner’s Tape Deck Heart. Honorable mentions to Colleen Green for Sock It To Me, Yo La Tengo for Fade, and Parquet Courts for Light Up Gold. Can I be any more indecisive? Yes! I reserve the right to totally change my mind for the year-end list."


Baxter plays at the Velvet on Wednesdays, 5-7SLT.

Concept for Tuesday, July 9, 2013 - Tranquility

Thanks to everyone who participated in today's concept set about Vendettas.  The theme for next week, Tuesday, July 9, 2013, is Tranquility.  The due date for submissions is Sunday, July 7, 2013.  I look forward to hearing from you!  For inspiration:  http://pinterest.com/uglyanajones/tranquility/

There are two sides to every story…except for this one!

When you sleep you'll feel my icy fingers
crawling down your back
And when you wake you'll find me right beside you
Waiting to attack
And when you walk I will be right behind you
Quickening my steps
And when you try to shut me out
I will be laughing in your head

This week I learned to be more careful with the concepts I choose for my sets.  I was nearly overwhelmed by the darkness that envelops all other emotions that go into the formation and execution of a vendetta.  There are certainly lighter aspects, such as humor and the high one gets from anger, but in this musical exploration of vendettas I found the two most prominent components to be twisted rage and a disturbingly high amount of obsession.  This set is not for the faint of heart.

This song by The Shins from their 2003 album, Chutes too Narrow, is part of the inspiration for the theme of today's set, The Sublime.  Enjoy!

Kreativ In Den Boden - Longinus

Kreativ In Den Boden - Longinus

hoc est sepulchrum intus cadaver non habens
hoc est cadaver sepulchrum extra non habens
sed cadaver idem est sepulchrum sibi

This is a tomb without a corpse
This is a corpse which is not contained by a tomb
but the corpse and the tomb are one and the same

The Velvet gets Ugly

Heya Velvet Lovelies!

I am making my premiere as a DJ on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.  I'm going to do my sets a bit different than the norm, and this is where you will be invaluable.  Each week I am going to post a new theme and invite people to send me recommendations for songs that encapsulate that theme for them.  The theme for my first set on 06/18 is "The Sublime."  I made a Pinterest page to give you ideas about what I am looking for:   http://pinterest.com/uglyanajones/the-sublime/ .  Send me an NC in-world or email me at uglyanajones@gmail.com with your suggestions.  Thanks for your help!

Mykki Blanco - The Initiation

Seriously weird and fierce. The muscles of the psyche in the state of unbearable tension, in hell.

Fractures - Twisted

This song is oddly addictive and perfect in its injuriously gentle, haunting impact.

The Velvet Darkness: Goth Day celebration all day tomorrow!

"The way is not easy, I know, but I will take you by the hand and lead you through the cruel light into the velvet darkness" Vincent Price in the "Masque of the Red Death"

Tomorrow, Wednesday May 22nd is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate all things dark, dangerous, eerie, melancholy and wicked. Leather and lace and corsets and kohl and tall shiny boots. Come to the Velvet that day and enter the Cruel Garden of Dark Delights where aural roses with many thorns will prick your brain as grown by DJs/goth gardeners Enthropy Panache, Lucretia, Chrisodd, Paradox Messmer and Mallory Cerise from 11am-9pm SLT. Let us seduce you with our schedule for that day's macabre happenings:

11am-1pm: Enthropy Panache
1-3pm: Lucretia1995 (Lucy)
3-5pm: Chirsodd
5-7pm: Paradox Messmer
7-9pm: Mallory Cerise

O CIRCO

A machinima by Falcao Real of the Circus of Dreams.

Circus of Dreams! May 4th, starting 11 AM (SL)

Roll up to the Big Top at the Velvet on May 4th from 11am SLT when eleven DJs (see schedule, lower right) will play circus-themed songs and clown around in celebration of the "Greatest Show on Virtual Earth".

This is no ordinary circus though, the emphasis is on the surreal, the bizarre and the dreamlike, evoking the origins of the circus as tribute to the sun god Helios by Circe the enchantress.

Join us in the circle as we welcome the summer in Velvet fashion, with great music and spectacle guaranteed!

∆AIMON - Vargtimmen

One of my favorite bands. One of my favorite films.

meeeow

New music was old once. I was a student in Manchester in the late 90s, and the Manchester music scene was legendary, but those legends became the cash cows for a shameless industry and the songs became pension funds for artists who lost the will to actually make more art long before I arrived. The best bands were the ones who couldn't care less about the musical heritage of the city and the Balconettes were the best.
Bette Davis and the Balconettes from 1997.

Six Degrees of Jeff Buckley

Today from 1-3PMSLT I will be continuing my monthly Sunday series Six Degrees. Six Degrees is a play on "six degrees of separation," where I organize my set around connections to a single artist: their influences and followers, covers, label and genre mates, collaborators, and more. I have been doing this since I started at Velvet the first Sunday of every month. So far I have done sets on Elvis Costello, Prince, Morrissey, Queen, Joan Jett, and the Pixies. Today I will slow things down a bit with a focus on one of my favorite singer/songwriters, the late Jeff Buckley.

It is hard to put the majesty of Jeff's music into words so I have included this video. Yes, this song has become a horrible cliche, and the world largely has Jeff to blame/thank for that. But friends, I defy you to listen once again to this version. Truly listen to it. You will end up changed.

I Ain't Fooling

It is April Fool's Day. Commercial advertising, newspapers and magazines, blogs and every other mass media seems to fall over themselves with clever ploys to go viral on April 1st, but why not celebrate the music of fools, foolishness and foolish things. And that's what will be playing tonight from 5 to 7 PM SLT - with your DJ Cajsa.

Crazy Faces

Here's a tape of the Smiths from May 1983, rehearsing at the Crazy Face clothes shop which was owned by their manager Joe Moss, the father of my friend M4SK22 Melody who is the creator/curator of the Lumeria Art Gallery which lives in the sky on the Velvet sim.

It is happening again

                                                           Well, it is, isn't it?

Lovers' Night

"throw away your insufferable and selfish arrogance, and listen"

This is the new single and video by John Hyatt and M4SK 22, who are UK artists connected to the post punk and alternative scene, John is a member of the Three Johns and M4SK 22 is the collaborative music and video project formed by 2 of his former students from Manchester School of Art.

This video was filmed at the Velvet sim.

Hump Your Heart with DJ Dox

It's Hump Day and Valentine's coming up so I'm gonna play tunes tonight to make you wanna hump, all day. Oh yeah. Fire up that engine so good you can drive all night on that long stretch of highway. Through tunnels. Am I being subtle enough? This is one of my patented Mojo Mixes. Hot bands like Lovage, Fischerspooner, Ladytron, Presets, OK Go, Mando Diao, Kasabian, Catherine Wheel, Stooges, Cramps, Magic and Fur, Portishead, Big Pink, Pulp, Handsome Furs and more 5-7. See you there you cyber-lovin' pervs.

Dwelling in the State of Being.

The latest issue of the prestigious Second Life magazine Best Of Second Life has an article and interview with M4SK22 Melody who owns the Lumeria art gallery which is located in the sky on the Velvet Sim. I help to manage the gallery and have curated some of the art works there.
The article mentions the Velvet sim and also has some examples of art works by some people who are well known to the Velvet. There are images of paintings by ByneDarkly Cazalet and a centre spread of a set piece photograph of Mallory's surrealist fashion creation, taken by Dammi Quan.

The article is here, it is a broad piece about M4SK's work as an artist and curator in SL and how that flows to and from RL, where his renown is as a painter, musician and film maker.
Here's a link to the article which starts on page 218. Dwelling in the state of being.

Here's a link to the Lumeria blog. http://lumeriart.wordpress.com/

Here's an example of  M4SK's musical machinima, which was released in late November 2012 as part of the Classwar Karaoke compilation of underground music and film. I acted in this.

2012 retrospective set tonight

Tonight I'll be playing more mighty music from the past year. Personal picks from 2012 include Richard Hawley, Fresh & Onlys, Calexico, Redd Kross, Delta Spirit, Menomena, Sea Wolf, Mark Lanegan, Joseph Arthur, Mind Spiders, Field Music, Thee Oh Sees, Django Django, Woods, Secret Colours, Ty Segall Band, Moon Duo, Ezra Furman, Magnetic Fields, Matthew E. White, Islands and more 5-7pm at the Velvet.