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.

Xmas in Jvly

I'm pretty sure that little girl done killed a boy with her shiny shoes. Then, she burned a feller to death. She's a bad seed, she is. Only reason she'd be wanting an animal like that, for eatin' up all them bodies of the folks she done killed. I'm sure of it.

Or, it's just a cute novelty song that Ed took too long to introduce.

It would make a great horror movie, though.

I come across just so much stuff
Some is lousy; some is grate
But the good things, sure enough,
I like to collect and curate.
But just tonight, I'd like to try
A little Christmas in July

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!

It's not all like this, I swear.

You really have to appreciate those satin pants; they detract from everyone's tiny, tiny, malnourished teeth. I keep waiting for Peter Serafinowicz to appear and do the punch-line.

Garage bands from behind the iron curtain
It's sad none of these were ever big hits
With anyone, of which we can be certain,
Besides the proletariat.

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:

This makes no sense

And it has nothing to do with what I'm playing tonight. I just thought I'd share.

Post 400! Wooooo!

Jazz Fever isn't real

We'll test that statement later tonight, as I play as much jazz as I can. Hell, I might have so much left over, we'll have to play some tomorrow as well. I don't know. I just listen to the spirit of jazz as it moves me.

I debated both sides for most of the day:
Should tonight's set be stuff, such as,
The un-danceable stuff I've been longing to play
Or should I just fall back on jazz?
I don't know why I make a fuss.

The choice is rather obvious.

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)

Schweine

Who asked?

Chrisodd's mid 2013's picks....

Not exactly that we had tremendous releases of fresh and new sounds.But we had pleasant surprises from older artists and groups that came back after a long time  and really breathtaking débuts that set new co ordinations to already known genres (post punk mostly).
Also some excellent compilations of historical value and only one that defines the best area of electronic pop that may cause intense inner vibrations and excessive heartbeats.
 But there were a lot of songs that '' map'' , ''design'' or ''redesign''  music territories that will be paced in the near future. For this little review on the first half of 2013, I picked 16 albums with no effort but for the five ones that had to make it to the top-5 it was really hard.
1. MELT YOURSELF DOWN -  MELT YOURSELF DOWN 

 An intense,cheerful and virtuoso musical battle full of air,fire and earth elements .You are experiencing the sound of nature in Spring!

2. PRESENTE - BAJOFONDO 

Rio del Plata masters of Latin America's contemporary music scene return with a gigantic,rich album that wraps up their music aesthetic. A passionate musical trip to the music of the soul,the sentiments and the love of music.

3.  PHANTOMIME -  DOUBLE ECHO  

Storming bass grooves,crystal guitar lines,capturing and haunting melodies.A master work of post post dark wave supremacy that put my senses on fire and my nostalgia in the deepest blue . Irresistible, flaming,sensational,poetical and dreamy....

4.  PSYCHOTROPICAL BERLIN - LA FEMME

They are scoring before they enter the field ,with that outrageous cover and the genius surf riff through the hellish post punk/disco stomp of the opener song ''Antitaxi''..Then it's easy to take over our souls with this stylish French spoken groovy,sensational hard to define in one word music...

5.  SILENCE YOURSELF - SAVAGES 

 It's the rage feeling of the decent human being who cannot tolerate the loud decadence of this western/free my ass society. Anger is an energy.Especially the sober and cold blooded one.It looks straight to the eyes of the Beast.This is a fearless band,making concentrated music,eager to ignite boredom and dumbness to the core. A call to the arms ? A wake up call at least ! Still sleeping after listening that ?

..And the compilation I was mentioned a few lines up :
- V.A.  -   AFTER DARK 2

As in the first part ,this new part defines and suggests at the same time the side of electronic pop of this decade that wins the throne without dragons,spells,corruption or dire wolves. 
Johnny Jewel and all the artists that are involved here contribute with top tunes and place the Italians do it better label at the top rank of today's pop.

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)

Follow along at home (at Nine)

To celebrate Egypt's recent foray into representative government, I thought I'd liberate your hips from their sockets with some belly-moving tunes.

Two revolutions in two years!
(Once again, Tahrir Square starred).
But really, let's be honest here.
True democracy is HARD!

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.