Outside Now

Depending on how well you know me, it may or may not come as a surprise to you dear reader, that this is where Kill Ugly Radio ends.

There are quite a few reasons why I decided today was a good time to put this old and rusty site to rest, but I won’t go into that. Instead, allow me to say it has been an honor and a pleasure to host KUR during the past 11 years. I’ve learned so much from your comments and emails, laughed my ass off at some of them, and believe me when I say that without KUR, I would have never met some of the brightest people within the Zappa community. I’m proud to say some of them remain close friends to this day.

I hope KUR has been a source of fun, discovery and inspiration over the years. Perhaps it gave you a chuckle, or perhaps you became acquainted with music you’d not heard before, perhaps you engaged in, or read some really erudite discussion on a variety of topics. A huge thank you goes out to fellow contributors Balint, Urbangraffito, Dr Sharleena, SOFA, Magicfingers and Alex — and to you silly people for having been with us all these years.

If you’re reading this, pride yourself in knowing you were once part of

It’s been a pleasure talking to you — and don’t forget to register to vote.

Zappathon, 2011 Edition

This just in from our pal Bill Amutis, aka Ol’ Baggy Eyes:

We have yet to learn our lesson, apparently, because we, the beknighted diehards at WUSB-FM are once again hosting an on-air Zappathon. Meaning: 12 hours of Frank Zappa, on air, webcast all over the globe and beyond.

This Zappathon is being co-ordinated by John Tabacco with assistance by me, Kevin Kovarik, & Nigey Lennon (I hope). WUSB-FM broadcasts from Stony Brook University out of Stony Brook, NY at the frequency of 90.1 FM. We also webcast at wusb.fm. This way the whole world will once again be swathed in the piquant tones of Echidna, Evelyn, & T’Mershi to name a few.

Hurrah! If you’re on Facebook, here’s the event page.

Zappathon 2011

Previously

The Cardiacs in Rehearsal

Long before I had began writing and posting here at KUR, one of the many things which had attracted me to this weblog (and frankly, still does, years later) was all the new music I was exposed to on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis (via posts, comments, and various emails from band publicists throughout the world).
Continue reading “The Cardiacs in Rehearsal”

Freak Out In Cucamonga: An Update, Long Overdue

Those of you who’ve been reading this weblog for more than just a couple of years may remember our coverage of Adam Fiorenza’s documentary on FZ’s Cucamonga days, aptly titled “Freak Out In Cucamonga”, featuring interviews with the likes of Paul Buff (PAL Studios), Dick Barber, Jim “Motorhead” Sherwood, Don Preston, Roy Estrada, and Weird Al Yancovic. Although at the time, seven years ago no less, this project had gained traction and interest, it sort of withered away and went into hibernation. Here’s the initial trailer, with artwork from Sharleena and me:

Having [re]discovered this rather sublime trailer on my hard disk drive just a week ago, I had to email Adam to find out if the project is still en route in some way, making its way to an official release.

Continue reading “Freak Out In Cucamonga: An Update, Long Overdue”

Strictly Genteel (All Versions Mix)

This is a mix of four different arrangements / recordings of “Strictly Genteel,” synchronized measure for measure and then re-synchronized to the video.

It’s worth watching it in it’s original Youtube page, reading the detailed description of the amazing mix. Great, great work!

In Pictures: Zappa At The Roundhouse

Our pal Magic Fingers had the good fortune (and a sufficient amount of Pound Sterling) to visit last weekend’s Roundhouse event. Pictural evidence was transferred over to KUR’s head office for your perusal:

For a closer, annotated version, be sure to visit the Flickr set.
Mucho Thx Sir Magic!

Update: Some more pictures, taken by Theydon Bois:

Flickr set over here.