Kill Ugly Radio | Frank Zappa & Elsewhere: Frank Zappa news, weird links, lumpy gravy. Wanna bun?

Hey, never mind that Saddam just got hanged — Zappa Wiki Jawaka, our ever growing Zappa Encyclopaedia, got dugg! Get yourself a free Digg account, and go and give us a digg, why don’t you…

Posted in Frank Zappa, In The News, Zappa Wiki | 1 Comment »

He saves a kitty, the pope (who sounds a lot like FZ), Ren and Stimpy, the President, and the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights! It’s… Powdered Toast Man!

Posted in Amusing, Comics, Frank Zappa | 4 Comments »

Two college kids get to interview FZ. Exciting! All goes moderately well, and then…

Frank held the album with both hands and glared at it with his beady, black eyes. Clouds of what looked like dry ice vapor seemed to be coming out of his ears.
“Mistah Zappa wanna buy that record from you,” Smothers rasped in my ear.
“That’s a really great album, Frank!” my clueless, yet status-seeking friend remarked.
“How much ya want for it?” Zappa monotoned.

Posted in Amusing, Frank Zappa, Zappa Articles | 3 Comments »

There were traffic jams! All that holiday food! The presents! There was a leak in our water pipes! A postal worker robbed me of ten euros! So um: no Friday Boot today — although last week’s offering will remain online until the next. Happy Holidays!

Posted in Friday Boots | 6 Comments »

WFMU has mp3’s of Bill Hicks’ “Loses It” show. When Hicks goes after some hecklers, Michael Richards will need to take some notes…

the “Bill Loses It” show also serves as a reminder of how much has changed since 1989. If Hicks had given this performance in a post 9/11 America, he would’ve faced far worse than Michael Richards did when he lost it onstage. Hicks might’ve been deported or jailed.

Posted in Amusing, Pop Cult | 2 Comments »

The 4 Disc MOFO arrived this morning at around 8, when a postal worker rang the doorbell saying he had a special delivery. Standing in the doorway in the freezing cold waving an oversized package at me, it soon became clear what was special about it as far as the post office was concerned: a 10 euro customs fee needed to be paid. Doctor Sharl and I proceeded to dig out what coins we had left — it took a mere 10 minutes — upon which I was granted The Package.

We’re now some 9 hours later (and back from work duties): all four discs have been imported into iTunes, I’m listening to disc one (the original! stereo! vinyl! mix!) and by golly, the sound is just gorgeous — wonderfully crisp overall, in treble as well as bass. This coming from a guy who does not see the point in keeping lossless audio as he thinks mp3 will do just fine. I’ve yet to hear the other 3 discs but I thought it would be nice to post some pictures of the lavish packaging for the curious and/or nay-sayers among you. Pardon the image quality — we’ve yet to acquire a professional grade photo-studio here at KUR…

Tiny Lil’ Update:

Compostions?

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video | 13 Comments »

On this Christmas Day, The Godfather of Soul has died at the age of 73. Take it to the bridge Mr. Brown! You shall be missed.

Posted in In The News, Music | 4 Comments »

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Barry will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING to keep you online this Xmas. Ho Ho Ho!

Posted in Amusing, Randamonium | 3 Comments »

Robin Slick, published novelist, raging liberal, and mother of 2/3 of “the Adrian Belew Power Trio” asks: Okay, Who Knows Hungarian?

Here’s an article about me where I am strategically placed between Pamela Des Barres, Marianne Faithful, Bebe Buell, and Germaine Greer! But for godsakes, it’s in Hungarian and so not only am I unable to translate it, there are no free on line services which will do it for me…

Why that’s a job for BalintMan if ever I saw one!

Posted in Randamonium | 6 Comments »

Ain’t it just!

(YouTube link, thanks SOFA!)

Posted in Amusing, Music | 2 Comments »

The Frank Zappa Memorial Fund:

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation have been designated by the Frank Zappa family as among the organizations to receive contributions made in his memory. The Foundation leads efforts to stop censorship wherever it arises by defending First Amendment freedoms in court and providing legal and financial help in cases involving libraries and librarians, authors, publishers and booksellers.

Posted in Books, Frank Zappa, Zappa Misc | 5 Comments »

A classic line-up, some classic tunes: Durham, NC, 24 February 1973 — get it while it’s hot!

Posted in Frank Zappa, Friday Boots | 1 Comment »

You like end-of-the-year lists? This list of lists should keep you busy until, oh, mid January I reckon. A tiny sampling:

• Top Ten Creepy Fossil Finds
• The Year In Cat Fights
• Best Viral Videos (more)
• Google Zeitgeist
• Banished Words List 2006 Ed.
• The Year In Ideas
• and my favorite: Kenny G’s Top Ten of 2006

Posted in Pop Cult, Randamonium | Comments Off

Uncle Frank would have been 66 today. Let’s travel back in time to 1963, why don’t we:

Music Is The Best!

Posted in Frank Zappa, Music, Zappa Audio/Video | 5 Comments »

Ian Stonehouse spotted an oddity available on iTunes UK: “The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle”. It was released December 15 and consists of the following recycled and new (?) tracks:

1. Trying’ To Grow A Chin - FZ
   (Live ‘76) Sydney, Australia 1-20-76
2. Dead Girls of London - FZ
   (Live ‘79) - Odeon Hammersmith, London 2-79
3. You Are What You Is - FZ
   (Live ‘80) 12-11-80, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
4. Bamboozled By Love - FZ
   (Live ‘88) 5-8-88, Wein, Austria
5. Fine Girl - FZ
   (Remix) 8-20-86 UMRK Remix by FZ with Bob Stone
6. Girlie Woman - Diva Zappa
7. When The Ball Drops - Diva Zappa
8. Bring It Back - Ahmet Zappa
9. Feel How I Need You - Ahmet Zappa
10. Rhythmatist - Dweezil Zappa
11. Everyone Is Going Mad - Moon Zappa & Jellybird

iTunes link for the curious…

Update: more info available at zappa.com, and entry above updated accordingly. Apparently “all tracks are previously unreleased (except #8 which is from DZ’s latest album, Go With What You Know.)”

Posted in Frank Zappa, Zappa Audio/Video | 18 Comments »