Review: Mamaa Saiz

Haven't done one of this in a while, and am totally out of practice, but here goes ...

A wonderful hour just sitting here in SL listening to Mamaa Saiz siging what he sings. A mellow combination of music with R&B overtones, or maybe that is his voice.

The guitar work is masterful and you feel each little pluck and strum playing on the strings of your heart. A sort of warm, ever so slightly misty-eyed, wonderful. Accompanied by a voice with just enough gravel to give it body without losing that smooth melodiousness that makes a singer so perfectly listenable.

Each song comes with the story of why it is in his collection, and each is sung as if it is a personal piece of himself. Most of the music is a selection of Americana with a distinct feeling that these are songs he has lived, not jsut come upon at some point and liked. Close your eyes and you can see him sitting there with the original artists jamming away.

If he is performing in SL, make the time to catch him. It will be the most worthwhile hour you spent in SL all week.

I think there is something in my eye, making it hard to type. Honest. So back to listening to the music.

Just don't ask him for any Joan Baez.

Arman Finesmith

And so he is.

Playing the best Ragtime guitar to be heard in SL ... well, okay, so far as I know, playing the only Ragtime guitar in SL. Correct me if I am wrong. I love Ragtime. So he is playing something I like and also doing something I haven't heard anyone else doing in SL. That's a double win. It helps that he's good too.

Give him a listen.

Reviews: Peregrine Singh

Peregrine Singh is a novelty in Second Life. He is not another blues singer or guitarist or singer song-writer or person with karaoke machine. You are not going to hear covers of your favorite tunes from him.

Instead, he is playing how own music in his own way, and it is just awesome. A sedate, ambient awesome, but awesome.

Peregrine Singh plays his guitar to beat-box accompaniment in ways that explores the realm of world beat music in new and interesting ways, taking us on ambient trips to other realms, his notes evoking moods, feelings, and even images of places kicking in the back of our heads. He pulls in musical threads and beats from around the globe and arranges them into captivating musical ambiance. Simply, he performs musical poetry.

If you promise not to fall asleep during an hour of the truly mellow, he is a must listen. Remember to load up your HUD with the slowest, most rapturous dances you have.

Reviews: Noma Falta

I find I don't have much nice to say about female vocalists in Second Life. Not that I don't like female vocalists, and not that there aren't plenty of good ones out there. There are way more women in my personal music collection than men. Of course, my fascination with J-Pop and Eurodance may be skewing those numbers a little. But in SL, the female vocalists just never seem to thrill me. Don't know why. Maybe the technology used to stream live performances in Second Life was only ever optimized for male vocal patterns making female voices sound somehow off. I have no idea. Not beyond the realm of possibility though.

Noma Falta though, is a just plain amazing singer. It is hard to tell whether she is singing karaoke or playing at least one instrument on her own with synth accompaniment. But if she is running a karaoke machine, I'm not going to hold it against her. Especially when she sings many of her tunes acapella.

Her deep, dusky renditions of the blues and of anything she chooses to sing is well worth the listen. There aren't many SL musicians out there who can hold your attention on unaccompanied voice alone. The quality of streamed audio sees to that. You have to be better than good to overcome the limits of mediocre equipment.

Some of my favorite musicians, including some already reviewed here, are to be found at her concerts, also listening. Musicians that attract other musicians is always a good sign.

Keep an eye, and an ear, out for her.

Reviews: Jano Runo

Something about the Latin-style on acoustic guitar. Jano Runo both brings acoustic guitar but also appears to be in a band that provides, in their words, a range of Bossa Nova, Samba, and Tropical music. I have only heard him play solo, so I can't speak to that, but here is the myspace site. He hails from Mexico.

Although I was thoroughly enchanted with his guitar playing and highly recommend him for a good listen, I have to give him a mixed review. When I went to see him, he was very much singing off key. It was that sort of off key one gets when they are used to using a monitor, or have a cold, and can't hear themselves as well as they would like.

Still, the masterful guitarwork easily covered for the ocassional bit of flat notedness.

Look him up, he's worth your time.

Planet Mongo

Okay, this place is not mine. It is someone else's.

I am insanely jealous.

Anyway, the sim is called Planet Mongo and it is well worth the look. An amazing application of huge prims to create a huge build. Pretty much an entire sim for a single large superstructure.

I had to pan all the way out to 512 to be able to snap this shot.

It looks like it is still under construction and currently lacking many vendors, but that's okay, it is worth it just for the opportunity to walk around in a pretty amazing piece of art.

Yes, the red fuzzy bits below it are clouds. It is up pretty high, and is pretty tall itself. At ground level are the ruins of a once thriving civilization and the remains of a shattered island. Oh, and a slime processing plant. Though why you would add fruity flavoring to slime is a little worrisome.

Reviews: Von Johin

If you want good old school, dusky R&B in your Second Life experience, this is your man. I hate to say it, but I think I just found someone I like better than Komuso Tokugawa (don't tell him I said that though).

Von Johin is like a glass of smooth whiskey on a cool, quiet summer evening, if you like whiskey, that is. I mean, for those who do, I don't have to say any more. For those who don't like whiskey, kk, your loss. Okay, I confess, I have to be in a pretty foul mood to think whiskey tastes good. Maybe that is why it is a drink that goes so well with the blues. It is the taste of misery, and it sooths the heart to drink it.

Von Johin himself is not a glass of whiskey, though it is Second Life, so why not? But he is a serious performer, complete with corporate sponsorship. Okay, having family in the industry, I can say that means alot. Guitar companies don't encourage you to use their logo unless you can make people swoon to have a six (or twelve) stringed marvel of their own. And well, yeah, his playing is very swooney.

Definitely worth throwing those Lindens at. Book him at your next event so I can come and party. Okay, should probably let me know first so I am not off grocery shopping in Real Life^™ though.

Ooops. This was supposed to be tomorrow's post. Oh well.

Reviews: Joaquin Gustav

Okay, today's review is Joaquin Gustav. Spanish guitar in Second Life.

And just awesome. An intimate instrument like the guitar, softly played, lends itself to listening in a virual world, where the headphones only increase the intimacy, giving one the feeling that they are sitting in a small little club in Real Life^™ listening to the music live.

Joaquin is a music instructor and performer from Argentina. One of the wonderful things about second life is that you can listen to someone live from France one hour, Argentina after that, and then finish up with a group of friends all thousands of miles apart all listening to someone performing in Toronto.

Anyway, Joaquin has a talent for taking any piece ever written it seems and turning it into a gentle tango that tugs at the heart chords. His music is gentle and soft and makes you want to hurt anyone with the temerity to launch an audible gesture. His riff on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is in and of itself worth the price of admission. But he has a talent for picking interesting songs that you would never think of as instrumental pieces for Spanish guitar until you find them in his capable hands.

Yeah, I know. It is not a Spanish guitar he is holding. Then again, it's Second Life. He could be holding a lute and the guitar sitting on his lap in the comfort of his home would still sound exactly the same.

Certainly an artist worth your attention. Okay, probably gonna say that alot in these reviews. Then again, if I think it is worth commenting on, then it is probably worth seeing.

In unrelated news, I was in attendance in Joaquin's concert in a new skin which was drawing some compliments, so here I am, looking a little more Indic than usual. I know, vanity, but it's not a bad look.

On a side side note, Googling him led me to the purevolume Web site. Way cool. Look at all those events in my area. Not with Joaquin, wrong continent, but still.

Addendum: Okay, helps if I spell his name right. At least I was consistent.

Reviews: Azriahl Hax

Okay, when I'm not building, I am out exploring the live music scene in Second Life (or dancing up a storm at a clothing optional party ... o.O ... but that's a different story). So I thought I would take the time to comment on some of what I like. Besides then I can remember who I liked and why while trying to figure out who to book for my own club. Not that I ever get around to organizing parties, but the club is there, waiting for me to get motivated.

Our first victim is Azriahl Hax, who immediately gets kudos for performing as a smallish furry dwarfed by the mike that no one could bother to adjust. Being short myself, I really do notice these things.

He presents a very nice mix of contemporary covers mixed with idle chatter and disarmingly self-depreciating humor. He is talented and comfortable with what he does, and it shows. Oh, and his music is good too. Well, his playing of other people's music on his guitar while he sings along is good.

He just sent me an e-mail in response to this post to imply that some of the tunes may or may not have been his. Though the between song monologues is usually when I am sneaking out for a cup of tea or something. So I won't commit either way right now. Was good, either way. Ooooh, and he's got a website, check it!

Okay, not that exciting a review, but it's my first one, be nice while I ramp up to speed, and keep an eye out of Azriahl in Second Life.