Technical difficulties

Hi, all. I am currently blogging - beer in hand - from the back yard of scenic Chez Z. An unpredictable round of summer weather has caused some recent power outages, and I'm afraid that's gonna delay the release of the comp a bit. Sorry to disappoint, but it should be up tomorow. I was hoping shit would be resolved before midnight, but the chances look slim. :( Again, I am truly sorry.
--Z.

More Nerd News in Brief

Michael Bay’s Transformers is equal parts slapstick, horny teenagers, ham-handed politics, slow-motion collateral damage, sketchy science, even sketchier dialogue, and old-fashioned Hollywood racism.

Was it a fun summer film? Sure! A good film? Eh… maybe. But was it a Transformers film? Nope. Not in the slightest.

Our beloved “robots in disguise” were, for the most part, merely a convoluted plot device.

In addition, the movie was full of characters that didn’t do anything and set pieces that existed simply for the sake of destruction. It was a summer popcorn move, plain and simple.

And yet I had to see it. Because I am a huge dork.

• Front to the rescue!: My pal Matt from Headphone Sacrament recently brought to my attention that our own MC Frontalot has made a guest appearance in Jonathon Rosenberg's Web comic Goats. His purpose within the narrative is to protect and defend all nerds. Just like in real life!
• Put ‘em on the touch screen: Not to be outdone, my man Church countered with news that Suicide Girls has just dropped some exclusive iPhone wallpapers. ‘Cause, y’know, that particular piece of tech was sorely missing tattooed boobs.
• For those oh-so-fresh days: Down Underdogs, MetaMystiks Inc., LogicOne, Zealous1, Kal-L, and Grandmaster Pink – otherwise known as pretty much half of the recently formed Sedgwick Avenue Alliance – have just dropped a new track called “Heavy Flow Day.” I could tell you of its glory, but why not take a listen for yourself? You’ll be glad you did.
• Lather, rinse...: The final preview track for nYgel’s forthcoming nerdcore mixtape has been officially leaked… which is damn near oxymoronical. You can check out “Repeat Again (feat. Cyanide Soda and MC Shinigami)” at Shin’s MySpace. I could tell you more, but then I’d have to kill you.
• Moving on up: If you’re in Brooklyn this Friday and wanna get tanked with some real nerds, Shael Riley has got your hook-up. Mr. Riley and his lady-friend Ivy are moving out of their old digs in Bed-Stuy and into a new place in Williamsburg. In honor of the move, they’re “throwing an all-expenses-paid, booze-bash at our soon-to-be old place and you […] stand a very good chance of being someone [he] would like to invite!” The party starts at 5:00 on Friday, July 7th and goes until everyone leaves. If you'd like to come, shoot Shael a PM through MySpace and he’ll give you either A) the specifics or B) a heart-rending rejection message. If you go, have a drink for ol’ Z.
• Below the Sea-Town: And lastly, my main Seattle home-skillets the Goondocks, have just released the video for their fantastic track “1st and Yesler.” The clip was recorded over the span of 2 months across 18 locations, and was directed by Raffaele Riconsciuto, Jr. And it is awesome-sauce, although I reckon you already knew that.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 25: Cover Me

Scarface, 1983’s Al Pacino cult classic, is really just a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. Think about that for a minute. When’s the last time you saw Paul Muni’s mug on a t-shirt?

I reckon what I’m getting at here is that sometimes a remake can be more influential (or at least as influential) as the original. Certainly, this isn’t always the case. Some remakes pale in comparison. While other beg the question why the hell do that again anyway?

But, within the realm of music, the remake, the cover, has always held a special place in my heart. This episode explores that love with the help of some nerdy artists and their reinterpretation of others’ material.

Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? You decide.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 25: Cover Me [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 37.2 MB Running Time: 40:41

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
Someone needs to cover this track. It’s my favorite.

Track 1: Able-X – “OutFox’d”
There seems to have been some debate of late concerning Jesse Dangerously, his skills, and his attitude. Personally, I’ve got tons of respect for Jesse both as an artist and as a person.

Z’s 1st interlude: “ I’m a big fan of covers songs, parodies, reinterpretations of all sorts.”
Which should go without saying, but, y’know, I said it.

Track 2: Beefy – “Roommate From Hell”
In this track, Beefy plays the parts of both narrator (MC Lars) and roommate (mc chris). Please save your weight jokes for a later date.

Track 3: Ultraklystron – “Nerdcore For Life (feat. Beefy)”
Covers are a big part of 2nd gen nerdcore hip-hop, and to hear Karl cover Beefy’s track is pretty entertaining in and of itself, but the quality of the cover and the participation of Beefy himself make it even more so.

Track 4: Shael Riley – “Bizarre Love Triangle (Peculiar Affection Isosceles)”
Shael has a ridiculous number of cover available, and I have yet to find one I don’t like.

Track 5: The Lonely Island – “Bing Bong Brothers”
“And then I’ll show you my penis.”

Track 6: Switchblade Kittens – “I Fought My Mum”
Hearing the Kittens cover The Clash covering The Crickets may be too much for some people. I am not among those people.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “He thought I’d dig it, and I definitely, definitely do.”
I think the biggest perk surrounding doing this podcast is that folks often direct me toward tons of cool-ass music that I might otherwise miss. Thanks, and keep it up!

Track 7: Dread Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love”
Un-Led-Ed < 5,000,000 Tortelvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong. I’m just sayin’.

Track 8: The BossHoss – “Hey Ya!”
Just so you know, “Country Trash Punk Rock” is their designation, not mine.

Track 9: Jesus H. Presley – “Doctor Rocks”
Jesus H. Presley is surely in the running for best artist/group name ever!

Track 10: The NESkimos – “Double Dragon 2: Cutscene”
I don’t recall ever playing Double Dragon 2. I can’t imagine it broke any new ground.

Track 11: Glenn Case – “Let’s Stay Together”
This classic track was going to be Glenn’s submission to my forthcoming compilation, but Glenn was nice enough to record an exclusive track just for me, and by request, no less!

Z’s final interlude: “The reasoning behind this particular ep. is the following announcement.”
Could y’all tell I was reading that announcement? My wife says everything I say on this podcast sounds scripted. It’s because I’m using my try not to sound like such of a goddamn hick voice. It's quite ineffective.

Track 12: Totally Radd! – “Runaway Train”
Totally Radd! have a new EP. They also have the greatest MySpace profile pic in the history of the world.

And there you have it, folks. Thanks for listening. I hope your appetite was properly whetted for the covers comp, and I hope you hit me up again this weekend to check it out. I honestly can’t thank the artists involved enough for contributing.

Nerdy musicians are good people. They’ll talk with you at shows and IM with you on MySpace and sometimes they’ll even let you use their songs for a poorly planned compilation album for your sub-standard blog. I am embiggened by the simple fact that they lower themselves to associate with me.

Nerd News in Brief

Query: why is that when Sony launched a $600 gaming console we were all up in arms about the exorbitant price, but when Apple sold us a $600 cellular phone we were totally cool with it?

There’s a bit of disparity there. I’m just sayin’.

And now, my fellow consumers: Nerd News in Brief.

Come correct: What band of nerds dare summon the most hallowed landmark in hip-hop history? Only the most deserving: Random, Zealous1, MetaMystiks Inc., Jesse Dangerously, Maja, Grandmaster Pink & Diabolik, LogicOne, Down Underdogs, Dirty Taz, Q.Ledbetter, Siver, Valentin, and C-Enes. Collectively known as The Sedgwick Avenue Alliance, these sixteen rappers and producers have recently joined forces, and rap will never be the same. Your hip-hop education begins now.
El nerdcore: Nerdcore hip-hop (and the Nerdcore For Life documentary) got four glorious pages worth of coverage in the latest issue of Spanish magazine Calle 20. To hear Dan tell it, “What started as a little interview about a quirky little indie film evolved into a really expansive piece. I always try and plug a lot of artists when I do an interview but this reporter went buck wild and worked in a ton of people.” You can check out the whole issue via the magazine’s Web site, and even download it in PDF.
Legitimacy, here we come!: On the subject of Web sites, it looks like our pals from Nerdapalooza have finally got their official presence up and running. You can catch all announcements concerning the project via the new blog, and Hex Warrior has been kind enough to remind me that the biggest of big announcements, the finalized band roster, will be posted on July 9th.
Brief respite: It looks as though our anguished cries have been heard and headed. Well, sort of. SoundExchange has recently proposed a $2500 cap on advance payments for Internet radio stations licensing and The Digital Music Association immediately agreed, but “only if the term for the new arrangement were extended to 2010 — or, preferably, forever.” Chalk one up for the good guys? We shall see.
This Blog is Not Punk Rock: MC Lars’s newest project, a DVD “jam-packed with over an hour and a half of […] old home [videos], backstage antics from his Bowling for Soup and Simple Plan tours, a full episode of his college TV show, a special behind the scenes feature on the "Ahab" video, and complete audio commentary” is now available for pre-order. I wonder if you’ll ever be able to purchase it at your local Hot Topic? That would be deliciously ironic.
Super Shinier Metal: Optimus Rhyme’s much anticipated He Dies in Rocket School is now available! The album can be downloaded from Dig Station, or you can buy the for-real CD from the fine folks at CD Baby. How good is it? Do you even have to ask?!
More Gabe. More mc. More madness.: Nerdcore News is at it again, this time Gabe and Syn caught up with mc chris at Seattle’s Chop Suey shortly before Saturday’s gig. Wackiness ensued.