Radio Free Hipster Ep. 46: Nerdapalooza Bound

From its inception, Nerdapalooza has been about more than just nerdy music, it has also been about community. While the individual nerdcore, chiptune, WRock, VGM, and geek rock scenes have managed to stay fairly disconnected in the face of a growing familiarity with, at the very least, the existence of each other, Nerdapalooza has focused on bridging those gaps.

So when, in the course of our regularly scheduled bullshitting, mCRT, Hex Warrior, and I struck upon the idea of dedicating a special edition of Radio Free Hipster to the event, it seemed all too fitting.

I’ve always dreamed of having special guest co-hosts for the ‘cast, but I could never quite nail down the logistics of such an undertaking. And while the recording setup we employed for this exercise was probably less than ideal, it has opened up the possibility of doing more eps like this in the future.

But more importantly, despite any technical difficulties, I had more fun putting together this edition than any that came before. Rob and Hex are intelligent, personable, unbelievably entertaining guys who have pooled their energies to make this Nerdapalooza far surpass its forbears. The boundless enthusiasm that they brought to something as inconsequential as Skyping in to rap with me about the project highlights their dedication to making this event everything it should be.

Download Radio Free Hipster EP. 46: Nerdapalooza Bound [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 55.3 MB Running Time: 60:27

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
Because there’s simply no better place to start.

Track 1: Uncle Monsterface – “This is an Adventure!”
If you missed out on This is an Adventure! during it’s free download period, you’d still do well to pick it up. Even at the going rate it’s a solid musical investment.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 1st interlude: “The dynamic duo behind Nerdapalooza ’08.”
Having mCRT and Hex Warrior on the show was a real treat for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Track 2: Emergency Pizza Party – “It’s a Pizza Party”
Groups like EPP have helped to make Florida the nerdcore mecca that it is, and the truly unique, supportive community that has sprung up around such local acts has served to make Orlando an ideal location for Nerdapalooza.

Track 3: Math the Band – “Shark Attack”
I had actually picked out a quirky cover song from Math to include in the show, but Hex suggested “Shark Attack.” His was the better choice.

Track 4: The Killer Robots! – “I AM ROBOT”
If you’ve ever thought I really like GWAR but I wish they were geekier, Killer Robots! is for you.

Track 5: In Real Life – “Hip Hop Saved Me”
I’ve really become a believer in EMPulse records over the past few months. They’ve got a great roster, and they anchor a number of amazing projects rooted in the nerdy music meta-community.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 2nd interlude: “The Tootsie Roll center.”
EPP’s MC Wreckshin actually helped out on the technical end of the podcast. While he didn’t exactly co-host with Hex and mCRT, he did lend his place as a recording pad when we had some early difficulties. Thanks, Wrecks!

Track 6: Dot.AY vs. Zombies! Organize!! - “F-Bombs and 1-Ups”
I actually had a really nice lead-in for this Zombies! Organize!! Track (in which I named dropped GM4A’s Here Comes a New Challenger),but I failed to record that bit. My bad. :(

Track 7: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew - “It’s All About the Booty”
Because what good are zombies without pirates?

Track 8: Marc with a C - “Life’s So Hard”
mCRT introduced me to Marc with a C in this very episode. I really think he’s gonna bring an interesting element to Nerdapalooza.

Track 9: mCRT - “Penis Monologues”
No one does nerdcore porno rhymes quite like mCRT. I’m hoping he’ll emblazon that slogan on a t-shirt.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 3rd interlude: “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
I love that the guys got all spontaneously piratical on me. :)

Track 10: Wordburglar - “The WBmix”
I finally picked up Burglaritis last week. You should too.

Track 11: Sudden Death - “My Atari”
Comedy rap at its finest, Sudden Death always satisfies. This cockeyed take on a Run DMC classic is one of my personal favorites.

Track 12: Magitek - “Armagetdown”
I totally flubbed the title of Magitek’s Distorting Reality For Better Perception in the podcast, which is a shame. It’s a damn fine album that alternates between goodtime nerdcore and danceable electronica. Check it out.

Track 13: Maja - “Here I Come (Outro Remix)
Maja’s “Transformer” was originally on the play list, but I subbed this track instead. I’ve played “Transformer” before on RFH and on HipTrax, and I featured Snake Eyes’ “Transformer” mash-up just a few episodes ago. The Amalgam Project is so chockfull of excellent material that it seemed a shame to retread on that one song.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 3rd interlude: “Your one and only destination for the intersection of classic sci-fi literature and dick jokes.”
This is a lie. mCRT has already proven that he is the true source of sci-fi lit/dick joke juxtaposition.

Track 14: Schaffer the Darklord – “Nerd Lust (Peeved Mix)”
Peeved mentioned to me that STD had asked him for an instrumental of this remix. Here’s hoping we get to hear it live at Nerdapalooza!

I really regret that I wasn’t able to spend more time talking to Hex and mCRT. They are fascinating cats, and the huge amount of support they’ve given my little blog alone should have guaranteed them some more face time. But alas, it was getting late and Skype was being flaky. Such is life.

One thing that was sort of glossed over in our discussion of Nerdapalooza is exactly how hard these two gentlemen have been working to make it a success. This was not due to time constraints, but rather to their own modesty. Sure, the fact that they’ve ponied up their own money for previous events was briefly mentioned, but neither copped to the sheer force of will that goes propping up such a major undertaking, particularly in its earliest stages.

They won’t brag, so let me do it for them: Hex and mCRT have damn-near killed themselves putting together Nerdapalooza. In the process, they’ve created a cultural event that is nerdy but not niche, sponsored but not commercial, and affordable but not worthless. And then they’ve turned around and promised the proceeds to charity.

That’s nerd love, ladies and gentlemen, and you can share your own by buying Nerdapalooza tickets. Get 'em while they're hot!