Press and Release

Just yesterday I received a nice email message from my pal int eighty of Dual Core. In addition to exchanging our regular pleasantries and giving me an update on a couple of special tracks he and c64 are working on - yes, Dual Core will be appearing on the next Hipster, please! compilation, though not likely how you'd imagine - eighty also included a press release concerning the group's next album.

Since he seldom writes press releases and I seldom receive them, this seemed like just the thing to pass on to you. Behold:

It's official. The production on the third Dual Core album is in full swing. Dual Core's next album will be titled Lost Reality and is packed with all sorts of fresh goodness, new hotness, c64 beats, and int eighty nerd raps. While the work on the album has been rather low-key as usual, the few snippets that have leaked so far have been "extremely impressive," to quote one person's feedback.

Some people have asked how to prepare others who have not yet heard any Dual Core music. The answer is simple: do what MC Frontalot recommends and put it in the queue for examination (http://www.frontalot.com/index.php/ -- 12.21.07). Considering the roster on the album, it's quite possible other overclocked nerdcore artists will recommend it as well.

Dual Core has been rather busy in addition to their album efforts. The group played shows at Defcon and the Google after-party at Ohio Linux Fest in the second half of 2007. Now in 2008, they are playing a show at the sold-out ShmooCon in Washington DC in February, Notacon in April, and Nerdapalooza SE in July. They also provided the official soundtrack for the Blockparty invitation (http://demoparty.us).

Dual Core plans to release Lost Reality at Notacon 5, in Cleveland (April 4th through 6th).

More Nerd News in Brief

Yesterday saw the season’s first snow in my corner of the deep south. Now, it wasn’t snow as most of you would recognize it. It was southern snow. That is to say that it was snow-like, but not the kind of fluffy powder that most of you enjoy. Our snow is icy and slushy, and, no matter how little falls or how much advance notice we have, we are wholly unprepared for it.

This means I got a nice day at home with Li’l X. Unfortunately we’re in the midst of potty training, so there was still work to be done. Dirty work.

• I won a Gold at the Geek Olympics: This week SUNYIT celebrated Geek Week, and Hipster, please! was there. Actually it wasn’t, but Church was. Okay, Church wasn’t there either, but he did find this nice little rundown of the week’s events. That’s worth something, right?
• For real this time: Church (and that delightful lady known solely as the GF) will be attending a nerd-friendly event this Saturday. Yes, the BSO SuperPops is gonna get their Sci-Fi on! Costumes are encouraged, so let’s hope they return with lots of photos and other hyper-geeky documentation.
• Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: My friends at The Grammar Club enjoyed their initial album release so much that they decide to do it again. Twice. These two new versions of Bremelanotide both boast new artwork and liner notes. One has a bonus track, lossless CD quality encoding, instrumentals in addition to the normal vocal versions of each track, and costs $5 (with the proceeds going to Child's Play.) The other one is still free. They also have some fancy new fliers for all your flier-related needs.
• Number of the geek: The Grammar Club has recently reached a benchmark at music site The Sixty-One by hitting the number 10 spot on the hip-hop leader board: a geek music first. For those of you unfamiliar with this music marketing phenomenon, check out Doc Pop’s excellent explanation of the service.
• Long live Wrock: My bro Matt hipped me to a new entry at the WizRocklopedia stating that the Schuyler twins have crossed the finish line with their Wizard Rockumentary. The finished film will be shown at Portus 2008 in Dallas, Texas this July. There will be movie merch available for purchase and, of course, much Wrockin’.
• Hipster (girl), please!: MC Lars has just dropped a new video for his latest single “Hipster Girl.” You can read about the project at Lars’s blog, and you can even download a version for your iPod (and me for my Zune) here.
• Collectively known as their genitals: Florida’s funky49, Redvoid, mCRT, MC Wreckshin, Sir-Up, and Betty Rebel recently came together to make a cover of Mickey Avalon’s “My Dick.” It’s not for the faint of heart, but it does make for a damn fun track. And Betty’s closing couplet will make it hard for you to ever look Willie Nelson in the face again.
• New digs: My friend and fervent support Antisocial has a new Web site, and just because I’m too lazy to update the navbar today doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it out. Go. Check.
• The bad decision club: Conyeezy joins me as a new inductee into the Holy Fuck I’m Gonna Be Walking Around With This Thing My Whole Life Union with his new Metroid Tattoo. It is a Tattroid, if you will. Behold its glory.
• Spread the word: Church and the Ranger both hipped me to two different instances of the near-canonization of the word “nerdcore.” Apparently both in Australia and the States the term is becoming… well, I wouldn’t say relevant. Recognized. Becoming recognized.
• One final LOL: I know everyone by me is probably getting a little tired of YTCracker's new meme, but they aren’t writing this blog. And thus, Tanner’s remix:

Wii Are the Champions

My pal Doctor Popular has just released the newest edition of his yo-yo centered vlog The Popcast, and I think this one will appeal to fans of all stripes. You see, while Doc talks shop and wows us with some more of his unbelievable yo-yo stylings, this time around he also spotlights the work of Nonpolynomial Labs' Kyle Machulis. Kyle’s done some fascinating things using a Wii-mote and a yo-yo.

(No. Not those kinds of things!)

But anyway, peep The Popcast, and then go check out some of the work that Johnny Lee is doing with the Wii technology. There are less nerdy ways to spend your time, but they aren’t near as entertaining.

Nerd News in Brief

Last weekend I had my fist bubble tea. I imagine this event would be the equivalent of baptism within our Cult of Rai, and I have to say that it has brought me a greater understanding of Her Holiness.

After slurping down all that green tea (not to mention a half a box of Pocky) I achieved an almost Rai-like level of weirdness myself.

Her will be done.

Now, as it’s been a while since I favored you with a proper round of nerdy news, here’s NNIB.

• How monsters are created: Since the release of YTCRacker’s latest hit “LOL Money,” a veritable cavalcade of artists have added their own spin to the track. The latest installment in the LOL Wars is Ultraklystron’s “LOL Moe,” which is simply brilliant. You’ll also want to check out Antisocial’s “LOLMoneyCats” mash-up. This meme will bury us all.
• Long gone: In other news from the Karl Olson camp, his first nerdcore album Revision4920 is now completely sold out. In Ultraklystron’s own words, “Should any ever turn up, I’ll auction ‘em off for Child’s Play. Don’t get your hopes up though.”
• Gold Five to Red Leader: I drive a Scion xB, which (coupled with my fuzzy D20 rearview danglers) is pretty dorky. And yet, as Church pointed out with this link, the nerdy automotive world has so much more going on.
• Smack-a-baby: Last week mc chris announced that he had both booked this year’s Warped Tour for all 42 shows and that he’s providing a guest verse on a Talib Kweli track. More info on the Warped engagement is forthcoming, but recent confirmation leads me to believe that mc recorded his stuff for that project yesterday at 5:00. Cool no?
• Down by the river: In what can only be described as less interesting news, mc is also selling his old tour van. I mean, I’m sure it’s a great van, but it sort of pales in comparison to Talib.
• Toys!: Matt hipped me to these custom-made 19th century Justice League figures, and I was astounded. Then Church countered with this collection of custom mini-figs, and I truly began to grasp how totally uncreative I am. :(
• Obey: Andre the Giant has a Posse and The Grammar Club has a flyer. Much like the stickers emblazoned with the former, you are also encouraged to plaster the latter all over any flat surface in plain sight. Do it for the team.
• Exploding MPFM: My Parents Favorite Music’s Steffo recently hipped me to a lot of very interesting new developments on the MPFM front. First and foremost, the Wheel o’ Exgirlfriends album has been reprinted and should be available for purchase within the next two weeks. The new album Testing the Waters is approximately 75% done with a projected April release. Steffo and company will be performing at the Middle Tennessee Anime Con along with the likes of Random, Peelander Z, Kenny Wisdom, The Slants, The Man Power, and Chickenbox, and this event will (hopefully) serve as the release party for the new album. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: a lineup change. Longtime MPFM member Stellar is no longer a part of the group; instead, we welcome new member Jeremy Breedlove (AKA: J48, AKA: Aggro-crag.)
• Big Ran: And speaking of Random, be sure to check out the free-to-download mixtape Napoleon Mindstate presents Meaningfull Music Vol 1. Ran is featured on track 16, “Twice Over.” You can also watch a really nice “behind the scenes” video for the Random/Maja track “Halo Head” on last week’s Maja Monday.
• A fun ship cruise: In my quest to find interesting, fun, and geeky music, I am prone to overlook some real gems. Thankfully, many of these artists acknowledge my superlative slackitude and instead opt to come looking for me. I recently had the good fortune to become acquainted with The Rivercrest Yacht Club, a hip-hop outfit that not only drops fairly dorky rhymes, but also employs an eclectic cast of MCs ranging from gauchos to anthropomorphic gorilla dentists. Suffice it to say, they’re worth a listen.
• What is this nerdery?: If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a singer/songwriter slant, may I humbly suggest the delightfully English Dan Plus Add. You can check out Dan’s first release Of FNARs and ZINGs free of charge from his site, and you can hear some cuts from his forthcoming follow-up album on his MySpace. Tell him Z. sent you!
• A love of tasty sandwiches: But let’s say you want something with a bit more jazz flair. In that case, you’ll definitely want to check out Evil Giraffes on Mars. “Fueled by a deep respect for all things musical,” EGoM combines element of jazz, rock, funk, punk, hip-hop, classical, world beat, and that love of sandwiches I mentioned earlier. The band also features the sax styling of Jamaal Sawyer, whom you should remember from Hipster, please! favorite Foxhound.
• Meet Me at the Arcade: While I was resting on my laurels in early January, my pal Anthony from GM4A was reviewing the highly anticipated new album from UK chiptune artist Pixel8. Peep Ant’s review of The Boy with the Digital Heart and be amazed.
• Poorly concealed secret project: As I mentioned previously, early ’08 is scheduled to see the release of a second Hipster, please! compilation. While I’m not yet ready to divulge the full meat of what this album entails, I will say that – on paper, at least – it marks a blissful intersection of nerdcore hip-hop, Wizard Rock, VGM, and geek rock. The artist roster is fast coming together, and thus far I’ve secured favorable interest from everyone from our own Baddd Spellah to Shawn Phase to Dumbledork (also known as Coma Boy, DJ Bentelli, and under a wealth of other names.) Stay tuned for more info.
• The power of Wrock: A recent article by the Young Adult Library Association – found by Church, of course – outlines a few really interesting (and nerd-friendly) music trends to look out for in ’08. Most fascinating to me was the role of Wizard Rock in retooling libraries into music venues. If that ain't a boon for geek artists, I don't know what is!
  
• "Fuckin' tall as shit!": To promote the new DVD Lords of the Rhymes: The Untolde Tale, your favorite Hobbits have posted some little teaser vids on YouTube. This one features Morgoth the Suck Lord... espousing the plans for the greatest of his sinister mechanizations.

A winner is you.

During the initial conference call in which the Crate Digger Death-match came to life, I was offered one of two very disparate positions; as an “early adopter” of the project, I could either choose to be a participant in this initial round or I could aid in the judging. I opted to help out as an officiate first and foremost because I felt it suited my skill-set a bit better. I also thought it would be easier than trying to cobble together an album in half a day using only thrift store finds.

I was wrong.

Judging the Crate Digger Death-match is arguably as difficult as participating. It’s not a chore, mind you, but it is a weighty task.

I guess I just assumed that, while a fair number of our participants would make it across the finish line, most would do so dragging atrophied and bloodied limbs behind them. I figured most of the guys would complete the mission, but that their submissions would show the type of road wear inherent in rapid-fire artistry. I imagined myself listening to the submissions and finally striking upon, perhaps, a single artist who had managed to beat the odds and pull off a real album; saying to myself, “well, such-and-such managed to polish a turd.”

Again, I was wrong.

What the other judges and I received from our seven finalists weren’t rushed pieces of ephemera, nor musical flotsam and jetsam connected by nothing more than happenstance. What we heard when we cracked open folders and zip files was unadulterated talent, pure and simple.

While I hate to get all cliché and say that everyone is a winner, I’ll be damned if it ain’t true. Each one of our Crate Diggers managed not just to complete a project, but to craft an album. A real album. With nothing but the barest of resources.

As I mentioned before, I was not the whole of the judging body. I was joined by a most impressive array of creative minds, and each found a number of submissions to be imminently pleasing. Famed nerdcore producer Baddd Spellah graded our submissions on production value, podcaster extraordinaire Tim (of Radio Clash fame) critiqued the albums’ listenability, and experimental musician Bart Hopkin judged on the nigh incalculable criterion of creativity. We each had our favorites – and widely dissimilar favorites they were – but we all agreed on one thing; D-Form and his submission Up or Down succeeded on all levels.

So it’s with great pride that I join Doc Popular in announcing D-Form to be the King of the Crate Diggers. He now wears the (totally imaginary) crown and wields all the (relatively insubstantial) power that goes with it. But in order to continue his reign he must again meander onto the field of battle. Tentative plans for the second round of the CDD place it in early April, and in order to retain the title D needs to come in with guns a-blazin’.

Sincerest congratulations to D-Form and to all of our ‘Diggers. And a most heartfelt thank you to my fellow judges. At the risk of sounded just plain silly, I honestly feel enriched by this entire experience. It has shown me that there is both a place where ingenuity and experimentation can thrive and be recognized and an ever-growing community of talented, supportive musicians with legitimate interest in capturing the fun and spontaneity of the creative process in their songs.

I am embiggned by you all.