Nerd News in Brief

Project for Awesome launched last Thursday at YouTube. It featured videos not of skateboarding dogs, drunken party girls, or irate television hosts, but of real users talking about real issues.

It's nice to think that even YouTube, that bastion of time-wasting ridiculousness, can take a few moments a year to talk about charities in need of donations. It kind of makes me wonder if I should occasionally turn this blog into an engine for change.

Someday that might happen, but today ain't it.

Today let's simply enjoy another mindless Nerd News in Brief!

• Last Minute Gift Idea: Still short a gift for the impotent Jedi in your life? Why not treat him to this t-shirt so that every 2-bit bounty hunter and wannabe Sith Lord in the sector knows his secret shame?
• Like No Other: What would you do if I told you that Just Another Lazy Podcast was returning to the (fake) airwaves? Would you scream and soil yourself? Fine then; I won't tell you.
• Totally Glitched: The venue for the European premiere of Nerdcore For Life and its related concert has been announced. The event will occur at Amsterdam's Club Panama, and tickets are available now.
• The 2nd Time Around: Rhyme Torrents Volume 8 CD 2 is also now available for download. It features some tight work MC Lars, Random, Grandmaster Pink, nYgel, and many more. It's cover art features KABUTO and, like, some other dudes.
• You Will Be Crushed: Some more nerdy hip-hop newness also arrived in the form of Id Obelus's The Inevitable Crushing EP. Id prides himself on having a style that's a bit beyond the ordinary with regard to content, flow, and presentation, but whether or not you've felt his previous releases I'm gonna have to highly recommend that you check this one out. It's got an energy all its own, and it has joined The Digital Gangster LP on my list of superlative late-comers for 2008.
  
• Pirates vs. Wizards: And also on the subject of new music, we will shortly be treated to freshness from both Captain Dan & the Scurvy Crew and RiddleTM. Yep, we're covering all bases.
  
• Knitting Nerds: Jason of Geek Studies passed on a link to Geek Central Station, an amazing blog dedicated to geeky crafting. It's this kind of stuff that makes me lament the fact that I am totally incapable of creating such nerdery. Quick! Someone knit me a Little Sister and Big Daddy!
• Payment Due at the Time Services are Rendered: Random took a little time away from his Mega Man 9 project to breath new life into an old classic. What's not to love about Ran covering Eric B and Rakim's "Paid in Full?" Nothing.
• The End of an Era: Jesse Dangerously recently blogged that CD Baby has the last known physical copy of Eastern Canadian World Tour 2002. Yep, the last of the Mohicans. And Jesse says he's decided not to press anymore, so get it while you can!
• Survey Says!: Quick poll – what's of more interest to you, A) a WoW-themed restaurant or B) a Star Trek-themed casino? If you answered B, you are very old. Just like me and Church.
  
• Back on the Road: Once again the Geek Comedy Tour is coming to town. Assuming that, in your case, said "town" is the greater DC area. The rest of us will just have to get our geek comedy the old fashioned way: by watching Robocop as a Rap Musical.
• Spit Wack on the Mic: Pinky hooked me up with a link to this bit from D*Face's aPOPcalypse NOW doumentary. It features a little music from our old friend MC Frontalot around the 2 minute mark, and is awesome throughout.
• SPUN: And speaking of Front, the Godfather of Nerdcore was recently named Artist of the Day by SPIN. Sadly, he is no longer indier than thou.
• For the Cause: You can hear exclusive tracks from Frontalot, Beefy, The Grammar Club, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, Jonathan Coulton, and many more on the newly released Child's Play CD 2008. Not exactly the flashiest title in the world, but it tells you what you need to know; it's great music for a great cause.
• Ladies Night: In the event that you've recently taken to living under a rock, a pair of particularly talented geeky artists – both of whom happen to be of the female persuasion – are getting some much-needed attention. The first is Alaskan songstress Marian Call, whose Got to Fly album is thematically centered on Firefly, Serenity, and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the nerds who enjoy them. Meanwhile, ukulele ninja Molly is currently laying the ultimate smackdown on YouTube thanks to an intoxicating blend of inspired covers, impressive co-conspirators, and undeniable charm. And of course, Matt is hopelessly in love with both.
• Out to Do You In: Thanks to reader Oli (who actually found the site via the namedrop in Beefy's track "Disconnected") for turning me on to Euro geek rockers The Do You Inverts. They write songs about Gears of War and Too Human. And are fuckin' amazing.
• Santa in his Prius: Taking us out on this delightful pre-Christmas weekend is the new video for MC Lars's "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas." It features Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup, as well as a cameo from Trogdor the Burninator at the 2:25 mark. Freeze-frame it and see!
  

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

You know what I didn't expect to find in my Inbox this morning? A coupon code for Hipster, please! readers. And yet, I did!

Myke from NESBuckle was nice enough to hook me up with $10 off code for orders of the original NES controller belt buckle. Do you need a belt buckle made from a genuine NES controller? No, of course not. But you want one. You want one because it is awesome.

So if you're gonna take that plunge, why not use the code hipsterplease and save yourself come coin?

And once you're done with today's digital shopping excursion, head over to GeekDad to throw your name in the hat for today's 7th Day of Geekmas prize pack. It is from my friends Uncle Monsterface. And it too is awesome.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 57: Let's Put the X in Xmas

This year has seen some of the longest episodes of RFH yet, due in no small part to the fact that I've begun entertaining guest hosts.

I like that. I like it a lot.

Having another pair of hands on deck gives the show a different feel. Plus, I sometime get the lonelies, so it's therapeutic to have someone with which to riff. Lengthier podcasts are thus a necessary evil.

Still, in an attempt to combat Bloated Podcast Syndrome, I have intentionally trimmed this episode down to a scant 40 minutes of Yuletide glee.

I hope you dig it.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 57: Let's Put the X in Xmas (hosting provided by Antisocial) Size: 36.1 MB Running Time: 39:30

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I got you a Baddd Spellah! I hope it's the right size.

Track 1: Mojo Nixon & the Toadliquors – "Happy Birthday" / "Trim Yo' Tree"
Thanks to Matt for treating me to an early Christmas present.

Z's 1st interlude: "Some of the most inappropriate (but still relatively nerdy) Christmas jams I could find."
There's something to be said for seasonal filth.

Track 2: Jonathan Coulton – "Podsafe Christmas Song"
This one also gets some play on today's HipTrax Stocking Stuffer.

Track 3: Marty Allen – "2 Many Santas"
Uncle Monsterface, much like egg nog, is a delightful concoction that is too often underutilized.

Track 4: A plus D – "Give Da Jew Girl Toys" / Clark Griswold dialog
I think I used this same Christmas Vacation clip a couple of years back.

Track 5: Doctor Octoroc – "Ryu the Red Nosed Ninja"
Doc's 8-Bit Jesus album is, as the kids say, blowing up.

Track 6: MC Lars – "Gary the Green Nosed Reindeer" / Clark Griswold dialog
I think this clip is a repeat too.

Track 7: Nerf Herder – "I've Got a Boner for Christmas"
I can't be the only person who finds this song hilarious!

Track 8: The Moaning Myrtles – "Holiday Revenge"
With this we transition from sexual innuendo to scatological musings. Tis the season!

Z's 2nd interlude: "Probably the least sacrilegious track included in this episode."
Check out "Winter's Town" by [Tweex]. It sounds even better without me yapping over it.

Track 9: 8 Bit Weapon and ComputeHer – "Jingle Bitz"
I'm currently working on an 8 Bit Weapon album review. Look for it in early January.

Track 10: bad gods – "Nine Inch Noels"
This is the only time since my teens that I've found NIN particularly interesting.

Track 11: Abney Park – "Little Drummer Boy"
For all you steampunks. Who are inevitably listening on some sort of clockwork MP3 player.

Track 12: HPLHS – "The Carol of the Old Ones"
The words delightfully creepy come to mind.

Z's final interlude: "But if any of you nerds wanna smother me with presents…"
I kid, I kid. I won't beg for gifts. Or, at least, not until my birthday.

Track 13: Mau Brown Cow – "Chipmunk Christmas Mash-up"
It's always interesting to hear mash-ups from people who are not mash-up artists.

Bonus: Dr. BLT – "You're Not the Kind of Ho (That Santa Had in Mind)"
This is a request from Church that I've neglected to include in all previous holiday episodes. And this time around I only played the first quarter. Apparently I am a shitty friend.

There you have it, friends; some holiday cheer blown right up your pants.

Are you not in the spirit? Are you not entertained?

Thanks for hanging out with me for yet another year. It's been a great ride, and (hopefully) there is even better stuff yet to come. In 2 weeks I'll favor you with a year-end wrap-up, and then start planning out my events for 2009. I've got a couple of ideas, and I've already secured a pair of special guests.

Excited? You should be.