Nerd News in Brief

News! I got yer news right here! Belated, obviously, but no less newsworthy!

The biggest of this news, of course, concerns recent announcements for Nerdapalooza 2009. Apparently it's taking place on July 11th and 12th in Florida! Florida, says I!

Okay, that? Not so suspiring.

I do find it interesting, however, that this year's event will go down at The Holiday Inn's Orlando International Drive Resort, known colloquially as that big goddamn Holiday Inn on I Drive. This venue features a number a of convention rooms, several of which have already been secured for Hex's sinister machinations. This extra space also means that the festival will sport vendor booths where both performers and crafters can hock their wares. It's vendolicious.

Of course with the economy in the shitter, Nerdapalooza could no doubt do with some donations to help get the ball rolling. Should you feel the urge to give, give here.

That being said, on to your Nerd news in Brief.

• Geek Ink in Love: While I've spoken at length about Glenn Case's new album, something I haven't mentioned is his new tattoo. It is a love story.
• His Gayest Shirt: Recently Anthony spotlighted The Grammar Club's debut release Bremelanotide over at The Start Screen. It's a fine tribute to a modern classic, with my only complaint being that he didn't explain the title.
• Ladies First: Another fine piece from Ant can be found at Game Music 4 All, where last week he interviewed female VGM artists Nicole Adams and Injury. Give it a read, and then give these talented ladies some love.
• Such Great Heights: And speaking of the greater OCR community, the site's recently release Summoning of Spirits project is another must-own. This 4-disc celebration of the Tales series continues in its grand tradition of taking game music to new and exciting heights. Of course it features all your favorites including the aforementioned Injury and my boy Myf!
• And This Bird You Can Not Change: The 1Ups also got some much deserved press last week via GotGame's "Gamer Soundcheck." Mustin's rationalization of why they don't play the Super Mario Bros alone makes it worth a read.
• Funny Without Being a Joke: The online leg of the San Francisco Chronicle recently asked featured MC Lars 5 questions. In other MC Lars news, you can now purchase his 2003 dorm-room debut Radio Pet Fencing via iTunes, and you can read a nice review of his newly released This Gigantic Robot Kills here. Oh, and don't forget to check out Lars's most recent video podcast for a new video featuring the indubitable Doc Pop. Apparently he knows a lot of people.
• New Science: Thanks go to my pal Talkie Tim for pointing me toward this excellent interview with groundbreaking chiptune musician Pixelh8. Take a look and uncover the real reason why all the best chip artists are programmers.
• Weird Science: funky49 has just released some remix kits for the RAPBASSADOR EP that he recently recorded and produced for Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry. DJs are encouraged to mix that shit up.
• Sun, Sand & Beef: My pal Beefy was recently interviewed by The Ka Leo, an independently produced student paper from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Peep tropical game.
• Chiphead: Meanwhile, my new friends from I Fight Dragons have continued their geeky assault on all fronts. Frontman Brian Mazzaferri was just interviewed by Columbia, SC's Examiner and Chicago's own The Local Tourist. The band also captured some great footage from their album release party. Enjoy.
• The Sorting Hat: In other concerts-you-probably-couldn't-attend news, Jarod (of AlienBobz) has just uploaded his recording of Harry and the Potters July 23rd set in Seattle. Jarod has also promised that audio from the final last Optimus Rhyme show is forthcoming.
• If You Haven't Done it All Year Long: Last week Church turned me on to a pair of videos. Neither are his work, though I imagine he'd be proud to claim both. The first is another fan vid for Trek rockers No Kill I. The other is… well… a "tribute" to Dragon*Con.
• Immunity: While my friend Nikki Nefarious (NSFW) generally photographs the kind of things you might hear described in a Le Sexoflex video, she has recently expanded into hardcore nerdery. You can see her handiwork in the new card game I Drank What? And yes, it was wholly inspired by that single scene from The Princess Bride.
• Collect 'em All!: There have also been a pair of notable releases in recent weeks. The first is the RPM Challenge album from D-Form and MC Gigahertz, The Digital Prankster LP. Likewise, killsaly's dropped a fantastic collection of demos and remixes that, sadly, represents his last scheduled release under that moniker. Snag both.
• Catch 'em All!: And since Nerdapalooza news started us off today, we will end on a similar note. Sorta. In-between sets from Epic-1 to Random at last weekend's Anime Express con, Hex elected to take the stage and perform "an interpretive dance to the extended Pokémon theme song." May it forever be burned into your retinas. Just like it is mine.