Friday, August 07, 2009

Nerd News in Brief

Looks like the family and I will be taking a bit of a vacation next week. So if things get a little quiet on this end, there's no need to send a search party. I hope.

But since I'll be away from the keyboard for a few days, I'll try and crank out a couple posts' worth of geeky goodness before I leave. Y'know, to see you through the lean times. I've got an album review lined up that I think you'll find interesting, and of course there's this week's NNIB.

Why, here it comes now!
  • I Claim Full Responsibility: Those of you who catch mc chris on his fall tour may be in for an additional surprise: I Fight Dragons! Yes, IFD has signed on to support mc this time out. Specific dates and venues are still forthcoming, but my excitement regarding this matchup is already here.
  • A Single Bound: Speaking of I Fight Dragons, Shael Riley recently released a cover of their track "No One Likes Superman Anymore." You can procure this rare jewel here.
  • The Progenitor: In other epic cover song news, Ketan did a rendition of YTCracker's "Meganerd" at an open mic night earlier this week. It occurs about 12 minutes before the end of this footage.
  • Getting Caught in the Rain of Fire: Also this week, Glenn Case laid bare the simple truth that "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and "Hotel California" are virtually identical. Peep game.
  • Made Sweet Love to a Manatee: Weird Al's new track parodies the style of the White Stripes, has a video from political pranksters JibJab and is about Charles Nelson Riley. Odds are you know what at least one of those three things are.
  • I Tilt on My Axis: funky49 is a champion of education. When he's not writing songs about museums, he's sending me links to other folks' songs about the Earth. A prime example is this cut from Flocabulary.
  • None of Your Business: This week my boy Beefy gave us a little taste of his forthcoming release With Sprinkles. It's kind of a different sound for Beef, but I like it!
  • Less Cliché Than Advertised: This week also saw a new drop from Ultraklystron. The Cliché Remix LP is, not surprisingly, a collection of remixes from The Fourth Estate and Opensource Lyricist. It is also, as Karl so eloquently put it, "super free."
  • They Keep You Safe: With the release of The Protomen's Act II looming – it'll drop September 8th – those freedom fighters would like to remind you that the official release show will occur on Friday, September 25th at Mercy Lounge in Nashville. In the more immediate future, catch them at Knoxville's The Midtown on August 20th, Richmond's Plaza Bowl on the 21st and Baltimore's Ottobar on the 22nd for 64Bit Genocide.
  • Having an Emo Day: UK geek rocker Dan Plus Add sent me some previews from his newest (unfinished) album earlier this week. The as-yet unnamed project seems far more focused on personal storytelling than his previous efforts, but fans of his folksy style will no doubt be pleased.
  • Tourmates: Also from across the pond comes word of an "ad-hoc tour" featuring Superpowerless, BType, and Jaylyn Coffin. UK readers who might be able to pull together some last minute gigs for the trio over the coming 3 weeks are encouraged to holler at Oliver and company (LOLs)!
  • Some Enchanted Evening: Harry and the Potters' semi-annual t-shirt sale is currently on like the proverbial neck bone. Now through August 15th, you can score a Potters shirt from the comfort of your own internetz. Also available is the band's career retrospective Priori Incantatem. Have you bought shit from a boy wizard today?
  • They Own the Publishing Rights: Church (by way of his new love TechDirt) passes on news of Harvard's recent bought of trademark trolling. Shit! Looks like Harvard now owns the phrase "trademark trolling," and I think that means I owe them 20 bucks.
  • The Tabletop Goes Digital: Also from Church comes this link to Pen, Paper & Pixel's "Tabletop Projection" project. It explains how to use a mounted digital projector to create amazingly adaptive maps for your gaming sessions.
  • Make it Stop: Apparently everyone has fallen into the "geeks vs. nerds" trap. Even AllGov. They have a new piece about the recent Medicare row that references this imaginary battle. Via a Venn diagram. Ugh.
  • You Say Tomato, I Also Say Tomato: And on the subject of everyone's new favorite buzzword, Church also directs your attention to new a "geek" article at Esquire. Then he quickly counters with a "nerd" piece from Ypulse. I think that fucker's playing both sides!
  • And Now You Know: Dear Internet, Please buy me this t-shirt. It is graph-tastic.
  • He's a Dick: Having trouble remembering the plot of the Star Trek remake? Jason of Geek Studies found this appropriate summation.
  • Legendary: I'm obviously not stalking Felicia Day closely enough, as I'm only now getting into Atom's The Legend of Neil. It stars The Guild's Sandeep Parikh and features Day as a naughty fairy. Season 2 has just launched, so it's a good time for fellow noobs to come aboard.
  • Not Tired of Them Yet: In yet another piece of post-Comic-Con coverage, MCs Lars and Frontalot talked to G4's The Feed about web comics. What? No love for Scary Go Round?
  • A Thousand Words: I know I promised no more waxing philosophical about Nerdapalooza, but int eighty posted a pic that I think really captures the heart of the event. Boo-yah.
  • For Your Perusal: I recently asked Shael Riley what the Uruk-hai read in waiting rooms. He was kind enough to break shit down for me.
  • Lords on Acid: Closing out this week is a video for Shael and his band the Double Ice Backfire: a cover called "Chinese Ninja Warrior." It's from their new release Songs From the Pit. Enjoy the cryomancy. Also the rock.

6 comments:

funky49 said...

thinking Glenn Case is the most brilliant man of the month.

awesome.

Aaron said...

Jeeze, that ceiling mounted projector is an absolutely beautiful idea. Great find on that instructional set up.

Oberon the Fool said...

Am I a douchebag if I mention that Ninja are Japanese?

Z. said...

Amen, funk. Amen.

All thanks goes to Church, Masu. He is almost preternaturally on top of shit like that!

We were all thinking it, Oberon.

alienbobz said...

I hope that IFD and MC Chris come to Seattle. If so I will be recording that show and will run video during the IFD set. I have been wanting to see them live since you got me into their music.

Also that cover that Shael Riley does is the shit.

Z. said...

I hope they make a Seattle date as well, AB, for no other reason than I know your recordings are always great quality and that means the rest of us would benefit. ;) And Shael really did knock that one out of the park!