Nerd News in Brief

I have lived too long. There are strange and wonderful portents that lead me to believe that perhaps this is, indeed, the end-times.

Have I gone all Mike Seaver on that ass? I have not.

I am simply pointing out that the nerd world is busting at the seams. Its dorktastic energy is seeping more and more into the real world. There is no hope to contain it.

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.

Oh, but amidst all my walking about main street rocking my brand new "The End is Nigh" sandwich board, I did manage to cobble together a Nerd News in Brief.

Priorities, people!

• The Story so Far: Gather round, children, and hear the story of Mega Ran 9. ‘Tis a harrowing tale of fandom, hip-hop, and triumph. As told by the man himself.
• A Rose by Any Other Name: Compliments of Church comes this piece from WebWire concerning the ongoing geek vs. nerd debate. I understand that many, for whatever reason, prefer the former to the latter, but let it be known that I embrace all once-hurtful language leveled at our people. I’m taking it back!
• The Millennium Falcon for Christmas: Also from Church comes this link to more free music from Sci Fi Songs’ John Anealio. Give ‘em a listen, and give John some love.
• Laughably Interesting: Tiny Mix Tapes has a nice review of the Nerdcore Rising documentary available for your perusal. Give it a read, and then we shall debate whether or not the word "fluffy" was used in a positive light.
• Woke Up With a Monster: My sockpuppety pals from NYC have some fun things planned for the month of March. Catch Uncle Monsterface’s own Marty on Thursday, March 12 at Sputnik as he unveils 9 new Series 2.5 Sock Puppet Portraits. You can also catch the boys in Jersey on Friday, March 13 at Watchung Hills Regional High School’s benefit for Darfur and the following Thursday (March 19) at the Opening Night Party for the Boston Underground Film Festival. If you can attend either of the three, please provide some extra joyful screaming on my behalf.
• Two Times the Power: Meanwhile, my boys from Dual Core also have some exciting things lined up. They’ll be appearing with Shael Riley and MC Plus+ at ToxCity Game Center in Greenwood, IN for an all-ages show on Friday, March 27, at the WVU Institute of Technology’s TechLAN charity LAN party on April 4, and at this year’s Notacon in mid-April. And peep this handsome article about the guys from Cincinnati Magazine. Truly everything is coming up Dual Core!
• Insert Bald Guy/Bowling Pin Joke Here: And lest I forget, Shael Riley will be appearing with Bizarro Stylus at Florida’s Casselberry Lanes AMF Bowling Alley on Saturday, March 21. He’s also been booked at Espresso Yourself Music Cafe just outside of Cleveland for March 18. I listed those in reverse chronological order to spice shit up.
• Making My job Easier: MC Lars saved me a lot of typing by posting his March/April 2009 tour schedule at nerdcoretour.com. UK nerds should pay particular attention to these dates.
• These Gigantic Girl Parts Kill: Lars has also been interviewed at Suicide Girls. Therein the talks about the new album. And does not expose a perky, pierced nipple.
• Start a RIOT: Let me join my brother Anthony in suggesting that all fans of glitch, chiptunes, and awesomeness check out the new Pause Music release from Videogame Orchestra. I’m a big supporter of both II and VGO, and neither has ever done me wrong.
• Video(games) Killed the Radio Star: Speaking of VGM, may I now turn your attention to this wonderful piece from or own Doctor Popular at culture hub the Laughing Squid. It’s all about game-themed music videos. Enjoy it in all its 8-bit splendor.
• I’m a Floating Head: And to take us out of this snow-capped week (at least for those of us along the eastern seaboard) is a very literal interpretation of they Might Be Giant’s "Birdhouse in Your Soul." It is 1990 all over again.
  

The Bald and the Beautiful

I see Hipster, please! as a lot of things. It is a music site. It is a vague cultural hub. It is an at-work time-waster. But what it is not is a moral compass.

Still, sometimes my friends – those folks whose artistic exploits serve as my typical blog fodder – go off and do something selfless, something that gives me pause to reflect. This is one of those times.

Both Grace, the dulcimer-slinging Wizard Rocker known as Snidget (and affectionately referred to around here as "Snidge"), and Matt, my blogging brother from free-geek (affectionately referred to as "Matt"), have elected to take part in this year’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser. The gist of which, for those not in the know, is as follows: "volunteers shave their heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of support from friends and family."

Yep, they are shaving their heads. For money. For a good cause. Instead of just, like, getting really drunk and doing it on a dare like most people.

Now I’m certainly not going to ask anyone to shave their heads, as that is some serious shit, but I will ask readers to considered donating a little money to the cause. Seriously, y’all, do we really want Matt and Snidge to shave their noggins for nothing? Take a gander at this one. Without hair he’s gonna look like just another Charm City dive bar bouncer. Ain't that worth a few bucks? Plus, it’s for a good cause: helping sick kids.

In fact, it occurs to me now that I have a couple dozen Hipster, please! stickers left over, so if you do take it upon yourself to give, whether it be to Matt, Grace, or some other shavee, I’ll be more than happy to send you one as a small token of my gratitude. Just shoot me a message with your mailing addy.

I'd also like to encourage those within driving distance to head over to Fast Eddie's in Centreville, VA on March 15 at 3:00 PM to bid a fond adieu to Matt and Gracie's lovely locks. You get bonus points if you provide me with pics/video.

Donation links:
Grace
Matt

EDIT:
Also adding my pal Colonel Panic to the list! :)

"Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair / Do you think it's gonna make him change?" --Pavement

Freedom's Just Another Word for Not Having to Pay for Shit

Friends, I am currently in the midst of my second consecutive snow day. You see, here in the southeast we don't get much in the way of winter weather, and when we do the populous tends to lose its collective shit. Hell, folks can't really drive here-abouts under the best of conditions, so slapping a coat of ice on the highway is an easy recipe for disaster.

So while my fellow hicks cower in their trailers, hoarding milk and bread like gold and some other valuable commodity that currently escapes my grasp, I have taken this opportunity to compile a handy list of the new (musical) hotness. Here are a half-dozen sites to hit up for fine, free musics. You can thank me by sending blankets. And fire wood.

• Dragons Slain: I already mentioned chiptune/pop rockers I Fight Dragons last week, but I figured some might need another push to sign up for their mailing list and score their EP Cool is Just a Number. Consider yourself pushed.
• The Sounds of the 90s Today: Ultraklystron has put together a 6 song EP in which he mashes his own material up with tracks from Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, and Bjork. It's post-grungealicious.
• Psssst!: Anthony managed to get the second installment of his monthly Hey! Listen! mixtape in just before the buzzer. This time around it features my pal Antisoc as well as XMark's cover of Coulton's "Still Alive."
  
• Speaking Of: Church just hipped me to this freely available collection from The Bearded One Himself. It's 730MB of Coultony goodness from Creative Commons.
• In Case You Missed It: Heartfelt congratulations go out to my pal Glenn Case for completing this year's FAWM. Check out all 14 tracks, including one named by yours truly, over here.
• Sounds Familiar: And lastly (but certainly not leastly), my brother int eighty just let me know that another pair of free tracks have been thrown atop the pile at Dual Core's official site. One of these non-album selections is from the very first Hipster, please! compilation and the other is from GM4A's Welcome to World 2. Enjoy them again for the first time.