Along Came a Spider

Doctor Popular and I have been internet homies for years now, but even if that wasn't the case I'd still say that his newest track "Spider" is his best yet. The premiere single off his forthcoming album Beeps and Smudges, it's a genuinely compelling piece of bitpop with a twist – "Spider" (and indeed the entire Beeps and Smudges album) was created using only iPhone and iPad apps. For this particular song Doc used nanoloop, an app that is also near and dear to my heart.

If the concept of an album based around tiny, nontraditional music applications strikes you as a bit of inspired genius, then the same can be said for this video. Rather than animate this tale of arachnid love, Doctor Popular instead elected tell the story from pieces in his own real life art show. The end product is a bit of a musical short film that's not only the classic tale of boy-meets-spider, but also a story of a man left alone to ponder his own artistic output.

Visually the piece alternates sharply between warm and bleak, and musically it's some of the most engaging vocal electronica I've heard since Supercommuter's groundbreaking debut. Beeps and Smudges drops next Monday, and I for one can't wait. Check out the video below to see why I'm so excited, and hit up the good Doctor's Bandcamp page to snag a free copy of this single for yourself.

Nerd News in Brief

Man, October really came and went! And now it's, like, November? Seriously?

In that case it appears as though 2010 is all but spent. Which I reckon means you are owed another edition of Nerd News in Brief.

Y'know, nerd news. Presented briefly.

Thus the name.

• Meeting of the Minds: MC Lars is on tour throughout November with some other cats you may have heard of. Names like mc chris, YTCracker & Schäffer the Darklord. Oh shit yeah! Check the tour page to see if they're coming to your neck of the woods.
• Everything's Bigger: Speaking of gigs, Texas's Antisoc has a show lined up for year's end. Catch him in Fort Worth at Club Aardvark on December 30th.
• Impactful: Last month Mega Ran's "Splash Woman" was used in a promo for TNA wrestling. And they may or may not have done so with his permission. Peep this video for the offending clip (featuring Elijah "The Pope" Burke) and to hear Random's humorous retort.
• Dropping English: On the subject of Ran, the Philadelphia Daily News featured him in a lengthy interview/profile piece early next month. It's an interesting, powerful tale about a guy who's only now being properly recognized for all he does both on and off the mic.
• Mmm, Mmm Good: Some things just can't be described. Like these Jude Buffum 8-bit butcher charts. Don’t worry – they're less gory than you'd think.
• BAMF!: My pal Brux was kind enough to pass on a link to this Gizmodo piece explaining how comic book sounds are translated for film. Not to spoil the surprise, but there are animal carcasses involved.
• In Plain Site: Likewise, my blogging brother Jason (of Geek Studies) shared his fascination re: this story from an October edition of The Escapist. It's a Jane Goodall-flavored satire about how elder geeks hide their passions. Sadly, it totally overlooks the myriad of modern examples to the contrary.
• Beater Scholarship: Church, Matt and I have been joking about NCAA Quidditch for ages. So imagine our surprise when this popped up at the NPR site earlier this week.
• Your Biggest Fan: Church once again came through with the video hotness. In this case it's an 8-minute fan film featuring Superman and The Joker. Check out "Die Laughing" by user blinky500. It may start a little slow, but it gets real good real quick.
• Love is in the Air: Early this month comic book artist Leigh Gallagher proposed to his long-time girlfriend Niki via his blog. In panel traditional form, no less. She said yes, thus proving that all is right with the world.
• Old World Wisdom: Attention UK-based nerdlingers - Jonathan Ross wants you to geek out. And not just on Friday Night. (See what I did there, Brits? I made a reference to his BBC One show. You are so very lucky to have me!)
• It's Our Year: And on a related note, here's more info from The Guardian regarding their Geek Calendar. Definitely worth watching.
• All About the Eyewear: And in case all that relevant exposition concerning geek culture from our European brethren has left a bad taste in your mouth, here's a particularly vapid showing from our own E Online. You're welcome.
• Badge of Honor: On a more appropriate note, Pennsylvania's The Reading Eagle pulled together an interesting feature on nerd culture's current mainstream appeal. Not exactly a groundbreaking exposé, but a fun read nonetheless.
• In Conclusion – Brits are Awesome: And one more from across the pond. It's a Suite 101 interview with Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer. It's actually a piece I forgot to include in my September NNIB, but B's far too gentile to hold a grudge.
• Dare to be Stupid: Also from Church comes this Austin 360 interview with geeky music luminary Weird Al. It's a surprisingly nerdy offering. Until you remember that it came from Austin.
• Who Charted?: Last month Flowtown charted geek evolution in their own indubitable fashion – via a flow chart. Take a look into our distant past and marvel at our pointlessly segmented present.
• Shocking: From the who'd've-fuckin'-thunk-it file, Church busts out a pair of totally believable revelations. First, KISS's Gene Simmons doesn't understand file-sharing, hackers or the nature of DDoS attacks. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Internets, Something Awful (still) hates you and all that you hold dear.
• Two for the Road: And since this edition is a week late, I will shock and delight you with not one but two closing videos. The first, another find by Brux, is the Lando Calrissian edit of R. Kelly's "Real Talk." The second is from rapper A-1's After School Special mixtape, and it pulls its instrumental hook from a cartoon with which you're likely familiar.