Free Karl Olson

It's Friday, Friday, and common knowledge holds that you gotta get down on Friday. And I am, as always, here to aid in that getting down.

My longtime homie Ultraklystron recently hipped me to the fact that the sum total of his nerdcore output is now available for free via Bandcamp. What does this mean for you the listener? Essentially it means that everything from his 2004 otaku rap breakout LP Revision 4920 on up through 2009's Romance Language 2 are available for nuthin'. And that's somethin'. Hell, you can even cop Haven, an 11-track album boasting anime inspired DnB tracks.Which is also somethin'.

Is there a reason for Karl's new-found generosity? Is this merely a temporary fire sale? Where can I find the Picross level featured on the cover of Opensource Lyricist?

I don't have the answers to any of those questions. All I have is a link to tons of free J-culture-inspired electronica.

And I reckon that's more than enough, friends.

Makin' Passes, Shakin' Asses

I sometimes fear that I overstep my meager bounds re: Nerdapalooza. In previous years I was the guy who suggested that acts begin including cover songs in their sets, and already this year I've planned to help my boy kHill coordinate an admittedly ill-fated hotel room mini-show after the event's official pre-launch party.

I mean who the fuck do I think I am? This ain't my party! This ain't my disco! This ain't my foolin' around!

But of course all this self-flagellation is really just the lead-up to another of my harebrained schemes.

Don't act like you didn't see it coming.

Nintendo's newest handheld, the 3DS,hasn't exactly been the runaway success that many of us anticipated, but it's certainly managed to move an acceptable number of units in spite of its currently less-than-stellar game lineup. Part of the reason for this – at least from my own personal experience – is the cleverly implemented social features, and chief among these is the StreetPass.

StreetPass lets you share user data with other 3DS users simply by virtue of proximity. This data not only relates to specific retail titles, but also impacts the system's built-in games. The problem, at least for users in more remote areas like yours truly, is actually stumbling across another 3DS gamer within range.

To remedy this Nintendo has designated Saturday, June 25th as sort of an official meet-up day for 3DS users, a time when we can StreetPass to our very hearts' content. But it occurs to me that, though it occurs several weeks after this particular push, the Nerdapalooza audience's geek- and tech-friendly makeup would prove ripe for a similar event. The best part being that since most of us are staying at the same hotel, we can really just pack our 3DS systems in our carry-ons and activate StreetPass when we get to the venue. Easy peasy. George and Weezy.

So here is my modest proposal: bring your Nintendo 3DS to Nerdapalooza 2011. Turn on the StreetPass feature and then toss it in your cargo pocket or your swag bag. (Hell, you could even just leave the thing in your hotel room!) This way when you're checking out the gallery or grabbing a drink between sets or rocking out to Adam WarRock or even just roaming the halls, you can also be fighting it out in Figurine Mode or picking up new warriors for Find Mii.

Do it for your fellow gamers. Do it for you fellow Nerdapalosers. Do it for America.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 111: Goes the Weasel

I don't often say this, but I fuckin' love this episode! I think I've finally got my sound quality and bitrate issues settled, and (aside from some weird plosives in the third act) I think the mechanics of this show are on par with my best work.

And the song selection? Phenomenal! At least from where I'm sitting.

I think you're in for a treat, listening audience. A genuine treat.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 111: Goes the Weasel [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 67.8 MB Running Time: 51:28

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Contrary to popular belief, I receive props far less often than nonstop.

Track 1: Supercommuter - "10th Generation (Klopfenpop Mix)"
I love me some Klopfenpop. I also love me some Supercommuter.

Z's 1st interlude: "But I am back… in the proverbial house."
Which is likely where my proverbial ass belongs.

Track 2: Kirby Krackle - "Tony Stark (Live)"
Buy this EP and help a koala. No, I haven't' recently suffered a stroke or anything; this really is a fundraiser for a koala sanctuary.

Track 3: seal of quality - "Thor"
Okay, maybe not exactly about the Avenger of the same name, but a great track nonetheless.

Track 4: Adam WarRock - "Spider-Woman"
Adam makes mad mixtapes. This one, for example, was dedicated to the West Coast Avengers.

Track 5: Americans UK - "[Inappropriate] Word[s] To Your Mother"
I really dig Jef UK's vocals on this one. I dig 'em hard. 

Track 6: Danny Dementor - "Fight to the End (Pre-Adolescent Mix)"
I would go so far as to say Danny Dementor made some of the greatest Wizard Rock of the scene's latter era.

Track 7: The Factory Kids - "The City (killsaly remix)"
Much like Klopfenpop, killsaly is one of those cats I truly believe can remix anything.

Track 8: Mega Ran - "Metal Dance (feat. The Megas) (Acoustic Mix)"
Upon much reflection, I actually think I prefer this to the original "electric" version.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Props to Church for turning me on to that one."
And since I know you're gonna ask, here's a link to that King of Thrones theme song cover. 

Track 9: Marc with a C - "Motherfuckers Be Bullshittin'"
Though Marc sings the titular phrase with a bit less conviction than I would've hoped, the building repetitive vocal coda at the track's conclusion is true pop genius.

Track 10: Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory - "Turret Wife Serenade"
I can't imagine anyone missed this, but if so: linky.

Track 11: Insane Ian - "Super-Powers"
Again, not my favorite work from Ian on the verses, but the chorus more than makes up for it.

Track 12: The Amazing BrandO - "ZELDA 3 [Episode2]: Hyrule Castle"
BrandO really channels Link's borderline psychopathy in this one.

Track 13: Parks and Recreation dialog / Dethonator - "Rock of the Dress"
I really didn't understand how big My Little Pony fandom had gotten until folks started requesting remixes from the show's soundtrack.

Z's final interlude: "From the cartoon series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magical."
Okay, the actual subtitle is Friendship is Magic. I'm pretty sure that one mistake alienated all my bronie listeners.

Track 14: Robin Skouteris - "One Hell or Another [Avril Lavigne vs. Katy Perry vs. Blondie vs. A-ha vs. Toni Basil vs. The Knack vs. Offspring vs. Ting Tings]"
This track is a bit long, but I felt it made a perfect closer for this episode.

In addition to my regularly scheduled episodes, next month I will also be preparing my Parsec Awards nomination sampler. I will, in keeping with tradition, share it with y'all. The only question is when.

A lot of that depends on how I choose to do things during July, as that is Nerdapalooza month. If I can still swing two shows then that mini-sode will simply be an added bonus. If that proves too problematic it may instead have to replace a regular episode.

Still, I have to submit the thing to the judging panel by June 15th, so if anyone has some sort of compulsive need to hear it early, just give me a yell and I'll link you straight to it.