Radio Free Hipster Ep. 146: Larry, Did You Know?

Season's greetings, faithful listeners. Apologies for delaying this particular episode, but things have been… complicated.

Unlike the Halloween eps, which I see as a treat, these Christmas shows always strike me as a bit of an obligation. But that being said, this one is probably the best I've done so far.

I hope you dig it, and I further hope it helps you through this most joyous season. Which always seems to come bundled with its own unique complications.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 146: Larry, Did You Know? [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 65.6 MB Running Time: 45:07 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I probably should've looped a jingle bell sample behind this one, right? That's the poor man's holiday podcast theme.

Track 1: MisCast – "Christmas Don't Be Late"
Jay shared this cut with me early, and I marked it as this show's opener weeks ago.

Z's 1st interlude: "We say 'the holiday season' around here."
Because, y'know, of all the holidays

Track 2: Chaz Kangas – "A JCVD X-mas"
Nothing says the Christmas quite like Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Track 3: Doctor Octoroc – "Super Jingle Bros."
Doc's 8 Bit Jesus is a holiday classic.

Track 4: Uncle Monsterface – "Jingle Bells"
This one is a favorite of my four-year-old.

Track 5: TXL and dj BC – "Rock the Jingle Bells"
A holiday hip-hop track like no other.

Track 6: The Doubleclicks – "Happy Holidays, Too"
My thoughts are with all you poor bastards currently suffering through the hazards of air travel.

Track 7: DJ Flack – "O Chanukah Dubstep Bassline Remix"
Happy belated Chanukah, guys and gals!

Track 8: Paul and Storm – "Backward Santa"
P&S as TMBG.

Track 9: Helen Arney – "Christmas 1994"
In the Dark Ages before DVR.

Track 10: dj BC – "8-Bit Hip-Hop Christmas (Black EL vs Bit Shifter)"
Another inspired dj BC cut.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Let's keep the holiday mash-ups coming."
If you don't already have Santastic 7 in your collection your yuletide playlist is sorely lacking.

Track 11: lobsterdust – "Sister Christmas (Silent Night Ranger vs. The Temptations)"
Pretty much the best title ever.

Track 12: 8 Bit Weapon & ComputeHer – "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
'Tis the season for vocoder.

Track 13: Mega Ran – "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"
This one runs a little long, but it just felt right in the show.

Track 14: John Anealio – "Winter Day"
Probably one of my favorite Anealio tracks. Not as Christmassy as the rest of the EP, but so beautifully textured.

Z's final interlude: "At month's end for 2012's last hurrah."
I already have some quality tracks lined up for this one.

Track 15: Kirby Krackle – "Baby it's Cold Outside (Hoth Version) feat. The Doubleclicks"
Fact: The Doubleclicks make everything more awesomerer.

I ain't gonna lie to you, guys; I have likely never felt less like dispensing seasonal pleasantries in my life. But any way you slice it this is the season of giving, and the least I can do is give y'all some tunes to help you through your own holiday hassles.

With that in mind, I'd like to point out that the name of this episode – while continuing my tradition of bad jokes – references my good friend Datavortex. We've been homies online and off for a long time now, and he and the Missus recently sent me a gift that once again helped me level up my podcasting rig.

Happy Crimbo, Larry!

The Diabolical Neck-Slap

So my homie Eugene has a new EP due out early next month. I've been following its development pretty closely, and I have to say it seems like the next evolutionary step for Adam WarRock; his shit's been getting more personal and simultaneously broadening in overall appeal for a while now, and this one definitely  follows suit.

He and I have worked out a rather unique concept for a hybrid review/interview feature that I think you're gonna dig. It too will drop on or around December 4th, but in the meantime check out this promo video.

Back from the Dead

At long last I have returned from my extended stay in the darkest recesses of Mouse Country.

Okay, I kid; it wasn't that bad. Spending my Halloween at Walt Disney World was actually a solid choice because A) it's the off-season and B) mu'fuckin' Haunted Mansion, y'all! I had a great time and the wife had a great time and the children had a great time and we somehow managed to finagle a free meal plan, which means we got to eat on property without getting totally hosed by those outrageous prices. So, yeah, it was a rare win for Team Z.

But enough about that shit. The only thing weirder than being totally sheltered within the walls of "The Most Magical Place on Earth" during one of the biggest storms the East Coast has seen in recent memory was not writing for so long. I mean, aside from the random tweet I was pretty much silent for an entire week.

Yet that didn't mean the world stopped turning. There was a ton of musical news in my absence, and, while I won't endeavor to backtrack and cover it all now, I need to at least point you toward one notable Halloween-themed release that I managed to miss in my pre-vacation coverage.

It's the latest from my friend Mikal kHill, but it's not just his general brand of bleak hip-hop. The Walking Dead is part rap concept album, part audio novel and all southern zombie apocalypse. It has also been a labor of love from kHill and the various other members of the slowly widening NOFRIENDS circle over the past several months. A family affair, if you will.

Zombie epics are currently a dime a dozen and a zombie themed album isn't exactly unheard of either, but the difference is all in the way that Mikal presents the story. There's no camp here, there's no B-movie breaking of the (lyrical) fourth wall. It's a first-person narrative of desperation and hopelessness. It's a tale without heroes, absolutely devoid of noble Mary Sues. I won't spoil the ride for you, as it’s the storytelling itself that really makes it something special, but suffice it to say that the door message from the television show of the same name likely sums up the ultimate fate of most of the project's characters.

Speaking of, you'll hear from many of your favorites on The Walking Dead. kHill's longtime partner in rhyme Sulfur is there, as are Adam WarRock and Jesse Dangerously. Tribe One lends his voice on one of my favorite tracks, and you'll hear shades of other artists like cecilnick, DJ Empirical and Stemage is you listen closely. Hell, even I make a brief cameo – which, I'll state here explicitly, isn't the kind of thing I'd usually do. But kHill's my brother, and I realized after revisiting the album's roots that I wasn't just signing up for some schlocky monster movie parody here.

The Walking Dead is a tragedy told in 12 tracks. It's… well, I started to write "truly fucked up there," but I think that's an oversimplification. Instead I'll go with "uncomfortably personal," "oddly revealing" and "genuinely disturbing."

Yeah, those all work better.

It's available for a mere 10 bucks right now via Bandcamp. Or you can stream it for free, which you should definitely do anyway.

Halloween has come and gone and zombies have all but become passé. But human drama and living (or, y'know, not) with the repercussions of tough decisions? That shit is always relevant.

And Mikal kHill? He's like the Randy Newman of hip-hop horror.

Mr. Popularity

If there's anything that can unseat Invisible Obama as cultural shorthand for just how fucked up things are in this turbulent election year it's Suddenly British Obama. This delightful cartoon president is the spokesman for Marc with a C's latest Indiegogo project, Popular Music.

Marc has done – and I say this with all love and respect to the man – some weird shit in the past, but this one takes the taco! Popular Music is literally an album designed by committee. Marc got in there, folks; he asked the questions. He polled the listening audience and did that market research, and that, in turn, helped dictate the slant of the album.

Now this is a horrible idea, precisely the brand of wonderfully horrible idea that I expect will lead to some of Marc's most interesting output yet.

Mr. with a C is also once again looking to the fans to help with the pressing of a small vinyl run, as well as some physical CDs for the good of those still tied to tangible media. (Poor bastards!) But unlike some projects I could allude to Marc has a definite timeline in place, and your financial support is really just pre-ordering the new hotness.

I mean, sure, there are some pretty crazy incentive items if you're really down to kick in serious dough, but even the lowest sponsorship level snags a digital version of the album. So head over to Indiegogo for the full skinny on how to cop Popular Music, a private Skype concert or maybe even Marc's own keyboard, and keep an eye out for regular updates that afford an even-expanding look behind the curtain.

Hack All the Booze, Drink All the Things

Getting to have an impromptu Next Level listening party with int eighty, my best friend Josh and, well, as many people as we could crowd around the truck after 2009's Southeast Linux Fest was, hands down, one of my favorite social music experiences. Outside of live shows, I sometimes think we forget how powerful the act of shared listening can be, and that makes the following announcement all the more exciting.

Tonight at 9:00 PM PST, Dual Core will be hosting a livestreamed reveal of their latest, All the Things, which will be released Tuesday. Head over to their official site to get in on the action, and be sure to fire up that long-neglected G+ account to chat live with the guys and your fellow fans via Google Hangout.

It's an internet party with the reigning kings of hacker hip-hop, and you're all invited!

The Trickster

A couple of weeks back OG Don Vito hit me up with an unexpected email. It turns out that prior to his unfortunate passing, Josh "MC Gigahertz" Montgomery had been working with Vito on a new release.

In the aftermath of Josh's death, Don Vito combed through his production files and finished the project himself, an act that was both a fitting tribute to a fallen comrade and, I'd imagine, a difficult but cathartic experience. It now stands as what may be the first of several posthumous Gigahertz efforts, The Shapeshifter EP.

Its 6 songs are supplemented by literally dozens of pages of liner notes, the bulk of it email exchanges between the two artists. But if these candid notes are a time capsule of 4 months of fierce creativity in 2010, then the songs themselves are oddly colored by Josh's apparent suicide earlier this year. Even tracks like its standout closer, "Summertime is Over," now seem oddly poignant.

OG Don Vito has made the EP freely available, and anyone interested in exploring the more introspective side of the Clown Prince of Absurdcore is encouraged to give it a listen.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 132: One Foot in the Queso

I got them new hits, son! And, okay, maybe one slightly old hit, but still.

Judging by the recent output, spring is apparently a great artistic motivator for most folks. (My lazy ass being the obvious exception.) We've hit another one of those plateaus wherein everyone either has recently released a new project or is preparing too, so this should serve to point you toward a handful of my favorites.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 132: One Foot in the Queso [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 57.0 MB Running Time: 43:07 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah - "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I still marvel at the fact that I have my own theme song.

Track 1: Tribe One - "I'm Kind of a Big Deal"
As I understand it, Tribe has never ordered a kid's meal.

Z's 1st interlude: "My favorite song right now."
That's my (current) jam!

Track 2: MisCast - "Thunderbrat Blues"
The "Thundercats ho" bit is played out, and yet totally relevant in this case.

Track 3: Marc with a C - "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"
This is sort of the ultimate cover song.

Track 4: Wordburglar - "Rhyme O'Clock (feat. More or Les)"
Allow me to pimp the video for this one once again.

Track 5: Pokemon vs. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - "Gotta Make 'em all Evil"
This one came compliments of noted brony AlienBobZ. That fact likely doesn't surprise you.

Track 6: John Anealio - "The Empire State"
This is actually part of a broader world-building project.

Track 7: Pogo - "BooBass"
Kinda makes you wanna watch Monsters, Inc. again, right?

Z's 2nd interlude: "Which might be the best song title ever."
Thanks, Brooks!

Track 8: Ultraklystron - "3 Dollar Jeans (feat. Rai Kamishiro)"
Lyrically this among the album's weaker selections, but I love the bright and snappy production.

Track 9: Adventure Time dialog / The Efts - "Andrew Treat Does Everything Right"
The Efts come through with another endearing little ditty.

Track 10: More Adventure Time dialog / Videogame Orchestra - "Prince of Darkness"
This Carpenter tribute is pretty amazing.

Track 11: Supercommuter - "Unusual Habits (Hanssen Remix)"
Because you can never have too many Supercommuter remixes.

Z's final interlude: "A disproportionate number of songs containing the word 'vagina.'"
A phenomenon I'm sure I have mentioned before.

Track 12: Sulfur - "My Mama Is A G"
This is another one I've been sitting on for months. Mother's Day seemed like an ideal time to bust it out.

Wow, there was a lot of synth in this episode. More than usual even.

It's always weird for me to listen to a show and find little unintentional consistencies like that.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 131: Musical Comedy Is Not Pretty

It takes a special kind of bravery to be funny. I'm serious, so stay with me here.

Comedians, in whatever form, encourage others to laugh at them, which flies in the face of the innate human fear of seeming foolish in the eyes of one's peers. Moreover, these jokesters actively encourage audiences not to take them seriously, which is itself rather counterintuitive to the nature of the artist.

This is especially true for those who play music for laughs. They are often viewed as creatively compromised, accused of hiding behind humor to mask some manner of creative deficiency. They are labeled mere "novelty acts."

But being funny, much like being a superb songwriter or an adept guitarist, takes work. It takes both practice and skill. It takes dedication. And to do all three? Why that takes a very special kind of artist indeed.


Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 131: Musical Comedy Is Not Pretty [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 61.9 MB Running Time: 47:36 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah - "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Though humor is not their primary mechanism, both Beef and Spellah manage to creatively employ comedy in their music.

Track 1: Prairiebagel - "Ragnarok Blues"
I know this track is really played for laughs, but it's impossible to deny that it's skillfully written and expertly performed.

Z's 1st interlude: "The power of comedy in music."
And also the Power of Grayskull, but that's its own episode.


Track 2: "Weird Al" Yankovic - "Skipper Dan"
I heard some fans say this was their least favorite track on the album. Personally, I thought it was one of the best.

Track 3: Double Down - "This Is the Life"
I'll not lie, I sometimes say Jesse Dangerously when I mean Johnny Dangerously.

Track 4: Mr. B, The Gentleman Rhymer - "Let Me Smoke My Pipe"
Chap-hop at its finest.

Track 5: Adventure Time dialog / Insane Ian - "My Name is Neville"
Ian is a second generation nerd musician. I find that fact endlessly fascinating.

Track 6: Adventure Time dialog / Sci-Fried - "TNG 2.0"
Crusher truly is dynamite.

Track 7: Tom Lehrer - "We Will All Go Together When We Go"
I often wrestle with including classic songs like this, stuff that I assume everyone already knows, but I have to remind myself that someone out there's always hearing things for the first time.

Z's 2nd interlude: "A fuckin' horrible segue way."
Yeah, not my best work.

Track 8: Illbotz - "The Power Glove (Lucas' Theme)"
Only Stevie D could retell the story of The Wizard from Lucas's perspective.

Track 9: Torrentz - "French Toast Tango (feat. Milk-Plus, MC Wreckshin, and Rappy McRapperson)"
Probably my favorite Rappy guest verse ever.

Track 10: Helen Arney - "Statistically I Love You"
Maths are sexy.

Track 11: Donald Glover and Danny Pudi - "101 Rap"
Oh, Community, how I missed you!

Track 12: Steve Martin - "The All Being" / MC Hawking - "Entropy"
A throwback track to episode 18.

Z's final interlude: "Sort of inclined to give them an additional tip of the hat."
Note to self: buy new hat.

Track 13: mc chris - "Discord"/ Betty White, Donald Glover and Danny Pudi - "Anthropology Rap"
I missed it myself, but apparently mc's site was totally ponied up for April Fools'.

I play a lot of funny music on this 'cast, but I rarely spotlight it as such. With the sort of stigma that sometimes gets attached to comedy music, maybe I oughta.

I really have a lot of respect for people who are genuinely funny. It's not an easy thing to do, and I should know; I likely try and fail more often than most.

But that's the strength of humor. When it hits, it hits hard. And there's always a payoff. Then it somehow has the power to make everything, even the pains of daily life, seem just a little less dire. A little more fun.

Straight Out of Ponyville

This year I elected not to do my regular April Fools' Day podswap. Truth be told I'm thinking of skipping Drunken Podcasting Month as well. (It appears as though one of the hazards of a long running project like Radio Free Hipster is that your recurring bits wear a little thin over time.)

Still, I did keep an eye on everyone else's gags. Google and ThinkGeek once again managed to brings the LULz, and things on the musical end faired just as well thanks to the hard work of cats like an oddly country-fried Klopfenpop. But likely my favorite example of yesterday's lyrical shenanigans came compliments of mc chris.

"Discord," mc's latest, actually rivals 2010's epic AFD track "Twin Peaks" as an example of both pure novelty and innovative musicality. This time around he put his own spin on the brony phenomenon, but also managed to inject a little social commentary in there with the humor.

Bambi Meets Godzilla

By all rights I should be at home enjoying my Christmas vacation today – it's one of the perks of working in education – but instead I am at the office. Mostly because there's work to be done, and, truth be told, I'd rather save a few of these leave days for a time next year when the streets aren't choked with shoppers and I can actually, y'know, do stuff.

But as I sit here installing a crap-tillion system updates to my old video editing machine, I can't help but think of the new visual hotness from my pals Illbotz. Their latest music video is for the track "Dinosaur, Dinosaur" from 2011's Pudding is Delicious.

It's one of my favorite songs of the year, so as these last few days of December slip away I reckon this vid makes for a suitably epic closer.

Enjoy, my little Velociraptors.

Sounds in Sequence

It's Cyber Monday, which I think means we're supposed to be using our employers' networks to make online purchases. How exactly that differs from every other Monday I will never know.

But among all the electronic steals and deals available for the ever-hungry consumer, there's one that is, I dare say, unbeatable. Our old friend Ultraklystron has chosen today to release a new mixtape. For free. It's called Storyboard (The Animatic Mixtape), and it's a musical precursor to next year's Animatic album.

I like Karl as an MC, but I adore him as a producer. And though the mixtape is a tricky medium to master, it certainly plays to his strengths. Across its 25 minutes the listener is treated to a selection of songs that one, for the most part, might describe as "classic Karl" in their structure and delivery. Still, nerdcore's foremost anime enthusiast manages to reveal enough new tricks to keep the listener guessing.

It all kicks off with the laid back swagger of celebratory weekend banger "Saturday." Lyrically, it ain't his sharpest offering, but some brilliantly varied production and a dash of humor help to make it more than just a northwestern otaku answer to "Lazy Sunday." This flips nicely into "Lifecycle," a green hip-hop anthem that's among his most ambitious efforts; despite its odd premise, it's a track that really works. "Non-Contact" fares a little worse because of a slightly clumsy hook, but "City" takes things in a dark, contemplative direction that easily recaptures that lost attention.

The transition to "Minor Internet Celebrity" is a bit shaky, but the song itself, which boasts a more urgent delivery than we've heard from Ultraklystron in a while, is an interesting oddity. "Three Dollar Jeans" brings his flow back to a more manageable speed, and its relative calm contrasts nicely with the harshness of the hooky "Bromance Dance."

"Unexpected" begins the mixtape's true standout movement. Its individual components – a storyteller flow with a sing-song chorus cast against an atmospheric electronic backdrop – might seem unremarkable at first, but the skill with which Karl has married them reminds us of his remarkable skills in the studio. "Work It Baby" takes that unique energy in a wholly different direction underscoring that there's more to Ultraklystron than some might remember.

The mix begins its wind-down with "Fujoshi," another piece of new school otaku flow, and closes with the club-style "Magic Tricks." Musically, it proves a sound decision, though I almost would've preferred he sign off with one of his more challenging selections.

As a cohesive work – and lets not pretend that a mixtape doesn't hinge on a peculiar brand of cohesion – Storyboard succeeds on a number of fronts. The production, aside from a single transitional hiccup, is top-notch. Further, it's pacing, which is sometimes an area in which Karl struggles on proper albums, is no less inspired. The musical material itself, the true blood and guts of the mix, runs the gamut from middle-of-the-road Ultraklystron cuts to some of his most interesting tracks to date.

If you're a longtime fan of the second-gen nerdcore standard that perhaps hasn't heard much from him since 2009's Romance Language 2, then Storyboard makes for a nice reacquaintance in anticipation of Animatic. Likewise, if you managed to miss that particular chapter in nerdcore history outright and would like to know what Karl Olson's really all about, it proves a fine introduction to what the rest of us will recognize as a new and improved Ultraklystron.

Save Against Fear

I'm kind of supposed to be wrapping up album reviews today, but instead I'm choosing to pause and do something I rarely do here at the blog: speak seriously.

I don't have any alarmingly depressing statistics right here in front of me or anything, but I'm willing to guess that many of the people reading this have had their lives touched in some way by sexual assault or abuse. Those who haven't experienced it themselves likely know someone who has, whether they're able to speak about it or not.

We in the nerd community do a lot of good work – supporting charities like Child's Play and Extra Life – but these sort of things, occurrences that are even more disturbing than the thought of sick children, we tend to push out of our minds. It's difficult to think about, but ignoring it neither helps the victims nor provides the sort of therapeutic training necessary to aid caregivers. All it does is keep us afraid.

Save Against Fear seeks to change that. This 45-hour RPG, tabletop, and board gaming event is presented by PA's The Bodhana Group, and benefits children and adolescents impacted by sexual trauma. The fundraising gamer marathon runs December 2nd through 4th at Six Feet Under Games in New Holland, and it features everything from West End's classic Ghostbusters to multiple flavors of D&D. The money raised will be used to fund local projects by The Bodhana Group including an Outpatient Treatment Center, public speaking engagements and both professional and lay trainings.

More information about TBG and Save Against Fear is available the group's site and, of course, on the Facebooks.

If you're going to be in the area during the event, please stop by and help out the cause. And even if you aren't there are many ways to give. Even now the team is working to fill tote bags for players and collect additional items to be used as awards and door prizes in drawings. If you, your band or your company would be willing to donate, please contact the event organizers. Contributors will be acknowledged through both the printed event materials and on the web.

Also, I will forever think that you are an awesome person for helping out a good cause. And you can't put a price on that.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 120: Occupy Elm Street

Apparently my superpower is riffing on current events for show titles. Or not; I mean, I often seem to overestimate my own cleverness.

Still, this one made me chuckle.

This year I had a little trouble rekindling my (historically abundant) Halloween spirit, but with the day finally upon us I am all up ins. Putting together this show certainly helped me get my ghoulish groove back, and I hope it provides and adequate soundtrack for your All Hallows activities.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 120: Occupy Elm Street [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 70.3 MB Running Time: 51:23 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Beef's got a new release that will also fit in well with your Halloween party playlist. Dig it!

Track 1: mc chris - "Time Warp"
mc's Columbia is downright uncanny.

Z's 1st interlude: "Part 2 of this year's Halloween Crap-tacular"
And with this one in the bag I gotta say I'm sad I have to wait another year to do it again.

Track 2: The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets - "Ogdru Jahad"
It's strange to think that I've been listening to the Thickets for a decade and a half now.

Track 3: Backburner - "Phantom Ghost"
This one's for you, @HassanISahba.

Track 4: g4gorilla - "Bring Frankenstein Back to My Street"
Another great cut from this year's Texas Chainsaw Mashacre compilation.

Track 5: MC Frontalot - "Invasion of the Not Quite Dead"
Solved is a really eclectic album -- even from Frontalot, who tends to cast a wide sonic net. The harder edge of this joint is but a single example of its stylistic breadth.

Track 6: John Anealio - "Undead Love Song"
Just when I think I have John figured out he up and uses the word "cock" in a song!

Track 7: Saltlakrits - "Cupcakes in My Basement"
This one requires a bit of back-story, as helpfully supplied by @ChurchHTucker.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Backed up by a nice Castlevania-driven beat."
That soundtrack gets used and abused a lot, but Backburner sure as hell does right by it.

Track 8: Sticks Downey - "Night of the Demons"
I'm happy to see the Sticks Downey Halloween single is now an annual tradition.

Track 9: Buttery Lords - "Werewolf in a Waterpark"
Check out their Monster & Madness EP for more fun nor'western hippity-hop.

Track 10: The Efts - "Robot Destroy"
From the soundtrack of forthcoming social networking game Robot Destroy Club.

Track 11: The Doubleclicks - "Hollywood Raptor"
It's rather insulting to say that grown women are adorable, so I will instead specify that The Doubleclicks' music  -- particularly in the case of this song -- is adorable. And also awesome. Especially awesome!

Track 12: Humanoids - "Humanoid Eyes that Shine at Night"
Since I managed to incorporate a Darkest of the Hillside Thickets tune that wasn't strictly Lovecraftian, I thought this track filled that void nicely.

Z's final interlude: "Aren't they, y'know, infinitely more interesting?"
I mean who would you rather be: Blaster or Soundwave?!

Track 13: Jonathan Coulton - "Still Alive (feat. Sara Quin)"
Coulton's Artificial Heart is another recent release that's not to be missed.

It occurs to me that there are only four more shows left in 2011. How the fuck did that even happen?!

I'll not lie to you, folks; sometimes I consider retiring from the nerd grind, taking my leave content in the knowledge that there are a shit-ton of other geek culture rags out there to keep y'all satisfied. But when I look back at Hipster, please! and its related projects -- though admittedly they aren't exactly earth-shattering -- I feel a sense of pride in my accomplishments.

Moreover, no matter how big a pain in the ass things sometimes are, I still very much enjoy what I do. I hope this show and all its brothers and sisters are just as fun and entertaining to you as they are to me, and I always appreciate your requests, suggestions and input as I move my little industry forward.

Happy Halloween, all!

His Snake-tastic Majesty's Request

If anything, Halloween is a holiday for the bad guys, which makes this announcement from Slytherin Wizard Rock staple Draco and the Malfoys all the more relevant:

After 7 years on that WRock-grind, it appears as though brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher are hanging up their scarves. Of all the scene's notable dissolutions in recent years, this is particularly significant. You see, the Malfoys epitomized 2nd-generation Wizard Rock in its truest form.

Debuting in 2004 – at what was likely the first ever all-WRock show, a house party featuring Harry and the Potters that also saw the introduction of The Whomping Willows – the band represented the first instance of an act being formed in direct response to the Potters phenomenon. To put it another way, if the brother DeGeorge were MC Frontalot and YTCracker, then Brian and Bradley were Beefy and Ultraklystron. (And, by extension, the house party was… Rhyme Torrents? I dunno; maybe I'm grasping to extend my metaphor here.)

Still, the band served as the bedrock foundation of what would go on to become the musical arm of Harry Potter fandom, a cultural juggernaut that leveraged its recognition and acclaim into an engine for social good. Not bad for a couple of Parseltongued miscreants!

While naysayers have been prophesying the end of Wizard Rock since Deathly Hallows rolled on to bookstore shelves, and the disbanding of the Malfoys doesn't exactly run counter to said claims, it's hard to understate the impact that acts like DatM have had both on nerd culture and on the developing social awareness of their young fans. And for that, you power-hungry, soul-split revenants I salute you.

(Hat-tip to Matt, my finger on the pulse of Wizard Rockery for the tip!)

Hard Cor

I hear a rumbling from the west, my friends. There is a storm brewing, a musical tempest with over-sized eyes, gravity-defying hair and flamboyant outfits. Surely this can only signify that the otaku army of the Ultraklystron camp is mobilizing!

For Karl himself this means a leak from his forthcoming release Animatic. The track is "Lifecycle," and it concerns itself with ethical living, a subject that's broached less often that it should be within the confines of hip-hop.

ultraklystron - lifecycle by karlrolson

For his longtime collaborator Rai, however, it means something even rarer: a Kickstarter campaign.

The duo is attempting to generate enough capital to streamline the recording, production and distribution of her new album Cor Leonis. With an ultimate goal of 5 grand, it's a pretty hefty undertaking, but anime nerds have nothing if not deep pockets.

In order to help motivate those of the Japanophile set to part with the hard-earned scratch from their Pocky funds, our heroes received a little help from local fan extraordinaire Jarrod in the form of the below handsome video. Give it a look and marvel at the colors of Rai Kamishiro's world.

Literally. 'Cause that shit is orange.

After you've done that, please consider chipping in to help out with the album. She is, after all, the only nerd musician to ever inspire her own religious cult.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 115: Urban Arcade

It’s the first day of school down here in my burg. I'm not sure if that's relevant save to say that the summer season is fast coming to a close.

Consider this another dose of warm-weather music for that ass.

As I assume your ass still requires warm-weather music.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 115: Urban Arcade [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 63.4 MB Running Time: 47:41

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
My theme song could beat up your theme song.

Track 1: Kirby Krackle - "Booty Do Math (feat. Adam WarRock)"
I really can't overstate the fact that this is my jam.

Z's 1st interlude: "So many definite articles."
I guess you could say I was talking the shit. #clever

Track 2: Adam WarRock - "Andrew Garfield at SDCC"
I had my qualms with a Spidey movie re-launch, but it's really hard not to love this guy.

Track 3: USK - "Cheap Jungle"
This may well be the first time I've featured a solo Japanese chiptune artist.

Track 4: Parks & Recreation dialog / DJ Dain - "Black POWER 2000 (Dan Forden, Brian Schmidt & Steve Ritchie vs. Kanye West) [Clean]"
Confession time: I still haven't listened to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in its entirety.

Track 5: R_Garcia - "SMB2 (Underworld Theme)"
Big ups to Larry for hipping my to the Eightest Bits comp from Nophi. Also, did I pronounce it as "no-fee?" Fuck!

Track 6: Chokeules - "Fumes (hotbox remix)"
Toolshed. Backburner. Represent.

Z's 2nd interlude: "It might just renew your faith in the internet."
I'm serious. Watch it.

Track 7: Kabuto the Python and B.C. - "Tali (Em Version)"
The N7 EP was originally slated to be a full-length, but catastrophic hard drive failure is a motherfucker.

Track 8: Supercommuter - "#1 Kyabajo (feat. Rachel Haden)"
I have a review written of the new Supercommuter. I hope to have it polished up later this week or early next.

Track 9: MC Frontalot - "Critical Hit"
If you pre-order the new Frontalot you can download the digital version now. What's not to love?

Track 10: Heath McNease - "Turtle Van Damme"
Because you can never have too many TMNT tracks.

Track 11: SJ Tucker - "D&D"
This one is yet another great find by my boy Church Hates Tucker.

Z's final interlude: "My 3-year-old daughter's favorite new song."
If I had a nickel for every time she ran through the den screaming "ponies, ponies ponies, swag…"

Track 12: Swagberg - "Pony Swag (feat. Maros)"
It saddens me to realize that Mitch Hedberg isn't alive to hear what really happens when you remix a remix.

Drunken Podcasting Month draws nigh, and I honestly don't know if my liver can take it. But I'll do it for you, internet!

I'm actually hoping to do something a bit different with this year's drunkcast, but only time will tell if it shakes out as planned.

Expect at least one other (reasonably) sober podcast before then, though. And I'll likely pair September's aforementioned drunkcast with another specialty show.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 114: Fear and Loathing in Orlando

I have come to realize that the more nice shit you say, the less likely others are to actually believe it. Over-hyping something, even retroactively, is a cardinal sin. So I shall reign in my post-Nerdapalooza bliss.

I mean, I wouldn't go so far as to say Nerdapalooza 2011 was a religious experience, but it was extremely enjoyable and ultimately impressive. As a hardened critic, I was rather surprised when I sat down to collect my thoughts and everything that seemed to pour out was positive. But hey, I've already made that known.

This episode revisits the festival as an audio experience for all to (hopefully) enjoy. It boasts many of the acts from the event's expansive lineup, as well as my take on what each brought to the show.

It also features some live audio that I captured. It's far from perfect, but, given that I made zero effort to ensure audio fidelity, I think it came out surprisingly well.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 114: Fear and Loathing in Orlando [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 63 MB Running Time: 48:44

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
The title of this episode is actually a reference to a running joke between my friends GeekDad Curtis and funky49.

Track 1: Shael Riley drop / The BossFights - "Conspiracy Theory"
If you listen closely, you'll hear my friend Josh say something about Coast to Coast AM at the end of Shael's drop, thus the decision to start things off with "Conspiracy Theory." Though the fact that I love Bishop's riff certainly didn't hurt. 

Z's 1st interlude: "What I do remember recording was some bootleg audio."
I carried my H1 field recorder with me the entire weekend. Sadly, I only managed to turn it on a half-dozen or so times. 

Track 2: Inverse Phase - "Song 6502"
I've seen very few live chiptune performances -- so it's not like I have a lot to compare it to -- but I have to say Inverse Phase killed with his set.

Track 3: Dual Core - "Invaders Must Die (feat. Remington Forbes) [Live at Nerdapalooza 2011]"
That fucker that keeps screaming "Reeeemmmaaaaayyy" and ruining the audio levels? Me.

Track 4: The OneUps - "Something about Koopa Beach"
My 6-year-old recently discovered Mario Kart (thanks to a DS Lite promo bundle from Nintendo), so we've been listening to a lot of cuts from this particular OneUps album.

Track 5: The Protomen - "The Fall"
Am I the only one who gets confused as to when to first pump and when to heartbeat clap at a Protomen show?

Track 6: Schaffer the Darklord - "Battlefont"
In case you missed the related Twitter conversation, I have asked STD and Nelson Lugo to host my wake. And they have agreed to do so. Best. Death. Ever.

Track 7: I Fight Dragons - "Money (feat. Klopfenpop) [Live at Nerdapaloza 2011]"
After all these years I finally got to meet Brian from IFD! Admittedly it was only for about a minute and a half, but it still totally counts.

Z's 2nd interlude: "I hung out with him and Stevo and Larry Oji."
Though it lacked the foam sword fighting and booth babes of some other installations, the OC ReMix table was easily the most entertaining at Nerdapalooza 2011. Simply by virtue of including these three amazing cats.

Track 8: Adam WarRock - "I Believe in Harvey Dent (feat. Tribe One) [Live at Nerdpalaooza 2011]"
Early on in the weekend Adam WarRock became my true-blue homeboy. He's relocating to my region later this year, so I imagine we'll start having sleepovers and painting each other's toenails. #pillowfight

Track 9: Illbotz - "Transform"
Let it be forever known that DJ Samson runs shit!

Track 10: The ThoughtCriminals - "Return of the Antagonist (featuring Illbotz) [Untested Methods Remix]"
kHill and Sulfur drove down from Charlotte on Saturday and, though they also had to cut out a bit early, they more than made their mark on Nerdapalooza 2011.

Track 11: Insane Ian - "Harry Potter"
When I think back on the FuMP sets from this year's festival the first words that my mind conjures are "impeccable comic timing." These are followed shortly by "multiple guest star."

Track 12: Shinobi Ninja - "This is How We Do It"
If you get a chance to catch Shinobi Ninja while they're on the road promoting Rock Hood, by all means take advantage of the opportunity. They blend metal and hip-hop and soul and reggae rock, but mostly they exude an infectious brand of stage energy.

Z's final interlude: "I just wanna say thank you to everyone who hung out with me at Nerdapalooza."
It was so amazing to meet all of you! 

Track 13: Sci-Fried - "Fett's Vette [Live at Nerdapalooza 2011]"
I actually managed to record the entirety of the Sci-Fried set. I'm gonna clean it up and see what I can do with it.

Alright, I think I've said all I can and rightly should say about Nerdapalooza. I mean, except for revisiting that Adam WarRock interview I recorded. I should really do something with that.

But for the foreseeable future, at least, I'll shut the fuck up about it.

Because if you were there you already know what a magical weekend it was. And if you weren't then I kinda feel sorry for you.

Rock Well

In the earliest hours of this AM, nerdy rap mainstay mc chris announced the supporting acts for his fall Race Wars tour. The lineup is, to say the least, inspired:

Obviously another mc chris/MC Lars outing is a big draw, and since truncating the first third of his TeacherRapperHero duties Mega Ran has become even more the epic showman. I'll caution attendees, however, not to write off relative newcomer to the scene Adam WarRock. I had the pleasure of catching him at Nerdapalooza, and, in addition to being a helluva nice cat, he truly commanded the stage during his performance. Shit, he more than held his own during the Dual Core freestyle session as well. (Dude even came correct with a Casey Anthony reference! #topical)

No dates have been announced, but you can be sure mc's people are hashing all that out quickly. Keep an eye on each of the artists' official web presences for further information as it becomes available.

And if the show comes through your burg, definitely make it a point to come out. This lineup is truly a force to be reckoned with.

#NAP2011 was an Inside Job

Photo/bead sprite by @madhattersez

I'm dying to share with you my impressions of Nerdapalooza 2011, but it's proving rather difficult. Right now most of my memories are indistinct, amorphous. (And not just because of the booze.)

I think I'm still a little too close to the event itself.

I remember once going to the Dali museum in St. Pete and looking up at The Hallucinogenic Toreador on its original, full-size canvas. All I saw was flies, fabric and arches until I stepped back and took the whole thing in from a distance.

The same principle's at play here, and I should be able to relate the overall experience better in a couple of days when I've achieved that optimum distance.

For now, though, I'd like to reveal a subset of my notes from the event. They were tucked away on their own little page under the heading "Inside Jokes." If you weren't there they probably won't mean much, and even if you were some will still miss their mark. Shit, there are a couple of 'em even I don't understand, so consider this a rough experiment. Or better yet my own fragmented attempt at gonzo journalism.

• Drinky Time with Shael and Z.
• "Cover your shame and your nipples with this fine quality t-shirt!"
• The ever-living cookie meme
• "[X] do you know [Y]?"
• Matching faces with screen names
• "Z. is away being a social butterfly."
• Sexy elevator voice
• The utter debauchery of the Sunni cam
• "They also seem to aid in the abatement of hangovers, though I couldn't find that anywhere on the packaging."
• "Give me all the bacon and eggs you have…"
• "What could anyone possibly have against Doritos?"
• "When I say hip, you whisper hop!"
• MC Bagels (It ain't nothin' for him to toast a bitch!)
• "How old is your little dude?"
• "I expected a cowboy hat."
• Big stage sets on the little stage
• "The price of that man's love? Two AA batteries." 
• "This raffle never ends!"
• The mysterious (but probably distasteful and damn-near Faustian) Larry/Mark barter
• "He paid his dues on the fast track, very likely using night classes and summer school."
• Over 1000?!
• "On three: 1-2-3 5 minutes!"
• Attack of the tiny bass players
• "See? That's the kind of shit that happens when white people dance."
• A science-free weekend
• Magic blankets

Today's wholly incomprehensible post is brought to you by the letters N-A-P and the number 1000.

Pretty Cunning, Doncha Think?

My brother kHill actually leaked word of this project to me a while back, but I was sworn to secrecy. Thankfully as of this AM the cat is fully out of the bag, so I can at last share with you my excitement for Adam WarRock's forthcoming Browncoats Mixtape.

Now before you watch the following embed I'd like to point out two things. The first is the fuckin' theme song-based beat used for the bulk of the teaser. That shit is hot! Second is the fact that the official project page lists the release time as "Fall 2011," which ain't too far away.

Shiny!