Radio Free Hipster Ep. 129: Straight Down the Middle

As I type this I am not playing Mass Effect 3. That likely goes without saying, but it's an important point. Because I want to be playing Mass Effect 3.

Instead I'm writing podcast notes for you, my friend. Much in the way that when I sat down to record and edit and mix the show itself I wasn't playing Mass Effect 3.

All I'm saying is that I care enough to compromise my gaming for your amusement. I don't need your pity or your gratitude or anything; I just figure it's never a bad idea to tell folks that they mean something to you.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 129: Straight Down the Middle [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 58.9 MB Running Time: 44:51 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

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

Track 1: Klopfenpop - "Stillwield (Klopfenpop vs. Jonny Nero Action Hero)"
I really dig this track. It's got a different feel for Klopf—sort of a spoken-word kinda thing—and I love how it plays off Jonny's chiptune backing.

Z's 1st interlude: "Really happy that you are."
Thanks so much for listening! I feel like I don't say that enough.

Track 2: Adam WarRock - "Active Squad (feat. Beefy, Mikal kHill and Kabuto the Python)"
Mordin died in my game. I don't reckon that's spoilery, as your play-through might be completely different. But in mine he is dead. It was a noble sacrifice, and I miss him.

Track 3: Nosaj Thing - "Fog"
This one's for Larry. For some reason it reminds me of the Mass Effect 3 home screen, which I guess explains its placement.

Track 4: DJ Le Clown - "Do You Really Want to Tchiki Boom?"
I'm only just realizing that a significant portion of my listeners likely have no idea who the fuck Culture Club is. #old

Track 5: Service Lab - "BouncingHead Volleyball"
There's a strong electric groove in this one. I dig it.

Track 6: King Pheenix - "Bottle It (feat. Dale Chase)"
I'm kinda hoping Dale and KPX form some sort of hip-hop duo side project. I love how well they play off each other!

Z's 2nd interlude: "Hip-hop and electronic-music focused set."
I usually try to mix things up, stylistically-speaking, but this time around stuff seemed to gel into two distinct sets.

Track 7: Finntroll - "Trollhammaren"
Again, I blame this one on Steve. And also on the fact that I just found out I can watch Trollhunter for free via Amazon Prime.

Track 8: Alestorm - "Keelhauled"
Church turned me on to this one. He knows I dig metal and pirates.

Track 9: The Aeronauts - "My Marvelous Toys"
You might remember these guys from my recent "Steampunk Boba Fett" post.

Track 10: The Doubleclicks - "The Way I Glow"
This one is actually the counterpoint to the Molly Lewis track I played a couple shows back.

Track 11: The Boom Bang - "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLEZ"
This is not my first atonal "Ninja Turtles" cover.

Z's final interlude: "Specialty metal."
That totally needs to be a thing.

Track 12: Shael Riley and The Double Ice Backfire - "Area Dolls Guy"
If you missed Songs from the Pit the first time around—which may be the case, as it was a cassette-only release in its original iteration—you need to snag this one. Hell, even if you do have the original, this one offers lots of expanded material.

I feel like I should be writing something thoughtful about how I usually piece together shows and how this one was a little different, but I reckon I've already elucidated enough on that. So instead I will simply bid you adieu.

Have a great St. Pat's! And if you're down for some multiplayer, holler at a scholar!

Hermione Everdeen

Considering the dogged persistence of the Wizard Rock community—stalwart defenders of the Wizarding World Harry and the Potters, for example, kick off a new tour next week—and the growing Rockingjay music movement, I thought that this item might be relevant to your collective interests. It's a new mash-up tee from our friends at the International Quidditch Association that combines these two incredibly popular and uniquely nerd-friendly series into a single clever package.

Behold the District 9 3/4 shirt. (I can only imagine their chief industry in broomstick and Time-Turner manufacture.) It was designed by the IQA’s very own Melissa DeVarney and Allyson Burton, and is available now for $19.99.

All the profits benefit the International Quidditch Association's twin missions of physical activity and social awareness, which is pretty damn cool in and of itself. Plus, if you order by at 7:00 AM Eastern tomorrow, Friday, March 16th, you'll get yours in time to sport it at next week's Hunger Games movie premiere. Use it as a divining rod to root out potential row-mates. If they get the joke, they are your kinda people!

Southern Fried Geek

Meet the band.

I make it a point not to tout my own perceived skills or abilities – generally because that's the quickest way to come off looking like an uninformed chump – but please indulge me when I state that I know a few things about nerdy music. Following such acts has become, if not my bread and butter, at least my coffee and jam over the last several years. I put a fair bit of effort into such endeavors, so I hope that when I say that Florida's Sci-Fried is a geek rock band like no other you'll at least entertain the notion.

I discovered Sci-Fried in the same manner as many other nerdy outfits – it all started with an email. Drummer and co-founder Jim Frederick introduced himself (and the band) to me by way of a track entitled "Level UP!" From that point I was hooked.

By the time I caught the guys at this summer's Nerdapalooza I'd already committed a number of songs, both standard fare like "Level UP" and b-side material like the KISS send-up "Doctor Jones," to memory. Not by choice, mind you, but because tracks like that, music that combines the most studious of geeky passions with the power of classic-style arena rock, appeal to me on a base level.

You see, I am a lover of hip-hop and I've said many times that I grew up punk rock, but the most elemental components of my formative musical years were steeped in Zeppelin, Rush, ZZ Top, Nugent and all the other iconic bombast of rural classic rock radio. Yet despite the uncanny influence of these powerfully patch-worked styles, few modern artists (geeky or otherwise) mine it directly.

And yet Sci-Fried does just that.

Formed in 2007 when Jim and guitarist Chuck Silver set out to combine their twin loves of science fiction and rock 'n' roll, Sci-Fried began in a most unsuspecting manner – by cranking out high-energy parodies inspired by their favorite movies and TV shows. The addition of co-vocalists Dr. Vern and Mike "KSV" Jensen and bassist Sunni Simmons rounded out the lineup and also shaped the band's overall sound. Sunni's metal roots helped to add an additional level of musical aggression, while the combination of Vern's soulful, theatrical voice and KSV's low-key almost nerdcore-style delivery helped to smooth out the mix. Which brings me to my second and likely counter-intuitive point.

While Sci-Fried are perfectly comfortable channeling the wild energy of what I have affectionately come to think of as redneck rock – Sunni once referred to the band as the Mötley Crüe of the geek scene – they refuse to be musically boxed in, to limit their repertoire to what may be simple or expected.

Though I find it hard to quantify the exact essence of their intoxicating blend of styles and influences, let me endeavor to do so:

Part Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, part Anthrax, part Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem,Sci-Fried has easily inserted itself into the list of my favorite bands in all of musical nerddom.

Across the breadth of two albums Sci-Fried have explored a sonic palette colored by everything from American soul to British pub rock, from rap to punk. I'll be the first to admit that all this sonic experimentation leads to an occasional ill fit, but the guys are always expanding their musical scope while still holding onto that very classic rock element that provides their greatest strength.

Slated for an early 2011 release!

The aforementioned albums showcase the band as a split entity. Their twin debut LPs Geeks Unite (which features an amazing selection of original material) and Ramming Speed (a humorous collection of filk-rock parodies) present the Sci-Fried sound in very different ways.

Geeks Unite opens with "Welcome to the Geek Age" and the title track – a clever and hard-hitting affirmation of nerd life. From there it weaves ably through surreal noise rock ("Don't Phase Me, Bro"), aggressive sleaze metal ("Sci-Fried") and ridiculously hilarious Dementia Music ("Ninja Drinking Song.") Occasionally the band's odd juxtaposition of styles fails to satisfy ("A Hero"), but more often than not it manages to hit the sweet spot. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the album's stand-out track "Saturday Night on Syfy" - a song infinitely more palatable than its titular subject matter.

Ramming Speed likewise starts strong with another odd spoken-word piece that bleeds into the Primus send-up "Too Many Zombies." It's not exactly KSV's strongest vocal performance, but it manages to grab the listener. Joints like "Stargate Zone," "Trippin' through The Wormhole" and " My Name Is Spock 2.0" also blend the easily recognizable sounds of their musical source material with properly geeky lyrical content, but this album also has a few skippable selections. More often than not, though, Ramming Speed's material tends to fall along the lines of WAR parody "Land Speeder." It's fun in small doses, but not exactly the most compelling stuff the band's provided to date.

I'm not going to mislead you here; I genuinely adore Sci-Fried. A number of my friends were a tad skeptical as I talked the act up early this summer, but seeing the fellows perform live on the Nerdapalooza stage managed to make true believers of most. As much as I enjoy the sound of the band on wax, the live experience truly showcases their strengths. From Vern's larger-than-life voice to Chuck's classic licks, Sci-Fried is a band that begs to be experienced live.

They're also one of those acts that relishes the chance to connect with fans both on-stage and off. I'd be lying if I didn't say that some of the best parts of my Nerdapalooza experience was spent simply hanging out with Sci-Fried and their extended musical family. (What up, Jaime!) And it's important to note that Nerdapalooza was merely one stop on the band's dorktastic summer circuit. TOUR 2010: The Year We Make Con‐Tact took Sci-Fried from nerd hot-spots like Megacon, Dragon*Con and even the Klingon Feast. A fitting tour regimen for the reigning kings of southern geek rock.

Yeah, that pretty much sums 'em up.

Over the past couple of weeks I've had the pleasure of further cultivating my love for this most unorthodox act by way of a series of preview tracks from their forthcoming album Future Tense. Thus far I've been treated to a strong Serenity-themed ballad, a literal geek rock anthem and a proper studio version of the Marc with a C collab they unveiled at 'Palooza 2010. The sound of the album seems to be a bit more consistent, but the guys are still experimenting with styles and merging genres for the greater good of nerdy music.

To illustrate this point, I'll close with a season-specific single from Sci-Fried (and again featuring my brother Marc with a C.) It's the perfect example of the kind of good-natured musical madness one can expect from the band. And if this one doesn't do it for you I encourage root around a bit in the Sci-Fried back catalog. They offer a myriad of sounds for any mood.

Assuming, of course, that said mood involves geeking the fuck out.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 96: Drunk and Awe

I do my best to keep each edition of Radio Free Hipster relatively concise. It's a busy, distinctly modern world out there, and I don't feel comfortable demanding a lot of your time.

The exception to this, of course, is during Drunken Podcasting Month. It's the one time a year when I don't mind letting the show run long. And run long it does.

This year's drunkcast clocks in at nearly 2 hours. During that time Matt, Church and I play a lot of music and talk a lot of shit. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Only, y'know, with less vomiting. 

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 96: Drunk and Awe [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 95.9 MB Running Time: 1:44:47 Subscribe to RFH 

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Spellah and Beefy are like vodka and tonic, or in my case cream soda and root beer schnapps. 

Track 1: Adam WarRock – "Millie Got a Pull List"
I was lucky enough to score a review copy of Adam's The War for Infinity. I'll be sharing my impressions soon. 

1st drunken interlude: Wherein I welcome Matt to the show, we admit to being lazy and I mispronounce the words "kick" and "WarRock."
Matt and I started drinking pretty early on the night we recorded this, so by the time we started actually doing the show we were both pretty far along. It's also worth noting that the more I drink, the worse my accent becomes. I was making vowel sounds not even present in the English language by the time we finally signed off. 

Track 2: Beefy – "One of These Nights"
I now consider this to be the definitive Tanner4105 beat. 

Track 3: Marc with a C – "Laura, I Need Medicine"
I love that Marc rhymes scrotum with "wrote 'em." 

Track 4: Keith Moon & Ringo Starr dialog / Inverse Phase – "Say it ain't sixty-FO"
This Moon/Starr clip is another one that I've had sitting around for ages. 

Track 5: Hidari – "Seishun Marina"
I always enjoy Hidari, but when I drink I'm more likely to try and sing along. 

Track 6: Random – "Drop the Load (Mustin Mix)"
Mustin has a great "making of" vid of this track available via YouTube. 

2nd drunken interlude: Wherein, Matt and I talk about our Nerdapalooza adventures, bullshit about what we're drinking and everyone says "awwwww."
Even now I am weighing my PAX Prime 2011 travel options. For serious. 

Track 7: Southside – "Radar"
Though I failed to state this clearly during the recording session, Southside is my go-to band for drunken listening. 

Track 8: Marc Gunn – "Beer, Beer, Beer"
Marc kicks off a mini-set of explicitly booze-related offerings. 

Track 9: Mary Prankster – "Tits & Whiskey"
Matt says that this one was a bit of a local hit. I can only imagine what a radio edit of it would sound like. 

Track 10: Illbotz – "The Pub That Had No Gin"
Illbotz are the only rap group I know that includes an Irish drinking song on their debut album. Well, I mean, them and House of Pain. 

Track 11: ComputeHer – "Dark Pub"
From Computeher's latest Modemoiselle. 

Track 12: boot error clik – "Punch, UP"
If all goes according to plans, I'll be offering an exclusive boot error clik album for free download later this year! 

3rd drunken interlude: Wherein Church joins us for the drunken revelry, I make my requisite John Waters joke and we encourage people to donate to the Parsec Awards.
You can view Matt talking up nerdcore here, and here's more info on BitGen. 

Track 13: Emergency Pizza Party – "Shine Avenue (TH3HT Dubstep Remix)"
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! 

Track 14: Epic-1 – "Drug of Choice (feat. STD, 1080IP, and ytcracker)"
Schaffer's "I wear a monkey like a backpack, damnit!" is easily one of the best nerdcore hip-hop/drug rock opening lines of all time. 

Track 15: mc chris – "Han Solo"
mc has been doing a lot of these pop song parodies of late. I most definitely approve. 

Track 16: Mighty Mike – "Fuck Henrietta (Cee Lo Green vs. The Fratellis)"
Traditionally, I favor the Drunken Podcasting Month play list with a "Gay Bar" mash-up. This year, however, I decided to switch shit up. 

Track 17: Laura Simpson – "Let's Get It On, Doctor"
I gotta give it up for Laura's The Ood Cast Album. It is filktastic. Consequently, it also Trocks. 

Final drunken interlude: Wherein we get our shine on, Church realizes I that Han and "hon" are homophones in the Deep South and we discuss Tom Baker's fuckability.
The boys seem to believe that RFH needs more filk. What's your take on it? 

Track 18: Shael Riley – "Margaritaville" / outtakes
I talk a lot about hanging out with Shael at Nerdapalooza in-show, so it's only fitting that he closes out the episode.

With Drunken Podcasting Month taken care of, I now look forward to October's Halloween Crap-tacular. As always, it'll boast two seasonally-themed episodes loaded with songs about monsters, cheesy horror movie dialog and candy corn. But mostly candy corn.

After that we'll hit episodes 99 and 100 in November. I anticipate the former will be a theme-free show, and the latter will be a listener-fueled retrospective. Please consider sending me voicemails or classic requests to make sure it doesn't suck!

The Darkness Grows as all Light Dies

This week marks the triumphant (we hope) conclusion of DC's Blackest Night crossover. You know; the one where we discovered that the Green Lantern Corps is only a single heroic hue of the cosmic Skittles Rainbow.

To mark this auspicious occasion, our friends from The Nerdy Show have launched another Song Fight! style competition.

Between now and April 30th, you are encouraged to write, record and submit a song about the Blackest Night event for a chance to have your song featured on played on the Nerdy Show's forthcoming "Blackest Night Song Fight" podcast, a $100 comic book shopping spree and the chance to be the opening act at the 2010 Nerdapalooza pre-party!

Peep the specifics:

The Challenge:

Compose an original song about some aspect of DC’s Blackest Night. It can be in any genre and any style. There have been a lot of tie-in books to the event, and the plot line has been building up for years now – so needless to say there’s a lot of material and a lot of angles to come at this. Ska, techno remixes, folk rock, death metal, chiptunes, gangsta rap – anything, even an instrumental can work. The possibilities are infinite.

The Prizes:

1st Place: $100 shopping spree on A Comic Shop’s Online Store and the opportunity to kick off Nerdapalooza 2010 by performing YOUR Blackest Night song at the A Comic Shop pre-party (headlined in 2009 by Schaffer the Darklord).

2nd Place: A copy of the Eisner-nominated Atomic Robo Volume 1 Graphic Novel signed by author and Nerdy Show host, Brian Clevinger, an original 1984 Super Powers Hal Jordan action figure from the collection of Aaron Haaland (the artist/writer of Nerdy Strip), a Nerdy Show Amber Lamp Corps shirt and cap, and both the 2008 and 2009 Nerdapalooza albums.

3rd Place: A copy of the currently- ongoing Atomic Robo Volume 4, issue 1 signed by author and Nerdy Show host, Brian Clevinger, the 2008 and 2009 Nerdapalooza posters, and a Nerdy Show Amber Lamp shirt.

Upon announcing the winners, all submissions will be hosted on nerdyshow.com for listening/ downloading. 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners as well as note-worthy runners up will be played during a forthcoming episode of Nerdy Show.

There are a few other stipulations, of course.

Submissions must be original, Blackest Night-themed compositions of no more than 4 minutes in length. Audio files are to be submitted at a bitrate of at least 128kbps, and the related email message must include your name/handle, song title and any relevant notes.

So give your audio tribute to the Care Bears various Lantern Corps some thought, and feel free to hit up contest@nerdyshow.com with any additional questions or comments.

Nerd News in Brief

A lady from human resources once had the audacity to ask me the color of my parachute. This is a rather asinine inquiry, as one can learn so much more about me by simply asking my DEVO color.

Seriously.

It is red. That means I have a fiery personality and inherent love of energy domes.

• S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y: This weekend the world will tremble as a direct result of the NYC premiere of Uncle Monsterface performing with a real, live drummer! Attendants can also bask in the glory of the live debut of the song"Heart" featuring Jocelyn Mackenzie of Pearl and the Beard! Come on down to Brooklyn's Death By Audio, and bring a fiver.
• Hip-Hop, Feminism & Nerds: On the more scholarly end, this weekend's Society for Photographic Education conference will include a panel entitled "Potential Feminist Performances of Masculinity in Music: The Hip Hop Subculture of Nerdcore." The Message Is in the Music: Hip Hop Feminism, Riot Grrrl, Latina Music & More is hosted at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and is both free and open to the public.
• A Decade in the Making: This year marks the 10th bandiversary of seminal VG rockers The Minibosses. The guys celebrated this landmark by talking about the ten favorite gigs of their career with The Phoenix New Times.
• Spoiler – Wear Deodorant: Meanwhile, our own MC Frontalot compiled a list of 5 indispensable survival tips for PAX East. It’s a comprehensive piece for the potentially ill-prepared masses.
• Artichoke: Also on the subject of PAX, my literary homey Lev Grossman recently interviewed the Gabe and the Tycho for a piece over at Techland. Give it a read.
• (Ack)Bar None: The first of Church’s outlandish contributions to this edition of NNIB is news of a student initiative to replace Ole Miss’s potentially offensive rebel mascot with a far nerdier alternative. It’s a Trap!
• Old School: Also from Church comes news of NPR’s recent blurb about filk. Not exactly an earth-shattering piece, but a nice nod to perhaps the oldest nerd music community.
• Fear the Beard: Big ups to geeky academic Jason Tocci, who recently talked about his dissertation research concerning nerd identity with Technically Philly. Sadly, there’s no plug for Hipster, please! therein, but even Jason needs to take a break from pimping my projects every once in a while. ;)
• In Space: I did, however, get a plug – of the self-induced variety – over at John Anealio's Sci Fi Songs blog. There I contributed to John's new "Interstellar Jukebox" feature, writing about my favorite space song.
• Nerd Ink, Supplemental: I would similarly like to congratulate this gentleman. You win at nerd ink!
• Comedy, of the Highest Order: I don’t even have a witty accompanying line for this piece on geek chic, so allow me instead to quote: "Geeks are the most important natural resource the world has ever known. Without them gravity would be nothing more than a shitty John Mayer song."
• Underwhelmed at the Helm: Last month at London's Millennium Bridge, a new Guinness world record was set for the largest gathering of people dressed as Star Trek characters. The magic number? 99. Way to aim low, British Trekkies!
• Who's Better, Who's Best: Still, Church is quick to point out that UK nerdlingers easily redeem themselves in this Guardian piece concerning the SFX Weekender. All it took was a little Tom Baker!
• Bazinga!: Back on this side of the pond, my pal Raz was nice enough to hip me to a site specializing in the dorktastic wearables featured in the Big Bang Theory. There's even a page dedicate to Howard's belt buckles.
• New YT/Old YT: Closing us out today is a pair of videos featuring the incomparable YTCracker. As YT will be shaving his head for charity later this month, it seemed only right to let him take us home. This first is a new video directed by Irina Slutsky and featuring Doc Pop and Unwoman. The second is a portrait of the artist as a young man.

Weird Science

Making music in this brave new world of internet distribution is a bit of a crapshoot. Sometimes the ease of the digital download allows one to create a rabid enough fanbase to sustain continued artistic endeavors (a la Jonathan Coulton), and sometimes it easily enables the more adventurous of the major labels to pick up on a particular act's unique slant and undeniable potential (as in the case of I Fight Dragons).

While there's no surefire key to success, a good method for artists looking to cultivate a strong relationship with potential fans is what I like to call the here's-some-free-shit approach.

Allow me to explain: an artist makes new, quality content available for free from his site, and encourages listeners to root around in his catalog. Only then, after these casual observers have become full-fledged fans content in the knowledge that the artist truly has a product of interest, does our hero offer for-pay material.

Recently, John Anealio, one of my favorite purveyors of geeky guitar rock, has taken the plunge into phase 2 of this model. His venture into the world of the full album release is dubbed Sci Fi Songs after the music blog at which John does the bulk of his nerdy songwriting.

The album collects 11 of John's most popular and most polished tracks into one shiny, affordable package. Moreover, it does so in such a way as to highlight Anealio's folksy, rootsy style while summarily affording a satisfying arc relating a series of fairly disparate works.

The disc opens with "The Return of Titus Quinn," a brief alternate-tuned acoustic instrumental that centers on the protagonist from Kay Kenyon's Bright of the Sky. As this represents John's first serious attempt at the solo acoustic instrumental, it's an excellent jumping-off point and a charmingly atmospheric track to boot.

From there he gets all poppy and waxes poetic about the trials of robot hunter Rick Deckard in the Philip K. Dick inspired, "Rachel Rosen," easily my favorite tune from the collection, before kicking the vocal harmonies up another notch with "Leodora," based on Frost's Shadowbridge.

He briefly loses me with the ever-popular "Cylon #6," which, while both centered on the crown jewel of current sci-fi nerd series and possessing a fantastic rhythmic movement, puts me off a bit with some awkward wording. Still, it's a fine lead-in to the undeniable "Summer Glau," a filk track conceived by SF Signal's John DeNardo, but skillfully retooled with an original melody by Anealio himself.

John marks the half-way point with the Anne Rice-inspired "Angels & Vampires," a joint that showcases his smooth vocals on an unforgettable chorus. Thereafter he smooths things out with the masterful musical storytelling of "Lonesome October Night" – based on Roger Zelazny's satirical swansong A Night in the Lonesome October – which is another undeniable high point.

"Sarene," alternately, is a rocked-up love song from the mind of Brandon Sanderson, and plays nicely against the somber "Merithyn's Promise," another solo acoustic track based on Requiem for the Sun. From there he changes gears again with the autobiographical (and totally relatable) "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas," as the lead-up to his closer "Grasping for the Wind," a veritable love letter to the blog of the same name and all the other sites that make the online speculative fiction scene such a strong and vibrant community.

With the obvious exception of the odd rushed syllable, there's really nothing to not to love about Sc Fi Songs (even for my particular ass). I mean, sure, I would've love to have heard some of John's heavily electronic work included or possibly a remix of one of his more popular songs, but, by and large, it’s a well-hewn collection of geek folk favorites.

It's available from CD Baby for a mere 10 bones – 8 if your just looking for a digital version – and I'd say it would go a long way in adding some additional variety to your nerdy music collection. In fact, I dig the album so much that I'm gonna give a copy away to one lucky reader!

Just head over to John's blog or the CD Baby album page and do a little digging. Then come back here and post a comment naming your favorite John Anealio original, cover or fan remix. I'll pull a winner at random next week and send him/her a shiny new copy of the disc… and maybe some Hipster, please! goodies to boot!

So go give Anealio's stuff a listen. It will surely soothe your sci-fi soul.

"I book a hotel room, I hope she gets here soon/ I've got three androids to retire."

Nerd News in Brief

As if losing Bea Arthur and Dave Arneson this month wasn't enough, Matt’s just told me that everybody’s first free (shitty) Web host, Geocities, is also shuffling off this mortal core. Death appears to be the order of the day.

Or maybe I’m just being paranoid. I mean, the rest of us are still in our veritable prime, right? We’re young and healthy and indestructible.

Wait; swine flu.

Damn it!

So once again I end this weekly intro in a state of panic. Palms sweating. Knees knocking. Mind reeling. But at least we have Nerd News in Brief. It'll keep us safe.

• Pray to the Geek Gods: During times of such great duress, we mere mortals typically look to a higher power for guidance. Thankfully, as Church points out, we nerds finally have our own deity.
  
• Would that be Wrilk?: Also from Church comes this link to a spirited discussion from the filk community. Filker meltatum ponders the question: Is Wrock filk? The breadth of the ensuing discussion probably won’t surprise you, nor will the varying answers and attitudes. Still, it’s a fascinating read for those in either camp, and I personally have to give it up to happyfunpaul for referencing the obvious commonality between traditional filk and more modern movements (like Wrock, nerdcore and VGM) early on.
• Special Request: Will the attendance of Sangriaa’s birthday Dork Party please keep me in the loop as pictures and videos of the event become available? I couldn’t make it down, but I needs to see that shit.
• And Another: Also, if anyone would care to nominate Radio Free Hipster in the Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast category of this year’s Parsec Awards, I would be most appreciative. I can’t see as I’ve got a snowball’s chance in Hell of actually winning, but I reckon it couldn’t hurt to try.
• He Has Arrived: Our own MC Lars recently earned a nice pop from Crossfire concerning his latest release This Gigantic Robot Kills. And while others were less impressed, everything seems to be coming up Lars, as revealed in this recent tweet. Nas, Luda and Lars!
• Holla@chaboy: Wanna make it onto the next mixtape from your boy Random? It’s easier than you might think. Just record a little shout out to Mega Ran and you’re already half-way there. See his official board for full details. 
• Continued Resistance: Sadly for those of us in the Carolinas, the Protomen cancelled their proposed Ashville, NC show. Thankfully, the band will be playing this year’s Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, TN. The fest runs from June 11th to 14th, with news of the band’s exact play time forthcoming.
• Hipster, please!: Geek Studies' Jason passed this link along the following summation: "As hipsters appropriate nerdy dress and affectations, so too do they inherit the ruthless mockery." Well said, my brother. Well said.
• More Sociable Than You'd Think: My pal Antisoc has finally released the long-delayed 2.0 iteration of his 2007 album Depressed Nerd. This polished version of the album is now freely available in various bitrates from Soc’s own site. 
• Game Music 4 U: There have been lots of exciting things going on over at GM4A. It’s official unofficial podcast Letters vs. Numbers has been resurrected with the help of a pair of special guests -- Brian of 8 Bit Revenge and Thugmasta J of Magitek -- and with MisterB’s triumphant return to the Internet, there’s more podcast-y madness yet to come. The site itself recently featured a new interview with the brains behind chiptune netlabel Pause, and also acquired a new staff writer known simply as Ma. So it’s looks like good stuff abounds for Ant and the crew!
• Now with More Awesome!: Did you see the latest round of confirmed Nerdapalooza acts? This summer’s fest will be welcoming back Devo Spice (formally known as Sudden Death) and my Ohio-based brother int eighty of Dual Core, as well as debut acts Superpowerless and I Fight Dragons! For those keeping score at home, that’s 4 more great reasons for you to attend.
• As in Beer: Speaking of IFD, you can now register for free tickets to the May 7th I Fight Dragons Metromix Rock'n'Vote Finals at LaSalle Power Co. And once those have been secured, be sure to head over to YouTube to peep the new video for their track "Money" by Boram Encargado Kim.
• The Closer: Lastly but not leastly, here’s another fine bit of YouTubery. It’s the videof or 8 Bit Weapon’s "Closer (Bitpop Mix)," which was directed by Sterling Silva and Jeff Allen. Enjoy it in all its frenetic, robot-laden glory.
  

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 65: No Foolin’

After the unmitigated surprise of the previous podswapped episode, I’m afraid this edition of the show is strictly more of the same. Of course, I guess I can assume - if you’re a regular listener, at least - that more of the same is exactly what you’re looking for. In which case, have I got a deal for you!

Episode 65 hits on some recent high points, new stuff from Hidari and Beefy and Sticks Downey, as well as some older material that has recently resurfaced, like the nerd-tastic Twin Sister and the mysterious Mark VII. It’s wholly devoid of theme, but I do linger on the topics of Japan and Star Wars for a bit, so hopefully that’ll give it some much needed cohesion.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 65: No Foolin’ (hosting provided by Antisoc) Size: 44 MB Running Time: 48:04

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Beefy and Spellah are like the nerdcore Wonder Twins.

Track 1: The Browncoats – "The Hero of Canton"
Church has been on a Browncoat rock tear as of late, and I have greatly benefited from his recent obsession.

Z’s 1st interlude: "Any man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sumbitch or another."
Mal Reynolds is a genius.

Track 2: Sticks Downey – "These Monitors Are Frigid"
Sticks Downey is a Portland trio that has completely charmed me with their new full-length When the Belt Changes Hands. "These Monitors Are Frigid" is an excellent example of its unique style.

Track 3: Hidari – "Maybe Baby"
Hidari’s Wine and Chocolate is another fine collection of Japanese language power pop. This track in particular boasts one of my favorite (understated) guitar solos of recent memories.

Track 4: Random Arts Project – "Tokyo"
R.A.P. features my boy id obelus, and its clever productions style takes his free-association flow to a new level.

Track 5: Selfhelp – "Zentraedi (feat. Wordburglar)"
Max Sterling is a personal her of mine. I'm just sayin'.

Track 6: Ultraklystron – "Girugamesh"
Karl’s Desu Desu Desu mixtape is a must-own. Thankfully it’s also a freebie.

Track 7: Yold – "It's Bigger than a Prayer (Dead Prez vs. Bloc Party)"
"If I feel it I feel it, if I don’t I don’t / And if it ain’t really real then I probably won’t."

Z’s 2nd interlude: "Because Japan is fucking weird."
Truthfully, Justin of Hidari (who’s the cat that put together my press kit) is American. But this does not erase the fact that Japan is fuckin’ weird.

Track 8: Beefy – "About Damn Time"
Beef Thompson is no longer a hard-boiled detective. Now he is a space man!

Track 9: D&D Podcast – "Punch Him in the Dickhole!" / Mark VII – "Spherical Rhymes"
Something new and ridiculous meets something old and infectious.

Track 10: Xoc – "Beetlejuice Town"
Xoc’s Cinema 80s collection is pure genius.

Track 11: mc chris – "IG88's 57 Chevy"
Rumor has it that every edition of the Part Six saga will feature another bounty hunter on a vehicle.

Track 12: Twin Sister – "We Don’t Serve Their Kind Here"
It’s like if Blind melon wrote songs about Star Wars.

Track 13: XMark – "Still Alive"
Everyone has their favorite cover of the Coulton classic. This is mine.

Z’s final interlude: "Sort of an odd choice, actually."
As if there is any rhyme or reason to my song selections!

Track 14: Dan Mei & Marc Johnce – "My Life on the Crazy Train Sucks (So What?)"

The magic of the mash-up is its near alchemical gift for making gold out of lesser elements.

I’ve got a lot of residual show themes left over in my notes from last year. One in particular keeps jumping out at me every time I return to the well.

As such, May will kick off with a tribute to the female voice; it will both celebrate this unique musical instrument and focus on women’s very genuine, very important contributions to nerd culture. We exist in what is traditionally a boys club, and while there’s still some truth in that it certainly doesn’t make the ladies involved in the scene any less important.

Should you have any suggestions or requests for this gynocentric episode, don’t hesitate to hit me up with ‘em!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 27: More Than Meets the Eye

I’ll go out on a limb and say that this may be the most eclectic edition of Radio Free Hipster to date.

“Eclectic,” of course, is simply college-boy speak for totally fucked up.

Between the hip-hop, the j-pop, the buttrock, and the filk – not to mention the extended instrumental sub-set – I can’t help but feel that this ep. may lose a couple of you, but that’s the price I pay for refusing to limit myself to the canon of G1.

I know some of you probably feel my affection for ‘toons like Beast Wars Neo and Headmasters is blasphemous at best, but, as I’m no stranger to blasphemy, your cries fall on deaf ears.

Still, I produce this podcast not merely for my own amusement, but for yours as well, and I hope you find this episode enjoyable, even if you are a purist.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 27: More Than Meets the Eye Size: 42.5 Running Time: 46:30

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
Spellah and Beefy are robots in disguise. No foolin’.

Track 1: MuteMath – “Transformers Theme”
I actually could’ve done an entire episode of just different versions of the Transformers theme. I chose to do otherwise.

Z’s 1st interlude: “Far too distracted by the rampant product placement to notice.”
The new Transformers movie was a two and a half hour commercial… and it wasn’t even a commercial for the Transformers!

Track 2: Stan Bush – “The Touch”
“When all Hell’s breaking loose / you’ll be riding the eye of the storm.”

Track 3: Stunt Junkies - “This is Cybertron”
The Stunt Junkies were nice enough to let me bum a copy of this track specifically for inclusion in this episode. The degree to which they rock for that simple gesture is nigh incalculable.

Track 4: SOS Wheeljack dialogue / mc chris – “Dare to Be Stupid”
Planet Junk?! Were the writers even trying at that point?

Track 5: Jarek Zabczynski – “Transformers Theme”
See? I told you.

Track 6: Current of Air – “Space Dreamer”
You demanded more J-rock, and I listened. Sort of.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “I’m about as mature as your average 8 year old Japanese kid.”
Before you judge me, I would like to point out that, in the Beast Wars II and Neo series, Optimus is a Lion and Woolly Mammoth respectively. If you aren’t enticed by that prospect alone, check you fuckin’ pulse.

Track 7: Maja – “Transformer”
Maja is another cat who was nice enough to let me bum a song for this ep. Everything on his MySpace player is required listening. It’s geeky, but still totally accessible.

Track 8: Kazunori Maruyama – “Atrocious Offensive”
Yup. Their Super Link is our Energon.

Track 9: Dane Cook / Patrick Cowley – “Megatron Man”
Listen to more Patrick Cowley.

Track 10: Vince DeCola’s – “Unicron Theme”
I love the fanboy applause as this track commences. Great stuff!

Track 11: The great Luke Ski and The Nick Atoms – “The Ballad of Optimus Prime”
I’ve always wanted to play some filk on RFH, but I could never find a track that worked within a given show until this one. I know filk might not be your thing – shit, it ain’t mine either – but you gotta give it up for the nerdiest of all nerd music.

Z’s final interlude: “Dane Cook is generally about as funny as a prostate exam.”
I withdraw the above statement; I’ve had prostate exams far more entertaining than your average Dane Cook bit.

Track 12: Optimus Rhyme – “Precogni2”
By all rights, Optimus Rhyme should’ve been included on Michael Bay’s Transformers soundtrack. Don’t act surprised. You knew I was gonna say that.

Super Fire Convoy was the Optimus of Japan’s Car Robots line (known to us as Robots in Disguise), and I was always fond of that particular figure. I mean, it’s no Tako Tank, but it’s pretty boss.

Anywho, thanks for allowing me to indulge my inner Transfan with this episode. I have a couple more themed eps in mind, but then I think I might head back to the free-form shows for a while. Only time will tell, and I’m totally open to suggestions so gimme a yell.