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!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 113: Secrets and Lies

Contrary to the title, I'm gonna talk straight with you, internet; this is a pretty kick-ass show! It boasts the kind of play list that started out as an episode outline, but actually ended up morphing into my commute music for the better part of a week.

Like the great George Peppard, I love it when a plan comes together.

With Nerdapalooza just around the corner (and summer at last in full swing) I figured most of you will be hitting the road soon, and thus deserved a proper driving mix. This one, I think, hits all the high points.

We've got some remixes and mash-ups, some nerdcore and geek rock, and lots of new releases. All available to you free of charge.

You know how I do. 

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 113: Secrets and Lies [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 65 MB Running Time: 49:26

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I am your one-stop shop. So says Beef Thompson.

Track 1: The BossFights - "The Cake is a Lie"
An amazing track from an equally amazing album.

Z's 1st interlude: "I lied."
A cursory listener poll led me to believe y'all would rather have a wrap-up show as opposed to my regular pre-Nerdapalooza 'cast. So be it.

Track 2: Ali G - "The Science Rap"
Check out Melodysheep's original video right the fuck here.

Track 3: Steve Goodie - "Everything You Know is Wrong"
This track kicks off Twenty-Six and a Half, and it is truly a tough act to follow.

Track 4: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew - "Would the Real Jack Sparrow Please Stand Up"
Like most longtime pirate aficionados, I have a mixed feelings about the Pirates of the Caribbean phenomenon.

Track 5: WoodenToaster - "Avast Fluttershy's Ass"
An MLP-inspired remix of Kitsune^2's "Avast Your Ass."

Track 6: The ThoughtCriminals - "Turtle Power"
Why was Sulfur naked with all his Ninja Turtles action figures? The mind boggles!

Track 7: Scapegoat Wax - "Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)"
Shael mentioned Scapegoat Wax on a recent episode of Captain Podcast, which inspired me to include the band's big single in this show.

Track 8: Raising Hope dialog / Dammit Matthew Dammit - "Nobody Likes You"
I can only assume that my enemies have now been proper crushed.

Z's 2nd interlude: "In my own little insignificant opinion."
After all, that's the only kind I have.

Track 9: Brandon Patton - "My Girlfriend was Kidnapped by Aliens"
Another great story song from Blak Lotus.

Track 10: Community dialog / Childish Gambino - "Bitch, Look at Me Now (Two Weeks)"
FYI: "Tracy Chapman" has now worked its way into my regular vocabulary.

Track 11: Totom - "Pigs Must March"
I dig song requests. Especially when they're for tracks I might've otherwise missed!

Track 12: The OverClocked Plaid Muffins - "Kirby Super Star Ska Buffet (All You Can Eat Clean Version) OC ReMix"
Gotta give it up to Hex for turning me on to this one.

Z's final interlude: "I ain't even packed yet."
But I've done all my laundry, which is at least something.

Track 13: Kirby Krackle - "Super Powered Love"
This song is great and all, but I hear tell if you keep an eye on the Twitters today you may get a taste of the album's true standout, "Booty Do Math!"

Bonus track: Anderson Cooper 360 dialog / Austrian Death Machine – "Who is Your Daddy and What Does He Do?"
Am I trying to make some sweeping social or political statement about the discrepancy between Schwarzenegger's espoused views concerning the sanctity of the traditional American family and his recently revealed infidelity? Maybe, but mostly I just find it funny.

And with that I leave you to your own devices as I ready for my trip to Nerdapalooza 2011.

I really hope to see you there, to rock out to Illbotz and Sci-Fried right next to you or maybe grab a beer between sets. Because, while I go to Nerdapalooza for the event, I stay for the fellowship.

Once again, you know how I do.

Ahoy and Avast!

Dating back to the Viking raiders of the early Middle Ages and their Muslim counterparts in the Mediterranean, pirates have long been renowned for their unparalleled seamanship, their savage ferocity and their propensity to bust the occasional rhyme. Sadly, while the Somali pirates of the modern era have forgotten their hip-hop roots – I blame Gilbert and Sullivan – one privateer and his motley crew are keeping the art form alive. Witness as Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew lock lyrical cutlasses with Admirality of His Majesty's Royal Navy. Surely it's the fiercest round of lyrical pirate warfare since Calico Jack battle rapped Blackbeard on the windswept beaches of Jamaica in July of 1716.

Nerd News in Brief

I'm actually preparing to mail off the first round of Hipster, please! bumper stickers next week. (Well, those and also one much-delayed CD!)

I had planned to include a little something extra for you early adopters: ultra-limited edition badges. Not just any old pinbacks, mind you, but HP buttons emblazoned with the mighty d20.

Unfortunately, they were nicked by some random passerby. Or possibly an unscrupulous FedEx guy. :(

For the life of me, I can't imagine why anyone but me would want 50 Hipster, please! badges!

• Do the Donkey Kong: Our friends at OverClocked Remix have just released another one of their astounding game music projects. Donkey Kong Country 2: Serious Monkey Business is 3 discs of banana-collecting fury, and boasts tracks from VGM legend virt and the game's original composer David Wise. Oh, and it's free. So get on that shit!
• Shat-talkin': There are some questions that are of great, almost cosmic importance to all mankind. One such example concerns whether or not William Shatner wears a rug. And one brave blogger seeks to uncover the truth.
• Those Were the Days: On the subject of Trek, Church found this post from Moviefone in which they examine some silent 8mm footage from the 1975 Chicago Star Trek Convention. He also found this fantastic set of insider Trek photos. Get your nostalgia on. 
• Scotty Needs Brains: Also from Church comes news of another literary mash-up from Quirk Books. Night of the Living Trekkies finds a convention floor overrun by flesh-eating ghouls. Think of it as a tribute to nerd survivalists. Failing that, hope it's a better read than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
• Needs More Squash: And on the topic of the undead, here's a song about Plants vs. Zombies. Because music aids photosynthesis.
• Undatable? That's Debatable: Apparently roleplayers don't date or have sex. Which means my children… aren't really mine?
• Baby Booties: And since I've invoked the subject of youngins, let me pause to congratulate Captain Dan Dolan (of Scurvy Crew fame) on the recent birth of his son! But take that patch off his eye, Dan. It's just confusing the lad.
• Girls on Film: Also let me congratulate my homegirl Eye-Shuh the OmegaBat, who was this week featured on her local Fox affiliate's news show in a bit about gamer girls. Okay, so maybe the piece was actually about the abysmal GameCrush service and the real lady gamers thing was just a tack-on. Still, Eye-Shuh was on TV. That's the important part.
• Random Access: Mega Ran has once again found himself on the receiving end of some good press. Spinner caught up with him at SXSW for a nice sit-down, and you can also read about him in this month's Nintendo Power. (The latter of which, it bears mentioning, was written by my journalistic homey Nathan Meunier.)
• Chesticles: Another cat who got some much-deserved SXSW love was the great Jesse Dangerously. Peep this feature to learn Jesse's favorite childhood cartoon and to get some hot topless Canadian MC action.
• Marathon Man: Marc with a C will be playing Stardust Video in Orlando, FL on Saturday, April 3rd. It's a free, all ages event, and the plan is to stretch it into one of his old style "marathon shows" (of Wikipedia fame). Make plans to attend if you're in the area, and request "You've Got This Curse" on my behalf.
• For the Win: And mid-month, don't miss the mc chris goes to hell cd release party at Comix in NYC. This gig is made even more interesting by the fact that, if the event page is to be believed, it marks mc's first attempt at stand-up.
• The Final Countdown: In other new album news, MC Frontalot's Zero Day is set for a proper release on April 6th. You can, however beat Dame Time by pre-ordering right the fuck now, which entitles you to instant downloads of the whole album. Consequently, you can also snag an early copy at PAX East. If, that is, you are sufficiently bold.
• Sneak a Peak: Not to be outdone by Church's earlier contributions, my friend Matt came through this week with news of a brand new nerd culture outlet: Geek Peek Post. Give it a peak (peek?) for some preliminary posts on nerdcore, geeky TV and general dorkiness.
• Nerd Ink – Muppets Edition: And this round of nerd ink, also provided by Matt, features the most epic Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem tat I have ever seen! An admittedly narrow field, of course, but still a phenomenal piece of work.
• His Feet are Longfellows: Much love to poetry geek Radames Ortiz for pimping my site/show out on a recent edition of The PoetTech Podcast. Give is a listen for more info on his current collaboration with electronic musician Jonathan Jindra.
• Phone Home: Also on the electronica front, the venerable Doctor Popular has released some information concerning his current musical project. The tentatively entitled Beeps & Smudges will feature a number of notable contributors and is being composed chiefly via the iPhone version of Nanoloop!
• Fully Functional: And speaking of podcasts, Sci Fi Songs' John Anealio has just announced that he and author Patrick Hester are hard at work on a new project called the Functional Nerds Podcast. Give it a listen.
• The Air up There: Taking us out of this week is an excellent solo piano rendition of Air Man's theme from Mega Man 2. It's performed by Rob Kovacs of progressive indie band Return of Simple. And it is ridiculously awesome.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 79: Philip K. Dick in a Box

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so they'd have us believe.

But for those of you who are a little tired of the incessant Christmas music that's been insinuating itself into your tender ear holes over the last couple of weeks, there is an alternative. Allow me to present to you the sounds of the season, Radio Free Hipster-style.

We've got some chiptunes and some nerdcore. Some musical comedy and some mash-ups. And also some sweet sounds from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

And you didn't have to get me anything.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 79: Philip K. Dick in a Box [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 47.3 MB Running Time: 51:41

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Baddd Spellah roasting on a open fire, Beefy nipping at your nose.

Track 1: funky49 – "mc christmas with the hoff"
For the record, funky49 wins my "Knowing is Half the Hasselhoff" challenge. Handily.

Z's 1st interlude: "My annual cockeyed tribute to the holiday season."
Yep. It's tradition.

Track 2: Optimus Rhyme – "God Rest Ye Autobeat Allies"
As I mentioned in-show, this one's for my pal Church.

Track 3: Garfunkel and Oates – "Present Face"
I've never played Garfunkel and Oates on the show before, though Kate Micucci (whom I adore!) has appeared once before.

Track 4: MC Lazerous – "Ain't Get Shit for Christmas"
No clue as to the background of this particular track. I simply cribbed it from Shael's extensive collection.

Track 5: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation dialog / John Anealio – "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas"
Consider this my year-end reminder plug for John's Sci-Fi Songs blog. Drop it in your RSS reader of choice. Good stuff.

Track 6: The Lonely Island – "Dick in a Box (feat. Justin Timberlake)"
I played this one back in 2007, but thankfully, with this year's release of the Incredibad LP, I can finally play the studio cut.

Track 7: The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend – "Fairytale of New York"
Venture Bros FTW!

Track 8: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation dialog / Ministry of Magic – "O Holey Night"
Because it's not quite Christmas without some Wizard Rock.

Track 9: H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society – "Have Yourself a Scary Little Solstice"
And this one is for all you Servants of Cthulhu.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Nate Trier and his yuletide ska project Skantily Clad"
Nate's band The Skamatics just released an album. You need to check it out.

Track 10: Futurama – "Elves' Song"
This one's for Talkie Tim.

Track 11: Marc with a C – "Stairway to Rudolph"
I'm presently working on a review for Marc's new 10 year anniversary collection. It's quite good.

Track 12: Mojo Nixon – "Christmas, Christmas"
I love that a considerable portion of this track's lyrical content centers on the fact that Mojo's banging your mom.

Track 13: Doctor Octoroc – "Carol of the Belmonts"
From Doc's 8 Bit Jesus album.

Track 14: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew – "A Pirate Christmas"
Is it a coincidence that Santa executes a perfect ninja flip? I think not.

Track 15: 227 – "Jingle My Bells"
Check out 2007's An OverClocked Christmas for more holiday madness.

Track 16: Bad Tattoo – "Are You Gonna Stop The White Xmas"
Because you can never have enough Christmas mash-ups.

Z's final interlude: "Each year I try to do a little something extra for the Chosen People."
A very happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish nerds out there!

Track 17: Da Vinci's Notebook – "The Dreidel Song"
Without Da Vinci's Notebook we may never have known the parcel of geeky musical perfection that is Paul & Storm.

The more astute among you have no doubt realized that we are one scant podcast away from year's end. That would prove the perfect opportunity for a yearly musical retrospective to most podcasters, but I ain't most podcasters!

Instead you'll be treated to my regular oh-shit-this-song-is-great-and-I've-put-off-playing-it-'til-the-last-minute show. Not exactly the most elegant of options, but it's the one I choose to take.

But in the meantime, here's wishing the happiest of holidays to you and yours.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 60: Buccaneer Banzai

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way; the very idea of pirates rapping is ridiculous.

Of course, so is the concept of a virtual supergroup or a rap album dedicated to a Georgia law enforcement agency or sock puppet rock or mashing up Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack from Grease. Practically everything I support via this site is, on one level or another, a little weird.

I reckon that's sort of my purpose in life. It's my calling. But you probably already figured that part out.

While talking to this episode's special guest, Captain Dan, I came to realize that the experience I had while watching his band at Nerdapalooza last year is exactly what he and his cohorts shoot for in both their live shows and their studio work: having a sort of contagious fun that just so happens to juxtapose pirates and hip-hop.

He brought that same energy to the podcast, and I have to admit that it made my side of the experience utterly enjoyable. I hope it does the same for you.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 60: Buccaneer Banzai (hosting provided by Antisocial) Size: 52.9 MB Running Time: 57:47

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
That Baddd Spellah runs a tight ship.

Track 1: YTCracker – "I am a Pirate"
"Smoke, drink, hack a computer. Drink, smoke, first-person shooter."

1st Interlude: "How fair the mainsails, Cap’n?"
Yes, Captain Dan stays in character for the whole interview. It's kind of his thing.

Track 2: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew – "Pirate’s Code"
Pirates really did have ship-specific codes on conduct. Though I sort of doubt they were explained in verse.

Track 2: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl dialog / The Curse of Monkey Island soundtrack – "A Pirate I Was Meant to Be"
Oh, how I love the classic LucasArts titles!

Track 3: Tyler Heath – "Zelda Wind Waker: Pirates of Dragon Roost Isle OC ReMix"
The first of 2 amazing selections from OverClocked ReMix.

Track 4: The Aquabats – "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates"
Why are there no midget pirates on Yo Gabba Gabba!? It only seems fitting.

Track 5: The Alaskan Pirate and His Salty Seaman – "Pensacola Girl"
As the Captain is from Florida, this track seemed appropriate.

Track 6: Paul and Storm – "The Captain’s Wife’s Lament"
I challenge you to not spend the rest of the damn day singing this song. Go ahead. Try.

2nd interlude: "Sexy, sexy pirate love."
I generally split a podcast into three sets when hosting a special guest, but this time around I decided to stick with the 2 set format so I could get lengthier, uninterrupted interview segments. Please let me know which method you prefer.

Track 7: IrnMnky – "Pirates Encore (Aimee Mix)"
It's been a while since I played IrnMnky, so this provided a great opportunity to drop some more into the mix.

Track 8: The Besties – "Pirate Song"
The same goes for indie poppers The Besties, an act that Matt turned me on to.

Track 9: John Revoredo – "Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion: Pirates of Oblivion OC ReMix"
This second OC Remix served as an opportunity for Dan and I to talk up Oblivion. It's a fine game.

Track 10: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew – "Rum and Juice"
It wasn't until after I played it that I realized that this is sort of a Scurvy Crew rarity, a non-album track.

Track 11: KABUTO THE PYTHON – "Captain Dan is a Punk"
This is a demo version of the diss track from KABUTO's Shed Skins EP. It's rough, but it's still got all that KABUTO style.

Final interlude: "A novelty act? A concept band?"
Dan really explained the Scurvy Crew project well, and, while I certainly don't expect everyone to dig it, I think it's pretty hard to deny that he and his fellow pirate MCs are genuinely dedicated to creating something that is fun for folks on either side of the mic.

Track 12: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew – "From the Seas to the Streets"
If you're looking for a fun album with tons of style (and especially if you have a thing for pirates), From the Seas to the Streets is definitely worth your attention. And I can promise you'll be hearing more of it and the Crew's other work here on RFH.

Having the Captain join me on this edition of the 'cast was a lot of fun. I really haven't laughed that much in a long time.

Dan is a great guy who is truly passionate about making music, and he's not afraid to sometimes take that to the next (il)logical level. I, for one, have to respect that. If you can take your craft seriously without taking yourself overly so, you're aces in my book.

I know that the nerdcore scene is a minefield of disparate musical paradigms, but there's an interesting commonality if you dig deep enough. Captain Dan's ceaseless dedication to making music fun is a core belief echoed by a number of other acts I've talked to, from My Parents' Favorite Music to T-byte to Frontalot and YTCracker.

Plus, it really is all about the booty.

Nerd News in Brief

Project for Awesome launched last Thursday at YouTube. It featured videos not of skateboarding dogs, drunken party girls, or irate television hosts, but of real users talking about real issues.

It's nice to think that even YouTube, that bastion of time-wasting ridiculousness, can take a few moments a year to talk about charities in need of donations. It kind of makes me wonder if I should occasionally turn this blog into an engine for change.

Someday that might happen, but today ain't it.

Today let's simply enjoy another mindless Nerd News in Brief!

• Last Minute Gift Idea: Still short a gift for the impotent Jedi in your life? Why not treat him to this t-shirt so that every 2-bit bounty hunter and wannabe Sith Lord in the sector knows his secret shame?
• Like No Other: What would you do if I told you that Just Another Lazy Podcast was returning to the (fake) airwaves? Would you scream and soil yourself? Fine then; I won't tell you.
• Totally Glitched: The venue for the European premiere of Nerdcore For Life and its related concert has been announced. The event will occur at Amsterdam's Club Panama, and tickets are available now.
• The 2nd Time Around: Rhyme Torrents Volume 8 CD 2 is also now available for download. It features some tight work MC Lars, Random, Grandmaster Pink, nYgel, and many more. It's cover art features KABUTO and, like, some other dudes.
• You Will Be Crushed: Some more nerdy hip-hop newness also arrived in the form of Id Obelus's The Inevitable Crushing EP. Id prides himself on having a style that's a bit beyond the ordinary with regard to content, flow, and presentation, but whether or not you've felt his previous releases I'm gonna have to highly recommend that you check this one out. It's got an energy all its own, and it has joined The Digital Gangster LP on my list of superlative late-comers for 2008.
  
• Pirates vs. Wizards: And also on the subject of new music, we will shortly be treated to freshness from both Captain Dan & the Scurvy Crew and RiddleTM. Yep, we're covering all bases.
  
• Knitting Nerds: Jason of Geek Studies passed on a link to Geek Central Station, an amazing blog dedicated to geeky crafting. It's this kind of stuff that makes me lament the fact that I am totally incapable of creating such nerdery. Quick! Someone knit me a Little Sister and Big Daddy!
• Payment Due at the Time Services are Rendered: Random took a little time away from his Mega Man 9 project to breath new life into an old classic. What's not to love about Ran covering Eric B and Rakim's "Paid in Full?" Nothing.
• The End of an Era: Jesse Dangerously recently blogged that CD Baby has the last known physical copy of Eastern Canadian World Tour 2002. Yep, the last of the Mohicans. And Jesse says he's decided not to press anymore, so get it while you can!
• Survey Says!: Quick poll – what's of more interest to you, A) a WoW-themed restaurant or B) a Star Trek-themed casino? If you answered B, you are very old. Just like me and Church.
  
• Back on the Road: Once again the Geek Comedy Tour is coming to town. Assuming that, in your case, said "town" is the greater DC area. The rest of us will just have to get our geek comedy the old fashioned way: by watching Robocop as a Rap Musical.
• Spit Wack on the Mic: Pinky hooked me up with a link to this bit from D*Face's aPOPcalypse NOW doumentary. It features a little music from our old friend MC Frontalot around the 2 minute mark, and is awesome throughout.
• SPUN: And speaking of Front, the Godfather of Nerdcore was recently named Artist of the Day by SPIN. Sadly, he is no longer indier than thou.
• For the Cause: You can hear exclusive tracks from Frontalot, Beefy, The Grammar Club, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, Jonathan Coulton, and many more on the newly released Child's Play CD 2008. Not exactly the flashiest title in the world, but it tells you what you need to know; it's great music for a great cause.
• Ladies Night: In the event that you've recently taken to living under a rock, a pair of particularly talented geeky artists – both of whom happen to be of the female persuasion – are getting some much-needed attention. The first is Alaskan songstress Marian Call, whose Got to Fly album is thematically centered on Firefly, Serenity, and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the nerds who enjoy them. Meanwhile, ukulele ninja Molly is currently laying the ultimate smackdown on YouTube thanks to an intoxicating blend of inspired covers, impressive co-conspirators, and undeniable charm. And of course, Matt is hopelessly in love with both.
• Out to Do You In: Thanks to reader Oli (who actually found the site via the namedrop in Beefy's track "Disconnected") for turning me on to Euro geek rockers The Do You Inverts. They write songs about Gears of War and Too Human. And are fuckin' amazing.
• Santa in his Prius: Taking us out on this delightful pre-Christmas weekend is the new video for MC Lars's "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas." It features Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup, as well as a cameo from Trogdor the Burninator at the 2:25 mark. Freeze-frame it and see!
  

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Ahoy and avast, ye scurvy dorkwads, it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

This day be of particular import to our brothers and sisters in The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but, whether ye be Pastafarian or just a connoisseur of fine buccaneering, I wish ye a safe and enjoyable day of plundering, piracy, and miss-use of the English language.

And, for your own educational well-being, here be a little lesson in proper piratical elocution from the two what started it all, Ol’ Chumbucket and Cap’n Slappy.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!