A Winner is… Me?!

 I'm not used to winning awards. Especially those based on merit!

In case you haven't realized, this Labor Day weekend plays host to two of the absolute biggest events in nerd culture. The first is Penny Arcade Expo, a relative newcomer to the con scene but already a genuine powerhouse, and the second, of course, is Atlanta's annual Dragon*Con. Due to vested interests in the goings-on of both, I had a hard time deciding which one to attend.

PAX, though located on the opposite side of the country, was set to feature special GeekDad panel, and editor Ken Denmead specifically invited me to take part. Meanwhile, my Radio Free Hipster podcast was again a finalist in this year's Parsec Awards at Dragon*Con.

A cursory look at my finances, however, made the choice quite clear – I really couldn't afford to go to either. So instead I stayed at home with the family and did my best to keep an eye on the internet for news from both.

I was elated to hear that GeekDad's showing was extremely well received. Though, truth be told, I knew the guys would do us all proud. But I was even more ecstatic when it was revealed that my show had actually won the Parsec for Best Speculative Fiction Music Podcast!

I don't really not what to say, save holy shit! The time for acceptance speeches has come and gone, so I'll be brief and simply thank the Parsec Awards' judges panel, all of you listeners who nominated RFH and especially the other finalists Wander Radio, Wandering Geek Podcast and last year's winner the mighty FuMP.

Much love to all, and, again, thank you!

Nerd News in Brief

Given the recent unfortunate developments in the nerdcore scene, it makes sense that certain events from other communities may have stayed off your radar due to the, y'know, pressing drama. However, before I delve into another edition of Nerd News in Brief, I'd like to pause to mark a genuinely unfortunate passing from within the stylistically adjacent Wizard Rock/Nerdfighter community.

Earlier this week, 16-year-old scene staple Esther Earl passed away due to cancer-related complications. In lieu of flowers, the family has instead requested memorials donations, including those made to a charity organization that bears her name. A fall tour featuring friends The Whomping Willows and Lauren Fairweather will also be collecting donations specifically to help her grieving family with the various related medical bills.

Just a little something to think about.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Gitmo: On a (very slightly) happier Potter-related note, check out this list of primarily geek lit books popular among prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. Reading truly is fundamental.
• Defense Against the Dark Arts: A UK university is currently offering a course focused on the world of Harry Potter, with special emphasis on the societal implications of the work. But how long before you can major in Muggle Studies?
• Behold My Buying Power: Late last month my blogging brother Jason Tocci passed on a piece from Ad Week. It concerns consumers "embracing geekdom," and even goes so far as to innumerate geeky traits. Everybody wants a piece of that nerd dollar!
• We're Doing it Wrong: Shael Riley and my boy Church both recently unearthed this 7-year-old internet gem - The Five Geek Social Fallacies. My only complaint is these apply to non-geeks as well. GSF4, for example, has become my mother-in-law's veritable calling card.
• Bad Advice is Still Free: Shael also provided me with some helpful, if second-hand, advice from 4chan's Advice Dog. In song, no less.
• Dance, Clone, Dance!: From my old pal Larry comes news of the newly released "special edition" of Danny Choo's Tokyo Stormtrooper dance. Like all special editions, it comes complete with ridiculous CGI.
• Conspicuous Consumption: Also from Larry comes this handy list of geek/tech-inspired products. Because who doesn't need a Twitter-themed throw pillow?
• Tag and Release: The Nerdcore For Life documentary is finally available on DVD! Experience the highs and the lows of early Rhyme Torrents-era nerdcore hip-hop like never before. I mean, unless you were there to experience it the first time.
• Itty Bitty: Reader Jim hipped me to this amazing chiptune symphony, which he originally found via NPR. The single microchip mounted in the CD case literally "performs" the minimalist, electronic composition for you!
• KLLS PXLS DED: Other news on the chip music front concerns a fresh release from I KILL PXLS. His incredibly funky self-titled album is available via Bandcamp as a digital release for a mere $5, or with a limited edition t-shirt for $15. Give it a listen, and hit Marques with some money!
• Under Cover of Darkness: While you're Bandcamping, don't forget to check out the new Retrocovered album from Inverse Phase as well. I all but guarantee that it'll contain your new favorite instrumental chiptune cover of The Cars classic "Just What I Needed."
• Chip on His Shoulder: Antisoc was one of many readers to point me toward this homemade chiptune synthesizer. The "Chipophone" is truly a miracle of personal ingenuity. Not to mention a nice way to skirt the UK's new rules concerning homebrew game copiers. 
• Never Too Early: Those in adjoining localities to my own humble burg will want to know that Dual Core will be joining hometown heroes ThoughtCriminals at Charlotte's Milestone on September the 24th. That's a Friday, so please come out and get drunk with us!
• Back in Blue: Though not as innovative as some of their other video projects, Seattle's Kirby Krackle has released a minimalist sing-along video for their Mega Man-inspired track "On and On." Peep the hotness.
• Now They Really Do: And speaking of retro video game goodness, have you checked out the interactive flash game at the official I Fight Dragons web site? It's further (nerdy) proof that success hasn't changed 'em.
• Coder Girl: Another pointer from Church led me to this Tech Crunch article about Lady Java, an unholy blend of Lady GaGa and the Java programming language. It's… certainly something.
• Geek Couture: I have long joked that my friend Jarvis and I should start a blog called FashioNerd. If we ever did, this shit right here would be our first post.
• The Art Wants What it Wants: While the games as art debate still rages on, the Smithsonian has decided to throw its weight behind gamer culture. To that end a special "Art of Video Games" exhibit will run March 16 through September 30 of 2012.
• What the Fuck: By now everyone has likely experienced contemporary YouTube classic "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury." What you probably haven't seen is this. It's okay to laugh. Really.
• Join my Guild: Church also kicks in this Psychology Today piece on geek community. It actually contains some interesting observations concerning our tribe and its sacred rites (ie: Comic-Con.)
• You Can't Resist the Force: The Guardian weighs in on the fact that we, apparently, run Hollywood. Not sure how the recent Scott Pilgrim flop plays into this theory, though.
• Until it Sounded Like a Symphony: Oh, and we also run the orchestra pit. No, not really.
• Dare to be Stupid: Church's nerd ink round-up features some fine selections from Comic-Con, not to mention tattooed LEGO minifigs! Oh, and also this.That is some serious dedication to Weird Al.
• Tyler Durden: This last discovery from Church – a CNN post about potential nerd exploitation – could well go into our growing "geek chic" file. Although considering that it opens with references to D20s and The New Mutants, I'm sort of beginning to wonder if… maybe I wrote it?
• Soft Rocked by Him: For those who may have missed it, Big Think recently conducted a great interview with nerd rock troubadour Jonathon Coulton. It's in video form. With full frontal beard.
• See It, Believe It: Other videos of note include a live MC Frontalot/Wheatus collab, MC Sex's bawdy tribute to the classic NES and the age-old pastime of boning and a musical meditation on the girls of Comic-Con. (Yeah, I'm getting all those long-delayed post-Comic-Con news items out of the way here.)
• The Year 4153: In other YouTubery, I have been enjoying Rappy McRapperson's channel a lot of late. Don't get me wrong, I totally don't fucking understand Rappy a good bit of the time, but it still makes for some entertaining watchin'.
• Nerd Lust: Closing out this edition of NNIB is the oddly appealing "I Kissed a Nerd." It's the perfect companion piece to another recently discovered tribute to nerd love. Watch it in good health, and then lip-lock your dream dork.

Shaking the Cave

Nerd music is my business, and business is good. Too good, truth be told.

There was a time when a nerdcore artist couldn't drop a demo without me knowing about, but that was long ago and in a world that was noticeably smaller. Nowadays I catch stuff as I can. Sometimes I am what you might call an early adopter (such as with Seattle's native sons Southside and the fell prince himself Schaffer the Darklord), other times I am almost unforgivably late to the party.

Such is the case with Bazuuka Joe. He's a cat I recognize more by name than by output. Still, when I got a chance to snag an early review copy of his new full-length, the first from burgeoning nerdcore label Roll A Twenty Records, I knew enough to jump on that shit.

The Red Pill kicks off with the inspired words of Larry Fishburne (in the form of "The Choice…") before easily transitioning to the album's first song "24-A-Pop Revisited." It's a throwback to Joe's original "24-A-Pop" with some added lyrical firepower from The Ranger and Fatty Goodness. The production also sounds significantly brighter, and it really starts the album off with a bang. This trails into a solid follow-up, the disc's title track. "The Red Pill" hits hard with a sharp beat and it really allows Bazuuka Joe to display his unique verbal skills.

"Come Equipped" brings us into the real meat of the album with the help of Scrub Club's King Pheenix. Joe's flow isn't quite up to par with the previous offering, but KPX (seemingly channeling Bubba Sparxxx mid-verse) adds a nice secondary vocal texture that helps pull it together. "Revenge" is an early high point that eschews the album's recurring theme of technological apocalypse in favor of a true nerdcore anthem. Rather than drop Thundercats references or rewrite Star Wars as hip-hop allegory, it instead sharpens social awkwardness and unbridled nerd rage into a perfect point.

Things quickly head back to the Matrix with "Zion, Hear Me!" I'm always a little weary of songs so firmly centered on that property – I've never really been a fan – but Joe manages to make the narrative relatable even to us outsiders by layering movie samples, an old school beat and an atmospheric lead. It actually contrasts nicely with the hopelessness of "Revenge," and paves the way for "The Last Human City." It's a joint that kicks off like a frenetic anime theme song, but struggles a bit in its verse transition. Still, once Bazuuka Joe starts spitting, things get back up to speed. Despite his lack of a snappy stage name, contributor Chris Williams tosses in some fantastic rhymes with an understated swagger aided by perfectly layered vocal multi-tracking.

While the ending of "The Last Human City" feels a tad forced, "Keep Flyyin’" brings in the high end that, coupled with an addictive vocal hook and a delicious guest verse from Jod1, make it another instant classic that packs hip-hop spirit to spare. "Built 4 This" pulls in delicate keys and a heartfelt spoken-word affirmation to kick shit off, but it's Joe's own story, delivered in well-paced verse, that drives this powerful track home.

"DarkSideClassic" once again switches gears with an oddly placed voicemail rant about critical cinematic failure Legion before getting all aggressive with "Wreckless." This one doesn't quite hit the high water mark lyrically-speaking and the guest vocals (this time provided by A-Dub), while soaked in character and on-mic dramatics, aren't exactly my favorite of the album. Still, Black Contingency Productions pulls things together so beautifully on the instrumental end that it comes through as a smoothed-out banger that can't be denied.

The Red Pill starts its final decent with "To the Fullest," a pledge of allegiance to the nerdcore nation. Though not as dynamic as some of the album's other offerings, it's a sentimental favorite that boasts a tight guest spot from Deafinition, a silky-smooth beat and Joe's promise to never "pull a Lars or a chris." It's an earnest love song to both nerdcore as a style and hip-hop as a lifestyle that should easily hit the mark with geeky heads.

The final track, "The Gong Show," pulls in equal parts high-end funk and laid-back flow to end an album like it ought to be ended: with props to all those who offered support along the way. Alternating between loving shout-outs and some of the project's sharpest couplets, Joe ends The Red Pill as it began, with a variation on a theme. Just as "The Choice…" isn't your typical album intro and "DarkSideClassic" is far from the expected mid-album skit, "The Gong Show" succeeds as an album-closing shout-out joint by fucking with the formula. It's a concept that Joe carries throughout the disc, and it helps to make for a truly satisfying listening experience.

Though the heavy reliance on guest rappers both from within the Roll A Twenty roster (Fatty Goodness) and without (most notably Scrub Clubbers like The Ranger, Deafinition and KPX) seemed an odd choice for the breakthrough full-length of both a fresh new face in nerdcore and a brand new netlabel, it's hard to argue with the results. Plus, when you've got an artist like Bazuuka Joe, a guy who can hold his own next to practically any collaborator, it doesn't hurt to diversify. Further to his credit, Joe not only raps well, but writes with genuine insight and conviction. Whether he's channeling his inner fanboy or pondering his culture, Bazuuka Joe does it with both power and finesse. And in the end, it truly helps to set him apart as an artist and to establish a lofty benchmark for Roll A Twenty.

As for me, I find myself in the fortunate position of being a brand new Bazuuka Joe convert just waiting for more. Take The Red Pill when it drops tomorrow to see what I mean.

"Do you know how it feels to have to put on a mask and / hide your true self 'cause you might get your ass kicked?"

Tricks, Treats & Terror

I am a creature of habit.

Any who regularly read Hipster, please! have no doubt come to anticipate my unique brand of consistency. Nerd News in Brief posts always start with a dash of unrelated bullshit, and each item contains a smart-ass headline. My interviews both begin and end with sweeping vignettes about the featured artists. My album reviews typically try to avoid calling themselves "reviews" (at least until I run out of synonyms). Shit like that.

Even my podcast, Radio Free Hipster, is a veritable bastion of unswerving structural anal-retentiveness.

But sadly, for things uncomfortably out of my OCD-plagued control, things change.

There was a time when holiday-themed compilations were the norm. They were legion, and I truly looked forward to their annual appearance. Unfortunately, many have fallen by the wayside, particularly with regard to Halloween comps. Thankfully, the Rhyme Torrents community continues to come through for me.

This year's effort, simply dubbed Rhyme Torrents Halloween v4, is exactly the type of eclectic mix of nerdcore hip-hop you've surely come to expect from RT. Seventeen tracks strong (plus an extra-long bonus track), it was handily produced by Conyeezy and Don Vito, which gives it an extra coat of polish.

The individual tracks themselves are a mixed bag, with a song for every taste. It kicks off with Magitek's high-energy fright fest "Killer Nocturne," and amply mixes shit up from there. Stops along this spooky musical train ride manage to hit everything from nerdy existential angst (Antisoc's "My Server is Down") to new takes on well-worn internet memes (Shamus Oddish, Mister B-Type, MC Wreckshin & Chozo Ninpo on "Three Wolves Howling at the Moon") to Halloween-flavored musical fanfic (the nigh inexplicable "Caught in the Grip of the Silent Hill Madness.")

There really are a lot of stand-outs, but I found myself coming back to a few in particular. The Antisoc industrial remix of Brad Sucks's "Thanks for the Add" is charmingly sinister, while Fanatical (who makes numerous appearances on the comp) ably reps the Doctor Girlfriend set above a clever Tales from the Crypt beat on "Sexy Supervillian." Also, while it's far from my favorite Billy the Fridge track and equally far from my favorite modern horror property, I do have to give it up for "Jigsaw" for pure intensity. Hell, even tracks that should seem out of place, specifically "Perfect White Knight," Ultraklystron's Twilight-themed love ballad that ends to album, manage instead to add interesting new levels to the project.

If you're anything like me, your Halloween playlist has always got room for a few more good tracks, so I'm gonna highly recommend that you plumb the depths of Rhyme Torrents Halloween v4 to help fill those holes. I am certain you'll find something therein to help quell your inner demons.

Nerd News in Brief

Before we get into the nerdy news, just allow me a minute to dispense some heartfelt congratulations to our brother DataVortex. At this year's Fall Fest in Sister Bay, WI, Data proposed to his girlfriend – via the annual ping-pong ball drop, no less.

So please join me in wishing the happy couple much nerdy love and the best of fortune in their upcoming nuptials!

• She's Still a Geek: Nerd-friendly songstress Marian Call has announced that she'll begin recording her new full-length album, Something Fierce, over the coming weeks. Proposed song topics include Anchorage, the International Space Station and sushi. Further details and tour dates can be found at Marian's site.
• Fish and Chips: Chip artist Bit Shifter will be performing at Chicago's Ai Lounge this Halloween. Tickets are $20 at the door, with a nice $15 presale. And, so as to make things flow nicely from that Marian Call piece, Ai also serves sushi. There you go.
  
• I'll be Your Toad: Scared of Dinosaurs dropped a new single this week, a cover of "Mario Kart Love Song." You can peep the track on The 61, and, of course, there's an accompanying video.
• Once Upon a Time: In what is surely the wildest release news of the week, YTCracker has just unleashed Chrono Nurga Vol. 1 upon an unsuspecting world. The 7-track EP, the sum of which was created in less than 24 hours, is freely available from the DG himself.
• Out of the Blue: In other release news, Random has at long last made the instrumentals from his Capcom-licensed Mega Ran 9 album available. Download, cover, remix and share.
• Hip to be Square (Enix): And to complete the hat-trick of musical awesome that is this week's new nerdy albums, OverClocked ReMix has just dropped their Xenogears remix project Humans + Gears. This double-disc album is available for free from the fine folks at OCR.
• Like a Gypsy: As an added bonus, I'll also point out the excellent new Fleetwood Mac mash-up album Fleetwood Mix at no additional charge. Because, y' know, I am all about value. And also Instamatic is my homey!
• Playing with Power: My pal Masu was one of scores gamers thrilled earlier this week when the Surfacescapes team at the Entertainment Technology Center of Carnegie Mellon University released this video. It's a proof-of-concept for a tabletop dungeon-crawl experience using the Microsoft Surface technology. This is how our kids will game.
• Describe to Me Immediately: There's only one man who could've possibly found a Klingon translation of the Sesame Street theme. That man, of course, is Church H. Tucker!
• Apparently, We Rule (Again): As we all well know, an edition of NNIB isn't complete without our obligatory geek chic link, and this week Church came through with two. Both from CBS.
• A Cool Case of Old Milwaukee: Zen Albatross was nice enough to turn me on to This Spartan Life, the world's first machinima talk show web series. It's been going strong since 2005, but is presently taking advantage of the Kickstarter program to take the show to that all-important next level. Give it a look. And maybe some scratch.
• Stick it to You: And speaking of sharing money/support, my friend and long-time hosting solution Antisoc has some sweet new stickers. You can get 'em free just by giving his music a little publicity, which seems like a pretty fair shake.
• Worst. Costume. Ever.: When Dave the Knave first tweeted this, I was sure it was a joke. But then I realized that, since this is the internet, it's sort of a crap shoot.
• Accio Equality: The Harry Potter Alliance's Wrock 4 Equality project garnered some amazing press last week. More specifically, Andrew Slack wrote a great piece for HuffPo, and the event even got some attention from the Wall Street Journal!
• I Came to Get Down: I am not familiar with Brett Domino, but after Matt Ryd mentioned this video via Twitter, it became apparent that I need to buy a Stylophone Beatbox. And also a polka dot backdrop.
• Wu-Tang Forever: For years I've been talking about the importance of nerds in hip-hop – not just nerdcore – and nobody listened. But that was before RZA came out of the geek closet. Yes, my friends, we're closing out this edition with a video you've all most certainly seen by this point. Why? Because it's that fuckin' important! And because if I don't, Matt will clobber me.

Nerd News in Brief

This week I managed to surpass 1000 Twitter followers. Not exactly sure that's newsworthy, but it does bring up an important question. Namely, why the fuck are there 1000+ people interested in what I had for lunch and what manner of t-shirt I am wearing daily?

I mean, even allowing for bots and PR people, that's still, like, a couple dozen actual followers.

Of course, I reckon the fact that I had funky49 unwittingly campaigning on my behalf probably didn't hurt matters.

Now, with that aside, on to Nerd News in Brief.

• Wrock Meets Wrap: It's kind of short notice, but Harry and the Potters will be playing a free show with Wiz Rapper extraordinaire MC Kreacher today at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Main Branch. Show starts at 3:00 PM, so get a move on!
• Just Like Spinal Tap: In other Potters news, the band is currently in the market for a new drummer. New England-area percussionists are encouraged to jump on this shit.
• Subtle, Like a Knife: Matt was also quick to tell me that Wrockers Lauren Myrtle and Whompy have started a new band called Armoured Bearcub, the music of which will center on Pullman's His Dark Materials. Check out the duo's MySpace for a taste.
• All About NEETs: Word from the house of Olson is that Ultraklystron has "pulled a Random" and released a stripped-down freebie version of his recent full-length The Fourth Estate. Karl also entered a track into the Nerdcore Rising Song Fight! competition, which you can find linked from his site.
• Pssssst! Over here!: I heard a rumor that Dual Core's got some t-shirts on the way. Seriously, man, peep the action shot! When will they be available? How much will they cost? Beats me, but I'll share details as they I learn them.
• Flavor is in the Tongue of the Beholder: Krondor Krew's Masu was nice enough to hip me to several new limited edition flavors of Jones Soda. Themed around D&D, if you can believe it!
• Cityspeak: Thanks to my boy Brooks for restoring my faith in technology. Yes, Nissan engineers are working to make their electronic cars sound like the spinners featured in Blade Runner. In related news, Carlos Ghosn is a replicant.
• Play the Game: And, of course, Church sent me my requisite "geek chic" story. Let's see here… thick eyeglasses… comic books… reference to Revenge of the Nerds… sweater vests… BINGO! I got geek chic BINGO!
• Do Not Feed After Midnight: This week, mc chris finally released a full set of dates for his fall Gremlins Tour. Now the only question is, do I catch him and I Fight Dragons in nearby Columbia, SC, or do I make the drive to the ATL?
• Wait... Maybe They Are: Much nerd love to my friend and provider of bandwidth Antisoc for giving me lots to write about this week. In the past few days he's not only released an excellent chiptune remix of MC Lars's "White Kids Are Hyphy," but also an appropriately hyper video for his track "Caffeine Trip" and his own drunken podcast. It's the Antisoc hat trick!
• Party Like a Rockstar: Jason Rockstar also jumped on this year's Drunken Podcasting Month festivities by putting together his own drunkcast. It features a new track from Schaffer the Darklord, and also lots and lots of slurring.
• In Living Color: And while you're out there downloading things, promise me you'll snag AlienBobz new live sets from Beefy, Southside and People Within. They are all freely available at archive.org. Now promise me!
• Bleep on the Street: And last but not least, big ups to Zen Albatross for sharing the Crunchy Co Records video recap of the Lo-Tek Resistance chiptune guerilla concert from this year's PAX. It closes out this week's NNIB on a high note.

Nerd News in Brief

This delayed edition of Nerd News in Brief was sponsored by nerdcore superfan Lance. Y'all remember Lance, right? He was the subject of an awesomely surreal piece of fan art a couple months back.

Well, Lance further demonstrated his nerd love by tossing me some money to help pay for a new router after my old one went tits-up last week. So essentially, Lance pulled Hipster, please! back from the brink by resurrecting my home network!

As I've said before, I pretty much have the bestest fans of all time.

• Battle of the Sexes: I make no effort to hide my affection for the Wizrocklopedia, so let me just say that their recent Question Tuesday segment "He Said/She Said" is nothing short of inspired. Read on as Snidget and Whompy tackle the subject of sexism in the Wrock community.
• So Many People on the Internet: And speaking of amazing things on the interwebz, Church sent me a link to this Brentalfloss music video about notable web celebs. My only complaint? The proximity of "Two Girls, One Cup" and "Will it Blend?" It conjures up unsettling images.
• Us vs. Them: Also from Church comes news of an iPhone app that took home the gold at the Microsoft-sponsored Startup Weekend. While some would see this as an inroad to Mac/PC understanding and a rare glimpse of good sportsmanship, it really just turned into another catalyst of cross-platform douche baggery. This is the internet, after all.
• Light Up the Night: This Tuesday marks the triumphant return of freedom fighting rock opera The Protomen. Yes, their Act II: The Father Of Death LP will at last be available, but you can put your money down on a copy early. Pre-ordering, I believe they call it. What will they think of next?
• Remember When?: This Wednesday also marks an auspicious occasion: the one-year anniversary of the Mega Ran message board! In celebration of this event, the community is giving away prizes for the best Ran-related stories. Get full details and enter here.
• As in Beer: Even if you don't win any fabulous prizes in the above contest, all members of the board can download the Random Mixtape Vol. 2 absolutely free. It's just another token of appreciation from the Blue Bomber.
• Armor Man: Speaking of Mega Man, from Topless Robot (by way of Matt) comes word of a Mega Man II tribute done in chain mail. What. The. Fuck?
• How High?: And another Topless Robot piece – which likewise arrived in my inbox thanks to Matt – concerns drugs and comic books. Which, not to get too confessional here, immediately made me start thinking of my high school days.
• Cold Fusion: Congrats to Static Grooves, an electronic outfit that includes nerdcore MC/producer Redvoid, for being profiled as artist of the day in the Tampa Bay Times. Read the piece and give the guys some love at the TBT blog.
• Changing of the Guard: I Fight Dragons had a big news week last week. First, a handful of fall tour dates supporting mc chris were made public, which is awesome. And second, we learned that drummer Dave Midell has elected to quite the band so as not to have to abandon his position as a special ed teacher. Somehow that one both sucks and is still awesome at the same time.
• Two Great Tastes: Being friends with Shael Riley means two things: I am usually among the lucky first few to hear his latest creations, and he likewise exposes me to various other musical oddities from outside his sphere. One such example of the latter is Advantage: proGrammar. It's essentially a collab that involves proGrammar singing/rapping over tracks from game rock superstars The Advantage. It sounds strange, but it's well worth a listen. Trust me.
• Dance, Motherfuckers!: Though I, sadly, didn’t get to attend PAX again this year, I've been keeping on top of shit via Twitter. Many of my favorite event tweets have come from Zen Albatross. He's been paying particular attention to a series of chiptune street performances going on outside the event. This week we'll close with a clip of Circles getting his chip on guerrilla-style. Enjoy.

Circles @ PAX 2009 Lo-Tek Resistance from Zen Albatross on Vimeo.

Nerd News in Brief

For those too busy with matters of genuine importance to hang on my every word via Twitter, this week I began transitioning to a new job. It's an interesting position that's much more tonic to my unique skill set, but the changeover itself has resulted in me actually having to work while at work. *gasp*

Hopefully, I'll be able to smooth things out quickly and get back up to my regular level of output here at the blog, but, in the meantime, blame any temporary disruption of service on the heartless American nine-to-five.

What a way to make a living!

• My GF is…: Props to Church for turning me on to Dale Chase's ode to lady programmers "Coder Girls." Peep the video on YouTube and score the lyrics from Dale' site. You'll be glad you did.
• Just Like You and Me: Also, just in time for Drunken Podcasting Month, Church ran across this veritable jewel of the internet. Brothers and sisters, I present to you Geeks Who Drink. Essentially, it's a traveling pub quiz that kicks traditional bar trivia right in the nuts. If you find yourself in the appropriate geographic area, definitely check out their shit.
• (Bad) Horsing Around: PAX attendees are encouraged to seek out those wild lads from Epic Default Productions at this year's gathering. They'll be hawking sweet merch, conducting live interviews and, of course, pranking the hell out of the greater Seattle area. It's what they do.
• Life is Grand: If you've already bought a copy of the self-titled debut from Sea-town's own Supercommuter, prepare to buy another. Wheelie and company have recently announced that they plan to donate all profits from sales of the project to the Child’s Play charity.
• Wrock This Town: Also from the great state of Washington comes news that Jarod (of AlienBobz) has made available three more outstanding live sets. You can hear The Parselmouths, The Whomping Willows and The Remus Lupins' performances from this summer's Wizard Rock spectacular at Bellevue's Lake Hill Clubhouse for the low, low price of free at Archive.org.
• Riddle Me This: And on the Wrock front, the delightful ladies from Riddle™ have recently unveiled a brand new site. And not to discount the musical talent of Georgia and Victoria, but it has the most adorable flash intro ever. Ever!
• Powered Up: RapReviews' Hip-Hop Shop podcast recently featured an interview with none other than Random. It includes a half-hour Q&A plus 3 songs from Mega Ran 9. What's not to love?
• I'm V-Pain. You Know Me.: I guess this hardly rates as news anymore – much in the same way that the sun rising in the east isn't wholly unexpected – but Phoenix loves Maja! Seriously, y'all, dude is all over the place. Check out his most recent profile in the New Times. At this rate, he will be governor of Arizona by year's end. Mark my words.
• Join the Swarm: Arguably this week's biggest piece of nerd news concerns Pensacola's imminent Nerd Invasion. NerdRockstar and Scrub Club have engineered an event so massive it will take four theaters of the Silver Screen Entertainment Complex just to contain it. Music, magic, mirth and… booze are the orders of the day this November 6th and 7th. Details are available at the official event site, and proceeds from NerdRockstar's current wicked t-shirt sale benefit the event. So go read up and then buy some shit!
• Trock Out with Your Sonic Screwdriver Out: Taking us home this week comes a metal remix of the Doctor Who theme that my boy funky49 hipped me to. It's by Daniel Cripps, and an MP3 of the track (and lots of other cool stuff) is available at his site.

Nerd News in Brief

Looks like the family and I will be taking a bit of a vacation next week. So if things get a little quiet on this end, there's no need to send a search party. I hope.

But since I'll be away from the keyboard for a few days, I'll try and crank out a couple posts' worth of geeky goodness before I leave. Y'know, to see you through the lean times. I've got an album review lined up that I think you'll find interesting, and of course there's this week's NNIB.

Why, here it comes now!

• I Claim Full Responsibility: Those of you who catch mc chris on his fall tour may be in for an additional surprise: I Fight Dragons! Yes, IFD has signed on to support mc this time out. Specific dates and venues are still forthcoming, but my excitement regarding this matchup is already here.
• A Single Bound: Speaking of I Fight Dragons, Shael Riley recently released a cover of their track "No One Likes Superman Anymore." You can procure this rare jewel here.
• The Progenitor: In other epic cover song news, Ketan did a rendition of YTCracker's "Meganerd" at an open mic night earlier this week. It occurs about 12 minutes before the end of this footage.
• Getting Caught in the Rain of Fire: Also this week, Glenn Case laid bare the simple truth that "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and "Hotel California" are virtually identical. Peep game.
• Made Sweet Love to a Manatee: Weird Al's new track parodies the style of the White Stripes, has a video from political pranksters JibJab and is about Charles Nelson Riley. Odds are you know what at least one of those three things are.
• I Tilt on My Axis: funky49 is a champion of education. When he's not writing songs about museums, he's sending me links to other folks' songs about the Earth. A prime example is this cut from Flocabulary.
• None of Your Business: This week my boy Beefy gave us a little taste of his forthcoming release With Sprinkles. It's kind of a different sound for Beef, but I like it!
• Less Cliché Than Advertised: This week also saw a new drop from Ultraklystron. The Cliché Remix LP is, not surprisingly, a collection of remixes from The Fourth Estate and Opensource Lyricist. It is also, as Karl so eloquently put it, "super free."
• They Keep You Safe: With the release of The Protomen's Act II looming – it'll drop September 8th – those freedom fighters would like to remind you that the official release show will occur on Friday, September 25th at Mercy Lounge in Nashville. In the more immediate future, catch them at Knoxville's The Midtown on August 20th, Richmond's Plaza Bowl on the 21st and Baltimore's Ottobar on the 22nd for 64Bit Genocide.
• Having an Emo Day: UK geek rocker Dan Plus Add sent me some previews from his newest (unfinished) album earlier this week. The as-yet unnamed project seems far more focused on personal storytelling than his previous efforts, but fans of his folksy style will no doubt be pleased.
• Tourmates: Also from across the pond comes word of an "ad-hoc tour" featuring Superpowerless, BType, and Jaylyn Coffin. UK readers who might be able to pull together some last minute gigs for the trio over the coming 3 weeks are encouraged to holler at Oliver and company (LOLs)!
• Some Enchanted Evening: Harry and the Potters' semi-annual t-shirt sale is currently on like the proverbial neck bone. Now through August 15th, you can score a Potters shirt from the comfort of your own internetz. Also available is the band's career retrospective Priori Incantatem. Have you bought shit from a boy wizard today?
• They Own the Publishing Rights: Church (by way of his new love TechDirt) passes on news of Harvard's recent bought of trademark trolling. Shit! Looks like Harvard now owns the phrase "trademark trolling," and I think that means I owe them 20 bucks.
• The Tabletop Goes Digital: Also from Church comes this link to Pen, Paper & Pixel's "Tabletop Projection" project. It explains how to use a mounted digital projector to create amazingly adaptive maps for your gaming sessions.
• Make it Stop: Apparently everyone has fallen into the "geeks vs. nerds" trap. Even AllGov. They have a new piece about the recent Medicare row that references this imaginary battle. Via a Venn diagram. Ugh.
• You Say Tomato, I Also Say Tomato: And on the subject of everyone's new favorite buzzword, Church also directs your attention to new a "geek" article at Esquire. Then he quickly counters with a "nerd" piece from Ypulse. I think that fucker's playing both sides!
• And Now You Know: Dear Internet, Please buy me this t-shirt. It is graph-tastic.
• He's a Dick: Having trouble remembering the plot of the Star Trek remake? Jason of Geek Studies found this appropriate summation.
• Legendary: I'm obviously not stalking Felicia Day closely enough, as I'm only now getting into Atom's The Legend of Neil. It stars The Guild's Sandeep Parikh and features Day as a naughty fairy. Season 2 has just launched, so it's a good time for fellow noobs to come aboard.
• Not Tired of Them Yet: In yet another piece of post-Comic-Con coverage, MCs Lars and Frontalot talked to G4's The Feed about web comics. What? No love for Scary Go Round?
• A Thousand Words: I know I promised no more waxing philosophical about Nerdapalooza, but int eighty posted a pic that I think really captures the heart of the event. Boo-yah.
• For Your Perusal: I recently asked Shael Riley what the Uruk-hai read in waiting rooms. He was kind enough to break shit down for me.
• Lords on Acid: Closing out this week is a video for Shael and his band the Double Ice Backfire: a cover called "Chinese Ninja Warrior." It's from their new release Songs From the Pit. Enjoy the cryomancy. Also the rock.

Because You Demanded It!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I haven't the words to describe what you are about to witness. Language simply fails at moments like these. But suffice it to say that video footage of Brandon "Blak Lotus" Patton's impromptu performance of "Munchin' the Cooch" from last month's Nerdpalooza appearance has finally surfaced.

Much thanks to the delightful Kourtney Campbell for favoring us with this moment of musical mastery!!!

Nerd News in Brief

With each passing day, my friends, it seems my plans to attend this year's Nerdapalooza are slipping further away. Oh, the evils of the unexpected expenditure!

Still, for those of you who will be getting their geek on next weekend in Orlando, take heart! With performances by I Fight Dragons, Uncle Monsterface, The Grammar Club, Dual Core, The Scrub Club crew, Schaffer the Darklord and a cornucopia of other aural delights on deck, you will be amply entertained even in the event of my absence.

Plus, things on the other side of the stage are looking equally rosy. Fantastic fellows like my blogging brother Matt and super-supporter Data Vortex will be on hand. As will lovely ladies like Snipeyhead (AKA Miss Douchenuker 2009) and the incomparable freakapotimus.

Twill be a bumper crop of nerdlingers indeed!

• Moonwalker: Scientific Blogging has crafted the most important piece of journalism of the modern age. Yes, a post that references both Buzz Aldrin's love of hip-hop and the Nerdcore Rising documentary. And with that, I drift further into obsolescence.
• The Bearded Wonder: Jonathan Coulton has been everywhere this week promoting his newly released Best. Concert. Ever. He was featured over at Joystiq, in Esquire and I even think I saw him at the supermarket. Although that last one could've simply been some other bespectacled, hirsute suburbanite dad.
• Street-level: MC Lars has finally made the first eight years of his comic 27th Street available for your perusal. In sequence to less!
• Alter-natives: And speaking of Lars, you can peep a review of his YTCracker collab album The Digital Gangster LP in the new Alternative Press. It's got Blink-182 on the cover, but don't let that dissuade you for picking it up.
• Community-building: You can also get your Post-punk Laptop Rap on at MC Lars's new fan forum. Be seen. Be heard.
• Like a Box of Batman Chocolates: There's a new interview with my boy Beefy available at The Painted Man. Therein he discusses his influences, Nugget and tattoos. Check that shit out.
• Reverend Yo-Yo: Beefy's also been getting his visual art on once again. Peep this new tribute to our beloved Doctor Popular. What a handsome devil!
• Fine Art: Beef also hipped me to this amazing piece of fan art featuring nerdcore royalty. It's like a geeky music Justice League composed of Jesse Dangerously, Doc Pop, Beefy, Lars, Front, YT and mc chris all gathered around superfan Lance.
• Dance, Damien, Dance!: And while you're trolling for (non-porn) images, be sure to take a look at skipmeister123's amazing shots of MC Frontalot in action at Top of the Park in Ann Arbor. Apparently the headlamp is just for show in this instance.
• Feel the Love: mc chris recently received a nice thank you note from the Minnesota Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in appreciation of his work (and the donations of his fans) to help fight CF. Check out an image here.
• Drag Me to Hell: Hey, did you know mc's Part 2 Part 6 is available for pre-order? That shit is totally true.
• What is This Nerdery?: From the Dan Plus Add camp comes some HD gig footage as well as news of a new collaborative project. If you subscribed to Dan's mailing list you'd already know this. I'm just saying.
• He's Your Critic: Captain Spalding has just dropped a new track at his MySpace. It's a misty-eyed meditation on the shitty cinema that is SUCK Films.
• I'm Looking at You, Dave.: Sometimes I think Church is just messing with me. A contest to design D&D-themed clothing? Preposterous! And yet, somehow true!
• Dead and Loving It: And let me congratulate Church on his honorable mention in Topless Robot's Zombie Haiku contest. He'll always be the winner in my eyes!
• Brilliant and it Could Change the World: Ed Stockham (AKA smilinglimpet), won Chameleon Circuit's recent fan video contest with this amazing tribute to "An Awful Lot of Running." Experience its awesomeness below, and have a wonderful weekend!

Nerd News In Brief

Though it sometimes feels like work, Hipster, please! is far from a legitimate business venture. I don't have backers or a revenue stream or a business model, but I think I'm slowly beginning to build a little of the ol' brand recognition.

Thanks to the help of Denika, who designed my logos and helped get my new layout off the ground, and the fact that my OCD motivates me to operate the project fairly consistently, I think I have managed to develop a shtick. Now I just need to kick it up a notch.

I was gonna talk to some friends of mine in advertising about how better promote my little endeavor, but, thanks to a tip from Antisoc, I now know that such services are now available over the counter.

My logo has never looked bigger.

• Oddly Specific: Apparently, there is now an entrance exam for geeks. Looks like I'm in the remedial class.
• As in Beer: As a huge fan of Gameboy/GBA-based chiptunes, I've long wanted to try my hand at this unique brand of electronica. Thankfully, such experimentation has just gotten significantly easier for armchair musicians. Groundbreaking artist Pixelh8 has recently elected to release 4 of his own, custom-designed software modules for free. Head over to his site to score his Music Tech Pro Performer, Gameboy Music Tech V2.0, Gameboy Drum Tech and Death Ray Noise Generator. All awesome. All free.
• Mary Bennet, Victor Frankenstein and You: Hey, you know that whole "geek chic" thing the American media's been talking about for the past couple of years? Apparently CNN just found out about it. Way to trailblaze there, guys!
• Number 5 is Alive: Chicago's Independent Music Review recently listed I Fight Dragons as one of Chi-Town's Top 5 Bands You Should be Listening To. It's important to note that this also applies to those not living in the Chicago metro area.
• WTFMPFM?: Has anyone else been keeping up with what's been going on with My Parents' Favorite Music? Last month Steffo's MySpace went all Gothloli -- which is odd in and of itself, but not any more so than Steffen's median level. Then there was some surreal kidnapping story as related by Hex on Talk Nerdy to Me, then this inexplicable YouTube vid and more recently a new Facebook page with references to time travel. So, I guess it's a little like Lost. Only with Japanese chicks.
• He'll Take You There: Alienbobz's Jarod has just added another amazing show to his collection at Archive.org. This one is from last year's Seattle tour stop by my boys Uncle Monsterface. At long last I finally get an audio copy of their epic cover of "Like a Prayer!"
• Unshaven: Those who missed The Grammar Club's new selection on last year's Child's Play charity comp can now catch it at The 61. Enjoy "Underbeard" in all its follicle fantastitude.
• You're Gonna Love My Nuts: I also have to thank the Club's own Shael Riley for being the first to turn me on to "Rap Chop." It's infectious! Addictive even!
• Ultrapowerful: Superpowerless is actively seeking collaborators for a new song. If you can sing/rap, give Oliver a holler.
• I Twittered You: Church filed this one as "Nerdcore Country." Whatever you call it, I want more.
• Our Family Album: Also from Church comes this link to a CIO slideshow of nerds through the ages. Oh how we've grown!
• Ran, Examined: Random popped up in the San Diego Examiner. Ran's got a ton of press lately, but I think this is my favorite interview so far. His modest nature and creative spark really come through. Give it a read.
• All In the Family: My Florida-based brothers (and sister) from Magitek also scored themselves some nice press in recent weeks. Read about the band, it's history and the crew's thoughts on nerdcore over at MadeLoud.
• STD in the Vajay-jay: At long last, the Vagina Deep in Podcast gals have tossed us another episode. This one features Schaffer the Darklord, which, though rather unfortunate with regard to their respective naming conventions, is awesome. There's talk of a new album, some playful banter about cats and, of course, your requisite amount of swearing.
  
• Sorry, Heisenberg!: Bino White knows that the only way to educate America's youth is with threats of physical violence. Ere go he and Riboflava have elected to kick your ass. With science. Peep the video below, and let its delicate strains carry you through the weekend.

Hidari press kit: CDs vampire fangs toys & Pocky!

Japan is a land of madness and mystery. Hidari represents the best of both these aspects.
--Z.

EDIT: And yes, that is Ultraman's Mom. Apparently she has her own action figure.

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.

Post Xmas Wrap-up

It's the day after Christmas, and all is quiet in the House of Z.

No, that's bullshit. The air is thick herein with the swears of a man having to put together one too many Hot Wheels playsets. It's that kinda thing.

And since I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday, what with my roving the countryside in search of hillbilly relations bearing gifts (and ham), I figured I'd hip you to a few things you may have overlooked due to your own festivities.

For those who missed it the first time around, I am still hosting Optimus Rhyme's final EP TransfORmed. This will be offered as a free download until January 1st, after which time it will disappear until the final, full version becomes available for purchase mid-month. Of course, as grimROCK recently let slip that this iteration will also feature some long lost live cuts, I'm gonna have to recommend that you buy it after its release whether you already scored the freebie version or not.

And speaking of things you may already have, Doctor Octoroc's 8-Bit Jesus album has been re-released, this time in its entirety. Download it again for the first time and hear several new cuts that are just as amazing as the previous tracks.

Another free holiday EP was made available yesterday, this one from my pal Nate (also known as Trier Music). It's from his band Skantily Clad, and it's a seasonal ska release entitled Skantaliy Clad Christmas. Deck the dancehalls!

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, the PBC Productions crew have just posted Little Miss Gamer's holiday episode "SNESmas." Will Santa come through with that Super Nintendo Z's been askin' for, or will the fat man let her down again? Watch for yourself.

Nerd News in Brief

It's hard to concentrate on this week's NNIB with the Interwebs positively abuzz over the newly released Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. You know: the game for which our friends at OverClocked ReMix created an exclusive fan-made soundtrack.

It features everyone from djpretzel to The Grammar Club, and it's pretty goddamn exciting. Even for folks like me who don't play an exorbitant amount of Street Fighter.

Even if you don't wanna spring for the game – which you kinda should – the soundtrack itself is available for free from OCRemix. Snag it now, and continue your Black Friday festivities as planned.

• You Better Watch Out: Santa Nerdy Claus is coming to town. What he'll do when he gets here is anyone's guess, but I'd recommend friending him on MySpace. Y'know, to avoid being on any unfortunate lists.
• Just Like the Ones I Used to Know: On the Xmas tip is a new release from MC Lars. It's entitled The Green Christmas EP, but it's more thematically centered on GNR. Seriously. Watch the video.
• Jingle All the Way: Also on the horizon is another installment in The Leaky Cauldron's Jingle Spells series. This year's disc features Peeved, The Mudbloods, RiddleTM, and a solid metric ton of awesome.
• From One of Us Old Ones: Church has found an interesting site called Advice to a Young Geek by Cynbe ru Taren. It's exactly the brand of after-the-fact meditations that are an integral part of the lives of our people. And while the individual entries may or may not move you (depending on your relative age and circumstance), the idea is truly inspiring.
• How We Roll, Mofo: Also from Church comes more info on the Nerd Nite phenomenon you may have read about at Inkling last year. Here's hoping the idea continues to spread.
• Both Happy AND Hardcore: Random has another free remix available for the masses. This one is a happy hardcore remix of "Grow Up" by Ultraklystron. Do you wants it? Oh yes you do!
• A Painful Experience: Some people just don't get nerdcore, and that's okay. What's not is poor writing and unconstructive criticism. Here's an example as pointed out by Baddd Spellah. It's a review of Frontalot's new Final Boss album. In Spellah's own words, "It reads like a 15-year-old's last-minute scramble at their due-tomorrow book-report."
• Over There: Earlier this month, I pointed out some interesting info regarding a Dutch showing of Nerdcore For Life. Since then, a number of details have come to light. The long and short of it is that the gig is for realsies, but a full-on European tour is not currently in the works. That certainly answers that.
• Working for DFTBA: Matt sends news that John Greene (of Nerdfighter fame) has both released his debut album for pre-order and has co-founded a record label specializing in YouTube-centered music. Already onboard are Trockers Chameleon Circuit (whom I love.) I anticipate good things. Experience the fast-talking here.
• I Never Travel Too Far: This month, my pal Glenn Case celebrated his 13th wedding anniversary with a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen." This was apparently the song of the month, as Molly from Roonil Wazlib posted a similar vid. I couldn't settle on which to end with, so here are the links. Watch both. It'll do you good.
  

Mic Snatched

Lock up your daughters and hide the good silver, because the invasion has begun!

Invasion of the Mic Snatchers, the long awaited debut by nerdcore supergroup The Sinister Six has just been released. It's freely available from your friends at Scrub Club Records, so why not stop by and give it a listen?

It'll make you feel good.

LA Levels Up!

If you are in the Los Angeles area this Sunday( July 13th) and are looking to shake your Post-Nerdapalooza Depression, let me suggest you make your way to CIA in North Hollywood for the second anniversary concert of my friends from Game Music 4 All.

Level Up! Level 2! boasts an impressive line-up including The Megas, Hot Waffles, Super Barrio Brothers, and my bro ZeaLouS1. The doors open at 8:30 PM, with the first band taking the stage at 9:00. You can get your geek on until midnight for the very reasonable price (especially for LA) of $10. Plus, this is an ALL AGES event, so bring the kiddies!

And be sure to give Ant a hug. A manly, reassuring hug that says "I miss your comforting voice and friendly presence in the least homoerotic manner possible." He'll know it's from me.