Old Nerdy Bastard

“Life,” a slutty Sally Field once told a mongoloid Tom Hanks, “is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

The same can be said for remix compilations.

You spend months pinning down just the right vocal tracks from just the right artists only to turn them over to motley group of producers - what amounts to a rabid band of mad scientists looking for a wild weekend at a convention somewhere far away, like, say, Tahoe - and you just don’t know what you’re to receive in return.

Sometimes you get a reimagining so perfect as to seem almost unbelievable, something that is both true to the original and yet a wholly different beast altogether.

Sometimes you get… nothing.

I got my fair share of both as I assembled my second foray into the wonderful world of compilation albums, now presented to you as Old Nerd Bastard: Geeky Music Remixed.

This project, as the regular reader of Hipster, please! will no doubt know, was slated to be released back in February, on Leap Day, to be precise, but the Fates conspired against me in that regard. And so we find ourselves here, nearly three months later. But such is life, and, truth be told, I think the comp is all the better for the extra time.

Sadly, a number of the contributors originally touted were unable to participate, but, again (and with the utmost respect to those who bowed out), the resulting injection of new blood served to uniquely strengthen and diversify the project. Or at least that’s my little opinion.

The ensuing round of musical mayhem is a collection of remixes, mash-ups, and re-orchestrations of geeky tracks from across the spectrum. There’s nerdcore, of course, and Wizard Rock, geek rock (or, grock, as it’s come to be called in some circles) and even a dash of foreign language goodness on the menu, reworked by a delightfully eclectic collection of DJs, producers, and musicians. I owe each of these participants an equal measure of thanks, as this is really their album.

I also have to give it up for another quintet of individuals without whom I would have never gotten this sucker off the ground. Specifically, my longtime supporters and good friends Matt and Church; Lizz from Wizrocklopedia, a woman who knows the ins-and-outs of WRock far better than a hundred Zs; Anthony from Game Music 4 All who is, I must add, almost pathologically encouraging; and my one-woman design team Denika, who managed to prank me in such a blatantly obvious way with her cover illustration that I couldn’t help but be amused.

I’ve got more praise to heap, but that’s what liner notes are for. So, without further ado, here’s the skinny.

-- Right-click, Save As, Enjoy! --

The whole shebang in a tidy RAR

1. Baddd Spellah – “99 Balloon Flights (The Grammar Club vs. Nena)”

2. The Weasel King – “Red Hair (2DefMice Nerdy Gospel Mix)”

3. Snake Eyes – "Transformer (Sara Connor's Wild Ride Mix)(Maja vs. Lou Reed vs. Traci Chapman vs. Brad Fiedel)”

4. Random – “Robot City (feat. YTCracker and JonBap) (Larry Legend Remix)”

5. Ginny and the Heartbreakers – “Halloween at Hogwarts (D-Form Bass Mix)”

6. nYgel – “6 MCs (and 1 DJ) Who Like Schoolly D (Commodore 64 vs. Beastie Boys vs. Bloodhound Gang)”

7. Optimus Rhyme – “Just Forget It (Cheeks Remix)”

8. YTCracker – “In My Time (Dumbledork Remix)”

9. Brad Sucks – “Sick as a Dog (Antisoc Remix)”

10. Harry and the Potters – “Felix Felicis (Dumbledore's DS Mix by Paradise Dan of Monsterface Industries)”

11. MC Frontalot – “Braggadocio (killsaly's Super Saiyan Remix)”

12. MC Hawking – “Why Won’t Jesse Helms Just Hurry Up and Die (Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em Remix)”

13. Trier Music – “Hyphy Sunglasses (MC Lars vs. ZZ Top vs. John Bonham vs. Phish vs. Vanilla Ice)”

14. The Whomping Willows – “This Arboreal Coil (TrierMusic deathstepWTFLOL mix)”

15. Hidari – “Clambon (Glenn Case Campfire Singalong Mix)”

16. Dual Core – “Orbit (Remix)”

17. Schaffer the Darklord – “Nerd Lust (Peeved Remix)”

18. The Evolution Control Committee – “Pwn Monkey (Jonathan Coulton vs. ... well, everyone)”

A handsome playlist, suitable for framing

A delightfully necessary piece of cover art

Exhaustive liner notes

Nerd News in Brief

This week’s Nerd News in Brief is a bit later than usual. There are a number of reasons for this, but I’ll not bore you with them. Suffice it to say that I’ve been fairly busy, and the bulk of the things keeping me otherwise occupied are related to the site and its various projects. Always with the projects, I am!

I recently had a friend ask me how I did it: the family and the blogs and the podcasting and the real job. My answer? I pretty much half-ass my way though. In a world of excellence, I am striving for mediocrity.

• Nerd Ink, the Continuing Saga: Church rounded up another bumper crop of nerdy (and rather disturbing) tattoos. The nerdy comes in the form of a tribute to the NES, while the disturbing is just too odd for words.
• Old Nerdy Bastard: Not to tempt fate or anything, but I think the new Hipster, please! compilation album should be ready for release come Monday. I had sort of promised myself it would drop this week, but early in the week I received word from a wonderfully unexpected source concerning a late addition to the album. I’m excited. Are you excited?
• Reciprocal nerd <3: My pal Matt of the blog free_geek posted a really nice write-up about the pre release version of the aforementioned compilation that I recently sent him. Almost too nice! I kid, I kid. Seriously though, look at his post to get his take on the comp. And Matt, thanks!
• Potter-free: Thanks also to Matt for pointing out that this month, for the first time in 10 years, the NY Times Best Sellers list is sans Harry Potter. We all knew it would happen some day, but who expected it to be so soon?
• Meanwhile, in Potter-dom: The ladies behind the Wizard Rockumentary have announced that you can now pre-order copies of the DVD through their Web site. For more info on this item and WRock in general I will, as always, direct your attention to the Wizrocklopedia.
• Mega: Lots of news this week from the Random camp, the first of which is the release of a new Mega Ran video from the folks at Music Video Mayhem. Ran also got some love on the new Okay Player mixtape The Lesson, on which his Megas collab “Boss Battle” is featured. And lastly, German hip-hop site Ugrap.de has posted an interview with the Blue Bomber. In English, no less.
• Rock out with your Hawk out: I have it on good authority – as in, from the man himself – that nerdcore legend MC Hawking is hard at work on a new album. A firm release date has yet to be set, but the Hawkman is toying with the idea of doing an exclusive Hipster, please! interview to celebrate the forthcoming launch. I’ll keep you in the loop as things develop.
• YTCracker, you’re the best: In a bold move toward, y’know, trying not to suck, G4TV has tapped YTCracker, MC Frontalot, MC Lars, and Del the Funkee Homosapien for a new ad campaign entitled “It’s a Nerd’s World.” YT says, “(We) have all produced little thirty second raps which will have accompanying videos to run as promos in heavy rotation on the television… (and) we also put together a sixty second posse track featuring six bars from each of us which is also epic.” YT goes on top say that next week he’ll be LA filming a spot for Freestyle 101. First basic cable, then the world!
• Wiid is by my side: Though I am unwilling to pony up 90 bones for the unproven peripheral that is Wii Fit, other American consumers are eating that shit up. Or so says TIME magazine. Okay, not in so many words, but I totally fooled you, right? Seriously, though, peep the review at time.com and further decry the death of the hardcore gamer. Go on. You know you want to.
• SEGA!: Hot on the heels of recent release Here Comes a New Challenger (and the soon to be released Heavy Troopa is Ready to Launch!), Anthony and the GM4A crew are launching yet another compilation! This time around the project is a tribute to that oft overlooked console of yore, the noble Sega Genesis. Interested parties are encouraged to holler at Ant. Tell him Z. sent you.
• Nerds, come together!: And taking us home this week is a little advert from Hex Warrior, Nerdapalooza’s co-coordinator, about the spirit of the event. It’s short, sweet, and to the point.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 44: All Things New Are Old Again

Within the last three weeks I have acquired something in the neighborhood of 15 new albums. A number of them were purchases I made on my own or freebies I’ve snagged online, but many were sent to me directly from the artists. Don’t get me wrong, I love this, and, indeed, there’s no higher compliment to someone in my position than a musician who actively seeks me out to ply me with free music.

The only problem inherent in this imminently desirable little system is that sometimes I get a bit “snowed under” with new content and folks get less play time than they rightfully deserve. Even albums I love occasionally get lost in the shuffle before I can share them with you to the extent I feel necessary.

With that in mind, the next couple of editions of Radio Free Hipster will be what I like to call potpourri episodes, shows in which I plumb the depths of both my back catalog and my stack of new arrivals and just play great songs with little regard for themes or concepts. Hopefully you’ll hear some new stuff that you really feel and be reminded of some older tracks that you never stopped loving.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 44: All Things New Are Old Again [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 43 MB Running Time: 46:59

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”

Ah, a classic!

Track 1: Harry and the Potters – “Save Ginny Weasley”
For many, this was the introductory track to the wonderful world of WRock. Years later, it still holds up extremely well.

Z’s first interlude: “I felt like gloating a bit.”
I really am thrilled with the caliber of artists featured on the next compilation. Hopefully, you’ll be excited too.

Track 2: Dan Plus Add - “Welcome Back to the Internet”
Dan’s new album is really a lot of fun. Take a listen and hear for yourself.

Track 3: id obelus - “You Will Die”
id’s rhymes about rural America are oddly applicable to my own life.

Track 4: Beefy - “Bestestest”
“Like a clown on retainer, I’m always down to party.”

Track 5: The Sprites - “The Most Dangerous Thing in the World”
Wherein my recent reading becomes central to the track list of the show.

Track 6: killsaly – “Decker”
Wherein the trend continues. killsaly is also featured on the new comp. His Frontalot mix is a thing of beauty.

Track 7: Go Home Productions – “Annie Rush”
A mash-up, because I can. ;)

Z’s 2nd interlude: “Which I find hilarious for some reason.”
Probably because of my juvenile sense of humor.

Track 8: Captain Spalding - “I’m Your Medic”
I can’t believe I’m just getting around to playing this one!

Track 9: DJ Pantshead and The Evolution Control Committee - “The Fat Muppets”
ECC? Also on the new comp!

Track 10: Whore Moans - “Be Impressed”
I often lament that id and Whore Moans don’t get more love form the community, and then I turn around and wait months between playing their songs on RFH. I am sore ashamed.

Track 11: RiddleTM - “Ode to Voldemort (Peeved Remix)”
I’m actively trying to play more WRock. I get the feeling that some people are waiting for that one Wizard Rock track to come along and knock them on their ass, and I’m gonna keep playing them until one does. (Peeved has a mix on the new album.)

Track 12: Glenn Case - “The Power of Applause”
I play a lot of Glenn’s stuff, but I’ve played very little from The New Adventures of Captain S Soundtrack. (Glenn’s on the comp too!)

Track 13: 4BIT BONSAI - “BARON VON FICTION”
I also need to play more chiptunes and VGM. Mental note. Ant, be sure to hold me to this.

Track 14: My Parents Favorite Music – “Kool-Aid”
MPFM have had some personnel changes of late, but I have yet to pick up any of their new stuff. This one’s a classic from their back catalog.

Z’s final interlude: “Mister B of the Letters Vs. Numbers podcast.”
Let me again plug Anthony and Mister B’s new podcast. They play all the game music I forget to and more.

Track 15: Videogame Orchestra and TUS - “Pes To – Des To”
I am assuming that by now everyone has the Here Comes a New Challenger compilation in their respective collections. If not, shame on you!

And there you have it, 15 eclectic tracks, some old, some new, some merely middle-aged. But all nerdy, and all fun.

Allow me to reiterate my earlier point: don’t ever stop sending me new stuff. Whether it’s your own tracks, songs from your roommate's band, or just stuff from artists of which you are a rabid fan, I often rely on your good taste to point me in the right direction. It’s a great big internet out there, and I can always use a landmark.

By that same token, don’t be afraid to hit me up with requests and show theme ideas. I love it when we share.

Still Rising

Two years ago today I interviewed MC Frontalot for Hipster, please! It was my first interview, and I was, admittedly, fairly shitty at it. Still, scoring some talk time with Front was quite a coup, and it sort of set the stage for this blog and where it was to go from there.

In the ensuing years I have talked to many more nerd celebs, and my style has gotten (hopefully) a bit less shitty, but it all comes back to Frontalot, or, more specifically, his Nerdcore Rising tour. It was the sheer happenstance of that tour kicking off in my own rural neck of the woods that gave me my first break as a blogger and, indeed, gave a genuine direction to my writing.

And while Hipster, please! has grown incrementally in scope and popularity over the last couple of years, MC Frontalot and the musical movement he named has grown exponentially. Front’s continued success is due, most certainly, to his charming demeanor, his consummate showmanship, and his unmitigated talent, but the good word of nerd has also been spread by the Negin Farsad-directed documentary focused on the aforementioned tour.

Nerdcore Rising: The Movie has already seen several high profile screenings and garnered positively glowing press along the way, and, while I, sadly, have yet to see the film, I am lucky enough to have connections with someone who has. ADeadHeart, of Radio KOL fame, scored free tickets to the Boston ROFLcon showing, and was kind enough to submit her thoughts on the event for your enjoyment.

Check the geeky missive:

How fantastic WAS this? The movie was brilliant - occasionally poignant and always funny (the theater was in stitches I tell you!) Followed by a Q&A with Farsad and Front n' Crew. She was very personable and lacked the snobbishness one might assume a movie maker might possess.

Witnessed a Free Tibet rally (?) and had the best food EVER in Chinatown, which I probably walked way too far for.

After party was for the entire IFF collaboration at the verrrry swanky Mantra in beautiful downtown Boston. I didn't get lost! Quite the mix of nerdy folks and not so nerdy. ADH felt like a hermaphrodite at her first boy/girl party. More to come about that later, I think. There was free Absolut and free Newcastle, which I could not so much partake of...damn me and my driving all the way back to my little corner of ConnectiCUT but what's a girl to do?!

Another friend of mine from KoL also scored tix (what a small world!) and she and my other half are featured, happily dancing and applauding, on the Nerdcore Rising homepage. This pleases me. I got some networking of my own done and some thoughtfulness will follow.

Got home at the not SO awful hour of 3amish (that's a.m. ISH not Amish) and have some decent photos of the night. Frabjous!

*dinner, bathtub cleaning interlude*

I forgot to say!

MC Frontalot was fantastic live, as he was when I saw him in Arizona last fall. He did 2 short sets, interrupted quite pleasantly with the hip hop goodness of Prince Paul, who played some old skool I'd forgotten about and some I was ashamed to remember. Front played my faves, from Bizarro Genius Baby, which reminds me of my daughter, to Goth Girls, which I pretend reminds me of me. I've got the whole set list scribbled somewhere, if need be. <3>

Eventually I will get around to composing my thoughts on how it felt to be a reformed hip hop DJ (read currently still likes Lil Jon) and a nerd (though some question the validity of that statement (she doesn't like They Might be Good?!?!)...walking both lines was indeed awkward. This really didn't have anything to do with the show though so if I DO go there it won't be completely related. If anyone skimming this has any experience with this, though, I'd like input cuz I can't possibly be alone in my appreciation for both?

Much thanks to ADH for acting as a roving reporter, Negin Farsad for taking the time to document the nerdcore revolution and Front’s place at the head of it, and, of course, the man himself for making the music we want to hear. Peep ADeadHeart’s Photobucket for pictures and be sure to check at her RKOL shows Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 to 11:00 AM.

And, on a personal note, thanks to all involved for making the last two years so goddamn memorable, and for making my silly little hobby (and my delusions of writer-hood) a bit less of a solitary affair.

Totally commercial

Last month I got a really nice email from the guys over at Rocket Propelled Radio. RPR, as you well know, is a 24 hour geeky music internet radio station that has just moved to some fancy new digs. The crux of this missive was that the station has a longstanding policy of offering free advertising for nerd-friendly music sites, and I was given the opportunity to submit a 30 second MP3 advert for Hipster, please! to be tossed into the rotation. Unfortunately, I have been totally bereft of ideas concerning what to submit. As longtime readers can certainly attest, promotion is not my strong suit, so it is to you, faithful friends, which I turn in my hour of need.

Ideas. I need ‘em. Gimme gimme.

Sharing is caring

Not to state the painfully obvious, but I have not done a great deal of blogging this week. There are a number of reasons for this, but two stand out at the forefront.

First, I have been doing a lot of “micro-blogging” over at Twitter. That service is addictive, not unlike heroin or Animal Crossing. It occurs to me as I type this that it might be a good idea to put one of those Twitter update blocks here Hipster, please! That way you too can enjoy the utter minutiae of my life. I, you see, am a giver.

Secondly, I have been enjoying a number of new and exciting things. Sights and sounds that are both nerdy and delicious. I will now share these items to the best of my ability. As I said, I’m a giver.

Earlier this week, I sang the praises of Seattle hip-hop outfit Southside. No sooner had I done so than a parcel arrived at my doorstep containing both Southside’s Please Southside Don’t Hurt ‘Em – an album that is tough on the outside yet full of flavor and substance, like a fine baguette – and the delightfully titled Gangsta Nerd by Southside rapper Thunderball’s other project Metaforce. Both are masterpieces worthy of the geek rap legacy of Sea-town. Expect tracks to begin creeping into the podcast by month’s end.

I also spoke highly of Trier Music – who will, I must reiterate, be appearing two times on the forthcoming Old Nerdy Bastard compilation. Trier likewise responded by hooking me up with some of his amazing soundtrack work. Both of these, created under the guise of Mindscape Music, can be purchased at a very reasonable price along with a set of related tabletop supplements from DriveThruRPG. These too will make their way into my podcast shortly.

My hot streak continued when I received a message from Derek Dobson, otherwise known as Computerization. Derek shared with me his debut album, a work that can be described as lo-fi indie pop with shades of electro. The site compares it to acts like Postal Service and The Magnetic Fields, which I can totally see. Derek also crafts custom songs for a nominal fee, the cost of which includes a free copy of the album in question to boot. Not surprisingly, these tracks will also be included in future editions of Radio Free Hipster.

Changing gears into the non-musical, I have also become a fervent fan of internet sitcom Dice Jockies after simply viewing the pilot. Writer/producer Charlie Brown caught wind of my tattoo at Boing Boing and rightly assumed that I’d be down to watch a web show centered around the lives of four of New Orleans’s dorkiest denizens. I’ve embedded the premiere episode below for your viewing pleasure.

Yep, I'm a giver.

Wii and me

A busy week has seriously cut into my blogging time, but I was able to sneak in enough writing time this morning to collect my thoughts and cobble together a review for the newly released (and ridiculously named) Nintendo Channel for the Wii. Should y'all care to check it out, it's posted over at GeekDad, where stuff like that is fairly relevant. Take a gander, post some comments, and share your thoughts on this new quasi-functional addition to the little console that could.

Nerd News in Brief

This weekend was one of those super busy times in which I somehow managed to accomplish absolutely nothing.

Okay, well maybe not absolutely nothing: I tended to some ailing kids, scored some free books on Free Comic Book Day, and started an account over at Twitter, but that’s about it. I think we can agree that none of those represent earth shattering developments.

Will this week be any more fruitful? I kind of hope not.

• What is this Nerdery?: Everyone’s favorite lo-fi geek rocker from across the pond – Does anyone say “across the pond” anymore? – Dan Plus Add has just released his new album Matters of Great Importance. Dan++ was nice enough to hit me with a pre-release copy last week, though, sadly, in a crush of work/family related activities, I neglected to plug it. But he wasn’t even mad, and do you know why? ‘Cause he’s English, and they are a polite and longsuffering people. Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t rattle your collective cage to check it out, particularly my personal favorite tracks “My Landlord Sucks,” “Monosyllabic Expression of Heedlessness (meh),” “What is the Nerdery,” and “Welcome Back to the Internet.” Freebie versions are available at his site, but would it kill you to give the guy a couple of quid? Does anyone say “quid” anymore?
• Plan accordingly: After some cajoling, I was able to convince mCRT to share with me the preliminary schedule for this year’s Nerdapalooza. Already set in stone are the headliners: MC Frontalot on day 1 and the Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo on day 2. But what about the rest of the line-up? Straight from the horse's mouth: “Tentatively speaking, day 1 includes Random, Zealous, Krondor Krew, Schaffer, Former Fat Boys, and Pixelh8. Day 2 has Killer Robots, Zombies! Organize!!!, Select Start, Wordburglar, myf, ytcracker, and Dual Core. There's more on each day--including another big name per day. We're still sorting out times and so forth because of those two additional big names--we'll announce as soon as we are totally locked in.” Now I just have to donate enough blood to be able to afford gas for the ride down there!
• Microphones, tubes, and dump trucks: Church notes that our beloved Frontalot recently appeared on G4’s Freestyle 101, where he… didn’t freestyle… Still, he did bust a best-of medley, of sorts, over a smooth, jazzy beat, interspersed with his own unique brand of self-deprecation. Check it out and be amazed.
• Rolling on: This weekend I received an update from my friend Beefy concerning his new album Rolling Doubles. Beef admitted that he was currently unsure of the final release date but he did leak a few tracks to me, and I gotta say I’m even more excited for the eventual release than before. He also toyed with some titles for the his follow-ups via Twitter, so check that out.
• Lost in translation: Random just found a review of his new release Patches & Glue on a German web site. The problem is, of course, that Ran would like to read it and that online translators are less than accurate. Any German-speakers care to translate it for him?
• Marking his territory: On the Wrock front, Matt pointed me toward a post at the ‘Pedia about Wizard Rock Wonder Twins The Whomping Willows and The Remus Lupins. Matt (aka: Whompy) and Alex (of the Lupins) are set to co-host an event at the Portus symposium on Sunday, July 13th called Moony and Whompy’s Post-Portus Dance Party from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM. The admittance price is set for $20, and more info can be found at the Wizrocklopedia.
• I wanna be: Antisocial hipped me to this piece at CNN.com about last month's ROFLCon in which the writer describes it as “the biggest gathering of micro-celebrities ever.” Seeing a mention of the con pop up on CNN is both wholly unexpected and, I guess, kind of the point.
• The sound of Sea-town: With Ultraklystron in a state of semi-retirement, I’ve been looking for a third act to complete the holy hip-hop trinity of the Seattle area. This weekend I was introduced to Southside, a group that I think fits the bill well. With a noticeable punk rock ethic that’s tonic to local legends Optimus Rhyme and Goondocks without sounding derivative, I’m highly suggest you check them out. Based upon both their exemplary musical merits and their pervasive sense of lyrical eclecticism, I think you’ll mark them as an act to follow.
• More new hotness: I’d also like to call your attention to another act of which I’ve recently become a huge fan, Trier Music. Nathan Trier is a composer that works in areas as disparate as hip-hop and tabletop RPG soundtracks. He’s also a hell of a nice guy who I’m honored to feature on the upcoming Old Nerdy Bastard compilation. Plus, he used to be in a jam band, which I imagine earns him a pass from Matt on that fact alone.
• That’s fresh: And speaking of talented people featured on the upcoming compilation, the incomparable nYgel has just alerted me to his new project, a musical forum called Nerd Fresh. If you’re looking for a new artistic community in which to network, collaborate, or hang your virtual hat, this one will serve you well.
• Faire to middling: This weekend, thanks to the time-wasting power of Twitter, I was able to broker a little meet-up between my pal Doctor Popular and the GeekDads at Maker Faire. Doc favored the ‘Dads with some yo-yo tricks, a little info about his crafting, and an explanation of the Crate Digger Death-match. And Ken even scored a special Doc Pop yo-yo for free. Lucky stiff!

New HipTrax

Amid family illness and the rush to get our Free Comic Book Day activities ironed out, I seem to have neglected to tell you about the newest edition of the GeekDad's HipTrax podcast. This episode features music from my longtime pal Beefy, my new friends Uncle Monsterface, and filk superstars Ookla the Mok. It also marks a number of firsts for the show; it's our first themed ep., it boasts our first song request, and it's also the first time recording has been interrupted by a phone call form my inlaws. Enjoy.

Choose a Player

Anthony and the GM4A crew, who, unlike me, seem to know how to meet a release date, have dropped the 50 megaton nerd music bomb that is Here Comes a New Challenger: 22 tracks, 35 artists, over 18 hours of music. Okay, that last part is a lie, but the compilation offers an amazing experience for fans of geeky hip-hop, chiptunes, and game music all the same. Everyone involved has poured blood, sweat, and tears into the project, and I highly suggest you check it out.

On the off chance you’ve not yet downloaded this labor of nerdy love, allow me to include a link to the relevant materials. I’ll even give you a second to open the page, right-click on the appropriate hypertext and hit Save Link As.

…

…

…

Done?

Good.

Like any large-form, multi-artist collaboration, there’s certainly something for everyone, and, while I’d love to suggest my personal faves – “F-Bombs and 1-Ups” by Dot.AY vs. ZOMBIES! ORGANIZE!!, “Rush’n Attack” by Dibiase vs. O-Phrap, and “Champion Hero” by Videogame Orchestra vs. Dual Core, just to name a few (And lest I forget Doctor Octoroc's amazing contributions both through the phenomenal cover art and on the album itself!!!) – I’d really like to hear your input. What tracks are you feeling?

Speak up. Don't be shy.

Nerd News in Brief

Despite a series of posts and retractions that hit the Interwebs yesterday – the whole of which Church most astutely compared to a Python sketch – it looks as though Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann has passed. For true.

Hofmann’s name, of course, is nigh synonymous with his most notorious scientific breakthrough, the synthesizing of LSD.

On one level, his death is important in nerd circles simply because of his clout as a chemist; science is, in and of itself, a nerdly virtue. Yet it’s just as important due to his role in introducing the world to a variety of hallucinogens.

Though the prevailing notion is that nerds are, to put it in a simpler parlance, squares, the brutal truth is that we are in a number of ways another modern progeny of the original counterculture. Drugs are a unique part of our collective cultural heritage, and, while I certainly won’t use this time to endorse them, it would be foolhardy not to acknowledge the drug history of the broader geek arts.

Suffice it to say that somewhere, in the grand cosmic swirl that is the afterlife, there is a suave, but no less geeky, European gentleman on one hell of a bicycle ride.

• Any minute now: Today's big news is the release of GM4A's Here Comes a New Challenger compilation. I had the pleasure of receiving a preview copy last week, and I gotta say it's positively stuffed with musical goodness. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be available to the public quite yet, but keep your eyes peeled.
  
• Does whatever a spider can: Church comes through with another round of nerd ink. First up is a totally disturbing Spider-Man tat, and it’s followed by… well… nothing can really compare, so let’s just wrap it up right here.
• Hogwarts Redshirts: Taking a cue from mega- franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, Warner Bros has recently greenlit Harry Potter: The Exhibition. Kicking off in 2009 for a 5 year run, the event will certainly be coming to a city near everyone but me. We can only hope that this will spell great things for the Wrock community.
• Accio band: Meanwhile, Matt just hipped me to the fact that Potter symposium Portus is currently looking for more Wrock bands. The event is also pushing a Swap Meet that promises to see some interesting wares. Learn more over at The ‘Pedia.
• She likes guys who like Harry Potter: A very excited Lauren of the Moaning Myrtles has finished her solo CD. You can check out clips from a number of the songs as well as her headband – which is apparently awesome for a couple of reasons – at YouTube.
• Rock out with your sock out: Sock puppet rockers Uncle Monsterface have just “returned from the futuristic future” for an all-ages show this Friday, May 2nd at NYC’s The Knitting Factory with FISHBOY and besties. Doors open at 7:00 PM, and it’s $8 to get in. The venue is a bit of a bigger room than Monsterface is accustomed to headlining, so please show up and fill said room with love. Also, it just so happens to be Paradise Dan’s birthday, so be sure to buy him a drink for me.
• More Random: Ran’s been popping up all over the place of late! Yesterday, his new single “Fly” was included on DJ Cro's Main Ingredient Radio Show, which you really need to check out, and recently a mix of his track “Inbox” was featured MP3 of the week at 215hiphop.com. Looks like that link’s still live, so go download that one as well.
• Long live mc: The new release from mc chris, mc chris is dead, is currently available for pre-order. This album ships tomorrow to indiemerchstore in Ohio, and a pre-order will guarantee that a copy will ship to you before next Friday. Act now.
• That’s all that matters: The Laughing Squid has a wonderful interview of MC Frontalot by GETV’s delightful Irina Slutsky. Check it out for some interesting info on Front’s career, the Nerdcore Rising documentary, and his recent foray into Twitter-ing. Also, keep a keen eye for Doc Pop and YTCracker name-drops.
• I know that guy!: Doc’s rumination on an interestingly placed Narnia banner – it makes Prince Caspian look all Cyclops – made it’s way onto Boing Boing. Post now before all the really good snarky comments are taken!
• Hey fella: Another jewel from Church is this link from Cracked. It’s The 11 Most Unintentionally Gay Rap Lyrics Ever. I’m not sure if this is more offensive to hip-hop heads or the gay community, so I’ll leave that up to you.
• Sonic Screwdriver: Recently, we in the States were treated to the season finale of Doctor Who. Meaning last season. Meaning this same finale ran in the UK what, like, nine months ago? Yes, Britain still retains Who-superiority, but I digress. Here’s a little musical tribute to the final demise of The Master. He most certainly was an asshole.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 43: Sprung

Spring is a time of rebirth. At least that’s what I am told.

Mostly for me it’s just about yard work.

Still, for the purposes of this podcast, I’ll buy into the “time of renewal” thing. That same line of thinking lends itself to the whole springtime romance pastiche, and that’s some fertile musical ground.

This episode features some songs that touch on both – lyrically- or strictly musically-speaking – and some that fall well outside the boundaries of the established theme. I hope you don’t mind. While it may be a little thematically shaky, I still think it’s pretty damned cohesive. Plus it boasts some tracks that, I’d wager, you haven’t heard before.

It certainly ain’t Vivaldi, but I think you’ll find it to your liking.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 43: Sprung [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 46.3 MB Running Time: 50:34

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)
Baddd Spellah is my muscular gardener and Beefy my strapping pool boy.

Track 1: The Four Eyes – “Any Way You Want It”
People play a lot of golf in the spring, right? Otherwise, this episode starts off on a shaky foot.

Z’s 1st interlude: “At least here in the south.”
A southern spring is an odd thing. While you usually think of springtime as being resplendent with color, ours is fairly monotone. It’s all shades of yellow.

Track 2: Uncle Monsterface – “Lionfist Journey”
“Fuckin’ great band!”

Track 3: Spheres of Chaos – “Megafauna”
Ptradactyl Squad, for those of you not in the know, is a game music Web label that boasts an amazing array of original tracks and albums. It’s definitely worth your time to check ‘em out.

Track 4: The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets – “One-gilled Girl”
Apparently spring is also a time for inter-species romance. I’m not here to judge.

Track 5: Pete Miser – “So Sensitive”
With songs about robots and iPhones, Pete makes uniquely nerd-friendly hip-hop.

Track 6: Ultraklystron – “This Is Why I'm a Junglist”
I am also a Junglist. As is Ali G.

Track 7: Elfonso – “Labyrinth Zone”
And the award for Best Use of a Banjo in a Geek Rock Song goes to…

Track 8: The Ranger – “Rap Bukowski”
Okay, I’ll admit that this track may lack the upbeat, spark of most of the other tracks, but you can’t deny its own intrinsic value. Though I’m still a little ambivalent about the vocal effects, The Ranger manages to make a nerdcore anthem like no other.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “A brand new instrumental from my friend Steve BC.”
While I sometimes feel a little bad for choosing a song I really dig simply to talk over, Steve always offers his beats up as background music. I’m a bit of a music snob when it comes to instrumentals, but damned if his tracks don’t always satisfy!

Track 9: The Cars – “The Little Black Egg”
I pulled this off The Cars Anthology. It seemed just appropriate enough for inclusion.

Track 10: Tanner4105 – “Doug Mix”
This is probably my favorite mix that Tanner’s ever done. It’s just so over the top!

Track 11: Dual Core – “Fantastic Four”
I actually did clear this with eighty and 64 before uploading this episode, just so everyone knows. The album’s not been released yet, but when it does make its way into this cold, cruel world, I highly recommend you give it a good home. This song is just one of the many reasons why.

Track 12: Jack Westmore – “Ace of Spades (Remix)”
A Motorhead remix is a beautiful thing.

Track 13: Split Seven Ways – “Potions Abuse Part 1”
I always hate editing songs, but the ep. was running long and this track had the unfortunate honor of being both the last track of the second set and having a very prominent break between movements. Still, I think you oughtta check out Wizrocklopedia to grab the whole EP and the Split Seven Ways MySpace for more excellent free tracks.

Z’s final interlude: “Be forewarned.”
I can’t imagine any of you would be surprised to hear a song with swears in it here at RFH, but sometimes I like to at least feign propriety.

Track 14: Jonathan Coulton – “First of May”
This is easily JoCo’s most vulgar and inappropriate song. It is also my favorite.

If this episode taught me anything, it’s that I need to do another theme-free edition of Radio Free Hipster. A potpourri episode, if you will.

I’m already looking at a couple of songs to potentially include. There are some folks we haven’t heard 'round these parts in a while – cats like id obelus, Whore Moans, and MPFM – and I’ve got some handsome new mash-ups I’ve been sitting on for a while now as well. So expect ep. 44 to be a bit looser, a bit more artistically malleable.

Unless, of course, I get distracted and totally change my mind.

Could happen.

Creature feature

With the first round of Crate Digger Death-match, the new baby, and the (eternally half-finished) second compilation album in the works during what corporate douche bags might term Quarter 1 of 2008, I have not had ample time to devote to the core purpose of this blog: asking annoying and semi-relevant questions to your favorite geeky musicians and Net celebs. But now that two of those have been seen to fruition – as will, I hope, the third in a matter of weeks – I am again turning my attention to the long-absent interview feature. The question of the day is simply who.

So I ask, knowing full-well some of your suggestions will undoubtedly be well beyond my meager scope, who would you like to see featured here at HP?

I have a couple ideas of my own, but I’m really interested in hearing what kinds of artists you’d like to get to know via my own lackadaisical brand of brain-picking.

Opening the world’s eyes

Earlier this month, Dan Lamoureux and a cavalcade of dorky cast and crew hit up the Wisconsin Film Festival for the premiere of the Nerdcore For Life documentary. Dan was nice enough to provide a series of event pictures, and he’s written a rather exhaustive recount of the premiere at the Crapbot Productions Blog. There are links to some pretty favorable reviews, and it seems, despite gross public intoxication and the odd bit of crotch-punching, that the premiere was a rousing success.

My only complaint is the lack of video from the pre-screening nerdcore performance at the Cardinal Bar. With acts like Monzy, Router, Former Fat Boys, and special guest The Great Luke Ski, I’m sure the show was a blast.

C’mon, Dan, I know you’ve got some footage tucked away somewhere!

Limitless Fervor

When I announced last week that Uncle Monsterface, Harry and the Potters, and Math, the Band had each been added to the Nerdapalooza roster, I’m afraid I only told you part of the story. You see, dear reader, there are rare occasions where I am privy to juicy nuggets of nerdy musical information, but asked to keep them under my hat. Thankfully, I got the all-clear to share this particular morsel well before its shelf life was spent.

Let me commence with the spillage of beans.

In addition to their stint at Nerdapalooza, the aforementioned bands – which I will now call Monsterface, The Potters, and Math for the sake of brevity – are embarking on a bona fide tour of these United States. The Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo 08 is coming to a venue near you, complete with “Camp fires! Songs about being a wizard! Giant monsters! Cool big videos! Rock and roll aerobics! Inflatable monkeys! Dancing sock puppets! Going bananas! Circus tents! Jumping! Yelling! More jumping!”

While an official press release will be shortly forthcoming, initial tour dates have already been revealed:

June 25 | Cambridge, MA
June 26 | Portland, ME
June 27 | NYC, NY
June 28 | Brooklyn, NY
June 29 | Philadelphia, PA
June 30 | Washington, D.C.
July 1 | North Carolina
July 2 | Athens, GA
July 3 | Gainesville, FL
July 4 | Tampa, FL
July 5 | Orlando, FL
July 6 | Atlanta, GA
July 8 | Houston, TX
July 9 | Dallas, TX
July 10 | Austin, TX
July 11 | TBA
July 12 | Tucson, AZ
July 13 | Phoenix, AZ
July 14 | San Diego, CA
July 16 | Pomona, CA
July 17 | Los Angeles, CA
July 18 | San Francisco, CA
July 19 | San Francisco, CA
July 21 | Portland, OR
July 22 | Olympia, WA
July 23 | TBA
July 24 | Seattle, WA
July 26 | Salt Lake City, UT
July 27 | Boulder, CO
July 28 | Denver, CO
July 29 | Lawrece, KS
July 30 | Omaha, NE
July 31 | Minneapolis, MN
August 1 | Chicago, IL
August 2 | TBA
August 3 | TBA
August 4 | TBA
August 5 | Ann Arbor, MI

Additional info can be found at the official tour site, and don’t hesitate to hit up the event forum to participate in a little pre-tour wackiness. A mega-dose of musical madness is on the horizon, and summer will never be the same.

“This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun.”

--Clark Griswold

NNIB Addendum

Directly after I hit the “post” button to share with you today’s Nerd News in Brief, the demure red telephone in my office – I call it the Front-phone – rang. On the other end of the line, an automated message began to play amid a whir or servos and the slightest crackle of static. Below is a transcription of this most vital message from the Frontalot Home Base:

Hey, are you going to be in Boston for ROFLcon, or for the Nerdcore Rising: The Movie screenings, or for the Sunday night Frontalot/Prince Paul show? If you're around for any of those (particularly that last one), you might have looked at the $25 party/performance tickets and been all like "whaaaat? that is hells of expensive."

Well, hop on this (it is how to get a free pair of tix):

1) Write email to neginfarsad@gmail.com. Tell her your name and that you crave free tix. Make sure your email is reply-to-able.

2) Tomorrow night she is going to pull fifty names out of a bingo spinner. Winners get two tix each.

3) If you winned, she emails at you to say so!

4) You have to meet up with her at one of the showings to grab the tickets, so you might as well see the movie too. http://iffboston.org has showtimes, advance tix.

Sound awesome? Is. Do it quickly.

Nerd News in Brief

I sometimes worry that my role as a father has cut into what I like to term my “creative time.” That is, of course, that variable window of time in which I blog and work on podcasts and special projects.

Lately, though, I’ve begun to find this fear unfounded. Mostly, it just cuts into my “thinking about weird shit time,” which isn’t really a loss for any of us. And, thankfully, other people seem to be tackling the weighty issues too which I find myself too preoccupied to attend.

You know, stuff like Pac-feces and corporate drug branding.

• Hobbits and bunnies: Today’s episode of Nerd Ink is brought to you by Church Hates Tucker and lit geeks everywhere. It also makes me wonder why I haven’t gotten a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy tat yet.
• Nerdcore Idol: High-C recently released some information about the quality control methods in place for Rhyme Torrents Volume 7. Among the new submission processes touted was a three-man judging panel consisting of Chozo Ninpo, MC Inadequate, and High-C himself. He then admitted that he was just fuckin’ with folks and encouraged everyone to submit tracks as per usual.
• Totally not kidding: High-C also dropped some knowledge concerning a tie-in contest for Nerdaplooza. Artists are invited to craft their finest nerdcore tracks about event sponsor Troma Films, and the winning submission will be featured on Troma’s own site. Plus, the winner will get to perform his track live on-stage at Nerdapalooza with none other than the Toxic Avenger. For entry info, check RT.
• Just playa-hating: Ever wonder what a video representation of MC Hawking’s interview segments from A Brief History of Rhyme would look like? Wonder no more.
• What, no lemonade?: funky49 and five of Florida’s loveliest young ladies recently began shooting the video for funk’s track “Milk & Doo Doo.” How he managed to convince these gals to not only put on matching funky49 jerseys and Kool-Aid socks, but to actually appear in a video for a song with doo doo in the title is a mystery upon which I invite you each to ponder. Production stills are available for your perusal. You sweaty-palmed, filthy-minded perusal.
• Old No. 7: Whore Moans will be taking the stage at Nashville’s Café Coco this Friday night with Black Atticus and Call It Anything. This 18-and-up event is $5 at the door. It kicks off at 8:00 PM, so show up early, get real drunk, and sing along.
• The Great Chase: Congrats to current King of the Crate Diggers and all around nice cat D-Form and his crew The Chubby Chasers. The Chasers made it into this month’s Blender Magazine, which is kind of a huge deal. Look for the issue with Alicia Keys on the cover.
• Full Frontal: The full seven minute version of Random’s interview with MC Frontalot – the abridged version of which was recently presented on the RandomBeagle podcast – is now available for download. Check it out to get a full serving of Front’s on unique brand of goofiness.
• As opposed to duct tape: In album news, Random’s Patches and Glue is now available for purchase. You can score the disc for a mere $7 right here, and you can read a bit about the project at the Music Industry News Network. Ran’s been on a creative hot streak for a while now, and I’m gonna go ahead and predict that this album will be hailed by fans and critics to the same degree as his previous efforts The Call and Mega Ran.
• You’ve gotta shoot straight: Likewise, killsaly has dropped an EP of songs based around some of his favorite movies, video games, and television shows. The source files for these tracks were lost due to hard drive failure, but killsaly is a trooper. As such, the existing versions were remastered and uploaded. The first track is about Blade Runner. That should be all you need to know. Download Now Playing... uh... now.
• NPR on VGM: In his constant search for things with which to amuse me, Church also found this piece on game music from NPR. It’s more focused on Uematsu and Tallarico than, say, The Megas, but it’s still a good read.
• Sadly, I am not an unlockable character: My pal Anthony from Game Music 4 All has finally announced a solid release date for the site’s next compilation album Here Comes a new Challenger. As if the prospect of 30 artists collaborating on over 20 songs wasn’t enough to get you excited, Ant also got this wicked Flash trailer put together by the one and only Doctor Octoroc. Hit “Play” an watch the madness unfold.

My dear wife has lost her mind

Crazy it may be, but it's an accurate summation.
--Z.

Dual Core is never gonna give you up

There are older and more resilient memes, but surely there is no more elegant a meme than the Rickroll. My own favorite variation on this harmless prank/Web phenomenon is the live Rickroll, a gag that strikes a perfect balance between practical joke and performance art.

At this year’s Notacon, Dual Core’s int eighty Rickrolled an entire room full of coders, hackers, and nerdcore fans. It was a risky move, but he’s no stranger to love.

More crunchy goodness

In all my excitement about the latest Nerdapalooza news, I totally forgot to mention that a new edition of GeekDad’s HipTrax is now available for your listening pleasure.

Episode 3 includes songs from the lovely and talented sisters of RiddleTM, Video Game Music juggernaut The OneUps, and the amazingly indescribable Elfonso. It also contains tips of the (virtual) hat to my pal Anthony and the OverClocked ReMix community. Take a listen and fully realize what a poor orator your old pal Z. really is.

Tonight, the Nerds Will (W)Rock!

I have long been a cheerleader of Nerdapalooza. While geeks have always been known to have lofty ambitions but questionable follow-through, I felt the dream of Nerdapalooza to be one worth supporting. Sure, I had my doubts as to whether such a huge event could be pulled off just like everyone else, and yet in the end the festival did come to fruition, if on a smaller scale than originally hoped.

Now the dawn of new Nerdapalooza is fast approaching – a Second Age of Geek, if you will – and it rests on the shoulders of two uniquely competent dorks: Hex Warrior, the brains behind the original concept, and mCRT, who all but single-handedly brought together last year’s Nerdapalooza SE.

I’ve touted the roster for this iteration of the festival before. It is, to put it bluntly, a beast. A many-headed beast to which the faces of two more of nerdcore’s finest was recently affixed.

But it gets better.

My only knock against Nerdapalooza ’08 was its lack of geeky rock, or more specifically Wizard Rock. But this too was recently remedied in a fashion most grand.

Last night it was announced that geeky synth-poppers Math, the Band would be joining the lineup. Phenomenal!

It was further stated that the sock puppet rock of Uncle Monsterface, featuring my new pal Dan Brennan, would likewise be rocking the joint. Fantastic!

And lastly, it was revealed that Saturday night’s mystery headliner would be none other than Harry and the Potters. Fuck yeah!

That, my friends, is what we call the hat trick.

Nerd News in Brief

Last week Wired was kind enough to foot the bill for some Moo minicards for GeekDad contributors. Through what can only be described as gross negligence on the part of the official Wired.com bean counter, I made the cut.

I was gonna scan them in so you could see them in all their tiny, brightly colored glory, but contributor Kathy Ceceri’s son beat me to the punch.

As you can well see, I now have business cards depicting Boba Fett, slot cars, and Bionicles. The world is truly my oyster.

• A gentle reminder: First, let me thank everyone who contributed, bid in, and spread the word regarding the Kingdom of Loathing community’s Andrew Bailey Memorial Fundraiser. The silent auction is currently in full swing, so be sure to head over and familiarize yourself with the various great KoL and non-KoL items up for grabs.
• Like Sesame Street, only not: Anthony of GM4A and MisterB of that United Kingdom place have joined forces to create a podcast “about video game inspired music and nerd music.” You can subscribe to the Letters VS Numbers podcast via Feedburner, make friends with the show via MySpace, and send feedback and song suggestions to the lads at lettersvsnumberspodcast AT gmail DOT com. How simple was that?
• Nerdcore meets Hip-Hop: This week’s edition of the RandomBeagle show – featuring the Blue Bomber himself, Mega Ran – steps into disturbingly nerdy territory. While Ran and DN3 generally focus their podcast on hip-hop gems both classic and modern, this time around they dedicated the entire episode to nerdcore. In addition to featuring and exclusive interview with MC Frontalot, the show also features some great nerdcore tracks, several of which were suggested by yours truly. Give the show a listen, and be sure to thank Ran for continuing his effort to bridge the gap between rap nerds and traditional heads.
• Rocket! Yeah! Satellite of Love!: mCRT has recently announced that Nerdapalooza’s all-important Saturday night headliner has been confirmed. Unfortunately, Rob is being tightlipped about the specifics other than saying: “It isn't a hip-hop group, but it's still definitely nerd music, and it's an extremely influential group. You have almost certainly heard of them.” Tune into the official Nerdapalooza radio show on Rocket Propelled Radio on April 15th for the unveiling. Holy shit! That’s tonight!
• Pay it forward: Uncle Monsterface needs your help giving their friends Fishboy… some… help. Anyway, Fishboy is touring from Denton, TX, and will be playing with UM in NYC on May 2nd. Fishboy’s May 4th show in Boston, however, fell through, so the band needs what we call around these parts “the hook-up.” While Monsterface can’t play that evening due to a scheduling conflict, they’re simply asking if “somebody (can) please find a cool show or venue for Fishboy on the night of Sunday, May 4?” Help your favorite band’s favorite band find a place to play, Bostonians!
• Comic books and drug humor: The venerable mc chris will be performing on Sunday, April 20th at NYC Comicon. He’ll be playing between 2:30 and 3:00 PM on the Variant stage, and he plans to unveil a new track form hhis forthcoming album mc chris is dead the preceding Saturday at midnight.
• The Sideburn State: In other giggy goodness, Sudden Death has been contacted by a New Jersey venue that’s looking to put together a geeky hip-hop show. Savannah's on Route 23 in Stockholm is hoping to pull it off some time in July, and Devo Spice is looking for other interested rappers in the area. Holler at him over at RT if you are a Jersey-area rapper with the inclination to participate.
• Their Atari: Sudden Death would also like to grace your eyeballs and earholes with a new video for their track “My Atari.” You can check the vid out over at YouTube. Don’t forget to comment!
• u r likly 2 b eated: In his continuing search for the perfect LOL, Church has uncovered a beast from geek culture’s past. Behold the LOLGrue. It r verry dark. Kthanxby.
• Same as it ever was: And Matt comes back with more Star Wars gangsta rap. Perhaps I spoke too soon. Maybe all nerdy music is about Star Wars.
• Because you demanded it: Delightful lady-type Wrockers The Moaning Myrtles have set themselves up on gig request service Eventful. What this means is that you can go to their site profile and suggest your city as a projected tour stop. Just don’t, like, suggest they play at your apartment or anything. That’s just creepy.
• Where the Streets Have No Name (except Diagon Alley): And to wrap things up, today we’ll end on another find compliments of my pal Matt: a new video from one of my favorite Wrockers The Weasel King. Check out “They Can’t Catch Us All,” and, when you’re finished, go check out TWK’s site for more musical goodness.
  
  

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 42: The Fightin’ 501st

For a long time I told people I wasn’t a Star Wars fan, or, more specifically, that I wasn’t a Star Wars fan anymore. That’s not to say I was ever a card-carrying Star Wars hater, of which there are more than a few, but I was fairly vocal about my stance on the new direction the franchise began to take around the time of the Special Editions: it just wasn’t for me.

Years later, I’ve made my peace with Lucas. (Yeah, I’m sure he’s relieved!) I’ve learned to treat the saga like I treat any other epic geek property that has seen its share of less-then-stellar plot twists, iterations, or re-imaginings.

This episode of Radio Free Hipster is, in part, about me comings to grips with the harsh reality of the Star Wars of my youth versus the Star Wars that my kids will grow up with. Sure, I like mine better, but that’s just human nature. Midi-chlorians or no, The Force is strong within us all.

But more specifically, this ep. is a celebration of what I consider to be some of the coolest things about Star Wars and Star Wars fandom; it’s about the creativity that fans have shown through music.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 42: The Fightin’ 501st [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 47.8 MB Running Time: 52:15

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)
Spellah’s midi-chlorian level is off the scale, and I believe Beefy to be the Chosen One.

Track 1: Party Ben – “Galvanize the Empire”
This is one of those songs I found, loved, listened to for weeks, all but forgot about, and then was reintroduced to by a friend. Thanks to Denika for reminding me about this one!

Z’s 1st interlude: “You can’t help but amass a staggering collection of tracks about Star Wars.”
Nerdy music isn’t all about Star Wars. A lot of it is about Star Wars. Shit, most of it is about Star Wars. But not all.

Track 2: Dual Core – “A New Hope”
Three words: Sand People Choir.

Track 3: Down Underdogs – “Nerf Herders (Empire Mix)”
The Down Underdogs are what I consider to be an often overlooked jewel of nerdcore hip-hop. The Ranger and Co. remind me of the lesson I learned from Pinky and Diabolik: there’s some fierce hip-hop coming out of Australia.

Track 4: Rebel Force Band – “A Respirator for Darth Vader”
Blame this one on Church. Totally his idea.

Track 5: “Blue Harvest” clip / MC Frontalot – “ Yellow Lasers”
There’s a lot of talk about excretions in this part of the show. I’m probably not nearly as ashamed of that fact as I should be.

Track 6: unknown - “Star Wars Mix”
Again, some folks say this is Aphex Twin - and it may well be - but I am unconvinced.

Track 7: Star Wars: The Musical - “Let’s Blow This Thing”
This is the kind of track that folks will either love or hate. Its polarizing nature made it a great candidate for inclusion.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “The epitome of fandom.”
I don’t personally know anyone involved the 501st, in my local Garrison or otherwise, but I really like what they do. That is why I titled this episode in their honor.

Track 8: Anarchy Steering Committee – “I Wanna Be a Stormtrooper”
The ASC is no more, but tracks like this endure. comedy + geekery = teh genius

Track 9: Gluecifer – “Obi Damned Kenobi”
A lot of my friends are into the whole Scandinavian hard rock revival thing, a movement with acts like Gluecifer and The Hellacopters at the forefront. Me? Not so much, although I do appreciate the opportunity to inject a little non-nerdy music into the mix.

Track 10: Weird Al – “Yoda”
This episode only had room for “Yoda” or “The Saga Begins.” I believe I made the right choice.

Track 11: Caravan Ray - “Natalie Portman”
In a set dedicated to classic characters, I elected to include a song about an actress from the new trilogy. Consider it a gesture. Check out Ray at thesixtyone.com. He'll make ya smile.

Track 12: “Blue Harvest” clip / Superbus – “Han Solo”
While trolling for songs for this ep., I came across several mentions to this track. I assumed it was by the other Superbus, but a quick listen let me know that I was sorely mistaken.

Z’s final interlude: “Noticeably absent thus far.”
Tell the truth: you were all waiting on “Fett’s Vette!”

Track 13: mc chris – “Fett’s Vette (Glenn Case Imperial Remix)” / “Star Wars According to a 3 Year Old Girl” clip
While Baddd Spellah’s is undoubtedly the definitive mix of this song, I have a soft spot for Glenn’s interpretation.

In a modern world, one devoid of myth and supernatural whimsy, epic tales of good versus evil and the weight of personal choice play an important role. In fact, I think that’s part of the appeal of things like the Star Wars saga.

Luke is our Hercules. Han is our Beowulf. Yoda is our John Henry.

But most importantly, C-3PO is the shiny guy. And the shiny guy always worries.

Me Geek Pretty TODAY!

At long last, Doctor Popular has favored the waiting masses with his latest masterpiece Me Geek Pretty One Day.

In Doc’s own words:

Me Geek Pretty One Day is Drown Radio's debut solo album. 18 songs, 6 ringtones, album art and wallpapers, plus four bonus tracks. The album boasts a diverse mix of nerdy rapsongs, circuit bent melodies, funny skits, mouth harps, electropop, chiptune, and even a sexy r&b track. MGPOD is a 42 minute album, not including the 12 minutes of extras such as the 8bit bEtty remix of lolCats and a Twistin' Cherry Stems remix by Anticon's Bomarr.

And while I’ve previously expressed my adoration for the disc, let me elucidate:

Me Geek Pretty One Day isn’t your average nerdcore album. Nor is it your typical bitpop, electroclash, or micromusic release; it is a whole new animal as varied and complex as the man who crafted it. But rather than redefine what you think about Drown Radio, it skillfully chooses to refine it. To a razor point.

A masterful blend of re-imagined versions of older Drown Radio cuts such as “Happy Valium Meal” and “A Brave New Essay” (an updated take on Doc’s seminal “Essay on the Wheels of Steel”); contemporary classics like “Gygax” and “lolCats”; top shelf collaborations with nerdcore giants T-Byte, MC Router, and Baddd Spellah; and Doc’s own indubitable musical machinations – “Mouth Party” and “NerdSong” are just a couple of my favorites – Me Geek Pretty One Day is easy to recommend at any price. The fact that you can scoop it for a mere $8, though, makes it a must-buy of the highest order.

Resplendent with head-bobbing hip-hop, off-kilter R&B, and an almost indescribable marriage of indie pop and 8-bit, it combines all your favorite Drown Radio ingredients into a delicious new recipe. Then it offers up cell phone ringtones and wallpapers as an uber-geeky after dinner drink.

You no doubt know Doc Pop as a yo-yo genius without peer. You may likewise know him to be a crafter and visual artist who knows no creative bounds. If you take a listen to Me Geek Pretty One Day – and, again, I can’t recommend that you do so highly enough – you’ll also discover that he is a consummate musician with an undeniable ear for melody, a lyricist with a veritable armada of witticisms at the ready, and a nerdy songwriter with a sound that is varied but never haphazard.

Take that eight bucks your were gonna blow on two gallons of gas and pick up Me Geek Pretty One Day instead. It’s a much better value, and I guarantee that it will take you on a far more satisfying journey.