Kicking it New School: MAJA's BLEACH'D Out

I am not what you would call an anime fan. In fact, aside from the notable exceptions of Cowboy Bebop, the Daft Punk/Takenouchi video production of Interstella 5555 and a brief sojourn into the realm of Yu Yu Hakusho, I honestly don't think I've ever been particularly interested in contemporary anime. Still, I understand those who count themselves among the famed otaku to be my brothers and sisters, an important strata of modern nerdery in their own right.

Of course, that doesn't stop the sudden pang of panic I get when I discover that, say, Ultraklystron has a new album. I wonder if I'll truly get it. If I'll be able to sift through the subtle references and unpronounceable character names. If I'll truly grasp the weighty subtext.

Often, this makes such a release a far more taxing listening experience, but I always seem to find it worth the effort.

So, when MAJA let slip that he had a forthcoming release heavily influenced by Bleach, I was far more intrigued than I was apprehensive. And to sweeten the deal, MAJA even agreed to a little pre-album release Q&A.

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It's been nearly 3 years since the release of The Amalgam Project. What have you been doing in the interim between that album and Bleach'D Out?

Growing. I work a 40-hour a week job, am finishing up my degree, working on becoming fluent in Japanese, trying to get MAJA Mondays rolling on a consistent basis, writing; but most importantly, I have been trying to decide on my next step, musically. I am working on 3 albums at once. (Don’t even ASK how I manage to do this!) :-P

Has your songwriting style changed since the release of your debut album?

I think it has. I have evolved from the MC I was when I wrote The Amalgam Project. I think I was pretty scared writing through The Amalgam Project and came off a little raw. All I knew at the time was that I wanted to make the album and I think I expected opposition and hating and tried to address those things proactively. Bleach’d Out is a look inside myself, which is a little scary for me in a different way. Anyone who listens to the lyrics on this album will get to learn a lot about me. Offstage MAJA and onstage MAJA aren’t identical. People who have heard some tracks from this album have said that they can actually hear the evolution of my sound.

Are there any new musical influences or collaborators that managed to sneak onto the new release?

Hah! Paconaut called me up one day and said, "Yo, MAJA! Do you like Bleach?" And of course, I said, "Dude, do you know who I am? I’m the Anime King; I’m on episode 98!" So Paconaut made some beats inspired by the animated series and threw them my way. I thought I’d throw 3 or 4 tracks together and call it an EP, but SkochTape got involved and I added some more tracks to the project. Next thing I knew, I had 15 tracks to choose from for this 10-track album. Paconaut and SkochTape are very talented. I vibed off their beats easily.

Les735 is my main man when it comes to engineering and mixing. Zealous1 and DJ 2Thirteen helped me remix my song, "Bring It."

And, of course, the obvious follow-up, what tracks/albums are you diggin' right now?

I’m an eclectic cat. I have Jay Z’s Blueprint 3, Drake’s So Far Gone, Imogen Heap’s Ellipse, and Bjork’s "Sod Off" track in my iPhone on repeat at the moment. Oh yea, and Lupe Fiasco’s "Shining Down."

Are there any plans to tour in support of Bleach'D Out?

We will see. I’m planning an online concert for fans at the moment. I’m working with other anime conventions across the United States to bring Bleach’d Out to people everywhere.

Bleach'D Out is, obviously, even more anime-influenced than your earlier work, in fact it's been called a concept album of sorts. What will fans of Bleach find in the album, and do you think it will appeal equally to those of us not overly familiar with the series?

Nice question. I was thinking about this after I had the track list planned out. This album feels like a musical ride to me. I step in and out of reality on this album and try to hold everyone’s hands as I step from this world to others. Bleach fans will notice the music I am rapping over for the most part. Most songs are stories in themselves. You don’t have to know Japanese to get the mood of the tracks. This project is very vibe-driven. You’ll need to press play, close your eyes, and listen.

That’s where the challenge comes in: Will people who don’t know what Bleach is about relate to this in any way? I believe so, but we’ll have to see. Many tracks feel very experimental to me, in a good way.

You recent turn as a voice actor (in a series of Arizona-area McDonald's spots) was very favorably received. Are you hoping to continue voice acting? Can we expect to hear Maja in our favorite anime dubs in the future?

Haha! Voice acting gigs would be cool. But I wouldn’t watch them. I’m still all about watching anime in Japanese. I wasn’t sure how people were going to take the whole McDonald’s thing. I was nervous before the FOX interview, but afterwards I was happy about the way it turned out. It helped me see what outside people thought about my music.

Not to sound premature, but have you given much thought to your next project, or are you just planning to chill for a bit and unwind while Bleach'D Out works its magic?

I’m brainstorming new projects as we speak. I have many songs that I have not yet released. That’s kinda what took this release so long. I could have gone 4 different directions with the material I’ve been working on over the last few years and had even thought about creating The Amalgam Project Vol. 2. My goal now is to finish up the project number 3 and get that out as soon as it is ready. I hate making a song that I think is epic and hiding it from people.

Aside from ReverbNation, where else can fans pick up the new album? Will there be a digital version available for purchase for those who want to give back a little in exchange for your artistic services? What about a physical release?

"Purchase"?! What’s this word mean? LMAO…kidding. No, this is free for everyone. There will be physical copies pressed up for shows and giveaways and whatnot. However, I want to be clear: any money put into this project came out of my pockets. I’m talking studio time, artwork, pressing up of CDs, etc. If a fan wants signed physical copy from me, I’ll ask for a donation so that I can keep pressing CDs up. I will put a URL to Reverbnation on my site: MAJATRON.com.

And lastly, as I'm sure I'll have producers and remixers asking harshing me about this if I don't ask, are there plans to release a cappellas or remix kits for the tracks from Bleach'D Out?

I have been asked to do some remixes already, so I might do that.

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In addition to talking with me a bit about the album, MAJA also hooked me up with a pre-release copy. From start to finish, it proved a truly unique listening experience.

The journey begins with "Bleached Out Intro," a dynamic but slightly uneven opener that gives way to "Bring It," a track that, despite suffering a bit due to lyrical repetition, manages to clearly communicate to the listener what an amazingly polished production this album truly is. MAJA sounds great and the instrumental backing is every bit as inspired as its source material.

Bleach'D Out's third track, "Never Stop," however, is where the project truly comes into its own. An uplifting jam that parallels Ichigo's plight with MAJA's own experience – most specifically the crushing expectations that tend to haunt an artist on the eve of a sophomore release – it's both personal in approach and universal in theme. Then the album favors us with "Taken," a dark love song with a haunting beat but an occasionally stilted delivery, and "Bankai Interlude," a dark banger that comes through with all the power of MAJA's own "special move."

The 6th track, "Shinigami," is certainly one of the album's highlights. It's a strong center point: a funky, bass-heavy rap battle that pits an unwitting hollow against MAJA's "Zanpakflow." That theme transitions into "Hollow," a song about MAJA's personal struggle to find both artistic and life direction, which is probably his best track to date. Dangerously personal, it relates one man's version of the struggle we all face in determining which path to follow.

"Hollow," in turn, leads perfectly into "Bleached Out Outro": MAJA's declaration of "his hip-hop." It's a sharp statement of purpose that shows our hero shedding the mantles of that anime MC or that videogame rapper in favor of being both these and more: his own man. Using expertly diced samples and a perfect beat, it only suffers from its abrupt ending.

Thereafter we find "Hip Hop Daikou," and, while the last two tracks are tough acts to follow, it manages to maintain much of the musical inertia. Sadly, its great use of vocal doubling and overall balanced feel flounder a bit as the song goes on slightly too long. Then the album winds up with "Bring It (Remix)," which kicks up the original mix just enough (with some help from ZeaLouS1 and 2Thirteen) to leave the listener reeling from an expertly crafted audio assault.

All and all, the album comes through as a brave departure from The Amalgam Project. It succeeds perfectly in kicking MAJA's unique brand of "Janglish" to an entirely new level and in remaining both entertaining and relatable to listeners who, like me, aren't exactly down with the anime in question. In fact, aside from a little lyrical repetition, the album is damn near perfect!

Whether you're a Bleach aficionado, a MAJA fan or just a lover of quality hip-hop, it's definitely worth a listen. This is the caliber of album one usually expects to have to pony up a few bucks to hear, so the fact that MAJA is literally giving it away makes it all the more sweet. And his unique take on the Bleach mythos coupled with his undeniable musical growth make it more powerful than any Soul Reaper.

"I was trying to keep it MAJA, but it was hard 'cause everybody'd say, "Just keep it anime. Just keep it videogames."

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.

Paper or Plastic?

The time has come for a meeting of the Hipster, please! Board of Directors. Yeah, that means you. Typically, I make decisions unilaterally – not to mention arbitrarily – but I figured I'd toss this one out there into the ether and see what came back.

It's a matter of swag, dear readers, so it requires your input.

As I've said numerous times before, Hipster, please! is not exactly a revenue generating endeavor. Of course, it isn't exactly a costly project either. Still, in addition to sapping my free time, it does require the occasional investment to maintain the domain, keep my laptop in a functional state and (rarely) upgrade my podcasting rig.

Thankfully, many of you, through the magic of the Paypal "donate" button, have been more than willing to chip in to help me keep the ship afloat. I don't exactly feel comfortable asking you guys for money, and it's certainly not expected. Still, it's a heartwarming gesture, and though I still don't know if the site warrants merch, as such, I do like to keep some chotskies on hand to send out the folks who donate.

Think of me as public television; if you send me a donation, I respond with a (totally undervalued) incentive.

But unlike public TV, I don't hand out the same lame shit year after year. No, my lame shit is limited edition.

Originally, I was slinging "nerd music. nerd culture. nerd life." stickers, but, after a year, those are no more. I was prepared to simply put in an order for an alternate design – see the above image for a pair of possible candidates – but then it occurred to me that y'all might wanna have a say in this.

As I said, my first inclination was to order stickers. I mean, people like stickers, right? You can stick them to stuff for fuck's sake! How awesome is that? That being said, the old design is gone forever. Like your childhood pet or your late uncle. And it ain't never comin' back. But the potential follow-up designs are endless.

Or I could kick shit even more punk rock and get some pinbacks made. If so, they would probably incorporate the Radio Free Hipster logo. Because it is awesome. And also perfectly-sized to fit on a 1" button.

There's also the possibility that I could employ Jason Rockstar to help me work up some sort of patch, a la his merit badges, for the site. I don't have a mock-up for that, as it's just some crazy idea he and I had kicked around at some point, and I just realized I never followed up on it... Because I am a consummate professional.

So, back to the question at hand, what kinda swag would you guys like to see?

Speak up, now. Don't be shy.

Membership Has its Privileges

You know that weird thing that happens when sometimes I tell you guys to do something and you, y'know, do it? Yeah, I'm a little uncomfortable with that. Still, as I endeavor to use my powers for good, I figure I'll submit the following for your perusal.

There exists an organization called the Entertainment Consumers Association. They are a non-profit, nonpartisan group that primarily exists to act as an advocate for gamers. Not the game industry, mind you, as they are well represented by groups like the ESA, but you and me, the actual consumers.

Though you might not know them by name, you'll likely remember their response to the Mass Effect "sex scandal" propagated by FOX News and various other outlets. In addition to standing up to the mischaracterization of games and gamers by the media, the group also acts to motivate our sometimes slothful demographic to combat modern ills like anti-gaming legislation and to support progressive principles like network neutrality. In short, they are the one body working in the political realm with the interests of the American gamer in mind.

To that end, the ECA sells yearly memberships. For $20 a year, not only do you get the satisfaction of supporting our culture, but also daily emails about goings-on in gamer advocacy, new developments within the gamer community and special deals. And speaking of deals, with your membership you also get access to coupon codes to help you save on game purchases from Amazon, Direct2Drive and other online retailers, as well as discounted admission to events like NY ComiCon and PAX.

Now before anyone bites my head off about trying to get you folks to drink the Kool-Aid and buy into some pie-in-the-sky special interest, let me point out that you can currently pick up a membership absolutely free. Check out this thread from Cheap Ass Gamer to score a code from this month's Game Informer and details on how to join for a year at no cost to you. That'll give you a full 12 months to try 'em out and make sure their mission is tonic to your views on the issues while still taking full advantage of all the organization's touted benefits.

If you dig it, maybe you'll re-up this time next year and support the ESA with your hard-earned scratch. If you find it not to your liking, you haven't given them a dime.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

Nerd News in Brief

Hey Floridians, your rightful place as the nerd motherland of the east coast is dangerously close to being usurped. Apparently the dorks in Baltimore are armed.

I am serious, kids, you do not want to fuck around with Johns Hopkins chem majors. They will cut you. Consider yourselves warned.

• Home Away from Home: Let me start this week's NNIB with a shout-out to Eye-shuh. In response to a shout-out she gave me at her blog. Which was based on a message I sent her with the last of the Hipster, please! promo stickers. Which she earned by sending me a nice donation to the site. As you can see, shit gets complicated, but the important thing to remember is that Seattle is obviously home to my kind of people.
• Rancor vs. Sarlacc: At this stage in the game, another puff piece about "geek chic" is all but expected. What is not, however, is a sports blogger catching hell for botching a Star Wars reference. This spectacular piece of reverse-nerdery was brought to you by the one and only Church Hates Tucker.
• Antique Optical: The latest album from the Protomen, Act II: The Father of Death, is currently available for purchase. On CD no less! Keep that digital dinosaur alive by buying one from the band's merch store.
• Horny Devil: Speaking of new albums, mc chris has just unveiled the official title of the new iteration of his "part 6" project. Peep the hellfire.
• Chryme Doesn't Pay: Also on the new album front, my pal Antisoc has dropped his latest free EP. And it's early! Who even knew that was possible in the realm of nerdcore?
• All Samples (Un)Cleared: Probably my favorite new (and also free) release of the past few weeks is K.Flay's MASHed Potatoes. It combines two of my favorite things: K.Flay's own unique brand of lyricism and bootlegged beats. Check out what she does with tracks from Usher, Paramour, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and others right cheer.
• Reach for the Stars: Also free, though not exactly new, is funky49's hip-hop space opera Starblazer. I'm not sure how much longer Steve is gonna let this one sit out there in his freebie folder, so get on that shit now!
• Ackbar's Lament: Meanwhile, a new song has also been dropped by my homie The HT. Enjoy the chippy goodness of his "A Trap" over at 8-Bit Daily.
• Tuesday's Gone: The Painted Man has begun publishing an ongoing interview with Shael Riley. Okay, so maybe "interview" isn't the right word. But as anyone who's ever talked to Shael can attest, you just gotta let the man preach. Semantic nitpicking aside, be sure to check it out.
• Wizardry: Congrats to my friends at Nerd Invasion for scoring an amazing sponsor. Wizards of the Coast, makers of every single game you play, have generously donated a metric shit ton of +1 swag for the event.
• Must-See TV: Don't know what to watch this new fall television season? Why not let geek rock troubadour Jonathan Coulton steer you in the right direction?
• Your Time to Shine: Have you ever watched an MC Lars video and said to yourself, "I can totally do that shit?" Well prove it, asshole!
• Prove Yourself (Again): And while you're at it, Lars has also challenged all comers to remix his 2005 collab with mc chris. Winning entries will be featured on his site.
• Single and Ready to Mingle: And speaking of collaborations, be sure to check out Kupek's new mope-rock amthem "Heard About You" featuring Canadian MC supreme Jesse Dangerously. Wait, how have you not downloaded that yet?!
• Everything's Coming up Front: If you have yet to see the MC Frontalot documentary Nerdcore Rising, you are fast running out of excuses. The film is now available via Netflix and rental copies have even been sighted at Seattle's Hollywood Video. In related news, the film's official site has set up a nerdcore-specific Song Fight! that I'm sure many of you will want to participate in. Meanwhile, Front has toasted his continued success by both dropping another track into the Rock Band store and opening his own virtual storefront for downloadable albums.
• Bangor? I hardly Know Her!: The film will even be screened at this weekend's BangPop! comic and pop culture con in Maine. If you're headed that way, be sure to give my buddy Lance a how-do on my behalf.
• Mostly Ghostly: Closing us out this week is the first execution of this year's PAX prank from our friends at Epic Default. Does it match the might of last year's Bad-Horsing? Wil Wheaton certainly thinks so.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 73: Eat, Drink & Be Scary

And so we find ourselves once again in the very throes of Drunken Podcasting Month (better known as September). It is an occasion I can't help but be proud of, despite how reprehensible the entire affair truly is.

Just like last year, my pals Matt and Church join me for the festivities. Drinks in hand, we make our way through over an hour's worth of music, supplementing it with nearly half that time in intoxicated banter.

Notice, if you will, how we begin slightly sloppy and easily distracted, and devolve further into slurring, marble-mouthed buffoons. Why I actually call Church "Chuck" at one point.

Shameful!

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 73: Eat, Drink & Be Scary [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 82 MB Running Time: 1:29:38

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Beefy was totally trashed when he recorded the vocals for my theme song. It's a fact that I just made up.

Track 1: MC Lars & K.Flay – "It's A Party Y'all"
I reviewed Single and Famous last week. Check it out.

1st drunken interlude: "To celebrate this auspicious occasion."
How hard is it to convince Matt and Church to get drunk with me? Not particularly.

Track 2: Dr. Awkward – "F.U.F." / Scrubs dialog
As if you couldn't tell from our constant gushing, we all really dig Doc's Next Generation.

Track 3: Mr. B – "Sherry Monocle" / Scrubs dialog
Many thanks to La Bete for turning me on to the Gentleman Rhymer.

Track 4: Hidari – "ChocolaTommy"
Hidari's Wine and Chocolate is an amazing album, even for listeners unfamiliar with the language.

Track 5: Wilbert Roget II – "Chicken Tenders"
My favorite song about chicken tenders ever!

Track 6: The Bloodclan – "Vampire Party"
This track was a special request from Matt. It's from a collaborative project including MC Loki and MC Diabeats.

Track 7: Selfhelp – "Drunk Last Night"
No episode of Radio Free Hipster is complete without the inclusion of at least one Canadian.

2nd drunken interlude: "What are your respective poisons."
One of these years we really need coordinate our drinks. I'm just sayin'.

Track 8: Mattias Holmgren – "Legend of Zelda Zelda Heineken OC ReMix" / Scrubs dialog
This OC ReMix stills blows me away, despite the fact that I've been listening to it for months.

Track 9: mc chris – "Pizza Butt"
Confession: I totally chose this song so I could also include that "drunk on cheese" bit from Scrubs.

Track 10: English Pete – "Killing in a Gay Bar"
Because everyone loves a "Gay Bar" mash-up.

Track 11: Beefy – "Table Top (tanner4105 remix)"
RAWK!

Track 12: Uncle Monsterface – "Bring Back the Eggplant Wizard (Song for Gunpei Yokoi)"
I am currently playing through Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, and I gotta tell you those Eggplant Wizards are motherfuckers!

Track 13: People Within – "Lovesick"
People Within features Optimus Rhyme's Broken English.

3rd drunken interlude: : "The refined English version of our own beer goggles."
Brits are just fancier than us.

Track 14: Superpowerless – "Jizz In My Pants (Remix)"
Superpowerless does some of the most amazing covers and remixes I've ever heard, and he is crazy prolific.

Track 15: YTCracker – "Over and Over"
This I consider one of YT's best, an often overlooked gem from Serious Business.

Track 16: Jonny Nero Action Hero – "Back Porch" Scrubs dialog
Check out a special message from Jonny at the end of this episode.

Track 17: Billy the Fridge – "Cadillac Rollin' Fat"
I've been waiting for months for just the right time to expose the listening audience to Billy the Fridge. At last, that time has come.

Track 18: Billy Mays – "Breakin' Your Back"
Is it in poor taste to include this track in a show about overindulgence? Probably.

Track 19: Dual Core – "Give Me Wings (Remix)"
Nobody does better Dual Core remixes than their own c64.

Final drunken interlude: "I am eternally in your debt."
Let it be known that Hipster, please! truly couldn't exist without the help and support of Church and Matt. Them's m'boys!

Track 20: Glenn Case – "Glutton"
I can not even begin to express how excited I am for Glenn's forthcoming album Throw Money!

Bonus: A Message from Jonny Nero
Be sure to express your thanks to Jonny by checking out his Epic Default podcast!

This is usually the space where I recap the episode or talk up the following show, but this time I'm not gonna do that. Instead I just wanna take a moment to remember Jim Carroll.

He passed away earlier this week at the age of 60, but it was greatly overshadowed by the death of Patrick Swayze. Not that I'm bitter; I mean, Jim's lot in life was to remain largely unnoticed.

For me, Carroll held personal significance. Not just because we battled similar demons, but because of what he symbolized to me. While Updike showed me that it was okay, even interesting, to write about the exploits of unremarkable people, Jim Carroll showed me that it was also perfectly acceptable for us unfortunate freaks to put pen to paper ourselves. To record our own histories.

And now he finds himself, however fittingly, among the people who died.

Jimmy, this drink's for you.

Maja League

While most of the attention being paid to Maja of late has centered on his turn as a voice actor in a series of Phoenix-area McDonald's spots, surely no one has forgotten that his primary focus is music. And thankfully, some 2 years after the release of his stellar debut, The Amalgam Project, he is back in the proverbial saddle.

Peep the recent communiqué from Maja's command center:

Hey,

This is a message from yours truly, MAJA.

I am sitting here ready to release my sophomore album, which I have named BLEACH’d OUT. Seriously, I am literally sitting in front of my PC in the middle of the night looking at the cover that was designed by Robert Kim, who has done some really good work. You can check out some of his other work here: http://artofroboto.blogspot.com/. I am really excited about what he’s put together. You should totally check him out.

Anywho, here’s why I’m e-mailing you fabulous fan : I want to give you the album first. And for FREE. Yes, this is not a lie. I am going to upload the album on my new Reverbnation page and allow all fans to download it for FREE. BLEACH’d OUT is my anime-inspired album that I hope speaks to all of you as much as The Amalgam Project did.

The more fans that download the album, the better. T-shirts coming soon, too!

The album is releasing THIS FALL so stay tuned!

Here is the vid that I just uploaded on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcaiB2ZSX00

You can add yourself now on Reverbnation by clicking the link below:
http://www.reverbnation.com/majatron?add_email=true

Thanks for the love and support!

-MAJA

To reiterate, there is good news - Maja's sophomore follow-up is ready to drop – and better news – it is gonna be made freely available. So keep a keen eye on Reverbnation for further rumblings concerning BLEACH’d OUT. The promise of more top-shelf otaku rhymes is not to be taken lightly.

Just Thought I’d Let You Know

I sometimes get the impression that MC Lars has a master list of potential top-shelf collaborators, perhaps laid out in some sort of Bingo card format. Weird Al – check. Jesse Dangerously – check. YTCracker – double-check.

If this is truly the case, then the central square, the space upon which the fate of the very game hinges, is K.Flay.

Stanford educated, indie rock bred and hip-hop hardened, K.Flay is Lars's perfect analog. Yet as stylistically similar as they at first appear, there is an enchanting differentness that exists between their styles. It is within this uncommon region that this particular partnership seemingly flourishes, and it is from this delightful gray area that their first full-on collaborative effort, the tellingly named Single and Famous, was birthed.

1. "Running Trains"
   Single and Famous kicks off with a song centered simply on the friendship that exists between Lars and K.Flay. Structurally, it's a little counterintuitive, with each MC rhyming (in the first person, no less) about the virtues of the other. Lyrically, it's a tad underwhelming, but it's not without a certain charm. It comes off as a bit of a throw-away track – an odd choice for an EP, where each inch of sonic real estate counts – but it still manages to be a fun project opener.
2. "It's a Party Y'all (feat. Damondrick 'Shoehorn' Jack)"
   Things really get underway with the second offering, a good-natured party jam that sees three rappers bat verses back-and-forth atop a minimalist, slightly silly backing. Lars starts strong and DJ's guest verse adds another great aural texture to the track, but the joint firmly belongs to K.Flay, who comes off as cool, confident, smart and sexy as ever. It's her party, and we're just the guests.
3. "Altered States"
   Part travelogue part carryover from 80s edutainment television, "Altered States" tells us where our lyrical protagonists have traveled and what they did along the way. Again, not exactly a groundbreaking narrative, but an enjoyable ride none the less. (I made a funny!) The song's beat seems to connect a bit more precisely with the native flows of both K.Flay and MC Lars than its direct predecessors', no doubt due to the skillful production of the former, and it's important to note that this is the first song on the EP that features a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure. Am I a little heartbroken about not being name-dropped on Lars's line about South Carolina? Sure, but in spite of that obvious flaw it's still a keeper. ;)
4. "The Game"
   Another K.Flay produced track, "The Game" is a street-level banger that doubles as a less-than explicit sex jam. Not only does it fit nicely as the EP's halftime show, but it also stands aptly on its own. With its plodding vocal delivery and slightly wavering beat, it could've easily bled into the shameful realm of lackadaisical rap, but instead it comes off as a slow and steady head-bobber that's sure to please.
5. "We Fresh"
   The EP's shortest track (and also it's only offering guest produced by Dust Collector), "We Fresh" sticks out like a sore thumb. But in a good way. It kicks the braggadocio displayed thus far up another glorious notch, and adds a distinct flavor to the proceedings. Though the chippy, heavily-compressed chorus may prove a turn-off to some, let me remind you that it also contains hip-hop's only reference to The Aggro Crag. Fuck yeah, it does!
6. "Somebody's Watching Me"
   This is not a cover of the 1984 Rockwell chart-topper of the same name. I just wanted to get that out of the way. It is, instead, a scathing critique of the modern electronic Panopticon. Referencing everything from Sister Souljah to Azkaban, it boasts exactly the sort of clever, hyper-intelligent, socially aware lyrics we've come to expect from both MCs but that have thus far remained absent on an EP centered firmly on the lighter side of songwriting. Casting K.Flay as our slightly paranoid narrator and MC Lars as the voice of Big Brother, it manages to stay both bleak and engaging. Above another urgent K.Flay beat, it comes through as a proper wake-up call to the idle masses.
7. "Single and Famous"
   If many of the other selections possess more of a "K.Flay sound," then the EP's title track is definitely textbook MC Lars, at least on the instrumental end. With a driving, tinny guitar that brings in just enough of a punk rock aesthetic, "Single and Famous" is the project's musical powerhouse, its lyrical haymaker, its emotional center. The ultimate break-up anthem, it's a song about finding the strength to move on… by delivering a surgically precise "fuck you" to your ex. Lars, whose performance thus far has been fairly laid back, proves he's still got plenty of juice left over from This Gigantic Robot Kills, and rather than sounding out of place amongst the aggro K.Flay comes through as pained, angered and wholly relatable. Plus, her vocal doubling has never sounded better! Harshly emotional and almost uncomfortably autobiographical, it intensely caps and eclectic listening experience.

Upon first listening to Single and Famous in its entirety, I think I was a tad underwhelmed. Part of me expected it to be a continuation of the superlative effort that was The Digital Gangster LP, MC Lars's first wholly collaborative hip-hop project and, for many nerdcore fans, the proper introduction to K.Flay. And yet it wasn't.

Neither was it, as one might also suspect, a balls-out punk/rap powerhouse on par with his most recent solo effort nor the stripped-down electro-funk of K.Flay's Suburban Rap Queen.
Instead it was something totally different: its own animal.

It was only after I realized that this was purely by design that I genuinely began to grok the EP. It is an artistic island, a free-standing structure that exists for its own creative edification.

It's not about Lars's rocked up chortles or K.Flay's slinky whispers, but about the intersection of the two and the all important area where their artistic overlap flounders. It is the sound of a pair of friends who are as comparable as they are dissimilar getting together to mix the proverbial chocolate and peanut butter. And while the resulting EP isn't without its flaws, it’s the sort of affair that seemingly makes you, the listener, a party to the friendship and creative cross-pollination of these two fascinating individuals. It's tuneful, good-natured and well worth the price of admission.

"Welcome to the MC Lars and K.Flay show. / We attack your ears like Vincent Van Gogh."

PAXtravaganza

There's nothing quite like PAX to remind you how positively unimportant you are in the grand scheme of nerd culture. At an event where Beefy shared the stage with MC Frontalot, Front was cleverly introed by none other than the great Wil Fucking Wheaton and that same Mr. Wheaton was serenaded by Jonathan Coulton, it's hard not to feel dwarfed by the sheer geekitude of the festival and its major players.

For my fellow unfortunates who were not in attendance (as well as those doubly cursed souls who missed much of the fantastic Twitter coverage), here's a clip of one of the aforementioned magical moments. Observe as Wil "opens" for Front. And then demand that an audio version of the "Penny Arcade Theme" vs. "Don't Stop Believing" mash-up be made immediately available.

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.

Game Music 4 Y'all

This week I have experienced illness, a shaky transition to a new job and a total failure of my home network. Thankfully, the other Z – known affectionately as Little Miss Gamer – has more than picked up the slack. You see, while I was busy cursing my router and coughing up Shoggoths, LMG was waxing poetic about personal playlists for iconic player characters.

First up: Lara Croft.

Get Yer T-shirts Here!

Okay, so not here, per se, but you can get Hipster, please! t-shirts from our friends at NerdRockstar.

Yes, at long last you can proclaim your undying affection for the web's longest running (and least successful) nerd music and culture blog. And who wouldn't wanna do that?

But wait; there's more!

Not only does this t-shirt cover your naked chesticles and promote hipsterplease.com, it also boasts references to both Harry Potter and Dungeons & Dragons. That's right, kids, mix metaphors in a way that only a true nerd would by sporting this attractive tee with the Hipster, please! logo text presented in that undeniable Harry Potter typeface with the flavor text "and the plus one shirt of rocking."

"So," you're saying, "this is also an enchanted artifact that will also give me +1 to rock? But how can this be, Z?"

Short answer: magic. A double dose.

And how much would you expect to pay for such a fine piece of apparel? 10 dollars? 15 dollars? 20 dollars?

Fuck that noise; these bad boys are only $6.66, because my DarkLord demands it!

But be aware that this item will only be available for the duration of NerdRockstar's special T-shirt Sacrifice Sale. And once they're gone, they're gone.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 72: Where a Kid Can be a Kid

Themed episodes of Radio Free Hipster are becoming fewer and far between, but this one was a request, of sorts, so I took the plunge. Plus, it's always fun to have my son help put together the song lists. Even if now he is more interested in Phineas and Ferb than in recording with his old man.

Still, talking about youth and childhood is a double-edged sword, because it also opens the door to talking about aging and the long, rough road of maturity. I tried to hit on both this time around. I hope you're happy with the results.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 72: Where a Kid Can be a Kid [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 39 MB Running Time: 42:42

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
This theme song keeps me young.

Track 1: Go Home Productions – "GHP Goes Bananas"
Looking back, those Sid and Marty Krofft shows were genuinely fucked up.

Z's 1st interlude: "I decided that today's ep. should be kinda chill."
Yes, since the next show will be a drunken podcast, I figured this time around I should keep shit low key.

Track 2: Chiptots – "ABC"
The only person who loves this cover more than Li'l X. is his dear old dad!

Track 3: Math the Band – "Homework Sucks"
Math has a new album out. You should buy it.

Track 4: Dave Chappelle dialog / Uncle Monsterface – "Baby Blip"
I long for the day when my own kids will make me macaroni jewelry.

Track 5: Jonathan Coulton – "Rock and Roll Boy"
"When I was born I was a young boy. / Now I'm grown, I am a old boy."

Track 6: Beefy – "Ball Pit"
This song makes me wistful. There's just something about the quality of Beefy's voice in this one that always gets me.

Track 7: Tenacious D – "Baby"
Sometimes it just feels good to follow a Beef Thompson joint with the D.

Track 8: McVaffe - "Yoshi's Lullaby"
Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to raise a young Mario and Luigi?!

Z's 2nd interlude: "I am ceaselessly amazed by the power of music to take me back to the days of my youth."
It is purported that smell is the most important sense trigger for memory recollection, but for me it's always been sound. When I hear a song, I can often immediately recall the very moment when I first encountered it.

Track 9: Lynn Ahrens – "A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing"
Originally played back in episode 18.

Track 10: My Parents' Favorite Music – "Sticks and Stones"
I think "Sticks and Stones" was the first track an artist ever let me feature on the site.

Track 11: Southside – "War Games"
It's really hard not to love a song that cribs its beat from the Fat Albert theme.

Track 12: Xoc – "Doors/Warp Zone/Rescue Jingle" / Shael Riley voicemail
Feel free to send me messages via my Google Voice widget. I'll even try and work them into future podcasts!

Track 13: Uncanny Valley – "Ladybugs' Picnic"
DJBC's Muppet Mashup album is really an amazing project. For those of us who grew up in the golden age of edutainment, it's the perfect nostalgia trip.

Track 14: Metaforce – "Intermission (feat. Onni)"
The theme music from Taxi still makes me misty-eyed.

Z's final interlude: "Maturity is not a process so much as a battle."
Seriously; adulthood lurks around every corner awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike. Sometimes it beats you down, but never give up the fight!

Track 15: Funny or Die – "The Ballad of G.I. Joe"
Just watch the video. It is well worth the time.

This show turned out a good bit different than I originally expected. It's shorter than usual, obviously, and it also took on more of a somber tone, but with good reason.

I think we as adults tend to think of childhood as being simple, when really it's anything but. Kids feel things differently than grownups: more intensely. Therefore, their victories are twice as sweet and their failures wholly crushing. That's not to say that the life of maturity is effortless, of course. Both are fraught with difficulties, but in totally different ways.

Having kids of your own really drives this home.

But in the end, the magic of childhood is that it is uniquely your own. And the power of memory allows you to rewrite that fucker any way you wish. Maybe that's why it's better that we don't get the chance to revisit all of the cherished touchstones of youth. They often age far less gracefully in real life than in our recollections.

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.

Playing Catch-up

It is apparently kick-ass new album season, and I'm having a little trouble keeping up. Thankfully, I have friends who care enough to keep me from slipping too far behind. My boy Anthony, for example, was kind enough to point out a few fine new projects from the realms of chiptunes and VGM that I may have missed.

The first, of course, is the epic 8-bit Miles Davis tribute Kind of Bloop. Sure, I mentioned it in passing, but the album is deserving of far more direct praise. To that end, I not only recommend that you snag it (for a mere 5 bones), but I'd also highly suggest you check out the GM4A interview with project coordinator Andy Baio and chip musician DisasterPEACE written by everyone's homie Zen Albatross.

A similarly epic undertaking that I've discussed with various friends and scenesters but somehow neglected to pimp here at the blog is Bad Dudes/OneUp Studios' Chronotorious compilation. Headed up by the mysterious Mustin, Chronotorious boasts 15 rearranged tracks from epic Square RPG Chrono Trigger. For $12 you get the full boat on a limited edition CD, with the forthcoming Amazon MP3/iTunes release trimmed down to a scant 10 tracks. There are only 1000 of these bad boys, so snag one now while they are still easily… snaggable?

Lastly but not leastly is a release that has somehow managed to stay totally under my musical radar – I blame old age and my current preoccupation with work (yuk!) – Armcannon 2: The Return of the Attack of the Legend of Pizzor. To know Armcannon is to love Armcannon, and to love Armcannon is to give them $12 plus shipping for their first official full-length. If you love videogame covers, buy it for their ambitious reinterpretations of NES classics like the Rygar and Kid Icarus medleys. If TV or movie themes are more your thing, then snag it to hear their takes on the music rom Ghostbusters or Power Rangers. And if neither of those concepts tickle your fancy, then why the fuck are you reading this blog anyway?

An Exercise in Excess

Last year I created my own fake holiday. Why? Because this is the internet, a place where you are perfectly at liberty to do ridiculous shit like that. For those who don't remember (or chose to forget), I called my baby Drunken Podcasting Month. A fairly self-explanatory moniker, it simply challenged podcasters to get drunk before/during one or more of their recording sessions in the month of September. A handful of shows took the Drunken Podcasting Month challenge, including my own Radio Free Hipster, and much mirth was made.

This year, I'm bringing it back, like sexy, but I need your help. If it's just me and my special DPM co-hosts Church and Matt getting drunk on the virtual air it's a concept, but if other podcasters participate it's a movement. Last year's Grand Champion Drunkcaster, Meg of Brilliant Gameologists, will be unable to participate in this year's event, so it's up to the rest of us to drink more, talk louder and vomit extra violently. It is surely a daunting task, but I think we can do it if we all keep our bleary eyes on the prize.

Via to the magic of Twitter, I've been able to connect with lots of other great podcasters - @jonnynero of Epic Default, @mutantpop of Radio Clash, @jayslacks of the 10 o'clock Podcast, etc. – and I'm hoping I can sweet talk them into getting crunk for the cause, but, much like the Blues Brothers, I need you, you, you.

If you are a podcaster, why not get drunk? If you are a drunk, why not try podcasting? If you are a graphic designer, why not pitch me a snazzy Drunken Podcasting Month logo that participants can use to promote the event? September comes but once a year, but the shame and embarrassment you'll feel from having all of the wired world hear your intoxicated ramblings will surely last a lifetime.

Nerd News in Brief

It's always great when a independent, intrinsically geeky musical community gets some major media attention. Yet it's all the more crushing when that spotlight, rather than shine on the true face of the scene, instead chooses to highlight only what it wants to see.

Such is the case with TIME's recent piece on the Kind of Bloop chiptune tribute album. Therein, the interviewing journalist misquotes (the ever-living fuck out of) artist Shnabubula.

Check out the whole story, and help spread the word.

• Hold the Beef: Beefy has just launched a new BBS at his site beefyness.com. Mr. Thompson states that these forums will be a well-mannered and low-key hangout for fans of nerdcore, JALP and other flavors of geekery. Join up and feel the love.
• Twice Removed: Superpowerless has been mad prolific this week. His YouTube channel has been ablaze with new solo content and the triumphant return of Scared of Dinosaurs, but most impressive is his remix of The Grammar Club cover of Jonathan Coulton's classic "Code Monkey." Can you say meta?
• Truth Hits Everybody: New info from the Centers for Disease Control suggests that most gamers are old, fat and miserable. This, however, does not explain the wealth of 12-year-olds calling me a fag on Xbox Live.
• Know the Name: MC Lars and K.Flay have dropped a new video for the debut single from their Single and Famous EP. It's the title track, and it will likely make you call your ex and demand all your shit back.
• Sock It!: This week, a cat got over a million Twitter followers. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, MC Frontalot wrote a new song. I could get all emo over this, but Front wrote a song about me ages ago!
• Ultra-Mega OK: Megaran has pitched a panel idea for SXSW 2010 entitled "Video Games and Hip-Hop: Making the Connection." Go vote it up at PanelPicker and help drag the gaming industry further away from shitty soundtracks!
• It's a Party: mc chris will be celebrating his birthday this year at Atlanta's Dragon*Con. RSVP to let him know how many Yoda cupcakes to bring – the party is Star Wars-themed – and to volunteer for the decorating committee.
• Nerds, Gender and Introversion: Church points you in the direction of this Washington City Paper post concerning why nerds can be so damn sexist, then Matt counters with this Bitch Magazine article about gender in the (heavily female-slanted) communities of Wrock and Twi-rock. Lastly, Jason completes the cultural hat-trick with this Comics 212 piece about the new "post-otaku" movement.
• My Hero: Also from Matt comes fantastic news for all of my brothers and sisters who are, like me, shit-scared of the undead. When the zombie apocalypse ultimately arrives, math may be on our side!
• Kick Back: For those who have been sitting on their hands with regard to Dual Core's newest masterpiece, please be aware that Next Level is now available from the Amazon MP3 store. You're really running out of reasons not to buy it.
• Maja League: Once again our boy Maja finds himself on the receiving end of some good press. This time southwestern MC made an appearance on his local FOX affiliate. Check out this vlog of the event on his YouTube channel.
• RAWK!: And while you're getting your YouTube on, be sure to check out P4KO's rocked up cover of the Street Fighter II credits song ("Ready to Fight"). You can also score an MP3 version of the track if you like. And you will like.
• Gonna Make You Sweat: One final piece of necessary YouTubery comes from our sock puppet pals Uncle Monsterface. They are gonna whip that ass into shape with some "Sweat Sexxxy." And you can rock out with the guys themselves this Sunday at the Coney Island Museum. It's their last show of the summer, so be sure to come out!
• Legendary: Closing us out this week is another great piano piece from Kento. This time around he's playing a lengthy Zelda medley with the help of randomly drawn title and mood cards. It's a very cool concept that I don't think has received the proper attention as of yet. Give it a look-see.

Live to Fight

There are many places where I expect to encounter The Grammar Club. Strip bars. Red-light districts. Prison. But one place I never anticipated running across them, or at least their music, is in a promo video for Australian mixed martial arts. I stand corrected.

NerdRockstar Wants to Give You a PS3

Typically, when one is vying for a handsome prize in a random drawing, one keeps his fucking trap shut so as not to further decrease his chances of winning. But you know what? I'm not gonna do that. In fact, I am gonna spread the word and encourage all of you to toss your names in the proverbial hat as well. 'Cause I am cool like that.

Many of you no doubt caught my mention of geeky clothier NerdRockstar last week. Well, today I again invoke the name for a trio of wonderful reasons. Which I will now innumerate:

First, NerdRockstar has just rolled out a brand new t-shirt design for my Janglish-slangin' brother Maja. It's a take on the classic Sega logo, and uses the same font as the famed "Nerdcore is Not Dead" design. Exciting shit, no?

Even better is that the fact that NR's Jason has challenged himself to offer a new shirt design every day for the next month! His Thing-a-Day program thumbs its nose as Coulton by kicking out brand new products at breakneck speed. Already available are designs for Portal aficionados and those clever Steampunks.

And there was one other thing too.

What was it?

Oh yeah, NerdRockstar is giving away a goddamn PS3! One of the new slim ones! For free!

As the crew continues its mission to spread the word about the shop, they are turning to the community and rewarding their efforts. Simply buying any piece of merch from the virtual storefront or proclaiming your love for the site via your social network of choice nets you an entry into the drawing, and multiple entries are encouraged. Peep the blog for full details, and then do your best to win Sony's newest multimedia monster.

While I Was Out

I am back! And I have returned with yet another pebble of personal truth. (In addition to a metric ton of sand in my ass crack.)

The nature of this revelation? I am not particularly good at vacationing.

You see, my regular day-to-day life is pretty chill. I have a great wife, two wonderful kids, a job that's annoying far less than half the time and a pair of blogs/podcasts that are more enjoyable to me than they have any right to be. In short, things are typically kinda low key. Stuff is fairly relaxed. Shit is pretty sweet.

Now contrast this with vacation, an unsavory event during which I am beholden to attempt packing an entire year's worth of relaxation – relaxation in this case meaning non-stop movement from dusk to dawn – into a scant week.

Surely you see my point.

The strange thing is that while I was away "relaxing," the nerdy world went right along spinning. Indeed, no sooner had I set out than things commenced a-poppin'. Particularly on the new release front, there have been a number of interesting developments.

The rock opera rebellion that is The Protomen's Act II is so close that you can almost taste it. But should you prefer to experience music via a more traditional sense, perhaps you should turn your attention to the recent leak of "Light up the Night." The commander himself describes it as "the first glimpse of the second half of Act II," but I'd simply say it's another exemplary effort from our heroes.

Meanwhile, from the soggy streets of Seattle comes word of the long-awaited debut album by People Within. Fronted by Optimus Rhyme alumnus Broken English, People Within meld hip-hop, jazz-funk and punk into an unbelievable musical menagerie. Though the official release date is set for September 12th, I was lucky enough to score a preview copy. I'll be sure to toss some tracks into forthcoming podcasts so as to acclimate the uninitiated to the new sound of the Pacific Northwest.

But certainly the timeliest of news concerns today's release of the 7-song MC Lars and K.Flay EP Single and Famous. Due to my out-of-townedness I only downloaded my review copy last night, but it's already managed to insinuate itself into a perpetually packed song rotation. It's very much the spiritual successor to the Lars and YTCracker collab The Digital Gangster LP as it's another musical expression of friendship and fun, but don't feel like you have to take my word for it. The EP is available at a sliding price point – another similarity to the DGLP – so go ahead and pick it up in any of its varied forms.

Savvy fans will also notice talk of a Lars/K.Flay/YT tour, information regarding which I will try to secure before my review of Single and Famous hits the interwebz.