Whachulissninto?

There was a time when that question was proposed to me almost daily. Now? Not so much.

I mean, between my two podcasts and the near constant stream of music-related nonsense I spout via Twitter, I reckon most of you know what I am digging at any given time. Of course the Cardinal app [plug] which is currently available for free [/plug] has streamlined that process by letting me tweet my song-of-the-moment directly from my iPod, but that's neither here nor there.

Because, you see, while I can very easily tell you what particular track or artist I am listening to/singing to myself in the can, it's a bit harder to elaborate on all the songs currently vying for my mental real estate.

I'm serious, kids; it's fuckin' nuts in there with all these albums vying for the prized position at the top of my dome!

So, in an effort to make the voices stop alleviate this particular problem, I'm going to give you a proper rundown of my current picks. Don't worry about taking notes, as everything is all hyper-linked for your convenience.

Zero Day
Obviously I am presently enthralled by Front's new release. My cohorts at Wired called it his nerdiest album yet, and I concur. If you've digested the long-ago leaked "Your Friend Wil" or sampled the current tour set (which includes new shit like "Jacquelyn Hyde" and "Spoiler Alert"), you've heard a little of what Zero Day has to offer. But there's more. Oh, so much more!

"Disaster" further refines the posse cut genius of his classic "Nerdcore Rising" while taking a cue from Dual Core's epic "Fantastic Four" and kicking the cross-MC-give-and-take up a notch and "First World Problem" puts a conscious spin on his own geeky brand of lyricism. And there's also "Better at Rapping," which boasts some of Frontalot's most fearless instrumentation to date. (Goddamn banjo!)

Between an even more refined sound and a number of standout guests stars, it's not an album to be missed.

Oh, and for the record "A Little Bit Broad" pretty much answers all questions/criticism concerning nerdcore as a style. So there.

E for Everyone
In my GeekDad review, I called the new Kirby Krackle album the year's first must-buy, and I stand by that statement.

While painting themselves as a comic book rock band, Kirby Krackle are actually more broadly defined as all-purpose geek rockers. With an album that kicks off with a highly groovable joint about Fallout 3 and closes with a touching ode to con life, it's sort of hard not to love them.

From broad conceptual pieces that deconstruct notable archetypes ("Henchman" and "Secret Identity") to good natured lampooning of everyone's favorite loser superhero team ("Great Lakes Avengers"), E for Everyone is 11-tracks of awesome wrapped up in a Jim Mahfood cover.

And you just can't fuck with that.

Unlimited
News from the Scrub Club tends to come out in these veritable eruptions. I mean, there's the odd solitary happening now and again, but more often than not it is one bombshell after another in brilliant succession. A recent trio of big items from the Club includes news of a shift in ZeaLouS1's stylistic direction, the recent acquisition of Florida ninjas Krondor Krew and the release of Dr. Awkward's first full-length.

While the former are interesting developments, the latter is what's really grabbed my attention. Awk's Next Gen was the perfect hip-hop EP; it satisfied without overstaying its welcome. It was, at the risk of getting all cliché, all killer and no filler.

At 15 tracks, Unlimited isn't quite so cleanly pruned as its predecessor. Still, it amazes start-to-finish.

Even on those rare occasion when I found minor faults, Unlimited sounds amazing, and Doc takes his entire aesthetic, from his unique blend of sharp flow and smooth sing-alongs to his soulful musical presentation, to the aforementioned next level.

Pound for pound, "DualShAwks" is the track most indicative of the strength inherent in the good Doctor's newly polished release – and I'm not just saying that because I inspired a tiny bit of it – but the whole thing is required listening for studious hip-hoppers.

It's free, and cheap at twice the price.

Anomaly
And while I'm talking about cats breaking new ground, Norrin Radd's recent Pause release Anomaly is a fucking beast. While there are a number of important acts integrating the spirit of thrash and death metal into VGM (Year 200X and NESMETAL to name but two), Radd's new album emulates the style to a tee.

A chiptune opus concerning an unfortunate protagonist who finds himself face-to-face with the existential horror of infinite space, Anomaly apes everything from the downtuned leads and double bass to the guttural lyrical delivery.

Okay, admittedly that's not gonna appeal to everyone, but I urge readers with the slightest inclination toward heavy music to give it a go.

It's really the kind of thing that needs to be experienced to be believed, so head over to Pause Music for a free download. And maybe consider ponying up the ten bones for a physical copy if the spirit moves you.

Shit That Ain't Even Out Yet
I try not to tease y'all with stuff you don't yet have access to, but the final pair of albums in my current rotation are pre-release goodies from some friends of mine.

You've already heard a new selection from Antisocial's forthcoming Future Hop release – assuming, of course, that you've downloaded my recent Doctor Who tribute – but he was nice enough to give me the whole thing early.

Antisoc is an artist that I've been fortunate enough to follow since his most tentative steps into nerdcore hip-hop, and as a result I've seen him evolve firsthand. This album is different, however, in that it at long last fully realizes his musical potential. Antisocial is a guy doing geeky rap who comes from a very industrial/futurepop background, and, while his previous efforts have seen a mix of dark instrumentals scattered amid more typical nerdcore fare, the aptly named Future Hop finally combines them into a genuinely amazing sonic soufflé.

Look for it this Towel Day.

And lastly, a copy of Beefy's long-awaited With Sprinkles also recently made its way into my inbox and… well… DAY-YUM!

Beefy's another guy that I've been following for a long time, and between his recent work with The Grammar Club and some amazing guest spots on other artists' albums it's become apparent that he is mining a pretty powerful musical vein at present.

With Sprinkles exploits this issue to the fullest. With some new tricks (as yet unheard-of flows, sharper lyricism and some dazzlingly bright production from cats like Mustin and c64) and all the stuff you've come to love (hijacked samples and smart-assery abound), it's easily my most anticipated release of the coming year!

And now you know that.

Visitations: A Musical Tribute to Doctor Who

In recent years my love for the Doctor Who franchise has grown as big as Matt Smith's head…

Wow, that was a terrible way to start this off.

At any rate, I am not alone in my love for the series, so I had little problem rounding up contributors for a Doctor Who-themed compilation project. Which I will now dispense to you. Freely.

I actually went at this compilation a little differently than my previous endeavors. First and foremost, I didn't put quite so much emphasis on exclusive material. Don't get me wrong, there's some new hotness herein, but I also relied a bit on the tracks that inspired the original concept.

My friends Videogame Orchestra let me include their stellar theme song cover that's been in circulation for a while, and Navi from Metamystiks Inc let me toss in their classic track "Superior Beings," which, while not a Doctor Who song, per se, makes fantastic use of Dalek samples.

DJ Bentelli likewise hooked me up with his amazing mc chris mash-up that samples, among other things, "Doctorin' the TARDIS," while both Antisoc and Dale Chase let me use Who-flavored tracks from their forthcoming albums.

I also mined the sub-(sub-sub?)genre of Time Lord Rock in the form of contributions from Turn Left (AKA: The Geek Chic Band, AKA: RiddleTM, AKA: Victoria and Georgia) and The Vashta Nerada (featuring my internet homegirl MaryBeth), a pair of tracks you may also have happened across in your musical journeys.

Still, I have to give fervent props to rapper MC_Loki, chiprocker Jonny Nero Action Hero, mad Canadian genius Snake Eyes and my old jangle-rockin' pal Brux for contributing brand new material.

It this blend of old, new and in-between that also inspired the flow of this album. From the get-go it felt to me like a mixtape, so I took special care to overlay the songs in a similar manner. Of course, since I can't imagine anyone but me would want a 40 minute Doctor mega-mix in his collection, I also edited the final product down into independent tracks for your listening pleasure.

Sure, I intended for it to be digested as a whole, but this is the internet and folks seldom do as you anticipate. And thusly, here is Visitations: A Musical Tribute to Doctor Who, the latest Hipster, please! compilation album with a name that is itself a tribute to the property in question, to enjoy as you see fit.

Much love to all the contributors, to the killer design team of Talkie Tim and Spiky Zebra, without which you'd still be waiting on this album's release, and to you. Because you rock. And you know this.

-----------

Download Visitations: A Musical Tribute to Doctor Who in its entirety right the hell here.

Individual downloads for those with lousy connections:

1. MC_Loki - "Who be the Man?"[Explicit]

2. Videogame Orchestra - "Doctor Who Theme"

3. Metamystiks Inc - "Superior Beings (feat. ArmageddonMan)" [Explicit]

4. Jonny Nero Action Hero - "Cyber Octicks (feat. Audio in the Pregap)"

5. DJ Bentelli - "mc chris for the TARDIS" [Explicit]

6. Dale Chase - "Who's Your Doctor?"

7. The Vashta Nerada - "Song for the Doctor"

8. Brux Callison & The Entangled Photons - "C'mon Leela (Put Your Knife Away)"

9. Antisoc - "The Doctor is In"

10. Turn Left - "There's No Such Thing as Impossible"

11. Snake Eyes - "Blink"

Life's just not worth living without a handy playlist.

And here are some liner notes. Because everyone wants to read another few hundred words of my foolishness.

Don't forget those amazing front and back cover images I was telling you about.

And for folks who just can't abide a digital release, here's a printable version of both to dress up that burned CD.

Still Fronting (After All These Years)

Despite the fact that nerdcore is apparently both dead and racist (Like Strom Thurmond?), I am pleased to report that our old friend MC Frontalot is still managing to eke out a meager living. With a current tour underway, I was lucky enough to catch him at Charlotte's Milestone, and he drew a great crowd for a Thursday night show.

In addition to Front and Co., attendants were also treated to a trio of fine openers. KbaZ, a street-level cat that managed to work a dash of toasting into his set, started the night off right. He put on a hell of a show, despite the fact that he was given such an early timeslot, and warmed to joint up nicely for local seven-piece ThoughtCriminals.

Blending hip-hop and live instrumentation in the style reminiscent of Optimus Rhyme, Southside or Front's own hybrid, ThoughtCriminals really blew me away. With a trio of lively MCs, a solid rhythm section and well-placed guitars, keys and even the occasional Nintendo DS to layer melodies, the musical end of their set was as enjoyable as the on-stage antics. (Seriously, y'all, Rawzen pretty much danced for the entire show, not just his performance.)

After a freestyle finale that featured pretty much every rapper on the bill and a few that just so happened to be in the vicinity, eclectic duo Quantum Foundry took the stage. Boasting sharp rhymes, expertly-placed Troma samples and more than a little sweat, Quantum Foundry brought another level to the proceedings – including, if Agent Cataclysm is to be believed, a track in Mandarin – before turning the stage over to Frontalot.

This time around Frontalot's touring band consists of regular bassist, vocalist, and all-around fantastic gent Blak Lotus, that incomparable master of percussive arts The Sturgenius and freshly acquired keyboardist Vic-20. As this marks my fifth, if memory serves, Frontalot performance, I'll admit that, while I have long preferred the stage antics of The Sturgenius, I was initially disappointed that Gminor7 wasn't making an appearance this go-round.

After seeing the show, though, I rescind my earlier complaint. As much as I dig Gaby and the unique chemistry that exists between him and Front, Vic-20 is my new favorite tickler of the ivories in a live setting. Shit, not only is the aforementioned trio now my preferred backing lineup, I'll go so far as to say that this is the single best performance I've even witnessed by any combination of the MC Frontalot band.

Sturgis was as rock-solid as he ever was and dressed up new interpretations of old classics like "Goth Girls" aptly, Vic-20, the unknown element, was a veritable dynamo of hooks and snappy vocals and Brandon, who's always great fun on stage, was in the rarest of forms.

And lest I forget Frontalot himself, who, despite the tragic loss of his regular headlamp, whipped his way through a well-balanced set of traditional and brand new material in a manner most divine. This despite the appearance of that killer of performance inertia, drunk chick ™, who made a number of unfortunate stage-front appearances.

In summation, if you get a chance to check out Frontalot on this latest tour, you'd be wise to do so. Further, if you find yourself nearby my own rural locality, keep an eye out for the aforesaid openers ThoughtCriminals, who will, I dare say, be showing up in the playlist of forthcoming editions of Radio Free Hipster.

Yes, my friends, spring is in the air. As is hip-hop.

JALP Episode 89 - Switching of the Shit (Podswap Edition)

As you've all certainly unraveled the earlier Radio Free Hipster/Just Another Lazy Podcast shenanigans by now, I thought it might be nice to mirror my contribution to this year's Podswap over here at my digs.

Rather than do a regular format JALP, I instead opted to do a "Best of Beefy" style episode. I picked five of my favorite tracks from my ol' pal Beef Thompson, including one that neither man nor beast few have heard before!

Download JALP Episode 89 - Switching of the Shit [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 21.2 MB Running Time: 23:10

Show Notes:

Intro: MC Lars – "Download This Song"
La-la-la-la-la-la-lah.

Z's 1st interlude: "I am not Beef Thompson."
But this is truly an experiment in sound.

Track 1: Beefy – "Creative Process"
I love this track. Though I realize I am likely in the minority.

Z's 2nd interlude: "We are gonna fast-forward a year to his Tube Technology LP."
A landmark nerdcore release, to be sure.

Track 2: Beefy – "Nerdcore for Life"
A fine performance by Beefy, and a really phenomenal beat by Snyder.

Z's 3rd interlude: "From an off-the-cuff comment made by YT."
Yet another example of how YTCracker is perpetually wrecking your shit. Unbeknownst to you.

Track 3: The Grammar Club – "Balloon Flight"
A selection from one of my favorite EPs of all time.

Z's 4th interlude: "Probably one of the greatest pop rock/hip-hop hybrids I've ever heard."
For true.

Track 4: Beefy – "Table Top"
It was hard for me to pick a fave track from Rolling Doubles. In the end, this one edged out "Olly Olly Oxen Free."

Z's final interlude: "I am going close out by doing the unthinkable; leaking a brand new Beefy song of my own."
Yep, a leaked track. From me. Inconceivable.

Track 5: Beefy – "20-Sided Rhyme"
From the (hopefully) forthcoming compilation of the same name. I'd love to know what you think of it.

And there you go, folks. I'm on track to bring you your regular scheduled podcast at month's end. There's been a number of exciting new musical developments, so anticipate an un-themed show.

Also, let me publicly thank the JALP crew for doing such an amazing job with this year's Podswap. It is by far my favorite episode of RFH to date… Although it also reveals my deepest, darkest secret; that I am fairly unessential to the whole Radio Free Hipster process! ;)

Is There a Doctor in the House?

As those of you who listen to the HipTrax podcast over at GeekDad already know, I'm presently putting the finishing touches on a soon-to-be-released Doctor Who-themed compilation. (For those keeping score at home, everything is ready to go save the all-important cover art.)

One of the stand-out tracks from the comp is by my new friend Dale Chase, of "Coder Girl" fame. It's slated for inclusion on his forthcoming release Limit Break, and it puts his own unique lyrical spin on the titular Doctor.

So, while you wait for me to get my proverbial shit together and push out the project-proper, why not enjoy a free download of his fantastic contribution "Who's Your Doctor?"

Give it a listen, spread the word and for fuck's sake give Dale some love for such an unbelievably tasty track!

Download: Dale Chase - "Who's Your Doctor?"

Doctor, Doctor

With the world still reeling from the chippy grandeur of Brad Smith's epic Moon8 – which, in case you missed it, recreates the entirety of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon via Famitracker – Doctor Octoroc has unleashed his own inspired 8-bit cover project. The spiritual successor to his 8-Bit Jesus Christmas album, 8-Bit Doctor Horrible re-imagines Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog as a classic NES game.

At 16 tracks strong, the project hits all the musical high points of the Joss Whedon source material including "Bad Horse Chorus," "A Man's Gotta Do" and "Brand New Day." Moreover, Doc has taken the idea to the next level by creating a simply astounding 8-bit videogame mock-up as an accompany piece.

Peep the video interpretation of 8-Bit Dr. Horrible (Act 1) below, and then proceed immediately to Doctor Octoroc's site to download the album itself. And bring extra Wonderflonium.

Couple's Skate

My pal Shael Riley just hipped me to the news that another installment of ThaSauce's famed Double's Dash songwriting competition is shortly forthcoming.

Slated for May 7th from 9:00 PM to midnight, Double's Dash 3 will again invite teams of two to write and record a full track (including vocals) in a scant three hours.

The event is open to all comers via #ThaSauce on irc.enterthegame.com, and partners are chosen at the start of the event. A listening party will, of course, follow.

Straight from the horse's mouth:

Overview:

Teams of two write, record and upload to ThaSauce a vocal pop song in under three hours and twenty minutes. There is no theme, but teammates are not to be chosen until 15 minutes prior to the start of the compo, thereby providing an X-factor.

Typically, one team member handles the instrumental and production, while the other handles lyrics and vocals, but that's not a rule; division of labor can be handled in any way a team sees fit, though it is not in the spirit of the event for one team member to do everything while the other sits idle.

Teammate-choosing happens in #ThaSauce on irc.enterthegame.com, 15 minutes prior to the compo's start. Listening party, in the same IRC channel, immediately follows the compo's completion.

After the listening party, entrants and non-entrants alike can vote for their three favorite songs from all entries. Voting is open for 10 days, and is open to anyone.

Rules:

• Gotta have vocals.
• Gotta have lyrics.
• No choosing teammate until the teammate-choosing period 15 minutes prior to the compo's start.
• No working on your song at all before the compo begins.
• Completed submissions are to be uploaded in mp3 format, encoded at no higher than 192 kbps.

Because of ThaSauce's account-based upload system, either member of a given team may upload his team's submission. However, both should not. If you are your team's designated uploader, make sure you note your teammate in your song's description, and give your team a cool name. (Cool names only. Teams with lame names automatically forfeit.)

Purpose:

By participating in this compo, you should...

• Enjoy a fun game.
• Make a good song.
• Have a rare opportunity to hone your ability as a co-writer.

Presented by ThaSauce and hosted by Shael Riley

For further details, peep the Facebook event page or hit up Shael /your homies at ThaSauce. Most importantly, holler at me when you're done so I can hear your submissions. You know how I do.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 86: The Ugly Truth

For this edition of Radio Free Hipster, I've decided to forego the voice modulation process I've applied to each and every one of my previous podcasts to this point. This decision was not an easy one, primarily because I've used it as a way to keep my family safe from the evils lurking on the webternets.

But this need for safety has turned to fear, and if X and Twiggy ever expect to become world class champions in order to win my love, then I had better start toughening them up. I've even gone as far as to put them on this very podcast, thus giving the stalker and ne'er-do-well community a proverbial "bring it on" gesture, my fists firmly placed at my sides.

What you'll find within, besides the courage that has lived inside you all along, are songs not chosen to placate a theme, but rather a roster of the finest audio clips meant to join together as an almost unholy alliance (due mostly to the involvement of Schaffer The Darklord). Bask as these most heroic of tunes provide you with buffs and much needed healing as you battle the harsh realities of day to day life. Dragons. Corrupt Armies. Mowing the Lawn. All will bow before the might of this podcast!

Take charge my minions! Take to the skies and rain down upon our enemies with such vengeance they will question the very Gods themselves!

Also comment if you like. Thanks! 

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 86: The Ugly Truth [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 53.4 MB Running Time: 58:25

Show Notes:

Intro: Z's first intro

Actual Intro: Baddd Spellah - "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
The best part of the show. 

Z's 1st interlude: "GeekDad Told Me"
Meet the crew. It's a family affair 

Track 1: Shael Riley - "Music Of My Groin"
X insisted on this one. I can't tell him no. He looks like a tiny me! 

Track 2: MC Frontalot - "Your Friend Wil"
I have never once been called a dick. I must not have great friends. 

Track 3: Kirby Krackle - "Ring Capacity"
Oooooh! It's about Green Lantern! I get it now. 

Track 4: Dual Core - "The Game"
This was based on my life in the early 2000s. "Z" isn't my real name. It used to be Victor. 

Z's 2nd interlude: "That Orgy Was A Mistake"
Including a fifth would have been nice. 

Track 5: mc chris - "Awesome Fucker"
I have to assume this song is also based on my life. 

Track 6: Tenacious D - "Double Team"
I don't know why, but this song always reminds me of Just Another Lazy Podcast. You should go check that out. 

Track 7: Weezer - "Undone (The Sweater Song)"
Someone told me this song was a metaphor for a relationship. I thought it was a cool song about sweaters. I f'n hate metaphors! 

Track 8: The Lonely Island - "Metaphor"
These guys have mastered the art of subtlety. Truly wonderful. I f'n love metaphors! 

Z's 3rd interlude: "Huge Boobs"
After all these years I finally break down and get way honest, yo. 

Track 9: MC Lars - "This Gigantic Robot Kills"
Ska is not dead. It's been lost in time fighting a dragon to save us from the Negas'rife headed for Earth. 

Track 10: Futuristic Sex Robotz - "Hey, Ladies"
I put this in here because I like the intro right after Lars' song about killer robots. 

Track 11: Optimus Rhyme - "Calm Down"
All joking aside this is a gem, usually hidden to those not in the know. 

Track 12: Schaffer The Darklord - "Pixilated Vixen"
I too would totally bone a videogame lady. 

Z's 4th interlude: "Giant Shoes I Could Never Fill"
My son does not like Beefy. He is grounded. 

Track 13: Wordburglar - "Hermaphromic"
Due to Canadia's honor system in the prisons, The SJ can still tour. So that's good for him. Bad for frightened words. 

Track 14: MPFM - "Kool-Aid"
Once I level up a bit more I'll cast a resurrect on MPFM. So fear not. 

Z's final interlude: "I Just Want To Give Z Pokemon!"
The truth finally comes out. We really love you Z! 

Track 15: Beefy - "Uncanny [f. MC Lars]"
Coming up on With Sprinkles. Beat by Mustin. Sex appeal by Beefy.

***SPOILER WARNING***

You fools! Little did you know that the man you thought was Z was merely the cunning guise of none other than Beef Thompson himself! How could you have been to easily misled? Your lives are now forfeit!

This has been an April Fools podswap! Oh snap! There's no possible way you saw this coming! Jones, Steve, and I really enjoyed wasting your time today. Please note that anything negative we said in the podcast we didn't mean (except in the case of Jones McFly. It's not that everything Jones says is true, it's just hard to separate the fiction from the mega-fiction.) So thank you boys and girls, and don't forget to check back next week for your usual dose of Z. Also check out the podcast he did for us over at Just Another Lazy Podcast!

The Darkness Grows as all Light Dies

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

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

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

Peep the specifics:

The Challenge:

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

The Prizes:

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

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

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

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

There are a few other stipulations, of course.

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

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

Sex Bob-omb

By now you've all seen the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World trailer. Multiple times, I'll wager.

Pretty awesome, innit? I know I'm excited.

What's more exciting is that the Former Fat Boys are holding a little contest related to the film.

From now until April 17th, fans are asked to promote the band's new single "7 Evil Exes" via Twitter. In a very particular manner.

Copy and paste the following tweet as many times as you like between now and then for a chance to win some pretty sweet prizes:

@edgarwright @nigelgod PUT @formerfatboys song “7 Evil Exes” on Scott Pilgrim soundtrack! Listen HERE: http://bit.ly/9VZSJA #ffbvsworld

I'll let FFB explain the specifics:

Edgar Wright (@edgarwright) = the director of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (and such classics as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz)
Nigel Godrich (@nigelgod) = arguably the most famous music producer in the world. cough Radiohead cough.

Make sure to include #ffbvsworld, that's how we're keeping track of the entries. Tell your friends, post a link to formerfatboys.com/scottpilgrim on your Facebook as well. Enter as many times as you want. It'd be insane to get this to be a trending topic.

Prizes:
-Posters
-Rocky Loves Emily (Our First CD)
-Roostledoodledoo (Our Ringtone Album)
-Wii Wiish You A Merry Christmas (Our Christmas Album)
-I'm A Dinosaurus, Hard Corey, Barack Out With Your Cock Out, and Former Fat Boys logo T-Shirts
-The Enormous Adventures of the Guys Gone Wild (Our sketch comedy DVD)
-$157 Cash Grand Prize

BONUS PRIZES THAT CAN BE UNLOCKED WITH ACHIEVEMENTS:

If your tweet is retweeted by @edgarwright or @nigelgod, you will instantly unlock a prize of $207.

If we get notice from @nigelgod and @edgarwright that they're checking out the song it will unlock a prize of $207.

If the song makes it into the movie by some magic luck, we'll give one winner $777.

So there you go. Help the Former Fat Boys promote their new joint and maybe, just maybe worm their way on the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack. You'll be glad you did.

The Sound

This site is all about nerd music.

Wait, kids, there's even more earth-shattering declarations ahead! ;)

Seriously, though, I spend a good chunk of my free time seeking out, reviewing and promoting nerd art not because it's fun (although it is) or lucrative (which it assuredly isn't), but because it is my passion. That tiny intersection of music and nerdery is the cozy little place I call home. It is my hobbit hole.

I try to invite the rest of you around as often as I possible because I love the company and because I know that your share that passion.

The problem is I am only one man. A tiny man with big responsibilities that lie well outside this particular stratum. As such, you typically get what's left, what little scraps of time that I can devote to writing and researching and recording. Often that's not a lot.

Thankfully, there are others who share my noble mission. There's the Rhyme Torrents community, OverClocked ReMix, the Nerdapalooza crew, EMPulse and Scrub Club, not to mention my blogging brethren at sites like Game Music 4 All and Wizrocklopedia. But, just like me, their time and resources are sorely limited.

But what if there was a way that we could all chip in? What if there was a dedicated place where artists could share music, fans could discover new acts and everyone connect on their own?

That's exactly the project that's been suggested by my friend Snipeyhead.

I think you all know Snipe. I've spoken of her a number of times here at the blog, and she is a veritable fixture on the nerdier side of Twitter.

She recently outlined her idea for a literal nerd music community, a place that's essentially a finely-tuned last.fm or t61 just for us. A place where nerd artists can share their songs, stories and shop links, and where listeners can discover new shit and share their thoughts.

Here’s an overview of planned features for the user:

• one-stop shop (literally) for all manner of geeky music
• artists are searchable by name, sub-genre, etc
• user-ratings help guide new visitors towards the best music, even if that music isn’t well-known (yet)
• commenting/feedback options (maybe)
• callout area for newest music, new artists, and top rated

Overview of features for the artists:

• bio area obviously
• links back to your website/myspace/facebook/twitter/etc
• links to buy on your own site, amazon, itunes, cdbaby, etc
• flash player to play all or samples of your tracks – this will include an mp3 upload option, or you can link back to your own-hosted mp3s
• import your show schedule RSS feed for display on your profile. If you don’t have one just for shows, an admin interface to add them is likely
• generated RSS feed for each artist that aggregates your blog posts, show schedules, new tracks added, etc.
• ability to copy+paste links to your YouTube vids for inline display
• widget to put on your own websites (if you want?) for your visitors to vote you up on the site
• generated “become a fan” functionality to tie into your facebook fan page
• possible option to auto-truncate songs in flash player so you can offer partial samples without having to cut a separate track

Snipe, who is the consummate coder girl, is looking from input regarding the project, so please proceed to her blog to check out the deets. (Important: The password for the previous link is nerdcore.) You can also check out a wireframe mock-up to give you an idea of where it's going.

I know a lot of us have kicked around the concept of a full-on nerd music storehouse, but Snipe genuinely has the chops to pull a huge undertaking like this off. All she needs from you is your suggestions, and, of course, your kind attention.

Nerd News in Brief

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

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

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

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

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

Something that is Not PAX East

I know I'm supposed to be all excited about PAX East this weekend, and, truth be told, I am. Sure, I'm not going, which is kind of a pisser, but a bunch of my fellow GeekDads are gonna be in attendance as will nerdy friends like Nagini, so I feel like I'll at least be there in spirit.

Oh, and as an aside, free sticker for anyone who manages to namedrop me during the Geek Parenting Panel! ;)

But, back to the topic at hand, while we've all been buzzing about PAX for months, I just hit upon an event also going down this weekend that you may have missed. Texas nerdlingers are probably well aware of Comicpalooza, running from March 26th-28th at the George R. Brown Convention in Houston, but it's also of note that Saturday the 27th will see a Nerdcore show at nearby Joystix arcade and bar.

It's all a part of Houston's new homegrown nerd culture site Space City Nerd's big kick-off party, and it features a performance by Scrub Club's magnificent Dr. Awkward and the return of the unforgettable MC Router. Also on tap are artists Jim Mahfood (AKA: my hero) and David Mack making with the geeky art LIVE!

Oh, and free-play classic arcade cabinets. You can't forget that shit.

So essentially there's something for everyone. And if you're a regular reader of this blog there's probably lots of stuff to get excited about.

The show's a scant 10 bones, but it is a 21+ affair, so plan accordingly. There's also a Facebook event page you can consult for further details.

Most importantly, if you go take some pictures for me!

Bumper Stickers, Pokemon, Podcasts & You

Earlier this year I talked a bit about trying to bring a stronger visual element to Hipster, please!, to include more images and videos and eye candy to help mellow the acerbic cocktail that is my writing. And while this is all well and good, it occurs to me that I also need to expand in another direction.

I'm talking community here, people. Interactivity.

You nerds have been supporting me for at least as long I've been supporting you, so I'm desperately trying to, y'know, put myself out there. To kick our little exchanges up a notch.

To that end I have a trio of (hopefully) interesting points I'd like to touch on. If, of course, you'll be so kind as to indulge me.

Who Wants Stuff?

First and foremost, I have – at the urgings of at least a couple of you – ordered some more bumper stickers. I don't really do merch, as such. I find it a little distasteful for someone who provides such a paltry service as me to pimp wares, but I know some of y'all like this stuff, so here it is.

This time around, the "Nerd music. Nerd culture. Nerd life." has instead been replaced with my newest semi-ironic battle cry "Geek is something you do. Nerd is something you live."

Does this mean that I've given up my previous position on the geek = nerd argument? Not in the slightest. It simply means that, as my buddy Glenn pointed out, I love to bastardize quotes from the great KRS-One.

You may procure some of these stickers in the traditional manner: just use the Paypal donate button to your right to send me as much or as little scratch as you feel led to take the sting out of shipping and/or support the site. (And, as I am never one to overlook the downtrodden, if you're too broke to donate feel free to holler at me anyway.)

And just like last time, once these things are gone, they're gone. I might eventually print more stickers, but they won't boast this particular smart-ass phrasing.

Defeat Your Inner Snorlax

With the shilling out of the way, I'd also like to invite those of you with a freshly opened copy of Pokemon HeartGold or SoulSilver to participate in a little fitness experiment with me.

The Pokewalker Fitness Challenge is a crazy idea I had while following John Kovalic's #geekestloser Twitter trend, but rather than attempt to motivate nerds to lose weight it is instead focused on forcing us to get out of our cubes and do a little bit of walking.

Using the Pokewalker's pedometer function, the PFC challenges participants to clock in a certain number of steps per day. This number grows gradually over a course of weeks until all but one player has grown to weary (or bored) to continue. What will this champion of locomotion win? Not sure. If the participants are willing, maybe everyone will throw 5 or 6 bucks in a pot to go to our final winner. Otherwise there's, y'know, bragging rights.

The Challenge will begin in earnest next week, when players will be asked to establish their base level of activity (i.e.: just see how much they walk around over the course of an average week.) We'll move on from there, and hopefully manage to have a fun time doing it.

Do My Job for Me

Lastly, I can't help but notice that April is just around the corner. With that in mind, I'm hoping to bring last April Fools' Day Podswap back for another round. For those who missed it, the Podswap encourages podcasters to switch shit up in their shows, to let someone unexpected host.

Last year the idea was to trade episodes with a fellow podcasting crew – I presented a primer episode of Brilliant Gameologists and they shared a Radio Free Hipster highlight show – but this year I'm thinking of maybe just letting someone else record and assemble an ep. of RFH outright.

I've already had offers from Selfhelp, funky49, int eighty, Beefy and my boy Church (and his lady friend the GF) to host in my stead, but I'm still totally open for ideas.

Is there a reader, fan or artist you'd love to hear helm a special edition of Radio Free Hipster?

Is there another podcast you'd like to hear me host?

Is this just a horrible idea that I should put to bed?

Just lemme know, okay? It's all about the sharing.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 85: The Wilder World

This edition of Radio Free Hipster was created by committee. Okay, so maybe that's not wholly accurate, but it's theme was chosen democratically.

So, y'know, this shit is your fault. ;)

In all honesty, I think this episode came out pretty well, and I do appreciate the listener input.

It always serves to liven up the proceedings.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 85: The Wilder World [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 40.1 MB Running Time: 43:47

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
They are not animals; they are human beings!

Track 1: Unleashed dialog / The Reborn Identity – "Shake Doggy Shake"
Go and check out Britpop Rebooted. Now.

Z's 1st interlude: "Democracy is a muthafucker."
For those who missed the audience poll that fathered this particular edition, I used a little application called Poll Everywhere. And I think I'll be using it again in the future.

Track 2: MC Frontalot – "Fresh Dog"
I swear I've played this track before, but damned if I (or Google) can remember when!

Track 3: mc chris – "Robot Dog"
MC Frontalot's real dog > mc chris's robot pooch.

Track 4: Tullycraft – "Fangs on Bats"
Thanks again to Matt for turning me on to Tullycraft.

Track 5: Big Bang Theory dialog / Glenn Case – "My Singing Bird"
Another jewel from the Glenn Case songbook.

Track 6: Jonathan Coulton – "Furry Old Lobster"
The story behind this track is fuckin' hilarious. Read it here.

Track 7: Uncle Monsterface – "Lobster Building"
"KARATE PILE-DRIVER!!!"

Track 8: Mazedude – "Safari"
K.K. Setlist is another freebie that would make an excellent addition to your collection.

Z's 2nd interlude: "One of my favorite games of all times."
This podcast took a swift, relatively early turn toward the realm of Animal Crossing. I honestly consider it one of the most compelling series of all time.

Track 9: Fourteen Year Old Girls – "Animal Forest"
From way the fuck back in RFH #2!

Track 10: My Parents' Favorite Music – "When Animals Cross"
And again I lament the loss of MPFM. :(

Track 11: Comptroller – "Crossover Dragon"
Comptroller was nice enough to hip me to the release of this new self-titled LP, and I will now direct your attention toward it as well.

Track 12: Order of the Phoenix dialog / The Whomping Willows – "I Believe in Nargles"
Fact: Luna Lovegood is the shit.

Track 13: Americans UK – "I, Ape-Man"
Haven't played AUK in a bit, and I felt like this one fit so very well.

Track 14: 8 Bit Weapon – "M.U.L.E. (Bitblaster Mix)"
Same goes for 8BW. I can never get enough of their stuff!

Track 15: The J. Arthur Keenes Band – "Catfish Lagoon"
I have yet to hear a track from J. Arthur Keenes that isn't gold.

Z's final interlude: "Also known as Blak Lotus."
For those who don't know, while not seeing to his duties as MC Frontalot's bassist, Brandon is an indie rock superhero.

Track 16: Brandon Patton – "Coelacanth"
Yes, coelacanth is also a reference to Animal Crossing. And big thanks to Snipe for turning me on to this track!

I can't help but notice that my voice-overs come through a little strong in this one. Sorry for any temporary deafness that may happen as a result.

I actually had a really good time pulling this one together, so expect more audience polls. I've been working a lot with what are often termed "audience response systems" at my day job, and this seemed like a cool way to leverage such technology.

Expect the next episode of Radio Free Hipster to be all free-form and stuff. I've had a lot of new tracks come into my possession that require your attention, with not a common thread between them.

But don't fret; I'll work that Star Trek themed episode up in the near future.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Today marks the beginning of this year's South By Southwest festival in Austin, an event that will, in coming weeks, host performances from our own MC Frontalot, Random, Schaffer the Darklord, Jesse Dangerously and YTCracker. But just as importantly, SXSW also kicks off what I like to think of as the expanded convention season.

Think about it; back in the proverbial day the con season was synonymous with summer, but now, ably book-ended by events like PAX East and Dragon*Con, it's sort of grown to encompass everything from early spring to damn-near autumn!

Sadly, as my opportunities for travel are always fairly limited, I have to reserve my excitement for the event(s) that I actually stand a snowball's chance in Hell of actually attending. Currently, this means my old stomping ground Nerdapalooza. (Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I was recently invited to head out west for Maker Faire this May as well. #fingerscrossed)

But rather than reflect on 'Paloozas past, I'd instead like take a look to the future, to this very year's festival. I know Hex and company are planning to continue in the proud tradition of mixing shit up this time around, adding more gaming and merch and visual aspects to the proceedings, but I want to focus on the festival's most prominent feature: the music.

More specifically, I'd like to pick your brains as to who you'd like to see perform this summer in the sweltering Orlando heat.

Now I am in no way a duly deputized representative of Nerdapalooza, and I'm not data mining on behalf of Hex Warrior or EMPulse or A Comic Shop or any of our other Floridian allies. This is just me wondering aloud who your best-case-scenario picks would be for musical entertainment at Nerdapalooza 2010.

Personally, I'd love to see all the locals and our out-of-town regulars – Frontalot, Uncle Monsterface, Dual Core, STD, etc. – as well as some of last year's debuts like Beefy, Shael, Scrub Club and The Protomen.

As for new blood, I'd hope for more geek rock, specifically cats like Kirby Krackle and Wrockers such as The Whomping Willows and Nagini/The Vashta Nerada. On the hip-hop end, as I'm always down for hip-hop, Dale Chase pretty much needs to be there. I'm also really interested in the prospect of a few more danceable chip musicians like Starscream or 8 Bit Weapon coming on as a late night headliner, and I'm wholly in favor of bringing in more international talent like Jesse D or Pixelh8.

Oh, and three words: Optimus. Rhyme. Reunion.

But enough of my yammering. Who's on your Nerdapalooza wish list?

The Dinosaurus Meets the Reggae Hasid

I do not, as a rule, associate Former Fat Boys with particularly illuminated lyrical content. Don't get me wrong; I like the guys. A lot, in fact. And songs about groupies and saurian super scientists and the Nintendo Wii do have a distinctly uplifting quality, but even at his most emotional – such as his superlative verse about a relationship gone wrong in the FFB remix of One Republic's "Secrets" – $uckSex always manages to come off sardonically matter-of-fact, cleverly detached.

So, of course, when listener Dan the Automaton turned me on to this submission to Matisyahu's "One Day" remix contest, I was rather taken aback.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the hell out of it. I mean, hearing Former Fat Boys add a pair of verses to a joint about striving for peace in a world plagued by violence is a counterintuitive coupling, but that only serves to make it all the more resonant.

Regarding his take on a track that the socially conscious Matisyahu once called "the song I've been wanting to make since I started my career," $uckSex himself weighed in:

I really wanted to find a choir, but I am only one voice right now. My thing is rapping, so I didn't mix up the instrumental too much, but I added two verses. The first is slow and brooding and the second is meant to explode and bring a fast flow to the end. This was an incredible song to be able to add a couple of verses too. It's a simple song and a simple idea, but it really gets you thinking. Kind of made me feel like some of my other tracks are a little shallow. My favorite line is the "one day we're a billion paper planes" line.

If you haven't already, head over to Indaba Music and check out FFB's submission. The winner gets a chance to record with Matisyahu, so maybe cast a vote for it as well if you're so inclined. Either way, definitely make it a point to take in this unlikely (but certainly satisfying) pairing.

Snap. Krackle. Power Pop.

Though I understand it's still a bit early for such talk, I will come right out and say that what will surely prove to be one of my favorite albums of the year dropped yesterday.

Kirby Krackle's E For Everyone has everything I want in a nerdy LP; tight guitar pop, lyrics focused heavily on comic book and con culture, a dash of hip-hop (compliments of GMK) and just the slightest hint of slash fic. Oh yeah, and a cover by Jim-goddamn-Mahfood, which is kind of the best thing ever.

I've got a full review of the album coming in a few days over at GeekDad, but I'll give y'all a little taste of my preliminary findings. Y'know, because we're tight.

Kirby Krackle is a Seattle two-piece whose name evokes the style of Jack Kirby, the oft-cited "King of Comics." (Not, as one fan inaccurately surmised, Nintendo's pink puffball.) musically, they occupy a space equidistant between Jonathan Colton and Weezer. Though they have a definite sound, like the latter, writer/musicians Kyle Stevens and Jim Demonakos also monkey with that musical formula to great effect, like the former.

I was first introduced to the band last year when they released their debut self-titled LP, which boasted the instant classic "Marvelous Girls," a song that is simultaneously one of their best and a fine introduction to the Kirby Krackle style. From there the crew released an amazing follow-up single, "Ring Capacity," and played a show or two with my longtime homey Beefy, which further endeared them to me.

Without getting into the dreaded spoiler territory, I'll just say that E For Everyone does everything that Kirby Krackle did only better. Though it starts with a pair of too-similar entries, it blossoms into a musically diverse and lyrically sound masterpiece of modern geek. Cuts like "Henchmen" and "Great Lakes Avengers" bring the humor, while closers "Dusty Cartridges & Long Boxes" and "Going Home" manage emotional resonance that never devolves into sappiness.

There's also "Roll Over,'" the hip-hop hybrid I alluded to earlier. It's a bit hard to describe, so I want even try. But suffice it to say you'll be hearing it and lots of other Kirby Krackle in upcoming podcasts.

Head over to CD Baby to give the album a spin, and, if you haven't yet had the privilege, peep the debut as well. I believe you'll find them both as indispensable as I have.