Nerdapalooza Wrap-up 1: All Apologies

I spent a good chunk of yesterday pouring over my notes from Nerdapalooza. There were a lot of them. As such, there was a large amount of, um, pouring.

I’ve got my write-up for GeekDad pretty well polished (it should go up sometime tomorrow), but it’s more about the big picture than a study of the tiny building blocks of nerdiness that made the event, at least in my humble opinion, such a total blast -- which is exactly the kind of stuff I’d like to get into here at Hipster, please! That being said, it’s gonna be a multi-post affair, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 separate entries, and it could take me a couple of weeks to get all my thoughts sorted out.

But there are a few things I need to say before we get into the real meat of my ruminations on Nerdapalooza. You see, like any man I have a selfish need to be liked and accepted by my peers. You’d think being a huge dork for three decades would have dulled this silly reflex, but no such luck. Case in point: when I got home Sunday night, the first thing I did was prepare a mental list of all the people I had harassed and/or annoyed over the weekend. It’s true.

Like Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch, I am a shame-based man. Therefore it is in the interest of clearing my conscience that I would like to apologize to:

• The fine folks at A Comic Shop for not buying anything. By the same token, I didn’t steal anything either (although that plush Doop was tempting), so I reckon it’s not as bad as it could’ve been.
• Anyone who found themselves on the receiving end of an unwelcomed hug. I’m sort of a hugger.
• Anyone who wanted a hug but didn’t get one. I imagine you’re in the minority, but I will snuggle the hell out of you when next we meet.
• Anyone whose set I missed.
• Anyone whose set I partially missed because I was taking notes or fucking with that damn Flip camera.
• Ant and MisterB for never making it to the EPP house to do that tag team podcast. I am both an old man and a lightweight.
• Justin for this picture. Man, even this one is pretty bad. I’ll try to be more handsome next time.
• That handful of you that asked me to sign something and had to cope with that totally horrified look I gave you. I didn’t mean to offend; I was just sort of taken aback.
• Those poor headliners who had to sit through my wholly inept introductions. I don’t do well addressing crowds.
• Those who had to sit through my wholly inept second introduction of YTCracker after he’d already been properly introduced simply because there was some confusion re: the master set list earlier that day, and by the time it got cleared up YT and I both obviously didn’t want to seem disrespectful to each other by going back on our previous agreement.
• Anyone whose drink got spilled because of me. (I am looking at you, funky49.)
• Wordburglar, The Potters, and everyone else that I neglected to buy merch from even though I kept reminding myself to do so. I am sore ashamed.
  
• Anyone who was nice enough to introduce themselves to me only to have me turn around and ask them again who they were a scant 5 minutes later.
• Anyone who got locked into a laborious conversation with me at the bar with nowhere to run. (I am looking at you, G minor 7.)
• Anyone who had to put up with me running off in the middle of a very nice conversation because I needed to check out what was going on on-stage. (I am looking at you, pretty much everyone at the merch table.)
• My friends Uncle Monsterface for singing along with all the songs in their set. Generally bands eat that shit up, but the way I sing it’s better if I don’t participate.
• mCRT for sitting down for the whole of his “set.” It was only one closer song, but I was so exhausted that I could barely make it back to the stage 1 area before collapsing in a heap. (I blame Math the Band; they sapped what was left of my strength.)
• Anyone else who I annoyed, ignored, passed over, bumped into, trod on, or otherwise inconvenienced.
• But most importantly I have to apologize to Dennis and Denika for being a slothful and utterly useless houseguest.(Please buy lots of cool zombie crafts and amigurumi from them so they can afford to let me come down and mooch off of them next year too!)
  

And with that, I am absolved!

Right, guys?

Absolution?

Right?

Prelude

I've been back home for approximately 24 hours, and most of that has been spent in blissful convalescence. Sleep is obviously a rare and valuable commodity in Orlando.

I can only describe the Nerdapalooza experience as amazing. I saw dozens of my favorite acts and found almost as many more to add to the list. I met Wordburglar, a man who treats every fan and fellow performer like his new best friend. I hung out extensively with Myf, DJ Snyder, and int eighty, three cast who are as friendly, genuine, and engaging as they are talented. I talked community with Quartz Relic of Magitek, a crew that knows a thing or two about family and made me feel like a new addition. I drank with MisterB, a man who always roles high on Constitution checks. I could go on, but there'll be time for more elucidation later.

Rather than a "lost weekend," this may very well have been my found weekend. What I found were friends, comrades in arms. And fortunately I also found my way back to SC. Nerdapalooza was the place I fit in, but this is where I belong. I'll be writing much more about my experiences over the coming days, but right now I'm just enjoying the simple pleasures of my family life. I reckon I missed them even more than I realized.

The life of the roving nerd is rewarding, but not without its drawbacks.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 48: The Early Bird

Confession time: there is no NNIB this week.

With all the preparation inherent in readying myself for Nerdapalooza, I just don’t have the time to do everything I’d like. Sadly, Nerd News In Brief was one of the things I had to cut out.

I know, you are crushed. That’s understandable.

If it's any consolation, I promise to really wow you with next week’s edition. I will bring the pain. Hardcore from the brain.

In the meantime, here’s something to help take the edge off. It’s a super-early episode of the Radio Free Hipster podcast.

Who loves ya, baby?

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 48: The Early Bird [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 47.2 MB Running Time: 51:34

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
The catchiest song ever? I think so!

Track 1: Married With Children dialog / EzLee – “Vain Mistake”
You can’t go wrong by mixing The Clash and MC Lyte.

Z’s 1st interlude: “Songs or parts of songs that are just so damn catchy they get stuck in your head.”
Like you guys don’t know what an earworm is or somethin’!

Track 2: Andrew WK – “McLaughlin Groove”
Thanks to Church for turning me on to this one.

Track 3: Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills – “Dumbledore Is Gay (And That’s OK)”
“He’s still the greatest freaking wizard of his day.”

Track 4: Gred and Forge – “A Little Less Incantation”
I sure hope y’all like this one, ‘cause I think it’s gonna be on the next episode of HipTrax as well!

Track 5: Jesse Dangerously – “So! Much! Fun! (Unh!)”
Expect both a review of Verba Volant and an interview with Jesse D himself sometime after I return from Orlando.

Track 6: YTCracker – “DugDig”
You may have heard this classic in G4’s latest commercials for X-Play.

Track 7: Married With Children dialog / Bill O’Reilly – “Bill O’Reilly Flips Out (Dance Remix)”
Who would’ve thought that a hate filled asshole could be susceptible to such profanity-laden outbursts?

Track 8: Harry and the Potters – “The Blood of a Prince”
The Brothers DeGeorge do hardcore, and do it well, I might add.

Track 9: Wordburglar – “Sayin’ Raps”
I am really excited about seeing Burg perform this weekend. The word “squee” comes to mind.

Track 10: Super Barrio Brothers – “System”
This was one of the tracks that was available for free from the SBB’s MySpace last month.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “The cousin of nerdcore producer and hip-hop aficionado DJ Snyder.”
Andrew WK is nerdy by association.

Track 11: Optimus Rhyme – “Reboot”
This podcast needs more Optimus. Its cowbell, however, is at an acceptable level.

Track 12: MC Frontalot – “Good Old Clyde”
That’s some old school Front right there!

Track 13: Alex Desert / Yo Gabba Gabba! – “Pick It Up”
We sing this one a lot in the Z. household.

Track 14: Sugar Fix – “Rule 34”
Download this song and share it with the one you love.

Track 15: No Kill I – “Wearin’ Red”
Poor redshirt never saw it coming.

Track 16: Metaforce – “In the Rain”
Rain City Blooze won’t be the newest Metaforce album for long. Their third full-length should be released shortly.

Track 17: Married With Children dialog / Lenlow – “Last Night”
I always wondered how I could get some Traveling Wilburys worked into this podcast!

Z’s final interlude: “A big pile of tracks I care nothing about.”
A good mash-up includes some bits from your favorite songs. A great mash-up is made entirely out of tracks you hate, but still manages to move you.

Track 18: DJ Earworm – “United State of Pop”
Bringing new meaning to the phrase “polish a turd.”

This episode felt like cheating.

You see, when Church suggested I do an ep. centered on earworms, I was instantly taken with the concept. It sounded like a solid enough idea, as it was something fairly relatable to all of us; I mean, who hasn’t gotten a song stuck in his head at one time or another? But the truth is, to me damn near every song in every edition of RFH is an earworm.

That’s sort of my selection criteria. If something stays with me, if I find myself repeating the lyrics or humming the melody, it goes in the show.

Sure, occasionally I’ll play a request or something that I’m not super familiar with, but those songs are a minority. But don’t let that stop you. I’d love to hear your song suggestions and show ideas. So please share 'em!

The pre-show

As I make my final preparations to leave for Nerdapalooza, I keep discovering these pleasant little surprises.

First, Josh and I unexpectedly scored the family van to make the trip down in, which is a definite upgrade from our previous ride. Then funky49 made a $4.49 donation to my travel fund (bringing the grand total of the contributions up to a whopping $4.49). And now I see that MC Frontalot and Wordburglar will be doing an in-store at A Comic Shop Thursday night! A free in-store! With free pizza and beer!

No one pinch me; this dream is just too good.

A Whole New World

In recent years I have put together a compilation or two, so I can say with confidence that the process of assembling such albums is no picnic. It is, in fact, not like a picnic at all. There is, for instance, no handsome wicker basket, no babbling brook beside which to sit, no potato salad. What there is, instead, is a lot of hard work.

Hours upon hours of time spent pondering agendas and pouring over possible contributors. Scores of timid emails attempting to woe the cream of the crop of nerdy music to participate. Missed deadlines and delays galore. A veritable mad dash to the finish line that occurs just moment prior to the album’s release regardless of how well you planned shit. These are the things one has to look forward to when assembling a comp.

And while I’ve proudly fashioned a pair of these albums, my friends from Game Music 4 All, a site no older than my own, have produced something in the neighborhood of 600 times that amount! Yes, 1200 compilation albums in less than two years!

Does that strike you as unbelievable? It should, because I totally made it up.

On the side of truthiness, GM4A has produced far more comps than me in the two years since that blog launched, and I have found each to be an enjoyable endeavor. Recently, Ant and the boys have commemorated their second blogiversary with the completion of the Welcome to World 2 compilation.

Now it must be noted that these gents are my friends, and that I would doubtlessly say nice things about their effort regardless. But biasness aside WtW2 is a startlingly brilliant release the likes of which summarily outdoes even their admittedly superlative previous efforts.

Don’t believe me?

Of course not. I totally lied to you about the "1200 compilations" thing, so you should be suspicious. In that case, allow me to elucidate.

The album kicks off with a beautiful rendition of the Final Fantasy 6 Intro by Select Start and doesn’t let up until the final trains of its concluding track by UK geeks Elfonso. Along the way you hear Entertainment System’s take on the music of Fire Emblem, a Mega Man-centered rocker form The Megas, and some ninja chiptunes from Videogame Orchestra. And once you finished that, there’s a bunch more supplementary tracks on the companion disc from Dual Core, Doctor Octoroc, Player Two, and countless other high profile acts.

I twisted Anthony arm and had him confess to me that he would, in fact, be selling the album at this week's Nerdapalooza for a mere 5 bones, so if you plan to attend be sure to bring a little extra scratch to pick it up. It’s a damn fine value, especially at that price.

For those for you not in attendance, keep an eye on Game Music 4 All for an official release date and related order information. Or you can just listen to Radio Free Hipster, as I have a feeling I’m going to be playing a lot of it.

YTCracker Redux

G4 finally decided to grace me with the embed code for their "It's a Nerd's World" spot featuring the one and only YTCracker. Saving me the trouble of, y'know, finding it myself.

At long last, behold:

Q: Are We Not Men?

Church just hit me up with a link to an interesting post at Club DEVO, the new wave nerds' official web presence. Apparently McDonald's outfitted their "New Wave Nigel" American Idol Happy Meal Toy in a most DEVO-esque manner, and Mothersbaugh et al are not amused. Of particular concern, even more so than fig's day-glow jumpsuit and trippy eye-wear, seems to be the inclusion of the eponymous "DEVO Energy Dome."

How important is said hat? Important enough, apparently, to warrant litigation. Pitchfork Media says:

Devo bassist Gerald Casale-- who designed the trademarked energy dome headgear-- is quoted as saying, "This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it's copyrighted and trademarked. We're in the midst of suing them...they didn't ask us anything. Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like 'American Idol', so we're doubly offended."

Looks like my Happy Meal just got significantly less jovial.

Fot those of you in the audience too young to totally grok the depths of this beef, here's the Casale-directed video for "Whip It," a piece that introduced many a slack-jawed Booji Boy to the band that repped nerds in the age of excess. Note the funky hats.

Nerd News in Brief

Do they make a Twitter patch? Maybe some gum or something? I think I’m kind of hooked, and I sometimes wonder if I’ll be able to get off the stuff.

Unlike MySpace and Facebook and similar services, Twitter doesn’t ask much of me as a user. I basically just toss random sentences up at irregular intervals and the train keeps rolling. The people I’m following do the same and, failing the perpetual outages, everyone’s life is enriched by shared minutia.

Is it wrong that I care what @cdharrison had for lunch, what kind of song @triermusic is working on, or what @badddspellah thinks of those feet that keep popping up on BC’s shoreline?

Probably, but it helps pass the time.

• More of me: A new edition of the GeekDad’s HipTrax podcast, co-hosted by little ol’ me, is currently available. This episode features music from my man Random, new friend Mindscape Music, and Wizard Rock chanteuse The Butterbeer Experience, who I believed I referred to as “adorable.” That… um… that probably crosses some sort of line.
• Tag Team, back again: For those of you not keeping proper tabs on your RSS feeds, know that Letters vs. Numbers, your favorite rapper’s podcaster’s favorite rapper podcast, is back! After a lengthy delay, episode 6 went up Monday and, in addition to having an almost alarming amount of references to me, it features an amazing cover of JoCo’s “Still Alive” and that hot new MPFM joint the kids are so crazy about!
• I always forget the “h.”: Also from our Game Music 4 All friends, specifically Jephso, comes an interview with UK chiptune artist Pixelh8. It touches on Pix’s influences, the role of nostalgia in micromusic, and airport security hassles. Which, now that I think about it, has got to be a recurring problem for traveling chiptuners.
• Warp Zones Are For Pansies: I probably shouldn’t even be discussing this here, as I’m planning a more detailed post concerning the release next week, but let me just say that GM4A’s new compilation Welcome to World 2 is fuckin’ amazing! Ant favored me with a pre-release copy last week, and it’s what I would term “required listening.” Again, I’ll save my full impressions (as well as pricing and release information) for a later date, but it’s a phenomenal collection of some of your favorite VGM, chiptune, and nerdcore acts.
• “I’m a scientist.”: Earlier this month, hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash released his memoirs, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats. In a recent Newsweek article about the book, Flash discusses his love of technology, his mechanical mindset, and his ceaseless obsession with collecting records, giving credence to the view that hip-hop is built on the backs of the geeky.
• This above all: Crank Them 3’s!: Also on the subject of hip-hop and book smarts comes these two links from Church. The first concerns a Forbe’s article about CD/educational aid Smart Shorties, and the second a similar product: Flocabulary’s Shakespeare is Hip-Hop, which should be pretty self-explanatory.
• Keys, like Alicia: Shael Riley has procured the necessary drum, bass, and guitar support he was looking for to again start gigging around his native New York, but he still needs a keyboardist. Are you a keyboardist? Do you live in one of the famed Boroughs? The give Shael a holler.
• Happy Bandiversary!: Fervent congratulations go out to Wizard Rock pioneers Harry and the Potters. This week Paul and Joe celebrate the 6th anniversary of the founding of the band. Please join me in wishing continued success to the brothers DeGeorge.
• Enthusiasm Levels Rising: Speaking of the Potters, today marks the first day of this summer’s Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo. For more information on this groundbreaking tour (featuring three amazing groups: Harry and the Potters, Uncle Monsterface, and Math the Band) see the official Web site. And for a sneak peak behind the veil, check out my recent post over at GeekDad.
• Haven’t I made this pun before?: In other Wizard Rock news, The Harry Potter Alliance has launched a new project simply entitled WRock the Vote. The goal is to have WRtV volunteers present at every Wizard Rock show of the season to help of-age attendees register to vote. If you’re going to be in attendance at any of these events, why not volunteer yourself?
• Oh, the humanity!: For those of you planning a WRock-free summer, may I suggest you attend a nice convention? There are, of course, several of these events that should be avoided at all costs, as my pal Matt was nice enough to point out. Hey, leave ROFLcon alone!
• Bits and pieces: Over the weekend, a new video by my pal Church hit Boing Boing. I submitted it thinking it would be cast aside like so much chaff, but Cory saw wheat. Delicious, nutritious wheat. Since the piece centers on DRM, a geeky topic relevant to many of us, and it also includes that lovable Larry the Cylon, I thought I’d end on it. Enjoy!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 47: Even the Losers

Ah, the lovable loser: a nerd archetype all its own!

Seriously, though, I sort of worry about saying an episode is “loser-themed.” I mean, will my (often unwitting) contributors not find that a little insulting?

I hope not.

In truth, I think this is one of my favorite episodes of the podcast thus far. Sure, the levels of my voiceovers are kinda shit – I tried a new mic setup that merely seemed to highlight my late-spring allergy voice – but, musically-speaking, I think it’s top notch. Because of the musical selections presented, the whole ep. seems to have this air of triumph, despite my constant references to failure.

I really dig it, and I hope you dig it too.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 47: Even the Losers [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 46.6 MB Running Time: 50:56

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
These lads? They’re winners!

Track 1: Brother Machine – “Every Day of the Week”
I’m not sure of Brother Machine’s nerdity, but he does know Glenn. I reckon that makes him a geek by association.

Z’s 1st interlude: “Insignificant, undesirable, or just plain sub-par.”
Which is, coincidentally, the name of my autobiography.

Track 2: The Illuminoids – “Lugosi's Mongoloid Loser (Beck vs. Devo vs. Bauhaus)”
I copped this from the Mashup Town 2007 best-of. I’ve been waiting half a year to use it!

Track 3: Totally Radd!! – “The Bobby Song”
Was there a lot more wang in this show than usual? It seems a little wang-y.

Track 4: Southside – “Quite Yer Job”
The fact that Southside included references to the company picnic as well as pilfered paper “from every department” pretty much means this track is made of win.

Track 5: Uncle Monsterface – “Kill Your Boyfriend!”
As I mentioned before, this might be my new favorite Uncle Monsterface track.

Track 6: The Aquabats – “Pizza Day”
Li’l X. loves Yo Gabba Gabba!, and because of this I find myself listening to a lot more Aquabats of late.

Track 7: Lauren Fairweather – “Engines Make Me Hot”
I like that some WRockers are going out their way to write non-Potter-related material. I love that Lauren chose to write about Firefly!

Z’s 2nd interlude: “The story of a broken-hearted and broken-down (Mister) Marty Allen.”
I have in my possession the demo for “Kill Your Boyfriend.” Sure, it sounds a lot like the final studio version, but it’s one of those cool exclusive perks that make being a nerdy music blogger so oddly rewarding.

Track 8: Leigh3 – “GWP”
“I got my guitar and a bottle o’ wine and a porno magazine!”

Track 9: Computerization – “Fukuwinicu”
Computerization’s self-titled album is now available for free MP3 download. What, you didn’t know that?

Track 10: mc chris – “fallyn” / Angus dialog
I’m really enjoying mc chris is dead a lot more than I did initially. The backings are sort of, well, I think mCRT described them as J-pop. Still, while the first few songs didn’t grab me, I think the second half of the disc is pretty damn good.

Track 11: The Whomping Willows – “Wizard Rock Heartthrob”
I finally broke down and bought Whompy’s Rock N’ Roll Redux. It’s, like, 6 bucks and comes highly recommended.

Track 12: The Butterbeer Experience – “Basically the Man”
Lena of The Butterbeer Experience has probably my favorite voice in WRock. She’s also currently taking pre-order for her new disc Accio Hot Guy.

Z’s final interlude: “You get to a bad place in your life and it’s easier just to dig in deeper than to try and climb out.”
When I try to come off profound I very often just end up sounding like a hick. I can’t imagine that surprises anyone but me.

Track 13: The Streets – “Empty Cans”
An odd aside: what is it with you Brits and your Reebok Classics? Seriously.

It looks like I might actually be able to crank out another podcast next week before I leave for Nerdapalooza. It’s rare that I find myself ahead of schedule, but stranger things have happened.

Church has suggested the theme of earworms for the next episode, and I quite like that idea. I plan to run with it. Run like the wind!

If you’ve got any suggestions for songs or topics, or if you just wanna share your thoughts on this episode, give me a shout. I’d love to hear ‘em.

I wish my brother George was here.

Hey, folks.

I’ve got a new edition of the Radio Free Hipster podcast that I’m just putting some final touches on right now. It should be up this afternoon, but first I wanted to commiserate the passing of comic luminary George Carlin.

As my friend Matt is often quick to point out, our contemporary flavor of nerd culture – our modern nerd revolution, if you will - is intrinsically linked to the classic counterculture of the 60’s and 70’s. Carlin’s unique brand of clever, anti-establishment humor was very much a part of that movement. It was unafraid to challenge norms. It was far more concerned with being smart and accurate, with being thought-provoking, than with being accepted.

And that’s nerdcore.

The Wrath of Anon

Just this morning I received a message from the undisputed king of nerdcore himself, Mr. YTCracker. YT wanted me to know that his G4 commercial spot was now available on YouTube as well.

For those of us who got to check out his personal clips of the video shoot before they were mysteriously removed, it's really kind of cool to see how the final product came together.

It's a glorious blend of frenetic cuts, text overlays, nerd dancin', and, of course, that YTCracker flow. Take a look below, and then hit the link to rate and comment.

STC is the greatest!

Nerd News in Brief

I am currently tired and listless.

Not much I can do about the tired part, as the boss tends to frown on at-desk naps. The listlessness, though, I believe can be remedied. With a list.

I shall call it Nerd News In Brief.

• Please, Harry, Don’t Hurt ‘Em: Church has uncovered a trio of interesting facts about the boy who lived. First, the new Potter story recently penned by J.K. Rowling will be made into a short film to be shown at newly announced Wizarding World theme park in Orlando. Also, the uses of the core Harry Potter books have recently been broadened to include legal precedents and tornado safety. You can’t make this shit up, people.
• Adorable: On the WRock front, Matt has hipped me to a new project from The Butterbeer Experience. Now that her recent tour has concluded, Lena has challenged herself to write 2 songs a day for a week. Information on the challenge (and the chance to help pick song subjects) can be found at YouTube.
• Fertile Myrtle: While you’re getting your ‘Tube on, you might also want to check out a preview of the title track from the new Moaning Myrtles album. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that said clip contains hot witch-on-witch action. Seriously.
• Dumbledore’s Army: Also from my buddy Matt comes this link to an AP article on Wizard Rock. It’s a pretty even-tempered piece that links both the ‘Pedia and the HP Alliance. Go read it and then feel bad for missing WRockStock.
• Another Level: Ant and the GM4A crew have just released details concerning their second annual Level Up! event in LA. Featured artist include ZeaLouS1, Super Barrio Bros, and The Megas, and it’s scheduled for July 13th at CIA. Go. Take pictures. Think of me.
• Get Your Fix: If you, like me, have been lamenting the lack of nerdy piano pop, may I humbly suggest you peep Sugar Fix. It’s the musical stomping ground of one-man band Hillel, and I really think you’ll dig what he’s doing. He has a song called "Rule 34." It’s that kind of a party.
• Blimey!: If what you’re looking for is more in the bastard pop vein, let me direct you to Good Blimey! This is a repository of nearly 3000 mash-ups, all free for the taking. Thanks to Glenn Case for pointing this one out!
• Free At Last: More sources of free music can be found in this Free Geekery – not to be confused with free_geek - post. While some of the choices are questionable, the inclusion of OverClocked ReMix alone warrants a thumbs-up from me.
• Blazing, Not Entirely Unlike a Star: On the nerdcore new release tip comes news from funky49. His new album Starblazer, funk’s first full length, will soon be here soon. It’s just a hair under 70 minutes in length, will be available in physical and electronic formats, and features longtime collaborator redvoid as well as mCRT, Ham-STAR, MC Wreckshin, Betty Rebel, Sir-Up, and mc jeff z/dimension. The gang’s all here!
• These Internets Are: YTCracker’s new EP Serious Business is currently available through iTunes. This is YT we’re talking about, so he pretty much gives us permission to pirate the disc in the liner notes, but would it kill you to throw some duckets at the man?!
• This Old Console: Video of MC Frontalot’s new G4 spot has hit said Internets and it is pretty sweet. Front says you should be seeing the commercial “on G4 right around now, or on any other basic cable channel if your provider is Comcast.” Behold his bespectacled glory.
• True Patriot Love: There will be a very special nerdcore battle set on July 1st, also known as Canada Day, at Boh! Canada: Rewind (221 Rideau St. Ottawa, Ontario). Interested parties can peruse the flyer here and here, and local geeks are highly encouraged to attend.
• We All Screen!: Nerdcore For Life has two new upcoming screenings. The first is at The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival on Saturday, June 28th, and the second is at The San Francisco Frozen Film Festival on Saturday, July 12th. Dan is unable to make the Philly fest, and has offered to pay for the ticket of someone willing to check the screening out and report back to him. (Plus he’ll throw in a fancy new Nerdcore For Life t-shirt!) Additional details can be found at the new Crapbot Prodcutions blog.
• DIY Traveling Summer Camp Circus Crazy Rock Tour and Freak Show: The Unlimited Enthusiasm Tour kicks off next week in Boston, and to celebrate this fact we’re gonna end with the new video of the tour’s unofficial theme song. It is “GO!” by Uncle Monsterface, and it’s like a carnival ride through a Muppet minefield.
  

In a nutshell

My buddy Anthony, known both as a cornerstone of the GM4A blog and as the co-host of the Letters vs. Numbers podcast, has recently taken up the weighty task of prognosticating the forthcoming events of Nerdapalooza '08. Yes, through his Nerdapaloozer blog, Ant is giving fans a preview of the things to come at next month's festival.

By re-captioning panels from old Transformers comics.

While I imagine this is a rather unorthodox means of devination, it obviously works as evidenced by this morning's entry that pretty much sums up my existence.

Behold:


Zounds! I've been found out!

File under time-wasters

It's my first day back at work since last Wednesday and I miss my kids. I miss my house. I miss my bathrobe and 1Up slippers.

How have I been coping with 8+ hours in my tiny, windowless office? By screwing around.

A link to this Scion Crest Generator came across the GeekDad group last week, and I'd been meaning to play with it. I was sort of an easy sell, as I'm a Scion owner, but some of y'all might dig it too.

This was the first crest I came up with. I'm thinking of using it as the wallpaper for a MoonShell skin I'm working on for my DS.

Stuff for Me; Stuff for You

Happy belated Father’s Day to all my fellow geek dads (and GeekDads) out there! Here’s hoping everyone had an enjoyable one.

In addition to the standard Dad’s Day fair, I received an additional little present this weekend. It’s a copy of Ultraklystron’s latest release Opensource Lyricist. The album came with a nice note from Karl, complete with silly drawings. Said note specifically requested that I review the album (which I’ll be doing shortly), but it also promised guaranteed more releases from him in the future. Ultraklystron fans rejoice!


That same afternoon I also received a postcard from the Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo street team inviting me to the local NC and GA shows for “unlimited fun.” As tempted as I am by the offer, it looks like I’ll have to miss them. But, since I’ll get an earful of the tour at Nerdapalooza, it’s kinda hard to get down.

And speaking of Nerdapalooza, my wife Em decided at the last minute that the presents she and the kids had picked out for me – namely a Dalek t-shirt, a Vespa Motorsports t-shirt, some new shorts, a fresh pair of Chucks, and a bag of lollipops (which I’m pretty sure X. had picked out for himself) – weren’t enough, so she opted to let me choose from two additional gifts. It was between a D&D 4th edition Player’s Handbook and some bumper stickers to give away at the festival. In the end, the stickers won out. We only ordered 100, but, honestly, I can’t imagine that won’t be more than enough. Here’s a rough image of the final design, so if you like what you see feel free to hit me up at Nerdapalooza for a free sticker!

The 2nd Time Around

Wow.

I had a little downtime this afternoon while I was feeding my daughter, and I took advantage of it by watching the festival cut of Nerdcore For Life. Since I've already shared my thoughts on the rough cut of the film I screened earlier this year I don't feel the need to elaborate too much, but let me say that the doc has been cleaned up, streamlined, and brilliantly refined.

A few notable additions have been included with regard to the film's talent pool, and some of its more extraneous sequences have been nicely trimmed. It's good to see a few "newer" - meaning not overtly present in the scene during the documentary's primary filming - artists represented and a couple of elder statesmen more properly profiled. There was even a nod to the newly refurbished Hipster, please!, which was both totally unexpected and a genuine honor.

While the rough version of the doc I viewed back in January was enjoyable and certainly well representative of the movement, I've got to say that this cut is significantly more visually appealing not to mention a smother overall ride.

While it still has it's share of embarrassing moments, these are contrasted nicely against our triumphs. Moreover, the high and low points of nerdcore are, in my opinion, illustrated fairly and through the words and actions of the parties involved. It's still our story, but now it's got enough flash to help it appeal to a bit of a broader audience.

Suffice it to say that those of you catching the second showing this Sunday at STIFF are in for a treat.

I don’t understand Time Zones.

While its domestic flavor is still weeks away, we now stand at the cusp of Nerdapalooza UK. At Delius Pub in Bradford, at 3:30 PM local time on June 14th, the whole of the United Kingdom will get its geek on in a fashion most musical.

So if you find yourself across the pond this Saturday – which, I believe, is either tonight our time… or possibly right now… or maybe even a couple days ago… maybe – be sure to stop in and revel in the Euro-geekiness. And say hello to my pals MisterB, Dan Plus Add, and Category. In case you're wondering, I have it on good authority that they like the beer. Also possibly the football.

The rest of us, I’m afraid, will have to observe from afar. To aid in this exercise, my bro Anthony has crafted the following image.


I’m sure it’s gonna be just like that.

Nerd News in Brief

Starting tomorrow, I go back to my old part-time stay-at-home-dad routine, and, honestly, I’m a little worried. It’s not that I don’t relish the role (and the hyphens), it’s just that this time I am outnumbered. When it was just me and Li’l X I had a distinct advantage, but now with Twiggy joining the fray I feel a bit outgunned.

There are two of them. What if they conspire?

On a semi-relevant note, I’m not sure how this will affect my blogging time for the foreseeable future. Slapping words together in my downtime at the office is a breeze, but coordinating writing time at home takes finesse and planning. I reckon there might be a slight drop in output as I recalibrate to “life at home,” but hopefully that’ll be short lived. Here’s hoping I can keep up with my admittedly meager output in this transitional interim.

In other personal minutiae, I finally figured out how to update the kernel in my EZFlashV. Hurray for DLDI auto-patching!

• 24: Congratulations are in order for mc chris, whose new album mc chris is dead was recently included in Billboard Magazine’s Heatseeker charts. Okay, so the chart only has 25 positions and mc was 24, but that still totally counts!
• Strategy Guide: Do you like good, nerdy music? Are you a cheap bastard? If you answered yes to both these questions, proceed directly to the MySpace of VGM/nerdcore duo Super Barrio Brothers. For a limited time, the Bros have a fine selection of songs available for free download on their profile’s music player. Will they still be free when you hit the link? You never know until you try.
• It’s a helluva town: Did you know that everyone loves Shael Riley? Okay, maybe not everyone, but most people. He’s downright lovable. He’s also planning to start playing gigs again and is looking to put together a live band. He’s specifically looking for a primary (read: lead) guitarist and a keyboardist. Applicants should “be able to read music to the degree that you can learn songs from midis,” live in the NY area and preferably be familiar with some of Shael’s music. Additional info can be found at Front’s BBS.
• PacNW and NC4L: This Thursday – that being June 12th – at 7:00 PM at Capitol Hill Arts Center, the Nerdcore For Life documentary makes its Seattle premiere at the True independent Film Festival! The NC4L after party (featuring Ultraklystron, Beefy and YTCracker) will commence at 10:30 PM at the Jewel Box Theater. All access passes are still available, and individual tickets can be bought online or at the door.
• Never say die: Ultraklystron has just released a new DJ mix for free download. It includes a movement from the never-before-heard track “Maho,” a song omitted from his Solace album due to time constraints. Check it out.
• More news from Sea-town: Troy from Kurtis Empire Records was nice enough to let me know that some new releases are on the horizon. Southside’s Southside Liquors is currently being tracked and Metaforce’s Feared Science is being mixed. Southside also has a couple of gigs lined up this month, on June 16th at the High Dive (a 21+ event) and a free all-ages in-store at Bop Street Records in Seattle (Ballard) on June 21st at 8:00 PM.
• A slippery slope: Matt points out that J.K. Rowling has again taken up the pen to write about Harry Potter. Sort of. This one-off, 800 word prequel will be auctioned for charity later this month. How long it takes the info from said prequel to make its way into a WRock song remains to be seen.
• For those about to… GRock?!: Last weekend Matt made his way out to both local Accio Bodyguard tour stops. Of course he picked up the newest releases from performers The Butterbeer Experience and Lauren Myrtle. He even put together a really cool piece about his impression of Lauren’s album over at his blog free_geek. Read it, and then go grab the album for yourself.
• It’s fabulus!: In other (sort of) WRock related news, Wizrocklopedia’s Lizz is now selling Potter-pleasing clothing and accessories as Fabulus Fashions. Check out the wares over at her new MySpace. I especially like the guitar pick necklaces.
• Like from the future: Jephso put together a cool interview feature with Tim of one of my favorite game rock bands Year 200X over at one of my favorite blogs Game Music 4 All. I suggest you read it quickly and with a harsh tone for maximum metalosity.
• Math the Genre: My pal Antisocial hit me up last week to tell me of an unsettling trend he had uncovered: math songs. Let the Youtubery commence! And continue! And conclude!
• Enka 2 - Electric Boogaloo: Church recently sent me a link to this odd article about Japan’s newest enka sensation Jero. I passed it on to our resident expat Justin (of Hidari fame), and he dug up this video. I think it’s cool that Japan, a nation typically painted as heavily xenophobic, is open to an “outsider” performing such traditional music, but, y’know, it still ain’t enough to get me into enka.
• Wily beware!: The infallible Random has just done a small Q&A for Wired’s Listening Post, a sister blog of GeekDad. While not exactly the most in-depth interview in music history, it does hit the high points of his Mega Ran album, and, most importantly, puts Ran’s name out there via another avenue. Give it a read and then leave a comment. Trust me, Wired bloggers love comments.
• I watched this city burn: Taking us home today is a live performance video of The Protomen’s “Will of One,” which is probably my favorite song from their debut album. Take a gander and then go watch a much prettier version at their site.
  

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 46: Nerdapalooza Bound

From its inception, Nerdapalooza has been about more than just nerdy music, it has also been about community. While the individual nerdcore, chiptune, WRock, VGM, and geek rock scenes have managed to stay fairly disconnected in the face of a growing familiarity with, at the very least, the existence of each other, Nerdapalooza has focused on bridging those gaps.

So when, in the course of our regularly scheduled bullshitting, mCRT, Hex Warrior, and I struck upon the idea of dedicating a special edition of Radio Free Hipster to the event, it seemed all too fitting.

I’ve always dreamed of having special guest co-hosts for the ‘cast, but I could never quite nail down the logistics of such an undertaking. And while the recording setup we employed for this exercise was probably less than ideal, it has opened up the possibility of doing more eps like this in the future.

But more importantly, despite any technical difficulties, I had more fun putting together this edition than any that came before. Rob and Hex are intelligent, personable, unbelievably entertaining guys who have pooled their energies to make this Nerdapalooza far surpass its forbears. The boundless enthusiasm that they brought to something as inconsequential as Skyping in to rap with me about the project highlights their dedication to making this event everything it should be.

Download Radio Free Hipster EP. 46: Nerdapalooza Bound [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 55.3 MB Running Time: 60:27

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
Because there’s simply no better place to start.

Track 1: Uncle Monsterface – “This is an Adventure!”
If you missed out on This is an Adventure! during it’s free download period, you’d still do well to pick it up. Even at the going rate it’s a solid musical investment.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 1st interlude: “The dynamic duo behind Nerdapalooza ’08.”
Having mCRT and Hex Warrior on the show was a real treat for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Track 2: Emergency Pizza Party – “It’s a Pizza Party”
Groups like EPP have helped to make Florida the nerdcore mecca that it is, and the truly unique, supportive community that has sprung up around such local acts has served to make Orlando an ideal location for Nerdapalooza.

Track 3: Math the Band – “Shark Attack”
I had actually picked out a quirky cover song from Math to include in the show, but Hex suggested “Shark Attack.” His was the better choice.

Track 4: The Killer Robots! – “I AM ROBOT”
If you’ve ever thought I really like GWAR but I wish they were geekier, Killer Robots! is for you.

Track 5: In Real Life – “Hip Hop Saved Me”
I’ve really become a believer in EMPulse records over the past few months. They’ve got a great roster, and they anchor a number of amazing projects rooted in the nerdy music meta-community.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 2nd interlude: “The Tootsie Roll center.”
EPP’s MC Wreckshin actually helped out on the technical end of the podcast. While he didn’t exactly co-host with Hex and mCRT, he did lend his place as a recording pad when we had some early difficulties. Thanks, Wrecks!

Track 6: Dot.AY vs. Zombies! Organize!! - “F-Bombs and 1-Ups”
I actually had a really nice lead-in for this Zombies! Organize!! Track (in which I named dropped GM4A’s Here Comes a New Challenger),but I failed to record that bit. My bad. :(

Track 7: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew - “It’s All About the Booty”
Because what good are zombies without pirates?

Track 8: Marc with a C - “Life’s So Hard”
mCRT introduced me to Marc with a C in this very episode. I really think he’s gonna bring an interesting element to Nerdapalooza.

Track 9: mCRT - “Penis Monologues”
No one does nerdcore porno rhymes quite like mCRT. I’m hoping he’ll emblazon that slogan on a t-shirt.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 3rd interlude: “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
I love that the guys got all spontaneously piratical on me. :)

Track 10: Wordburglar - “The WBmix”
I finally picked up Burglaritis last week. You should too.

Track 11: Sudden Death - “My Atari”
Comedy rap at its finest, Sudden Death always satisfies. This cockeyed take on a Run DMC classic is one of my personal favorites.

Track 12: Magitek - “Armagetdown”
I totally flubbed the title of Magitek’s Distorting Reality For Better Perception in the podcast, which is a shame. It’s a damn fine album that alternates between goodtime nerdcore and danceable electronica. Check it out.

Track 13: Maja - “Here I Come (Outro Remix)
Maja’s “Transformer” was originally on the play list, but I subbed this track instead. I’ve played “Transformer” before on RFH and on HipTrax, and I featured Snake Eyes’ “Transformer” mash-up just a few episodes ago. The Amalgam Project is so chockfull of excellent material that it seemed a shame to retread on that one song.

Z, Hex, and mCRT’s 3rd interlude: “Your one and only destination for the intersection of classic sci-fi literature and dick jokes.”
This is a lie. mCRT has already proven that he is the true source of sci-fi lit/dick joke juxtaposition.

Track 14: Schaffer the Darklord – “Nerd Lust (Peeved Mix)”
Peeved mentioned to me that STD had asked him for an instrumental of this remix. Here’s hoping we get to hear it live at Nerdapalooza!

I really regret that I wasn’t able to spend more time talking to Hex and mCRT. They are fascinating cats, and the huge amount of support they’ve given my little blog alone should have guaranteed them some more face time. But alas, it was getting late and Skype was being flaky. Such is life.

One thing that was sort of glossed over in our discussion of Nerdapalooza is exactly how hard these two gentlemen have been working to make it a success. This was not due to time constraints, but rather to their own modesty. Sure, the fact that they’ve ponied up their own money for previous events was briefly mentioned, but neither copped to the sheer force of will that goes propping up such a major undertaking, particularly in its earliest stages.

They won’t brag, so let me do it for them: Hex and mCRT have damn-near killed themselves putting together Nerdapalooza. In the process, they’ve created a cultural event that is nerdy but not niche, sponsored but not commercial, and affordable but not worthless. And then they’ve turned around and promised the proceeds to charity.

That’s nerd love, ladies and gentlemen, and you can share your own by buying Nerdapalooza tickets. Get 'em while they're hot!

Pre-Nerdapalooza Silliness

We are less than a month away from Nerdapalooza 2008, and I, for one, am excited. I’ll get to make a long-awaited return trip to central Florida, hear some amazing bands, meet up with some old friends, and, quite possibly, get a little drunk. What’s not to love?

Last week I had the honor and/or pleasure of featuring my pals Hex Warrior and mCRT as co-hosts on the newest edition of my Radio Free Hipster podcast. (MC Wreckshin was there too, although he was mostly a silent contributor.) That episode is being finalized at present and should be made available later this week, and, despite some technical difficulties, it was an unbelievable amount of fun. Moreover, it served to stoke the interminable fire in my breast for the whole festival experience. Though there’s still much to be done before I head southward, I am, in my mind’s eye, already there. The weather is balmy and good times are plentiful.

With the new baby, my finances aren’t exactly what they used to be, but it seems as though the stars have aligned to make this trip possible. I’ll be making the drive down with my best friend Josh (AKA: Seamonkey, AKA: Superfudge, AKA: The Hebrew Hammer), the best damn travel companion a fellow could ask for. And we’ve been offered lodging with craft-meisters and recent transplants Denika and Dennis of Joined at the Stitch, which further serves to soften the fiscal blow. This means I just need to round up gas and beer money, which seems doable.

That being said, should any of you care to contribute to my Nerdapalooza travel fund, feel free to use the Paypal donations link in the sidebar. Don’t feel obligated to give or anything, but if you have a couple of bucks lying around I’d be happy to take them off your hands. Apparently this gas stuff is expensive.

Since I’m essentially sparing for change here, it seems only fair to let you in on my itinerary. And while most of my July 4th weekend will be spent either A) in a car on the drive down/back, B) at Taste Restaurant soaking up the nerdy goodness, or C) asleep, there are a few things I hope to accomplish, a few things I’d like to experience.

Here’s my wish list:

• Pick up one of Marty’s framed pictures of Uncle Monsterface
• Sing along with the Potters’ “Save Ginny Weasely”
• Give funky49 a hug (It’s long overdue.)
• Make ZeaLous1 carry me around a la Master Blaster
• Get a photo op with Dual Core’s int eighty
• Share a milkshake with Anthony and MisterB of Letters vs. Numbers (We’ll use three straws; it won’t be gross or nuthin’!)
• Hear Random perform one non-Mega Ran track (Please oh please oh please let it be “City Boy!”)
• Challenge DJ Snyder to a foot race
• Get my ninja on with Krondor Krew
• Talk comics with Logic1and Sir-Up
• Scream “shark attack!” at Math the Band
• Try to convince unwitting strangers that I am myf, Maja, or G Minor 7
• Meow along with Schaffer the Darklord
• Geek dance with MC Frontalot
• Get Wordburglar to say “aboot” (He’s Canadian, y’know.)

I had originally included “Broker Israeli/Palestinian agreement re: Gaza Strip” on the list, but that seemed a pretty tall order considering I’ve just got the weekend to work with. Maybe I’ll just try and get a diasporic Jew and a local Sunni Muslim to shake hands. That’d count, right?

I know this is a blog dedicated to music and that I am currently writing about a music festival, but the abundance of nerdy tunage is only one of the symbols in the larger equation that is my boundless anticipation. Mostly, I’m excited about the people.

I correspond directly with a number of you guys, some on a near-daily basis, and the opportunity to actually sit in the same room with you is positively exhilarating. Perhaps I’m being presumptuous, but my thoughts on Nerdapalooza can’t help but turn those of geeky brotherhood and camaraderie. I know that Hex and mCRT have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into fostering just that short of environment of communal solidarity, and I genuinely believe that the show will be a rousing success on this front.

If you’re going to be in the Orlando area for Nerdapalooza, please let me know. I know I’m not much compared to the Frontalots and EPPs and Randoms of the world, but I’d love the opportunity to hang out and maybe share a drink or a joke.

I’ll be the short guy.