More Nerd News in Brief

In case you were wondering, my Halloween spirit is still very much intact. Sure, I’m a little pissed about the glut of Christmas-themed wares already for sale at my local retailers, but that’s hardly Halloween’s fault. Halloween is just grooving along, trying to stay hip and relevant, and then Christmas – totally cock-blocking Thanksgiving, I might add – swoops in and tries to steal all the attention.

It’s just not fair.

That’s why I urge you to refuse to buy that snoring Santa doorstop, to neglect your holiday shopping, and to tell Wal-Mart to shove that jumbo spindle of tinsel right up its corporate ass! Let Halloween have its moment in the spotlight. Let the kids trick-or-treat. Let the adults drink too much and dress inappropriately. Let AMC show Children of the Corn for 400th damn time.

Such is the glory of the Halloween season, and, much like rock ’n’ roll, it’s only really entertaining if it’s evil and slightly inappropriate.

• I’m not even angry: Jonathan Coulton’s got a fun little post up about the experience of writing the end theme for Valve’s newest sensation Portal over at his blog. It’s a surreal slice-of-life affair, just as you’d expect from Coulton, and he even posts the songs lyrics and chords as well. Thanks to my pal Brüx for directing me to this one!
• Famicom, we hardly knew ye: In other gamer-related news, Matt found this piece up at Engadget concerning Nintendo’s announcement that, as of October 31st, they will no longer support the Famicom hardware. Yes, after nearly 25 years, Nintendo is finally pulling the plug on the console that put them on the map and whose American iteration saved the videogame market as we know it. So if you’re planning on smashing your Famicom with a hammer, now’s the time to do it.
• L shift-O to the quote: Wednesday it was announced that an all-new original song by our own MC Frontalot will be include in Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. Fans are noticeably excited, but I am left to wonder, given the Lovecraftian/steampunk setting of the game, what could Front possibly have in store?
• Full Frontal nerdity + an STD: Next month, Frontalot and the Clonefucker himself, Schaffer the Darklord, will embark on a U.S. tour. Confirmed shows are as follows: Thurs. Nov. 8th - The Living Room in Providence, RI; Fri. Nov. 9th - Harper's Ferry in Allston, MA; Sun. Nov. 11th - The Knitting Factory in NYC; Tues. Nov. 13th - The Basement in Columbus, OH; Wed. Nov. 14th - Reggie's Live in Chicago, IL; Thur. Nov. 15th - Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN; Sun. Nov. 18th - The Marquis Theater in Denver, CO (with special guest YTCracker); Tues. Nov. 20th - Burt's Tiki Club in Salt Lake City, UT; Wed. Nov. 21st - The Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, CA; Sun. Nov. 25th - Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco, CA. The tour will coincide with the November 1st release of Schaffer's newest full-length Mark of the Beast.
• West Coast ghosts: This week has seen a couple of interesting items from the ZeaLouS1 camp. First and foremost, Z1 has announced that the new album will be entitled The Living Epitaph. A preview of the cover artwork is available at his site. Also, next Friday, October 26th, BOSSFIGHT presents Devil’s Night at the San Diego Sports Club. Featured performers include BOSSFIGHT’s own ZeaLouS1 and IllGill as well as otaku-centric artists Maja and Stephanie Yanez. The show kicks off at 9:00 PM, and, while there’s no cover, it is a 21+ affair.
• Not to be confused with Johnny Dangerously: Jesse Dangerously’s new album Verba Volant is now available for purchase in both DRM-free MP3 and FLAC formats from www.Zunior.com. Also included are PDFs of the cover art and lyrics; all for a mere $8.88. Unfortunately, neither CDbaby nor iTunes have the album available yet, so this is a great (and inexpensive) solution for folks who want their Jesse D. right the fuck now! Jesse would also like to remind fans that Zunior has a handy place for user reviews right on the site. And, if you choose to write a review he asks you to “[p]retend you write for a respectable alt-weekly and use every cultural touchstone at your disposal.” I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
• If they could see me now!: The lads and I can’t seem to stop talking about Wrock the Boat, the first ever Harry Potter-themed cruise. Who wouldn’t want to travel to the Caribbean for 5 full days with Draco and the Malfoys and DJ Luna Lovegood? And did I mention that it’ll take place upon a Carnival "Fun Ship" the week of Halloween 2008? I didn’t? Well, how dare I?!
• A pterodactyl in the background for no goddamn reason: Matt also directed me to the Geek Comedy Tour 3000. Though the concept of nerds telling joked (or, more specifically, comedians reflecting on their own inherent nerdiness) isn’t exactly a recent development, some of the bits presented on the tour’s site were actually pretty good. I thought I’d throw it our there in case any of y’all were interested… despite the fact that it’s occurring 93 years too early.
• Unbridled creativity meet rampant fanboyism: To keep things in the Halloween spirit, here are some Transformers costumes that are positively awe-inspiring. Though, truthfully, I really wanna see those Contructicons try and form Devastator. I’m just sayin’.

Tricks and/or treats

There are few things I look forward to more than Halloween-themed music compilations. I don’t imagine that confession shocks anyone, but I just wanted to put it on the table before I proceed.

As a die-hard Halloweener and a huge dork, I was keenly interested in developments concerning the second annual Rhyme Torrents Halloween project, known simply as Halloween 2.0. Though I was less than hopeful that the compilation would make its projected release date, the RT community pulled together and made it available yesterday as originally promised.

This time around, the comp is actually two individual disks, each composed of 13 tracks. They range from simple spoken interludes to 7+ minute musical epics, and, in true Rhyme Torrents style, the contributors run the gamut from old favorites to – if you’ll pardon the pun – new blood.

I realize that the RT compilations have gotten a bit of a bad reputation as far as quality is concerned, but, unlike most of the previous collections, the production values for Halloween 2.0 seem to remain fairly high and consistent across the board. The intrinsic musicality of the songs themselves, however, is a different story. While most of us can reach a consensus as to what is acceptable as far as mastering and leveling, we certainly have disparate ideas concerning what makes a truly enjoyable song.

To that end, I’ll go ahead and say that the listener will find tracks that he digs as well as those that he’d simply choose to ignore upon repeated plays. And, if you are the type who finds more of the former than the latter, may I remind you that both disks are provided free of charge.

In my opinion, each disk boasts some genuinely standout tracks. ZeaLouS1’s “Zombie Killa,” which I was fortunate enough to hear in its early stages, presents a very interesting post-apocalyptic narrative, and TyT’s “Trick or Treat” is powerful and dynamic in the spirit of YTCracker. Projekt Zero and T-Byte manage to strike a great balance between lyrical storytelling and musical ambiance on “Last Man,” as do Conyeezy and nYgel on their submission “World War Z,” which takes its name from one of my favorite contemporary novels. But the first disk truly belongs to Metamystiks, Inc.; their track “Voices” continues MMI’s grand tradition of bringing it harder and more relentlessly with each release. Though their output is limited, DJ Snyder, Super Dragon X, and myf are batting a thousand.

Disk 2 is of note first for MC Tanuki’s coaxing Ultraklystron out of his (sort of) retirement to contribute to the track “Vampires Really Suck,” which has a great guitar-rap vibe thanks a clever musical hook. Down Underdogs' “Bloodsucking Freaks” also bring a fantastic old school vibe to the proceedings, and they prove a tough act to follow. Still, the Ice & Fire mix of MC Lars/mc chris collaboration “Roommate From Hell” manages to forgo traditional hip-hop for a more rocked up approach, and Horrorshow’s “Everything’s Over Now” stands out as, perhaps, the compilations most thematic, undeniably eerie cut and a perfect way to close.

As previously stated, the compilation is free for the taking, so I highly recommend that you check it out. There’s something for everyone, from the young nihilist just looking for tales of fright to the head who desperately wants to believe that there’s something nerdy he can vibe to. So take a chance and check out Halloween 2.0, and then be sure to show some love to your favorite participants.

Nerd News in Brief

After seven years of bitching Capcom has finally agreed to grace fans with another Bionic Commando sequel. Unfortunately, said sequel is slated for release on the PC, PS3, and 360. This means, for those of you watching in black and white, that the new title will surely forgo its 2-D platforming roots in favor of a 3-D makeover.

Shit.

If I learned anything from Konami, it’s that when one of my favorite old school titles makes the jump to the third dimension the gameplay inevitably suffers.

I have a list of demands, Capcom, and I’m gonna break ‘em down for you:

1) Yes, please, for the love of God, do make a new Bionic Commando.
2) Keep it 2-D. As Ninja Five-O demonstrated, the grappling hook effect is still a solid play mechanic in traditional platformers.
3) Fuck the next-gen consoles: what you want to do is make this title for the Nintendo DS. Everybody owns one and it’s the perfect vehicle for old school remakes.
4) Give us an unlockable version of the original title on the same cart, and dump the North American censorship; we all know they’re Nazis.

Wait, I should've asked for a bag of money too, right?! Damnit!

• A geek manifesto: My pal Matt from Headphone Sacrament wrote up his own response to last month’s Something Awful anti-nerdcore sentiment. He shared it with Church and me, and we were summarily impressed. After letting it simmer for a bit, last week he opted to post it on his blog. It’s a great piece, and I highly recommend you check it out.
• The Fantastic Dr. Richards: LogicOne reports that his new album is finally nearing completion. He even went so far as to post a tentative track list over on the Rhyme Torrents forums. Most interesting is his line-up of collaborators, which include confirmed heavy hitters ZeaLouS1 and Super Dragon X and projected tracks with Fanatical, Betty Rebel, and Benjamin Bear. And for those of you who feared that Logic had forgotten his roots, “Comic Shop Rock 2.0” is among the songs featured.
• Happy Nerdoween: In other Rhyme Torrents news, today is the drop date of RT’s Halloween 2.0. Will it make it in before the buzzer? A brother can dream!
• Halloween just became less scary: Church shot me a link to this piece from the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry that debunks all my favorite Hollywood supernatural pseudoscience. I am both amazed and disappointed. Crushingly.
• On again, off again: Yesterday mc chris announced that he was planning to drop the Colorado Springs date from his current tour due to some press issues. (There were some other concerns broached in the same blog entry, but that's neither here nor there.) Thankfully, however, he decided, after an overwhelming fan response, to keep the date intact.
• A friend in need: T.Y.T., an artist whose Nerdy South mixtape contribution was played on a recent edition of RFH, is in need of a little financial assistance. More specifically, his father is in need of a liver transplant as the result of hemochromatosis-related cirrhosis. Since his condition is genetic (and not the result of a cause such as alcoholism) he’s been bumped up the organ recipient list. But this process still ain’t cheap, and the family is in desperate need of money to pay for the procedure. The guys from The Awful Show have set up a campaign to raise the needed $10,000, so please consider contributing.
• Christmas with Harry: Wrock fans can now pre-order The Leaky Cauldron’s 2007 charity fundraiser CD Jingle Spells: Leaky’s Rocking Christmas. The disk features all-new, exclusive tracks from 14 different bands, and, of course, all the money raised goes to Book Aid International. Thanks, as always, go to Matt for keeping me in the loop on all things Wrock!
• It’ll never be better than mine!: I just wanted to remind interested parties about the CAGcast them song contest going on over at Cheap Ass Gamer. I mentioned it last week, but I figured that with $100 and some repeat play on a wildly popular podcast at stake it bore repeating.
• Boning the undead: After yesterday’s release of RFH 32, Church and Matt simultaneously pointed me toward this info on proposed CBS series Babylon Fields. I had heard whisperings about the show, but nothing solid save that it failed to make the lineup. Now I understand why; the horny zombies in a crime drama thing has been done to death! ;)
• Zombies, zombies, and more zombies: And that’s not the only proposed zombie series in the works. Behold the viral marketing monster that is Alive. It’s kind of like The Blair Witch Project, only with less snot and a better monster payoff. Plus, it’s got a purported Star Trek link, so as to compound its nerdy goodness.
  

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 32: The Zombie Beat

This episode takes its name from a particularly grisly motif used in the 2000 AD comic Bad Company. In case you’re unfamiliar with the book, let me break it down for you.

Bad Company follows the experiences of a platoon of miscreants fighting an alien race known as the Krool on a distant planet called Ararat. The story is told through the diary entries of Danny Franks, a young soldier who finds himself conscripted into the company’s after the slaughter of his own platoon.

The thing that always fascinated me as a kid reading these stories was the ruthlessness of the Krool. Perhaps their greatest tactical advantage was the implementation of War-Zombies. Employing their alien technology to create an ultra high-frequency “zombie beat,” the Krool would quite literally send the enemies resurrected dead to attack their own front lines.

As a ten year-old, I didn’t see the poignancy of having soldiers literally haunted (hunted?) by their dead compatriots, but the concept alone was enough to scare the shit out of me and feed and already sizable zombie-phobia.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 32: The Zombie Beat [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 42.8 MB Running Time: 46:50

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
When the zombie apocalypse rears its rotten head, I want these two cats on my team.

Track 1: Bush Sees New Threat dialogue / Jonathan Coulton – “Re Your Brains”
Being assaulted by zombies is bad enough. Realizing that their leader is that asshole from the next cubicle is pure horror. Bravo, Mr. Coulton.

Z’s 1st interlude: “I have had an alarming number of people request a zombie-themed episode.”
You guys want zombies? Well, I’ll give you zombies!

Track 2: Night of the Living Dead dialogue / Switchblade Kittens “All Cheerleaders Die”
I’ll fight any man who speaks ill of Drama’s end-of-verse squeak in this track. It really makes the song.

Track 3: ZeaLouS1 – “Necrophilianomenon”
I’ve always known that Z1 has a thing for zombies. I just didn’t realize it was, y’know, kinky.

Track 4: Theme from Zombie / Return of the Living Dead dialogue / The Misfits – “Night of the Living Dead”
The Misfits are rendered even dorkier by a complete and total lack of self-awareness.

Track 5: Zombie dialogue / Redneck Zombies dialogue / Glenn Case – “Sea of Zombies”
Glenn has a song for all occasions. Let there be no mistaking.

Track 6: The Sprites – “George Romero”
Leave it to Matt to throw some infectious indie pop into the mix. This is, perhaps, the most upbeat song about the undead of all time.

Track 7: Mr. Fab – “Cannibal Zombie Mom”
Contrary to what I said, “Dark Shadows Chachacha” was not included in the final mix. Perhaps I’ll throw it in next episode.

Track 8: Night of the Living Dead dialogue / The Besties – “Zombie Song”
Be sure to check out this live video of “Zombie Song.” It’s a tragic tale of post-mortem romance.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “The brains – no pun intended – behind Revenant, the Web’s premiere zombie magazine.”
Let me, once again, thank DJ Chubby Cheeks for hooking me up with some creepy beats. Give him some love on MySpace and don’t forget to peep Revenant.

Track 9: Theme from Redneck Zombie / Wednesday 13 – “I Walked with a Zombie”
Wednesday 13 is from Charlotte, so he’s sort of a local favorite. If you’re looking for a perfect blend of Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper, the Murderdolls, the Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13, and his solo work are all highly recommended.

Track 10: DJ Chubby Cheeks – “Cognac” / What to do In a Zombie Attack dialogue
Check out What to do In a Zombie Attack for survival tips and patriotic posturing.

Track 11: Theme from Night of the Living Dead / Return of the Living Dead dialogue / Songs To Wear Pants To – “Shoot the Zombies”
Songs To Wear Pants To apparently writes songs by request. Thanks to Church for directing me to this one.

Track 12: DJ Snyder – “Monstrous (feat. Brainthirst)”
Inclusion of nerdcore’s only zombie MCs seemed obligatory.

Track 13: Zombie Nation vs. Goblin – “Zombiv vs. Kernkraft 400 (Osymyso mix)”
Inclusion of some Shaun of the Dead also seemed compulsory.

Z’s finale interlude: “I’ve always sort of wondered about the correlation between nerds and zombies.”
Nerds love zombies. Zombies also love nerds, though, so I suppose it’s alright.

Track 15: Young Zombies in Love soundtrack – “Life Ahead of Us” / Redneck Zombies dialogue
I thought I’d change shit up and end on an upbeat track. The “knockers” thing was sort of an afterthought. ;)

There are a lot of songs about zombies, and, by simple virtue of topic, they’re pretty much all nerdy. The walking dead just seem to perk up the old creativity-bone; zombies are cool like that.

I’ve always purported that I’m more concerned about a zombie plague than domestic terrorism. Why? Well, while I don’t know how many sleeper cells there are in upstate South Carolina, I do know there are a helluva lot more corpses.

More Nerd News in Brief

This NPR story about Japanese Beatles tribute band The Parrots really struck me as interesting. I mean, sure, we can chalk this up to just another eastern fascination with western culture, but I tend to see it another way: cosplay to the Nth degree.

I mean, nerdiness is all about fully embracing your interests, and cosplay is about losing yourself in that same interest. So don't theses dudes qualify? Aren't they music dorks who have taken things to another level?

The attention to detail, the dedication to craft, the dogged determination: are these not the earmarks of geekniness?

• Robots, rock, and reading: If you’re in the Seattle area and are looking to rock the fuck out this weekend, may I humbly suggest what is certainly the geek rock bill of the season: Captured By Robots, Hearseburner, and goddamn Blood Hag! This very evening – Friday, October 12th – at The Funhouse, from 9:30 PM to 2:00 AM, you can see all three amazing acts for the low, low price of $10.00. And to sweeten the deal, CBR will be presenting “Dubya,” a musical adaptation of the last 7 years of the George W. Bush presidency. As performed by killer robots.
• What’s my name?: mc chris has another round of concert dates for the forthcoming week. Behold:10/15/2007 - The Annex Madison, Wisconsin; 10/16/2007 05:30 PM - 7th Street Entry (All Ages Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota; 10/16/2007 09:00 PM - 7th Street Entry (21+ Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota; 10/18/2007 - The Waiting Room Omaha, Nebraska; 10/20/2007 08:00 PM - The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, Colorado; 10/21/2007 - Fox Theatre Boulder, Colorado ALL AGES!
• Triple threat: MC Frontalot, Schaffer the Darklord, and hometown hero YTCracker will also be performing in Colorado. On November 18th at Denver’s Marquis Theater, you can watch these three titans of geeky rhymes do there collective thang. This all ages event kicks off at 7:30 PM, and tickets are $8.00 in advance or $10.00 at the door.
• The Atomic Age: Also on the subject of forthcoming gigs, MAJA will be performing at the Atomic Comics Anime Festival on Saturday Oct 27, 2007 at 12:00 PM. The show (and the festival itself) will go down at the Atomic Mesa Superstore in Mesa, AZ. Show up and support you otaku rap.
• Harold and Kumar go to Starfleet Academy: Matt just hipped me to the casting of the cat that played Harold in the role of Sulu in the new Star Trek film. I didn’t actually watch Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, so I’m not sure if this dude is a master thespian of George Takai's caliber. I said “thesbian.”
• And what do I do?: Church also alerted me to a little love directed at our own mc chris by the Wisconsin State Journal. Although, personally, I find the writers admission that “[a]ll of a sudden Madison is becoming dweeb central” as a little odd. I mean, come on; it’s Madison, WI! The nerds have always been there. Now they’re just coming out of hiding.
• Just when you thought you’d run out of things to crank: MadHatter, of Sinister Six fame, has just dropped a new track on his MySpace. Like any fan of, y’know, music, Hatter hates “that god damn 'Crank That Soulja Boy' song and dance” so much so that he… made his own?! At any rate, you can check “Crank That Scrubby Boy” on his profile or via direct download.
• Triumphant return: After a lengthy absence, Rhyme Torrents mastermind and young Jack Nicholson sound-alike High-C has returned and promised a new album of collaborations and cover songs in the near future. It’s slated to feature collabs with the likes of The Ranger, DJ Snyder, mCRT, Random, and Betty Rebel, just to name a few, as well as covers of classic tracks by Todd Rundgren, Public Enemy, and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. Keep your ear to the ground for more info.
• Nerds are scary: And speaking of RT, this year’s Rhyme Torrents Halloween compilation is tentatively slated for an October 16th release. At 26 songs strong, there’s sure to be something for everyone. And, having already heard the ZeaLouS1 and Sinister Six tracks, I think that things are already shaping up nicely. Oh, and the disk still needs a cover, so interested parties should holler at the RT crew.
• Brazilian wax: On the Nerdcore For Life front, Dan reports that he received word of another Brazilian article concerning the documentary. This turned out to be erroneous, as the piece actually references the Frontalot doc Nerdcore Rising rather than Nerdcore For Life, but I reckon it’s worth a read regardless… assuming, of course, you can read Portuguese.
• Undead Equal Opportunities Bill: And to wrap things up, more zombies. Consider yourselves primed for next weeks edition of Radio Free Hipster.

Cue theme song

I don’t know how many of you cats are members of the Cheap Ass Gamer community, but I do know that a healthy chunk are musicians and the overwhelming majority of you are nerds with a penchant for gaming. In this instance, the former is even more important than the latter.

According to the latest edition of their podcast, hosts CheapyD and Wombat are in the market for an official CAGcast theme song. In addition to getting some regular play on a hugely popular (and recently award-winning) gaming podcast, the winner will also receive a cool $100 American. The winning track will be announced on CAGcast 100, which should hit the virtual-airwaves at the end of November, so you’ve got some time to familiarize yourself with the show and its unique charm.

Additional information can be found in this thread, and, of course, amongst the madness that is CAGcast 93; which, coincidentally, you should probably listen to even if you don’t plan on entering the contest.

CAG is one of the few videogame communities that eschews fanboyism in favor of actual content and “hardcore” posturing for nerdly interaction. Plus it’s the best place on the InterWebs for game shopping news, so I think this would be a great opportunity for some exposure for our nerdcore, geek rock, and VGM brethren.

Without naming any names, I am full aware that many of you are more than capable of crafting a competent theme song. So, does anyone wanna take a crack at it?

Nerd News inBrief

Guess who’s back in the muthafuckin’ house with some Nerd News for that muthafuckin’…

Wow. That didn’t fit at all.

How about: guess who’s back in the muthafuckin’ house with some Nerd News from the muthafuckin’… South?

Yeah, okay, that works.

It’s not my best bastardization of a Snoop Dogg couplet, but it’ll have to do.

• I’m a stream-ripper, a one-way ticket, yeah: Before motoring into the mountains of Tennessee last week, I made it a point to catch the Shoutcast interview with The Grammar Club guys. In addition to hearing from Shael and Glenn, Beef Thompson also made an appearance. There were some revelations about the project and its genesis, some laughs and good-natured bull-shittery, and ample talk about – you guessed it – dry-cleaning and animal husbandry. You can check out the interview at The Grammar Club site, or you can download my own rip of the madness.
• What a lady!: Church has found a definitive winner in our continuing mission to quantify the world’s greatest geek tattoo. Ladies and gentlemen, behold our new Empress.
• A PhD in Dorking the Fuck Out: Would you like to see a video interview with MC Frontalot and his group of musical malcontents from the DigtalLife expo? Of course you would! Pay special attention to Blak Lotus’s musing concerning nerd girls. Fascinating.
• VGM meets nerdcore hip-hop: 8-Bit Bandit & Dumbfoundead have, at long last, released The Super Barrio Brothers EP. What are still reading for? Head over to their MySpace and snag this CD! I’ll wait here until you get back.
• Too good to be true?: If any of you nerdcore cats are approached by some marketing-types who say they were referred to you by one Dan Lamoureux, Dan humbly requests that you let him know. Apparently, he was contacted by a marketing firm via MySpace that seemed to be rather interested in nerdcore, but he was a little iffy on the legitimacy of their request. Though it “might sound shady,” Dan says that the folks he talked to “were very nice and psyched about nerdcore.” There was talk of sponsoring some events and whatnot, but before he got all excited Dan wanted to know if anyone else had been approached. Check out the full story here and let the man know if you have any info.
• In his own words: Otaku MC MAJA now has his very own blog through which he can share his thoughts with you, the fans. You can peek inside the mind of hip-hop's foremost Janglish speaker via this link.
• Far more social than you'd think: My boy Antisocial is breaking in his new recording rig by re-recording all the songs from his previous effort Depressed Nerd. The re-release will be called, what else, Depressed Nerd 2.0. You know how Soc rolls.
• Get.Yer.Geek.On: Last weekend marked Madison, Wisconsin’s Geek.Kon, and over 1800 nerds or all types and descriptions showed up. Why, I can only imagine the smell! In addition to making it to CNN, the show also got a great write-up in Wisconsin’s Badger Herald.
  
• John! George! Paul! Ringo! Zombies!: And lastly, so as to get you all back in the pre-Halloween spirit, here’s a little video mash-up featuring The Beatles… and the undead.

The Volunteer State

Tennessee is strange. It has too many double letters in its name, and apparently folks around here are too damn snooty to tour a winery eleven AM on a Sunday. Thankfully they've found a way to combine yard sales and thrill rides. Who new? We should be home soon.
--Z.

More Nerd News in Brief

I haven’t riffed on the news in a bit, so let me scratch that particular itch.

For those of you currently unaware, earlier this week Ohio State Representative Matthew Barrett inadvertently displayed a photo of a topless woman to the high school civics class to which he was delivering a presentation. It appears as though the memory stick that held his presentation materials also held a directory of porn. Barrett, of course, had no idea where the images came from as the USB drive in questions “was a gift.”

Lesson learned: never keep your work files and your spank bank in the same place.

• Drycleaning and/or animal husbandry: Don’t forget to tune in to ShoutCast tonight to hear from Shael Riley and Glenn Case. Start-time info and a direct link to the ‘cast can be found at The Grammar Club site. And, on a related note, it appears as though I was totally right concerning the band’s focus.
• Mega remix: DON VITO took advantage of those Mega Ran acapellas that were floating around by making his own remix of the track “Robot City.” Check it out and let DV know what you think.
• Where no man has gone before: The International Astronomic Union has elected to rename asteroid "1994 GT9" to 7307 Takei in honor of Hikaru Sulu. Please keep your gay jokes to yourself.
• Sweet home Chicago: Matt reports that the Wrock world is all aflutter over the news that 24 Wizard Rock bands have announced their involvement in Wrock Chicago. This uber-concert is planned for August 6th of next year as a part of the Terminus convention. The catch is that the roster will actually be 25 bands strong, with the final band being decided by a contest.
• New hotness: I’ve recently been informed by both Beefy and Ultraklystron that their new releases will be available soon. Ultraklystron states that all that Opensource Lyricist has been recorded and now he simply needs to “finalize the cover art, get the discs printed, get the covers printed and add it to [his] store.” Meanwhile, Beefy teases that Rolling Doubles is “closer and closer to being completed.” I was also afforded a sneak preview of a track from ZeaLouS1’s new disk, and – without giving too much away – I can attest that it’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for from the BOSSFIGHT camp.
• Silent yet supportive: In his continuing mission to help me waste time at work, Church has found a ninja social network. If anyone can find me a pirate social network… well, then I’ll be summarily impressed.
• i wants to die: Church also directed me to LOL Secretz, a blog that spoofs communal art project and laugh-a-minute anonymous confession site Post Secrets. It’s like a meme made love to Taxicab Confessions and this is their cock-eyed offspring.
• Heading for the hills: On a more personal note, the family Z. is heading for the mountains this weekend. As far as the wife and Li’l X. know, we’re simply going on vacation. Truthfully, I’m scouting out the area as a potential relocation point during the ensuing zombie holocaust. Word from Atlanta seems grim. Thankfully, there are teams of diligent individuals helping to spread the word. Shit, even the president, a man with whom I seldom find myself in agreement with, is hip to the jive.

The power of words

Shael Riley and Glenn Case will be on “a somewhat popular college radio program” this Thursday evening at 11:00 PM Eastern to talk about that delightful bundle of musical weirdness known simply as The Grammar Club.

Now, I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything, but I am led to believe that this interview may finally answer the burning questions concerning the project such as what, exactly is The Grammar Club and why the fuck is Beefy now robot made of cardboard. Of course, given the enigmatic nature of the information currently circulating about the group (or total lack thereof), I won't be totally surprised if they just talk about dry cleaning or animal husbandry.

Regardless, be sure to check out the Club's Web site for further details, and don't forget to tune in!

Addendum

This was supposed to be the top story in yesterday’s NNIB post, but I totally flaked and forgot it as I was writing.

Senility is a bitch! A bitch that catches you unawares; it’s also like a ninja.

Senility is a ninja bitch!

But I digress.

Anywho, a week and a half or so ago Mark Vidler (also known as Go Home Productions) began making his entire back catalogue freely available via his Web site. Disks 1 through 12 of his 16 disk body of work are presently free for the taking, and the final few volumes should join them soon.

The disks themselves are arranged chronologically, so you can get a real sense for how GHP has grown as an artist. In addition to the mash-ups for which Mark is famous, the collection also boasts a lot of unofficial remixes and unreleased material. Hell, the files are even tagged for those iPod machines with artwork and whatnot.

In short, this is a helluva find and I highly recommended you take advantage of Mr. Vidler’s generosity.

You can score individual disks through the RAR links on his site, but your best bet is hitting the torrent for the whole kit-and-or-caboodle.

Nerd News in Brief

As most of you already know, Halloween is a month-long event in the Z. household.

The festive season kicks off this very evening, when Em and I sojourn into town to find Li’l X a suitable trick-or-treating getup. And it doesn’t conclude until the first of November, when I start stocking up on discounted Halloween swag for next year.

And I’m not the only country gentleman who’s preemptively getting his Halloween on. Church was nice enough to direct me to the Web site for Operation Dead: 1, a z-grade zombie flick that was filmed in nearby Atlanta. (Which is fitting, as anyone who’s read The Walking Dead knows that Atlanta is a zombie death-trap waiting to happen!)

Promotion for the film is kicking into high gear pending its Halloween release, so take a gander at the trailer and enjoy the cheesy carnage.

• Even scarier than the undead: Church also hipped me to the chilling news that NBC wants to revive the Knight Rider series. Surely the end is near. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals...” and out came David Hasselhoff.
• A loser is me: mc chris finally dropped some knowledge on his fans concerning this fall’s tour dates. Sadly, my humble burg did not make the cut. Check the following to see if your locality faired any better: 10/01/2007 07:00 PM - Roxy Theatre Atlanta, Georgia; 10/02/2007 08:00 PM - The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina; 10/03/2007 08:30 PM - Cat's Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina; 10/04/2007 08:00 PM - Satellite Ballroom Charlottesville, Virginia ; 10/05/2007 08:00 PM - The Fillmore @ Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 10/06/2007 07:30 PM - Stone Pony Asbury Park, New Jersey; 10/07/2007 10:00 PM - 9:30 Club Washington DC, Washington DC; 10/09/2007 09:00 PM - Nokia New York, New York; 10/10/2007 07:00 PM - Roxy Boston, Massachusetts; 10/11/2007 07:00 PM - Tralf Buffalo, New York; 10/12/2007 08:00 PM - The Opera House Toronto, Ontario; 10/13/2007 07:00 PM - The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan; 10/14/2007 08:00 PM - Metro Chicago, Illinois; 10/15/2007 - The Annex Madison. See mc’s digs for the full list.
• Expect big things: The Sinister Six have posted a remix of the track “Scientistik” to their MySpace. Check it out for yet another glimmer of these enigmatic MCs’ level of collective ass-kickery.
• “Hip-hop first and geek second.”: MAJA got some love last week from both Phoenix’s New Times and Japan’s eyevio TV. The New Times piece is both in-depth and very well written, so be sure to read the duration. However, for the non-otaku who just wanna see MAJA in the eyevio clip, look for him around the 4:17 mark in episode 4.
• Use the Force: New Zealand’s own MC Stormtroopa made his brief introduction to the Rhyme Torrents community last week. You can learn a bit more about the world’s first Kiwi nerdcore artist at his site.
• Speed Run: Conyeezy has posted a new track over at the CSHC MySpace profile. Peep “Homie (feat. T. Wilson),” a track that breaks down like so: “lyrics written ... in one hour… , song recorded in one hour… , [with the track itself] engineered in three hours.”
• Dude and Catastrophe: If you live in Oregon and enjoy Achewood then you are not alone. And also, you can probably swing a free tattoo of Roast Beef. Web comic fans are weird.
• The fur flies: Aside from its looming zombie problem, the greater Atlanta metropolitan area also boasts its share of gang activity. Two principle players have elected to settle their disputes like men. Or, rather, like Klingons and anthropomorphic animals. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Furry vs. Trekkie Bowl-o-rama!

The Dork Defender

It’s hard to believe that ZeaLouS1 burst onto the nerdcore scene a scant year ago. In that short time he has managed to endear himself to the faithful and spread the good word of nerdy rhymes far and wide. Whether performing at the local haunts of his native California, across the country as a featured artist at Nerdapalooza SE, or prowling the stage at Las Vegas’s Consumer Electronics Show, Z1 has turned critics into fans and kindred spirits into family.

Famed for a calm, affable demeanor that belies his imposing size, ZeaLouS1 is more than our titular King of the Boss Fights; he is a friend to all nerds, a self-styled defender of the weak. While many in nerdcore espouse the superhero mindset, ZeaLouS truly takes it to heart.

He is, at once, a nerd’s nerd and a musician’s musician. He throws himself wholeheartedly into everything he does, and what he does best is take the listener by the hand and lead him from the busy San Diego streets to the burning wastes of Azeroth and back again.

And there’s nothing he’d like more than for you to join him.

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Though you've doubtlessly related the tale before, how did you fall into the world of nerdcore hip-hop?

I've been making music since 2001, and the stuff I was coming out with then was lyrically more conscious-mind, underground hip hop. I'd been sampling video games and cartoons with quotes from Anime and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Last year, while doing a live broadcast at Palomar College Radio on The Takeover, Anthony (aka: The Dark Prince) brought in a compilation of some songs he said were "Hip Hop songs that included really nerdy references" which he thought were right up my alley. I went home, browsed a few tracks and then “White Warrior” by YTCracker hit me. I couldn't BELIEVE someone sampled the beat from Gauntlet and then did a sick job adding some loops and flows to it. I was so inspired that night that I went in my “Lab” and busted out a few beats I had been playing with in the past and began work on my song “Level Up.” I haven't looked back since.

So you were making nerdy hip-hop well before you discovered nerdcore. What was your initial reaction when you realized that there were others out there making music in that same vein?

I was so surprised that there were other people making Mega Man and Fist of the North Star references besides me, but at the same time I was so stoked to know that there were other people out there that could catch my slick nerdy references and appreciate them. I'd slipped a lot of those references into my songs waaaay back in the day just to see if anybody would catch them, but now I can make full-blown songs packed with double entendres and references and have people like “YES! I know what he is talking about!”

Other than YTCRacker, who you’ve already mentioned, was there a specific artist or group of artists within the nerdcore community with whom you felt an immediate kinship?

When I first got to CES in Vegas earlier this year I didn't know anybody and I was still the new kid on the block. Walking into the place and going into the DivX booth the first people to greet me and my boys were EPP. They talked with us, paid their respects and hung out with us. They showed me what was going on and filled me in on everything I missed due to being caught up in traffic. If it wasn't for EPP it wouldn't have been as fun or comfortable. Much love and respects to my cousins in Florida!

Your third album is slated to be released this October. Is the project proceeding according to schedule?

Yes....and no. If my dad calls me up and needs my help on a Raid or a Heroic Instance on WoW then I'm not recording that night lol. Other than that, everything is right on track.

Have you settled on a title?

No, not yet. It will be the icing on the cake at the end. I have a few ideas in mind, but I won't be able to name it properly until it all comes together.

Your first release, Assimilation Process: Complete, was a thematic introduction to the ZeaLouS1 style, while your follow-up, Collaboc1de, was very much a love letter to nerdcore as both a community and a lifestyle. What can we expect from your next effort?

The concept has changed a few times since I first started working on it. I have settled on the lyrical scheme going back to how I first started but with an enhanced technique. Nothing but straight storytelling and flexing the vocal drops. This time around I am taking a lot of time in hand-making the beats and gathering beats from certain other artists to fit each story I tell to the extent that even if there were no words on the track you would still hear a story. I am going to be taking everything that is ZeaLouS1 up to this moment and putting it onto an album, and when you play it I want you to feel like I'm sitting next to you telling my story.

That sounds like an album I’d like to hear!

So the mechanics of song creation have been enhanced for your new album. How has the recording process itself differed from your previous efforts?

This is the most time-consuming, clean sounding and brain-straining project I have done so far, and I would have it no other way. I am putting forth as much time and effort as I possibly can to make what is in my head and heart come out into the music that you will hear. I do that with all music I make, except this time I'm striving for a higher level of excellence within myself and what I put forth.

A recent video leak showcased a new recording setup, compliments of BOSSFIGHT; would you say that the forthcoming album will have an even more polished sound than those previous?

Yes, absolutely. Thanks to BOSSFIGHT for hooking me up with all the equipment I needed to take my music to the next level. Because of The Dark Prince and the rest of the BOSSFIGHT Family I have been able to make this next project the most powerful piece of work I've ever been a part of.

As you yourself are an Audio Production major, do you generally prefer to produce your own tracks, or do you find it easier to free yourself of that responsibility and simply focus on your rhymes?

I love being able to make my own beats and I am very, very particular about what I flow on. If the beat doesn't make me feel like writing anything then I know anything I do write to it won't be as potent as it could have been. Some DJ's and beatsmiths have sent me tracks that have blown me away, and as soon as I hear the beat I'm grabbing desperately for a pen and some paper. Having someone else make a beat for me is awesome if they know the vibe I am working with and sometimes it really hurts my heart to have to tell them “I'm sorry but I'm not feeling this.” I know how much work and time it takes to tailor-make a beat, and if the vibe is right then the freedom of just writing lyrics and flowing on the beat is such a relief. Making specific beats for the story that I want to tell is the hardest and most arduous process when it comes to making music for me. I prefer making my own but I am nowhere near the best so it's awesome when a DJ or beatsmith comes along who makes a beat that I am infatuated with.

IllGill was recently added to the BOSSFIGHT roster. Does the label have any plans to bring additional artists onboard?

Yes. We are currently getting things ready to be a self-sufficient business before we aggressively begin the scouting and recruiting process. We have big things in mind and we are working diligently from the bottom up putting our time in and doing things the right way. The best part about it is we are having fun, and if we never become successful I will still be able to tell my kids one day how much fun I had doing what I loved to do.

Do you envision BOSSFIGHT as a solely nerdcore hip-hop label, or could we potentially see acts from other genres come into the BOSSFIGHT fold?

I can safely say that we will by no means limit ourselves to any one music style or genre. Like I said, we have some big things planned but we gotta take care of what’s currently on our plates first. Keep an eye on us in the year to come!

What, if anything, can you divulge about the enigmatic group known only as The Sinister Six?

I'm not exactly sure what, if anything, I am allowed to divulge, but when they drop that album it’s going to make people see a different side of nerdy hip hop that many think is only hype.

(EDIT: Shortly after this interview, The Sinister Six were revealed to be MadHatter, YTCracker, ZeaLouS1, Benjamin Bear, Big Stephen, and ShelShocker. The group, however, has still remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the project.)

During the week of this year's San Diego Comic-Con, BOSSFIGHT sponsored an event called N3XT L3V3L boasting an impressive musical line-up at the San Diego Sports Club. What can you tell us about the show?

It was the first show we have ever thrown and it was a very big learning process. So many things need to be taken into account when you throw a show and in this business we are still pretty much noobs. The artists that we got to come rock the mics for us were amazing, Gill and I got to rock out for the first time through the whole show, we met really cool people and made a few connections that have turned into great friendships. The show wasn't as huge as we thought it would be due to inexperience of how to run it, but for it being our very first one it was incredible. I can't wait until we get to do it again!

Are there plans to make N3XT L3V3L a recurring event?

Absolutely! Every year from now on as long as BOSSFIGHT exists there will be a N3XT L3V3L show in San Diego, California.

You journeyed all the way to Florida to play at last month's Nerdapalooza SE. How did that event compare to more high-profile shows such as your gig at CES or the CAPCOM booth performance at Comic-Con?

First and foremost, I wouldn't have been able to do a performance at the CAPCOM booth if it wasn't for YTCracker giving up time from his set to allow me to do so. Much love and respects to YTC for that!

Now the Florida show was a completely different beast altogether. This has definitely been my favorite show I've had the pleasure of performing at. It was a huge and prestigious honor to have headlined the first Nerdapalooza SE show in history. Comic-Con was a prestigious place to be at and to perform at, but when it comes to being around other people who drove 8 hours just to hear and be a part of the music you like and make there is no comparison. The audience was right there just a few feet away from me, full of fans and artists a like singing along with me to every song I did. There is no replacing that; there is no substitute. I would be honored to play at the rest of the Nerdapalooza SE shows forever and if its not in the cards to have me perform, you'd better believe I'm saving up money as we speak just so I can be in the crowd next time. Florida is Nerdcore Friendly and they showed me nothing but love and so it shall be forever returned.

You host a regular college radio show with your friends and classmates The Dark Prince, Silent D, and Tony B. What would you tell the uninitiated about The Takeover, and have you considered a career in radio?


The Takeover is 3 hours of random chaos mixed with Nerdcore and whatever the hell else we plan on playing that weekend. We are on a college radio station that you can listen to live at PalomarCollegeRadio.com from 6pm to 9pm PST on 1320AM. Since we are under the thumb of the FCC, our weekly goal is to press the envelope as close as possible without getting Zeb (The Emperor of Palomar College Radio) into trouble. Recently we have taken some notes on how to run a better structured program from our big brothers at The Awful Show so we are going to see how that goes this semester. Nothing is held sacred on our show.

Because Silent D. was kind enough to interview me and have me on the show when it was called The Rundown I have given serious thought to being a radio personality, but, as it stands, I won't do the show unless Silent D. is there. He is the heart and soul of The Takeover. I talk trash and laugh and make fun of stuff, Tony B. is the whipping boy, and DP sits there, says random sexy stuff and makes fun of us as we embarrass ourselves to entertain the audience. Welcome to The Takeover!

As this marks the much-delayed return of the Hipster, please! monthly interview feature, I am beholden to ask: what kind of nerd is ZeaLouS1?

I am blessed with the ability to stomp bullies who pick on the meek, but I am also fortunate to have the ability to naturally excel at most games you put in front of me. I didn't have the best grades in school, but I was the one that found a way to beat any game we were playing. My dad gave me a trunk full of comic books from the 70's through the 90's and a dictionary. At 16 I was bench pressing over 380 pounds and playing Pokemon at school for lunch money. I pretty much dropped out of college because I spent all my time training on Marvel vs. Capcom so I could beat the guy who wasn't letting anybody play in the student lounge. The only reason my boys and I stopped playing Magic: The Gathering is because no one wanted to play us anymore because we rarely lost. My guild on WoW is full of nothing but friends and family and I think sometimes I talk to my Dad more on WoW than I do in person. I apologize for the long explanation but I had to explain it so you understand why I look at my life as one big Boss Fight. ZeaLouS1 is a prototype.

Lastly, ZeaLouS, what is the nature of nerd?

Back in the day Nerds were considered to have great booksmarts yet they were somewhat socially inept people. That’s all changed. Since the internet has become so powerful it has changed everyday life for just about everyone, and in order to survive on the internet you're going to have to pick up a trick or two and read a thing or three. The internet is the most powerful resource known to man, and lets be honest, who do you think runs it? Nerds. =)

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Like most of you, when I hear a nerdcore hip-hop track I am looking for geeky references; I’m looking for that sci-fi namedrop or that clever allusion to Mario Kart or the recitation everyone’s favorite irrational number. But being a nerd is more than knowing the terminology. There is the ever-important concept of “walking the walk.”

There is conducting yourself in a nerdy manner, certainly, and there is doing nerdy things; these are all perfectly acceptable forms of embracing one’s dork side. But lest we forget the long, hard walk of living the nerd life.

YTCracker famously espoused that nerd life was his career, and, while it may not yet be paying the bills for Beau Fa'asamala, nerd life is his passion. It is his focus. His muse.

In a world that tells us that nerds are mousy, ill-tempered, unsociable malcontents, ZeaLouS1 stands out at as powerful, equable, and friendly.

In a world that tells us that music is a commodity, focused more on affluence than content and more on marketability than craftsmanship, ZeaLouS1 simply endures, making the music that he loves for the enjoyment of those with a similar slant.

To put it more plainly: in a world of insincere pitchmen, ZeaLouS1 is a genuine artist.

Moreover, ZeaLouS1 reminds us, through his dedication to excellence and his focus on personal musical growth, that the power of the nerd paradigm is its unending willingness to adapt.

More Nerd News in Brief

Being an Internet Celebrity isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, a fact to which the Numa Numa and Star Wars kids can attest.

The shirtless, tattooed dude to whom I alluded earlier this week also found this to be true. The Vancouver Sun has reported that the man in question turned himself into police yesterday. He didn’t steal the iMac himself, though. Of course not! He got it from a guy who got it from a guy. (I’m guessing the fell-off-the-back-of-a-truck ship had already sailed at this point.)

The unnamed mastermind showed up with a lawyer and his name is being withheld pending an investigation.

Hopefully this break will also lead the Workspace folks to the other missing machines.

If not, at least we got a LOL out of the whole incident.

• Celebrating 30 Years of Very Stupid Monsters: Let’s begin with a reflection on a pastime that I’m sure many of us have engaged in: D&D. Church directed me to this Head Injury Theater piece concerning the Dungeons and Dragons Gallery of Shame. Vampire Frogs indeed!
• That’s two: Nursehella was kind enough to tell me that she too will be trying out for VH1’s female rapper show. She’s making her way to LA for open auditions this Friday/Saturday. The nerdcore community wishes both ‘Hella and Router the best of luck. Give ‘em hell, ladies!
• Best. Name. Ever.: Speaking of MC Router, the First Lady has recently posted a new song to her MySpace. The name of the track is “Game Cunt,” and it will be featured on Router’s forthcoming album. The release for said album is set sometime this fall, so be sure to peep the new hotness.
• Total Recall: IllGill's new EP Internet Hate Machine is now available for free download in its entirety. The project features five previously unreleased tracks from ‘Gill, and was mixed/mastered by BOSSFIGHT’s own ZeaLouS1. The BOSSFIGHT family assures fans that you'll be hearing much more from IllGill before year’s end.
• MC Schwarzenegger?!: Dan reports that earlier this week Austrian public radio did a feature about nerdcore. Apparently a TV producer also contacted him asking for clips of the documentary that he could use in yet another story. Stranger still, he’s looking to interview an Austrian nerdcore rapper. This, of course, begs this question does such a beast exist?
• Now canonical: According to WIRED magazine, the term Nerdapalooza has officially made its way into recognized jargon. The noun, meaning “a music festival for nerdcore and geek-pop bands, featuring an international lineup of certifiably dorky acts like MC Gigahertz and 8bit bEtty at the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds in Eureka, California” joins electromagnetic dominance and cosmic forgetfulness in this month’s Jargon Watch.
• It was a dark and stormy night: Oddioblender has plans for a show in Arlington, TX this Halloween night at 7:30 PM. This fright fest goes down at the Dreamworld Music Complex and admission is a scant 8 bones.
• But first: MC Frontalot plans to “rock the heck out of” The Javits Convention Center in Manhattan this Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM and then again at 5:30 PM. The show is part a of the technology consortium DigitalLife, so you’ll need tickets to get in. Prices for such tickets are quite reasonable, particularly if you are a student of an old person. Why not attend and bring your favorite senior citizen?
• A unified beatscape: Jesse Dangerously’s newest CD Verba Volent just received a rave review in Exclaim! Magazine. Writer Thomas Quinlan remarks that the album “is certainly Jesse’s best work to date,” and goes on to praise Jesse’s flow and writing style. It looks like Jesse and the Backburner crew have done it again!
• Fuckin’ up my Christmas: This article from Scientific American purports that “long-term, moderate consumption of alcohol improves recall of both visual and emotional stimuli,” but I’m guessing mc chris would reply that it simply makes you act like a dick. Behold as mc is accosted by a drunken Santa at last week I AM Festival. Apparently, the performance had its share of distractions, but I think mc did an admirable job in defusing the kind of situation that could have made for an uncomfortable holiday season.

Radio Free Hipster Episode 31: Sonic Potpourri

This edition of Radio Free Hipster is a bit less geeky than usual, and that’s a good thing. It’s great to expand our musical circle from time to time. Shall I elucidate?

The underlying message of the project – at least as I envision it in my own little head – is three-fold:

First, it’s that nerds make good music, that nerdy music is fun and exciting and sometimes challenging.

Secondly, it’s that nerds enjoy good music. Whether it’s simply because of subject matter (like the songs of The Four Eyes or MC Lars) or due to more ethereal, textural, technical qualities (like the masterful mash-ups of Go Home Productions).

And lastly, it’s that nerd music isn’t strictly limited to things that are, on the surface, dorky in the contemporary sense. For as long as there has been music there have been nerds making it, and I like to touch on that whenever possible. For example, I’m known to play Cheap Trick from time to time because Rick Nielson is both a dyed-in-the-wool Mac fanatic and the purveyor of one of the most inspired nerd musician “looks” in all of rock ‘n’ roll history. And this episode includes a track by The Police, which I consider fair game both because of Sting’s scholarly predisposition and the band’s overall nerd-like dedication to the crafts of songwriting and musicianship.

I reckon what I’m getting at here is that my inclusion criteria are pretty loose, and, as a result, in any given episode of RFH you may hear from a myriad of artists with varying types and degrees of geekitude.

While we often like to think of nerdiness as an exclusive quality, I like to promote it as more inclusive.

Nerds are everywhere. Some of us are just a bit more obvious than others.


Download Radio Free Hipster Episode 31: Sonic Potpourri [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 43.7 MB Running Time: 47:45

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
I never tire of this song. I wear it as a badge of geeky honor!

Track 1: Glenn Case – “Alex Chilton”
Glenn a good example of the classic nerd/non-nerd dichotomy. He is both the geeky mind behind the Frontalittle Squad and a rocker of epic proportion.

Z’s 1st interlude: “I’ve been promising a free-form episode for a while now.”
I am both motivated and vexed by theme episodes, and I’ve found the most certain way for me to establish creative, interesting themes is to swear off the concept. ;)

Track 2: The Police – “So Lonely” / The Police vs. Jungle Brothers – “Lonely Jungle Brothers”
The Police were started by Stewart Copeland as a punk band, but later went on to craft some of the most challenging pop pieces of the 1980s. The Jungle Brothers were principle members of the Native Tongues Posse who were often overshadowed by fellow groups De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. When you put them both together it is magic!

Track 3: The Remus Lupins – “Loosen Your Tie”
Lyrically, this is one of my least favorite Lupins tracks, but musically it has such a massive groove as to more than make up for it.

Track 4: Steve BC – “Lone Bullet”
Check out Steve BC at MySpace and over at Last FM. He’s got a staggering amount of material available for free, and I’m sure you’ll find something that speaks to you.

Track 5: The Advantage – “Super Mario Brothers 2 – Overworld”
This track could just as easily be called “Doki Doki Panic – Overworld.”

Track 6: Yohahifu – “Girdle”
Once again you get to hear me murder traditional Japanese pronunciation. Three cheers for consistency!

Track 7: Baddd Spellah – “Ten Year Old (ADHD Remix)”
There are two remixes of mc chris's “Ten Year Old” that totally blow me away no matter how many times I hear them. This is the first. The second may make an appearance later in October.

Track 8: Beefy – “Write a Song About...”
Beefy and The Advantage are two great tastes that taste great together.

Track 9: Goondocks – “Posse Needs Upgrades”
If you didn’t download the Nerdcore Undercover album, do yourself a favor and at least grab this track. The Goons are a force of nature!

Z’s 2nd interlude: “He or she didn’t fill out the id3 tags.”
I love a good mash-up, but I abhor not giving adequate credit to mash-up artists. Anyone know who crafted “Lonely Jungle Brothers?”

Track 10: Ultraklystron – “Clerk”
Karl’s new (old) double album is great for long drives and housework. It’s great for general listening as well, but I tend to spend a lot of time driving and cleaning house.

Track 11: Datarock – “Fa-Fa-Fa”
If you can find a better Norwegian Dance Punk band than Datarock… please let me know.

Track 12: Jay-R – “My Other Car Is A Beatle”
“We stopped short, did a double take / He was looking so fly, I thought I wasn't awake. / He was obviously hooking up bass, I assume, / But then he turned a little button and the car went boom.”
There are so many things wrong with the above quatrain that I simply don’t know where to start.

Track 13: Gorillaz – “19-2000”
When you put the man responsible for Tank Girl and the guy who brought us “Country House” together you really can’t be too surprised when the results are excellent.

Z’s final interlude: “A bunch of songs that have nothing in common.”
Now that I’ve gotten my random playlist jones slaked I must begin preparation for the Halloween Crap-tacular. Right now I’m leaning toward making the first episode zombie-centered and the second one a little less stringent. We shall see.

Track 14: Random – “City Boy”
I started my interview with Ran last weekend, and I have to say that he really is as mellow and intelligent as you’d imagine. I’m currently juggling two interviews, so hopefully I can get at least one polished and ready for public consumption before month’s end.

Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast. As always, I appreciate your support and I hope found something therein that did it for you.

Your ideas and song suggestions are strongly encouraged, so keep those comments and emails coming. Look for episode 32 in a couple of weeks, and, in the meantime, check out the blog for the aforementioned nerd news and interviews.