More Nerd News in Brief

Today begins the Year of the Rat.

I don’t know what that means, exactly, I just happened to notice it on my wall calendar and was kind of taken by the concept.

Further (half-assed) research at Wikipedia points out that this is more specifically the Year of the Earth Rat, which is kinda cool. Though personally, I would’ve preferred maybe a Were-Rat… or former Damned drummer Rat Scabies.

He deserves his own year, right?

• But still, not very.: Arizona State University’s Web Devil has a nice article about MC Frontalot and the nerdcore scene entitled “The 1337 1if3.” (It seems that no nerdy mention escapes Church’s keen eye!) Rather than approaching the subject with that typical journalistic sense of disdain, the piece is actually fun and borderline complimentary. Check it out.
• Calling all MCs: Decepticon-19 needs rappers. He’s just crafted a new club-banger and he’s looking for someone to help him flesh it out. He admits that the song “probably won't lead to a finished track, [he just needs] some practice mixing.” Check out “Apollo’s Son” at his MySpace, and holler at D-19 if you’re interested.
• Calling all MCs again: Don Vito is also looking for MCs to add some supplementary verses to his new track “World of Whorecraft.” (Not to be confused with that other project of the same title.) Looks like Vito needs two more verses focus less on WoW and more on online attention whores. Check out the song so far at thesixtyone.
• Take Back the Music: Sudden Death has just wrapped up a new album called Fatal Error. It features over an hour of music, all of SD’s hits from The FuMP, guest appearances, a video interview, and – get this – a video game. You can preview and pre-order the album over at the Funny Music Project. Hell, “My Atari” alone is probably worth the ten dollar price tag!
• In Rai we trust: J-rap princess, otaku heartthrob, and cult leader Rai has a new demo available. “Hallow (Pinzu Bakudan Mix)” can be found at her MySpace. Rai admits that the quality is “teh suck” and that the track probably needs re-recording, but it’s definitely worth a listen.
• Sadly, not a tribute act dedicated to my tattoo: Stan may be the worst ninja ever, but he’s got good taste in books and RPGs. Plus, as Church was quick to point out, he’s planning to make his first foray into nerdcore. One of several projects he’s working on in 2008 is a nerdcore hip-hop concept (or group or solo act) called D20. I don’t know much about the cat save that he writes a good blog, but he solicits for comments, questions, and ideas, and I figured who better to provide those than my own nerdcore legion?
• But does it transform?: Knowing that I’m always on the look-out for more useless shit to buy, Matt sent me a link an Engadget post on the Autobot flash drive. One gig of storage? Check. Of questionable legality? Check. Runs on Energon? I’ll have to get back to you.
• Untapped potential: Anthony from Game Music For All directed my attention toward the chiptunes doc Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet. It will be premiering at next months’ SXSW, and the screening will be followed by a musical showcase including Nullsleep, Bitshifter, and many, many more. Check out his post for more details.
• Wrock Doc supplemental: Just as one Wizard Rock documentary is wrapping up, another is likewise making its grand entrance into the mainstream. We Are Wizards focuses not only on Wrock but also on other aspects of Potter fandom. It features everyone from Brad Neely to Melissa from The Leaky Cauldron. Most importantly, it too will be featured at this year’s SXSW film festival!
• The years had gone by fast.: In other Potter-related news, Church also hipped me to this new retelling of Harry’s story a la Charles Bukowski. Yep, it’s full of foul language and allusions to naughty bits, just like Chuck would’ve wanted.
• No more mess: As much time as I spend watching children’s programming with Li’l X, I somehow managed to miss this one. It’s a clip from Nickelodeon’s new show Yo Gabba Gabba! that features a track by ska greats GOGO13. Matt sent me this vid two weeks ago, and I’ve watched it religiously ever since.

Spoiler-free

Over the last couple of weeks, Dan Lamoureux has chosen a handful of insightful individuals to screen the rough cut of his documentary Nerdcore For Life. For reasons known only to Dan himself and the ancient gods of dorkiness, I made the cut. In exchange for my thoughts on the doc, I was granted permission to share with you my take on the film.

Out of respect for Dan, the project itself, and the artists included, I won’t be giving too much away, mind you. Just consider this more of a teaser review than anything else.

Documentaries are – much like these Internets – serious business. Still, it’s hard to pin down exactly how realistic these films can be. Such questions generally hinge on the amount of directorial control exhibited over the movie; will the man behind the project ultimately take it upon himself to spin the tale he wants to hear or reflect on the events as they happened?

In my interview with Dan last year, I proclaimed that he was telling our story. Upon seeing the almost finished piece, I would like to recant that statement.

The truth is, within the bounds of the Nerdcore For Life documentary, we are telling our story.

Dan’s there, of course, but I failed to see many of the directorial fingerprints that I’ve come to expect from the modern documentary. Unlike Moore or Spurlock, Dan never portrays himself as a player in the film. He is unseen, and, for that matter, unheard. The voice of the picture – the voice of nerdcore – is the voice of the artist and that of the (informed) fan.

More often than not, that voice takes many, often conflicting, tones. From the characteristic swagger of High-C to the measured and conversant ponderings of Jesse Dangerously, nerdcore hip-hop is approached as both a movement and a musical umbrella. From the self-effacing Ultraklystron to the totally outlandish Lords of the Rhymes, it is both touted and deconstructed. From the calculated ambivalence of mc chris to the rampant enthusiasm of Krondor Krew, it is portrayed in all its many guises. Some of my favorite musings come from cats as disparate as Beefy, Nerdcore News’s Gabriel, and MC Lars. These are men of blindingly different artistic outlooks, but the underlying thread is that it is through their own words and actions that they are characterized.

Nerdcore For Life is, and I’d like to stress this part, a warts-and-all portrayal of the birth of the nerdcore hip-hop scene. Some of the moments portrayed therein are not our finest. Some of the artists featured may not be our biggest names. Some of the gigs are far from our greatest draws. But the truth is, these things are realistic. The verisimilitude of the film is anchored by the fact that our highs are documented and also our lows.

We see Optimus Rhyme take the stage at PAX as a king mounts a bejeweled throne, but we also see passersby refusing to accept handbills for the Nerdcore Night gig at The Shark Club. We hear countless artists praise the skill and vision of folks like MC Frontalot (who is, of course, covered despite the fact that he’s featured in his own documentary), and we also revisit a handful of beefs that would be better forgotten. We bear witness to the scene as it was during the time in which the doc was being filmed, for better or for worse.

And with that, let me broach the sticky subject that is “the morning after.” As you all well know, a number of artists featured in Nerdcore For Life have since left the fold. Karl Olson took a bit of a sabbatical to focus on more pressing issues, mc chris broke very publicly with the community after the brief acceptance of his role as a driving force in nerdcore, and recently MC Router departed amid a firestorm of controversy.

The film, as I saw it, didn’t end with any where-are-they-now placards. (Alas, we’ll never know what happened to Waldo!) Yet I am of the opinion that it doesn’t have to and, on some level, probably shouldn’t. This film, this project, is a time capsule. It recounts the events as they transpired to the folks who lived them. In the end, whether this person went on to greatness or that one faded further into obscurity is of little consequence.

More than anything, Nerdcore For Life is about that moment when nerdcore hip-hop became a blip on the radar. Much like nerd life in general, some grokked it and some did not. The same goes for the film.

If you are looking for a reason to hate it, be it the focus of the doc, the players portrayed, or the timetable included, you’ll certainly find something to complain about. Of course, if you are hell-bent on enjoying the show you’ll probably find this to be the finest geek-centered film of its generation. But, and this is the kicker, if you watch the movie hoping to be entertained, informed, and maybe even a little enlightened – be you a nerdcore devotee or a casual naysayer – I think you’ll be pleased with the tale.

Nerdcore For Life isn’t just about nerdcore hip-hop; it’s about people, it’s about ideas, and it’s about that glorious – if tentative – modern acceptance of the self-identifying nerd (of which I believe we are a symptom rather than a root cause.)

If the film has a star it could be Beefy. It could be Former Fat Boys. It could be the Sucklord. It could be Monzy or MC Plus+. But I think that the real star is the music, and, more specifically, the music’s message. What that message is differs depending upon whom you ask and in what context, and Dan portrays that through the thoughts and deeds of a myriad of musical freaks, geeks, and misfits.

It’s his film, but it’s our story. It doesn’t go out of its way to glorify us or to vilify us; it simply gives us a mechanism through which to express our unique set of attitudes and beliefs. And I think it does so skillfully.

Nerd News In Brief

I didn’t really watch the Super Bowl last night. Seriously.

I mean, it was on on the small TV in the bedroom – Li’l X. was getting his game on the larger set in the den – but I didn’t pay it much attention. Last week I managed to snag both Advance Wars: Days of Ruin and From the Abyss, so my mind was elsewhere.

I did put the DS down for halftime, though. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are, in all honesty, the band that got me into music in my early double digits, and any chance to catch them perform is like Christmas for me.

I dug it and it looks like some other folks did too. That’s good. Petty and Co. have been bringing solid, expertly crafted rock ‘n’ roll for longer than many fans have been alive, so it’s always nice to know people still get it. Despite performing a truncated version of “Freefallin’” and Mike Campbell’s weird white-guy dreads, it was an affair to remember.

• Kryptonite Lightsaber?: Church pointed me to this Gizmodo post asking the age old question: Which is more powerful, the Man of Steel or a Lightsaber? The answer may surprise you. Actually it probably won’t. Now that this is settled, on to more pressing matters.
  
• See mc: Once again mc chris will be opening for Pinback on there forthcoming tour. You can catch him throughout February at the following venues: 02/05/2008 07:00 PM - San Diego, CA - House of Blues; 02/06/2008 07:00 PM - San Diego, CA - House of Blues; 02/07/2008 07:00 PM - Pomona, CA - The Glass House; 02/08/2008 09:30 PM - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door; 02/09/2008 08:00 PM - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst; 02/10/2008 07:00 PM - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore; 02/11/2008 - Arcata, CA - Humboldt State University / The Kate Buchanan Room; 02/13/2008 08:00 PM - Bend, OR - The Domino Room; 02/14/2008 08:00 PM - Seattle, WA - The Showbox; 02/15/2008 07:00 PM - Vancouver, BC - Richard's On Richards Cabaret; 02/16/2008 07:00 PM - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom; 02/18/2008 06:00 PM - Berkeley, CA - University of California, Berkeley / Bear's Lair; 02/19/2008 08:00 PM - San Luis Obispo, CA - Downtown Brew; 02/20/2008 07:30 PM - Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theatre; 02/21/2008 08:00 PM - Los Angeles, CA - The Avalon; 02/22/2008 11:00 PM - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle; 02/23/2008 09:00 PM - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle.
• Geek the vote: As Super Tuesday creeps ever closer, more and more geeks are sharing their thoughts on the current political clime. While Ron Paul and Mitt Romney have both been getting a bit of nerd love, it looks like the choice of two prominent nerdy rappers is none other than Barack Obama; MC Lars has long been promoting Obama, and recently mc chris did the same.
• Challenge of the Superfiends: February 1st marked the start of this year’s RPM Challenge. For those of you not in the know, the contest challenges musicians to create 10 songs (or 35 minutes) worth of material over the span of a month, similar to NaNoWriMo or the Crate Digger Death-match. Notable nerdy contestants for his year include funky49 and Redvoid and new duo Calvin & Hobbes (consisting of DJ Snyder and Entity).
• Remix the Ran: Random has the opportunity to get his Mega Ran track “Grow Up” on a movie soundtrack, but he needs you to make it happen. As that song is backed entirely by samples, Ran’s looking for someone to supply some original beats. Ran says that in return you get: “your name in the credits, my love and respect, and on top of that I'll gladly record anything new for your own project that you might need.” You can snag the 181 BPM aca easily enough, so get to mixin’!
• You’re strange to me: On the topic of remixes, Optimiss has a new remix available on her MySpace. It’s her take on the mc chris classic “Geek.” Should you check it out? Yes you should.
• More Beats: Ran isn’t the only man searching for beats. Nerdcore For Life is “on the brink of being done,” but the film requires more music (in the form of beats) to run under interview segments. Dan’s looking for “stuff that’s interesting but also subtle; beats that will add flavor and emotion to the film without distracting the viewer from the primary action.” If you’re interested in contributing, hit Dan up: Nerdcoreforlife@gmail.com.
• Math Rock for the rest of us: To wrap things up, here’s a vid that Matt turned me on to. It’s Lena from Wrock outfit The Butterbeer Experience. Apparently she’s trying to launch her career as an incredibly passionate Muppeteer.
  

More Nerd News in Brief

Lost. Lost! LOST!

There are a lot of really exciting things going on around Hipster, please! at present, but all I can think about this morning is Lost.

The Season 3 closer featured flashforwards of Jack’s miserable post-island existence, but knowing where things are going has only served to make me more excited about the remainder of the show. Well played, J.J. Well played.

With Charlie and Mr. Eko gone, I’m hoping that my two other faves Sayid and Sawyer get some good facetime/plot twists. I’m also hoping that Locke didn’t kill Naomi; I’m not sure if I like what she's bringing to the show character-wise, but she sure is nice to look at!

• It’s hard to pronounce: My pal Anthony and the other fine fellows at Game Music 4 All have officially announced their Super Mario RPG tribute compilation Heavy Troopa is Ready to Launch! There’s also plans for a nigh-incomprehensible B-side comp – that we’ll, of course, call Geno – that will accompany it. For a full rundown of the artists attached to the project, check out the GM4A forums, and be sure to Digg the story to help the boys out!
• A guy like him: And while we’re on the subject of cool things you should support, let me hip the uninitiated to a little Web show called A Guy Like Me. It features the music (not to mention the acting debut) of my bro Glenn Case, and you should totally check it out. I mean, we get two hours of Lost tonight and then what? A whole bunch of network TV nothing.
• Brutal compression = disdain: Matt recently called my attention to this post by Scary Go Round’s John Allison concerning xkcd’s Randall Munroe, and there’s been palpable tension in the air ever since. You see, Church and Matt are xkcd fans and I – though I do dig Randall’s humor – am solidly in the SGR camp. Our friendship has weathered worse (like that time I bought a Zune), so I imagine we’ll come through this intact. :)
• Mister B sounds like The Streets: Category just posted a new track featuring Mister B and Dan Plus Add called “Things That Suck.” Thankfully, I did not make the list. It’s very chippy and incredibly English. You can check it at Cat’s MySpace.
• Edutainment: Projekt Zero is once again calling for a little help in his pre-med studies. His Bio Album 2.0 project is currently accepting contributors over at Rhyme Torrents. PZ says, “For those who don't know, last year, I asked for some help memorizing a large amount of phylogeny for my General Biology course. This year, things are a bit more advanced, so the subject matter might be above people's heads. I'll do my best to explain what I can. Also, I do give all the material needed to rap up front, along with general instructions on how to use it.” So, if you’ve ever wanted to chance to rap about Cellular Biology and Vertebrate Zoology, this is it.
• Still gaming: If you’re interested in learning about what Random is currently up to – and let’s face it, you are – then pop over to RT and check out a couple of previews of his American Gamer album. You get a chance to peep “Party Life” (backed with the music of Final Fantasy) and “Ignorant Sh*t/No Hook” (backed with Mega Man beats). Ran’s looking for feedback, so let the man know your thoughts.
• The Oscar Wilde of this rap shit: Yesterday, Church directed me to this vid in which comedy rapper Bino White professes his love for nerdcore. He was nerdcore before there was nerdcore. Just like everyone else.
• I’d dream of beats: I gotta give it up to Jesse Dangerously for pointing me (and everyone else from RT) to the Sara St. Onge directed video for Wordburglar’s “Cream of Wheat.” I’ve included it below for your viewing pleasure. I’m sweet like that.

G33kD4dz

Last night I had the great honor of being a guest on the Wired Blogs GeekDads podcast. It was actually a really fun experience, and, while I was a bit nervous to start, it’s kind of impossible not to feel at ease around those guys.

I spend a good deal of my time here ruminating on geeky issues, but I seldom get to talk about “dad stuff” so it was it was a big deal for me to get to explore the latter and its relation to the former. We talked about everything from table-top gaming to bread making to the 50th anniversary of the modern Lego brick to Li’l X’s new “tattoo.” I had a blast, to say the least.

Special thanks go out to panelist Dan Olson and Vincent Janoski for being so welcoming, to my man Brian Little for extending the invite, and to editor Ken Denmead for making it all happen. Hopefully I didn’t come off sounding like a total jackass, and if I did, Ken, I expect you to fix that in post. ;)

The show in question is Episode 11, and it should pop up on the RSS soon. Take a listen, and be sure to give the Geekdad blog some love as well.

EDIT: And here it is! Check out The GeekDads Episode 11: You Too Can Purchase A Tattoo For Your Child.

Live from Black Mesa

I shared this with Matt and Church last week when it hit Joystiq, but it wasn’t until my pal Anthony mentioned it to me a couple of days ago that I actually considered passing it on to you. In retrospect, I can’t quite figure out why.

At any rate, since this one’s too good to wait until the next NNIB, I thought I’d spring it on you now.

The following audio is from a recent call-in to Coast to Coast AM in which a theoretical physicist named “Gordon” tells host and listeners about a mysterious government agent that seems to be following him. While this isn’t the first time someone’s given a voice to our usually silent Half-Life hero – Antisocial’s “Remember My Name” comes immediately to mind – it’s damn sure the funniest!

Nerd News in Brief

I actually went out sans family this weekend. That’s a rarity. In fact, I’m hard-pressed to recall the last time that I actually went somewhere that wasn’t work without Em and/or Lil’ X. in tow. As guys’ nights out go, it was actually pretty fun.

Two of my oldest friends took me out to see a Led Zeppelin tribute band. Not exactly my first choice for entertainment, mind you, but it was a good time.

I’m sort of amazed by the concept of tribute acts. It’s pretty much musical LARPing, and that’s simultaneously amazing and a little bit sad.

I sometimes wonder what the new generation of tribute bands will bring. I mean, what’s the next logical step? Bartender: The Ultimate T-Pain Experience?!

/shudder

• Calling all cars: Church wanted me to pass along this helpful link regarding the Radio Free Rollover podcast. DJ Gwyn is looking for some nerdcore, remixes, and mash-ups to play on this Tuesday’s show. So if you’re looking to get a little promo, this seems like an excellent opportunity.
• Fair & Balanced: Last week, when self-help author Cooper Lawrence joined Fox News pundits in mischaracterizing Mass Effect as interactive pornography – despite the fact that she’d admittedly not even played the title – gamers reacted in kind. They headed over to Amazon to give her new book, The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace With Your Inner Overachiever, 1-star reviews and tag the book with the keywords “ignorant,” “garbage,” and “hypocrisy.” The outcome? Lawrence eventually admitted that she misspoke. I reckon that just shows to go ya.
• Tag. You’re it.: Doc Pop came across this graffiti on the corner of 18th and Mission in San Fran. It “seems to say INFO in one area, and NERD on another.” This makes Doc (and me) wonder if it’s at all connected with the Internet Nerdcore Family Outing.
• You’re all clear, kid: The fine folks at Toronto’s Hand’Solo Records have just provided underground hip-hop fans a little taste of their forthcoming release Hokey Religions & Ancient Weapons (are no match for a good blaster). This free mixtape is already nearing completion and “will consist of classic tracks from previous Hand'Solo releases, a few unreleased tracks from the vaults, some exclusives from upcoming albums, and a bunch of exclusive verses over instrumentals from Hand'Solo vinyl.” In the meantime, check out this track featuring Big Ref, Myf, and Noah 23 over the Beatmason-produced track “The Wordburglar.”
• Sny-Fi: DJ Snyder’s also got a new remix making the rounds. It’s of YTCracker's “flow.c” verse, and you can hear it on Sny’s MySpace. And you should do just that.
• More rap/rock that doesn’t suck: Don Vito stepped up to D-Form’s remix challenge and took on seminal Chubby Chasers’ track “BBW BBQ.” You can download the track from DV’s profile on thesixtyone. You should also probably add it to your listener page. I’m just sayin’.
• New nerd in town: Looks as though the media has crowned another potential presidential candidate “the election’s new geek.” Mitt Romney, it seems, has replaced Ron Paul as ’08’s political geek of the week. Sometimes I can’t tell if we’re being pandered to or if journalists are just trying out a new buzzword.
• Don’t blame me: I’m admittedly pretty liberal, but if I were to vote for a right-winger, it’d have to be this guy. He’s certainly got potential.
• The hits just keep on coming: Church found this post from blog Sources and Methods that promotes MC Frontalot’s “Secrets from the Future” as the NSA’s unofficial theme song. It’s funny ‘cause it’s true.
• Beautiful musics: I’m a fan of Pixel8, micromusic in general, and my Nintendo DS, so this vid is aimed squarely at people who are my gender, my approximate age, and are me. Pix demos a new piece of software that turns your DS (via slot 2 device) into a real time synth.

More Nerd News in Brief

In all my preparation for the new kid, it’s important that I not forget the kid I already have. I mean, shit, he’s practically still brand new himself; though not as new as he used to be. Why, in scant days he will be celebrating his 3rd birthday. That’s a pretty big one for a kid, as it marks a glorious time when he realizes that he’s getting older but he hasn’t yet developed the faculties to realize that one day he’ll get old. Like dad.

Hell, Li’l X. has already received his first birthday gift. Yesterday I checked the mail to find an unexpected parcel that, it turned out, contained a little something from Matt, Church, and the GF. It was this delightful “That’s How I Roll” D20 t-shirt.

Thus far, it’s been a big hit with the entire family!

As X. currently has no concept of table-top gaming, though, I’m afraid he simply equates the iconic twenty-sider with my tattoo. So he refers to the shirt – exclusively, mind you – as his tattoo.

I’m sure that’s gonna spark an interesting conversation between me and the ladies at day care.

• Knocked up nerds: In a related story, check out Geek Parenting’s Baby Shower Gifts for Pregnant Nerds. Though I, myself, am not pregnant, it is of note that after receiving the aforementioned t-shirt I now have 3 of those 5 items on-hand. Hmmmm. Perhaps I’ll have to put together my own list of geek baby shower ideas next week.
• Capthcha and release: Antisocial is getting his moment in the spotlight over at Reddit. My Texan brother is currently number 6 on the front page with the headline “Clicking this link loads 120,000 copies of the RIAA's captcha. Clicking would be wrong, don't do it.” Will you click it? I dare not say.
• Heavy Eyes: Soc also pointed out to me that, while I bumped them on my year-end podcast, I never made a formal announcement concerning the new album from The Deprecation Guild. In Her Gentle Jaws is an amazing blend of dance rock, indie pop, and chiptunes. It’s also free. Download it now.
• I must be getting senile: Last month Don Vito hit me up with a sweet preview of a new track from his forthcoming album Geek Funk Vol 2... True Tales of an Online Gangsta, and I completely neglected to mention it! (My apologies, DV.) A concept album of sorts, Geek Funk Vol. 2 “revolves around the concept of taking net life and applying [it] over 90's style westcoast G-Funk beats.” Vito is handling all of the production, and you can get a little taste at his Social Case.
• Support your local Grammar Club: If you haven’t already, you might want to consider joining the forums over at The Grammar Club Web site. It’s a good way to stay in the loop concerning band news, info on their hot new remix kits, and other interesting developments.
• Crapbots vs. Bad Robots: The only thing stranger than real commercials is fake commercials. And the only thing weirder than Dan Lamoureux making a documentary about nerdcore is Dan Lamoureux also winning a Cloverfield tie-in make-your-won-Slusho-spot contest. No foolin’. Dan says, “The 5 best commercials get a super fancy $3000 "Slusho" Alienware laptop. Since that's more than my car is worth my laptop will be on ebay minutes after I get my hands on it. I had to assign my copywrite to Slusho (AKA: Bad Robot Productions) which now that I think about it as actually a pretty good prize in and of itself because now I can say that JJ Abrams owns the rights to some of my material.” So if you’re looking for an ultra-limited edition laptop, you might want to keep an eye on this. And you'll definitely want to peep his video.
• Far from news: This is pretty much the equivalent of me remarking that the world is, in fact, round, but I am totally hooked on thesixtyone. Glenn warned me that the site was “like CRACK to people like us,” and he was right. I’m gonna suggest that you join up and start checking out all the cool shit there too, both because it’s an amazing way to support your favorite musicians (and find news ones) and because zombies must propagate.
• I paid the full price: To wrap up today’s NNIB, let me share with you a vid that a number of people (from Matt to Brux to everyone in between) have sent to me this week. It’s Pete Miser’s musing on the joy of iPhone ownership. I’m sure Church, Doc Pop, and the rest of you iPhone owners agree.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 38: But Seriously, Folks…

I kind of refused to agonize over this edition of RFH.

That’s not to say that the podcast is, in general, agonizing, but I do tend to get a little overly concerned with the mechanics of an episode. Things like track transitions and show length – while they probably seem fairly arbitrary – are usually plotted weeks in advance.

This time around I didn't let myself do that; I just threw a bunch of great songs together and hoped for the best. The edges are maybe frayed a bit, but I think it came together.

But I reckon your opinion is the one that matters. ;)

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 38: But Seriously, Folks… (hosting provided by Antisocial) Size: 44.6 MB Running Time: 48:47

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
The funnest song of them all. Yep: funnest.

Track 1: Steve Martin – “Ramblin’ Man (Theme From)”
It was either this or “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” Competition was stiff.

Z’s first interlude: “Higher artistic value.”
I often tend to try and make artistic statement in this podcast via the art of others. This is not one of those times.

Track 2: Tanner4105 – “Intro” and “The Luda King”
I stand corrected.

Track 3: The Advantage – “Ninja Gainden (Mine Shaft)”
Man, I need to break down and buy another Advantage album!

Track 4: 14 Year Old Girls – “Q-Tip Bliss”
There’s a video for this track that I had somehow managed not to notice up to this point. It’s very Q*Bert.

Track 5: The Weasel King – “Luna”
The musical scope of Wizard Rock never ceases to amaze.

Track 6: A+D – “Pour Some Hot Sugar”
As I commented in the show itself, there are a lot of mash-ups this ep. I don’t anticipate any bitching.

Track 7: MC Frontalot – “Penny Arcade Theme (Katamari Mix Live)”
Yes, Front sounds winded in this one, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who’s ever seen the bald dynamo perform live.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “You have these deadlines.”
With the new kid on the way, I’ve really been feeling pressure to get stuff done while I still have the option, but that tends to make this seem more like a job than a hobby. So expect a more relaxed (but hopefully still productive) Z. in the near future.

Track 8: The Onion Radio News – “Blues Musician To U.N.: 'Yemen Done Me Wrong'”
The composer of such blues classics as “Dead Cow Blues” and “Butter My Bread.”

Track 9: DJ Lobsterdust – “Walkin’ Yo’ Girlfriend Out”
The glory of bastard pop is that it can take a handful of songs I can’t stand and transmute them into a single track that I love.

Track 10: The Grammar Club – “Heart Tits”
The Grammar Club represent all that is good about nerdy music. They make sweet musical love to your earhole.

Track 11: Beefy – “Be Aggressive”
For those who haven’t heard the original.

Track 12: Pixel8 – “We Can All See Rainbows”
Historically, RFH is a little light on the chiptunes and the Wrock. This year I’m’a try and fix that.

Track 13: The Four Eyes – “For the Horde”
By show of hands, who here doesn’t play World of Warcraft? Just me, huh?

Z’s final interlude: “Putting together a second Hipster, please! compilation.”
I’m not being quite so tightlipped about this one as I was Nerdcore Undercover. I’m not trying to over-hype it or anything, but I do like to let folks know that something else is coming down the pipe.

Track 14: Z-Trip – “Breakfast Club (ft. Murs & Supernatural)”
“I used to like to get a big, fat bowl of cereal and watch cartoons, motherfucker, and if you can’t relate to this song you’re taking this shit too serious.”

Unnecessary bonus track: “Mr. Yuk”
A terribly low bitrate version of a song that still creeps me the fuck out. Blame Church for its inclusion.

Your cries for a second mixtape episode have been heard, and you should be getting one soon.

In February? Possibly, but certainly, y’know, eventually. In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this one. And if you found a new artist that you dig, take a look at their site and give some of their other stuff a listen.

Nerd News in Brief

In one of our daily bullshit sessions – our regularly scheduled bullshittery, if you will – Matt directed Church and me to this article.

For those too lazy to click, let me break it down: superheroes are among us.

Oh yeah.

Real. Life. Superheroes.

Now most of these cats aren’t packing the X-gene and I don’t imagine many of them have been bitten by a radioactive gopher or anything. By and large they seem to be training-/gadget-based heroes. Cut-rate Bruce Waynes.

But the important part is that they do good; not by brutalizing mugger (usually) but by volunteering their time and focusing on their civic duties. Sure the costumes may be a bit of a stretch, but I like to think of this as nerdy activism in its purist form.

• Cute and evil: Today’s edition of Geek Ink is brought to you by Matt, and it features Hello Kitty. And also Star Wars. At the same time!
• The Lasso of Truth: Do you have a problem that you just can’t solve on your own? Do you feel lost and in desperate need of some advice from a caring and responsible paragon of virtue. Then do what Church does; Ask Golden Age Wonder Woman!
• Technically that’s 12 eyes: This Sunday, January 20th, Cali geek garage rockers The Four Eyes will be playing at Thrillhouse Records Basement in San Francisco with Underground Railroad to Candy Land, Can of Beans, and The Blood Muffins. The show starts at 7:00 PM (and ends at or before 10:00PM), and the boys will be playing “second to last.” Show up and give ‘em some love.
• BBW BBQ: D-Form, the current King of the Crate Diggers, is offering remix kits from his group The Chubby Chasers’ 2007 release Mass Appeal. D says the Chasers would love to hear anyone who’s interested take a spin, and that if enough producers respond they might “make it a free mixtape style download from our site and everyone will get some love from that.” As nerds and plus-size ladies have a shared history, I’d love to see this project take off. So, get to mixin'.
• Even gayer: Also on the remix tip, my boy nYgel just dropped his remix of The Grammar Club’s “My Gayest Shirt.” In addition to all the nerdy goodness already inherent in the track, nYg also added a special verse by the Former Fat Boys. Dig it!
• Not a cover: Nerdcore MC Able-X has released a teaser track from his forthcoming album. It is funky. Quite funky. You should listen to it.
• Brat on the beat: Matt directed me to this amazing online reproduction of the original Roland TR-909. Yes, it’s fully functional. The machine that launched a thousand geeky techno artists is alive and well. And now it lives on the Internets.
• Not just trivia – International trivia!: Hearty congratulations go out to Harry and the Potters for what has to be Wrock’s oddest honor; they were just informed that the band is the answer to a question in the Swedish version of Trivial Pursuit. And with that, the nerd cred scale has been crushed to a fine powder.
• Feed the tree: In other Wrocking news, The Whomping Willows has posted a song-by-song breakdown of his new album. Take a gander and get a real artist’s-eye view of the project. Thanks to my bro Matt for pointing me toward this one!
• The gift that keeps on giving the whole year: Matt also hipped me to new info concerning this year’s installment of the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club. Apparently the response was so great last year (the club generated $13,000 for the charity First Book through sales of these EPs) that the project is going to continue in 2008. If sixty bones for a dozen EPs sounds like a deal to you – and it definitely should – check out subscription information here.
• Too weird not to be true: An all-geek dating site? Yep, it exists. And Church found it. Sweet On Geeks is the place “where Gray Matters,” and, while it doesn’t do old domesticated bastards like us any good, you might be able to find the nerd of your dreams. Check it out, and let me know if it works.
• Future shock: Apparently, at this year’s MAGfest, future Glenn Case came back in time to prevent present-day Glenn and Shael from performing a substandard version of The Grammar Club’s “Bank Holiday.” I know that sounds a little suspect, but why would Glenn lie? I mean, somebody had to pull that fire alarm. For more on these sinister dealings, as well as a look at all of the many delightful occurrences at MAGfest VI, peep the following vid from the fine folks at PBC Productions.

Snark Trek: A Musical Journey

As I mentioned last week, Church and the GF took in a bit of culture on Saturday as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presented its Sci-Fi Spectacular. Not only was this event resplendent with reimaginings of the music from some of everyone's favorite sci-fi and fantasy franchises, but it was also narrated by Sulu – or, if you prefer, Kaito Nakamura – himself, George Takei.

In the grand tradition of Church doing my work for me, he was nice enough to share their impressions of the event: the good, the bad, and the snarky. He also included some pictures, which, I am assured, are worth several thousand words.

Read on to find out exactly how much the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall looks like the Imperial Senate, how severely the venue gouges thirsty patrons for a glass of wine, and who hasn’t seen E.T. (Hint: It ain’t Church.)

--------------

Sci-Fi Spectacular with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff, 2008-01-19:
Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor
George Takei, Sulu
Mike Eldred, Broadway Guy
Kristen Plumley, Vocalist Girl
Old Line Garrison, 501st Legion, Security

Sad commentary on the times: we were running late (GF's fault) and split up to do coat-check and find our seats. The GF got confused and asked someone in uniform if they worked there, only to realize that it was a Death Star Officer. Perhaps appropriate, since we realized that the interior of the Meyerhoff somewhat resembles the Imperial Senate.

Main Star Wars Theme
As we were running late, we had to wait outside while this played. I've heard it at a bunch of Pops concerts while, oddly, the GF never had. It's the Star Wars theme. 'nuff said.

Lost in Syndication (Various TV Themes)
A medley including Space 1999, BSG, and The Jetsons theme. If you haven't heard The Jetsons arranged for Symphony and Choir, you haven't heard it. Kudos for not being snarky about it. It's so much more decadent to hear it straight. Also, first violin was cool. He was very much into playing this (which I guess is why he's first violin.) The GF was impressed by the Outer Limits closing theme. They took all the pathos and creepiness of the Outer Limits and channeled it through the string section. The Stargate theme is even awesomer live. John Williams-esque, but without the conceits. The GF thought they also included some incidental SG-1 music.

Adventures on Earth: ET the Extra Terestrial
The GF has never seen this movie. (So she's the one.) Music was OK. Not my fave.

Superman March
Broadway guy sang ret-conned lyrics. Interesting, because this version of the lyrics was from Supes' perspective (it's usually from Lois'.) I thought he was starting meekly and then growing into the part. The GF thought he was out of tune, but then found his way. She's probably right.

Star Trek through the Years.
Introduced by Takei, who cruelly teased us by introducing a 'lieutenant' who turned out *not* to be Nichelle, but the vocalist girl in a red TOS uniform. This show opened in Bethesda (Rockville, really) and they apparently weren't aware that they weren't in Baltimore, so they had acted as if they were. Hat tip to them for not only owning up to it, but making it part of the act (they blamed it on faulty transporter coordinates.)

Thank fraking gods they didn't do the Roddenberry lyrics to the original theme. I was really worried about that. Nope, vocalist girl did a bang up AHHHHHH-AHHH job. They fucked up the DS-9 theme (or, arranger Calvin Custer did.) There's a chord change in the first half that was missed, according to the GF. I'm no musician but I noticed it too. It's the part that really grabs you.

Intermission
I got some pix of the 501st while the GF got some wine. Unfortunately, getting a seven dollar glass of Gallo took the entirety of Intermission so we waited outside during:

Theme from 2001 ("Also Sprach Zarathustra")
The GF thought that there were more interesting parts of that score that they could have done, but I reminded her that it was a Pops concert, and Pops is short for Popular.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Nice, although the GF missed the Mashed Potatoes theme, while I wanted a bigger 5-note theme. (Take note, Jack.)

Enterprise Theme
Sung by Broadway Guy.
I hated it.
The GF loved it.
Chicks...

Hedwig's Flight
Awesome. We're not sure what the dinky-piano is (I had always thought it was a glockenspiel or something) but we love that they used it.

About here (it's not in the program notes) they broke into "When You Wish Upon A Star" which was a bit odd. Probably because it gave the vocalists something to do.

Somewhere in Time
Nice and lush. More typical of a Hollywood score than most of the rest of the concert, but that's not a criticism. As the GF says, it *could* have been the theme to Dr. Zhivago; it's not as obviously a genre piece.

The Day The Earth Stood Still Suite
Absolutely the opposite of the previous piece. Genre to its pointy ears, although it was rescored by conductor, so the strings were standing in for theremins. It worked really well. The vocalist was contributing to some parts, oddly stationed behind the percussionists. Takei contributed the closing speech by Klaatu, in that singular Takei way. Also, Bernard Hermann was the shit.

Duel of the Fates/The Throne Room/End Credits (Star Wars I and IV)
John Williams goes Choral! Huzzah! This was the best use of the lasers in the show. It made me realize how hard it is to pull off a laser show (for people who aren't stoned.) They are by nature very binary, while music is usually not.

Inevitable gripes: No Firefly? C'mon! If you can rearrange The Day The Earth Stood Still, you can rearrange that. No "Imperial March"? The 501st is in the Fraking Lobby!! How cool would it have been to end playing that with them marching down the aisle? (Very cool is the answer.)

I wanted to chat with the 501st afterwards, but they were trying to clear out the place (I'm guessing people don't normally hang out in the lobby after a concert.) They had to limit 'getting picture taken with' opportunities to staff at that point.

All in all, a very fun concert. We were seriously considering going back to see the Sunday show, but those tickets weren't cheap (or readily available.)

Press and Release

Just yesterday I received a nice email message from my pal int eighty of Dual Core. In addition to exchanging our regular pleasantries and giving me an update on a couple of special tracks he and c64 are working on - yes, Dual Core will be appearing on the next Hipster, please! compilation, though not likely how you'd imagine - eighty also included a press release concerning the group's next album.

Since he seldom writes press releases and I seldom receive them, this seemed like just the thing to pass on to you. Behold:

It's official. The production on the third Dual Core album is in full swing. Dual Core's next album will be titled Lost Reality and is packed with all sorts of fresh goodness, new hotness, c64 beats, and int eighty nerd raps. While the work on the album has been rather low-key as usual, the few snippets that have leaked so far have been "extremely impressive," to quote one person's feedback.

Some people have asked how to prepare others who have not yet heard any Dual Core music. The answer is simple: do what MC Frontalot recommends and put it in the queue for examination (http://www.frontalot.com/index.php/ -- 12.21.07). Considering the roster on the album, it's quite possible other overclocked nerdcore artists will recommend it as well.

Dual Core has been rather busy in addition to their album efforts. The group played shows at Defcon and the Google after-party at Ohio Linux Fest in the second half of 2007. Now in 2008, they are playing a show at the sold-out ShmooCon in Washington DC in February, Notacon in April, and Nerdapalooza SE in July. They also provided the official soundtrack for the Blockparty invitation (http://demoparty.us).

Dual Core plans to release Lost Reality at Notacon 5, in Cleveland (April 4th through 6th).

More Nerd News in Brief

Yesterday saw the season’s first snow in my corner of the deep south. Now, it wasn’t snow as most of you would recognize it. It was southern snow. That is to say that it was snow-like, but not the kind of fluffy powder that most of you enjoy. Our snow is icy and slushy, and, no matter how little falls or how much advance notice we have, we are wholly unprepared for it.

This means I got a nice day at home with Li’l X. Unfortunately we’re in the midst of potty training, so there was still work to be done. Dirty work.

• I won a Gold at the Geek Olympics: This week SUNYIT celebrated Geek Week, and Hipster, please! was there. Actually it wasn’t, but Church was. Okay, Church wasn’t there either, but he did find this nice little rundown of the week’s events. That’s worth something, right?
• For real this time: Church (and that delightful lady known solely as the GF) will be attending a nerd-friendly event this Saturday. Yes, the BSO SuperPops is gonna get their Sci-Fi on! Costumes are encouraged, so let’s hope they return with lots of photos and other hyper-geeky documentation.
• Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: My friends at The Grammar Club enjoyed their initial album release so much that they decide to do it again. Twice. These two new versions of Bremelanotide both boast new artwork and liner notes. One has a bonus track, lossless CD quality encoding, instrumentals in addition to the normal vocal versions of each track, and costs $5 (with the proceeds going to Child's Play.) The other one is still free. They also have some fancy new fliers for all your flier-related needs.
• Number of the geek: The Grammar Club has recently reached a benchmark at music site The Sixty-One by hitting the number 10 spot on the hip-hop leader board: a geek music first. For those of you unfamiliar with this music marketing phenomenon, check out Doc Pop’s excellent explanation of the service.
• Long live Wrock: My bro Matt hipped me to a new entry at the WizRocklopedia stating that the Schuyler twins have crossed the finish line with their Wizard Rockumentary. The finished film will be shown at Portus 2008 in Dallas, Texas this July. There will be movie merch available for purchase and, of course, much Wrockin’.
• Hipster (girl), please!: MC Lars has just dropped a new video for his latest single “Hipster Girl.” You can read about the project at Lars’s blog, and you can even download a version for your iPod (and me for my Zune) here.
• Collectively known as their genitals: Florida’s funky49, Redvoid, mCRT, MC Wreckshin, Sir-Up, and Betty Rebel recently came together to make a cover of Mickey Avalon’s “My Dick.” It’s not for the faint of heart, but it does make for a damn fun track. And Betty’s closing couplet will make it hard for you to ever look Willie Nelson in the face again.
• New digs: My friend and fervent support Antisocial has a new Web site, and just because I’m too lazy to update the navbar today doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it out. Go. Check.
• The bad decision club: Conyeezy joins me as a new inductee into the Holy Fuck I’m Gonna Be Walking Around With This Thing My Whole Life Union with his new Metroid Tattoo. It is a Tattroid, if you will. Behold its glory.
• Spread the word: Church and the Ranger both hipped me to two different instances of the near-canonization of the word “nerdcore.” Apparently both in Australia and the States the term is becoming… well, I wouldn’t say relevant. Recognized. Becoming recognized.
• One final LOL: I know everyone by me is probably getting a little tired of YTCracker's new meme, but they aren’t writing this blog. And thus, Tanner’s remix:

Wii Are the Champions

My pal Doctor Popular has just released the newest edition of his yo-yo centered vlog The Popcast, and I think this one will appeal to fans of all stripes. You see, while Doc talks shop and wows us with some more of his unbelievable yo-yo stylings, this time around he also spotlights the work of Nonpolynomial Labs' Kyle Machulis. Kyle’s done some fascinating things using a Wii-mote and a yo-yo.

(No. Not those kinds of things!)

But anyway, peep The Popcast, and then go check out some of the work that Johnny Lee is doing with the Wii technology. There are less nerdy ways to spend your time, but they aren’t near as entertaining.

Nerd News in Brief

Last weekend I had my fist bubble tea. I imagine this event would be the equivalent of baptism within our Cult of Rai, and I have to say that it has brought me a greater understanding of Her Holiness.

After slurping down all that green tea (not to mention a half a box of Pocky) I achieved an almost Rai-like level of weirdness myself.

Her will be done.

Now, as it’s been a while since I favored you with a proper round of nerdy news, here’s NNIB.

• How monsters are created: Since the release of YTCRacker’s latest hit “LOL Money,” a veritable cavalcade of artists have added their own spin to the track. The latest installment in the LOL Wars is Ultraklystron’s “LOL Moe,” which is simply brilliant. You’ll also want to check out Antisocial’s “LOLMoneyCats” mash-up. This meme will bury us all.
• Long gone: In other news from the Karl Olson camp, his first nerdcore album Revision4920 is now completely sold out. In Ultraklystron’s own words, “Should any ever turn up, I’ll auction ‘em off for Child’s Play. Don’t get your hopes up though.”
• Gold Five to Red Leader: I drive a Scion xB, which (coupled with my fuzzy D20 rearview danglers) is pretty dorky. And yet, as Church pointed out with this link, the nerdy automotive world has so much more going on.
• Smack-a-baby: Last week mc chris announced that he had both booked this year’s Warped Tour for all 42 shows and that he’s providing a guest verse on a Talib Kweli track. More info on the Warped engagement is forthcoming, but recent confirmation leads me to believe that mc recorded his stuff for that project yesterday at 5:00. Cool no?
• Down by the river: In what can only be described as less interesting news, mc is also selling his old tour van. I mean, I’m sure it’s a great van, but it sort of pales in comparison to Talib.
• Toys!: Matt hipped me to these custom-made 19th century Justice League figures, and I was astounded. Then Church countered with this collection of custom mini-figs, and I truly began to grasp how totally uncreative I am. :(
• Obey: Andre the Giant has a Posse and The Grammar Club has a flyer. Much like the stickers emblazoned with the former, you are also encouraged to plaster the latter all over any flat surface in plain sight. Do it for the team.
• Exploding MPFM: My Parents Favorite Music’s Steffo recently hipped me to a lot of very interesting new developments on the MPFM front. First and foremost, the Wheel o’ Exgirlfriends album has been reprinted and should be available for purchase within the next two weeks. The new album Testing the Waters is approximately 75% done with a projected April release. Steffo and company will be performing at the Middle Tennessee Anime Con along with the likes of Random, Peelander Z, Kenny Wisdom, The Slants, The Man Power, and Chickenbox, and this event will (hopefully) serve as the release party for the new album. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: a lineup change. Longtime MPFM member Stellar is no longer a part of the group; instead, we welcome new member Jeremy Breedlove (AKA: J48, AKA: Aggro-crag.)
• Big Ran: And speaking of Random, be sure to check out the free-to-download mixtape Napoleon Mindstate presents Meaningfull Music Vol 1. Ran is featured on track 16, “Twice Over.” You can also watch a really nice “behind the scenes” video for the Random/Maja track “Halo Head” on last week’s Maja Monday.
• A fun ship cruise: In my quest to find interesting, fun, and geeky music, I am prone to overlook some real gems. Thankfully, many of these artists acknowledge my superlative slackitude and instead opt to come looking for me. I recently had the good fortune to become acquainted with The Rivercrest Yacht Club, a hip-hop outfit that not only drops fairly dorky rhymes, but also employs an eclectic cast of MCs ranging from gauchos to anthropomorphic gorilla dentists. Suffice it to say, they’re worth a listen.
• What is this nerdery?: If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a singer/songwriter slant, may I humbly suggest the delightfully English Dan Plus Add. You can check out Dan’s first release Of FNARs and ZINGs free of charge from his site, and you can hear some cuts from his forthcoming follow-up album on his MySpace. Tell him Z. sent you!
• A love of tasty sandwiches: But let’s say you want something with a bit more jazz flair. In that case, you’ll definitely want to check out Evil Giraffes on Mars. “Fueled by a deep respect for all things musical,” EGoM combines element of jazz, rock, funk, punk, hip-hop, classical, world beat, and that love of sandwiches I mentioned earlier. The band also features the sax styling of Jamaal Sawyer, whom you should remember from Hipster, please! favorite Foxhound.
• Meet Me at the Arcade: While I was resting on my laurels in early January, my pal Anthony from GM4A was reviewing the highly anticipated new album from UK chiptune artist Pixel8. Peep Ant’s review of The Boy with the Digital Heart and be amazed.
• Poorly concealed secret project: As I mentioned previously, early ’08 is scheduled to see the release of a second Hipster, please! compilation. While I’m not yet ready to divulge the full meat of what this album entails, I will say that – on paper, at least – it marks a blissful intersection of nerdcore hip-hop, Wizard Rock, VGM, and geek rock. The artist roster is fast coming together, and thus far I’ve secured favorable interest from everyone from our own Baddd Spellah to Shawn Phase to Dumbledork (also known as Coma Boy, DJ Bentelli, and under a wealth of other names.) Stay tuned for more info.
• The power of Wrock: A recent article by the Young Adult Library Association – found by Church, of course – outlines a few really interesting (and nerd-friendly) music trends to look out for in ’08. Most fascinating to me was the role of Wizard Rock in retooling libraries into music venues. If that ain't a boon for geek artists, I don't know what is!
  
• "Fuckin' tall as shit!": To promote the new DVD Lords of the Rhymes: The Untolde Tale, your favorite Hobbits have posted some little teaser vids on YouTube. This one features Morgoth the Suck Lord... espousing the plans for the greatest of his sinister mechanizations.

A winner is you.

During the initial conference call in which the Crate Digger Death-match came to life, I was offered one of two very disparate positions; as an “early adopter” of the project, I could either choose to be a participant in this initial round or I could aid in the judging. I opted to help out as an officiate first and foremost because I felt it suited my skill-set a bit better. I also thought it would be easier than trying to cobble together an album in half a day using only thrift store finds.

I was wrong.

Judging the Crate Digger Death-match is arguably as difficult as participating. It’s not a chore, mind you, but it is a weighty task.

I guess I just assumed that, while a fair number of our participants would make it across the finish line, most would do so dragging atrophied and bloodied limbs behind them. I figured most of the guys would complete the mission, but that their submissions would show the type of road wear inherent in rapid-fire artistry. I imagined myself listening to the submissions and finally striking upon, perhaps, a single artist who had managed to beat the odds and pull off a real album; saying to myself, “well, such-and-such managed to polish a turd.”

Again, I was wrong.

What the other judges and I received from our seven finalists weren’t rushed pieces of ephemera, nor musical flotsam and jetsam connected by nothing more than happenstance. What we heard when we cracked open folders and zip files was unadulterated talent, pure and simple.

While I hate to get all cliché and say that everyone is a winner, I’ll be damned if it ain’t true. Each one of our Crate Diggers managed not just to complete a project, but to craft an album. A real album. With nothing but the barest of resources.

As I mentioned before, I was not the whole of the judging body. I was joined by a most impressive array of creative minds, and each found a number of submissions to be imminently pleasing. Famed nerdcore producer Baddd Spellah graded our submissions on production value, podcaster extraordinaire Tim (of Radio Clash fame) critiqued the albums’ listenability, and experimental musician Bart Hopkin judged on the nigh incalculable criterion of creativity. We each had our favorites – and widely dissimilar favorites they were – but we all agreed on one thing; D-Form and his submission Up or Down succeeded on all levels.

So it’s with great pride that I join Doc Popular in announcing D-Form to be the King of the Crate Diggers. He now wears the (totally imaginary) crown and wields all the (relatively insubstantial) power that goes with it. But in order to continue his reign he must again meander onto the field of battle. Tentative plans for the second round of the CDD place it in early April, and in order to retain the title D needs to come in with guns a-blazin’.

Sincerest congratulations to D-Form and to all of our ‘Diggers. And a most heartfelt thank you to my fellow judges. At the risk of sounded just plain silly, I honestly feel enriched by this entire experience. It has shown me that there is both a place where ingenuity and experimentation can thrive and be recognized and an ever-growing community of talented, supportive musicians with legitimate interest in capturing the fun and spontaneity of the creative process in their songs.

I am embiggned by you all.