Nerd Aid

Okay, so somehow I managed to miss this until Glenn Case mentioned it on his MySpace yesterday. I'm not saying I'm the most "plugged in" cat on the Intertubes or nothin’, but I figured if I had somehow passed this over then some of you may have as well. As such, let me relate the following:

The long and short of it is that Shael Riley's brother (and frequent co-conspirator) Devon underwent emergency surgery late last month. Thankfully, he's recovering, but, like so many of us, the ensuing hospital bills are presenting a brand new, long-term problem. In addition, bills for little incidentals – like say food and rent – tend to pile up regardless of whether or not you’re physically able to drag your ass to work.

I don’t know Devon Riley, but I am familiar with his work. Moreover, I have every indication that he’s a great guy. A great guy who has, unfortunately, had a run of pretty shitty luck.

His friends have set up a little blog where folks can go to wish Devon well as he recovers. While there, you can also give a little donation through Paypal, should you feel so inclined. Surely the great Nigel Edmund Silverman deserves a little love from fellow geeks and gamers.

More Nerd News in Brief

The problem with pulling double duty between Hipster, please! and Geekdad is that, many times, the things I do for one don’t necessarily translate well to the other. Sure, there’s a commonality, but I don’t expect that GD readers would respond to my foul mouth and healthy disrespect for copyright laws quite as warmly as you do.

Still, there are some exceptions. I actually have a couple of things coming down the Geekdad pipe in the near future that I think you folks will really dig. I’ll not divulge too much so as to keep a minimal level of mystique, but as plans solidify I’ll be happy to drop some knowledge.

• Ghosts I (available intravenously): I don’t like Nine Inch Nails – a 40-year-old man trying to be angsty is just a little bit sad – but I do like Antisocial. As such, I’d like to call you attention to his new project. Soc is working on “a quick little project called Seven Inch Spikes: Apparitions. Basically the concept is derivative (remix, rap, rework, cover, inspired by, parody, etc) works of the new Nine Inch Nails album.” Parties interested in participating should give Soc a holler and/or peep RT for further details.
• G4 - Now with 50% less suck!: YTCracker is seeking to help G4 reclaim its former glory(?) via the power of music. He has recently licensed his track “DugDig” for a year as the BGM for a commercial for X-Play. Yes, Warwick Davis was Willow and an Ewok and Leonard Nimoy was Galvatron and Spock. But Adam Sessler? He’s just kind of a tool.
• A place to call home: Nerdapalooza has a new and improved online presence. The URL is humorous and borderline inappropriate so I really can’t help but love it. The site was also designed by Game Metal mastermind Girlz Melon for added rock-ass geek cred!
• Japanese stunt man?!: T.Y.T. has a new video available for your perusal, and this one’s not on YouTube. You can, however, peep “Saturday Night SYN” elsewhere. And trust me, you’ll want to watch what T.Y.T. describes as “a totally retarded hyphy in face skull crushing video!”
• Here I am…: Thanks to my brother Matt for hipping me to a special new track by Wrockers The Owl Post. This one’s a collab with Adam from The Mudbloods. It’s called “Scarhead Theme,” and it’s available at the Post’s MySpace.
• Wrock you like a hurricane: In other Wrock news (also courtesy of Matt), Lena (of The Butterbeer Experience) and Lauren (of The Moaning Myrtles) are planning a joint tour. The duo is also working on an EP together, and are currently looking for artistic assistance for cover art design. There’s a tentative Baltimore date on said tour, which hopefully means Matt and Church can do a post-gig write-up. /stern look
• Further developments: Earlier this week, it was widely reported in Wizard Rock circles that The Parselmouths were parting ways due to the approaching nuptials of member Brittany. The band’s forthcoming gig in Kansas was expected to be their last, with remaining Parselmouth Kristina soldiering on with a new huckleberry. A recent follow-up, however, has clarified the previous information; it now looks like Brittany is just taking the summer off to get married, and fans can expect more of the classic Brittany/Kristina lineup in the future.
• Tag-team: On the VGM front, my pal Anthony has officially announced the next GM4A compilation Here Comes a New Challenger. This one features collaborations between nerdcore vocalists and chiptune/VGM musicians. He even included a preview track to tide us over until its release.
• Across the pond: Speaking of game music, congrats go out to the fine folks at the Gamewave Podcast. Much like my own Radio Free Hipster, the Gamewave guys have just celebrated the posting of their 40th podcast. (No small feat, I assure you!) If you haven’t yet, I’d highly suggest giving the ‘cast a listen. Joe and Mike are not only VGM aficionados, they’re also game musicians themselves, and their show is not to be missed.
• 1D4 moments of silence: I’m gonna break with tradition and end NNIB without a video today. Instead, here’s a little image that Church found that sort of managed to stick in my brain. We all know that Gary Gygax shuffled off this mortal coil earlier this week, but did you realize he did so - fittingly enough - on GM's Day? Moreover, did you know that his passing is the only thing that could make a lolcat utterly despondent? Didn’t think so.

You Brought us Geeks Together

In the wake of the yesterday’s passing of tabletop legend Gary Gygax, geeks everywhere have memorialized him in their own indubitable fashions. Though the various epitaphs scrawled across blogs and Internet message boards may seem sardonic and mocking to outsiders, those of us in the know realize that these references to Constitution modifiers and saving throws are, more often than not, the result of genuine, heartfelt sentiment regarding the passing of a man who helped to craft those undeniably dorky concepts.

And while the Web’s foremost comics mark Gygax’s passing with images and its most studious bloggers do so with words, nerdy musicians pay tribute in song. The first of these, to my knowledge, comes from self-described “Sock Puppet Rock Band and Multimedia Extravaganza-thon-a-rama” Uncle Monsterface.

Frontman Marty Allen says, regarding the track,

we realize all too well the unfortunate truth is that too often, folks wait until someone has kicked the proverbial bucketcan before they say all the nice things they meant to say about them. that isn't reason enough not to, let it just serve as a collective reminder to us all that we should tell people that we like them and that we like what they do. before they [d]ie. people have tried to convince me otherwise, and i refuse to believe it. but if you miss the boat, make them a song.

And with that, I submit for your approval “(thank you) Gary Gygax,” freely downloadable from UncleMonsterface.com.

Irreverent? Yes. Strange? Absolutely! But also sincere and ridiculously nerdy. Because Gary deserves no less.

On the passing of Gary Gygax

For those of you who haven’t caught wind of the recent news, Ernest Gary Gygax – co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and a pioneer of tabletop roleplaying – has passed.

Even now, Gary is being memorialized by our geeky peers in a manner befitting a gentleman of his standing. I’m sure there’s little I can say that hasn’t already been covered by those more astute and well-spoken than I, but I don’t reckon I’ll let that stop me. I can't imagine many of us who are active participants in the geekier side of popular culture would be doing what we do if not for Gary, particularly those of us who fancy ourselves writers.

The worlds he helped to forge provided many of us a canvas upon which to paint idealized versions of our flawed and corruptible selves. Around that table we weren’t lonely and awkward kids; we were paladins, warriors, and rogues. We found ourselves transformed from a motley crew of neighborhood chums to a party of daring adventurers.

His game gave us a voice. It gave us a realm of wonder and fantasy to explore with our friends. Goblins to slay and treasure to discover. It rewarded our creativity and helped to foster our ingenuity. Moreover, it provided us a mechanism through which to tell our own stories.

In truth, it wasn’t until I discovered D&D (and, yes, a number of other similar games) that I ever felt I had tales worth telling, that I ever felt that I was a part of that grand tradition of southern storytellers. My now infamous and much mocked tattoo isn’t just about embracing my dorky nature, it’s about acknowledging the reason that I began to write. And now it’s about memorializing yet another in a long succession of fallen heroes.

Gygax was just a man, as small and flawed as any of us, but he helped a generation embrace storytelling and nerdy camaraderie as an active pastime. He helped an innumerable number of misfit kids find brotherhood with paper and dice. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on.

For we are that legacy.

If you know the dir of the nerdcore rhyme

While my attention was focused on other matters my pal Anthony managed to scoop me on this, but I thought I’d toss it up just in case any of you missed it. It’s an outtake from Nerdcore Rising that features “Gabe & Tycho explaining every single accursed little lyrical twist in their official theme song.”

It’s a spectacle that could easily be described as slap-nuts funny. Observe.

And all you SXSWers, please don't forget that you have three chances to check out Nerdcore Rising at the festival next week. Front will be around for a little Q&A after every showing, and of course, he and the boys will be performing at the premiere after-party Sunday night. Prince Paul has been officially confirmed as has an open bar, but you’ll need a festival pass or a premiere ticket stub to get in.

Nerd News in Brief

I try to do good. I honestly do. Sometimes it just doesn’t pan out.

Last week, acting on the urgings of a number of Radio Free Hipster listeners, I submitted the podcast to iTunes. I figured it would make it easier for y’all and it might even bring in a few new listeners. (Sure, I’d have to deal with mocking, sub-literate reviews from every yahoo with an account, but such is life.)

The submission process was painless enough, but it was almost immediately rejected.

I can only imagine it had something to do with that magical mixture of profanity and copyright infringement upon which the podcast is based. Apparently, I’m just not iTunes material.

The resubmission process seems to involve me changing some information within the RSS feed and trying to trick iTunes into giving me another shot, which, honestly, sounds like a lot of work. I’ll try and get to that at some point in the foreseeable future because my stats show that most RFH listeners use that app, but I’ve got other fish to fry at present.

In the meantime, the handful of you that use Podcast Alley – who were more than happy to accept my feed submission, I might add – should feel free to review the show over there.

Likewise, anyone wishing to speak their piece about this humble blog can direct their adulation and/or venom at my listing over at Blogged.

• Nerds heart Violet: The always delightful Violet Blue has posted a handful of her favorite nerdcore videos over at her blog Tiny Nibbles. Included among them is her preferred selection from mc chris’s recent “Nrrrd Grrrl” video contest. Violet also gives some love to Radio Free Hipster favorite Schaffer the Darklord and a number of other notable nerdlinders. I demand that you all reciprocate!
• The Viking of Rap: Nerdy rhyme-slinger extraordinaire and all-around great guy MC Lars took some time last week to let fans know what he’s been doing since the 2006 release of The Graduate. The answer: lots of stuff. Most importantly, Lars confirmed the speculation that his next album will drop later this year. I, for one, can’t wait.
• It’s an Oddworld: Game music composer Michael Bross recently made the multitracks for one of the songs from the Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath soundtrack available for remixers. Bross was kind enough to pass this info along to Anthony of GM4A who was, in turn, nice enough to pass it on to me. I’m now telling you about it, thus keeping this chain of nerdy love intact. You can grab the “Fighting Outlaws” multitracks at Michael’s site.
• Myf’s got a story to tell: After a brief hiatus (due to some recording issues), Myf is back with a vengeance! He just dropped a rough mix of a new joint called “Pieces (It All Falls)” over at Rhyme Torrents, and you simply must check it out. Moreover, Myf’s promised “a lot of new stuff now that everything works again.” This is indeed good news.
• RPM Challenge Round-up: As I mentioned previously, several notable nerdcore artists participated in last month’s RPM Challenge, and now the time has come to bask in the glory of their collective artistic outcome. DJ Snyder and Entity created the phenomenal Calvin & Hobbes album, which combines smart hip-hop and ample guest stars to create an affair to remember. Redvoid and funky49 again activated their Wonder Twin powers to create another Superfiends release; Prestidigichillitation is a concept album designed to “comment on the state of life in the Western world but locate the true nature of the self amidst the chaos and greed of modern life.” And lastly, Emergency Pizza Party came through with their most compelling release to date Ughuuhghhhh, which sees the group recapture their former glory as Florida’s most surreal geeky rap trio.
• And yet I do it alone: In other new release news, Hand’Solo is offering to sell early bird copies of their new release Aging is What Friends Do Together (technically not due out until mid-April) to interested parties. The price is $15 payable via PayPal or money order/certified check, and that includes mailing costs within North America. Info and links to sample tracks can be found at RT.
  
• “Celebuglies” is the word of the week: mc chris’s much talked-about track with Talib Kweli is now available for your listening pleasure. Check out “Screamin (feat. mc chris)” at the Idle Warship MySpace. For those not familiar with IW, it’s a musical project of Talib and Res that focuses heavily on the modern American fascination with celebrities and their often troubled lives. Check it out.
• Everybody’s stoked: Are you excited about SXSW? Of course you are! Church points out that the certified “docu-geeks” at the Second Skin blog are particularly excited about the premiere of the MC Frontalot documentary Nerdcore Rising. What? You’re particularly excited about it too? What are the odds?!
• I promised I wouldn’t get heavy on this joint: Random will also be in Austin this week for SXSW. On Friday, March 7th he’ll be at - wait for it - the Second Skin movie premier, the film featuring his track “Grow Up,” at the Austin Convention Center Theater at 9:00 PM. And on Saturday, March 8th he’ll be performing at The Music Gym Lounge at 6:00 PM.
• Apparently, he likes Harry Potter: Last week that bastion of nerdy musical excellence Penny Arcade finally acknowledged the unmitigated badassery of Wizard Rock. While Tycho admits that he’s unable to work any more bands into the program for this year’s PAX concert, this could be a sign that some Wrock may make its way into future events. Wait… Gabe and Tycho like nerdcore, mash-ups, and Wrock, and yet they don’t listen to RFH?! Probably because it ain't listed in iTunes. ;)
• The year in Wrock: Leave it to Matt to remind us that the results from the 2008 Wizrocklopedia People’s Choice Awards are in. Fervent congratulations go out to The Remus Lupins and The Moaning Myrtles for multiple wins as well as to The Whomping Willows for snagging the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Just him: UK Wrocker Peeved, whom I mentioned last week, has just been interviewed over at Marisha's Wrockin Meet the Band's Journal. Peeved a really interesting cat – not to mention an incredibly talented musician – so head on over and take a look. Marisha’s also got a ton of other great Wrock interviews over at her place as well, so be sure to hang out and take ‘em all in.
• Everything's shiny, Cap'n.: In one final piece of Wizard Rock news, Lauren (of the aforementioned Moaning Myrtles) has a new track on her MySpace player called “Engines Make Me Hot.” It’s about Kaylee from Firefly, and it’s pretty much the bestest song ever. So, for continuing the grand tradition of Wrockers covering non-Wrock topics, not to mention her amazing piece of Cheap Trick filk, I award Lauren these Internets. May she do with them as she pleases.
• Your Heart’s in Your: To take us home today, here’s a little behind the scenes piece from the shoot of the as-yet-to-materialize video for The Grammar Club’s “Heart Tits.” It was filmed by the PBC crew in September of last year in Brooklyn. It features lots of dancing. Mostly by Shael. It’s a good time.
  

The Age-Old Question

On one of the mildly temperate afternoons last weekend, I took Li’l X. to a local park. He’s three; parks are kind of his thing.

After scoping out the nature trail and feeding some fairly cantankerous ducks at the lake, X. took to the playground and I settled on a nearby bench. I am thirty-two; benches are kind of my thing.

Park benches, for those of you not in the know, are like parking lots for fathers. They’re usually pretty crowded so you just try and find a vacancy that will accommodate your specific footprint and wedge in. I was lucky enough to find myself seated with a little extra breathing room. That is, with only one other wayward dad next to me.

He and I exchanged pleasantries and enjoyed the relative silence that a wide open space can provide. After a bit we talked tersely about our relative children and their activities, until, at last, the conversation turned to that question that grown men feel compelled ask each other in casual situations.

“So, what do you do?”

I replied with my standard answer, noting that I do some light IT work at a college but that I am a writer. As if on cue he asked what kind of writer, and talked turned to the blog. (It’s my biggest project and the one that takes up most of my free time, ere go it tends to get the most face time.)

This, of course, required further elucidation, particularly with regard to my musical interests.

“What, exactly, is ‘nerd music.’”

I replied that nerd music is an extension and, in some cases, a celebration of the geekier side of popular culture. This placated him and soon we collected out rugrats and parted ways.

It wasn’t until I got home that night that I really started thinking about my answer. After some contemplation I found it to be totally inadequate.

Not inaccurate, mind you, but fairly insufficient.

What I should’ve said goes a little something like this:

Nerdy music is many things to many people. Or, more specifically, it is what you need it to be.

Within the framework of the greater culture, nerdy music can take a myriad of forms, from hip-hop to punk rock to smooth jazz to chirpy electronica. Each of these styles may lyrically center on anything from video games to television and movies to personal, slice-of-life recollections to wholly romantic declarations to nothing in particular.

Its artists are doctors and dropouts, saints and criminals of all ages and colors and persuasions, and their instruments are computers, Gameboys, guitars, accordions, microphones, and turntables.

They are classically trained and ruthlessly amateurish. They are world-renowned and complete unknowns. They are performers and wallflowers. They are totally serious and just fuckin’ around.

Their songs are benign and malevolent. Accessible and oblique. Proudly dorky and subversively vague.

But most importantly, nerd music is functional.

Whether you want to let your geek flag fly or simply mock your dorkier predilections, it entertains your fancies. Like all art, it invites you to make of it what you will. It permits you to bend it to your desires.

It’s just like any other music, except for the fact that it’s ours. Whoever we decide to be.

I reckon that’s one way to clear a park bench. ;)

Nerd News in Brief

Winter has again returned to the Deep South. This is rather unfortunate for me because today is also comic book day. This means, of course, that no matter how much I might want to stay indoors, I am honor bound to journey out into the greater world.

But before I freeze my ass off for the sake of Teen Titans, New Warriors, and the obligatory X-book, here’s a super-sized edition of Nerd News in Brief.

• Nerd Ink: The Next Generation: I’m tempted to say that this Green Gadgets Design Competition concept that Church found will be the ultimate in Nerd Ink. That is when these things become reality.
• Vote Gilderoy: Also from Church, geek politics got elevated this week as well, in the form of this piece from The Vindy. I’m always amazed that folks don’t invoke Harry Potter as a go-to allegory for the current political climate more often. The roles into which this particular piece casts certain players, though, makes me wonder if my books may’ve been misprints.
• Compliments of a little bird: I recently got a leak of a new (mostly) finished track from nerdcore supergroup the 8 Bit Boys and I simply must make a statement regarding its awesomeness. While I can not divulge any info concerning the song itself, I can tell you that 8 Bit Boys includes Entity, YTCracker, The Ranger, and TyT, four of the scene’s finest. You can learn a bit more about the project and get some samples at the 8BB MySpace profile and at the Rhyme Torrents forums.
• Sounds from Down Under: And the aforementioned group ain’t the only thing that The Ranger has been into of late. Earlier this week he dropped “Rap Bukowski” over at RT. The track uses a beat from another Australian artist, Diabolik, and the lyrical style combines some of Ranger’s finest with an all-to relatable hard-living pastiche.
• Straight Outta Belcompton: In turn, Diabolik and his partner in crime Pinky will be performing at The Basement in Belcompton (which I assume is in/around Canberra Australia) on Friday, March 14th. Doors open at 9:00 PM and the price is $10 Aussie.
• Get twitterpated: Likewise, Entity is also dropping some new tracks backed up by none other than DJ Snyder. The new single is called “Thumper,” and you can even pick up a bundle of the original, the instrumental, and the acappella if you have the urge to noodle with it. It too is made of win.
• In my America: American Gamer now has a proper home, compliments of co-producer Macross. Check it out for full tracklisting, individual song downloads, and info on the parties involved.
• I really hate to trip: My pal Antisocial recently released another cover; this time it’s Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Though the original was never a favorite of mine, Soc does an excellent job and really brings that sort of borderline futurepop sound that he’s becoming known for. This should keep you well entertained while he works on more original material.
• Find Your Way: Snake Eyes, who some will remember from the CDD and the rest of you were introduced to earlier this week, hipped me to a really interesting post over at Canadian video game site Angry Robot. Contributor Nadine wrote a fantastic piece about composer Nobuo Uematsu (of Final Fantasy fame). It’s definitely worth a look by you rabid VGM fanboys – I’m talking to you, Anthony – as well as more casual listeners.
• “I didn’t want to be that person.”: Geek music icon and professional Internet celebrity Jonathan Coulton recently got some face time over at Yahoo! News’s People of the Web segment. The video is great and the written accompaniment is equally illuminating. Thanks to my home-skillet funky49 for hipping me to this one.
• Defense philosophy: For those not following the story till now, mc chris has recently been further courted by a number of record labels. The recounting of his recent meeting with Interscope was particularly entertaining, as mc really explained his take on the situation and his feelings toward the meeting's outcome aptly .
• It could get elevated: In festival news, more info concerning the post-Nerdcore Rising SXSW premiere gig has surfaced. Front and company will proceed to get down with their bad selves on Sunday, March 9th at Latitude 30 in Austin “sometime around midnight.” Prince Paul is still slated to spin records. (Holy fucking shit! Again!) And, according to Frontalot himself, everyone is invited.
• So check this: In other festival news, the recently released video for MC Lars’s “Hipster Girl” has been accepted into the Garden State Film Festival. The Jersey adjacent can catch its showing on Saturday, April 5th. Additional info can be found in Lars’s recent blog post.
• Every button tells a story, don’t it?: Last weekend, Anthony from GM4A was nice enough to direct me toward what's become my new favorite chiptune release, Controller 1 by Shnabubula. The album’s a free download, which should make it a no-brainer, but let me reiterate; you’ll wanna check this one out.
• All we are is dust in the wind: Matt just let me know that Kansas is getting its own mega-Wrock fest in the form of The Hallows and Horcruxes Ball. The event will be held Saturday, March 8 at the Kansas State University Student Union in Manhattan, Kansas, and, in true Wizard Rock fashion, all proceeds will be donated to First Book. This one features The Remus Lupins, The Parselmouths, The Ministry of Magic, The Moaning Mrytles, Ginny and the Heartbreakers, and the Mudbloods: a heavy-hitting lineup, to be sure!
• You can’t take my best friend’s sister: To take us home, here’s another jewel from the Wrock scene. It’s Welsh Wizard Rocker Peeved’s minimalist reinterpretation of “Save Ginny Weasley” by Harry and the Potters. After watching this, immediately go to his MySpace and check out his phenomenal remix of RiddleTM’s “Ode to Voldemort.” Then politely welcome your new musical overlord.
  

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 40: I Remixed a Remix…

Obviously, I’m not the only one who’s busy at present.

Sure, I suppose most of the rest of you aren’t expecting babies any day now, but there’s something in the air; we’re all harried and overworked.

Each day, it seems like the new Hipster, please! compilation slips further and further behind schedule. And you know what?

So be it.

I had hoped to surprise y’all with the album this Friday. It’s Leap Day, and that seemed just weird enough to be appropriate. That’s sort of out of the question at this point, but I thought I’d dedicate this edition of the podcast to the project.

Hopefully it will help you get a feel for some of the players and concepts included. Plus, you get a sneak peak of one of the tracks. Maybe that’ll whet your appetite.

In the end, all I can say is that while things haven’t come together quite like I planned, they have begun to come together. And with very interesting results.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 40: I Remixed a Remix… (hosting provided by Antisocial) Size: 48 MB Running Time: 52:31

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
Who dares remix the RFH theme?

Track 1: The Evolution Control Committee – “Rocked by Rape”
This track was an integral part of my introduction to bastard pop and the concepts of mash-ups and cut-ups.

Z’s 1st interlude: “I’ll elucidate concerning that topic a bit later.”
And I do. I’m always elucidatin'.

Track 2: Tanner4105 – “he actually has 4 offices”
The titles to all the tracks on the Bad Apollo album are from a chatlog. That explains their seeming randomness.

Track 3: Milivoj Bunjevac – “Doctor Who Theme -80’s Remix”
Let me work in another plug for the Who Mix project because it’s just that good.

Track 4: mc chris – “Geek (optimiss cubed remix)”
I’ve only ever heard optimiss remix mc tracks. I wonder what other kind of stuff she does.

Track 5: Go Home Productions – “Alive and Nellified”
How else was I get The Mooney Suzuki into RFH? ;)

Track 6: nYgel – “Hyphy”
nYgel has a knack for remixes. A knack, says I.

Track 7: Sam Flanagan Mix – “Beastie Boys vs. Everyone (cut up mix)”
The first nYgel tracks I ever heard were Beasties remixes so this Sam Flanagan track seemed like a nice follow-up.

Track 8: MC Frontalot – “Listen Close (Glenn Case Remix)”
Glenn and Front together is always a good thing!

Z”s 2nd interlude: “Alexander Prievert from the OverClocked ReMix project.”
Check out “Castlevania 2 Bloody Tears Inspired OC ReMix.” It sounds much better without some hick talking over it.

Track 9: Dual Core – “Hostage Down (Remix)”
Is it weird that my favorite Dual Core remixes are done by c64?

Track 10: Beefy – “Tub Of Tabasco (Society of Info Remix by Drown Radio)”
I love Doc’s remixes, but I really can’t wait to hear an entire album of his original material.

Track 11: Devo – “Whip It (Philip Steir & Ramin Sakurai mix)”
How I don’t wind up with more Devo on this podcast is a mystery even to me.

Track 12: The Grammar Club – “My Gayest Shirt (Karl Olson Mix)”
Karl’s another cat whose remixes are just as exciting as his originals. He really manages to bring that Ultraklystron sound to everything he does.

Z’s final interlude: “Most notably…”
Immediately after recording this episode Doc Pop told me he wasn’t going to be able to contribute. Damn technical difficulties!

Track 13: Snake Eyes vs. Maja – “Transformer (Sarah Connor’s Wild Ride Remix)”
Trying to decide which track to leak was pretty hard. I have ten in-hand, and three of them compete daily for the position of current favorite. In the end I went with Snake’s because I love the subtle layering of the samples. Plus, the Maja original is a contemporary geek rap classic.

The title of this episode, in case you don't know, is from an old Mitch Hedberg bit. It just seemed to fit.

I don’t have much in the way of a new release date for the comp, but I’ll let you know as things come together. I’d love to have it ready for consumption before my daughter arrives, but I’m not gonna sweat it. There are a lot of very talented producers and DJs from the spheres of nerdcore, VGM, Wrock, and beyond working overtime to try and make this project a reality (not to mention all the artists who let me use their acappellas), and I’d like to give them plenty of time to work their magic.

I just hope when I finally arrives you dig it as much as I do.

More Nerd News in Brief

It’s a good news/bad news type of thing.

The good is that I’m currently sitting on the bulk of the tracks for the forthcoming Hipster, please! compilation album and that they are excellent.

The bad is that I don’t think there’s any way I’ll be able to make the original release date of February 29th. Longtime readers certainly won’t be surprised by the fact that I was unable to stick to my own schedule, but I suppose that’s cold comfort.

I’m hoping to have everything ready to go by early March or, failing that, sometime before we rush my wife to the hospital to shoot out a baby. I’ll keep you guys in the loop as the new release date becomes solid.

• Sorry, Obama: While MC Frontalot has recently joined artists like MC Lars and mc chris in throwing his nerdy weight behind Barack Obama, I, sadly, have abandoned the candidate in favor of one who appeals more to my spirituality. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
• Nerd Ink, supplemental: Concerning matters that are just as geeky, though in an admittedly different vein, more nerd ink. It’s almost like Church has set some sort of oddly specific Google Alert.
• (Almost) ready to launch: Yesterday my pal Anthony from Game Music 4 All sent me news that his next compilation album, the Super Mario RPG tribute Heavy Troopa is Ready to Launch!, is also nearing completion. He was even nice enough to toss up a teaser track for your collective ass. It is a thing of beauty to which you simply must listen.
• Chiptunes, mouth harps, and geeked-out beats.”: Doc Popular has also entered the final lap with regards to his new album Me Geek Pretty One Day. The album page promises an early March release of a work that “shakes things up by mixing nerdcore hip hop songs with 8-bit instrumentals, electro-pop, and sexy r & b.” In addition to Doc’s work with Tanner (as demonstrated last week), MGPOD will also feature production from the great Baddd Spellah and guest rapper MC Router on her final nerdcore track. After a little good-natured needling last night, Doc also let me know that the album will come with extras (including cellphone wallpapers, remixes by Bomarr and 8bit bEtty, and iPhone ringtones) all for a meager 8 bones. He’ll also be releasing it using the SongNumber distribution system. That Doc Pop is full of surprises!
• ‘Blood brothers: Lizz of WizRockLopedia (who’s sporting a delightful new ‘do of late) has posted some live audio from The Mudbloods over at Archive.org. The set was recorded at one of the recent Whomp the House shows, and you should really check it out.
• A league of our own: In related news, my buddy Matt made a really good point about the lack of taping in the geek music community. With the exception of the Northwest's always on-point AlienBobz, there seems to be a glaring lack of nerdy concert audio. Matt even broached the idea of putting together a Netlabel with which to catalogue dorky shows at Archive. It’s something to think about.
• The ladies, the ladies: And since we can’t talk about Wrock without mentioning lady-geeks, Church pointed me toward this interesting piece about fangrrls. While I can’t say I’m in love with the terminology, the article is pretty damned thought provoking.
• I Want You to Whomp Me: To bookend this week, here’s a vid of Lauren of The Moaning Myrtles (one of my favorite Wrock outfits) singing a special song for The Whomping Willows (another of my other favorite Worck outfits). I’ve long said that the only two things missing from Wizard Rock were Cheap Trick and arboreal innuendo.

This Just In

Genuine information surrounding Nerdapalooza ’08 has finally surfaced, the most compelling of which can be gleaned from the following image.

First and foremost, we can see that the event will occur over a two-day period this July at Taste Restaurant in the College Park area of Orlando. Furthermore, it’s impossible to miss the much-touted artist roster, which boasts not only a fine selection of local and regional artists (Select Start, Rocker Propelled Geeks, High-C, EPP, etc.) but also cats from the UK (Pixel8), NYC (Schaffer the DarkLord), the Mid-West (Dual Core and Whore Moans), and Cali (ZeaLouS1).

There are also a number of “blanks.” These are, as mCRT was nice enough to point out to me, probablys as opposed to unlikelys, and should be revealed as they are officially confirmed.

Further research indicates that tickets should go on sale in March pending price negotiations.

And with all that said, the only real question is how do I convince my wife to let me sneak away to FL for a long weekend with Random, YTCracker, and Former Fat Boys and leave her home alone with an infant and a toddler? Suggestions are encouraged and appreciated.

Damn It Feels Good to be a Gamer

At long last the complete American Gamer album is available!

Produced by Random, K-Murdock, Ravage, and Macross, American Gamer mashes up the hip-hop goodness of Jay-Z’s first concept album with beats composed of loops from classic video games. The project’s title track “even features a verse from a certain Hip-Hop/Videogame head” that we all know and love.

Like any bootleg album worth its salt, American Gamer is available for free download so be sure to check it out.

In a quasi-related story – and I never thought I’d actually be typing this – someone from MSNBC totally got things right vis-à-vis Jack Thompson. Will wonders never cease?

Let's Hear it for The Boy(s)

Regular readers of this blog know that I have a very limited vocabulary. There are words that pop up fairly regularly, proper nouns that represent the cutting edge of nerdy music. Names like Frontalot, Beefy, Random, and the like.

You’re just as apt to know another couple of names, a pair that, though not attached to nerdy hip-hoppers or geek rockers, are still very much linked with nearly everything that goes on here at Hipster, please! Church and Matt feed me leads concerning everything from nerdy politics to new releases, give suggestions for additions to the podcast track lists, and, perhaps most importantly, act as the sounding board concerning my various hair-brained schemes.

This week they’ve both got some pretty interesting projects of their own going on, and I thought I’d shine the light on them… Which is a nice change of pace considering it’s usually those two pimping out my stuff.

Matt’s got a new piece up at the reinvigorated (Hopefully!) Headphone Sacrament. It’s a review of Slytherin Hearts, the Split Seven Ways EP that I mentioned yesterday. It gives an overview of the work, the artist, and her place within the scene.

Church – known thereabouts as Pike – has put together a DIY mixtape for the cats over at Galactica Watercooler. Essentially it’s an outline to make your own playlist using free, nerdy tracks that are easily available online. There are some old favorites as well as some new hotness.

Since this is a bit of a slow news day for items not related to a very languid GDC, I’d say that both of these demand your immediate attention.

Nerd News in Brief

Some products are simply too effective. Example: Hori screen protectors.

I bought a pair of these suckers for my Crimson and Black DS Lite last October and they did the trick. A defective stylus ended up giving the protector some pretty good scrapes, but the touch screen stayed clear and safe.

Over the weekend I decided to swap out the old, damaged protector with a crisp, clean, shiny, new one, but it took a goddamn act of Congress to get it off. I literally had to pry the little fellow away from his prescribed duty.

Damn that traditional Japanese work ethic and general over-exuberance!

• Lowercase “c”: I’d like to start today’s NNIB by congratulating my man High-C on his new arrival! Check out NerdcoreHipHop.org for the first images of young Gorlax Frontington Christie, AKA: Lil' High-C. And since we’re talking about High-C that could well be the child’s real name.
• Old news you already know: Let me apologize for the glaring lack of the following during last week’s documentary rundown – The MC Frontalot doc Nerdcore Rising will be premiering at SXSW! Immediately after this March 9th premiere, Front and crew will be performing a set and the great Prince Paul will be spinning some records. Holy fucking shit!
• Just Another Lazy Blogger: In other news that I should’ve mentioned, like, a week ago, Beefy will soon be launching a new weekly podcast. Beef mentioned this at the same time he revealed that he had acquired his first grown-up job. Unfortunately, his blog is dead at present, but trust me; I am not making this shit up. (Probably.)
• "Shmoos haint make believe.": Last week, Dual Core unleashed hip-hop fury on the attendees of hacker conference ShmooCon. This marked the first time a nerdcore group played the con’s after-party, and, in the words of int eighty, “It was a lot of fun, and … we sold a metric ass-load of albums and even had an encore when the set for our show was over.” You can check out some pictures from the show at their MySpace.
• Make music with your mouth: Another recent first is the real life, face-to-face collaboration of nerd music greats and two of my favorite cats in the whole world, Doctor Popular and Tanner4105. For those of you un-swayed by photographic evidence, I will direct your attention to this track. Rai willing, we’ll hear more soon.
• London Calling: Euro nerds looking to get down and/or drunk in the company of likeminded individuals will be pleased with the announcement of Dork Party UK. March 8th through the 10th in Southampton – which is actually pretty far away from London, but I stand by my tagline – there will be “lots of booze” and also, presumably, some gaming. Interested parties should PM Category for details.
• More from across the pond: UK alterna-folk Wizard Rocker Split Seven Ways has just released a new free-to-download EP entitled Slytherin Hearts featuring “8 tracks of Slytherin love and anti-love songs.” Download it and embrace the Dark Arts. Thanks to Matt for hipping me to this.
• Not to be confused with Katie Holmes’s kid: Florida MC and comic book aficionado Sir-Up was recently front-paged at CollegeHumor.com. They identified him as “Suro” for some reason, but that’s definitely our boy Up.
• Commence shilling: Game retailer Play Asia is currently celebrating the Chinese New Year with their annual sale. The Year of the Rat Lucky Sale boasts thousands of bargains at crazy-low prices, and purchases make you eligible to win free consoles, handhelds, and games. Sale prices are only good until the end of the month, so head on over and check stuff out.
• Censored: To wrap things up, here’s a little vid that Doc turned me on to. The accompanying music is the Lemon Demon edit of that old Sesame Street classic “The Song of the Count.” If you laugh, you’re just as immature and easily amused as I am.

Childe Roland to the Dork Shower Came

I am involved in what you might term a mixed marriage. I am a huge dork. My wife? Not so much.

Because of this we don’t see eye-to-eye on some things. I, for example, like to watch Doctor Who. She, on the other hand, prefers The Girls Next Door. (How that show can make naked women so interminably boring is both a mystery and an affront to God!) I listen to NESkimos while she prefers Nelly Furtado. I say tomato and she… well, she also says tomato, but I reckon you get the idea.

When she told me last week that the girls from work were throwing her a baby shower in anticipation of our new arrival, I was ecstatic; my love for free shit knows no bounds. But when we began adding items to our baby registry/wish list, our differences again became apparent.

What follows is my own personal list of nerdy baby shower presents. Each was summarily vetoed by my old lady, but maybe yours will be a bit more reasonable.

Here’s hoping you have better luck geeking your children up than I did!


The D&D character sheet onesie:

Sometimes you just need to know your kid’s stats. Like, maybe your baby wants to make an untrained skill check; how the hell else are you gonna know her ability modifier? I think I’ve proven my point.


Available at Jinx.

Baby’s First Mythos:

Reading to your children is fun and rewarding, so why not start them early on the road to an appreciation of classic geek lit? It's been proven to supplement cognitive development, and you’re never too young to be warned about the power of the Elder Sign.


Available at Amazon

Giant Microbes:

There’s been a big push of late to get girls interested in science, and there’s no better way to get your daughter hipped to the wonders of the natural world than by giving her a white blood cell plushie. Will it protect her from super-sized pathogens? It certainly couldn’t hurt!


Available at Giant Microbes

Rockabye Baby! lullaby albums:

Child-friendly covers of U2, Bob Marley, and The Ramones may not be nerdy, but they certainly are fun for the whole family. Lullaby renditions of Björk, though, are probably still pitchy and annoying.


Available at Rockabye Baby Music

Diaper bag alternative:

Those goddamn Juicy Couture diaper bags are horrible and unflattering, and I don’t just mean on the shoulders of unwitting fathers. They’re garish and quasi-functional at best. I much prefer the utilitarian messenger bag, of which this Bag of Holding is a perfect example. You won’t believe how much stuff you can get in there!


Available at ThinkGeek

NErDy bib:

Nothing says “this is my kid and I’ll dress her how I damn well please” quite like this bib. It’s especially relevant if one or more parents is a chemist. As well as those of us who aren’t above a little intellectual intimidation among the play group.



Available at Career Giggles

Baby Bot mobile:

Are you as sick or butterflies and jungle animals as I am? Then why not shake things up with a robot themed nursery! This robot-themed mobile is an excellent jumping-off point.




Available at Baby-Wise

Nerd News in Brief

Last week Li’ X. celebrated his 3rd birthday. We had his party at the local fire station, which just goes to show you how seriously we take our personal safety and tax dollars in the rural South.

In retrospect, the thing I find the strangest has less to do with the locale and more to do with the presents. His favorite gift seems to be his Play-Doh Fun Factory. This particular model looks strikingly similar to the one I had as a kid, which begs the question why the fuck have we not had any notable advances in Fun Factory technology within the last 3 decades?

I mean, come on, Hasbro, step up your game. Invest some money in Play-Doh R&D and let’s bring this thing into the 21st century. Do it for the children!

• R.I.P.: Let’s start this week’s NNIB on an uncharacteristically somber note. As my friend Matt pointed out to me yesterday, we’ve recently lost a comic book great. Steve Gerber, known best for his creation Howard the Duck (the entertaining comic as opposed to the shitty movie) and more recently his work on Countdown to Mystery: Doctor Fate shuffled off this mortal coil last Sunday. He will be missed.
• Say it ain’t so!: In other heartbreaking news, Glenn Case has left The Grammar Club. Citing the admittedly cliché “creative differences,” Glenn announced his departure early this morning. Quote the Raven, “It's nothing personal against any member of the project. In fact, I hope they will find a better multi-instrumentalist that can lead them to greater success than they have achieved with me.” As sad as I am to see him go, I can’t help but wish Glenn and his former bandmates the best.
• Crit fail: Always on the look-out for the next meme, Church happened across The FAIL Blog, the only site where failure is, indeed, the only option. Go ahead and look; it’ll make you feel better about your own shortcomings.
• All-beverage extravaganza: My Parents Favorite Music's second re-release EP Wheelo Exgirlfriends is here! Again! You know the deal: you give Steffo 5 bucks for a sticker and he gives you a CD to go with it. What’s not to love?
• Nerdapalooza Southeast 2008 update: My boy Rob, otherwise known as mCRT, was nice enough to let me know that he and HexWarrior will be doing their first episode of the new weekly Nerdapalooza News radio show on Rocket Propelled Radio on February 19th at 9:00 PM. He later elaborated, saying that topics covered will include the venue, the performance lineup, ticket info, and dates. Yes, dates. As in more than one!
• Loki Destroys Student-Run Radio Station, Film at 11:00: Last week MC Loki did an interview with RADIOKSOC. In addition to repping the scene in the larger sense, Loki also namedropped Whoremoans, 8 Bit Boys, Don Vito, Nerdapalooza, INFO2k8, and many more. He even made the file available for those who want to check it out.
• Doowhatchalike!: I’m not the only cat making with the Valentine’s themed podcast. Random just released episode 11 of the RandomBeagle Show which celebrates the ladies of hip-hop. It also features an exclusive interview with Shock G of Digital Underground (whom you may remember as Humpty Hump.)
• He’s got wood: killsaly has a new demo available for fans of Mega Man. He says that “Woodman” was “inspired by my own love of Mega Man, and Random’s 'Grow Up' beat.” You can peep the track at killsaly’s site.
• He’s a Toys ‘R’ Us kid: In other Ran-related news, a new remix of Mega Ran's “Grow Up” (by my pal Antisocial) has just popped up over at the Mega Ran group. You have to be a member to hear it, but I think we can all agree that membership does have it’s privileges.
• Vote the Wrock: It’s time for the 2008 Wizard Rock People's Choice Awards. This time around the voting process is pretty straightforward, you simply and paste the categories from Wizrocklopedia into an email and send it to awards@wizrocklopedia.com. For more info and a comprehensive list of awards, check out the ‘Pedia.
• Maple Syrup Recanto: Folks in the Jersey area who are fans of both Wrock and… um… breakfast for dinner are invited to attend Wizards, Witches, and Pancakes at the IHOP in Bloomfield on Sunday, March 9th from 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM. It’s $6 for adults, $5 for youth, and free for kids under 5, and everyone gets a buck off if they come “in costume or HP wear.” Thanks to Church for the link!
• Hotdog-flavored ice-cream and the power of RAWK: Today, I leave you with a fine entry from our friend Z. of PBC Productions. Yes, another delightful episode of Little Miss Gamer! This time around, LMG takes on PS2 classic Gitaroo Man with the expectedly charming results.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 39: Last of the Crush Note Troubadours

The complicated love song is the bread and butter of Radio Free Hipster. This is what, like, the fourth time I’ve done a show centered around romance and heartbreak?!

Still, you can’t discount the importance of the lovesick ballad within the echelons of geeky music.

This time around I elected to focus more and singer-songwriters than rappers and DJs. Sure, you get some nerdcore and some mash-ups (and even a chiptune), but the vast majority of these tracks are firmly rooted in the guitar rock, folk, and, of course, tears.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 39: Last of the Crush Note Troubadours (hosting provided by Antisocial) Size: 46.3 MB Running Time: 50:35

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
I love those boys like Joanie loves Chachi.

Track 1: Jonathan Coulton – “The Future Soon (Live)”
This version of “The Future Soon” was recorded live in Second Life.

Z’s 1st interlude: “Flirting and miscommunication and missed opportunities.”
After you’ve done, essentially, the same show three or four times, you start looking for variations on a theme.

Track 2: The Fine Print – “English”
This was very nearly a sad affair. You see, “English” was my fourth and final Fine Print track. Thankfully, I found another couple of songs on their MySpace. Crisis averted.

Track 3: Roonil Wazlib – “Green Eyes”
Historically, my podcast selections tend to skew heavily toward male artists so this time around I made it a point to include some great tracks by females. This is one such song.

Track 4: Nullsleep – “Her Lazer Light Eyes”
I've had people tell me they think of chiptunes as being sterile and devoid of character. I disagree, and I think this song is just as lively and organic and relatable as any more traditionally composed track.

Track 5: DJ Paul V. – “Tequila Lip Gloss (Lil Mama vs. The Champs)”
Another jewel from Mashup Town’s Best of 2007 comp.

Track 6: The Cure – “Boys Don’t Cry”
Geeks love The Cure.

Track 7: mc chris – “Boys Don’t Cry”
Wait. Why didn’t I save these for my same-name-different-song podcast? Shit!

Track 8: How Airplanes Fly – “Forget the Girl”
Some more excellent Wrock. This one was a special request from my pal Church.

Z’s 2nd interlude: “Romantic troubadour pathos.”
Sometimes even I can’t believe the shit I come up with.

Track 9: Glenn Case – “Wedding Song”
The first of two Glenn Case songs in this episode. This is the sad one.

Track 10: Mary Prankster – “The World is Full of Bastards”
Sure, Mary’s “Valentine” would’ve been a more appropriate choice, but I like this one better. ;)

Track 11: Party Ben – “Tender Umbrella”
Mash-ups are a convenient way for me to get non-nerdy acts (like General Public) into the podcast!

Track 12: RiddleTM – “Ballad of Ron and Hermione”
The Wrock scene has become home to many amazing musicians. RiddleTM are another example of that.

Track 13: Ultraklystron – “Gleam”
Any song from Karl’s Romance Language album would’ve sufficed, but I really love the groove of “Gleam.”

Z’s final interlude: “Love can and does work out… even for us dorks.”
That’s your Valentine’s card right there.

Track 14: Glenn Case and Rachael Layne – “Need Stilts”
Glenn tells me he and Rachael are rerecording this one. I can’t wait to hear it!

And there you are, friends, more music for the lovelorn.

I guess you’re probably wondering if, with this installment, I’ve finally gotten this love songs songs/hate songs thing out of my system. The answer: not at all.

Awkward, heartbreaking, and very often ill effective love songs are at the heart of nerdy music, and each time I encounter a new song about, say, trying to romance a woman through World of Warcraft, I can’t help but start thinking of putting together another show in this interminable sequence. But I try to temper all these sweaty palms and tear-stationed cheeks with some tales of successful romance. Because, as Tom Petty once said, even the losers get lucky sometime.

Did you love this ep? Hate it? Come away with a sense of profound indifference? Either way, let me know. I always appreciate your comments.

I had next episode pegged for a mixtape, but I may put that off until March (also known as New Baby Month.) Hopefully, if we’ve all been living right, the next edition of RFH will coincide with the release of my newest compilation album. Only time will tell.

The Long, Slow Crawl

I’m not sure if this is worthy of its own post, or even newsworthy at all within the broader sense, but I figured I’d throw it out there.

As I’ve already mentioned, a couple of weeks back I was invited on Wired’s Geekdad podcast as a special guest. The Geekdads are a great bunch of guys who manage to make the dudes-sitting-around-rapping-about-stuff method of podcasting both topical and sort of therapeutic. The life of a geeky dad is often a fairly solitary existence, so getting the opportunity to talk pop-shop with likeminded individuals is a treat.

It was a great experience, and I think it really helped me put into perspective the astoundingly wide array of attitudes and topics that exist under the umbrella of nerd culture. It was, in short, enjoyable for me both as geek and as a father.

Shortly thereafter, I again spoke to Editor Ken Denmead to thank him for the opportunity. As warm and accepting as the crew had been to me, this idle pleasantry felt altogether necessary. Ken responded in kind and then invited me to come onboard as a contributing writer to the Geekdad blog.

It’s not, as we in the South like to call it, a payin’ gig, but it’s an opportunity to get more exposure for my dorky ventures and, in turn, for those that these foolhardy schemes promote. I can’t see it really changing the way I do things around here, as the Z. from Hipster, please! will still be the same foul-mouthed, malcontent that you’ve come to love accept expect; it will just provide me with a chance to do a bit of writing with a more paternal slant.

Will it open up doors for me to go on to become the for-real writer that I’ve always longed to be? Probably not, but I don’t reckon it could hurt.

I know the relationship between Wired magazine and nerdy music has been fairly rocky and that I’ve probably cracked more jokes at Wired’s expense than most, but I’ve softened my stance, particularly since Jason Tanz came on as Senior Editor. Having the opportunity to interact with folks like Ken and Geekdad contributor Brian Little has given me further pause to reflect, and there really are some good guys over at Wired.

This could be another inroad in my crawl toward legitimacy, and, even if it's not, it's still fun. Let's not forget that this is even more important.

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.