Stoke the Fire

The message began simply enough:

"So, let's do a Xmas compilation, huh?"

That was the subtle manner in which my pal Shael Riley launched the project that came to be known as Come Down the Chimney. That email arrived in late October, but, if memory serves, Shael had secretly mentioned it to me a week or two prior. Casually.

But, like everything Shael does, it was a deceptively serious affair.

His direction was minimal; he merely requested that all participating parties record a holiday-themed original or cover, but it was his sole caveat that defined the comp. He advised participants to craft something that they would like to hear on a holiday album. And I think that's the real difference.

Come Down the Chimney is Shael's brainchild, but, with the combined effort of cats like I Fight Dragons, Billy the Fridge, Schaffer the Darklord, Uncle Monsterface, The Double Ice Backfire and Zircon (who mixed and mastered the whole thing), it's a veritable Christmas present for nerdy music fans across the board.

It's a concept album, and the concept is holiday fun. I know all the guys are really proud to be a part of it, and I hope you enjoy listening to it half as much as they enjoyed making it.

So untie the bow and shred the paper. No need to check the label; it's to you, from a bunch of geeks who appreciate your support and attention.

Head over to the official web presence of Come Down the Chimney to snag your copy.

God Rest Ye Autobeat Allies

Last year it was my pleasure to host Optimus Rhyme's swan song, TransfORmed, as a holiday treat to all my fellow fans. So imagine my surprise when I was offered the chance yet again to present a posthumous masterpiece by the cyber-funk overlords of nerdcore!

Optimus Rhyme's Live - Volume 1 is the first in a series of classic performances that have at long last been compiled for proper release. This initial iteration, drawn from a radio set Optimus did in Seattle over 5 years ago, is particularly special for a number of reasons:

• It features the work of then co-vocalist Broken English. (A rarity in itself!)
• Likewise, it boasts percussion by my homey grimROCK, who'd only been in the band a few months at the time of this recording.
• It marks the first ever performance of "Autobeat Airbus," a song that wouldn't find its way onto an OR album until 2006's School the Indie Rockers.
• It contains the only official release of "Precognito" (not to be confused with the self-titled album's cut "Precognit2"), as well as a totally different arrangement of the song "Cybernetic Circuits."

Cool shit, huh?

Keep in mind that this is a limited time offer, as I'm only cleared to give Live - Volume 1 away for free between Christmas Eve and New Years Day, so if you want it I suggest you snap it up with a quickness. It's been promised that these tracks will be made available via iTunes at an unspecified later date, but who the hell wants to wait?

So please, enjoy the ultimate musical gift during this, the season of giving. Merry Christmas, Allies!

Download Optimus Rhyme's Live - Volume 1

Sorry, folks, nothing to see here. You can, however, snag Live - Volume 1 from iTunes in the near future!

The Spirit of Christmas

The problem with releasing my annual holiday podcast in early December is that I always end up missing a fantastic crop of new tracks from geeky albums that drop well after that show has been recorded and uploaded. Sure, I could silently save these songs for next year's ep., but I'm afraid that runs counter to the spirit of giving inherent in the holiday season.

So consider the following to be an early Christmas (or late Hanukkah) present from me to you. Listen to them in good spirits. And, for that matter, while under the influence of your spirit of choice. 'Cause it's that type of holiday.

"A Ninja Chr1stmas"

Our first stop on the Holiday Highway is the newest offering from my old friend Snake Eyes. Snake is from Canada, a place where, I am told, it is always Christmas. This one is a mash-up – Snake's specialty – that incorporates Dean Martin, Rakim, The Beach Boys, The Notorious B.I.G., Raffi, Baroness, Big Baby Jesus and even Chewbacca into an 8 minutes opus of "old school rap vs. heavy rock vs. seasonal cheese." It's a free download, so head over to Snake's digs to pick it up.

A Very Bootie Christmas 2

Also on the mash-up tip is the follow-up to 2006's A Very Bootie Christmas. This second volume, compiled and mixed by Adrian & the Mysterious D, is a worthy successor to the original, and another amazing Christmas party mix that's free for the taking. From King Of Pants' "Alala Falala Hasselhoff" to A Plus D's own take on "Dick in a Box," it's a holiday must-have. You can snag it (and, in case you slept on the previous release, the original VBXmas) from your friends at Bootie USA.

Wii Wiish You a Merry Christmas 2.0

Another notable sequel is nerdcore titans The Former Fat Boys' Wii Wiish You a Merry Christmas 2.0. A re-release of FFB's original holiday banger, this one comes strapped with brand new material and even more Laotian boys. $ucksex was kind enough to give me two such tracks – your soon-to-be favorite drunken sing-along "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells (The Joker Got Away)" and the fiscally irresponsible "Santa Needs a Bailout (Please)" – to freely share with you fine folks, but fans looking to pick up the whole album have a couple of options. You can download a low quality MP3 version of Wii Wiish You A Merry Christmas 2.0 free from the FFB's MySpace until Christmas, or you can support the free market by picking up the retail release (which includes both the CD and a link to download the album in a higher quality MP3 format instantly) from the band's store. There you can also score one of their new "Barack Out with Your Cock Out" t-shirts. You know you want one.

It's a Chiptune Holiday

While you've likely already enjoyed Doctor Octoroc's 8 Bit Jesus and the classic 8 Bits of Christmas compilation from 8bitpeoples, you may not yet have completed the chiptune holiday hat-trick with the amazing new collection from 8 Bit Weapon and Computeher. If that is the case, repent and sin no more. A brilliant, breezy, brassy assortment of Christmas and Hanukkah favorites, It's a Chiptune Holiday is the perfect album for mixed faith families with a fine ear for retro electronica. While "Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)" is an early favorite and the vocoder-heavy take on "Jingle Bells" is instantly lovable, I have to give it up for their "Ave Maria (Well-Tempered Clavier)." It's not only the longest track on the album, but easily it's most awe-inspiring, mixing the somberness of the Catholic traditional with calming and cheerful tones reminiscent of the atmospheric charge found in the Earthbound soundtrack. The collector's edition of this release will set you back a scant $9.95, which makes it quite conducive to the stuffing of stockings. Plus you can check out the opening track, "Deck the Halls (Nos Galan)," on the free.

"Little Drummer Boy (Casiocore Remix)"

Lastly, I have to give a special seasonal shout-out to Chicago singer/songwriter Matt Ryd. Matt generally uses his mailing list (of which I am a proud member) to dispense his hot new tunage, but he was nice enough to pass this one directly to me for dissemination. It's his Casiocore remake of "The Little Drummer Boy." With funky percussion. And four-part harmony. It's the most exclusivest of exclusives, so (after you download it/rock out via the preceding link) please be sure to head over to Matt's site and give him some love. He also crafted this performance video, so give it your kind attention. And maybe a nice 5 star rating. Tis the season, and all that.

The Cousin of Death

While the conventional wisdom that suicides increase during the holidays has long since been proven false, this certainly doesn't mean that those suffering from depression are miraculous cured of their affliction by the self-touted season of goodwill toward men. Depression can strike (and linger) at any time of the year. With this in mind, I'd like to pass on a new project from MC Lars.

Fans of his new full-length This Gigantic Robot Kills have no doubt noticed – among all the good-natured joints about videogames, hipsters and bloodthirsty automatons – a somber track entitled "Twenty-three." It details the life and tragic death of Lars's best friend and Stanford roommate, Patrick Wood.

Patrick lost his battle with the depression in 2006. Not only did his suicide prompt MC Lars to pen a song in his honor, it's also spawned a greater venture. One for which Lars needs the support of the fan community:

We are making a video for this song, as it is the next single off of THIS GIGANTIC ROBOT KILLS.

To make this video be effective and raise awareness, we NEED YOUR HELP!

If you have any friends or family members who know or who have lost anyone to suicide, please get in touch with us. We want to feature photos of loved ones who have taken their own lives. The goal of this video is to help raise awareness that this is an issue that affects us all, and pay our respects to those who have passed on. One of the things that helps me get through losing Pat is having a song about him to sing and listen to. I hope that you will share this with me if you have gone through anything similar.

Please hit me up at - horrisrecords@gmail.com with photos and stories if you have friends who have taken their own lives.

Thank you for all of your help! Together we can help raise awareness and help prevent suicide. We are talking to non-profit organizations to have some promotional support and help change the world together.

Even within the comfortable little tribe that is the greater nerd culture – where we freely exchange stories of bullying, misanthropy and epic failure – we are still remarkably reluctant to discuss the lingering effects of these social pratfalls. Because of our historically dubious station, nerds and depression are often spoken about in the same breath, and the first step to remedying the problem is admitting it. Suicide, depression's unfortunate precipitant, is a demon that we as a culture must face in the name of unity. In the name of growth. In the name of empowerment.

While relying on others' stories of tragedy to make a music video may seem crass or disrespectful, I genuinely believe that Lars is trying to create something uplifting from his own loss and the loss of his friends/fans. Check out his site for full details, including remarks regarding legal release issues attached to the project. Let's make a good thing out of our collective sorrow.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 79: Philip K. Dick in a Box

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so they'd have us believe.

But for those of you who are a little tired of the incessant Christmas music that's been insinuating itself into your tender ear holes over the last couple of weeks, there is an alternative. Allow me to present to you the sounds of the season, Radio Free Hipster-style.

We've got some chiptunes and some nerdcore. Some musical comedy and some mash-ups. And also some sweet sounds from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

And you didn't have to get me anything.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 79: Philip K. Dick in a Box [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 47.3 MB Running Time: 51:41

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Baddd Spellah roasting on a open fire, Beefy nipping at your nose.

Track 1: funky49 – "mc christmas with the hoff"
For the record, funky49 wins my "Knowing is Half the Hasselhoff" challenge. Handily.

Z's 1st interlude: "My annual cockeyed tribute to the holiday season."
Yep. It's tradition.

Track 2: Optimus Rhyme – "God Rest Ye Autobeat Allies"
As I mentioned in-show, this one's for my pal Church.

Track 3: Garfunkel and Oates – "Present Face"
I've never played Garfunkel and Oates on the show before, though Kate Micucci (whom I adore!) has appeared once before.

Track 4: MC Lazerous – "Ain't Get Shit for Christmas"
No clue as to the background of this particular track. I simply cribbed it from Shael's extensive collection.

Track 5: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation dialog / John Anealio – "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas"
Consider this my year-end reminder plug for John's Sci-Fi Songs blog. Drop it in your RSS reader of choice. Good stuff.

Track 6: The Lonely Island – "Dick in a Box (feat. Justin Timberlake)"
I played this one back in 2007, but thankfully, with this year's release of the Incredibad LP, I can finally play the studio cut.

Track 7: The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend – "Fairytale of New York"
Venture Bros FTW!

Track 8: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation dialog / Ministry of Magic – "O Holey Night"
Because it's not quite Christmas without some Wizard Rock.

Track 9: H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society – "Have Yourself a Scary Little Solstice"
And this one is for all you Servants of Cthulhu.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Nate Trier and his yuletide ska project Skantily Clad"
Nate's band The Skamatics just released an album. You need to check it out.

Track 10: Futurama – "Elves' Song"
This one's for Talkie Tim.

Track 11: Marc with a C – "Stairway to Rudolph"
I'm presently working on a review for Marc's new 10 year anniversary collection. It's quite good.

Track 12: Mojo Nixon – "Christmas, Christmas"
I love that a considerable portion of this track's lyrical content centers on the fact that Mojo's banging your mom.

Track 13: Doctor Octoroc – "Carol of the Belmonts"
From Doc's 8 Bit Jesus album.

Track 14: Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew – "A Pirate Christmas"
Is it a coincidence that Santa executes a perfect ninja flip? I think not.

Track 15: 227 – "Jingle My Bells"
Check out 2007's An OverClocked Christmas for more holiday madness.

Track 16: Bad Tattoo – "Are You Gonna Stop The White Xmas"
Because you can never have enough Christmas mash-ups.

Z's final interlude: "Each year I try to do a little something extra for the Chosen People."
A very happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish nerds out there!

Track 17: Da Vinci's Notebook – "The Dreidel Song"
Without Da Vinci's Notebook we may never have known the parcel of geeky musical perfection that is Paul & Storm.

The more astute among you have no doubt realized that we are one scant podcast away from year's end. That would prove the perfect opportunity for a yearly musical retrospective to most podcasters, but I ain't most podcasters!

Instead you'll be treated to my regular oh-shit-this-song-is-great-and-I've-put-off-playing-it-'til-the-last-minute show. Not exactly the most elegant of options, but it's the one I choose to take.

But in the meantime, here's wishing the happiest of holidays to you and yours.

Terra Obscura

Have you ever noticed that the same half-dozen videogame soundtracks get covered and remixed over and over again? You know the usual suspects: Super Mario Bros., Mega Man II and those age-old motifs from the Castlevania and Legend of Zelda series.

Well, to quote the late Michael Jackson, you are not alone.

My comrades from The Nerdy Show have not only marked the same trend, but are actively taking steps to remedy it. Specifically, they have recently unveiled a project called the Rare Game Remix Challenge. It's a contest. The kind of contest that offers the requisite fabulous prizes.

The first in this ongoing series of month-long game music remix contests centers on indie rapper Astronautalis and his love of the greatest variation-on-a-theme-puzzler of all time Tetris Attack.

What's the true skinny, you say? Why I've loving copy/pasted it below:

THE CHALLENGE

Create a hip hop instrumental sampling from the score of Tetris Attack… BECAUSE ASTRONAUTALIS IS GOING TO RAP OVER IT! You choose the style, you set pace, just make an exceptional track that makes Astro’s heart swell with puzzle tile explosions and he’ll bless it with his expert wordsmithery. But that’s not all… second and third place winning beats will receive rhymes from two mystery nerdcore rappers. Be creative, if you want to re-orchestrate a track - do it, got nuts. Do what must be done in the name of awesomeness.
DOWNLOAD this month's audio collection and let the fun begin!

THE RULES

All Tetris Attack hip hop instrumentals must sample predominantly from the score to Tetris Attack (called “Panel De Pon” in Japan). Tracks should be no longer than 4 minutes and of a quality of at least 128kbps. In your submission e-mail you must list every Tetris Attack track you sampled from, as well as any additional samples. Nerdy Show will judge your track on its overall quality, concept and execution to decide how it stacks up. Contact contest@nerdyshow.com with any questions.

THE PRIZES

1st Place: Astronautalis raps over your track. You become a legend.

2nd Place: Masurao of Krondor Krew raps over your track. Your girlfriend still loves you.

3rd Place: MC Coolwhip raps over your track. You find your pet dog.

Winning tracks (with and without vocals) as well as noteworthy runners-up will be hosted on nerdyshow.com for listening/ downloading and 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place will be played on a forthcoming episode of Nerdy Show.

RESTRICTIONS

All contest submissions must be original works composed for this contest. Submissions found to have been previously existing will be disqualified.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS

Multiple submissions from a single entrant are allowed, BUT only one of the entrant’s submissions will be chosen. Submitting multiple submissions will not increase your chances of winning, so be sure to only submit your best.

HOW LONG IS THIS CONTEST?

The entire month of December! All entries must be sent in by 11:59pm EST December 31st 2009. Judging will commence immediately thereafter and winners will be announced shortly.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit your contest entry to contest@nerdyshow.com (again, must be recieved by 11:59pm EST December 31st 2009)

Be sure to put either “remix contest” or “tetris attack contest” in the subject heading so we know what you’re submitting for. In the body of the e-mail tell us your name/ handle and every game and track you sampled from. Be sure that the e-mail address you send from is your primary address as it’s where we’ll contact you.

LEGAL

Nerdy Show claims no ownership of the provided tracks. We celebrate this amazing and seldom-heard music and hope that this contest will raise awareness of its existence as well as the great work of its composers. Please contact info@nerdyshow.com with any legal concerns.

Now that you know the rules, I suggest you download the remix kit and get to poppin'. As a number of my favorite producers/remixers are regular readers of Hipster, please!, I can't help but think that several of y'all are easily up to the task.

Plus, the better the response to this first outing, the more interesting each subsequent Nerdy Show contest will surely be.

Nerd News in Brief

I am pleased to report that Church, Matt, Jason and I have finally unraveled one of life's great mysteries. We have concluded, after weeks of preliminary testing, that Google Wave exists solely to aid in the creation of my regular Nerd News in Brief segment.

Now you know.

And speaking of, I've still got a bunch of Wave invites if anybody needs one. Maybe you can use it to write your own Nerd News in Brief.

'Cause that's what it's for!

• In-See-Four-Elle on Dee-Vee-Dee: At long last the DVD release of Nerdcore For Life has finally been announced! In addition to shopping the feature around for a European cable release, London's Journeyman Pictures has agreed to help release the film to the all-important home viewing audience. The nerdcore faithful should be able to order their copies mid-month.
• Tis the Season: Wrockers Dawlish and the Archies have favored the Wizarding World with the first ever Wizard Rock Advent Calendar. Peep Wrock the Advent throughout the month of December for a new free tune every day.
• Old Dominion: Also on the WRocking side of nerd culture, longtime friend and supporter Snidget has decided to set up her own festival in Virginia. Hit up the official web presence of Sonorus 2010 for further details and a current list of performers. Big ups to Matt for keeping me in the loop!
• When You Were Young: Harry and the Potters fans looking to expand into the Wizard Rock periphery will be interested to hear that the guys have just reissued Good is Dumb by Ed and the Refrigerators. In celebration of that album's 10 year anniversary it has been recast in its original CDr format, in an expanded 2-disc, deluxe edition with nearly 60 bonus tracks. But wait; there's more! In addition to live shows and demos, you'll also get a linocut-printed patch, extensive liner notes and a certificate of authenticity. Snazzy!
• All His Drug Use is Accidental: And speaking of 10 year anniversaries, Orlando geeky guitar-slinger Marc with a C has just celebrated his with the release of the RetroLowFi: 10 Years of Marc with a C collection. Get the full scoop (and the exhaustive track-list) via this interview at Examiner.com.
• Shortayyyy: As Mega Ran recently pointed out, The Lonely Island has just been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category for their T-Pain collab "On a Boat." Muthufuckers.
• Really Rad: From Antisoc comes this link to Asylum's "History of Horrible Rap Music." Unfortunately, as it eschews the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps," I am afraid I must declare said list invalid.
• The Blastmaster: As announced via Twitter last week, MC Lars is currently in talks with the great KRS-One regarding a future collaboration. If there is a word to express my delight concerning this development, it is surely "squee."
• Shocking: Thanks go out to my Twitter pal Taloas for hipping me to this amazing sight. It's Dr. Zeus & the Masters of Lightning using Tesla Coils to set balloons on fire. All to the tune of The Legend of Zelda theme.
• Is it Live?: Jarod of Alienbobz has released his proposed recording list for the month of December. Check out this post for the full list, which includes a number of notable nerdcore gigs.
• Yo, Yo-Yo: My southern brother Doctor Popular has just launched a brand new site redesign. It's the same Doc you've always loved in a shiny new package!
• A Renewed Challenger: Also on the recent redesign tip is my boy Anthony and the Game Music 4 All crew. Along with this relaunch comes such delightful amenities as forums and a dedicated netlabel. Way to make the rest of us look bad, guys! ;)
• Sea-Town: Meanwhile, a brand new project is brewing from Thunderball of Southside/Metaforce fame. Peep his newly unveiled blog Seattle Hip-Hop to stay abreast of all the crazy-ass shit that comes from the Emerald City.
• True Neutral: If you've ever secretly hoped to see the varying personalities of your favorite Time Lords classified D&D style, then you are in luck. You are also a very special kind of nerd.
• Don You Cloak: Church ran across this piece on LARPing at, of all places, the web site for the Salt Lake City Community College Globe. For the record, the part I found most interesting was that only 62% of the LARPers in question believe they're nerds.
• Obligatory: Also from Church comes our regularly scheduled geek chic round-up. First, a dose of nerd superiority from Eunice Beatrice H. Braga of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Next, stare into the hipster abyss with Chicago Now's Will Braggadocio. And lastly, there's whatever the hell this is.
• Get Up, Get Coffee: Last week saw the birthdays of many prominent nerds. MC Frontalot and Hex Warrior both turned a year older, as did Jonathan Coulton. With that in mind, enjoy this phenomenal AMV of his track "Code Monkey."

Culture Vultures

Because of its unfortunate secondary placement in this blog's mantra of "nerd music and culture," I feel I sometimes neglect the all-important non-musical elements of nerd life. I spend lots of time talking about the significance of nerdy music and where you can find it, and I often allude to nerd culture as this grand, nebulous concept, but I rarely pin it down. I seldom define its dimensions. I almost never make it concrete.

Today I hope to break this trend.

You see, just as the music that I feature springs forth from hundreds of talented and undeniably geeky individuals, my love of nerd culture is similarly nourished by others. Blogs are, by their very nature, cannibalistic; so, in the same way that MC Frontalot and Uncle Monsterface help feed my need for musical geekery, a cavalcade of other bloggers slake my thirst for true nerd culture.

You likely already have a stable of the standard geeky cultural destinations in your aggregator of choice – your io9s and your Topless Robots – but there are other, subtler options.

So where do I go when I want to read nerdy things written by nerdy people? Let me tell you:

Techland

The mainstream does not, as a rule, understand the nerd culture phenomenon. They can wax poetic about how Big Bang Theory represents a cultural paradigm shift where nerds can be legitimate protagonists, and they can drone on and on about the dreaded "geek chic," but they just can't seem to grok what we're really about. To them we are at best an unfathomable mystery and at worst another momentary oddity. The caveat to this statement is TIME magazine. More specifically, it's TIME's Lev Grossman. He's sort of our inside (outside?) guy, the one cat on the more conventional journalistic tip that speaks with our voice.

I originally began following Lev through his work at TIME's NerdWorld blog, a project that recently transformed into the newly unveiled TechLand. This new blog shares all the principle earmarks of NerdWorld, focusing on things like gaming, gadgets, comics and TV – all of which are core elements of nerd culture.

Lev manages to avoid the principle pratfall of professional blogging by walking that narrow line between analytical exploration and personal narrative, and along the way manages to craft posts that are both insightful and genuinely entertaining. Plus he and I share joint blog comment custody of a certain Church H. Tucker. So there's an additional bond.

The Life and Times of Jarvis Slacks

I have long held the opinion that a proper nerd can geek out about practically anything, and Jarvis Slacks is proof positive of this postulation. Whether he's sharing his impressions of Borderlands, trying to unravel the complex web of teen angst and poor decision-making that led to the popularity of Jncos or putting those snooty-ass cavemen in their place, he always comes across like a nerd's nerd: intelligent, sardonic and literate as fuck.

Jarvis is an educator by trade, and some of his best stuff comes from that well-worn but still totally serviceable "exasperated teacher "pastiche. (Holler at his Twitter for more info.) Still, for my money there's no one I'd rather see go on a political tear than Jarvis. His takes on subjects like Fox News and why you shouldn't trust the police are like perfectly polished nuggets of geeky genius.

If you're a fan of Halo, Battlestar Galactica or leftist politics, Jarvis is your man.

Wolf Gnards

Wolf Gnards is a blog for people who take their ridiculous pop culture minutiae seriously.

Wait; skip that. Wolf Gnards is the blog for people who take their ridiculous pop culture minutiae seriously.

For the uninitiated, I would describe this blog as a solid bitch slap to modern entertainment media. While most rags (both dead tree and digital) linger over John and Kate or can't seem to get enough of golf pros and their traffic accidents, Wolf Gnards is calculating how long Bill Murray spent in Groundhog Day's temporal loop and the proper bangs-to-face ratio for aspiring indie girls.

To break it down Wolf Gnards style, the blog is essentially snarky pop culture + math. And that shit always = nerd.

Plus, can you really go wrong with a blog that's name is a Monster Squad reference?

Nerd News in Brief

Once again I find myself apologizing for my blogging negligence. I won't bore you with details, but suffice it to say that, at the very time I believed things would become easier on the writing front, shit went the other way.

I'm doing my best to at least keep the podcasts coming out on a regular schedule, but I've fallen desperately behind on album reviews, news posts and the (long forgotten) features.

Bear with me folks, and hopefully I'll make it over this hump. And in the meantime, y'all wish me luck. I could certainly use it.

• Parlez Vous?: Otaku rapper Ultraklystron has just favored eagerly awaiting fans with a direct sequel to his 2007 concept album Romance Language. Dubbed, interestingly enough, Romance Language 2, it's currently available digitally for a mere $ 5, with hardcopies up for general sale mid-month for $14.
• Once Got Busy in a Death Star Bathroom: Speaking of follow-ups, earlier this month Bent TV released a sequel the original Star Wars Gangsta Rap. The flows are still a little weak, but this time the beat is definitely hot!
• Channel Changus!: Church hipped me to this Daily Mail piece about two inventors who crafted a Harry Potter-style "magic wand" remote control. He also gave me the snarky tagline. That guy is too nice to me.
• It's Gotta be the Shoes: Also from Church comes news of a new line of Star Trek-themed Airwalk sneakers. Of course, for those of you who prefer Padawans to redshirts, Adidas has similarly launched a Star Wars line.
• One of Us!: The Chicago Tribune reports that Bears' linebacker Lance Briggs is a comic book fan. Less newsworthy is his $154 habit. I see guys working construction dropping that much on books at my local shop!
• Rock of Ages: Spinner has compiled a list if the Biggest Geeks in Rock. Making the cut are such big names such as punk icon Henry Rollins and birth-control specs pioneer Buddy Holly. Oh, and our pal MC Frontalot also makes an appearance on said list!
• Equal Time: Thanks to the Mass Effect controversy, we are pretty much assured at least one weird coupling per BioWare title. Dragon Age Origins, for example, features the potential for some gay elf love, and I say its about damn time. Homosexual elves are notoriously underrepresented in popular media.
• Nerds Get Real: Last week Penny Arcade launched the two-part pilot of their reality web show PA TV. I'd love to be all clever and shit, but the bottom line is that the series is nothing short of heartwarming. Watch the PAX Q&A scene during part 2 to find out why.
• Don't Be Tripping: Nerdcore fans rejoice, for YTCracker has been dropping new tracks like crazy. From space jams to the "Hogg Theme Song" and beyond, the DG has been in full effect.
• Coming Back Around: After his spat with the scene earlier this year, our old friend MC Lars has returned to the nerdcore fold. At least in as much as he recently preached the nerdy gospel over at Current.com. Hit up the video to hear Lars drop knowledge re: Front, mc, YT, Beefy, STD and Wheelie.
• Know Your Roots: Last week Antisocial approached me with a revelation; he believes Roman poet Catullus 16 to be the originator of gangsta rap. Peep his sexcore jam Carmina for more info.
• We Are Family: Though I've already mentioned this in passing, Scrub Club has recently expanded yet again. In addition to signing my boys Southside, the winners of the Versus Mode competition, the Club also welcomed runners-up Diabeats, King Pheenix, and StarF. Immediately thereafter, ZeaLouS1 also came on board, further strengthening an already impressive roster.
• Audio Absolution: Taking us out of this much-delayed NNIB is a new video from the White Shinobi himself, T.Y.T. It's his track "Forgive Me (feat. Togo)," and it's from his new album Unusual. Enjoy the hotness.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 78: Book It

The muse, she is a fickle mistress. And whether you're writing blog posts or songs or long-form fiction or technical manuals, sometimes you just can't seem to make the words fit together.

More than anything, I think that's what National Novel Writing Month is about. It's about pushing through that wall that sometimes forms between you and inspiration. It's about committing not so much to the timeframe, but to those 50,000 words.

And that's a lot of goddamn words.

This show is for all the writers out there, but it's also for the readers. It's all about authors and books and writing and creativity, and all the myriad of amazing forms they take.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 78: Book It [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 38.2 MB Running Time: 41:42

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Baddd Spellah and Beefy: the greatest story ever told!

Track 1: Metaforce – "Writer's Block"
As you can tell from the lack of updates over the past couple of weeks, I am currently suffering from a bit of the ol' writer's blockage myself. Ere go this track seemed a proper starter.

Z's 1st interlude: "Help those of you participating in this month's National Novel Writing Month challenge over that final hump."
Big up to all my NaNoWriMoers!

Track 2: Better of Metal, Bitches – "Reading Rainbow"
This song is pretty awesome, but don't take my word for it.

Track 3: Bloodhag – "Madeline l'Engle"
I have long suspected that this show needs more tesseracts.

Track 4: Beefy – "Write a Song About"
A Beefy/Advantage mash-up, of sorts.

Track 5: People Within – "Write All Day"
You can pick up the audio for this entire show for free over at Archive.org.

Track 6: Lords of the Rhymes – "9-Fingered Frodo"
I sometimes forget how very much I enjoy Lords of the Rhymes.

Track 7: mc chris – "Neville"
This one is a personal highlight from mc's Part 6 Part 2.

Track 8: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets dialog / Danny Dementor – "Death (Adolescent Mix)"
And I would characterize this as one of the best WRock songs of all time.

Z's 2nd interlude: "But that's also this vocation's drawback."
Another proposed title for this ep. was simply "Writing is Hard." Oddly, while calling oneself a writer is almost effortless, living up to that moniker is significantly more problematic.

Track 9: Switchblade Kittens – "Size 12 is Not Fat"
From the Kittens' Rebel Princess LP, a fine album even for those not into chick lit.

Track 10: TwiRockett Music – "Be Safe"
I entertained the notion of including a number of different Twi Rock songs, but in the end this one won out because it has such a similar feel to the follow-up track.

Track 11: NeverEnding Story dialog / Limahl – "NeverEnding Story"
This song's inclusion may seem a tad counterintuitive, but NeverEnding Story is a fine piece of nerd cinema, so I thought it fit.

Track 12: John Anealio – "George R.R. Martin is Not Your Bitch"
John actually has a song about NaNoWriMo that would've worked even better in this edition, but I've literally been waiting 3 months to play this one!

Z's final interlude: "That annoying voice that is your internal editor."
Due to budget cut-backs, I was recently forced to fire my internal editor.

Track 13: Elvis Costello and the Attractions – "Every Day I Write the Book"
Do you hear the interplay of the bass line and the keyboard lead? That is called songwriting magic.

It seems as though I totally forgot to credit the background music in-show, so allow me to point you toward the Final Fantasy 7 OC Remix "Every Story Begins with a Name." It's by Big Giant Circles and zircon, and comes from the Voices of the Lifestream collection.

I'll go on record as saying that this probably isn't gonna be one my most popular episodes. It alternates at times between harsh metal and ultra-mellow pop fluff, but, in all honesty, that was kind of the point. The creative process is a lot of things, but above all else it is uneven. Messy even.

I reckon that made for sort of a bumpy musical ride, but I actually think it came together pretty well. Here's hoping you think the same.

Experience Nerdapalooza (All Over Again)

Word from the Nerdapalooza camp – and by "the Nerdapalooza camp," I mean my boy Hex – is that the live album from this year's festival is all set to go.

Priced at a scant 10 bucks and boasting some 19 tracks from everyone from MPFM and Doc Awkward to The Megas and Uncle Monsterface, it's a sweet-ass deal in its own right. Of course, when you factor in that all proceeds from the sale benefit Child's Play, it becomes even more of a must-buy!

And since Hex is all about giving back to the community, he also opted to provide a second disc worth of additional promotional tracks even to those bastards too cheap to spring for the album proper. This 9-tracker is available for free download, with an additional 10th song to be made available when/if you purchase the aforementioned charity comp.

Track lists and links are provided below, so as to whet your musical appetite:

Nerdapalooza Live CD 2009

1. My Parents Favorite Music - "Just a Game"
2. Devo Spice - "Platform Wars (ft. the great Luke Ski & int eighty of Dual Core)"
   
3. Captain Dan & the Scurvy Crew - "Yo Ho Ho"
4. Marc with a C - "Nerdy Girls"
   
5. Dr. Awkward - "Geekquilibrium (ft. Scrub Club) "
6. Krondor Krew - "Sneaking"
   
7. 3P!C-1 - "Sungem"
   
8. The Megas - "Annihilation of Monsteropolis (Airman)"
   
9. YTCracker - "Meganerd"
10. MC Frontalot - "Tongue-Clucking Grammarian"
    
11. mCRT - "Penis Monologues"
    
12. Emergency Pizza Party - "Zombie Jesus (ft. Funky49)"
13. Dual Core - "Hostage Down"
    
14. Fred Lives & the House of Black - "The Bleep Out Song"
15. ZeaLouS1 - "Headshot (ft. Benjamin Bear)"
    
16. Uncle Monsterface - "Lobster Building"
    
17. The Grammar Club - "Red Cyclone"
    
18. Schaffer the Darklord - "The Bender"
19. MC Frontalot - "Nerdcore Rising (ft. Beefy & MC Lars)"

Nerdapalooza Live Free Sampler

1. Scrub Club - "Nerd Party"
   
2. HDNinja - "FatFoot (ft. MC Wreckshin)"
   
3. The Spork - "Scoundrel"
   
4. MC COOL WHIP - "Hellen Keller in Space"
5. Dual Core - "Magnificent 7 (ft. Remmington Forbes, Beefy, YTCracker, Schaffer the Darklord, MC Lars, & MC Frontalot) "
6. UUDDLRL :: MAJA
7. Beefy - "You Can Call Me Beef (ft. Shael Riley & the Double Ice Backfire)"
   
8. MC Lars - "Bruce Campbell (ft. YTCracker, Schaffer the Darklord, & ZeaLouS1)" unlockable upon purchase of Nerdapalooza Live CD 2009
9. Shael Riley & the Double Ice Backfire - "Publishing Rights (ft. Schaffer the Darklord)"
   
10. Uncle Monsterface - "Triforce Mike Theme (Live from Nerdapalooza Southeast 2008)"
    

You Might Also Like...

Far be it from me to suggest that folks stop dropping kick-ass albums, but Christ-on-a-cracker, people, could you at least slow down?! I mean, 2009 has been positively packed with the new hotness! So much so, in fact, that it's been tough to keep up. I've had trouble finding the time to listen to all of these new releases, much less review 'em!

Instead, I've found myself relegated to giving these goddamn Reader's Digest condensed album reviews just to keep my head above the proverbial water.

But today, rather than rehash this familiar and restrictive format, I have instead elected to use what I like to call the "Amazon recommends" method. You see, in addition to giving you a little rundown of the following titles, I'll also talk up each new album by relating it to other releases of similar awesomtude… I mean awesomosity … I mean…. Fuck it, let's move on.

Absodefilutely
Dale Chase is one of those cats I discovered thanks to Twitter, which, as we all know, is my social network of choice. More specifically, I really got hipped to his stuff after the release of Absodefilutely's debut single "Coder Girl." For those familiar with that joint, the album very much follows suit. Dale's got a tightly metered flow and a genuinely intelligent voice that should speak to nerdcore fanboys and more traditional heads alike. Tracks like "That's So Meta" and "A Walk in the Park" inject a comparable level of smooth soul to the aforementioned "Coder Girl," and "Ganon's Revenge" is a gamer-friendly geek-out that should play well with the typical Hipster, please! reader.

If you're down with the smart, techy hip-hop of Dual Core or the silky-smooth delivery of otaku MC Maja, then you should surely give Dale a listen. The Absodefilutely EP retails for around 5 bones, so it's an easy recommendation based on both price and quality.

Elfonso
My affection for folksy UK game rockers Elfonso is well known. Sadly, as I long ago exhausted the meager song selection of their debut EP Tako wa Chikyi o Suko, I haven't gotten much of a chance to play them on the podcast of late. Thankfully, they've seen fit to remedy this with the release of their new self-titled album. Weighing in at a strong 11 tracks, only one of those being a re-tread from the previous EP, Elfonso is simple, sweet and charming while still managing to achieve a considerable level of unbridled geekitude. Songs like "Retirement from Hyrule" and "The Journey Here Was Long…" manage a palpable level of poignancy while remaining rooted in their respective in-game worlds, and "Parody Us" and "Sixteen Bit" reflect on things equally eloquently from the other side of the controller.

Existing in this odd space somewhere between The Megas and The Pogues, it's tough to compare Elfonso to any singular act. Still, if you're down with the more eclectic side of VGM – the rock opera that is The Protomen or the more classical styling of Select Start – then give Elfonso a try. This new album hasn't yet made international release, but I've been promised that its appearance on iTunes is shortly forthcoming.

Danny's Incredible 8-Bit Voyage
The unbridled originality of Elfonso is the perfect lead-in to this segment's final featured album, Danny's Incredible 8-Bit Voyage. Certainly not your typical work, this piece is an avant-garde musical adventure story wrapped in well-worn videogame tropes. Centered on the exploits of our titular man-child, it follows Danny's journey through a wondrous video game world, with some genuine character development along the way. This trippy, chippy epic is written and performed by songwriter/chip artist/mad genius Jay Tholen and skillfully narrated by Andres Williams, and it boasts alternating moments of traditional exposition and groundbreaking music to power the narrative. I could say more, but it's truly the kind of thing that needs to be experienced to be genuinely appreciated.

Fans of thematic videogame music and original chiptunes will find lots to love about the musical end Danny's Incredible 8-Bit Voyage, but just as inspired is the album's narrative arc. While it's easy to compare Jay's brand of chip music to the best that communities like 8bitcollective have to offer, this album should suit anyone who enjoys a good story and who understands that art can be high concept without being pretentious. Plus, this one's also a freebie, so definitely snag a copy.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 77: Girls! Gurls! Grrrls!

Perhaps not surprisingly, I have a fairly expansive music collection, and I often wonder if I view it differently than others might. I mean, I organize it via fairly banal methods – by artist and title and album and genre – but I also keep extensive notes, both literal and figurative, of a more… compulsive nature.

Between the songs themselves I sense thin golden strings of interconnection. I relate the tracks to each other in a myriad of strange and wonderful ways with the same ease that I attach them to the responsible artists or scenes.

There is some serious A Beautiful Mind type shit going on over here.

And that, my friends, is how we arrive at an episode centered not on a similar theme or musical style, but rather held together by a related title element.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 77: Girls! Gurls! Grrrls! [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 46.9 MB Running Time: 51:16

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
They know what girls like.

Track 1: Dale Chase – "Coder Girl (Remix)"
Dale's Absodefilutely costs 5 bucks. You'd be a fool not to buy it!

Z's 1st interlude: "And that element is the word girl… or some derivation."
Yep, each of these songs includes the word girl, in some form or another, in the title.

Track 2: Pixelh8 – "The Girl from the Future"
I've already spoken a bit about And the Revolution, but I feel like I can't say enough nice things about it. It's one of those chip albums that should appeal even to those unfamiliar (or heretofore unimpressed) with the genre.

Track 3: The Breakfast Club dialog / Tullycraft – "Girl about Town"
Did we really need indie pop in this episode? Yes. Yes we did.

Track 4: Warp 11 – "Trekkie Girl"
I'm seriously going to try and use the euphemism "separate my saucer" more often.

Track 5: MC Lars – "Hipster Girl"
"Donnie Darko makes no sense."

Track 6: MC Frontalot – "Goth Girls"
MC Frontalot believes that nerdcore needs more goth girls. I would add that it also needs more cello hooks.

Track 7: The Bloodclan – "LARPer Girl"
Congrats to the Bloodclan's MC Diabeats. She was recently brought into the Scrub Club family!

Track 8: The Breakfast Club dialog / mc chris – "nrrrd grrrl"
If all goes according to plans, I'll be seeing mc and I Fight Dragons in Atlanta this Thursday.

Z's 2nd interlude: "A lot of these songs aren't particularly interrelated."
Many of these tracks would otherwise have found themselves relegated to one of my many love song-centered shows, but the title theme allowed me to pull this episode together in a different way.

Track 9: Dual Core – "My GF Is…"
Surely the quintessential nerd love song.

Track 10: Criss Chords – "Nintendo Girl"
I got into DC-area rapper Criss Chords when Ant posted about him at GM4A. He's got a pair of freebie releases, both of them great!

Track 11: The Ranger – "Online Girls (ft. Random & TyT)"
As if The Ranger, Ran and TyT weren't hot enough, this track also ups the ante with a BDP hook.

Track 12: Ultraklystron – "Webcam Girls"
Karl says gams, not cans. Just figured I needed to clear that up.

Track 13: Pretty in Pink dialog / Jonathan Coulton – "Millionaire Girlfriend"
Recorded live in Second Life.

Z's final interlude: "And because it's monosyllabic."
That, in a nutshell, is why I believe the word girl appears more often in song lyrics than, say, the more accurate woman.

Track 14: Mojo Nixon – "Girlfriend in a Coma"
"Don’t blame me; blame Morrissey!"

Look for a literature and writing-themed edition of Radio Free Hipster in 2 weeks. Hopefully it'll provide a little last-minute inspiration for those of you participating in National Novel Writing Month. The track list is coming together nicely, but I'm still more than happy to work in any bookish song requests.

After that, we'll proceed directly into my annual holiday show in early December, and ride the year out in style with one last catch-all episode.

And what will 2010 hold for RFH? Beats me. I reckon I'll just wing it.

Nerd News in Brief

Apologies for the scant number of posts over the past couple of weeks, folks. It's crunch time at the old day job, and that, unfortunately, means cutting back a bit on other activities. Essentially I had to choose between scaling back my writing here at the blog or dropping one of the final four podcasts of the year.

Suffice it to say I elected to reign in the blogging a bit as opposed to denying you another opportunity to hear my delightful voice. ;)

• Technological Singularly: Congratulations to my Sea-town homies Southside, the winner of Scrub Club's Versus Mode competition. It was a hard-fought victory, but one that I feel will truly be beneficial to both camps.
• Our Glasses Are Too Thick (to Get Laid): The Amplified Bard recently directed me to this interesting piece from OK! Magazine. Apparently gamer guys are far less likely to cheat on their significant others than our non-gaming counterparts. Monogamy like whut?!
  
• TeacherRapperHero: Late last month Random got a nice write-up in the Phoenix New Times. Give it a look to learn the importance of "Freestyle Fridays."
• The Other Mr. B: From Matt comes a link to this blurb from Boing Boing about chap-hop pioneer Mr. B. While it's not entirely unexpected to find that the Gentleman Rhymer has charmed BB staffers, it is a pleasant turn of events.
• I am Your Neighbor: From reader Joshua comes news of a series of chip covers of pop songs by YouTube user bobbyfish1029. Check out his take on "Hey Ya!" and then peep the rest.
• 8-Bit Dreams: On the new release front, I highly suggest checking out the newest project from chip artist Jay Tholen. Danny's Incredible 8-Bit Voyage, Jay's 2nd concept album, describes itself as "an epic prog-tinged psychedelic chiptune extravaganza." Give it a listen, and embrace the inconceivable.
• Shit Gets Real: MC Lars recently announced that a track from his This Gigantic Robot Kills album has been licensed for use in the new season of MTV's The Real World. In related news, who the fuck knew that show was still on the air?!
• One of Us: Church brings us news of Wade Yandall, a 6 feet 4, 295 lb Carson High School football lineman who is also a self-avowed nerd. How's that for defying conventions?
• Think, Geeks!: Among Church's latest geek chic roundup comes a nerdy affirmation from another high school student, news of Central Piedmont Community College's recent Geek Fest and the announcement of the movement's ultimate demise… which we can assume has been greatly exaggerated.
• Ghay'cha': For the record, I fear the Klingon youth brigade. For reals.
• An Honor: Big up to Lance for making me the subject of his latest sketch request from artist Bob Raymond. You'll likely remember both Lance and Bob from the previously discussed piece of nerdcore fan art. Also, someone please make me a giant "NC" ring!
  
• Mine, Yours, Ours: For an interesting take on ownership culture within the confines of the nerdy music community, I'd like to point out Grace "Snidget" Kendall's "On media ownership, and sort of on Wrockstock." It's available at Snidge's Facebook, and it's proven itself worth multiple reads from yours truly.
• I'll Take You There: In case you missed the release of their stellar covers EP Jokey Jingles Ultimate Dance Party Mix Volume 3, Uncle Monsterface has also released a companion video. It features Marty's interpretative dance routine to the Monsterface version of Madonna's "Like a Prayer." (NSFW due to brief instances of a boxer-brief clad angel.)

Be Prepared

I probably don't need to remind you of this, but I will. I mean, it's kind of what I do.

This very weekend, Pensacola, FL will play host to Nerd Invasion, an event that (I at least hope) is the first of in new brand series of geek culture events. Combining the music, gaming and socializing aspects of Nerdapalooza with the fast-paced, perpetual madness of an old school lock-in, the Invasion looks to tweak the accepted formula of nerdy gatherings in a manner most divine.

Helming the event is the Scrub Club family and merch man extraordinaire Jason Rockstar of NerdRockStar.com. But that's just the beginning.

Additional sponsors include tabletop giants Wizards of the Coast and White Wolf, Florida's own Homefield Sports and Games, California's Asahi Brewery, Bawls energy drink, sci-fi psychedelic-funk kid's show Gongafunkadine and nerdy music staple Radio KOL: a motley assortment of nerd-friendly businesses to be sure.

Add to this musical performances by Shael Riley, Schaffer the Darklord, Marc with a C, Dual Core, ZeaLouS1, Krondor Krew and the Scrub Clubbers – not to mention the final round of the Club's Versus Mode competition, which will take place live on-stage – and you've got something special.

Sadly, I won't be there myself, but my buddies Matt and GeekDad Curtis have pledged to rock shit up on my behalf. If you spot 'em in the crowd, be sure to give 'em some love. 'Cause that's what Nerd Invasion is all about.

Free Chips, No Dip

I find it odd that some people don't enjoy chiptunes. I mean, I always endeavor to be a different-strokes-for-different-folks kind of a cat, but what's not to love?

Typically, the criticisms I hear of the genre fall into one of two distinct groups. The first concerns the perception that the music itself is harsh, mechanical and unemotional. The second that it is somehow monotonous. Homogeneous. Unremarkable.

Interestingly enough, my reply to both these groups of naysayers is the same; Pixelh8.

Not only does Matthew Applegate make some of the warmest, most emotionally-laden tracks in the sub-set of electronica that we call chip music – holler at his groundbreaking 2007 release, the tellingly titled The Boy with the Digital Heart, for more info – he does so in a manner wholly unlike any other.

His new album, cleverly dubbed And the Revolution, takes the musical earmarks of The Boy with the Digital Heart to the next logical level. Songs like "The Girl from the Future" and "You Were Born to Save the World" offer as much poignancy and warmth as the best examples of more traditional forms of lyrical songwriting, while "IED" and "Computability Love" inject a brand of undeniable exhilarating dancability the likes of which I haven't heard since my first taste of Discovery-era Daft Punk.

In short, And the Revolution represents some of the best work of Pixelh8's storied and wholly eclectic career. But don't take my word for it. Pix was nice enough to provide me with an exclusive bonus track to share with my faithful readers. Even better, he also gave different exclusives to Nerdapalooza's Hex Warrior, Anthony of Game Music 4 All and none other than the Game Dame herself. Keep an eye on my esteemed colleagues for additional electronic goodness, and, in the meantime, peep the knowledge that is Pixelh8's stirring "Hunter Destroyer."

And after that, go check out And the Revolution. It's the kind of album purchase that can only be termed a wise investment.

Download: Pixelh8 - "Hunter Destroyer"

Tricks, Treats & Terror

I am a creature of habit.

Any who regularly read Hipster, please! have no doubt come to anticipate my unique brand of consistency. Nerd News in Brief posts always start with a dash of unrelated bullshit, and each item contains a smart-ass headline. My interviews both begin and end with sweeping vignettes about the featured artists. My album reviews typically try to avoid calling themselves "reviews" (at least until I run out of synonyms). Shit like that.

Even my podcast, Radio Free Hipster, is a veritable bastion of unswerving structural anal-retentiveness.

But sadly, for things uncomfortably out of my OCD-plagued control, things change.

There was a time when holiday-themed compilations were the norm. They were legion, and I truly looked forward to their annual appearance. Unfortunately, many have fallen by the wayside, particularly with regard to Halloween comps. Thankfully, the Rhyme Torrents community continues to come through for me.

This year's effort, simply dubbed Rhyme Torrents Halloween v4, is exactly the type of eclectic mix of nerdcore hip-hop you've surely come to expect from RT. Seventeen tracks strong (plus an extra-long bonus track), it was handily produced by Conyeezy and Don Vito, which gives it an extra coat of polish.

The individual tracks themselves are a mixed bag, with a song for every taste. It kicks off with Magitek's high-energy fright fest "Killer Nocturne," and amply mixes shit up from there. Stops along this spooky musical train ride manage to hit everything from nerdy existential angst (Antisoc's "My Server is Down") to new takes on well-worn internet memes (Shamus Oddish, Mister B-Type, MC Wreckshin & Chozo Ninpo on "Three Wolves Howling at the Moon") to Halloween-flavored musical fanfic (the nigh inexplicable "Caught in the Grip of the Silent Hill Madness.")

There really are a lot of stand-outs, but I found myself coming back to a few in particular. The Antisoc industrial remix of Brad Sucks's "Thanks for the Add" is charmingly sinister, while Fanatical (who makes numerous appearances on the comp) ably reps the Doctor Girlfriend set above a clever Tales from the Crypt beat on "Sexy Supervillian." Also, while it's far from my favorite Billy the Fridge track and equally far from my favorite modern horror property, I do have to give it up for "Jigsaw" for pure intensity. Hell, even tracks that should seem out of place, specifically "Perfect White Knight," Ultraklystron's Twilight-themed love ballad that ends to album, manage instead to add interesting new levels to the project.

If you're anything like me, your Halloween playlist has always got room for a few more good tracks, so I'm gonna highly recommend that you plumb the depths of Rhyme Torrents Halloween v4 to help fill those holes. I am certain you'll find something therein to help quell your inner demons.

My Favorite Monster

I try not to post album announcements. Really I do. I understand that they are unfair. Exploitative. A veritable cock-tease.

I talk about a release and how it's gonna be awesome and I get you all hot and/or bothered, but then I make you wait.

Shame on me.

Shame on me big time. 'Cause I am about to do it again.

You see, Uncle Monsterface has been teasing their forthcoming release, an EP of cover songs, for several months now, doling out information in bite-size chunks. This week, however, they let the entire cat out of the bag.

(Did mixing the "bite-size chunks" and "cat in a bag" metaphors seem unnecessarily creepy to anyone else?)

The project in question, previously known only as Jokey Jingles but now officially dubbed Jokey Jingles Ultimate Dance Party Mix, Volume 3, will contain five tracks. They are as follows:

• "Toxic" – Britney Spears (a previously released track)
• "Blue Rosebuds" – The Residents
• "Little Girls" – Oingo Boingo
• "Worms Make Dirt" – The Aquabats
• "Like A Prayer" – Madonna (a staple song of the group's live shows)

But more important than the EP's contents is its release date: Monday, November 2nd. Yes, in less than a week you will be treated to more Monsterface-y musical goodness, not to mention the premiere of the music video for their unique interpretation of the aforementioned "Like A Prayer."

And how much would you expect to pay for such a treasure?

Guess again, taintmeat, 'cause it's free!

Well, free to subscribers of the of the band's official mailing list. So get on there. Like, now.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 76: Blood for the Beast

Demons, gore and song requests: these are the things that Radio Free Hipster's 76th episode are made of.

It's got a slightly smaller-than-usual number of tracks, but that's simply because some of the songs themselves are a bit lengthy. And, hey, I can only demand so much listening time from you fine people.

All-in-all, it's an eclectic mix of rock, rap and pure evil. But mostly the evil.

'Cause, y'know, 'tis the season!

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 76: Blood for the Beast [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 43.8 MB Running Time: 47:50

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Beefy bathes weekly in the blood of 16 virgins. It says so on his Wikipedia.

Track 1: DJ Schmolli – "Drop it Like Black Sabbath"
Kind of a weird track to start on, given its slow, plodding nature, but I think you'll feel it.

Z's 1st interlude: "A happy little ditty that also featured some Anton LaVey dialog."
Yep, the Black Pope himself.

Track 2: Americans UK – "Sons of Ba'al"
Be sure to check out A-UK's comics. Good stuff.

Track 3: The Exorcist dialog / MC Lars "Roommate from Hell (funky49 rmx)"
I love funk49's remixes. I only wish he could find the time to make more of them.

Track 4: Zombies! Organize!! – "I Like Turtles"
This one was a request by listener, Jimi, and I appear to have forgotten to include the song title/artist info in the set recap!

Track 5: Marc with a C – "Sweet Transvestite"
Be sure to catch Marc's set at next month's Nerd Invasion. He's slated to perform right before the dawn showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Track 6: Creature Feature – "A Gorey Demise"
Gotta give it up for Bonehand for turning me on to Creature Feature!

Z's 2nd interlude: "Even today's background music is a request."
Big-ups also go out to Stuart for hipping me to the Prodigy cover of The Specials' "Ghost Town."

Track 7: virt – "Once Upon a Time in Transylvania"
There really aren't words to describe how very much I enjoy the music of virt. There is only the raw emotion. And also the creepy fan mail.

Track 8: The Bloodclan – "Prey"
Providing you ignored my previous call-to-arms, go and snag The Bloodclan's Amor Sanguinis. Now.

Track 9: The Consortium of Genius – "Bucket O' Blood"
The COG are always good Halloween listening.

Track 10: Deathmobile – "Blood Buckets"
Dave the Knave requested some Deathmobile, and I thought this track made a wonderful addition.

Track 11: Schaffer the Darklord – "Buckets of Blood (feat. KABUTO THE PYTHON)"
"I know that it circulates the body in ways / that could mystify a high school science teacher for days."

Z's final interlude: "Your just gonna have to wait until next October."
Yes, this ep. closes out this year's Halloween Crap-tacular. I hope you were entertained, enlightened and maybe a little creeped out.

Track 12: Sticks Downey – "Milk Duds and Guts"
Much love to Wockenfuss of the Sticks crew for tossing this track my way just in time for this edition.

Eye-shuh mentioned in the previous round of show comments that she'd like to hear a literary-themed podcast in honor of NaNoWriMo, and I have become quite fond of that idea. I've also got a special concept in mind for November's second podcast. December will see both the annual holiday special and a year-end wrap-up, and that, as they say, will be that.

Still, if there are any tracks or artists you absolutely have to hear before the clock runs out on 2009, just give me a yell. I'll do my best to work it in there somewhere.