Clap if You Believe

The last few days have been positively fraught with… Well, I don't want to say tragedy. Grievous inconvenience, maybe? Total pains in the ass?

Yeah, that'll do.

The last few days have been positively fraught with total pains in the ass for my music-making allies. First, Death*Star, who had a pretty sweet PAX weekend show lined up in their native Seattle, fell victim to last minute sponsorship complications. And then my brother Adam WarRock and his travelling companion lost their MacBooks in a wholly unexpected automobile break-in.

Of course, being the resourceful lads that they are, both camps have elected to approach their problems in unique and proactive ways. But, much like Tinker Bell, they could still use a little assistance from the audience.

Death*Star have elected to soldier on with the show their-own-bad-selves, haters be damned! If you're gonna be attending this year's Penny Arcade Expo and would like to party with C3, C0s, Bill Beats, Klopfenpop and Mega Ran – and trust me, you do – it would be positively decent of you to pre-order a ticket or three to their El Corazon gig slated for the night of Saturday, September 1st.

Meanwhile, Euge is planning an even more ambitious solution to his own woes. This Friday he will be conducting a 24-Hour Rap-A-Thon. He'll spend a full day writing, recording and producing original material – as much as he possibly can without forethought, preparation or sleep. All he asks in exchange for this hip-hop Iron Man competition is a little donation money. You can contribute a lump sum or pledge a dollar amount per completed track. After the Rap-A-Thon has concluded, Adam will send a signed burned copy of the results (and some other swag) to all his sponsors.

His friend K will be blogging and live-tweeting the whole event for your entertainment, and, should they surpass the $2,000 needed to replace the laptops, any additional monies will be donated to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

So there you have it folks. Please help those who help themselves.

Are You Listening?

I won't be so presumptuous as to say I'm a part of the NOFRIENDS clique, but I will admit that there ain't a lot of secrets – musically-speaking, at least – between me and the ThoughtCriminals crew. kHill, for example, let slip a while ago that he and his tourmates were working on a special release wherein they rap over each other's beats. Still, I didn't actually get to hear any of the FUN RAZOR mix until late last week, and… well damn!

Though only a dozen tracks long, this collection is massive in scope. With Adam rapping about digital disconnect, Mikal bringing a heaping helping of southern braggadocio and Jesse D tackling gender identity, it's really all over the place – more so, even, than these already noticeably broad artists are independently. What I'm saying is, despite your tastes, this one warrants your attention.

If the crew can sell just over 200 copies at 10 bones a pop they can totally finance their NOFRIENDS 2012 tour. So give it a listen, and definitely snag a copy if you're feeling it. Which I'm willing to bet you will.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 138: The Newsroomate

I'm no kinda newshawk, but being online all the damn time goes a long way to keep me abreast of current events. Well, I mean, my version of current events.

And that's what this episode is all about.

Much thanks and respect goes out to my friends Dave and Tim for giving me the idea for this one, and for helping me build it into a proper episode. Because your homies are there to do the heavy lifting when inspiration itself fails to materialize.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 138: The Newsroomate [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 64.6 MB Running Time: 41:52 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
These cats are never old news.

Track 1: Illbotz – "Chick-Fil-A"
I honestly wonder if Stevie D is gonna do a rewrite of this one in light of Dan Cathy's recent statements.

Z's 1st interlude: "Something a little closer to home."
I was a little surprised no one requested "MC Chipmunk" last episode.

Track 2: Optimus Rhyme – "MC Chipmunk"
Whether you agree with the lyrical sentiment or not, you gotta admire the gorgeous noise made by rhythm section Stumblebee and grimROCK on this joint!

Track 3: The Doubleclicks – "In His Honor (Don't Be a Dick)"
Another amazing selection by my two favorite ladies from that blessed intersection of filk and geek rock.

Track 4: Dj RoboRob – "Ressurrection (feat. Doc Awkward)"
As I mentioned, RoboRob was recently welcomed into the Scrub Club fold.

Track 5: Sci-Fried and Warp 11 – "A Good Day to Die"
This track is the musical equivalent of From  Dusk till Dawn; halfway through it totally switches shit up.

Track 6: r_garcia – "The Maestro"
I was really honored to have this guy on my new comp, and this song still totally blows me away.

Track 7: DJ Earworm – "Mama"
I actually missed the Olympics' opening ceremony. And pretty much the rest of the Olympics too.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Is that wrong?"
I actively try not to shamelessly self-promote, but Nerd Up the 90s was such a great experience for me and it featured so many amazing songs that I kinda have trouble not crowing about it.

Track 8: Fiction – "Lay My Love"
There is never a time when I don't want to be listening to this cover.

Track 9: Uncle Monsterface – "This is (STILL) an Adventure"
I've been anxiously awaiting the sound of the new Uncle Monsterface for a while now. It's quite different, but it does not disappoint.

Track 10: Childish Gambino – "One Up (feat. Steve G. Lover)"
I dig the hell out of this song, but the leveling is abysmal.

Track 11: The Hood Internet – "Nuthin' But a Journal Thang (Dr. Dre vs. Class Actress)"
Seriously, y'all; the hell is this?!

Z's final interlude: "The fragile state of the world we live in."
There's nothing like an election year to make you lose your faith on humanity.

Track 12: Sweatshop Union – "John Lennon"
I feel as though I owe a debt to Ryan Singel. Because I really wanted to play this song.

Earlier this week a friend who's been going through a bit of a rough patch hit me up to tell me how much the podcast had helped lift his spirits in these troubled times.

I don't even have a fuckin' snarky comment to go along with that, as it's pretty much the best compliment I've ever received.

So let me just end by wishing good fortune, good music and nerd love to all.

New Musics for Your Monday

It's another sunshiny Monday afternoon, and I am stuck at my desk answering (predominantly misdirected) help calls and choking down another lunch of peanut butter sandwiches and carrot sticks. In short, I need a musical distraction, and I reckon you do too.

My current playlist is a two-pronged attack on workplace boredom, and the opening salvo comes from my boy Jesse Dangerously. Recently he reworked a slice of breezy indie rock from Canadian singer-songwriter Krista Muir as the surreal and dirge-like slice of hip-hop introspection dubbed "Slept Through a Landslide" with Noah23. You can cop the single, as well as isolated instrumental/cappella versions and Muir's original track "Tired Angels," via Bandcamp. It's a pay-what-you-want release, but maybe you can slip Jesse a little coin so he and I can hit up Cook Out for some shakes when he passes through Charlotte next month.

On the lighter side, Supercommuter is back with "I Like It" featuring Beefy, MC Frontalot, Itty Bitty Bot and Square Wail. It's a chip-hop banger about personal preference that is, much like Wu-Tang, for the children. This one's also available through Bandcamp, and it comes packaged with its own special Stenobot DMG remix. Again, it's available for free, but maybe you can kick in a little scratch. Because I have it on good authority that Wheelie Cyberman likes food.

Nerd Up the 90s

Cover image by @wesleykhall 

I typically describe Twitter as "where the internet goes to try too hard," though maybe that’s just my experience. I use the service constantly, and most days it’s me and my friends (both far and near) simply trying to shock, amaze and/or enlighten each other in 140 characters or less.

But it’s also the place where weird ideas take flight.

You see, I didn't actually plan to do this compilation. It was just a passing thought, a half-hearted concept I put out there without really thinking about it. As is the case with so many things in life, I blame Mick Jones.

Stuck in traffic one morning, B.A.D. II’s "The Globe" came on in shuffle play. With nothing to do but drink coffee and think while frozen in gridlock, I started ruminating on the sound(s) of the 1990s. I thought about that strange decade in which I came of age, and, moreover, my 90s listening experience – the music that shaped me during those formative years.

So I posted something, and some other people responded back. And before I knew it, Nerd Up the 90s had become a thing.

I guess I had some vague notions about what a collection of 90s-era covers by some of my favorite geeky artists would be, what it would sound like. Oddly enough the finished product is totally different than I imagined. It is, like the decade that inspired it, quirky, eclectic and artistically enlightened in spite of itself.

You won’t hear any Pearl Jam, but Miscast grunges up The Cardigans. There’s no Arrested Development, but r_garcia slays a Beasties classic. Without fail the acts that approached me to contribute and the source material they drew from surprised as much as they delighted. And in the end I realized that my 1990s really were the same as everyone else’s: incredibly strange and positively fraught with the unexpected.

Please check out Nerd Up the 90s – 11 songs by my extended internet family, one truly inspired piece of cover art by new homie Wesley Hall and a some liner notes from little old me – below. Hopefully you’ll find brand new takes on some of your old favorites, or, better yet, a newfound appreciation for some long-forgotten earworms.

Download Nerd Up the 90s RAR 
Download Nerd Up the 90s ZIP

Featuring the talents of:
Marc with a C – "Turn it On"
Untested Methods – "Hey Man, Nice Shot (feat. illuminerdi)"
r_garcia – "The Maestro"
Brux Callison and The Entangled Photons – "I Robot Touch My Robot Self"
Fiction – "Lay My Love"
Dual Core – "Natural Boom Boom for You"
Miscast – "My Favorite Game"
Black Cat Hit Squad – "God"
Glenn Case – "The Best Things"
The Various Artists – "The Sign (feat. Camila Melodia)"
John Anealio – "Good"

Thanks to all the contributors, and extra special thanks to the great and powerful Wesley, who nailed the album cover art!

Geeks Rule the World

So maybe you, like me, couldn't attend last weekend's Nerdapalooza festival. Hell, maybe you even missed the event's livestream, but thanks to the boundless magics of the internet you can still relive the set by my Florida fam Sci-Fried in its entirety.

From their opening medley to their stirring tribute tracks – one of which also doubled as their annual Nerdapalooza cover – it's a half-hour of geek rock (and geek sweat) created by Sci-Fried and lovingly recorded by my homie Michael Melchor.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 137: Harshing Your Mellow

I appear to be right in the middle of one of those cycles where I have entirely too many things going on. There seems to be an overabundance of irons in the fire, if you catch my meaning.

So it's actually quite fortunate that this podcast came together fairly effortlessly over the span of just a couple of day. I basically put a list together, and the songs themselves did the bulk of the heavy lifting.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 137: Harshing Your Mellow [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 59.8 MB Running Time: 46:00 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I love these guys. For true.

Track 1: Psycosis91 – "Jenova Falls"
This is that Adam WarRock podcast I mentioned. Also, episode one of Gravity Falls is free right now in iTunes.

Z's 1st interlude: "Here's something from my old pal Beefy."
I sort of like that I don't have a proper timetable for when new Beefy joints come out. Makes things more exciting!

Track 2: Beefy – "God Bless America [f. Klopfenpop]"
Yup.

Track 3: The Plague Sequence – "Atomica!"
This band has a manifesto. Kotaku sort of took the piss out of them as a result, but I got no qualms about the power of a good manifesto.

Track 4: The Hood Internet –"Ignition (Keep It Remixing Louder)"
Yes, I still listen to R. Kelly. Yes, I am aware that this probably makes me a bad person.

Track 5: The Blibbering Humdingers – "Natural 20"
The Humdingers really go out of their way to mine that classic filk sensibility, and my hat goes off to 'em.

Track 6: The MC Type – "Never Grow Up"
Probably my favorite song in this entire episode.

Track 7: John Anealio – "I Wanna Be Loved (House of Lords Cover)"
For those not in the know, this is the original. Little different, eh?

Z's 2nd interlude: "We switched gears."
Indeed I am the master of the unceremonious transition!

Track 8: A-1 – "Reading Rainbow"
I still listen to After School Special pretty much weekly. So good.

Track 9: Kirby Krackle – "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
Kyle loves ukulele ballads.

Track 10: Navi – "Young, Wild and Free (Remix)"
Navi, formally of Metamystiks, Inc. currently of The Whole Damme Delegation.

Track 11: tanner4105 – "DLR"
How much actual DLR is in this track? Just enough, my friend. Just enough.

Z's final interlude: "Everybody knows Larry."
Which is a great name for a sitcom.

Track 12: Mouth's Cradle – "Computer" / "Help Computer" dialog
Just in case any of y'all aren't familiar with that old internet gem.

I reckon many of you will soon be en route to Orlando, so I hope this serves as adequate travel music. I think it's a right fine mix, but what the fuck do I know?

Here's wishing you all an enjoyable Nerdapalooza, and a safe journey there and back.

All in the Family

Bomb-ass poster by Matthew Warlick. 

If you are reading these words it can be easily deduced that you already know this to be Nerdaplooza week. (It's kind of a big deal in our humble circle.) But it's my pleasure to hip you to some breaking tour news.

Internet rap sensations Jesse Dangerously, Adam WarRock, Mikal kHill and Tribe One are proud to announce 14 US dates for September 2012. Under the banner of the NOFRIENDS 2012 tour, these artists will be bringing their unique brands of geeky, indie hip-hop to the following cities along with some very special guests:

9/1 TBA
9/2 Chicago, IL - Burlington Bar
9/3 Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Pike Room w/ Sample the Martian
9/4 Cleveland, OH - Roc Bar w/ MC Cool Whip
9/5 Philadelphia, PA - M-Room w/ DevoSpice, Zilla Persona
9/6 Worcester, MA - That's Entertainment! w/ Shane Hall
9/7 Hartford, CT - Cafe Nine w/ Ceschi Ramos
9/8 Brooklyn, NY- Grand Victory w/ Schaffer the Darklord
9/9 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
9/10 Chesapeake, VA - Chicho's Pizza w/ The Nerdlucks
9/11 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
9/12 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
9/13 West Columbia, SC - The Conundrum
9/14 Charlotte, NC - The Milestone w/ Sulfur

Sponsored by Fat Kid Revolution Clothing, SIUniverse Media, The Variants, Word Realms, Rutgers GeekWeek, Agreeable Comics and *ahem* WIRED GeekDad, additional info regarding this musical meeting of the minds (and an inexplicable promo shot of Jesse D playing a ukulele) can be found at: http://adamwarrock.com/nofriends

Gathering of the Huggalos

Have you seen these nerds?

In just one week – and likely less than that for those not on the East Coast – many of you will be making your pilgrimage to Orlando, FL for this year's Nerdapalooza festival. As I previously mentioned I won't be around for this one, but many of close friends will be in attendance.

Among them is Matt, who you've heard me talk to and about a lot over the years, and his better half, Andrea, who is famed for her unparalleled expertise in the field of cunning hat creation. Matt mentioned to me recently that he'd love to pull together another Hipster, please! gathering, a tradition that dates way the hell back to the 2009 event, and I was , truth be told, honored that he'd even consider it.

It's a super low-key thing that basically exists for, in Matt's own words, "anyone who'd like to make some friends and/or have someone to head over to the venue with." And I think we could all use more friends.

Interested parties should look for the above pictured individuals in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Orlando Downtown next Saturday morning starting around 11 AM. Attendees will then posse up and migrate to the venue(s) between 11:30 and noon. Oh, and while it's certainly not required anyone wishing to have a drink or three in my honor is certainly encouraged to do so.

Have fun, gang!

Your Nerdapalooza is in Another Castle

A cursory glance at the calendar indicates that we're just a couple of weeks out from this year's (unseasonably late) Nerdapalooza. This time around your favorite nerd's favorite nerd festival has once again changed location – to Orlando's twin night spots The Beacham and The Social – and with that shift comes a few more rules and regulations than in previous iterations. But such is the price you pay for the pleasure of experiencing a musical event at a proper musical venue.

Event Director Aaron has gone to great lengths to compile a helpful list concerning rules of conduct and simple dos-and-don’ts. I suggest you give' em a gander, and pay special attention to the all important Rule 621. Learn it. Love it. Live it.

In case you haven't heard, I will not be in attendance this time around. I'm actually prepping for a journey to the fabled O-town with the whole famn damily in October, so I'm afraid as a result this visit had to be sacrificed on the altar of Conserving Annual Leave Days. Y'all know how it is.

Now that being said, my boys will be in attendance. (And in this instance "my boys" does not actually refer to my testicles.)

New homies Tribe One and Adam WarRock will both be there, performing Friday and Saturday evening respectively. I've seen 'em both rock the mic on numerous occasions, and if you happen to miss either set I'm afraid we can no longer be friends.

Sci-Fried is playing an afternoon slot on Saturday. Those cats are – and I don't use this phrase lightly – my brothers. I love 'em, and missing them hurts more than any other single act on the bill. Please scream extra loud for 'em. I know they've got some amazing stuff planned.

My hometown heroes The ThoughtCriminals are going on immediately after. It's their first official showing at Nerdapalooza-proper, as their hotel room gig last year was some hardcore underground shit that must not be spoken of in the presence of respectable ladies and gentlemen.

The TCs have just released a Bandcamp fundraiser project to help them scrape together gas money for next month's trip down Florida-way. The minimum price of The Game Changer EP is nothin', but anything you'd be willing to chip in goes to getting my crew to where they need to be.

I'll be with 'em in spirit, so think of it as a metaphysical donation to yours truly.

Sheer Tourture

I reckon with all that's been going on this week it's difficult to remember that there are more geeky rappers than just mc chris, but, alas, 'tis true! There's this one cat named Random. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Ran is currently celebrating the successful Kickstarter campaign that funded his recent multimedia project with The Summer Sessions Tour. He's on the road throughout July and August with cats like Open Mike Eagle, DN3 and K-Murdock. Later dates also put him on the Monster Hunter Tour with mc, Richie Branson and Powerglove.

Tour Dates:
*With Open Mike Eagle and DJ DN3
^With Richie Branson, mc chris and Powerglove
#With K-Murdock
7.16 Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR*
7.17 Nectar, Seattle, WA*
7.18 The Glow, Bellingham, WA*
7.20 Velvet Lounge, Washington, DC*#
7.21 Capital Comics, Annapolis, MD*#
7.24 Dobbs Upstairs, Philadelphia, PA*
7.25 Cameo Lounge, NYC*
7.26 Empire, Portland, ME*
7.27 Con-Bravo, Burlington, Ont, Canada*
7.28 Pixel, Ithaca, NY*
7.29 Precinct, Boston, MA*
8.1 White Rabbit, San Antonio, TX^
8.2 Mohawk, Austin, TX^
8.3-5 Nerdapalooza @The Social/Beacham, Orlando, FL#
8.6 The Haven, Winter Park, FL#
8.7 Granada Theater,Lawrence, KS^
8.8 The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE^
8.9 Varsity Theater, MPLS, MN^
8.10 Gabe's Oasis, Iowa City, IA^
8.11 Subterranean, Chicago, IL^
8.12 Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI^
8.14 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI^
8.15 Mickey Finns, Toledo, OH^
8.16 The Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH^
8.17 The Basement, Columbus, OH^
8.18.12 Mr Smalls, Pittsburgh, PA^
8.19.12 Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY^

Now on to the elephant in the room. A few people have asked for my thoughts on Redditgate, and they are as follows:

Well goddamn that was uncomfortable to watch.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my take on the whole thing from start to finish. I could say more, sure, but given that a legitimate tragedy recently unfolded on the periphery of nerd culture, it seems rather pointless to dwell on it.

If you're looking for sharp but even-handed commentary I suggest you check out Beefy's post from yesterday. He's a dude that's closer to the source than most – not to mention a guy that I genuinely trust – so I tend to believe that his words hold a good bit of water.

Plus he has a pretty fuckin' great new track too, so you should probably head over there anyway.

OverKicked StartMix

It's always a little weird to promote a Kickstarter that's already met its goal, but, as this one involves both OverClocked ReMix and the Final Fantasy series, I figured it couldn't hurt to help get the word out there to additional interested parties. McVaffe and zircon – two of the community's most talented and industrious remixers – are currently heading up a project that marks the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VI with an epic musical tribute.

Since this is OCR we're talking about, of course the final product will be available as a free download, but chipping in helps finance a limited edition physical pressing, covers studio/mixing/mastering fees and paves the way for OverClocked ReMix to continue the good work they do for game music and game music composers. Peep the video below for the skinny on all things Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 136: Model Behavior

I realized as I was listening back to this episode that I say the word "weird" a lot while describing the concept behind the show. And that's simply because it's, well, weird.

It all started, as so many things do, with a slump. I had a clear vision for the last couple of podcasts, but the well had run dry by the time I got to this one. And then I heard a specific song. More precisely I heard a specific word in a specific song.

I sort of dared myself to build a show around it. And I did.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 136: Model Behavior [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 50.5 MB Running Time: 38:49 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Both these guys could be models. They's mad pretty.

Track 1: Handsome Boy Modeling School - "Look at This Face (Oh My God They're Gorgeous)"
Even if you think you don't know Handsome Boy, you know Handsome Boy.

Z's 1st interlude: "A particularly hilarious episode of short-lived Chris Elliot sitcom Get a Life."
You youngins may well have missed that one. Sadly, it only survived a couple of seasons, but a proper DVD release is in the works.

Track 2: Shael Riley and the Double Ice Backfire - "Hobby Model"
Shael has been known to write an occasional song about the ladies.

Track 3: Go Home Productions - "Models On Film"
Duran Duran vs. Kraftwerk -- what's not to love?

Track 4: Elvis Costello - "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea"
Blurring the lines between punk rock, new wave and birth control glasses.

Track 5: Xoc - "Beetlejuice: Model Town"
Xoc's Cinema 80s is still the shit.

Track 6: Rolling Stones vs. Pantera vs. Right Said Fred - "Too Sexy For My Pantera"
"I'm Too Sexy" is sort of the quintessential cheesy model song.

Track 7: Mr. B, The Gentleman Rhymer - "The Very Model"
He is both a gentleman and a rhymer.

Track 7: Superpowerless - "Positive Role Models"
I stumble across an older Superpowerless track from time to time. And for some reason I always just assume it's brand new shit until I check the ID3 date tag.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Weird personal challenge."
Which is now the working title of my autobiography.

Track 8: Mikey Mason - "She Don't Like Firefly"
I imagine this wholly fictitious young lady was the only person not excited by this week's news.

Track 9: Rappy McRapperson and MC Wreckshin - "Modeling and Dancing In Space"
Are there any Rappy songs where he doesn't mention Lake Hills?

Track 10: DJ Schmolli - "Dirty Model (Kraftwerk vs. Wynter Gordon)"
Yep; more Kraftwerk.

Track 11: Type - "Role Models"
Type's Amateur Hour and Bad Tattoos are both free over at Bandcamp. I suggest you cop 'em.

Z's final interlude: "And I reckon I did alright."
Yeah, I'm gonna call this experiment a success.

Track 12: Flight of the Conchords - "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)"
I just checked, and Flight of the Conchords is still $2.99. Buy that shit!

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system I promise to do a more traditional show next time. Maybe some, I dunno, Star Wars and video game shit. Some Ponies. You kids love the Ponies.

In the meantime, feel free to send me your song requests and show ideas. You know you want to.

In It to Win It

My northern brethren from Secret Cloud Art & Music and Hand'Solo Records are presently hosting a little giveaway that seems tonic to your collective interests. Up for grabs is a special edition "Power Pack" featuring the following top-shelf wares:

• 1 x The Garthim-Master & DJ Extend Ghosts of Nostalgia limited edition 12" clear blue vinyl
• 1 x The Wordburglar 12" self-titled EP
• 1 x Selfhelp - Old Friends CD
• 1 x Backburner - Heatwave CD
• 1 x Wordburglar - Burglaritis CD
• 1 x pack of original 1982 Dark Crystal trading cards
• 1 x pack of Star Wars candies
• 2 x Hand'Solo flyers

Winning this collection of dope shit couldn't be easier; just send an email to contest@secretcloud.com with your name and the answer to the burning question "Where's [Wordburglar & Garthim-Master's] AT-AT at?" It's that simple! Enter before July 28th, 2012 to get your name in the proverbial hat. A single winner will be chosen at random, and he/she/it will be contacted via email for the necessary mailing information.

Live From… The Place They Live

It's been a big week already. We Yanks celebrated our founders' lofty ideals of independence for all people all men white men via the traditional means of hot dogs and gunpowder, and the LHC found what appears to be evidence of the Higgs boson. Add to this the announcement of Kirby Krackle's Live in Seattle, and, y'know, even bigger week.

Recorded at Seattle's The Hard Rock Cafe during this year's Emerald City Comic Con, the album drops July 10th, but you can pre-order now. It features 10 of your favorite KK classics (klassics?) -- by which I mean 10 of my favorites -- as well as a very special cover of A-Ha's "Take on Me." Peep that one below, and I dare you not to sing the chorus.

Radio Free HipsterEp. 135: Beach Blanket Lingo

I figure with the Independence Day holiday week coming up for us Yanks, many of y'all are likely looking for something new to listen to. Thus this podcast. It's a distinctly summer-centered affair, and I'm right happy with the way it came out. I hope y'all dig it too.


Not gonna lie; I've been jamming to it all week.

Download Radio Free HipsterEp. 135: Beach Blanket Lingo [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 61.6 MB Running Time: 47:35 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
If I ran a summer camp for lovable misfits, these guys'd be my counselors.

Track 1: Select Start – "Color of the Summer Sky"
I don't generally start the show with an instrumental, but this one's so tight I made an exception.

Z's 1st interlude: "The price you pay to ride the music train with me."
Even I don't know what the hell this means.

Track 2: Solid Bold – "Summertime Loving, Loving in the Summer (Time)"
I love me some Regular Show.

Track 3: Teleidofusion – "Summer Mood"
Have I played this track before? I swear I have, but, once again, Google disagrees.

Track 4: Friday dialog / Adam WarRock – "Maybe (I Can Call You?)"
Mock me if you will, but "Call Me Maybe" is an exquisite pop song.

Track 5: Girl Talk – "Smash Your Head"
I was kind of in the mood for some Biggie. And also some Elton John.

Track 6: Slime Girls – "Vacation Wasteland"
Another fine freebie from Pterodactyl Squad.

Track 7: Doctor Popular – "Bad as They Seem (feat. Unwoman)"
I was actually pretty excited when I realized I wasn't the only person who remembered this one.

Track 8: Swamp Thing – "123"
A fitting introduction to Canada's three-headed musical beast.

Z's 2nd interlude: "While we're gettin' all Canadian up in here."
Related note: I am supporting Team Canada in this summer's Olympic Quidditch action.

Track 9: Teletran – "Beachwave"
Who knew what this song was missing was a dash of "Blue Monday?"

Track 10: Inverse Phase – "Atarible Lie"
Pretty Eight Machine is the first project to make me intentionally listen to anything Nine Inch Nails-related in years.

Track 11: POCKETMAN – "Just a Summer Drizzle"
K.K. Slider is my dawg. #seewhatididthere

Track 12: Nuclear Bubble Wrap – "Hulkulele"
Another nice tie-in to the summer's first true super hero blockbuster.

Z's final interlude: "This slice of warm-weather fun."
I'm not saying you have to play this podcast at your next barbecue. But, y'know, if you want too…

Track 13: Lager Rhythms – "Your Horoscope for Today"
The Twenty-Six and a Half Weird Al tribute is still in heavy rotation on my end.

It sorta seems this show is a continuation of the previous episode. And I'm fine with that. Occasionally we delve the darker side of geeky music around here, so if I'm lead to keep shit positive for a whole month I reckon that's a good thing.

As always, I appreciate your thoughts on the show, not to mention your song suggestions. So call me, maybe. I mean, uh, hit me up, okay?

Console Wars

Here are the facts as I see them:

Fact – The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" possesses what is likely the single most infectious instrumental hook in rock 'n' roll history.

Fact – Biggie's shout-out to the SNES and Genesis in "Juicy" did more to legitimize gaming in popular culture than anything the fuckin' Spike Video Game Awards will ever accomplish.

Fact – Richie Branson's latest Otaku Tuesdays joint is the shit. (See above.)

"Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis (feat. Random)" is a tribute to the Golden Age of console gaming and hip-hop, and you can peep it below. Also be sure to watch out for Richie's July 10th release, The NERD EP, and be sure to catch him on tour with Ran anc mc chris this summer.

Kickstopper

It’s time once again for Adam WarRock’s annual donation drive, the one time a year when he actively solicits scratch from his legion of loyal fans. It’s a fine occasion for you, the listeners, to give back as a show of thanks for the ridiculous amount of free content Euge provides on a regular basis. And also to subsidize those complimentary t-shirts he seems to slide me every time we hang out.

This time around WarRock is celebrating the event with his first proper music video. It’s for the track "This Song" from his forthcoming Longshot mixtape – a release that is, coincidentally, available to all who donate between today, June 25, and July 2. This year's donors also receive a copy of the Adam WarRock Singles LP, an autobiographical Adam WarRock digital comic by Ed Piskor and a thank you sketch from Chris Haley. It's a pretty sweet payout on top of all the free singles and EPs Adam heaps on you during the other 51 weeks of the year.

Check out the video below, and then head over to adamwarrock.com to chip in.

Something Fishy

Apparently 2012 is the year of the animated video, with bands like Sci-Fried going in a direction that Kyle and Jim from Kirby Krackle have been exploring for a while now: amazing musical cartoons.

The latest comes from comedy musicians Nuclear Bubble Wrap. It's for "Sharktopus," a track available on both their 2010 full-length and their brand new Abracadaver EP. It's a great looking piece that really plays up the darkly humorous narrative of the song. Also there are Pokémans. Let me show you them.

Always Honest

Earlier this week I blogged about MC Lars's latest video, an interesting piece that uses rap to relay a lesson on the finer points of poetic meter, over at GeekDad. Interestingly enough, that's actually not the only example of educational hip-hop currently making the YouTube rounds.

Mega Ran recently released the first single from his Kickstarter-funded Language Arts multimedia project, subtitled "First Day of School." It's another solid slice of lyrical positivity that boasts stellar production from Richie Branson, nicely organic direction by Tom Larkin and a bridge in which Random takes a moment to explain the proper function of the musical bridge. #meta

The first volume of the 3 EP set is available now, as is a browser-based video game and digital comic. Check out all three, and look for Ran on tour throughout the summer.