Nerd News in Brief

Last week: Transformers. This week: Order of the Phoenix.

I’ve got high hopes for the latest Potter movie. First off, the book itself was an excellent read, and that definitely helps. Plus, I find it hard to believe that it’ll be plagued by quite as many ridiculous product placement spots as Transformers.

Then again, you never know. I’m sure they’ll work a plug for the new iPensieve in there somewhere.

• I’m in yer projects choosin’ their titles: Last week I got an interesting email from my pal Beefy. He was bummed to report that his summer tour plans had fallen through, and, truthfully, I was a little saddened as well. And yet, he was happy to report that this extra free time will permit his new album, formally called Fighting Crime but now entitled Rolling Doubles, to be pushed up from September. That album will be “sellable and whatnot and released by Nerdy South Records.” It will also be accompanied by a free album called – wait for it –The Adventures of Beef Thompson: Private Dick that will “collect sample-heavy songs … recorded since Tube Technology as well as a private investigator story for the ages!” I win! I fuckin’ win!
• The show that was: Of course I’m not gonna let this opportunity slip by without mentioning the recent mc chris show in Eugene, OR that featured HP supporters Beefy (whom mc recently described as “polite, gracious, [and a performer who] nailed his set, and didn't come off like a tool”), the lovely and talented Nursehella, and the equally lovely and talented funky49. funk himself was nice enough to do a really in-depth write-up about the show and its surrounding events that he posted over at his blog. Take a few minutes and check it out.
• Musical weirdness: In other nerdy music news, Shael Riley just dropped a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” I’m not even joking. Listen for yourself.
• Even weirder: Church found something too strange not to share. I know: shocking! ;) Apparently, PowerFX has just released “Vocaloid Sweet Ann, a Saucy Virtual Vocalist Who Sings Your Words and Music.” It gets better; Annie’s got a MySpace. Is it me, or does this whole thing reek of some obscure perversion? Some very, very specific fetish? Oh, just me, huh?
  
• Back to reality: The fine folks at the Sedgwick Avenue Alliance had their own good news/bad news scenario this week. The good: they've added 2 new artists to the group. One being the undeniable YTCracker, and the second being “a very talented rapper/singer/musician from Chicago by the name of Savant.” Unfortunately, they also lost founding member, Q. Ledbetter due to a current inability to contribute.
• W-R-O-C-K in the U.S.A.: Wrockers Harry and the Potters have some show lined up in the nerdy Northwest this week. Check ‘em out July 9 in Spokane, WA - Caterina (All Ages); July 10 in Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom; July 11 in Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Armory; July 12 in Olympia WA - Olympia Timeberland Library; and July 13 in Seattle, WA - Seattle Public Library.
• Mama said knock you out: Probably the biggest nerdcore news of late came from the Nerdcore For Life camp this weekend; nerdy perfection, thy name is NERCORE HIP-HOP LIVE AT THE 2007 SAN DIEGO COMICON! Oh yeah, kids, Capcom approached Dan Lamoureux about this early in the year thanks to all the buzz generated from the YouTube trailer. And, after some deliberation, a “full-on nerdcore concert” was settled upon “and eventually one concert turned into two.” The pertinent info is as follows: “two Nerdcore concerts featuring YTCracker, Beefy, The Sucklord, Ultraklystron, Nursehella, and The Former Fat Boys….in a boxing ring…at the Capcom booth…in the middle of the San Diego comicon….during peak afternoon hours.” Huge, huge news! Congrats all around, guys. Make us proud!
• Sparing for change: With that in mind, Beefy is currently trying to get some scratch together to make the long trip down the coast. Originally Beef had planned not to attend, what with the tour and all, but since that turned into a no-go he’s very fortunate to have this opportunity to play at the Capcom booth for the Nerdcore For Life event. But don’t think of it as charity; think of it as a purchase! “[T]o anyone who donates $5 or more [Beefy] will e-mail him/her [the] song "Tilt" from [the] upcoming album Rolling Doubles. If you donate $10 or more [he] will send you both "Tilt" and "Ball Pit".” Sounds like a solid investment to me.
• “They have not told me that this is going to happen…”: Today’s closing clip comes from my boy Matt. I had actually picked another piece of mc chris footage, but, upon closer inspection, I do believe that this is one packed with more nerdy goodness. Enjoy!