Radio Free Hipster Ep. 145: Murder-Minded

I'm really not sure about this one, y'all. I mean, I sometimes have my doubts about individual shows and I personally really dig how this one shook out, but I gots that angst.

Still, I gotta admit it felt good to just throw the thing together, to just start dragging in tracks and slapping them in haphazard order. Maybe it's a little messier than usual—hell, maybe even a tad dissonant at times—but I hope you find something in there you really dig.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 145: Murder-Minded [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 62.3 MB Running Time: 43:20 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
I know you can't hate on this one.

Track 1: YTCracker – "Swygar"
Damn, Rygar had an amazing soundtrack!

Z's 1st interlude: "A rudderless ship."
My first and last solid metaphor of the show.

Track 2: Mikal kHill – "Damien (Morrowind to Cyradiil)"
kHill's buy product drops tomorrow, but I've already heard it. It is excellent, and you should pick it up.

Track 3: Busdriver – "Everyday Oblivion"
"Motherfucking penguin suit!"

Track 4: Phil Retrospector – "Killing Kids"
There were a lot of MGMT mash-ups making the rounds there for a while, but I just happened to find this one sitting on my desktop. No idea how/when it got there.

Track 5: Kirby Krackle – "One More Episode"
KK tend to have pretty solid videos, but this one is truly something special.

Track 6: Alestorm – "That Famous Ol' Spiced"
I started to play some Dethlehem here—I'm going to see those guys in Charlotte again next weekend—but went with pirate metal instead.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Ruining your high."
/glances at Larry

Track 7: Dj Moule – "303 is TNT"
I wanna say this particular bootleg is at least a couple of years old. Kinda surprised I've never played it!

Track 8: Abinox – "Absolute No Give Up"
I couldn't in good conscience not play a song called "Absolute No Give Up."

Track 9: rockleetist – "Laika (English)"
Did this one bring you down? It… it brought me down.

Track 10: Klopfenpop – "Prime Obsession"
Oh course then Klopf picked shit right back up again. With maths.

Z's final interlude: "Protracted crock-pot related analogies."
Crock-Pot.

Track 11: Tribe One – "Midlife Crisis (ft. Adam WarRock)"
I sometimes worry that many don't yet realize what an amazing talent Niles truly is. I really wish he could tour more. And release that goddamn full-length!

Next up is my annual holiday episode, so feel free to hit me up with your yuletide picks. After that comes my year-ender; I've been squirreling away tracks for that one for months. And after that?

A whole new year, my friends. A whole new year.

Nerd News in Brief

There was a time when I did these Nerd News in Brief segments with a nigh clocklike regularity, but alas that age has passed. With my recent shift to writing smaller dedicated posts about things like album releases and new videos – coupled with my adoption of services like Twitter and Tumblr, which lend themselves well to short, frequent blurbs – I've sort of abandoned this format. But looking back over my notes from the last couple of weeks it seems like an apt mechanism for the ensuing news blast.

• Dogs and Cats Living Together: Last night I was able to control my Microsoft Xbox 360 with my Apple iPhone. I'm just saying that this is some crazy shit. 
• Spider, Man: Kirby Krackle recently dropped a new single about a soon-to-be released reboot of a beloved comic movie franchise. You can pick up "Web-Slinger/Hope-Bringer Single" right now for a buck, and you may or may not hear it on tomorrow's podcast. #noncommittal
• What a Horrible Night: News from the crew at MAGFest revealed that, among the regular grocery list of kick-ass guests and featured acts, Castlevania composer Kinuyo Yamashita will be in attendance at next January's event. You should probably be there too. 
• I've Been Slimed: Speaking of gamer culture, musical collective Pterodactyl Squad just dropped an amazing new chiptune EP from Slime Girls entitled Vacation Wasteland. With surf rock and reggae-tinged melodies, it's a ready-made summer soundtrack.
• When It's Time to Pony We Will Pony Hard: Okay, that line is actually from my pal Steve, but it's soul-brony number 1, Church H Tucker, that hipped me to the news that musician, motivational speaker and party aficionado. Andrew W.K. will be speaking at the Canterlot Gardens My Little Pony convention in Cleveland this September. Apparently he is Pinkie Pie. 
• From the Ruins: If you dig Dethlehem you likely also dig Diablo 3. But just because you missed the boys on their recent tour stops doesn't mean you're doomed to never hear their epic cover of the Tristram theme. That's what YouTubes are for. 
• Where's My Flying Car: In one last bit of hot new YouTubery, my country cousins Sci-Fried have just dropped a brand new video single. "Looking Back at Today," from last year's Future Tense, was animated by the one and only Betsy Lee (who'll you'll likely remember from her work with Kirby Krackle.) Enjoy!

Year of the Horse

I am a creature of habit. I toss out phrases like "regular feature" and "annual tradition" a lot around here, and that's because these things, in their own weird little way, give me hope. The fact that this blog has been around long enough for me to have go-to pieces reminds me of how fortunate I am to still be able to do this.

I don't write full-time, I haven't yet arrived at that ultimate blessing/curse of doing what I love to do as my for-real employment, but Hipster, please! and, to a greater extent, my work at GeekDad has allowed me to supplement my income by actually doing something I dig. And I have you to thank for that.

'Cause it's what I do. I'm a thanker.

It's also *ahem* tradition that in this year-end wrap-up I thank longtime backers like Jason, Matt and Church (AKA: The Shadow Council), faithful supporters like Larry and Chris and Jarod, and new-found homies like Euge and kHill.

Which I guess I kinda just did.

It's also required that I hem and haw over what were the standout releases of the year, and this time around that's even more problematic than usual. I mean, I reckon I have my top spot reserved for either Kirby Krackle's Super Powered Love or Supercommuter's Products of Science depending on which way the wind blows at any given moment. But with stiff competition from (aforementioned homeboys) Adam WarRock and Mikal kHill, The Bossfights' phenomenal debut full-length, Illbotz hilarious Pudding is Delicious, that brilliant Weird Al tribute album and significant major label showings from old favorites like Anthrax, there really are no losers in this race.

But what I do most in this little year-ender is spotlight one particular geek that set the tone for the previous 12 months. Sometimes I single out a long-established musical innovator. Other times I point toward the future of our tribe. Mostly, though, I cheap out and pick a whole group of people as my "nerd of the year."

Which I'm about to do now.

As nerd culture becomes pop culture, fandom, long our secret, hidden shame, becomes our currency. Whether in a bar or at the supermarket, I'm just as likely to hear cats rattling off baseball stats as passionately discussing Galactica, and that's an interesting paradigm shift. But, lest you fear that this wholesale adoption of nerddom will somehow sour your loser-makes-good victory of brains over bros, let me point out that 2011's most potent, virulent and widely remarked upon flavor of fandom came from a very unlikely source.

Over the past several months, as the brony ranks have continued to swell, I've heard their little enclave often damned and even more so observed with a sort of stunned journalistic silence. But while I can't claim to be one of them – my casual association with the property likely paints me more as at most a "brony sympathizer" – I am here to say that they are no more confounding (or annoying) than any group of motivated Trekkies, Browncoats, Wrock kids, Juggalos or Volunteers fans. They merely represent a new breed of fanboys that are less afraid to let their geek flag fly, even when it does so in the face of the traditional trappings of masculinity.

In a culture where gender roles are so ingrained that we almost refuse to think about them, the idea of men in their 20s and 30s latching onto a "girl's TV show" for no other reason than they recognize its artistic merits gives me renewed hope. Sure, nerd life has long existing in a space that often avoids some common masculine pursuits – sports, to use one stereotypical example – but the idea of men willfully embracing a series aimed at females represents a small but significant shift.

If nerdism stands for anything, it's the dogged refusal to put away childish things. It's a willingness to cling to the joys and wonder of youth even as we feel ourselves getting older. We are eternal adolescents, reminders that one can grow old without ever growing up. This is personally liberating, but the larger specter of gender disparity stills haunts us as a group.

If we are ever to get past not only our own culturally propagated sexism but that of the greater world around us, we must learn to avoid our own long-laid traps. If we're to raise our daughters to understand that chemistry and coding and Call of Duty are as much within their realm as that of their brothers, then we need to set examples. Even minuscule ones. If we're ever to make the words "geek girls" – surely as buzz-worthy a phrase as "steampunk" or "dubstep" was in 2011 – an obsolete relic of our divided past, then we have to change the way we allow our culture to be defined, from within as much as from without.

A violently promiscuous new Catwoman or a line of fem-LEGOs don't represent steps forward for our nerd sisters; they stand out as further examples of our general miscalculation of what the women, young and old, in our midst both desire and deserve. And if a group of a dozen dudes getting together and combing the hair manes of their pony dolls while talking about the symbolic importance of The Wonderbolts can ever so slightly nudge us in the direction of a community that's somehow a little less dependent on bullshit gender identification – many bronies even refuse to differentiate between male and female members, eschewing the designation of "pegasister" altogether – and a bit more welcoming to nerds of all genders, backgrounds or orientations, then I say go the fuck on, bronies.

You go the fuck on.

In 2011 bronies made news and music and memes and, yes, waves, and they did it all for the love of a cartoon. And if that ain't nerdcore, then I don't know what is.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 120: Occupy Elm Street

Apparently my superpower is riffing on current events for show titles. Or not; I mean, I often seem to overestimate my own cleverness.

Still, this one made me chuckle.

This year I had a little trouble rekindling my (historically abundant) Halloween spirit, but with the day finally upon us I am all up ins. Putting together this show certainly helped me get my ghoulish groove back, and I hope it provides and adequate soundtrack for your All Hallows activities.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 120: Occupy Elm Street [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 70.3 MB Running Time: 51:23 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Beef's got a new release that will also fit in well with your Halloween party playlist. Dig it!

Track 1: mc chris - "Time Warp"
mc's Columbia is downright uncanny.

Z's 1st interlude: "Part 2 of this year's Halloween Crap-tacular"
And with this one in the bag I gotta say I'm sad I have to wait another year to do it again.

Track 2: The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets - "Ogdru Jahad"
It's strange to think that I've been listening to the Thickets for a decade and a half now.

Track 3: Backburner - "Phantom Ghost"
This one's for you, @HassanISahba.

Track 4: g4gorilla - "Bring Frankenstein Back to My Street"
Another great cut from this year's Texas Chainsaw Mashacre compilation.

Track 5: MC Frontalot - "Invasion of the Not Quite Dead"
Solved is a really eclectic album -- even from Frontalot, who tends to cast a wide sonic net. The harder edge of this joint is but a single example of its stylistic breadth.

Track 6: John Anealio - "Undead Love Song"
Just when I think I have John figured out he up and uses the word "cock" in a song!

Track 7: Saltlakrits - "Cupcakes in My Basement"
This one requires a bit of back-story, as helpfully supplied by @ChurchHTucker.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Backed up by a nice Castlevania-driven beat."
That soundtrack gets used and abused a lot, but Backburner sure as hell does right by it.

Track 8: Sticks Downey - "Night of the Demons"
I'm happy to see the Sticks Downey Halloween single is now an annual tradition.

Track 9: Buttery Lords - "Werewolf in a Waterpark"
Check out their Monster & Madness EP for more fun nor'western hippity-hop.

Track 10: The Efts - "Robot Destroy"
From the soundtrack of forthcoming social networking game Robot Destroy Club.

Track 11: The Doubleclicks - "Hollywood Raptor"
It's rather insulting to say that grown women are adorable, so I will instead specify that The Doubleclicks' music  -- particularly in the case of this song -- is adorable. And also awesome. Especially awesome!

Track 12: Humanoids - "Humanoid Eyes that Shine at Night"
Since I managed to incorporate a Darkest of the Hillside Thickets tune that wasn't strictly Lovecraftian, I thought this track filled that void nicely.

Z's final interlude: "Aren't they, y'know, infinitely more interesting?"
I mean who would you rather be: Blaster or Soundwave?!

Track 13: Jonathan Coulton - "Still Alive (feat. Sara Quin)"
Coulton's Artificial Heart is another recent release that's not to be missed.

It occurs to me that there are only four more shows left in 2011. How the fuck did that even happen?!

I'll not lie to you, folks; sometimes I consider retiring from the nerd grind, taking my leave content in the knowledge that there are a shit-ton of other geek culture rags out there to keep y'all satisfied. But when I look back at Hipster, please! and its related projects -- though admittedly they aren't exactly earth-shattering -- I feel a sense of pride in my accomplishments.

Moreover, no matter how big a pain in the ass things sometimes are, I still very much enjoy what I do. I hope this show and all its brothers and sisters are just as fun and entertaining to you as they are to me, and I always appreciate your requests, suggestions and input as I move my little industry forward.

Happy Halloween, all!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 118: The Who Knew Mixtape

So apparently the concept of a bunch of guys getting spectacularly drunk and recording it on the internet is inherently flawed.

Yeah, I know; I'm as surprised as you!

When I started Drunken Podcasting Month some 4 years ago I knew it came with some risks, and the chief among those - aside from, y'know, liver damage - was a unique set of technological hurdles. Even when dead sober, a Skype call can be positively fraught with problems.

This year the boys and I managed to hit that perfect level of intoxication wherein the conversation was fun and fierce, but, sadly, not all of the recordings of that evening's festivities survived intact. I salvaged most of it, but not quite enough to do the episode justice.

Therefore I present to you this unexpected mixtape show. It's not what I wanted, but I reckon it'll do.

The musical selections are, if I do say so myself, superb, and I'm pretty sure if you just get sloshed while listening to it you'll have as much fun as we did.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 118: The Who Knew Mixtape [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 90.5 MB Running Time: 57:01 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Were Beefy and Spellah drunk when they recorded this track? Probably not, but they should've been.

Track 1: Illbotz - "Jesus Gave Me Water (But What I Wanted was a PBR)"
I've been waiting forever to play this one!

Track 2: Toolshed - "Irish Car Bomb Pt. 2"
This is another track I've been saving specifically for Drunken Podcasting Month.

Track 3: Hypnotic Clambake - "Tie Dye"
Matt made this very special song request. That explains the distinct hippy undertones. ;)

Track 4: Community dialog / DJ Le Clown - "Evil Whisky Bar"
I've been watching a lot of Community lately. If you haven't been, shame on you!

Track 5: Mikey Mason - "Too Fat To Troop"
At some point I began working food-related songs into the drunken podcast. I don't remember why, exactly, but in my defense I was probably drunk.

Track 6: The ThoughtCriminals - "Liquid Happy (Live)"
I played the studio version of this cut a few episodes back, but I thought this live take worked well within this show.

Track 7: Community dialog / YTCracker - "I Got the Product"
You can buy drugs on the internet! For reals!

Track 8: Mary Prankster - "Breakfast"
Another one of Matt's selection. Mary is sort of a DPM tradition.

Track 9: Torrentz - "Cereal (A Day in the Life) [feat. Mr. Spastic, Klopfenpop, C0splay, and Marc with a C]"
I know some folks disagree, but I love Marc's weird twee pop part at the end.

Track 10: Marc Gunn - "Monahan's Mudder's Milk (Firefly Song)"
This one's for Church. I'd played it previously on my GeekDad podcast, but this is its Radio Free Hipster debut.

Track 11: The Doubleclicks - "Worst.Superpower.EVER."
Apropos of nothing, I really like The Doubleclicks. A lot.

Track 12: Edison - "Armetis versus the City"
My pal Larry sent this one my way. It is an ideal track for those in need of chill music.

Track 13: Soup or Villainz - "Keyz"
This one's just in here for fun. It's SoV's take on crunk. And it is fuckin' infectious.

Track 14: Alex S. - "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Intro (Alex S. Glitch Remix)"
Jarod passed this one my way for inclusion in the ep. It's another great example of music from the brony community.

Track 15: DJ Paul V. - "Tequila Lip Gloss"
A repeat track from way the hell back in episode 39.

Track 16: Southside - "Cheeseburger (with Billy the Fridge)"
Another food song. This one by two of my favorite Seattle acts.

Track 17: Community dialog / nYgel - "Closing Time [Semisonic]"
nYgel continues to make some of my favorite pop remixes.

Track 18: Ilysabeth - "Fluttershys - MLP Fireflies Parody"
Church specifically asked to end the show on this one. In our original (drunken) conversation, he also waxed poetic about bronies and Friendship is Magic. It was epic.

Even though their contributions didn't make it into the show-proper, my sincerest thanks go out to Matt, Church, Jason and the lovely ladies of Social Knitworking. Thanks to you folks this was the best Drunken Podcasting Month celebration yet, and my only regret is that I couldn't share it with the rest of the nerd world.

Next up are my twin Halloween-themed episodes in October and my annual holiday and year-end wrap-up shows in December.

What will November hold? I have no idea. So feel free to hit me up with your suggestions and requests and whatnot.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 115: Urban Arcade

It’s the first day of school down here in my burg. I'm not sure if that's relevant save to say that the summer season is fast coming to a close.

Consider this another dose of warm-weather music for that ass.

As I assume your ass still requires warm-weather music.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 115: Urban Arcade [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 63.4 MB Running Time: 47:41

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
My theme song could beat up your theme song.

Track 1: Kirby Krackle - "Booty Do Math (feat. Adam WarRock)"
I really can't overstate the fact that this is my jam.

Z's 1st interlude: "So many definite articles."
I guess you could say I was talking the shit. #clever

Track 2: Adam WarRock - "Andrew Garfield at SDCC"
I had my qualms with a Spidey movie re-launch, but it's really hard not to love this guy.

Track 3: USK - "Cheap Jungle"
This may well be the first time I've featured a solo Japanese chiptune artist.

Track 4: Parks & Recreation dialog / DJ Dain - "Black POWER 2000 (Dan Forden, Brian Schmidt & Steve Ritchie vs. Kanye West) [Clean]"
Confession time: I still haven't listened to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in its entirety.

Track 5: R_Garcia - "SMB2 (Underworld Theme)"
Big ups to Larry for hipping my to the Eightest Bits comp from Nophi. Also, did I pronounce it as "no-fee?" Fuck!

Track 6: Chokeules - "Fumes (hotbox remix)"
Toolshed. Backburner. Represent.

Z's 2nd interlude: "It might just renew your faith in the internet."
I'm serious. Watch it.

Track 7: Kabuto the Python and B.C. - "Tali (Em Version)"
The N7 EP was originally slated to be a full-length, but catastrophic hard drive failure is a motherfucker.

Track 8: Supercommuter - "#1 Kyabajo (feat. Rachel Haden)"
I have a review written of the new Supercommuter. I hope to have it polished up later this week or early next.

Track 9: MC Frontalot - "Critical Hit"
If you pre-order the new Frontalot you can download the digital version now. What's not to love?

Track 10: Heath McNease - "Turtle Van Damme"
Because you can never have too many TMNT tracks.

Track 11: SJ Tucker - "D&D"
This one is yet another great find by my boy Church Hates Tucker.

Z's final interlude: "My 3-year-old daughter's favorite new song."
If I had a nickel for every time she ran through the den screaming "ponies, ponies ponies, swag…"

Track 12: Swagberg - "Pony Swag (feat. Maros)"
It saddens me to realize that Mitch Hedberg isn't alive to hear what really happens when you remix a remix.

Drunken Podcasting Month draws nigh, and I honestly don't know if my liver can take it. But I'll do it for you, internet!

I'm actually hoping to do something a bit different with this year's drunkcast, but only time will tell if it shakes out as planned.

Expect at least one other (reasonably) sober podcast before then, though. And I'll likely pair September's aforementioned drunkcast with another specialty show.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 99: Bad Manners

Special episodes are gonna be the death of me. Between last month's Halloween Crap-tacular and next month's holiday edition (not to mention my big 100th episode right around the corner) I've got more special editions than regular ones these days.

This leaves me very little time to spotlight some of the new hotness, but I've done my best to pack this episode with brand new tracks that are ripe for the picking and a few older joints that you may have missed.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 99: Bad Manners [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 46 MB Running Time: 50:20 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
There are few things more rewarding than having a custom-made podcast theme by two of your favorite artists.

Track 1: Supercommuter – "Robot Party"
Believe it or not, this is from Supercommuter's very first gig.

Z's 1st interlude: "We are gonna move from chip-hop to geek rock."
Which won't likely surprise you. 

Track 2: Nuclear Bubble Rap – "Inyourendo"
Once again just let me pause to give it up for the FuMP community.

Track 3: Marc with a C – "Bed Intruder Song"
For anyone who may have somehow missed this whole thing, here's a breakdown.

Track 4: Billy the Fridge – "Armstrong"
If we all join hands and wish really hard will Billy put out a follow-up album already?

Track 5: DJ Lobsterdust – "Knock Out Eileen"
The juxtaposition of Kevin Rowland begging for sex and LL making idle threats is… creepy.

Track 6: Dr. Octoroc – "Bad Horse Chorus"
I remain convinced that Dr. Oct is incapable of creating a bad track.

Track 7: Mr. B, The Gentleman Rhymer – "Beats, Rhymes & Manners"
Because we Yanks can never get enough chap-hop.

Track 8: Tom Milsom – "Bad Wolf Bay"
From Tom's free Trockstuff EP.

Track 9: SJ the Wordburglar – "Wordburglar"
This collab with Beatmason led to the eventual adoption of "The Wordburglar" as SJ's official moniker. 

Z's 2nd interlude: "The 2003 Hand'Solo compilation from whence it originated."
Pick up Bassments of Badmen 2. Seriously.

Track 10: Kirby Krackle – "Marvelous Girls"
From the band's self-titled debut.

Track 11: Urizen – "A New Revelation"
For fans of heavy metal, robots and cardboard boxes.

Track 12: C3PO – "C3PO Rap"
Blame Church.

Track 13: Desert Planet – "Return of the Ninja Droids"
Big ups to DataVortex for turning me on to this one.

Track 14: Adam WarRock – "Up and Adam"
An amazing cut from his phenomenal The War for Infinity.

Z's final interlude: "And that actually plays into our closer."
Inverse Phase's cover of "Fuck You" is a thing of beauty.

Track 15: The Kleptones – "Jump You Fucker"
This is the second mash-up featuring elements of Van Halen's "Jump" that I've played in recent months.

I only have one new order of business, and it is as follows.

I already have my preliminary list of song requests and voicemails to be included in episode 100 – would you like me to share it with you (so that you can make some last-minute requests if your faves have not yet been represented), or would you rather be surprised?

Totally your call.

Nerd News in Brief

Man, October really came and went! And now it's, like, November? Seriously?

In that case it appears as though 2010 is all but spent. Which I reckon means you are owed another edition of Nerd News in Brief.

Y'know, nerd news. Presented briefly.

Thus the name.

• Meeting of the Minds: MC Lars is on tour throughout November with some other cats you may have heard of. Names like mc chris, YTCracker & Schäffer the Darklord. Oh shit yeah! Check the tour page to see if they're coming to your neck of the woods.
• Everything's Bigger: Speaking of gigs, Texas's Antisoc has a show lined up for year's end. Catch him in Fort Worth at Club Aardvark on December 30th.
• Impactful: Last month Mega Ran's "Splash Woman" was used in a promo for TNA wrestling. And they may or may not have done so with his permission. Peep this video for the offending clip (featuring Elijah "The Pope" Burke) and to hear Random's humorous retort.
• Dropping English: On the subject of Ran, the Philadelphia Daily News featured him in a lengthy interview/profile piece early next month. It's an interesting, powerful tale about a guy who's only now being properly recognized for all he does both on and off the mic.
• Mmm, Mmm Good: Some things just can't be described. Like these Jude Buffum 8-bit butcher charts. Don’t worry – they're less gory than you'd think.
• BAMF!: My pal Brux was kind enough to pass on a link to this Gizmodo piece explaining how comic book sounds are translated for film. Not to spoil the surprise, but there are animal carcasses involved.
• In Plain Site: Likewise, my blogging brother Jason (of Geek Studies) shared his fascination re: this story from an October edition of The Escapist. It's a Jane Goodall-flavored satire about how elder geeks hide their passions. Sadly, it totally overlooks the myriad of modern examples to the contrary.
• Beater Scholarship: Church, Matt and I have been joking about NCAA Quidditch for ages. So imagine our surprise when this popped up at the NPR site earlier this week.
• Your Biggest Fan: Church once again came through with the video hotness. In this case it's an 8-minute fan film featuring Superman and The Joker. Check out "Die Laughing" by user blinky500. It may start a little slow, but it gets real good real quick.
• Love is in the Air: Early this month comic book artist Leigh Gallagher proposed to his long-time girlfriend Niki via his blog. In panel traditional form, no less. She said yes, thus proving that all is right with the world.
• Old World Wisdom: Attention UK-based nerdlingers - Jonathan Ross wants you to geek out. And not just on Friday Night. (See what I did there, Brits? I made a reference to his BBC One show. You are so very lucky to have me!)
• It's Our Year: And on a related note, here's more info from The Guardian regarding their Geek Calendar. Definitely worth watching.
• All About the Eyewear: And in case all that relevant exposition concerning geek culture from our European brethren has left a bad taste in your mouth, here's a particularly vapid showing from our own E Online. You're welcome.
• Badge of Honor: On a more appropriate note, Pennsylvania's The Reading Eagle pulled together an interesting feature on nerd culture's current mainstream appeal. Not exactly a groundbreaking exposé, but a fun read nonetheless.
• In Conclusion – Brits are Awesome: And one more from across the pond. It's a Suite 101 interview with Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer. It's actually a piece I forgot to include in my September NNIB, but B's far too gentile to hold a grudge.
• Dare to be Stupid: Also from Church comes this Austin 360 interview with geeky music luminary Weird Al. It's a surprisingly nerdy offering. Until you remember that it came from Austin.
• Who Charted?: Last month Flowtown charted geek evolution in their own indubitable fashion – via a flow chart. Take a look into our distant past and marvel at our pointlessly segmented present.
• Shocking: From the who'd've-fuckin'-thunk-it file, Church busts out a pair of totally believable revelations. First, KISS's Gene Simmons doesn't understand file-sharing, hackers or the nature of DDoS attacks. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Internets, Something Awful (still) hates you and all that you hold dear.
• Two for the Road: And since this edition is a week late, I will shock and delight you with not one but two closing videos. The first, another find by Brux, is the Lando Calrissian edit of R. Kelly's "Real Talk." The second is from rapper A-1's After School Special mixtape, and it pulls its instrumental hook from a cartoon with which you're likely familiar.

Nerd News in Brief

Today is October 1st, or as I like to call it The First Day of Halloween. In addition to my regularly scheduled nerdy musings, I will no doubt be favoring you with tons of ghoulish distractions over the coming weeks.

I mean, it's what I do!

But for now, dear friends, please enjoy this non-Halloween-themed edition of Nerd News in Brief.

• Pretty and Witty and Bright: Though I am probably not their target audience, I have to kick off this month's NNIB recap by giving a nod to the crew over at Pretty Gamer. It's a site with a firm focus on all things she-nerd related. From game reviews to no-food-in-the-house cooking tips to dating advice, these ladies have you covered. They even recorded their own drunkcast, which pretty much assures their hardcore status.
• The Wooden Anniversary: Five years ago our friends Harry and the Potters helped launch the Harry Potter Alliance with an Amnesty International charity show in their native Massachusetts. To commemorate this anniversary (not to mention the rousing success of the HPA), the guys are doing it again. Catch the Potters, The Whomping Willows, Lauren Fairweather and Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills this Sunday, October 10th at The Center for Arts at the Armory. Be there.
• For the Shorties: On the subject of worthy charities, I'd also like to remind you that October 16th is the date of the 3rd annual Extra Life video game marathon. My good friend Jonny Nero (of Epic Default fame) is taking part to raise money for his local Children's Miracle Network hospital, and the brother needs sponsors. A simple $1.00/hour sponsorship goes a long way, so peep Jonny's personal Extra Life page and please consider donating.
• To the Nines: Nerd rapper extraordinaire Conyeezy is presently working on 9 different albums! In anticipation of this marathon of future releases, 'Yeez just dropped a free 9-track mixtape called Appetizers. It contains one track representative of each larger work, and I suggest you cop it immediately.
• Blowing in the Wind: Also on the new release front, Rappy McRapperson and EPP's MC Wreckshin have just released their impressively titled The 2nd Best Mixtape Ever. Ten songs deep and boasting just a bit more than a half-hour of playtime, 2BME covers all the hip-hop bases – from double rainbows to blowin' dudes. Experience the weirdness.
• They're Undeniable: Are you tired of "California Gurls" parodies? Understandable, but please take a look at one final selection. It's my boy Insane Ian's most recent FuMP – a fun freebie entitled "CosPlaying FanGurls."
• Take a Knee: Recently, nerdcore king and famed hacker YTCracker dropped his iPhone from the 27th floor of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. The phone survived the fall, once and for all demonstrating the true power of science.
• My Closing Argument: Thanks go out to Church for pointing me toward this CNN piece on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock that features some great quotes from Brendon Small. Not the least of which is the astute observation that all musicians are nerds.
• Across the Pond: For those who missed it last week, the BBC profiled MC Frontalot, Scrub Club's MadHatter, Nursehella and Adam WarRock. An accompanying nerdcore-centered edition of the Outriders podcast was also released.
• Say it Bold: Star Trek is often the go-to property when nerds discuss the important progressive sociological underpinnings of science fiction. However, in an interesting (and hilarious) piece at Autostraddle, writer Boylio enumerates the ways in which Trek has failed to stand up for the LGBT community.
• Bubblegum Tate: This edition of Geek vs. Nerd is brought to you by the (voice) cast of Futurama. In early September, the guys sat down with CNN Entertainment's Geek Out to discuss, among other things, cool nerds and the gerds of our future.
• Local Color: The San Francisco Bay Guardian also chimes in on the subject of geeks, nerds and what lies beneath – even going so far as to mine the wisdom of resident "super nerd" Doctor Popular.
• LOL Money: As our esteemed Nerd Chieftain of Fiscal Responsible, Church was happy to hip us to this epistle concerning financial nerds. He also uncovered Merle Hazard, "the first and only country singer to write about mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, and physics." Thank him kindly. 
• Labored Day: And in what I promise is this edition's final rumination concerning nerd identity, author Ethan Gilsdorf recently dropped some knowledge at Psychology Today concerning both Dragon*Con and PAX. And apparently he was really excited to give away a copy of his book!
• Indivisible: Thanks to MaryBeth (AKA: Nagini), I am now completely enamored by the new song/video from Grace "Snidget" Kendall. It's entitled "Soren Lorenson (My Invisible Friend)," and it is a special kind of all-ages awesome!
• Lost Like Locke: And I'd be remiss if I didn't also point y'all toward the latest street-level sermon from the White Shinobi himself T.y.T. Check out the new video single "Life is What You Make of It (2010)" featuring Togo.
• Code Monkey: In other YouTubery, my brother DataVortex turned me onto this coder-centric take on "Alors on Danse" called "And So You Code."
• Hangin' with Your Atari: And though I can't imagine you haven't seen it yet, the new Inverse Phase joint "F___ed 6502 (8-bit Cee Lo - F**k You parody)" is total fucking brilliance.
• Dance. Kill. Laugh. Kill.: Closing us out today is a special treat from AlienBoBZ. September saw the debut gig of Seattle's Supercommuter, and Jarod was there to record the show for posterity! You can cop the live audio from Archive.org and check out full video on the AlienBoBZ YouTube channel. Make sure to give Jarod some love for all the hard work.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 96: Drunk and Awe

I do my best to keep each edition of Radio Free Hipster relatively concise. It's a busy, distinctly modern world out there, and I don't feel comfortable demanding a lot of your time.

The exception to this, of course, is during Drunken Podcasting Month. It's the one time a year when I don't mind letting the show run long. And run long it does.

This year's drunkcast clocks in at nearly 2 hours. During that time Matt, Church and I play a lot of music and talk a lot of shit. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Only, y'know, with less vomiting. 

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 96: Drunk and Awe [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 95.9 MB Running Time: 1:44:47 Subscribe to RFH 

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Spellah and Beefy are like vodka and tonic, or in my case cream soda and root beer schnapps. 

Track 1: Adam WarRock – "Millie Got a Pull List"
I was lucky enough to score a review copy of Adam's The War for Infinity. I'll be sharing my impressions soon. 

1st drunken interlude: Wherein I welcome Matt to the show, we admit to being lazy and I mispronounce the words "kick" and "WarRock."
Matt and I started drinking pretty early on the night we recorded this, so by the time we started actually doing the show we were both pretty far along. It's also worth noting that the more I drink, the worse my accent becomes. I was making vowel sounds not even present in the English language by the time we finally signed off. 

Track 2: Beefy – "One of These Nights"
I now consider this to be the definitive Tanner4105 beat. 

Track 3: Marc with a C – "Laura, I Need Medicine"
I love that Marc rhymes scrotum with "wrote 'em." 

Track 4: Keith Moon & Ringo Starr dialog / Inverse Phase – "Say it ain't sixty-FO"
This Moon/Starr clip is another one that I've had sitting around for ages. 

Track 5: Hidari – "Seishun Marina"
I always enjoy Hidari, but when I drink I'm more likely to try and sing along. 

Track 6: Random – "Drop the Load (Mustin Mix)"
Mustin has a great "making of" vid of this track available via YouTube. 

2nd drunken interlude: Wherein, Matt and I talk about our Nerdapalooza adventures, bullshit about what we're drinking and everyone says "awwwww."
Even now I am weighing my PAX Prime 2011 travel options. For serious. 

Track 7: Southside – "Radar"
Though I failed to state this clearly during the recording session, Southside is my go-to band for drunken listening. 

Track 8: Marc Gunn – "Beer, Beer, Beer"
Marc kicks off a mini-set of explicitly booze-related offerings. 

Track 9: Mary Prankster – "Tits & Whiskey"
Matt says that this one was a bit of a local hit. I can only imagine what a radio edit of it would sound like. 

Track 10: Illbotz – "The Pub That Had No Gin"
Illbotz are the only rap group I know that includes an Irish drinking song on their debut album. Well, I mean, them and House of Pain. 

Track 11: ComputeHer – "Dark Pub"
From Computeher's latest Modemoiselle. 

Track 12: boot error clik – "Punch, UP"
If all goes according to plans, I'll be offering an exclusive boot error clik album for free download later this year! 

3rd drunken interlude: Wherein Church joins us for the drunken revelry, I make my requisite John Waters joke and we encourage people to donate to the Parsec Awards.
You can view Matt talking up nerdcore here, and here's more info on BitGen. 

Track 13: Emergency Pizza Party – "Shine Avenue (TH3HT Dubstep Remix)"
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! 

Track 14: Epic-1 – "Drug of Choice (feat. STD, 1080IP, and ytcracker)"
Schaffer's "I wear a monkey like a backpack, damnit!" is easily one of the best nerdcore hip-hop/drug rock opening lines of all time. 

Track 15: mc chris – "Han Solo"
mc has been doing a lot of these pop song parodies of late. I most definitely approve. 

Track 16: Mighty Mike – "Fuck Henrietta (Cee Lo Green vs. The Fratellis)"
Traditionally, I favor the Drunken Podcasting Month play list with a "Gay Bar" mash-up. This year, however, I decided to switch shit up. 

Track 17: Laura Simpson – "Let's Get It On, Doctor"
I gotta give it up for Laura's The Ood Cast Album. It is filktastic. Consequently, it also Trocks. 

Final drunken interlude: Wherein we get our shine on, Church realizes I that Han and "hon" are homophones in the Deep South and we discuss Tom Baker's fuckability.
The boys seem to believe that RFH needs more filk. What's your take on it? 

Track 18: Shael Riley – "Margaritaville" / outtakes
I talk a lot about hanging out with Shael at Nerdapalooza in-show, so it's only fitting that he closes out the episode.

With Drunken Podcasting Month taken care of, I now look forward to October's Halloween Crap-tacular. As always, it'll boast two seasonally-themed episodes loaded with songs about monsters, cheesy horror movie dialog and candy corn. But mostly candy corn.

After that we'll hit episodes 99 and 100 in November. I anticipate the former will be a theme-free show, and the latter will be a listener-fueled retrospective. Please consider sending me voicemails or classic requests to make sure it doesn't suck!

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 95: The Tribble with Troubles

You will likely notice that this episode features me startlingly sober. Yes, I admit it – I was totally not drunk during the recording of RFH 95.

But fear not, as even now I am finalizing plans for my own annual celebration of Drunken Podcasting Month. My friends Matt and Church will again be joining me for the festivities, and the finished product will be made available to you by month's end.

In the meantime, please enjoy the following musical Star Trekkery.

Yes, that's totally a word now.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 95: The Tribble with Troubles [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 46.7 MB Running Time: 51:01 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
These lads often go where no man has gone before. (That sounded way less nasty in my head.)

Track 1: YTCracker – "These Are the Voyages (feat. Hairetsu)"
Nerd King YTCracker is currently on a Space Mission. You are invited to come along.

Z's 1st interlude: "I don't really have anything to add to that save thank you and… holy shit!"
Yes, folks, you are now listening to an award winning podcast! Now I just need to rejigger the title graphic to reflect this. :)

Track 2: Jayenkai – "Pain (Extended Mix)"
An instrumental version of this track also serves as the background music for this ep.

Track 3: Nerf Herder – "Mr. Spock"
I can't really tell you which I like more – Parry Gripp's solo work or Nerf Herder. Let us just agree that both are awesome.

Track 4: Sci-Fried – "My Name Is Spock 2.0"
One of my favorite moments of Nerdapalooza 2010 was Sci-Fried's performance of this song.

Track 5: Family Guy dialog / Bloodhag – "James Blish"
At the top of my nerd rock wish list is another Bloodhag album.

Track 6: No Kill I – "Vaal"
You can't do a Star Trek podcast without NKI. It's the law!

Track 7: The Scofflaws – "William Shatner"
As suggested by Geek Studies' Jason.

Track 8: Family Guy dialog / Darkmateria – "The Picard Song"
I've been sitting on this audio clip for ages!

Z's 2nd interlude: "Please hit me up with some of your own picks. "
Feel free to let me know which excellent Star Trek jams I missed.

Track 9: Marc Gunn – "A Drop of Vulcan Blood"
From Marc's brand new release Kilted for Her Pleasure.

Track 10: William Shatner dialog / Warp 11 – "Belt Buckle Tractor Beam"
Did I use this Star Trek episode as an excuse to play one of the most offensive Warp 11 tracks? Maybe.

Track 11: Ookla the Mok – "Mr. W."
Am I the only one with any faith in Worf as a captain?!

Track 12: Klenginem – "SuvwI'pu' qan tu'lu'be'"
My Klingon is deplorable.

Z's final interlude: "A very special 5-year mission of its very own."
That mission? World domination!

Track 13: Lab Rat – "Star Trek Theme (Remix)"
It's always hard for me to work tracks this lengthy into the podcast, but it seemed like a perfect way to wind this episode down.

I have to offer some extra special thanks to resident Trekkie/er Church H. Tucker for helping out with the song selections for this ep. Though it proved a little hip-hop deficient, I think it came together quite nicely. I sincerely hope you feel the same.

As I stated earlier, the recording of the annual drunkcast is still being hammered – Hammered! Get it? – out at present, but I'll make it a point to get it to you in a timely manner. In the meantime, keep an ear open for incoming drunken revelry from many of my distinguished peers.

And remember – it's Drunken Podcasting Month all September long!

Nerd News in Brief

Given the recent unfortunate developments in the nerdcore scene, it makes sense that certain events from other communities may have stayed off your radar due to the, y'know, pressing drama. However, before I delve into another edition of Nerd News in Brief, I'd like to pause to mark a genuinely unfortunate passing from within the stylistically adjacent Wizard Rock/Nerdfighter community.

Earlier this week, 16-year-old scene staple Esther Earl passed away due to cancer-related complications. In lieu of flowers, the family has instead requested memorials donations, including those made to a charity organization that bears her name. A fall tour featuring friends The Whomping Willows and Lauren Fairweather will also be collecting donations specifically to help her grieving family with the various related medical bills.

Just a little something to think about.

• Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Gitmo: On a (very slightly) happier Potter-related note, check out this list of primarily geek lit books popular among prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. Reading truly is fundamental.
• Defense Against the Dark Arts: A UK university is currently offering a course focused on the world of Harry Potter, with special emphasis on the societal implications of the work. But how long before you can major in Muggle Studies?
• Behold My Buying Power: Late last month my blogging brother Jason Tocci passed on a piece from Ad Week. It concerns consumers "embracing geekdom," and even goes so far as to innumerate geeky traits. Everybody wants a piece of that nerd dollar!
• We're Doing it Wrong: Shael Riley and my boy Church both recently unearthed this 7-year-old internet gem - The Five Geek Social Fallacies. My only complaint is these apply to non-geeks as well. GSF4, for example, has become my mother-in-law's veritable calling card.
• Bad Advice is Still Free: Shael also provided me with some helpful, if second-hand, advice from 4chan's Advice Dog. In song, no less.
• Dance, Clone, Dance!: From my old pal Larry comes news of the newly released "special edition" of Danny Choo's Tokyo Stormtrooper dance. Like all special editions, it comes complete with ridiculous CGI.
• Conspicuous Consumption: Also from Larry comes this handy list of geek/tech-inspired products. Because who doesn't need a Twitter-themed throw pillow?
• Tag and Release: The Nerdcore For Life documentary is finally available on DVD! Experience the highs and the lows of early Rhyme Torrents-era nerdcore hip-hop like never before. I mean, unless you were there to experience it the first time.
• Itty Bitty: Reader Jim hipped me to this amazing chiptune symphony, which he originally found via NPR. The single microchip mounted in the CD case literally "performs" the minimalist, electronic composition for you!
• KLLS PXLS DED: Other news on the chip music front concerns a fresh release from I KILL PXLS. His incredibly funky self-titled album is available via Bandcamp as a digital release for a mere $5, or with a limited edition t-shirt for $15. Give it a listen, and hit Marques with some money!
• Under Cover of Darkness: While you're Bandcamping, don't forget to check out the new Retrocovered album from Inverse Phase as well. I all but guarantee that it'll contain your new favorite instrumental chiptune cover of The Cars classic "Just What I Needed."
• Chip on His Shoulder: Antisoc was one of many readers to point me toward this homemade chiptune synthesizer. The "Chipophone" is truly a miracle of personal ingenuity. Not to mention a nice way to skirt the UK's new rules concerning homebrew game copiers. 
• Never Too Early: Those in adjoining localities to my own humble burg will want to know that Dual Core will be joining hometown heroes ThoughtCriminals at Charlotte's Milestone on September the 24th. That's a Friday, so please come out and get drunk with us!
• Back in Blue: Though not as innovative as some of their other video projects, Seattle's Kirby Krackle has released a minimalist sing-along video for their Mega Man-inspired track "On and On." Peep the hotness.
• Now They Really Do: And speaking of retro video game goodness, have you checked out the interactive flash game at the official I Fight Dragons web site? It's further (nerdy) proof that success hasn't changed 'em.
• Coder Girl: Another pointer from Church led me to this Tech Crunch article about Lady Java, an unholy blend of Lady GaGa and the Java programming language. It's… certainly something.
• Geek Couture: I have long joked that my friend Jarvis and I should start a blog called FashioNerd. If we ever did, this shit right here would be our first post.
• The Art Wants What it Wants: While the games as art debate still rages on, the Smithsonian has decided to throw its weight behind gamer culture. To that end a special "Art of Video Games" exhibit will run March 16 through September 30 of 2012.
• What the Fuck: By now everyone has likely experienced contemporary YouTube classic "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury." What you probably haven't seen is this. It's okay to laugh. Really.
• Join my Guild: Church also kicks in this Psychology Today piece on geek community. It actually contains some interesting observations concerning our tribe and its sacred rites (ie: Comic-Con.)
• You Can't Resist the Force: The Guardian weighs in on the fact that we, apparently, run Hollywood. Not sure how the recent Scott Pilgrim flop plays into this theory, though.
• Until it Sounded Like a Symphony: Oh, and we also run the orchestra pit. No, not really.
• Dare to be Stupid: Church's nerd ink round-up features some fine selections from Comic-Con, not to mention tattooed LEGO minifigs! Oh, and also this.That is some serious dedication to Weird Al.
• Tyler Durden: This last discovery from Church – a CNN post about potential nerd exploitation – could well go into our growing "geek chic" file. Although considering that it opens with references to D20s and The New Mutants, I'm sort of beginning to wonder if… maybe I wrote it?
• Soft Rocked by Him: For those who may have missed it, Big Think recently conducted a great interview with nerd rock troubadour Jonathon Coulton. It's in video form. With full frontal beard.
• See It, Believe It: Other videos of note include a live MC Frontalot/Wheatus collab, MC Sex's bawdy tribute to the classic NES and the age-old pastime of boning and a musical meditation on the girls of Comic-Con. (Yeah, I'm getting all those long-delayed post-Comic-Con news items out of the way here.)
• The Year 4153: In other YouTubery, I have been enjoying Rappy McRapperson's channel a lot of late. Don't get me wrong, I totally don't fucking understand Rappy a good bit of the time, but it still makes for some entertaining watchin'.
• Nerd Lust: Closing out this edition of NNIB is the oddly appealing "I Kissed a Nerd." It's the perfect companion piece to another recently discovered tribute to nerd love. Watch it in good health, and then lip-lock your dream dork.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 90: Nerdy Black Summer

There are rare occasions when it is acceptable to name a podcast after a Danzig song. Unfortunately, I am unsure whether or not this is such an occasion.

But what are you gonna do?

Yes, it's another sticky summer here in the southeast, so I am all but honor-bound to hit you up with my yearly musical celebration of the hot weather. That's not the entire sum of this episode, mind you, but it proved solid enough bedrock upon which to build a show.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 90: Nerdy Black Summer [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 49.5 MB Running Time: 54:05

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Because nothing says "summertime is here" quite like Beefy and Spellah! 

Track 1: The Garthim-Master – "Welcome to the Internet"
Who knew skekUng had such insight concerning modern electronic communications? 

Z's 1st interlude: "You'll likely notice a few recurring motifs."
This show doesn't have a theme, but instead focuses on summer jams, new releases and listener requests. 

Track 2: Beefy – "Smiles Times [feat. Epic-1 & Schaffer the Darklord]"
Matt suggested this one. I had another With Sprinkles song in mind to simply file under "new hotness," but since this one both has a summer feel and was a request, it gets the hat trick. 

Track 3: Parry Gripp – "Me and You and Pikachu"
Not exactly a new release (it's from January), but vaguely summery with its talk of islands and whatnot. 

Track 4: Math the Band – "Hang Out-Hang Ten"
A song not at all about surfing, but still possessing a certain fun-in-the-sun aesthetic. 

Track 5: Xoc – "Beetlejuice – Sandworm Planet"
This one rounds out a trio of vaguely beach-related tracks, what with its surf rock guitar. And since I haven't plugged it in a while, Xoc's Cinema 80s is the shit. 

Track 6: Bumper: "Bonebat Comedy of Horrors Film Festival Promo"
Since I actually stole the idea of including bumpers for other podcasts in-episode from The Bonebat Show, it seemed only fitting that the first time I do so should reference their Comedy of Horrors film festival. 

Track 7: DJ Topcat – "The Safety Booty" / Tycho Brahe dialog
Do the Ying-Yang twins make constant lyrical reference to onomatopoeia that only they understand, or is it just me? 

Track 8: Americans UK – "John Loves Wayne"
Another brand new release. It's quickly become my new favorite Am UK track. 

Z's 2nd interlude: "Which you may remember from episode 89."
Big thanks to all who listened to, commented on and shared my recent Wil Wheaton mixtape! 

Track 9: MC Gigahertz – "Summertime is Over [feat. OG Don Vito]"
Recently released as a part of the 2010 Puget Sound mixtape, this single was made freely available by new nerdcore netlabel Roll A Twenty. 

Track 10: John Anealio – "Unicorn Pegasus Kitten"
I'm not sure if John's musical interpretation can legally be entered in the fan fic contest it references, but if so it totally deserves to win. 

Track 11: The Kleptones – "Voodoo Sabotage (Beastie Boys vs. The Prodigy vs. Pendulum)"
This one's for my UK brother Talkie_Tim. He wanted to hear a "Sabotage" mash-up, so I pulled this one out of the collection. 

Track 12: Emergency Pizza Party – "The Easy Way" / Hot Shots dialog
I should have a review of the new EPP release Shine Avenue up later this week. In the meantime, enjoy this: it's musical highpoint. 

Track 13: Pixelh8 – "Spiral"
This Pixelh8 track is so new I don't even know if it's been officially released yet. It's from his forthcoming double-album The Schematic. 

Track 14: Calogero – "Pomme C"
And this one's for my pal Church. It popped up on Macenstein last month, and he all but demanded I include it in the rotation. 

Z's final interlude: "I will simply bid you adieu."
I really enjoy bidding you adieu. I like to think it makes us both feel fancy! 

Track 15: Matt Ryd – "California Gurls"
And before anyone says it, yes, I know Matt is actually a Chicago Boy.

I should be able to pull together one more episode before Nerdapalooza, but the content of that show is still up in the air. I've invited both Hex Warrior and Krondor Krew's Masu on to talk about the festival if time allows. If not, I'll simply improvise.

I'm also currently fielding requests regarding a post-Nerdapalooza wrap-up show, and, if you can believe it, recording a special episode on-site. While the former sounds doable, I'm a little iffy on the latter. Still, it doesn't hurt to investigate. I'll simply do whatever I can to properly convey the Nerdapalooza experience to those unable to attend.

Because I'm a giver! ;)