For Reals

Dan Lamoureux tells a good tale; he spins a good yarn , as my grandmother would say. In his upcoming documentary Nerdcore For Life, Dan weaves the tale of a quiet, unassuming, geeky little corner of the hip-hop spectrum, and how this tiny sub-genre is, slowly but surely, making its mark on the overall consciousness of American popular culture.

For me, personally, Dan is the greatest nerdcore story ever told. He came into the scene an outsider, an observer, but he soon found out that the dorky denizens of the nerdcore community were, in fact, his kind of people. He has further translated this new-found passion for geeky rhymes into his already considerable cinematic effort.

I can relate.

Though I know some among the ranks may disagree with his philosophy, his formula, I see in Dan a kindred spirit. You don't have to pick up a mic to love nerdcore. You don't have to cut a record to support it. You just have to feed it a little of your talent, a serving of your ascribed skill, and it'll continue to grow.

Dan was nice enough to take some time away from cultivating his own project to support mine. While I'm sure I didn't answer all the questions you might have about the man behind the movie, I hope I at least afford you a glimpse into the mind of a talented filmmaker and nerdcore super-fan.

This is Dan Lamoureux. He's telling our story, so it only seemed fair for me to tell his.

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Though you've recounted the tale time and time again, would you mind explaining the genesis of the Nerdcore For Life documentary? What sparked the idea, and, further, what made you actually decide to undertake the project?

I first got the idea to do a film about Nerdcore after seeing an mc chris show. As soon as I got home I googled the phrase “Nerdcore documentary.” I couldn't believe there wasn't already one in the works. I spent a few months researching the genre but at some point I got it in my head that instead of making the film I should go to Japan and teach English. That became my new obsession for a while and I was almost positive I was going to go. I had an interview scheduled with an English school based here in Chicago and I started learning Japanese. But nerdcore was still on the back of my mind and I started to feel guilty about not making the film. I had two choices: 1. Go to Japan for a year, make some money and have some fun or 2. Add thousands of dollars worth of debt onto my already gigantic pile of credit card and student loan bills and maybe make a film that might have a shot at getting into the Boise Underground Film Festival. Then one day out of the blue, a friend of mine mentioned Nerdcore. To my surprise he not only knew of the genre but he told me that he and some other people he knew were into Ytcracker. The conversation made me feel like Nerdcore was just starting to creep out of the underground and that maybe the timing was perfect for a film about the genre. I was literally driving to my interview with the English school when I decided that if I wanted to be a filmmaker for-reals I had better suck it up, spend some money, stay in the US and make the most kick-ass rapping nerd documentary ever.

You've stated publicly that you came into the project as a casual observer, and it wasn't until later that you actually found yourself a fan of nerdcore. When did this change occur? Is there a specific moment or event that you can pinpoint?

In the middle of the Shark Club show I realized how much I was enjoying myself. It was a great show and I remember thinking, “I can't believe it, but this is my kind of music.”

But to be honest, not all nerdcore is my cup of tea. It seems to me that there are too many people are out there making Nerdcore for the sake of making nerdcore. Delivery and production values have taken a back seat to lyrical content. But having hyper-geeky rhymes isn't enough. The primary focus of any nerdcore artist should be to create the best hip-hop possible. There are a lot of haters out there and the only way Nerdcore is ever going to be respected by mainstream hip-hop fans is if Nerdcore artists step their game up. But growing pains aside, I would call myself a pretty big nerdcore fan.

For many months, the working title of the documentary was Project: Nerdcore. Where did the amended title come from and at what point did you decide to make the switch?

The original title of the doc was going to be Nerdcore: A Brief History of Geeksta Rap but I decided to ditch that one after some artists expressed their displeasure with the term “Geeksta.” Project: Nerdcore became the generic placeholder title. It just easily could have been Dan Lamoureux's Untitled Nerdcore Documentary Project .

Due to involvement with his own documentary Nerdcore Rising, nerdcore's de facto founder MC Frontalot was unable to appear in Nerdcore For Life . Did this disappoint you at all?

As a Frontalot fan it's disappointing that I wasn't able to interview him or feature him in the film. But there's still hope that MCF will be able to make some kind of cameo.

Do you feel that his omission would hurt your project artistically?

I hate to sound like a jerk but my grandma doesn't know who MC Frontalot is. Film festival programmers don't know who MC Frontalot is. Film distributors don't know who MC Frontalot is. Out of the 680,000+ people that watched the NC4L trailer on YouTube, only about 40 people left comments saying "How could you leave out MCF!?" For 99% of people who see the doc, the film will be their first exposure to the world of nerdcore. The omission of MC Frontalot would hurt the project's accuracy but it by no means lessens the impact of the overall film. It would just bug me personally. I mean, where the hell do I get off making a movie about Nerdcore that doesn't include MC Frontalot!? What am I, crazy?

Fortunately the world of Nerdcore beyond Frontalot is so awesomely unique and interesting that I think even his die-hard fans will be able to overlook his "omission." There's a slim chance that Frontalot may be able make some kind of appearance in Nerdcore For Life , but if legal circumstances require me to leave him out I don't think the average viewer would cry foul over his absence. Still, the film would never feel complete to me without him.

This, of course, brings me to the inevitable question; is the world ready for two nerdcore documentaries?

If you're a Netflixer, add these two movies to your queue: Starwoids and A Galaxy Far, Far Away. Both of them are documentaries about obsessive Star Wars fans. Both of them feature cameos by Star Wars Mix-Master The Sucklord. Both of them were shot at the same time in the same city. But most importantly the major focus of both films is the people who waited in line at Mann's Chinese theater to see the premiere of Episode I. They feature the exact same people doing the exact same thing in both films yet the two movies turned out very differently. You know, I've also seen two documentaries about the world of professional Scrabble players. The two films featured exactly the same group of players as they competed in different tournaments. If you watch the trailer it's pretty clear that the two nerdcore docs are going to be pretty different. I think there's room enough for both Nerdcore docs on Netflix.

Is the world ready for nerdcore hip-hop?

Nope. Mainstream hip-hop fans aren't going to accept Nerdcore and neither will most nerds. No matter how honest Nerdcore is traditional rap fans will see it as a joke or novelty. And most nerdy folks HATE rap music. Lyrical content doesn't matter. They'll never listen to it. The audience for Nerdcore is incredibly small. If you're like me and can appreciate rap that features witty lyrics and are a bit of a dork then nerdcore is for you. There aren't a lot of people out there like that though.

The landscape of nerdcore has changed drastically over the past year. Do you feel that Nerdcore For Life is at all responsible for such change?

You can't study something without influencing its behavior I guess. The cheapo little website I put together for the doc was the first site to be devoted solely to the genre of nerdcore. Besides the ever changing Wikipedia entry, my site was the first to offer up some kind of listing of different artists. I'm guessing a lot of people learned about rappers they had never heard of from the "artists" section of my site. Ytcracker suggested that I add some girl named MC Router to the film's roster even though she wasn't out there promoting herself as being nerdcore. Fans would have heard of her eventually since she's an unstoppable force, but I like to think that I helped introduce her to the community in a way. I also gave Router her first switchblade which I hear she carries with her at all times.

In the grander scheme I think the project and the website helped people realize that there was much more to nerdcore than just mc chris and MC Frontalot. I also hope that in some way the whole film has been a confidence boost for the people involved. Unfortunately, I've also been pretty sloppy at times and I think that the film has caused a lot of discord in the community. Hopefully those problems are in the past though.

Would you describe nerdcore in its current form as a community, a scene, a movement, or something entirely different?

Really, I don't even know at this point. What I do know is that Nerdcore is a small but legitimate musical genre. Unlike most genres though, in Nerdcore the line between musicians and fans is almost non-existent. So in that way it's very unique and gives the genre a communal feel. But I've come to think of Nerdcore as pastime, just like playing video games is a pastime. Some gamers go pro and play in tournaments but most of people play video games because it's fun and challenging. Maybe someday you'll be able to play “Nerdcore Hero” on your PS5 or buy audio production software that's specifically aimed at the Nerdcore market.

What, in your opinion, is the current state of nerdcore hip-hop?

The clock is running on Nerdcore. It's no longer an internet secret. If there aren't 200 new nerdcore rappers out there this time next year then that's a good sign that the genre is pretty much bound for musical extinction. If people continue to make nerdcore for fun and as a hobby, the genre will endure. If people start thinking that they're going to get famous because of nerdcore the game is over.

It's hypothetical question time. You've just received the Palme d'Or for Nerdcore For Life. (Don't laugh.) While accepting this most prestigious honor, whom do you thank first?

A ton of people have gone to great lengths to help me out with this project. If I had to pay for all the labor and equipment I've gotten for free the budget would be at least $25,000. But Honestly, I'd probably first have to thank the guy who's been getting me the equipment I need to shoot and edit the whole project. I don't have any money to buy or rent anything so a friend of mine sneaks gear out of work whenever I need something. We literally meet in an alleyway behind the building he works in and he slips the stuff into my car. For risking his job I once bought him a burrito. It was a good burrito but still I owe that guy big time.

There was a rush of interest when the trailer for Nerdcore For Life appeared on YouTube. Were you surprised by the response?

Man I was shocked. Some development guys that are interested in being involved in the film asked that I cut together a trailer really quick so they could show it to their boss. I had to get the thing cut right away so I was only able to put about 40 hours into it. I assumed that I would eventually go back and tighten up the trailer, adjust the sound mix and add some fancy graphics and stuff but since it was essentially done, I figured I might as well put it on YouTube so that the artists in the film could see what I've been up to. I sent the link out to about 25 people so I was shocked when I noticed that the trailer had been viewed over 150 times the first day! I was amazed by the reaction then and I've been amazed ever since. If I rattled off the list of film festivals, production companies and development teams that contacted me because they saw the trailer it would blow your mind. I try and keep most of that to myself since I don't want to get anybody's hopes up. I'll say this though; the number one film fest that I wanted to enter the doc into was South By Southwest. Their entry deadline was December 8th but after the trailer was posted two different people from the fest actually wrote me wanting to know the status of the film. They said they'd still consider accepting it if I submitted it to them right away. They'd even waive the admission fee. The film wouldn't be done in time for the fest in March but it was really an ego boost to hear from them.

You've spent the last year steeped in the musical side of nerd culture. Are there any favorite artists or personalities within the scene to which you feel particularly drawn?

Sure. I should be diplomatic, though, and refrain from naming names.

Was there a specific, defining moment during the filming that you realized that things had really started coming together, that the project really had legs?

The first performance I filmed was Monzy at Stanford. He gave the speech that you hear in the trailer and I couldn't believe how perfect it was. I couldn't have written something better than that if I tried and when I heard that monologue I knew that film could wind up being something people would actually want to you know, like, watch.

You recently said that you had “a pretty good idea of how the final film would be put together” before the recent shows at The Beauty Bar and CES. What happened in Las Vegas that so drastically changed your outlook on the final cut?

The plan for months had been to end the film with footage of The Shark Club show. It would have been perfect since it was basically the world's first all nerdcore concert. Well now I have footage of several all nerdcore concerts. If I use CES or Bocon footage in the middle of the film then the impact of Nerdcore Night is lost since viewers have already seen other all-nerdcore shows. Messing with the outline of the film at his point is kinda scary but I'm starting to get an idea of how to handle things.

Though Nerdcore For Life is still, doubtlessly, taking up the bulk of your creative energies, have you given any thought to a follow-up project? What sort of things can we expect from Dan Lamoureux in the future?

For a while I've been thinking of shooting a documentary about people who are obsessed with Halloween. The web is rife with websites related to Halloween and there are people out there that take their love of the holiday to unimaginable extremes. They spend every day of the year preparing for October 31st. So it'll either be called Dan Lamoureux's Untitled Halloween Enthusiast documentary or Halloween, 365 . If that doesn't work out, there's always porno. I bet there's a big market out there for nerd-themed porn. Maybe when MC Frontalot's exclusivity agreement expires I can get him to appear in a cinematic version of Yellow Laser Beams. It'd be nice to work with him eventually.

I've got some friends in the business. We'll talk. ;)

Tell the truth, Dan; are you a nerd?

To call me a nerd would be an offense to nerds. Nerds are smart and have marketable skills. I'm dumb as a bag of hammers. I also don't have many traditional-nerd hobbies. I don't play video games, I haven't bought an action figure since they stopped making the World of Springfield toys, I never read comic books, I'd rather have Karl Olson shoot heroin into my eye than watch anime, except for Rhyme Torrents I stay out of forums, and I couldn't build something mechanical to save my life. I've got some nerdy interests like cartoons, astronomy and documentaries about Scrabble, I guess, but I'm really more of a dork than a nerd. Dorks are socially awkward and shy oddballs and that's what I am. Plus my business cards announce to the world that I'm a professional A/V technician. I might as well wear a scarlet D on my chest.

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I once watched a nature show in which a team of biologists hoisted a tiger shark from the briny deep, attached a satellite tag to its dorsal fin using what appeared to be a Stanley drill, and then chucked the poor critter back into the sea, content in the knowledge that this contravention would in no way interfere with their mission to gauge the beast's “natural patterns.” Dan takes a bit more of a realistic look concerning the impact that he and his film continue to have on the environment of nerdcore hip-hop.

More than that, Dan appreciates his influence over nerdcore's continued growth and development, he owns up to it. Shit, he gave Router a knife, which, while probably not the most lucid of decisions, certainly illustrates his kinship with the inhabitants of the realm known as nerdcore.

Nerdcore is that rare bird of a community, the one where should you attempt to insinuate yourself, even in the loosest capacity as spectator, chronicler, into its ranks, you generally find yourself welcomed with open arms. If you're nerdy, even in a relative sense, and if you're open-minded enough to dip your toe in, then you're probably the exact kind of person that the scene exists to attract.

Through the labor of love that is Nerdcore For Life , Dan Lamoureux is expanding upon this formula. The trailer alone has helped to spread the good word of geeky hip-hop to countless sympathetic individuals that may not have otherwise had the opportunity to discover that they too share our passion.

And that, my friends, is nerd love. For reals.

More Nerd News in Brief

Yesterday, your old pal Z. took a day off. Not simply from blogging, mind you, but from his real job as well. I spent this entire, unseasonably warm day with my loving wife and our lively son.

I am fucking exhausted.

Here's some stuff that came to light while I was chasing Little X. through the local shopping mall.

• Rhyme Torrents Volume VI is live!: Well, mostly. The torrent itself doesn't seem available, but the tracks are up for individual download. I haven't had the chance to give it the whole of my attention just yet (as I'm still weighing the merits of Ultraklystron's new release Romance Language), but the track list alone has me very excited. It features old favorites like MC Lars, familiar faces with new names such as the recently re-christened Dead Circuits, and new hotness like Florida's Krondor Krew. For my money, though, it doesn't get more thrilling than seeing that myf has dropped another classic. So tell me, what are your favorites?
• Seek (nerdy shit) and ye shall find: My nerd blogging brother from another mother, Glenn of Nerd-Music, has recently set about crafting a nerd music search engine using Google Co-op. Of course Matt and I couldn't well let him have all that fun alone! If you'd like to chip in on this collective effort, hit Glenn up for specifics, or, if you prefer to be all furtive, the service is also set so that anyone may become an immediate volunteer.
• Emusic: My pal (and constant source of information and amusement) Church just hipped me to Emusic's 23 promotional offer. It's( apparently) 23 free songs + 12 bonus songs. Church tried it out and cut through the red tape on your behalf. The skinny? “Eh, you have to be a new user, and you have to sign up for one of their programs (you can do the basement option which gives you two weeks to bow out.) Not as cool as I thought at first, but possibly still worth mentioning.” I'd definitely say so. Thanks for the tip, Church!
• Try as I might, I simply can't come up with a headline for this item that isn't completely inappropriate…: Router (and her much talked-about boob tat) were just featured on Boing Boing! And now I propose a moment of silence for all the dirty jokes I didn't make. [bows head reverently] Thanks to Church, Brüx, and all y'all other cats who hipped me to this one! Apparently all this press has been nothing but good for MC Router, as the following pic illustrates.
  

Nerd News in Brief

As I sat down to begin my Monday morning ritual of writing NNIB, I felt a little worried. Had that much really happened in the world of nerd music over the weekend? Were there really any pertinent items or occurrences coming down the pipe that warranted my attention? Was there, indeed, anything to write about at all?

And then I checked my notes.

Um… yeah, there are a few things I could maybe talk about.

• How can I ‘splain it?: Author Jason Tanz would like to invite those of you in the NY area to attend a release party this Wednesday (February 28 th ) for his book OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY: A SHADOW HISTORY OF HIP-HOP IN WHITE AMERICA. The events kick off at 7:00 PM with a panel discussion at Housing Works Used Book Café at 126 Crosby St. in New York. The party starts after the discussion, right across the street from the bookstore, at 109 Crosby St. Show up and give Jason some nerd love.
• Boycott the RIAA month: An event that everyone can take part in, regardless of geographical location, is GIZMODO's RIAA boycott. This March, the GIZMODO team asks that you refrain from purchasing any album put out by an RIAA label. Instead it is suggested that you use your money to support your favorite independent artists and major label artists through more direct means (i.e.: seeing them live, buying their merch, or, better yet, buying their merch at a concert.) Need help separating the sheep from the goats? RIAA Radar has got you covered. Thanks to my boy Church for hipping me to this.
• Calling all nerd girls: Church also called my attention to Inkling Magazine's She's Such a Geek photo contest. E-mail a submission that best suits the caption “OMG she's such a geek!” to Anne before midnight, February 28th, 2007. The winner (announced Wednesday March 7 th ) will receive a poster of classic nerd gal Lady Lovelace Ada Byron. You can't get more geek than that!
• Nerdy lady: Speaking of geeky girls, here are some pics of our very own MC Router giving up the nerd love to her beloved fans and fellow revelers at a recent gig. These pics contain no bloody cleavage. Sorry to disappoint.
• “She's big on this nerdcore scene.”: MC Router (and her all-important tat) also got a recent shout-out on daily comedy podcast The Distorted View Show. Don't believe me? MC Inadequate provides unequivocal proof.
• Nerdcore Mixtape 1: Nerdcore/techno artist and all purpose code-monkey Enerbrat has put together his own nerdcore mixtape. Download it and give it a listen. And, once you're done with that, why not make your own?
• Like regular fiends, only more super: But what if you want new music for your (alleged) mixtape? Brand new songs that only a scant few have heard before? Then funky49 and Redvoid have got a surprise for you! Rising to the outrageous challenge of the RPM project, The Superfiends (funk and Red's tag team moniker) have just unleashed the power and fury of Divebombing on eardrums everywhere. “ Samurai L. Jackson ” is a personal favorite.
• I miss Dumbledore: For those of you interested in Wizard Rock, my pal Matt from Headphone Sacrament has been doing a good bit of musing on the subject of late. Check out his blog and enjoy the fruits of his laborious diggings into the (supernatural) musical underground.
• HP don't just stand for Harry Potter: In Hipster, please! news, slowly but surely many of my recent projects seem to be coming to fruition. My interview with Nerdcore For Life director and all around super guy Dan Lamoureux, for example, should be posted later this week. Likewise, RFH18, an episode tentatively centered on edutainment, should be up the first or second week in March.
• A space of my own: And lastly, with much trepidation, I have finally elected to create a MySpace for Hipster, please! I've never been too crazy about the service, but I know a lot of the artists that I feature do much of their PR and fan interaction through MySpace so it seemed like a good way to help me track their movements and breeding patterns. If any of y'all would like to befriend a humble blogger, I'd be glad to reciprocate.

We're off to see the Widget

Hipster, please! readers are the best readers in the world.

I’m not being conceited when I say that. Shit, I’m still a little uncomfortable with the fact that I actually have readers, but the stats don’t lie and neither do the comments. I’m light-years away from the Penny Arcade level of mass devotion, but there are folks out there who read every post and download every podcast, and, though you are far from legion, I appreciate you one and all. (I even appreciate those of you who just wander through intermittently.)

The relatively small number (I hesitate to use the phrase “Faithful Seven,” as that one’s already been called) of you is actually a bit of a perk within itself. Most of you aren’t merely faceless IP addresses, but genuine, jovial personalities with whom I interact regularly. Whether it’s the very nerdcore artists that I blog about, my fellow nerdy writers, or new and refreshingly creative forces that share with me their time and their talent, I genuinely enjoy your company and I humbly thank you for your time.

The Internet is a big, lonely place, but I feel like I’ve got real allies here. Moreover, I often feel like you give so much and ask so little.

Anyone who’s read more than a single post here is familiar with the name churchhatestucker. Church makes delightfully nerdy videos using stock footage, geeky tunes, and a wealth of personal creativity. He also keeps me abreast of news on many fronts. Hell, he even goes out of his way to comment on my posts. Even the boring ones!

Church decided, completely without compulsion on my part, to craft the world’s first Hipster, please! Widget. It works as follows:

“It ... shows the last five headlines. Clicking them opens the article in your browser. It was created with the beta of Apple's upcoming Dashcode application. As I get used to Dashcode, I'll probably be adding functionality, most likely some way of tapping your new RFH feed.”

If any of you possess both a Widget-friendly OS and the mad urge to populate your desktop with live links to my musings, this is surely the best way to do so.

Enormous thanks go to Church for putting this together on my behalf. To misquote Wayne’s World, I am truly unworthy.

Y'all're too nice to me. I mean it.

More Nerd News in Brief

Believe it or not, there have actually been events that have transpired this week that are totally unrelated to Britney Spears. I shit you not. Here are some of the nerdier examples.

• I must move to Seattle!: Despite the efforts of a shitty soundman to the contrary, it looks as though Ultraklystron's Romance Language release event was a successful and enjoyable endeavor. J-nerd princess Rai was nice enough to provide a little photographic documentation of the event, and MC Tanuki chimed in with some supplementary audio.
  
• A Rock Opera 2001 Years in the Making: Dead Circuit's Mr. Fingers just hipped the nerdcore community to a little musical he and his brother put together. ODYSSEY! is “a parody of the Arthur C. Clarke/Stanley Kubrick novel and screenplay of 2001: A Space Odyssey.” The soundtrack is available for purchase and sample tracks can be found at the project's MySpace .
  
• Scriggle-it, just a little bit: Long-time Hipster, please! supporter Antisocial has just informed me of a new tool that many of you nerd musicians should be made aware of. Scriggle-it is, in short, a Web utility that handles mailing lists for bands. Sign-up is free, and it features the abilities to electronically collect fan contact info through your site or MySpace, easily manage email campaigns, track fan demographics, and create electronic press kits. Soc even talked them into adding “Nerd” as a musical genre, allowing for combinations such as Nerd + Rap, Nerd + Punk, Nerd + Emo, Nerd + Metal, Nerd + Pop, etcetera. If you think you may be interested, why not take a look?
  
• Now you'll just have to get ‘em as Best Buy!: Super Dragon X recently mentioned this NY Times article concerning the further absurdities of the RIAA-ordered January 16th arrests of DJs Drama and Don Cannon for – and let's be honest about this – making mixtapes . Such compilations are an integral part not only of the hip hop underground, but also a secondary distribution system that major labels rely on to promote artists both old and new. At the end of the day, mixtapes are no more damaging to artists than mash-ups or independent podcasts. This is simply another clear example of industry avarice.
  
• Housekeeping: You may or may not have noticed, but there have been some subtle changes made around Hipster, please! Chiefly, I have finally rectified my host URL; I am now officially located at hipsterplease.com, but fear not, for all the old links citing me as hipsterplease.blogspot.com should auto-forward. Also, in addition to the new RSS feed for the blog, I have now cobbled together a functional (and iTunes-friendly) dedicated feed for Radio Free Hipster. Feel free to subscribe if you feel so led.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 17: Crush, Boom, Bang

In 1955, soul quartet The Four Aces told us that “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing.” The Everly Brothers countered this claim a scant five years later by saying, simply, “Love Hurts.” Honestly, both assertions were pretty accurate, but any nerd among us has already figured that much out.

When I put together Radio Free Hipster Ep. 11 “Broken Glasses, Broken Heart,” most of y’all seemed to enjoy it, and, truthfully, I enjoyed it as well, but, looking back, I feel as though I might’ve painted too stark a picture of modern romance. It was fun and funny, but maybe a bit unfair.
So in this, my follow-up of sorts, I’ve elected to focus on love songs that are equally complicated, equally rich, but (hopefully) not such a damned downer.

Of course there are songs about romance gone wrong, infidelity, and rejection, but there are also tracks about good, old-fashioned lust, friendship, and the ever-important attributes and attitudes that our artists look for in the perfect mate.

Hopefully, you’ll find a track or two with which you can identify, or at least a couple that you dig.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 17: Crush, Boom, Bang [mirror provided by Antisocial ] Size: 43.7 MB Running Time: 47:47

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy ) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
I love this song. It treats me right and it never asks where I’ve been.
Track 1: Braces Tower - “I Can’t Explain, Okay?”
I’m a bit of a mod, ergo I’ve been trying to work a Who track into this podcast for a while. Mission accomplished.
Z’s 1^st interlude: “Originally this ep. was gonna drop in time for Valentine’s Day.”
But that shit just didn’t happen.

Track 2: Buddy Holly - “I’m Gonna Love You Too”
There’s just something a little too insistent about this track. I love ya, Buddy, but just leave that poor girl alone.

Track 3: Jon Cryer and Andrew Dice Clay – dialogue / A+D - “Love Will Tear You Apart / She Wants Originality”
“Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge, “Love Will Tear us Apart” by Joy Division, and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus are structurally the same song. Who knew?

Track 4: Beefy -“wonderfulamazing”
Beefy really puts it all out on the table in this track. There are times when I’m listening to it that I feel like I shouldn’t be; times when I feel that he’s telling me secrets and relating details I really shouldn’t know. I totally give it up to Beef for having the balls to make a song this personal.

Track 5: The Cars - “Since You’re Gone”
For my money, I think The Cars may’ve been even nerdier than Devo. With Devo you knew what you were getting, but The Cars were more subtle. You’d just be watching MTV one day and go Holy shit! Look at those dorks!

Track 6: Switchblade Kittens - “Ode to Harry Potter”
This one’s for my boy Church. He and I have been swapping Wizard Rock recommendations for a couple weeks now, and we both agreed that the Kittens do it up nice.

Track 7: MC Lars - “Rap Girl”
I’m a big fan of the fake disclaimer that kicks this track off.

Z’s 2^nd interlude: “Complicated, but a tad more optimistic.”
Hopefully you’ll find the next set a little less gloomy.

Track 8: Incredibad - “The Heist”
“Chamomile, muthafuckah!”

Track 9: Turk and JD - “Guy Love”
This one’s for Beefy and Jones.

Track 10: Glenn Case – “Crazy Love”
Glenn has 320 songs here for your listening pleasure. And that ain’t even his entire catalogue!

Track 11: M.I.A.vs. YTCracker vs. Van Morrison – “Crazy Nerd Action”
YT gave me the a cappella for “Nerd Love” ages ago, but I could never get the MC Router verse to complete the vocal track. So I started this mix, got halfway through, and then sat on it. Let this be a lesson to you: if you’re nice enough to let me have a track to mash-up, I’ll take forever half-assing it until I get a wild hair to present the substandard results to the masses.

Track 12: mc chris - “Arulpragasam”
I can’t help but think there’s a Sri Lankan out there writhing in agony at my backwoods pronunciation of Arulpragasam.

Z’s final interlude: “This very pedestrian journey through the protagonist’s life.”
I really hope some of you will dig this last track. Admittedly, you really need to listen to the whole album to get the full effect, but I’m hoping against hope that y’all aren’t as critical as I am!

Track 13: The Streets – “Fit But You Know It”
This is far from a nerdcore track, but I think it’s a got a real charm to it. There’s this “lovable loser” element inherent in the delivery that really appealed to my dorkish sensibilities.
You’ll probably be noticing a lot more rock-centered tracks in the next few podcasts. It’s been suggested that I do an all nerd rock show, and I think that this is an excellent idea. Don’t worry, I’m certainly not phasing nerdcore out or anything; it is, after all, the reason most of you listen, but I think that an entire episode devoid of hip-hop and mash-ups would be an interesting change of pace. In the meantime, I’ll try to ease the rock ‘n’ roll in. I don’t want anyone to go into shock!

Nerd News in Brief

It's Monday again, and so I will favor you with another edition of Nerd News in Brief. This one's got some really interesting stuff in it, so I'll cut my intro short so you can read things of sufficiently more import.

• Who the fuck is MC Harding?: Nerdcore gets some more press via the Dallas-Fort Worth Star Telegram. Aside from a few snafus, the article is a pretty fair (warts and all) representation of the scene and those in it. I'm just a little disappointed that Tonya Harding started rapping and I didn't know anything about it until now. ;)
• Blood and cleavage: MC Router has decided to share some pics of her newest tattoo over at the Rhyme Torrents Board. It's a delightful combination of blood and boobs that is at once erotic and gory.
• Speaking of boobs and blood: In what can only be called the coolest goddamn thing to happen anywhere ever , Emergency Pizza Party and Krondor Krew so impressed co-founder Lloyd Kaufman with their nerdy lyricism at last weekend's Orlando Megacon, that they landed a spot opening for Killer Robots at the annual Troma After Party! What's more, the event was filmed for use in an upcoming Troma documentary! Should this keep up, I will surely run out of exclamation points!!!
• Nerdcore repository: Fellow Floridian and one of the few people actually brave enough to trade Wii friend codes with me, signed long int is currently using his coding acumen to craft an online repository for nerdcore hip-hop tracks. The system is still in the demo stage, but the project promises to be a real timesaver for me personally, and a boon to nerdcore fans everywhere.
• The wind of change may or may not smell like feet: There may be no coercion in Islam, but that damned sure ain't true for Google! Last night I was led sheepishly from my old, comfortable version of Blogger to this new-fangled iteration. Thus far everything has gone fairly smoothly,but unfortunately my own predilection for fucking with things will soon kick in and I'll start meddling with the code and the overall setup. I've already added what appears to be a valid RSS feed (for those of you who hate the existing Atom feed), and hopefully I'll soon be able to work up a dedicated podcast feed using Feedburner. In addition to this, I plan to switch things over from the Blogspot url to my hipsterplease.com domain soon. The Blogger/Google monolith assures me that the transition will be painless and that all of my old linkages will still function, but if you come to check out the blog only to find its charred and smoking remains, you'll know what happened.

When (Nerd) Worlds Collide

This weekend, the wife and I took Little X. to a train show. He’s 2, and (at least in his mind) the more wheels a machine has and the more noise it makes, the better. Trains are kind of his thing at present. I found the event interesting not so much for the displays – which were, to tell the truth, inspiringly intricate – but for the overall “train guy” dynamic.

These were a bunch of cats that had devoted the better part of their lives and the vast majority of their disposable income to purchasing, modifying, and assembling model trains and idyllic little (properly scaled!) hamlets through which they could run.

Now, I don’t know shit about trains, but I couldn’t help but get the feeling that I could kind of get the gist of their incredibly specialized language, their railspeak, as they bantered back and forth across the hall. After walking around for a half-hour or so, it finally dawned on me why: they were speaking nerd!

How did I not figure it out sooner?

It’s as if I’d arrived at Heathrow and then stumbled off my plane only to be surprised that the populace of the Boroughs of London spoke English.

Of course they were geeks; they were fuckin’ train guys!

I spend a lot of my time here talking about the multifaceted splendor of nerd culture, but sometimes, I reckon, I forget just how broad a scope there truly is. When you get down to it, the nerd is defined less by the nature of his interest and more by the careful and ceaseless attention that he devotes to it. In that regard, comic book guys and music nerds and Trekkies and gamer geeks and train enthusiasts are all the same; they all share that same fiery passion for their respective hobbies.

And so, train guys, though your love for the rails is not entirely akin to my love of the GBA, Chynna Clugston, and the d20 system, I salute you none-the-less. The dedication you show your craft may be laughable to some, but I have to say that I find it inspiring. Nerdly inspiring, at that.

More Nerd News in Brief

It’s been a busy week for your old pal Z., and it occurs to me that I probably haven’t given y’all enough of that sweet, nerdy goodness that you’ve come to expect from Hipster, please! of late. As such, I approach you humbly, meekly, with More Nerd News in Brief.

• They are too!: You can currently download the new MC Lars track "White Kids Aren't Hyphy" for free from the Web site of San Francisco radio station Live 105. East Coast nerds can also catch Lars at the following venues: Feb.16 Ft Lauderdale, FL @ The Culture Room, Feb.17 Orlando, FL @ The Social, Feb.18 Gainesville, FL @ 1982 Bar, Feb.19 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade, Feb.20 Knoxville, TN @ Blue Cats, Feb.21 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java, Feb. 22 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Jewish Mother, Feb.23 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church, and Feb.24 Bound Brook, NJ @ Hamilton Street Café. Additional dates are available at Lars’s site.
• Party Without Me: Don’t forget that Emergency Pizza Party will be playing a free show on February 24th at A Comic Shop in Winter Park, Florida. Also, please remember to buy the books before you read ‘em. It ain’t a fuckin’ library!
• Look at his mouth!: EPP member and all-around fascinating fellow MC Wreckshin will release a new full-length album for free download on April 1st. You can preview the title track, “Nerdcore Supervillian,” at Wreckshin’s MySpace.
• In case you missed it: If you like super-geeky rhymes with the smooth lyrical flow and solid hip-hop bite of Deltron and Metamystiks, I would wholeheartedly recommend you check out the MySpace of a certain LogicOne. Both “Mech’s Eye View” and “Comic Shop Rock” are personal favorites.
• In case you missed it Pt. 2: The rabid Spamtec fans over at G4’s The Feed posted a webcam interview with “nerdcore rapper and hacker supreme YTCracker” to their show’s blog last week. In addition to repping nerdcore and talking about his hacker past, YT also does an impromptu live performance of “The Feed Theme Song.”
• Embrace the ambiguity: I was recently invited by one of my favorite new-gen nerdcore artists to help out with an exciting new, non-musical project. Though we’re still in the early planning stages, it looks like said project may become part of a new regular feature for Hipster, please! I can say no more.
• Creeping toward legitimacy: There’s a new edition of Nerdcore News currently available for your viewing pleasure. I’m a big fan of Gabriel and Syn’s work, so I was delighted to find my own little interview with mc chris got a mention. Continuing my grand tradition of ending these news segments with someone else’s hard work, I’ve embedded the video below.

It's Valentine's Day.

I’d love to have a really witty retort to follow that obviously pedestrian statement, but I don’t. What can I say? I’m a married man. The ring on my finger somehow manages to sap most of my romantic predilections. This year for Valentine’s, I got my wife a purse. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a kick-ass purse, but that sort of gift lacks the kind of sitcom romanticism that we as a culture have come to expect.

I understand that this isn’t exactly a nerd-friendly holiday. Historically speaking, nerds aren’t exactly the type to ride in on ye olde white steed and woo their preferred gender with wit and charm. But the image of the nerd as a lonely, wistful, unattractive wallflower is slowly fading. There are, in our midst, a progressive group of geeks who are, like me, happily coupled. There are nerdy fellows who are suave, sophisticated, and confident. Shit, in nerdcore hip-hop alone there are a number of beautiful, beguiling, sexy young women who turn many-a head even outside of our circle.

As hard as it may be for some to believe, being a nerd doesn’t necessarily mean that one is entirely socially inept. I’ll wager that there’s probably an element of awkwardness that many of us share, but our people generally exorcise such demons for the greater good. I guess what I’m getting at is that we’re not all Duckie. And many of those of us who are have long since learned to turn our respective eccentricities into pleasant positives rather than humiliating handicaps.

So today, in light of the inherent romantic undertones, I’d like to wish all you love struck nerds out there – even those of you who, like me, may’ve grown a little lax in the passion department – the best. May your champagne flow free, your chocolates not melt, and may you and your partner be making the sweet, nerdy love by nightfall.

If you’re in the Seattle area, you’ll probably want to make your way down to Columbia City Theatre for the launch party for Ultraklystron’s Romance Language. Karl and company swear to sex up your eardrums to the utmost of their combined ability. But worry not; they will be gentle.

It promises to be an ideal place for you West Coasters to take that special guy/girl. Consequently, for you single types, I can’t think of any better place to go trolling for a new crush than a nerdcore show. Hell, it’s almost too easy.

MC Lars Concert Impression by Antisocial

Last weekend, my pal Antisocial got a chance to see MC Lars perform in the very large and boisterous state of Texas. He was nice enough to write up a little show review for those of us unable to attend. Did Lars bring his A-game? Did Soc dig it? Was there beer? Read on to find out!

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Dear Z, faithful readers of Hipster, please!, and loyal Nerdcore scene kiddies,

I have had the pleasure of attending an MC Lars show. Here is how it went:

The doors opened at around 6pm, so my brother (aka MC Localhost, aka Phil Ridlen) and I ( Antisocial aka Mark Ridlen), ended up there at around 7. The venue was Fat Daddy's Sound Shack (or something to that effect), and it was built in an old movie theater. It made a very good venue and could hold quite a few people. There were around 200 people at this particular show... of all ages, as it was an all ages show. We arrived to hear the very last guitar pickings of a local emo band. Up next was some horrible local ska band that we managed to survive. After that was Patent Pending , a band that performed with Lars later. I must say, Patent Pending is the wildest band I've ever seen perform. For the final song, they invited the audience up on the stage for a mosh-tastic finale (see grainy phone pictures ). There must have been more people on stage than off. It was quite unusual. After this, MC Lars began to set up, so Phil and I decided it was safe to venture up close to the stage. His setup was simple and elegant: a laptop (a MacBook Pro , I believe), a digital projector, and a screen for said projector. Basically, instead of using backup tracks, he used backup movies. A very novel concept, and it worked out very well. I apologize that I didn't memorize the track order, but I have tried to piece it together as best I can.

Following an epic intro movie, he kicked off his set with one of my personal favorites, " Space Game ," and surprised me with a freestyle-style additional verse at the end, as well as the "Rock and Roll Robot" message that played on the screen during DJ Hal's guitar solo (DJ Hal is closely related to DJ CPU , for those who are not aware). Next he played another great song, the Jay-Z referencing, Tetris sampling " 21 Concepts (but a hit ain't one) ." He followed Tetris samples with the amazing Super Mario Bros. infused remix of " Straight Outta Stockholm ," which was quite possibly the high point of the show. Very fitting considering he wore Nintendo boxers. You honestly have to hear this track to believe it. It made me feel giddy like a 12 year-old. He made sure to play the RIAA bashing " Download This Song ," which featured vocals from Bowling for Soup's Jaret Reddick , and plenty of "la la la la la la la la" from the audience. The classic " Signing Emo " was performed, with help from the audience on the screamo "DIEEEEEEEEEE!" vocals. Somewhere in his set, he made sure to include " Generic Crunk Rap ," which is another of my personal favorites, and once again got plenty of help from the audience for the crunk vocals. " Mr. Raven ," the song based on the classic Edgar Allen Poe poem , was a great hit with the crowd. At the end of his set, he performed his smash hit " iGeneration ," which was certainly a crowd pleaser, and yet another of my personal favorites. He included viral video from the Internet, and asked the audience to cheer whenever we recognized something we'd seen. Finally, he took down his laptop and projector, and brought Patent Pending back on stage. I knew immediately that " Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock " was about to be played, so Phil and I took to the high ground to avoid another mosh pit. Sure enough, there was.

We stuck around for the next band, Suburban Legends , a ska outfit that put on a very good show complete with synchronized dance moves. Phil and I were very tired, so we left towards the end of the set. We went to the merch table and tried to talk to Lars over the loud ska that filled the air, and we both purchased a CD (a good deal at 10 bucks). He was a very friendly guy, as expected, and he mentioned he will be going back on tour in April. I'll be there if I can, Lars!

Link to pictures

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I live in the boonies. As such, I don't get out to as many choice geek gigs as I should. Thankfully, Hipster, please! has a (very) small, (ridiculously) dedicated group of readers who tend to be a bit more advantageously located than little ol' me. Soc, for example, is always nice enough to hit me up post-show to let me know how things went down, and I truly appreciate it. If any of the rest of you has a ticket so hot its burning a hole in your pocket and a solid grasp of the English language, feel free to hit me up with your own concert impressions. I'll gladly reward you with... uh... my sincerest thanks for your trouble.

Nerd News in Brief

It’s Monday, and I am once again tucked away in my office being… well… nonproductive. Sure, I could get some real work done, shuffle some papers and whatnot, but I think I’d rather do some Nerd News in Brief. Won’t you join me?

• Love the way you love: As mentioned previously, Karl “Ultraklystron” Olson will be joined by a garrison of his peers this Wednesday for the launch event for his new release Romance Language. The whole of the world is invited, and all of Seattle is expected to attend.
  
• You asked me, so I asked him: So what has been going on in BC of late? By his own admission, nerdcore producer supreme Baddd Spellah is currently in the thick of working on MC Frontalot’s next album. Does this make anyone else all warm and happy in their nether-parts?
  
• Wanted – New Moniker: First she was MC Fanatical. Then she was simply Fanatical. And now? Well, that’s anybody’s guess. Jaylyn is currently in the market for a new name under which to sling the rhymes. If you have one with low mileage and the remainder of the factory warranty in-tact, hit Fanatical up.
  
• Rocking and Rowling: Nerdcore isn’t the only nerdy sub-genre getting the attention of documentarians. The Wizard Rockumentary examines the strange and fantastical world of those few, proud souls who devote their rock ‘n’ roll energy to matters Potter-related. Rock out with your wand out!
  
• Lucky Lunar New Year Sale: In the event that you currently have a deficit of strange, nerdy, Japanese things in your life, I would like to direct you to Play Asia’s Lucky Lunar New Year Sale. Not only are there ridiculously low prices on more than 3000 discounted games, toys, and knickknacks, but each purchase of one of these items earns you the chance to win geek-tastic prizes including an Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii, and a DS Lite. Click the banner below to check out Play Asia’s discounted wares.
  

Karl Olson and the Heartbreakers

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and, as a result of grand design rather than mere coincidence, nerdcore’s foremost otaku has chosen this hallowed occasion to unleash upon a lovelorn world his newest collection of geek-tastic tunes, Romance Language. Moreover, said release shall be marked with a bona fide event – a launch party, if you will – to commemorate this revered nativity.

The album itself features, in Ultraklystron’s own words, “an 11 song arc about romance, attraction and various other things in that vein.” Karl also promises a myriad of musical facets will be explored: “everything from classic hiphop to crunk to grimecore to ambient/hip-hop fusion is in play, likely much to [the] dismay of perspective listeners.” Of course, the CD itself will be available on-site for early adopters.

As for the show, well, suffice it to say that it’ll put Ringling Bros to shame! Ultraklystron will be joined onstage at Seattle’s Columbia City Theatre by MC Tanuki (of Northwest Nerdcore), Rai (Karl’s long-time partner in crime), and the delightful Nursehella (that enchantress from the land of Rush and Greztky).

How much would you expect to pay for admittance to such an auspicious event, such an ass-rockin’ show? One hundred dollars? Five hundred dollars? A solid fuck-tillion dollars? Not even close, buddy. Keep that fuck-tillion dollar bill to yourself, ‘cause pre-sale tickets are available now at a mere seven bones! Sure, you can get tickets at the door for a slightly inflated price, but why risk it? Pick up your tix now via this unassuming link.

Did I forget to mention that the show is of the all ages variety? Oh, it’s true. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the nerdy goodness.

If you’re near the Seattle area, I’d highly recommend that you attend. Despite what he might tell you, Ultraklystron is a consummate performer, and this show promises to be a great time… even for those of you without a special sweety for St. Valentine’s.

Event: Ultraklystron's Romance Language Release Party. Acts include MC Tanuki, Rai, Nursehella, and, of course, Ultraklystron. Hear songs from Ultraklystron's new album, Romance Language, and buy a copy before anybody else! Pre-show ticket cost is $7.00, more at the door.
Location: Columbia City Theater(4918 Rainier Ave S Seattle, WA 98118)
Time: February 14, 2007 from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM

Go out to a killer nerdcore gig and meet some people, or stay at home eating bonbons and crying into your sleeve while you watch reruns of Gimme a Break. The choice is yours.

More Nerd News in Brief

After taking a day to recover from a robot overdose , I am back in the saddle again. Much like the late Gene Autry . Here's some nerd news you can use, and, truthfully, some you could probably do without. Which is which? Why, that's for you to decide!

• Help a brother out : Tickets for the pivotal “secret” mc chris gig are half sold-out. This could be a career-defining show, so pre-order and be there as history is made! See mc strut his stuff in front of a room filled with important people in suits. Also, there may be pie.
• Dead Circuits : Say goodbye to MCDJ and DJMC and hello to Philo Farnsworth and Mr. Fingers . After strutting their stuff at last month's nerdcore assault on Las Vegas , our favorite LA natives decided to retool their name to match their style, henceforth: Dead Circuits . Personally, I think they picked a winner.
  
• Clash of the Titans : Though it's a –ways off, I think this still bears repeating : El Corazon in Seattle will play host to MC Lars , MC Frontalot , and Optimus Rhyme on April 18 th as part of the Beta Nerdcore Tour. Three words: holy fucking shit!
  
• Pizza and comics : Emergency Pizza Party will be playing a free show on February 24 th at A Comic Shop in Winter Park , Florida . I love a venue that both sells comics and uses an indefinite article in the name.
  
• Thankee, Sai : In other comic-related news, I would like to fervently recommend the first edition of Marvel's comic adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower to fans of Mr. King , comics, sci-fi, fantasy, cowboys, epics, apocalyptic literature, allegory, words, and pictures. It's good. You should totally pick it up.
  
• Oh, what a feeling : As one of those over exuberant lovers of the lunchbox , I'd like to say that the new 2008 Scion xB looks silly. And I don't mean silly in the delightfully angular manner of its first-generation predecessor. I mean silly like if Robocop fucked a Sherman Tank .
  
• [dumbasses] :And lastly, my pal Church made his own version of the Adult Swim apology to the people of Boston . Truthfully, I think his is a bit more accurate.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A

Doctor Popular is the artistic equivalent of an atom bomb; his scope is broad and his effect astounding. Whether he's drawing comics , dropping rhymes , bending circuits , or letting a yo-yo fly , he always brings two things: quality and creativity. To say that I'm a fan is an understatement.
Doc is also one of the nicest cats you'd ever want to meet. He's not merely friendly, he's genuinely pleasant. He is an independent thinker, a man of principle, and, luckily enough, a fellow lover of all things robot.
Doc and I try and keep tabs on each other's endeavors. We exchange emails and read each other's blogs and generally try to be supportive and helpful. And when we realized that both of us were on the same track with our respective podcasts, it only made sense to combine our efforts.
Submitted for your approval is my half of a project we've dubbed Robot Friends – in homage, if you must know, to one of my favorite Drown Radio tracks – and I hope you find it to your liking. Though Doc Pop and I collaborated concerning theme and set lists, our work was mostly independent. After all, we didn't want to ruin the surprise for one other!
This edition of Radio Free Hipster is centered squarely on robots. It contains songs by, about, and referencing androids, cyborgs, bionic men, and hi-tech beasties of all description. It's dedicated to all the technological marvels and fantastic figures that have fascinated, motivated, and scared the hell out of me since my childhood. It's also dedicated to Doc and to all you out there, to everyone who takes part in this fantastic community of like-minded misfits that an eerily similar technology has afforded.
Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A [ mirror provided by Antisocial ] Size: 40.5 MB Running Time: 44:19

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy ) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
Is this my favorite song of the podcast even though it ain't robot related? I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

Track 1: Optimus Rhyme – “Super Shiny Metal”
“ Man, I love that kid. That bot's got super shiny metal! ”

Z's 1 st interlude: “Everything from benevolent automatons to skull-crushing killing machines.”
I love how robots can play such disparate roles; they can be saviors or enslavers. Robots are just like people. Only shinier.

Track 2: Emotron – “1989”
Emotron songs tend to go there own way after a point. Which, I guess, is how you go from robots to Helen Keller to urinary incontinence. Did I mention he catches his dick on fire?

Track 3: Tenacious D (dialogue) / 1337 GEEK BEAT – “ Hutzumi ” / $6 Million Man Theme
How could I do a robot themed podcast without including MC Router? She's like our very own bad-ass Borg Queen !

Track 4: Chris Taylor – “ Robots Are Great ”
This is not, as far as I know, the same Chris Taylor who developed Dungeon Siege , but we can pretend if you want.

Track 5: 8bit – “ You Ain't No Robot ”
I am currently working under the assumption that 8bit are, in fact, a Bizarro World version of Emergency Pizza Party . I'm just sayin'.

Track 6: Cartman & Butters (dialogue) / Drown Radio – “ Robot Friend ”
After Robot Friends has concluded, Doc is doing a podcast about sex. He is a complicated man.

Track 7: Futuristic Sex Robotz – “The Positronic Pimp”
Once again, this track was a no-brainer. You can't talk robots without talking Robotz!

Z's 2 nd interlude: “Z. is Transformers fanboy.”
Guilty as charged.

Track 8: MEATBEE – “ Theme from Transformers ”
I found this track by accident. Behold the glory of the Intertubes!

Track 9: Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” / The Kleptones – “ Love Song for Yoshimi ”
Okay, so the Kleptones track ain't exactly robotical. It is, however, fan-fuckin'-tastic. (Plus, it enabled me to sneak a mash-up in there.)

Track 10: Johnny 5 (dialogue) / Captured By Robots – “ Speed Food Pyramid ”
When one tries to craft servile automatons to do ones musical bidding, one sometimes has one's guts cut out and becomes enslaved by the aforementioned. Let this serve as a warning.

Track 11: Interrobang Cartel – “ The Robot Song (Data Version) ”
?! Cartel is part Song Fight! , part artistic collective, all awesome.

Track 12: The Protomen – “ Will of One ”
Am I the only one who finds The Protomen's take on the Mega Man story to be astoundingly poignant?

Z's final interlude: “I'm going out with an exclusive track by Rai Kamishiro .”
I'm a big fan of Rai, and she makes it a point to leak a new track to me now and again, to throw me a bone, as it were.

Track 13: Rai – “Mechanical World”
She's actually Mechagodzilla , in case you didn't know, so her inclusion was mandatory. I really dig this track, and I'd like to publicly thank both Rai and her esteemed producer Karl Olson for allowing me to premiere it here.

I grew up in a robot-heavy era. Maybe that explains my fascination. Or maybe it has to do with what robots represent; a creation cast in man's own image, created to thrive where mankind has floundered, a creation both independent of and ultimately reliant upon a flawed creature. It's quite poetic, actually. Almost biblical.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to see what Doctor Popular has done with his half of the project . You can come with. In fact, I insist that you do.

It was 1974...

In anticipation of tomorrow’s unveiling of the Robot Friends project, I thought I’d post this animated short. It’s by a UK YouTuber called s3r4phyn, and it was inspired by Optimus Rhyme’s “Sick Day.” Good stuff!

You down with OPP?

You may remember Jason Tanz as the gentleman who interviewed me last month for a small piece in Esquire magazine. You may also remember him as the precocious Jamie Lawson from ill-conceived 1980’s sitcom Small Wonder.

Okay, I totally made that last part up. Actually, you probably know Jason as the writer of Other People’s Property: A Shadow History of Hip-Hop in White America.

As today is the release date of this cherished tome, I thought I’d pass along to you some info concerning the launch party and a few readings in NYC and the Pacific North West. Those of you in advantageous locales may want to head down to any of the following vendors to meet one of the noble few writers referencing nerdcore who actually listens to hip-hop music.

If you happen to run into him, tell him Z. says hi.

"[A] thoughtful and often insightful work of long-form journalism."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Takes exploration of pale-faced rappers to a new level."
-- Seattle Weekly

"Unfailingly empathetic. Hip-hop's transformative capacity is the book's most powerful theme."
-- Washington Post Book World

"A penetrating journey through the semiotics of pigmentation, and a hilarious, self-deprecating look by a white man at whiteness in a black-dominated genre."
-- Henry Chalfant, co-director of Style Wars

At long last, OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY: A SHADOW HISTORY OF HIP-HOP IN WHITE AMERICA hits bookstores tomorrow. An eye-opening look at race and identity in our country today, OPP blends memoir, history, cultural analysis, and on-the-ground reportage to explore hip-hop's decades-long journey through white America. Author Jason Tanz -- a hip-hop-loving white boy who grew up in the suburbs of the Pacific Northwest -- provides a one-of-a-kind look at how hip-hop is lived far from the inner cities that birthed and sustain it: from "nerdcore" rappers, who rhyme about Star Wars conventions and computer code; to a group of would-be gangstas in a neighborhood so insulated it's nicknamed "the bubble"; to a breakdancing class at an upper-crusty dance academy in New Canaan, Connecticut. Tanz interviews dozens of fans, artists, producers, and promoters, including some of hip-hop's most legendary figures -- Public Enemy's Chuck D, white rapper MC Serch, and former Yo! MTV Raps host Fab 5 Freddy, among many others. The result is a hard-edged, thought-provoking, and humorous snapshot of the particularly American intersection of race, commerce, culture, and identity. In bookstores everywhere.

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
Feb 28, 8:30PM
New York City
Jonathan Shorr Gallery, 109 Crosby St.

Get down with OPP at the following panels/readings:

Feb 12, 7PM w/ Jeff Chang and Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
New York
Makor, 35 W. 67th St.
Tix: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

Feb 20, 7:30PM
Portland, OR
Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside

Feb 21, 6PM
Tacoma, WA
University of Washington-Tacoma bookstore, 1754 Tacoma Ave. S.

Feb 22, 7PM:
Seattle, WA
University of Washington-Seattle bookstore, 4326 University Way NE

Feb 28, 7PM w/ Alan Light, Sacha Jenkins, and Northern State
New York
Housing Works bookstore, 128 Crosby St.
[Launch party immediately follows this event]

For more information: jasontanz.com.

Nerd News in Brief

Apparently there was some sort of sporting event yesterday. I don’t know what happened, but, as near as I can tell, Prince won. Generally speaking, I only follow professional hockey, and, as a Ranger’s fan, I usually only do that half-heartedly.

One thing I do try to stay on top of is nerd news. And here’s some of that. Briefly.

• RTVI: Rhyme Torrents vol. 6 had been (sort of) dated. The final date for submissions is currently touted as February 15^th, with the release date still forthcoming. With all the new (and old) artists recently coming into the community, this one promises to be an interesting effort to say the least.
• Family Ties: Last week’s “What the fuck?” moment was handily won by DJ Snyder when he hipped the nerdcore community to the fact that high-octane noise rocker Andrew WK is, in fact, his cousin. Calls for a collaborative project between the two have been ardently requested ever since.
• Wookies are incorrigible bastards: Runner up in the “What the Fuck?” category goes to Chewbacca. What a dick.
• Joys of the season: The New Year always reminds me of the cyclical nature of life. Each and every year, I am struck by how recurring elements transpire in such perfect orchestration; the ebb and flow of the oddly ambivalent southern winter, the crumbling of well-minded resolution after well-minded resolution, Jesse Dangerously’s nominations for another score of regional awards for his superlative musical efforts. To read more about the latter and what you can do to help, hit up Jesse’s LJ.
• Somebody set us up the bomb: As a resident of the rural south, I would like to sincerely thank the city of Boston for collectively shitting itself in response to the recent Aqua Teen Hunger Force guerilla ad campaign. Normally, when I read about this level of comical overreaction, such responses are limited to the unholy North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia triad. Thanks for taking the heat off of us for a while, Beantown!
• Nekkid nerds: Loren, an associate of the esteemed Dan Lamoureux, just so happens to be working on a sexy site devoted to nerdy girls. This risqué undertaking is called DirtyNerdy, and its coordinator is currently looking for prospective models. Information concerning the project can be found at the Rhyme Torrents BBS.
• Whose space?: Dan has also lent his hand to the "get Nerdcore a genre on MySpace" campaign. He even put together a placard image for use in said crusade.

Terrible Twos

Though I generally refrain from posting about wholly personal issues, I couldn’t let the day go by without at least a passing mention of the fact that this is the second birthday of my beloved progeny Little X. In lieu of gifts for himself, however, X. humbly requests that you pick up a copy of School the Indie Rockers by his favorite band Optimus Rhyme for your own bad self.

So selfless, that boy o’ mine!