Always on the Ran

Everyone's favorite Teacher-Rapper-Hero is on the move and coming to a venue near you. Yes, that Mega Ran - this time with his Forever Famicom partner in crime DC's K-Murdock - is on tour across the southern expanse of our great nation throughout the month of November.

For more information we'll cut to our live tour correspondent, guy-who-can-copy-and-past-a-press-release.

Take it away, Guy!

PHOENIX, AZ– Hot off the heels of their successful album Forever Famicom, Teacher/rapper Random and producer K-Murdock are taking their show on the road.

The Bits and Rhymes Tour will feature Ran and K doing what they do best, rocking crowds with their 8-bit beats and high tech vocals, and will feature guest artists, such as YouTube favorite Brentalfloss, TX rap group Crew 54, videogame cover band The One Ups and many other nerdcore and hip-hop stars. Random’s high-energy set always contains some surprises, such as his mind-blowing freestyle, where crowd participation drives the length and theme of the song.

Ran and K’s innovative album Forever Famicom released on June 1, 2010 and has managed to tap into a fanbase never before explored on such a large scale, the gamers and the hip-hop fans. The album has garnered high praise from top Hip-Hop sites all over the world, as well as the top videogame sites and publications, including Nintendo Power magazine.

The fan support has been phenomenal, and thanks to their donations through Kickstarter, Ran and K are planning a vinyl and DVD release of the Forever Famicom album and sprite videos. The tour will begin on 11/12/10 in Austin, TX, and ends 11/21/10 in Miami, FL.

Since the release of Forever Famicom, Ran and K have each dropped new solo releases. Random’s HEROES vol. 1 and K-Murdock’s DECADENSE are available now. For additional info or radio or interview requests, please contact random.megaran@gmail.com or learn more at http://megaran.com and http://neosonicprod.com

Tour Dates:

Nov 11, 2010 @ Headhunters, 720 Red River St, Austin, TX, w/Crew 54 and more, FREE 21+
Nov 12+13, 2010 Yule Con @ American Airlines Training Center, Ft Worth, TX w/Brentalfloss and more! $15-25
Nov 14, 2010 @The Highball, 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX $7 21+
Nov 16, 2010 8PM @ Super Happy Fun Land 3801 Polk St Houston, TX $7 all ages w/MC Router and more
Nov 17, 2010 2PM @ Bedrock City Comics 4602 Washington Ave, Houston, TX all ages (performance & signing)
Nov 18, 2010 9PM @ Smoke And Barrel Tavern 324 W Dickson St, Fayetteville, AR w/The One Ups FREE 21+
Nov 19, 2010 8PM @ 331 Nightlife Cafe, 331 W Forsyth St Jacksonville, FL $5 21+
Nov 20, 2010 @ A Comic Shop 114 South Semoran Blvd.Winter Park, FL w/Krondor Krew and more $10 all ages
Nov 21, 2010 @ TBA, Miami, FL

Sadly, it seems my own rural locality didn't quite make the cut on this outing, but that shouldn't stop you from having a good time. I'm serious – go to the show. I insist!

Nerds in Texas and Florida are particularly blessed with regard to The Bits and Rhymes Tour, and, with two amazing co-headliners and a cadre of fantastic openers on-tap, this is not one to be missed.

To whet your appetite for all things Random, I'll even favor you with a little light reading. Peep Ran's recent interview with Searching for Chet Baker for more talk on the upcoming tour as well as an astute observation re: the mainstream. As properly illustrated by George Michael and Bubba Sparxxx, if you can believe it.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 98: From Beyond

The second installment of the Halloween Crap-tacular is bittersweet for me. It always reminds me that I've made it almost entirely through yet another year, but it's also hard not to realize it'll be another 11 months before I can once again bust out some of my favorite candy-covered jams.

Le sigh. Such is life.

This episode is sort of a grab bag with songs about monsters and witches and a handful of out-and-out Halloween-y joints. May they find you in good health and prepare you for an evening of happy haunting.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 98: From Beyond [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 42.3 MB Running Time: 46:15 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
This Halloween I am going trick-or-treating dressed as Beef Thompson.

Track 1: Sticks Downey – "C.H.U.D."
In case you missed this slice of 80's horror schlock, you can score your very own copy of C.H.U.D. for, like six bucks. Seriously. 

Z's 1st interlude: "Just two away from my big centennial."
I am excited! Are you excited? 

Track 2: Chibibo – "Halloween"
A full year after its original release, I am still listening to Eightbreeders.

Track 3: voicedude – "Keeping Halloween Fly"
I'm not particularly fond of "Keepin' Halloween Alive" or "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)," but damned if they don't sound good together.

Track 4: Dino-Mike – "Halloween Night"
Is it weird that I heard multiple "Fireflies" remixes, parodies and mash-ups well before I encountered the original song?

Track 5: John Anealio – "A Stormtrooper for Halloween"
John just dropped this track a couple of weeks back, so I had to include it just in case any of you missed its subtle genius.

Track 6: The Oceanic Six – "Monster Eats the Pilot"
Sometimes I really miss LOST, but mostly I mourn the fact that it never shaped up to be the supernatural freak fest that I originally mistook it for.

Track 7: Insane Ian – "We're All Gonna Die (feat. Kiki Canon, Devo Spice and Schaffer the Darklord)"
"I'm not gonna die before I've touched a boob."

Z's 2nd interlude: "A couple of tracks about witchy women."
My only regret is that I only mocked The Eagles once in this entire episode.

Track 8: Navi – "Bad Juju"
Navi seems to write a lot of songs about evil women, but this one sounds particularly sinister.

Track 9: I Fight Dragons – "Sorcery"
I snagged this one from the I Fight Dragons mailing list. That should be reason enough for you to sign up yourself. 

Track 10: Jack Black –  Be Kind Rewind dialog / voicedude – "Ghostbusters N Stuff"
Two voicedude tracks in a single episode? Yep, because they fuckin' slay!

Track 11: Sci-Fried – "Too Many Zombies"
I honestly didn't realize this was a Primus parody until the 3rd of 4th time I listened to it.

Track 12: Timbuktu – "X-Files (feat. Chokeules & D-Sisive)"
Another find selection from our neighbors to the north.

Z's final interlude: "Once you've finished your weekend haunting."
How bad does it suck that Halloween falls on a Sunday this year?!

Track 13: Marc with a C – "Shock Treatment"
Someday I really must remember to ask Marc who sings the exquisite harmony vocals on this track.

The next episode will be wonderfully theme-free. I've amassed a ton of amazing new tracks over the past few weeks, and I am itching to share them.

Of course I could also be persuaded to play a special request or two. You know how I do.

I promised myself I wouldn't bug y'all anymore for input into late-November's 100th episode, but, alas, I cannot resist. So please tell me what you wanna hear and leave me some nice listener voicemail.

Don't make me beg.

That's No Podcast – It's a Space Station

Dick jokes galore!

There aren't a lot of things I'll stay up late for, but The Bonebat Show is one of them.

Last weekend I did just that. My pal Steve and his lifelong home-skillet Gord invited me on to sit in on what I consider to be the best comedy and culture 'cast around, and I was honored to do so. The fellows were amazingly gracious hosts who even allowed me to hock my wares – specifically the forthcoming 100th episode of Radio Free Hipster – and managed to keep me thoroughly entertained well into the early AM. Though, truthfully, I'm not sure if I did the same for them. Like I said, it was late, and I'm afraid I was a little off my game.

In addition to talking up my meager projects, we also spoke at length about music and comics and all that other dangerously important shit. I even endeavored to wax poetic about the odd semantics of geek-versus-nerd in their "What Pisses You Off?" segment, although I imagine my point may have been lost amid so much drowsy rambling.

The important thing, however, is that I was not the only guest on deck that evening. Seattle's own Death*Star were also all up ins, and they even managed to pull off a live performance in-show!

(Regarding this I am both totally pissed off that Steve and Gord did something like this before me and completely in awe of how well it came together. Mostly the latter.)

The long and short of it is that The Bonebat Show is awesome, and you should totally check it out. The episode in question won't be out until next month, but don't wait until then to wade into the delightful madness.

I'll also urge you to keep an ear to the ground concerning new stuff from Death*Star later this year, both as a contributor to the first in a series of themed EPs from yours truly and in the form of their own follow-up release to The Fandom Menace. But I can say no more, as half of these are not my beans to spill!

In closing I just want to thank Gord, Steve, 3PO, C0s and Bill Beats for their late night camaraderie, filthy jokes and riveting conversation. These are truly the things that dreams are made of.

Halloweiners

It occurs to me at this late date that I have yet to share with you my picks for this year's top Halloween music downloads. Yes, yes – shame on me!

So now, my head hung low with shame and degradation, please allow me to remedy this most horrendous oversight.

First up this year are a couple of mash-up projects – both of which I featured on my most recent podcast. The annual Monster Mash-Up collection is back this year with a pair of offerings. Disc one, Pumpkin on Your Stereo features tracks form Frog The Dawg, Thriftshop XL and Toby Gore, while the second volume, subtitled Phantom of the Mashupera, boasts some amazing cuts from El Creepo as well as series regulars Voicedude and Cheekyboy.

Slightly less thematic but certainly just as enjoyable is DJ TOPCAT's Metal from the Grave, an EP that mashes horrorcore pioneers Gravediggaz's rhymes with instrumentals cribbed straight from metal icons Metallica. Both projects are freely available and I encourage you to cop 'em immediately.

Sticks Downey have also gotten in on the regular Halloween release train, this year offering up a tribute to the titular Cannibalistic Human Underground Dwellers of 1984's "C.H.U.D." Familiarity with this cult classic is purely optional, as Wockenfuss does a good job of summarizing the plot in-verse.

As always, our friends at the FuMP have also stepped up to bring music to the season of fright. A pair of notable examples include Dino-Mike's Owl City parody "Halloween Night" and Steve Goodie's kid-friendly "Halloween."

My personal favorite, though, is Insane Ian's brand new single "We're All Gonna Die" featuring Voice of Kiki, Devo Spice and Schaffer the Darklord. It explores pretty much every horror movie trope imaginable, so definitely give it a listen.

Lastly I gotta give it up for a wonderfully nostalgic new song from my pal John Anealio. His "A Stormtrooper for Halloween" is the mostly-true tale of 5-year-old John's own Halloween costume, and it's available as a name-your-price single from Bandcamp. The download includes both the original cut and an alternate acoustic version, and there's no minimum price.

With all that said, now I must know what you folks are listening to this Halloween. So tell me, dread diviners of the sinister tuneage, what are your seasonal picks?

Call Me Uatu

In case you missed it, Kirby Krackle celebrated their triumphant return to Seattle – after a lengthy sojourn here on the east coast at New York Comic Con – with a show last week at famed local watering hole the High Dive. In tow were local nerdcore hip-hoppers Death*Star and Beefy, thus making it a true Sea-town musical affair.

A number of great videos of the set have already surfaced on the YouTubes, with my favorite footage coming from user futuredirt. To give you an idea of the level of awesome that was achieved at this event, here's a little taste.

It's a version of E for Everyone comic-funk classic "Can I Watch You?" featuring ol' Beef Thompson.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 97: Famous Monsters

Oh, Halloween Crap-tacular – how I adore you!

These horror-themed episodes were my very first regular podcast feature, and much of what Radio Free Hipster is today was shaped by this diversion into the macabre. It led to both my regular use of background music and to my heavy reliance on film and television samples.

It's one of the reasons I so love my two-part October special edition. Well, that and the fact that Halloween is the geekiest of holidays!

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 97: Famous Monsters [hosting provided by Antisoc] Size: 42.6 MB Running Time: 46:28 Subscribe to RFH

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – "Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)"
Not a lot of people know this, but Baddd Spellah is totally a werewolf. It's a common affliction in Canada.

Track 1: John Anealio – "Lonesome October Night"
I misspoke. The Roger Zelazny novel is actually entitled A Night in the Lonesome October.

Z's 1st interlude: "Or not."
I try my best not to use time-sensitive greetings while recording the podcast. Shit, I have no idea when you're gonna be hearing this thing!

Track 2: Ghetto Lee Lewis – "Panic at Camp Crystal"
To my knowledge, this is the only OverClocked ReMix of a track from the Friday the 13th video game soundtrack.

Track 3: Kabuto The Python and Dr. Awkward – "Thinkin' Lincoln"
This episode features two appearances by Dr. Awkward. This is the first.

Track 4: Uncle Monsterface – "[feed mysterious creature]"
"You've been eaten by a chinchilla."

Track 5: Cheekyboy – "Busta Ghosts"
From this year's Monster Mash-Up double album!

Track 6: Darkest of the Hillside Thickets – "Space Ghosts"
How did I not toss a SGC2C sample into this?

Track 7: Grover – "Smell Like a Monster" / Vernian Process – "Monster Dance"
Best Old Spice parody ever!

Track 8: The Aquabats – "The Thing on the Bass Amp"
This one's a special request from my friend Dave the Knave.

Z's 2nd interlude: "Let me pause for a moment here to big up the creator of the background music."
virt is the shit.

Track 9: Schaffer the Darklord – "The Invisible Man (feat. Shael Riley)"
The narrative in this song has the sort of twist ending that could only come from the mind of STD.

Track 10: Tetrastar – "Skullcrusher Mountain"
I think Jaylyn really sells the role of mad scientist storyteller. Better, even, than JoCo.

Track 11: Mikal kHill – "The Walking Dead"
I dig that Mikal's zombie tale ends with the narrator giving up. It's an interesting take on the undead apocalypse.

Track 12: The Bossfights – "Left4Dead"
And this is Doc Awk's second appearance.

Track 13: DJ TOPCAT – "Grave Puppets"
I've never been a big follower of horrorcore, but there was always something really enjoyable about hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz.

Z's final interlude: "A track both near and dear to my heart."
There are few things more beautiful and precious in this life than a Replacements parody.

Track 14: Illbotz – "Here Comes the Predator"
It saddens me to think that Illbotz are just far enough away to prevent me from actually seeing them live. :(

Obviously, episode 98 will also be Halloween-themed, so feel free to hit me up with your ghoulish requests.

After that we head straight-on into November with an un-themed episode (#99) and my all-important 100th show! I'm still taking song requests and begging soliciting for listener voicemails to play in-ep. Please do your part to remind me that I'm not just talking to myself in this podcast.

Seriously.

I'll be your best friend.

20-Sided Rhymes

Dave the Knave is a genius!

If I had any credibility at all, the 20-Sided Rhymes project would've blown it to hell. You see, this compilation hasn't been in the works for weeks or months, but for years – two of them, in fact. And like most things, what it ultimately became was not what I had initially intended.

The original idea that I pitched to a close circle of friends shortly before Nerdapalooza 2008 involved little more than a tribute album to the classic role-playing game (a la Dungeons & Dragons). But as tabletop gaming proved a bit of a limiting concept for our friends in the video game music scene I soon expanded the scope to include the electronic games that were the direct successors of pen-and-paper RPGs.

Since I was projecting forward it only made sense to also look back, and so the piece was altered again to encompass not only the more modern and technological flavors of role-playing but also the literary roots that inspired this entire movement in interactive entertainment.

But somehow that still wasn't enough. So in the end, 20-Sided Rhymes, this clean and simple concept that I thought I had totally hashed out years ago, somehow became something bigger. Because at some point I realized that the iconic die role and the eternal plight of Hyrule's green-clad hero and even the simple nerdy pleasures of seeing The Lord of the Rings series competently brought to life on a big screen weren't in and of themselves what I was looking to capture.

These were, if you'll allow me the luxury of hyperbole, merely manifestations of the true spirit of nerdom.
The thing that excited me about this project was the same thing that excited me about D&D and comics and sci-fi/fantasy and all the other trappings of my geeky adolescence – it all hinged on the ever-so appealing concept of losing yourself in a character.

Call me crazy, but I believe that we as nerds game and read and write and create more or less for the same reason. These activities are all about stepping outside ourselves, they are about exploring other lives and worlds and personalities. Some would likely attribute this to a sense of innate self-loathing, to the worst kind of escapism, but I have learned that playing another part or latching on to the experiences of a fully rendered external character actually serves to help me gain a firmer grasp on what it really means to be me. It allows me to further quantify my own motivations and reexamine my ideas and my attitudes.

From Nate's lament of his healer's lack of physical prowess to ZeaLouS1's gangstalicious take on CCGs, and even to Marc's rejection of the D20 in favor of a little transgender theatrical cosplay, 20-Sided Rhymes represents the musical equivalent of the fantastical character-driven narrative. Some of said characters may not belong to these performers outright, but the stories are all theirs. And that's the important part.

So please enjoy this fine selection of rarities, remixes, re-releases and more than a couple of tasty originals with my compliments. If you enjoy this project, please spread the word and support the artists represented.
As usual, I offer this compilation to you free of charge, although this time around I do ask that you consider doing one of the following:

Should any or all of the songs presented herein remind you of that magical journey you once took in the purely metaphorical shoes of another character, consider treating yourself to a new game or film or novel. And feel free to lose yourself within the power of an enchanting narrative. It's healthy.

You proceed to the local bazaar to gather supplies... 

More to the point, you could also donate a couple of dollars to the Child's Play charity to afford a sick kid that same opportunity to escape the drudgery of real life for a few scant moments. It's what a Lawful Good character would do!

You choose the path of righteousness...
 

And now that I've said my piece, on with the show.
---
Download 20-Sided Rhymes in its entirety
 
All songs mixed/mastered by The HT at Studio 6, Port Orange, FL except where otherwise indicated.
Individual track downloads:

1 – Videogame Orchestra – "Conan the Barbarian – Riders of Taramis"

2 – Beefy – "20-Sided Rhymes (feat. Snake Eyes)"

3 – The Four Eyes – "Painting Guys"

4 – My Parents' Favorite Music – "Rambo MacGyver (feat. Snake Eyes)"

5 – Spheres of Chaos – "Random Encounter in the Cereal Aisle"

6 – Glenn Case – "D&D at the Public Library (feat. Adam!)"*

7 – ZeaLouS1 – "I Get Mana"

8 – Nate Trier – "The Healer's Song"

9 – MC Frontalot – "Hassle the Dorkening (8 Bit Weapon Remix)"**

10 – Shael Riley and the Double Ice Backfire – "The Great Marbulu" [EXPLICIT]***

11 – The Ranger – "Stat Sheet (Massive DMG remix by Zen Albatross)" [EXPLICIT] 

12 – Brian Mazzaferri (of I Fight Dragons) – "Offering"

13 – Sinister Six – "Roll the Dice" [EXPLICIT]

14 – Uncle Monsterface – "LOTROMG"

15 – Epic-1 – "Sun Gem"

16 – Marc with a C – "Don’t Know a Thing about Role Playing"

17 – Krondor Krew – "I Play D&D (The HT Remix)" [EXPLICIT]

18 - Superpowerless – "120 Seconds to Save the World"

19 – Elfonso – "Retirement from Hyrule"

20 – Dual Core – "Natural 20s"

* Mixed and mastered by Adam! and The HT
** Mixed and mastered by 8 Bit Weapon
*** Mixed and mastered by Shael Riley and Ty Guenley

Amazing cover design by the one and only Dave "The Knave" White:

Wicked-awesome front cover

Equally wonderful back cover

Tiny little thumbnail

And don't forget my ridiculously lengthy liner notes!

Up & Adam

A month ago I hadn't even heard the name Adam WarRock. Yet today I sit here typing a lengthy missive concerning a release that has become, at least on my end, hotly anticipated.

When Eugene Ahn first introduced himself (and his comic book alter ego) to me a few weeks back, I had already put a moratorium on album reviews to focus on a backlog of freelance work and a special project of my own. Still, I agreed to review his just released concept album The War for Infinity. Mostly because I could not, in good conscience, say no to a man capable of rapping about classic Marvel crossovers and the importance of personal artistry with equal conviction.

Speaking of the former, it's important to note that The War for Infinity is roughly rooted in the happenings of early 90s limited series The Infinity Gauntlet. Of course in this version the role of hero Adam Warlock is filled by Ahn and the part of cosmic despot Thanos (rechristened Demonos) is played by guest MC Tribe One.

Oh, and they settle their differences via rap battle… though I imagine that point should be fairly obvious.

The War for Infinity kicks off with "I Am Him," a strong intro that weaves the preternatural mythos of Marvel's Warlock with the swagger of our own WarRock. This leads us straight into "Absolute Truth," another fantastic cut with a near-perfect beat compliments of Ruckus Roboticus, the cat that helms the album's overall production. Adam also holds up his end of the track ably throughout the verses, although the chorus lacks a certain flair.

"Absolute Truth" trails nicely into "Bad Mother (Villainy)" a darker and more densely layered joint that sounds both fierce and cerebral. Adam uses this track as an opportunity to loosen the pretense of the core narrative and weigh in a bit concerning the media fascination with the ongoing American culture wars. "Interlude - He Watches" follows suit and serves as an odd atmospheric bridge to "The View from Eternity," which injects a bit of soul into the proceedings. Adam's slowed-down flow seems a bit labored at times, but the storytelling is absolutely engaging and the production fantastic.

At more than 5 minutes in length, "Battle (Introductions)" has great potential to get repetitive and boring, but it never does. WarRock comes through with his best offering thus far, and the interplay between Adam and his foil (Atlanta's Tribe One under the guise of antagonist Demonos) makes this an early standout.

"Crooked Deal" is another triumph of production that combines ambient keys and dynamic vocal effects to craft a borderline horrorcore jam that outlines a Faustian deal within this comic book reality. Follow-up "Interlude - The Gauntlet" is a fine tongue-in-cheek lead-in to "Special Bulletin," which actually breaks some new hip-hop ground by cleverly folding comic-style exposition into its proper lyric structure – it's another stunning selection.

"Heroes Requiem" is almost pure comic book fan service, but it works well within the confines of the album. My only knock is that lyrically it sometimes seems to forget the rule of showing not telling. Still, it's a forgivable trespass as it serves as the central hub of the tale that is The War for Infinity.

We revisit to the arena with "Battle (Reprise)," a track that sees another return to form by combining comic fanboyism within the classic battle rap motif. Musically it boasts a hint of minimalist house and the vaguest shades of spaghetti western. It's easily one of the project's best.

Thereafter, "Interlude – Limbo" takes us into "Laxidazia," yet another instantly engaging selection from an album packed with enjoyable content. It incorporates the concept of Adam's metamorphosis/recuperation in cleanly-metered verse atop a fantastically smooth beat. Still, as fine a track as it is, it's outshined by "Up & Adam." This one's stylistically 180 degrees from "Laxidazia," and it somehow manages to sound funky, frenetic and undeniably beautiful all at the same time.

The album begins its final act with skill and swagger in equal measure as our hero returns to the mat in "Battle (Finale)." Even better than the two previous rounds, it sets the stage for the project's musical and thematic wind-down. This delicately fades to "Lady Death Never Wanted Me as a Lover," a surprisingly poignant number that, at nearly 6 minutes in length, almost overstays its welcome. Still, it tries some 11th hour musical experimentation that actually works, and that's something to be applauded. The final full minute of the song demonstrates a nice use of the false ending that leads us to Adam WarRock's veritable mission statement: "The Silver Age."

He and Tribe One wrap up the album-proper by reflecting both on the tale that is The War for Infinity and their own unique position within rap canon. It's a musical meditation on old school comics, new school hip-hop and a sharp study of pop culture that is the album's true high-water mark. It's the perfect place to end our story. And yet it doesn't.

Bonus track "Ira Glass" departs the album arc in favor of celebrating the spirit of creativity and the role that personal experience plays in shaping art. It's a fine selection that offers a clever nod to the titular PRI mainstay, but it could conceivably be accused of diluting an otherwise solid concept album. Still, it's an admitted bonus track, so my suggestion is to enjoy it as an additional, unrelated nugget of highbrow hip-hop.

The War for Infinity (specifically) and Adam WarRock (in general) represent a perfect storm, an ideal marriage of real nerd culture and real hip-hop. And though this isn't quite as rare as one may be lead to believe by the album's written introduction  (no disrespect intended to Chris Roberson) that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

I've got my handful of requisite gripes, sure – the vocals are occasionally a bit muddy for my taste and the finer points of the plot itself may be lost on those unfamiliar with the source material – but I have no choice but to suggest you dive into the sometimes murky waters of WarRock's brilliantly fictitious wartime autobiography. It's an amazing ride, and, further, an album that certainly warrants all the buzz it will unquestionably generate.

Much like his namesake, Adam WarRock possesses an uncanny ability to shape worlds with his might. Luckily for us he also demonstrates a comparable level of heroic integrity in the face of the sinister forces that are the piss-poor lyricism and insincere club cuts of contemporary radio rap.

"It stings like a cigarette."

Sun Down on the Sorry Day

Arguably the biggest event on the horizon for this October is the AMC premiere of The Walking Dead. Like many of you, I've been hooked on the original comic book version of this property for years, so I'm anxious to see how it translates to television.

And obviously I'm not the only one.

Daniel M. Kanemoto (of Ex Mortis Films) even went so far as to cobble together his own unofficial mock-up of the show's opening credits by skillfully manipulating original series art by Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore, and layering it atop the haunting melody of eels' "Fresh Blood."

It is fairly fucking epic, so I thought I'd take a moment to share.

Oh, and extra credit to those who can spot the unholy remains of our own MC Frontalot.

THE WALKING DEAD "Opening Titles" from Daniel Kanemoto on Vimeo.

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.