LA Levels Up!

If you are in the Los Angeles area this Sunday( July 13th) and are looking to shake your Post-Nerdapalooza Depression, let me suggest you make your way to CIA in North Hollywood for the second anniversary concert of my friends from Game Music 4 All.

Level Up! Level 2! boasts an impressive line-up including The Megas, Hot Waffles, Super Barrio Brothers, and my bro ZeaLouS1. The doors open at 8:30 PM, with the first band taking the stage at 9:00. You can get your geek on until midnight for the very reasonable price (especially for LA) of $10. Plus, this is an ALL AGES event, so bring the kiddies!

And be sure to give Ant a hug. A manly, reassuring hug that says "I miss your comforting voice and friendly presence in the least homoerotic manner possible." He'll know it's from me.

The 2nd Time Around

Wow.

I had a little downtime this afternoon while I was feeding my daughter, and I took advantage of it by watching the festival cut of Nerdcore For Life. Since I've already shared my thoughts on the rough cut of the film I screened earlier this year I don't feel the need to elaborate too much, but let me say that the doc has been cleaned up, streamlined, and brilliantly refined.

A few notable additions have been included with regard to the film's talent pool, and some of its more extraneous sequences have been nicely trimmed. It's good to see a few "newer" - meaning not overtly present in the scene during the documentary's primary filming - artists represented and a couple of elder statesmen more properly profiled. There was even a nod to the newly refurbished Hipster, please!, which was both totally unexpected and a genuine honor.

While the rough version of the doc I viewed back in January was enjoyable and certainly well representative of the movement, I've got to say that this cut is significantly more visually appealing not to mention a smother overall ride.

While it still has it's share of embarrassing moments, these are contrasted nicely against our triumphs. Moreover, the high and low points of nerdcore are, in my opinion, illustrated fairly and through the words and actions of the parties involved. It's still our story, but now it's got enough flash to help it appeal to a bit of a broader audience.

Suffice it to say that those of you catching the second showing this Sunday at STIFF are in for a treat.

This week in swag, cont.

Friends, this must be my week! In addition to scoring some great new listening material from C.O.G. and MPFM a few days back, I've just received two additional parcels.

The first was from the incomparable Jesse Dangerously containing a copy of his latest album Verba Volant, which I have been anxiously awaiting. A review of that release is forthcoming, along with an interview feature with Jesse himself. Excited? I am.

The second was a care package from Dan Lamoureux. This was an unexpected little treat in the form of a freshly recut version of his Nerdcore For Life documentary and a geeky gift for the new baby. Thanks, Dan, and to answer your question, no, she hasn't gotten the common cold yet. ;)

Big in Europe

Church just hit me with this piece from The Guardian. About nerdcore, if you can believe it!

While the story obviously predates the recent dissipation of Rhyme Torrents, most of the rest of the info is pretty much on-point. Frontalot and mc chris are both well represented, as are directors Dan and Negin, and former scene staples High-C and MC Router. Nerdapalooza - and its cousin Nerdapalooza UK - gets some well deserved love. YT also gets a nod, reminding us that he truly is our king.

Take a read and share your thoughts. As press goes, this one is a biggy!

Press and Release

Just yesterday I received a nice email message from my pal int eighty of Dual Core. In addition to exchanging our regular pleasantries and giving me an update on a couple of special tracks he and c64 are working on - yes, Dual Core will be appearing on the next Hipster, please! compilation, though not likely how you'd imagine - eighty also included a press release concerning the group's next album.

Since he seldom writes press releases and I seldom receive them, this seemed like just the thing to pass on to you. Behold:

It's official. The production on the third Dual Core album is in full swing. Dual Core's next album will be titled Lost Reality and is packed with all sorts of fresh goodness, new hotness, c64 beats, and int eighty nerd raps. While the work on the album has been rather low-key as usual, the few snippets that have leaked so far have been "extremely impressive," to quote one person's feedback.

Some people have asked how to prepare others who have not yet heard any Dual Core music. The answer is simple: do what MC Frontalot recommends and put it in the queue for examination (http://www.frontalot.com/index.php/ -- 12.21.07). Considering the roster on the album, it's quite possible other overclocked nerdcore artists will recommend it as well.

Dual Core has been rather busy in addition to their album efforts. The group played shows at Defcon and the Google after-party at Ohio Linux Fest in the second half of 2007. Now in 2008, they are playing a show at the sold-out ShmooCon in Washington DC in February, Notacon in April, and Nerdapalooza SE in July. They also provided the official soundtrack for the Blockparty invitation (http://demoparty.us).

Dual Core plans to release Lost Reality at Notacon 5, in Cleveland (April 4th through 6th).

That's my boy right there!

Ever wonder about the story behind how Doc Pop became a professional yo-yoer? Ever wonder what the fuck a pro yo-yoer actually does?

All these questions (and so many more) are answered in the following vid.

New ink and hard-boiled detectives

So inspired was I by today’s release of The Adventure’s of Beef Thompson: Private Dick – an album, coincidentally, that I helped name – that I celebrated the event by getting a tattoo.

Okay, that’s actually bullshit. I mean TAoBT:PD did drop today and I did get this snazzy D20 tat, but these events were linked by nothing more than the silver strings of coincidence.

Still, many delightful occurrences did conspire to make this day a perfect storm of geeky goodness, and for that I must thank the many fine people who contributed.

Heartfelt thanks to my friend Denika for putting together the original flash for me.

Sincerest appreciation also goes to Hans, a gentleman that is, in my opinion, easily one of the finest and most talented tattoo artists in The Queen City. (He is also likely Charlotte’s tattoo artist that most resembles the cartoon incarnation of Ghostbuster Egon Spengler, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Much love goes out especially to my best friend Josh (A.K.A.: Seamonkey), for giving me the most kick-ass Christmas present ever.

And, of course, I gotta give a shout-out to my boy Beefy for providing the soundtrack to today’s festivities.

If you haven’t already, I’d suggest you download Beef’s latest release immediately. It’s a welcome addition to any collection.

I’d also suggest getting a bold, line-art tattoo that hearkens back to the golden age of tabletop roleplaying. But be forewarned: there is some mild discomfort involved.

The news that was

Okay, why did no one tell me Hipster, please! was mentioned back in April at BBC.CO.UK? I mean, how did I miss that?

Yeah, apparently Collective did a piece on nerdcore and my little blog warranted inclusion. So, y'know, hurray for me... 8 months after the fact. ;)

It sort of makes me wonder what other cool places HP was mentioned, unbeknownst to me and my meager readership.

Friends like these

I make no secret that Hipster, please! wouldn’t be possible without the help of a very important group of supporters. Unfortunately, the majority of these men and women live well outside what you’d generally term “driving distance.” So, while I interact with each of them regularly via digital means, I seldom get to see them in real life. Tonight, thankfully, I finally had a chance to meet up with a pair of these fine souls.

Dennis and Denika, that dynamic duo from Vagrant who’ve done so much for me in the way of art for the site and its projects and never asked for a bit of compensation, recently relocated to Orlando, and they just so happened to be heading to Charlotte, NC – my back yard – to visit family this weekend. They actually drove well out of their way to share dinner with me and my fam at one of our favorite dives… er, I mean fine (semi)Japanese eateries. Not only did they trek well into the wilds of upstate South Carolina just to break bread with the Z. clan, but they even picked up the check!

Overcome by the holiday spirit, they also favored each of us with a delightful, handmade gift. My wife, Em, received a beautiful scarf and I added a custom-made ZeaLouS1 zombie to my growing collection of arcane and macabre plushies. Denika even spent her entire drive up here creating a special toy for Li’l X., an adorable robot that I have dubbed the Cuddletron 4000. (He’s the first automaton powered by love, and yes, I am aware that he bears a striking resemblance to the robot – I call him Geekotron 1337 – that Denika included in my new logo image.) And for all their trouble they received from me… a mixtape. Yeah. Pretty underwhelming. I know.

The Internet very often brings out the worst in people. It allows just enough anonymity for douchebaggery to run rampant. And yet, somehow, talented, interesting, genuinely nice people seem to convene here at Hipster, please! More than anything else I may have accomplished through my various hair-brained ventures, this is the thing I’m the most proud of; I’ve managed to carve out a tiny niche in which a few truly great people share their outlooks and ideas and talents.

I reckon I can sum the breadth of this post up in one simple declaration: Christmas is a time for friends, and mine are pretty kick-ass.

Also, Cuddletron 4000 needs your hugs. They are his food.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 30: The WFWFTW Mixtape

If this is the first edition of Radio Free Hipster you’ve ever listened to, then I’m afraid it may give you the wrong impression. Normally, RFH starts with an intro track, then a little spiel from me, a set of songs, another little interlude, a second set, a final bit of chatter, and a closing song. This episode is an exception. This time around I elected to mix shit up a bit.

I’ve had an urge to release something along the lines of a nerdy mixtape for a while now, and, after a perfect storm of geeky inspiration, this seemed like the opportunity to do so.

A few weeks ago, my pal Church hipped me to a mixtape-esque project that he’d been knocking around, and that sort of got me primed. Then, he, Matt, and I had a little email exchange about some rampant gamer fanboyism over at Lev Grossman’s blog. That started the process in earnest, but only when coupled with Wil Wheaton’s very inspired PAX keynote.

I spend a lot of time alluding to the concept of a nerd community. That is, even more so than the music, what Hipster, please! is all about, but the truth of the matter is that freaks, geeks, and gamers are more like warring tribes. Sure, we form loose confederations from time to time – mostly during convention season – but we seldom see each other as equals, as brothers. Sony fanboys and comic geeks and science nerds and LARPers and Pokemaniacs and nerdcore aficionados and fan fickers and every goddamn other flavor of social ineptitude often look upon each other with disdain.

And yet somehow, every year for one magical weekend, Gabe and Tycho manage to bring all of us together under one roof, under a single banner, and bestow momentary peace to our troubled people.

PAX is a testament to its own importance, and though I’ve never attended (and likely never will, unless they move it to, y’know, Charlotte) the environmental change across the various echelons of casual and hardcore nerd-dom that it precipitates is palpable. While E3, in any guise, is about the industry, and every other comic, gaming, anime, or collectable con is, at the heart, about commerce, PAX is about us. I think that’s something that most of us realize, but Wil really managed to spell it out quite clearly through the vehicle personal rumination. His words serve as a base for this particular podcast.

It’s not secret that I find my own little contributions to RFH to be the weak link. I’m not an ultimate authority about nerdy music by any stretch of the imagination, so I just tend to expound upon what little I know about the artists and tracks provided, peppered with personal observations and my own blend of jackassery. Compared to the fact that Wil is a genuine orator my words fall pretty flat, so you won’t be hearing me in this ‘cast. Instead, the brief bits of necessary exposition are provided by Crystal, AT&T’s text-to-speech automaton. Sure, her diction's a little off, but at least she doesn’t have a southern accent. ;)

I will however, provide, the customary show notes concerning the featured tracks and artists, because this edition is just as much about their contributions as Wil’s.

If you’ve got any questions or comments about the show – or the podcast in general – feel free to hit me up. I guess that’s my own little way of supporting the greater aspirations of a coherent nerd community.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 30: The WFWFTW Mixtape [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 52.4 MB Running Time: 57:16

Show Notes:

Intro: Baddd Spellah – “Radio Free Hipster Theme (feat. Beefy)”
I sort of dorked with the theme song this time around, and I feel kinda bad about it. It almost seems disrespectful. Still, I wanted to alert folks early on that this wouldn’t be a regular episode.

Background Music :
There are actually two background music selections for the voice beds this time around. When Crystal was “talking” I used the old ambient Gamecube menu music. I usually worked Wil’s bits in during song transitions, but two different selections actually cut completely out of the tracklist and use PriZm’s “Bowser is Pissed” OC Remix.

Track 1: MC Frontalot – “It is Pitch Dark”
This track played in well with Wil’s “gaming generations” bit. The fact that Front released a video for it earlier this week is happy coincidence.

Track 2: Dual Core – “Hostage Down”
I’ve been saving this song for a special occasion, and I thought it worked well here. It’s sort of Dual Core’s signature piece, and, truthfully, one of my favorites from the album.

Track 3: 4BIT BONSAI – “ODE TO TETRIS”
From the very fun 4 BILLION HIT POINTS album, which is freely available and highly recommended. This one played solidly into the next track.

Track 5: CheapyD – “Ass and Tetris (You Forgot Poland)”
I really wanted to work a mash-up in here and this one fit perfectly, which was great because Cheapy also knows a thing or two about creating a nerd community. He’s the brains behind Cheap Ass Gamer and co-host of the (recently award-wining) CAGcast, which are, in all honesty, the only gaming BBS and podcast that I even bother to keep up with anymore.

Track 6: YTCracker – “The Legend”
YT’s older work holds up well, and this track is a personal favorite from the NES release. Something about the first verse really resonated well with Wil’s lead-in.

Track 7: Temp Sound Solutions – “Son of a Biah (Cex rmx)”
I’m not really sure if Shawn Phase prefers to go by that name or the TSS moniker; I reckon it depends on the project. What I do know is that he is a supremely talented chiptune artist, guitarist, and performer and that he has wicked-assed Konami tatts.

Track 8: Random – “Boss Battle Metal Man (The Megas Remix)”
This track is a amazing cut from an amazing album, Random’s Mega Ran release. I’m really interested to know how the collaboration came about, and, as it looks like I may get the opportunity to interview Ran in the near future, I'll hopefully get my answer.

Track 9: Franz Keller – “Metrotransfunk”
I wanted to work a Metroid track in there somewhere too, and I was immediately taken by this one. I stand by my longtime assertion that you can pretty much just grab any track at random from OCR and find gold.

Track 10: MAJA – “N.E.S.” / “UUDDLRL”
MAJA was nice enough to hook me up with a copy of The Amalgam Project, and I’ve truly enjoyed it. Something about the blend of personal reflections and smooth delivery of “UUDDLRL” really made it roll well into the mix.

Track 11: Regurgitator – “Black Bugs”
This is some geeky Australian indie pop that Pinky hipped me to. Thus far I had kept the musical selections confined to sarcastic, reflective, and atmospheric pieces, and I sort of had the urge to throw in a curve.

Track 12: mc chris – “Kingdom Farts”
mc’s rapid-fire delivery contrasted the Regurgitator track’s relaxed, dancy vibe. Plus, I love the fuck out of this song! The break gave me a chance to throw in a pretty pertinent Wheaton bump.
Track 13: TZU – “Back Up!”
Another little jewel from Down Under compliments of Grandmaster Pink. In retrospect, maybe I should’ve swapped this one with the YTCracker track, as it also has a lot of 1980’s references, but I’m still pretty happy with it here.

Track 14: The Four Eyes – “Neverwinter Nights”
When I first heard this song – from The Four Eyes’ Five Songs About Videogames... EP – I knew I had to end an episode of the podcast with it. The only problem is that it’s about twice as long as the average song I play. Still, this one was a track I just didn’t feel comfortable editing down; the length plays into the song's progression and is a big part of its garage rock charm. So, I elected to use the long solo sequences to let Wil wrap up his argument. I thought it worked pretty well and hope you feel the same.

ACCEPT? -->?

The video for MC Frontalot’s “It Is Pitch Dark” is currently available for mass consumption. Director Jason Scott is using the song and video to promote his upcoming documentary about text adventure games, Get Lamp, which sounds pretty goddamn awesome in and of itself.

You didn't hear it from me, but it just so happens that this track will also be prominently in the next edition of Radio Free Hipster...

Okay, maybe you did hear it from me.

The plot thickens

Shael. Beefy. Robots. Sweatshop labor. Acres of cardboard. A special cameo by MC Frontalot. And I don't notice until after I post today's MNNIB. Shit!

What am I talking about? The Grammar Club, of course!

Click and be amazed.

Nerdcore Undercover

The title of this compilation is totally misleading.

First off, not all of the submissions are hip-hop, and some of the artists themselves actually eschew the nerdcore label. Second, it’s not simply a collection of covers; it’s more a selection of reinterpretations ranging from covers to parodies to full-on rewrites.

Of course Nerdcore Undercover has a much more pleasing aesthetic than An Anthology of Song Reinterpretations by Artists That Are Nerdy But Not Necessarily Nerdcore. That shit just sounds silly.

I’ve been working on this compilation for the last few months, and I have to say that by “working on this compilation” I mean haphazardly emailing artists to ask for submissions. They did all the real work. This is their project. Clearly, I’m just here to hijack the credit.

Let me reiterate: a lot of hard work went into putting this release together, and very little of it was on my end. Guys like funky49 and Ultraklystron did more than their fair share by creating excitingly fresh covers and helping others do the same. Cats like Doctor Popular and My Parents Favorite Music scoured their back catalogues for old gems. Hell, artists like Shael Riley and Goondocks even went so far as to have brand-spanking new songs deftly recorded and competently mastered, almost as if this were a legitimate album and not just a downloadable freebie from some hick’s blog.

I truly can’t thank them enough.

The same can be said for folks like my pal Brüx (who tried to distill years of recording and sound engineering experience and instruction into a half-dozen emails for my benefit), my faithful comrade Church (who helped me wade through my text-heavy elucidations concerning the project), and my friends Dennis and Denika (who put together the cover art amid moving cross-country.) Truthfully, I owe tons of thanks to a bunch of people. So much so that I gush over them in the liner notes, so please read ‘em.

If you're still scratching your head concerning where, exactly, this album came from, that's totally understandable. I obviously didn’t do a lot in the way of pre-release promotion for this project, and that was due to a number of reasons.

The most straightforward is that I had to forgo an open submission process in order to limit the number of tracks I was dealing with. Even though mine was the easy part, there was no feasible way to get more than a single disk’s worth of music together and still meet my self-imposed deadline. I started down a list of nerdy musicians – beginning with those with which I already had a working relationship – and then stopped when I got close to 20 interested parties. As a result, a lot of really deserving artists got left out, and that’s the only thing about this comp that saddens me.

The most compelling reason, however, is that I’ve developed a recent allergy to hype. Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating, but with all the publicity nerdcore’s been getting of late I thought it might be fun to work in secret, to simply focus on putting together what I hoped would be a really fun CD and not worry about making too much preemptive noise along the way.

That’s what this is all about: fun.

I had fun putting it together, and you can tell the artists had fun with their individual submissions.

I hope you have fun listening.

Moreover, I hope you hear some material from some folks you know and love as well as some you might not be so familiar with.

Mostly, I hope that some part of this compilation strikes a chord with you and reminds how much fun it is to sing someone else’s song at the top of your lungs as you motor down the highway with the windows rolled down.

Thanks for reading, and happy listening.

-- Right-click and Save Link As --

Download Nerdcore Undercover (in its entirety)

Individual track downloads available for the finicky and those poor bastards still on dial-up:

1. My Parents Favorite Music – “Just Try and Sue Us”
2. Beefy – “Move Somethin’”
3. Shael Riley – “Umbrella”
4. mc chris & Modd Jobs – “Dare to Be Stupid”
5. Nursehella – “Keep It Real (Represent My Nuts)”
6. funky49 – “Intergalactic Pizza Party”
7. Glenn Case - “Alex Chilton”
8. Goondocks – “Posse Needs Upgrades”
9. Ultraklystron – “Daydreamin’”
10. LogicOne – “You Don’t Know Me”
11. ZeaLouS1 – “Paparazzi”
12. funky49 – “Everything (I Own)”
13. Drown Radio Therapy – “Vapors”
14. myf - "Paid in Full (feat. Kal-L & DJ Snyder)"
15. Shael Riley – “I’m Yours”
16. Dual Core – “What Have We Done”
17. Optimus Rhyme – “Train in Vain (live)”
18. Rai – “Shiki No Uta”
19. YTCracker – “Summer Girls”

Brilliant front cover
Equally brilliant back cover
Tiny iTunes cover

And don’t forget the liner notes!

Inclement weather

Due to yesterday’s little power outage – and thanks to a helpful suggestion from my man Church – I’ve elected to postpone the official release of the Hipster, please! no-longer-so-secret cover song project until Tuesday.

Sunday didn’t seem like such a great time to launch and album. And Monday? Well, Monday is Monday. So Tuesday it is.

The artists involved seem cool with that, and that’s good enough for me. Thanks for bearing with us through this minor logistical snafu. Your patience will be duly rewarded. Trust me.

Gimme an "I"

I don’t give an unholy fuck about the iPhone. I can’ afford one, I couldn’t find one if I had the scratch, and I no doubt lack the adequate amount of Mac-fanboy swagger to properly operate the infernal device even if the previous criteria were met. Plus it’s tethered to the iTunes service, which is, I truly believe, the devil.

But I am not your average joe.

You all probably want an iPhone. You, no doubt, lust for it’s oddly ceramic aesthetic and its uber-funky functionality. And so, I present to you the following links.

Don’t thank me; Church did all the legwork.

• Does your local Apple store have any iPhones in stock? See for yourself. Just don’t end up like poor Brent.
• Meet the guy that was almost the fifth cat in line… yeah… um… Wired? You… you’re not even trying anymore are you? Tough shit, ‘cause Gizmodo stole all the thunder; you can totally watch the line live! Wait… that sucks too.
• Um…Why not watch Stephen Colbert review an iPhone he didn’t get. That’s entertaining. (Note: Steve’s from South Carolina, a state with no Apple stores. I’m just sayin’.)
• For those of you who’ve already given up hope of finagling such a device, why not read the most recent Democratic Debate Report Card. Politics is still a relevant subject, right? Even in our post-iPhone world?
  

In Memoriam

Rather than drop another edition of the Nerd News In Brief, I have instead elected to focus my energy on a solitary item this sunny Friday afternoon. Yesterday it was announced on the Rhyme Torrents forums that Emergency Pizza Party is no more; ironically enough, this proclamation was made by Sir-Up, traditionally the group’s least vocal member.

Whether you count yourself an EPP fan or not, the impact they had on post-RT nerdcore is undeniable. The group was a fixture of the greater Florida scene and a prime catalyst that precipitated the veritable explosion of regular nerdcore shows in the area. EPP were known for their eclectic style, their frenetic performances, and their eternally swelling roster.

The band was also know for its totally unorthodox sense of humor, and I, like many other scenesters, simply assumed that this announcement was some other obscure in-joke appreciated only by the members of the Party themselves. It appears, however, that it’s for real, and, as such, I thought it warranted a little pomp and/or circumstance.

I find it kinda hard to be blue, as Sir-Up explicitly stated that the former members of the group would continue to make music independently. Instead, I’ll simply wish them all the best in their endeavors and hope that the split affords them each the artistic growth that they seek. Best of luck to Sir-Up and Fanatical on their up-coming solo releases, Ben and Wreckshin on their future projects, and – my personal favorite – Miss Betty Rebel on whatever musical avenues she chooses to tread.

MagiTek, Krondor Krew, and Superfiends: y’all keep the dream alive.

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 21: Meat & Potatoes

After a hectic (read: shitty) week, putting together this podcast was a noble diversion. The bulk of these songs are silly and borderline uplifting. As a result, I have to say that this is one of my favorite overall track lists in a while. I hope you dig it.

Right now I think I might have one more free-form ‘cast in me before I go back to themed eps, but I'll just have to see where I'm at come RFH 22. In the meantime, peep the freshness and let me know what you think.

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 21: Meat & Potatoes [hosting provided by Antisocial] Size: 43.1 MB Running Time: 47:10

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
I'd take a bullet for either of these boys.

Track 1: Zealous1 (feat. Super Dragon X & Spontane) – “Double Dragon”
Collaboc1de is well worth the time it'll take you to download it. Trust me.

Z's 1st interlude: “A collection of tracks that I am currently listening to.”
Which pretty much sums up every episode.

Track 2: Baddd Spellah - “Gawd Particles”
This song contains the word penis .

Track 3: Mr. Door - “Video From NWNC @ Fuel”
This song contains the word testicles .

Track 4: King of Pants - “Badd to Me”
This song contains – even in its original, non-mash-up form – the word vagina .

Track 5: Datarock - “Computer Camp”
This song also contains the word penis . Oddly enough, all of this was purely coincidental. It wasn't until my final playback that I noticed this disturbing trend. Believe it or not, I had not planned to focus this set so firmly upon genitalia. I'm just sayin'.

Track 6: Stemage - “Brinstar”
Stemage has a new (non-Metroid) album available. You should check it out.

Track 7: Ultraklystron - “Front to the Back (K-Beam Remix)”
Karl can rock the house. Rock the house indeed.

Track 8: MC Router - “Routerlicious”
“Your little brother thinks I'm purdy / LAN parties signin' up to get a piece of this dirty nerdy.”

Z's 2 nd interlude: “It'll make you feel good.”
Well, it made me feel good.

Track 9: Oddioblender - “Lullaby of Cosmic Dust”
Odd's Gustuf Young is Dead is one of those disks I find myself going back to regularly. It's really got a lot to offer.

Track 10: Grandmaster Pink and Diabolik (feat. Dexy) - “The OC”
When the show got cancelled , I actually felt a little bad for Pink and the boys. :(

Track 11: The OneUps - “Summers”
Once again, let me plug the Game Music 4 All Music EXP comp. The line-up is outstanding!

Track 12: Commodore64 - “Dutch”
Just say yes.

Track 13: Mawatari Matsuko – “Hohoemi no Bakudan”
See? There's no way in hell I coulda said that!

Track 14: Stark Effect - “Bunny Rabbits, Satan, Cheese and Milk”
There's more to Stark Effect than “mic in track” songs. Check it.

Z's final interlude: “I'll be sure to butcher some more Japanese in a later episode.”
My inability to pronounce words in any tongue is a constant source of amusement for me. I imagine you've come to expect it as well.

Track 15: MC Frontalot – “Secrets From the Future”
Buy Front's new album here, or see him on tour and get it in person.

I'm still amused that I subconsciously themed a huge chunk of set one around brief references to naughty bits. How positively Freudian! ;)

Thanks for stopping by and being a party to my madness. I owe you one.

Please holler at me and let me know your thoughts on this episode. And, as always, your song suggestions and show ideas are welcomed and appreciated.

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.