The intro to MC Lars's "This Gigantic Robot Kills".
So where have I been?
Basically working on this new song.
I spent all of Labor Day setting this up,
So things have been slow, just setting up everything for the future!
Showing posts with label mc lars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mc lars. Show all posts
Monday, May 28, 2018
Status Quo Sunday Asks: Where Ya Been Bastard?
JAM OF THE WEEK: "Where Ya Been Lars?" by MC Lars
The intro to MC Lars's "This Gigantic Robot Kills".
So where have I been?
Basically working on this new song.
I spent all of Labor Day setting this up,
So things have been slow, just setting up everything for the future!
The intro to MC Lars's "This Gigantic Robot Kills".
So where have I been?
Basically working on this new song.
I spent all of Labor Day setting this up,
So things have been slow, just setting up everything for the future!
Saturday, September 3, 2016
PODCAST RECAPS FOR 9/3/2016: The Return Of The Rhythm Dadstard
To my number one fan:
One podcast to recap this week since I'm WAY far behind:
I'D RATHER NOT EPISODE 26
-Observation: A lot of my calls are to friends I want to catch up with.
-This episode was done RIGHT after I recorded something else in a radio announcer/Jonesy Spencer type voice and forgot to turn off the filter.
-Pro Gamer and Mediocre At Best Magic Player Day9 is doing a playthrough of Toonstruck, and that's what made me think of this question.
-According to Wikipedia, "noids" were the name for normal people, and "doodles" were cartoons. When "noids" are killed by "doodles", they're reborn as "doodles" in Cool World. I feel like I need to watch Cool World, but my time would to be better spent watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit? again.
-"Cartoon Characters Shiting" is John's "Sausage Party Orgy"
-Steven Universe is one of those shows where it supposedly has this rich deep lore, but I watch episodes years apart, and still be OK.
STAAAAAARDUSSSSSST!
It's amazing how outdated these things become when they;'re released because wrestling changes faster than Scooby-Doo.
-Max Steele I remember being a meh CGI cartoon, and there was an episode with Tony Hawk for some reason.
-Scrooge McDuck being a badass:
-Time police from SuperJail! look like the Dream Police from Cheap Trick:
-And with all that, I'm going to leave you with the sick MC Lars track, "The Dip":
One podcast to recap this week since I'm WAY far behind:
I'D RATHER NOT EPISODE 26
-Observation: A lot of my calls are to friends I want to catch up with.
-This episode was done RIGHT after I recorded something else in a radio announcer/Jonesy Spencer type voice and forgot to turn off the filter.
-Pro Gamer and Mediocre At Best Magic Player Day9 is doing a playthrough of Toonstruck, and that's what made me think of this question.
-According to Wikipedia, "noids" were the name for normal people, and "doodles" were cartoons. When "noids" are killed by "doodles", they're reborn as "doodles" in Cool World. I feel like I need to watch Cool World, but my time would to be better spent watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit? again.
-"Cartoon Characters Shiting" is John's "Sausage Party Orgy"
-Steven Universe is one of those shows where it supposedly has this rich deep lore, but I watch episodes years apart, and still be OK.
STAAAAAARDUSSSSSST!
It's amazing how outdated these things become when they;'re released because wrestling changes faster than Scooby-Doo.
-Max Steele I remember being a meh CGI cartoon, and there was an episode with Tony Hawk for some reason.
-Scrooge McDuck being a badass:
-Time police from SuperJail! look like the Dream Police from Cheap Trick:
-And with all that, I'm going to leave you with the sick MC Lars track, "The Dip":
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Patreons That Are Greatreon Part 1
In this post-stability economy, the opportunities for crowd funding and helping each other have increased ten fold. In the past year one of the more direct and reliable ways for content producers to make money is Patreon, a website that allows you to support artists, musicians and businesses by regular payments.
MC Lars- The newest horse in this race, MC Lars is an independent rapper whose rhymes go all over the place from Post-Punk Laptop Rap, to Lit-Hop to Nerdcore, and even Ska, since that's the only way to get it done these days. This isn't entirely unexpected, since as he prophesied in his song "Download This Song", the "old way" of doing things is becoming less and less applicable to anybody not on the Top 40 Rotation, especially with the line "Music was a product, now it is a service:
(You can tell you're about to listen to this instead of "The Passenger" when you don't hear the cowbells.)
That song is 10 years old. Damn....
$2 seems like a lot per song, but the rewards over that level are really good, including livestream concerts, instrmentals, and free buttons and stuff, it's worth it. Also consider it's going to the artist directly to help out with stuff a larger entity normally pays for, and I pay that much to buy a song in Rock Band (of which Lars has 2 in Rock Band available).
It wasn't a matter of "if" for Lars, but "when".
A Fox In Space- I initially held off on supporting this one because I'm a vengeful idiot who hates people named Matthew Gafford. Then something happened that changed my views, and now I'm showing this Patreon to you all.
Matt is an artist who streams daily working on animation projects. These animation projects are about foxes, that sometimes go into space. This is not in anyway resembling an intellectual property from any video game company. His quality animation can be seen here:
Isn't it AWESOME? I'd be fanboying out about it if it were some
It's a really solid style, like Don Bluth meets Heavy Metal, it looks really well put together (like, foley work and score are on point, which is incredible for a self taught, amateur production), and in no way resembles any previously established IP from an international corporation that can give him a cease and desist. The animations, when they're done, will be available for free on the YouTube channel, but the Patreon is there to enable him working full time. Working on the streams, that is, not on this animation project that is non-profit and a non-commercial parody.
Still, every other Matthew Gafford can fuck off.
cr1tikal- Straight Forward. I like it.
MC Lars- The newest horse in this race, MC Lars is an independent rapper whose rhymes go all over the place from Post-Punk Laptop Rap, to Lit-Hop to Nerdcore, and even Ska, since that's the only way to get it done these days. This isn't entirely unexpected, since as he prophesied in his song "Download This Song", the "old way" of doing things is becoming less and less applicable to anybody not on the Top 40 Rotation, especially with the line "Music was a product, now it is a service:
(You can tell you're about to listen to this instead of "The Passenger" when you don't hear the cowbells.)
That song is 10 years old. Damn....
$2 seems like a lot per song, but the rewards over that level are really good, including livestream concerts, instrmentals, and free buttons and stuff, it's worth it. Also consider it's going to the artist directly to help out with stuff a larger entity normally pays for, and I pay that much to buy a song in Rock Band (of which Lars has 2 in Rock Band available).
It wasn't a matter of "if" for Lars, but "when".
A Fox In Space- I initially held off on supporting this one because I'm a vengeful idiot who hates people named Matthew Gafford. Then something happened that changed my views, and now I'm showing this Patreon to you all.
Matt is an artist who streams daily working on animation projects. These animation projects are about foxes, that sometimes go into space. This is not in anyway resembling an intellectual property from any video game company. His quality animation can be seen here:
Isn't it AWESOME? I'd be fanboying out about it if it were some
It's a really solid style, like Don Bluth meets Heavy Metal, it looks really well put together (like, foley work and score are on point, which is incredible for a self taught, amateur production), and in no way resembles any previously established IP from an international corporation that can give him a cease and desist. The animations, when they're done, will be available for free on the YouTube channel, but the Patreon is there to enable him working full time. Working on the streams, that is, not on this animation project that is non-profit and a non-commercial parody.
Still, every other Matthew Gafford can fuck off.
cr1tikal- Straight Forward. I like it.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Status Quo Sunday However Is Nerdcore
STATUS QUO RADIO AVAILABLE ON BANDCAMP!
This week's jam is a new song!
The cover got Lars' blessing, so I'm happy!
For those of you further behind, this is a cover I did of MC Lars's song "Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock". Part of it spawned from the rumor that Hot Topic was buying out ThinkGeek, and thought "This makes 100% of all the sense."
Now, MC Lars, in his email to be after I sent him this said, "Yeah, but Think Geek is more punk rock than Hot Topic". That's true, ThinkGeek sells tools, and creativity toys. Hot Topic sells, well...
Mostly though this song was born out of the idea that after all I've been through, I'd rather see more creation than consumption when it comes to nerd stuff.
Lemme break it down for you like this:
"Turning your passions into something tangible is nerdcore...":
I'm talking about making stuff: music, fanart/fiction, cosplay, whatever. Do something other than buying a thing and waiting for those on high to make more. Learn something in the process.
At all the cons I play at, I always try to buy at least one homemade thing from somebody whether it's a comic, a print, a CD, etc. because it feels good when you put yourself out there, and someone says "YES!", even it's fan art, because someone had to learn a skill.
"Representing marginalized groups is nerdcore..."
I'm seeing more and more women and POC at cons and making music in the nerdcore scene AND THIS IS A GOOD THING. Some of this shit's pretty fun, and it's fun to see other people joining in.
Also, tying in to the first point, it's easier than ever to have your work published and made your voices heard, a lot of voices people haven't considered before.
"MC Lars is nerdcore..."
Well he did make the song...
The point of all this is, as Neil Gaiman put it:
MAKE GOOD ART
This come right off the heels of the Fine Bros. annoncing their licensing of their "_____ REACT" videos. The Fine Bros. don't make anything, they just show people stuff and film their reactions, and then they act like they're changing the world.
"You know that open platform we have for people to submit their creative works? Fuck that, make it more like every other media"
WHAT ELSE YOU GOT?
Omni Expo in less than a month! Suuuper hyped!
This week's jam is a new song!
The cover got Lars' blessing, so I'm happy!
For those of you further behind, this is a cover I did of MC Lars's song "Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock". Part of it spawned from the rumor that Hot Topic was buying out ThinkGeek, and thought "This makes 100% of all the sense."
Now, MC Lars, in his email to be after I sent him this said, "Yeah, but Think Geek is more punk rock than Hot Topic". That's true, ThinkGeek sells tools, and creativity toys. Hot Topic sells, well...
Mostly though this song was born out of the idea that after all I've been through, I'd rather see more creation than consumption when it comes to nerd stuff.
Lemme break it down for you like this:
"Turning your passions into something tangible is nerdcore...":
I'm talking about making stuff: music, fanart/fiction, cosplay, whatever. Do something other than buying a thing and waiting for those on high to make more. Learn something in the process.
At all the cons I play at, I always try to buy at least one homemade thing from somebody whether it's a comic, a print, a CD, etc. because it feels good when you put yourself out there, and someone says "YES!", even it's fan art, because someone had to learn a skill.
"Representing marginalized groups is nerdcore..."
I'm seeing more and more women and POC at cons and making music in the nerdcore scene AND THIS IS A GOOD THING. Some of this shit's pretty fun, and it's fun to see other people joining in.
Also, tying in to the first point, it's easier than ever to have your work published and made your voices heard, a lot of voices people haven't considered before.
"MC Lars is nerdcore..."
Well he did make the song...
The point of all this is, as Neil Gaiman put it:
MAKE GOOD ART
This come right off the heels of the Fine Bros. annoncing their licensing of their "_____ REACT" videos. The Fine Bros. don't make anything, they just show people stuff and film their reactions, and then they act like they're changing the world.
"You know that open platform we have for people to submit their creative works? Fuck that, make it more like every other media"
WHAT ELSE YOU GOT?
Omni Expo in less than a month! Suuuper hyped!
Monday, October 5, 2015
Status Quo Radio DROPS THIS WEEK!!!
This week's jam:
Putting Status Quo Radio into Bandcamp/iTunes/THE WHOLE SHEBANG! Pre-orders will be up... soon.
Status Quo Radio comes out OCT 9TH!
So, this weekend...
FRIDAY: Mizucon!
There were equipment screw ups aplenty AND I missed Eyeshine/Johnny Young Bosh. Still got to meet up with some cool people, INCLUDING, someone who went to my Mizucon Show in 2013. He said I got better!
They gave out free Magic practice decks (nice!), a robust table top room (NICE!) and a dealers room that closed when I got there (not so nice). Really, the con itself seemed solid, but I was only able to go Friday night, so while I had fun, I didn't leave with the best impression.
Shout out to the Gamers With Gains YouTube channel, who will be doing a way better job of covering it than I will.
SATURDAY: Marc with a C/MC Lars/Peter Pepper/Random Encounter
Missed Marc but talked to him at the merch booth and was a super nice dude, MC Lars was great as always and a friend of his proposed during the set, Random Encounter put on a great show featuring older members, rivaling The Aquabats in former members.
Peter Pepper is like a more metal Foxy Shazam which was a more metal Queen. There was a mosh pit every song, which in the shallow venue of the BackBooth was a welcome respite from nerds standing shoulder to shoulder.
Yeah, it was worth 2.5 hours in a car both ways
SUNDAY: Battle For Zendikar GPT Atlanta
Went 1-2 drop and then went to the gym and watched some Competitive Smash Bros.
Battle for Zendikar is still a foreign language to me.
Today wasn't terribly exciting, but I'm glad I don't have too much to do the coming weekend.
Also,
Status Quo Radio comes out OCT 9TH!
Putting Status Quo Radio into Bandcamp/iTunes/THE WHOLE SHEBANG! Pre-orders will be up... soon.
Status Quo Radio comes out OCT 9TH!
So, this weekend...
FRIDAY: Mizucon!
There were equipment screw ups aplenty AND I missed Eyeshine/Johnny Young Bosh. Still got to meet up with some cool people, INCLUDING, someone who went to my Mizucon Show in 2013. He said I got better!
They gave out free Magic practice decks (nice!), a robust table top room (NICE!) and a dealers room that closed when I got there (not so nice). Really, the con itself seemed solid, but I was only able to go Friday night, so while I had fun, I didn't leave with the best impression.
Shout out to the Gamers With Gains YouTube channel, who will be doing a way better job of covering it than I will.
SATURDAY: Marc with a C/MC Lars/Peter Pepper/Random Encounter
Missed Marc but talked to him at the merch booth and was a super nice dude, MC Lars was great as always and a friend of his proposed during the set, Random Encounter put on a great show featuring older members, rivaling The Aquabats in former members.
Peter Pepper is like a more metal Foxy Shazam which was a more metal Queen. There was a mosh pit every song, which in the shallow venue of the BackBooth was a welcome respite from nerds standing shoulder to shoulder.
Yeah, it was worth 2.5 hours in a car both ways
SUNDAY: Battle For Zendikar GPT Atlanta
Went 1-2 drop and then went to the gym and watched some Competitive Smash Bros.
Battle for Zendikar is still a foreign language to me.
Today wasn't terribly exciting, but I'm glad I don't have too much to do the coming weekend.
Also,
Status Quo Radio comes out OCT 9TH!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Echo Chamber Post Game Episode 126
DOWNLOAD NOW! NEWER AND SEXIER!
-FUN FACT: I was sent the raw files for "Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock" and had to reconstitute the song using the ProTools file, and add my own distortion. Part of me wants to try and finish it for the Custom Creators Collective, but that would be disrespectful to Lars. Also, my C3 energy is better spent on the Best Song Pack Ever consisting of "Super Rad!" by The Aquabats, "Let's Dance To Joy Division" by The Wombats and "Anal Cunt" by G.G. Allin.
-"Only God can judge me"- Jeff, an atheist.
-Arcanon is working on an Adult Content pack for C3, so "Anal Cunt" by GG Allin might be a possibility.
-BUTTS
-Vocals in Rock Band were always hit or miss, and if Rock Band 4 allows for more expression, then I'm all for it. It's really a buzzkill when, even on Easy, someone who just wants to sing karaoke fails out and is given negative feedback. No Fail Mode as the default helps a little bit, but it's crushing when a player onjly scores 50%.
"I suck! I'm never going to play again!"
There's a colloquialism in Magic The Gathering for when there's a mechanic that can be seen as discouraging to players not quite ready to handle it: "Feelbads". For a game that invites such a casual playerbase, you want to avoid as many "Feelbads" early on in a player's career as much as possible.
-Final Fantasy X: HAHAHAHA! HA HA! HAHAHA! HA HA! HA! HA!!
-Canary Mary in Banjo Tooie was regarded for being very difficult. While Mystakin and Arcanon tried to argue the best ways to tackle her, I'll be lazy and post some tips from GameFAQs:
"No-one can beat Canary Mary in less than 13 seconds (not even a giraffe) as she cheats and adapts her speed to match the player’s skill. If you play too well she always seems to win. We never did fix that one properly…" (Translation: WE DUN GOOFED!)
"The main thing to remember with Canary Mary is to keep the interval between your button presses constant" (Translation: Wicked rubberband A.I.)
"If you're into mashing the button as fast as possible, go ahead. However, if you feel like you're slowing down, press start to pause and get the blood back into your thumb... or finger or whatever (nose?). As long as you can stay ahead, it's all good" (Translation: Stop playing. Fuck this game)
The last method is one more suited to those who are a little more desperate. If you're sick of trying everything and anything and just want to finish the game 100%, buy yourself a turbo controller from an online store or your local retailer if they stock them. Turbo controllers allow the user to hold down a button and get the same effect of mashing it at an extremely fast and constant speed - perfect for beating Canary Mary. (Translation: Fuck this game, just cheat)
Also recommended:
-A spoon
-A pen
-Rock Band fret button
But, it makes sure to note that they fucked up the programming, so this won't work either.
Video Time? VIDEO TIME!
-"Barkerville" by John Drake
-Illuminati Lady Does Ducktales
-There Will Be Brawl's Kirby Is As Hardcore As America Wants Him To Be
-
-AHAHA HAHA HA!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
ADVENT 2012: MC Lars Talking With TED
Pretty good stuff. This and "Flow Like Poe" should help you with ANY English test!
Personally, I prefer the limerick meter myself. Check this rhyme:
There once was a man from Nantucket,
Whose co-
What was I talking about? Anyways, presently working on the album with Jesse.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Guess Who Didn't Have A Podcast This Week?
Echo Chamber! Nothing to download!
-In RBN News, "Lars Attacks" by MC Lars is now available for the Rock Band Network!
-In Potentially Depressing Rhythm Bastard News, I'm going to be relocating to Florida with the family sometime by the end of the year. It sucks, but I won't let it put a damper on my music. I'll be back within a year.
-So, can we talk about The Walking Dead game? Please? After finishing up Episode 5 a couple days ago, and talking with Ozone really sealed the deal on how awesome this is and how video games can really be used to tell a story in their own way, utilizing things such as tension and catharsis to provide an emotional experience that has now raised the standard.
As a game, it's bare-bones as it gets with simple puzzles, but all this does is hide the seams that "THIS IS A VIDEOGAME". I don't even want to replay the game now, because then it would feel too much like I'm trying to get the "best" result as opposed to "Oh man, what do I do?" There will be a spoilery version of my thoughts, but for the purposes of a "HEY GUYS HERES WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO" post, this'll do.
The beauty of the game is that EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE IS THE WRONG ONE. No matter who you save, the game has a habit of making you feel guilty for it, and you know what? You'll feel bad. Everyone has their charms, everyone has their flaws, and as is with the comic, everyone can die. Just like real life, you'll be wondering "What If?" the whole time.
It's been a blast to see how other people and came to their decisions, and not once has there been a choice that has had a decision swing 100% one way.
-So to pick me up, here's a thrash version of "Pac-Man Fever"
-Then I read the Walking Dead TPB 17 and am now depressed as fuck.
-Todd In The Shadows covers Chumbawumba:
And teases that he's going to review Pac-Man Fever.
-In RBN News, "Lars Attacks" by MC Lars is now available for the Rock Band Network!
-In Potentially Depressing Rhythm Bastard News, I'm going to be relocating to Florida with the family sometime by the end of the year. It sucks, but I won't let it put a damper on my music. I'll be back within a year.
-So, can we talk about The Walking Dead game? Please? After finishing up Episode 5 a couple days ago, and talking with Ozone really sealed the deal on how awesome this is and how video games can really be used to tell a story in their own way, utilizing things such as tension and catharsis to provide an emotional experience that has now raised the standard.
As a game, it's bare-bones as it gets with simple puzzles, but all this does is hide the seams that "THIS IS A VIDEOGAME". I don't even want to replay the game now, because then it would feel too much like I'm trying to get the "best" result as opposed to "Oh man, what do I do?" There will be a spoilery version of my thoughts, but for the purposes of a "HEY GUYS HERES WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO" post, this'll do.
The beauty of the game is that EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE IS THE WRONG ONE. No matter who you save, the game has a habit of making you feel guilty for it, and you know what? You'll feel bad. Everyone has their charms, everyone has their flaws, and as is with the comic, everyone can die. Just like real life, you'll be wondering "What If?" the whole time.
It's been a blast to see how other people and came to their decisions, and not once has there been a choice that has had a decision swing 100% one way.
-So to pick me up, here's a thrash version of "Pac-Man Fever"
-Then I read the Walking Dead TPB 17 and am now depressed as fuck.
-Todd In The Shadows covers Chumbawumba:
And teases that he's going to review Pac-Man Fever.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
WarRock/Math/Lars Show August 10th
Long story short, I got a lot of awesome music for not a lot of money. DIY FTW.
Also, I learned that Lemon Drop shots are for suckers (no pun intended). It's like, "Well, that was a waste, I'm not drunk!" and then you suck on the sugary lemon wedge and it's like "All is forgiven!"
But you're still sober.
I missed WarRock, but managed to come halfway through Math The Band's set. They said, with their music, "Welcome! HERE'S A WALL OF SOUND!!" and it was good. The energy from that set was unmatched.
MC Lars played all the hits, and guested with everybody. No, I'm serious, if at any point they worked with Lars, they came onstage. WarRock rapped on "Generic Crunk Rap", MC Frontalot came on for "O.G. Original Gamer", Schaffer The Darklord did "Do The Bruce Campbell", Justine from Math The Band was on Ahab, and some guy from the band that did "Teenage Dirtbag" played bass for the whole set. Atone point he freestyled using random items the audience had, and he hit that shit 100%.
I picked up the Edgar Allen Poe EP from Lars, Math The Band's EP, and Adam WarRock's new album "You Dare Call Thing Human?".
I will we talking about ALL of this on the podcast this week!
Also, I learned that Lemon Drop shots are for suckers (no pun intended). It's like, "Well, that was a waste, I'm not drunk!" and then you suck on the sugary lemon wedge and it's like "All is forgiven!"
But you're still sober.
I missed WarRock, but managed to come halfway through Math The Band's set. They said, with their music, "Welcome! HERE'S A WALL OF SOUND!!" and it was good. The energy from that set was unmatched.
MC Lars played all the hits, and guested with everybody. No, I'm serious, if at any point they worked with Lars, they came onstage. WarRock rapped on "Generic Crunk Rap", MC Frontalot came on for "O.G. Original Gamer", Schaffer The Darklord did "Do The Bruce Campbell", Justine from Math The Band was on Ahab, and some guy from the band that did "Teenage Dirtbag" played bass for the whole set. Atone point he freestyled using random items the audience had, and he hit that shit 100%.
I picked up the Edgar Allen Poe EP from Lars, Math The Band's EP, and Adam WarRock's new album "You Dare Call Thing Human?".
I will we talking about ALL of this on the podcast this week!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
April 18th, 2012 Videos Of The Week
LIVE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "Pinball Wizard (and a fair bit of Tommy)" by The Who performed by Tenacouis D at GuitarCenter's Drum-Off 2011
Tenacious D paying tribute to a band they obviously love. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are better singers and guitarists than they get credit for.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" by Against Me!
Like with last week's "Apartment", I love a good mystery in my video, and it drives the point home: "What did that kid do?" Apparently something so horrible, that cops (who are always in the right of course) chase him down and beat him, while the crowd, save for one person, look on.
The video is supposedly all in one take, and I'll buy that. There's no points where you can make a quick cut like OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass". For a song about teenage naivete and maturing into a larger scope of the world, the long take works, as I think it encompasses the aftermath of the protagonist in his one glorious moment after discovering a thing called "anarchy".
Seriously, though? Those cops and that crowd suck.
BONUS VIDEO: "This Gigantic Robot Kills" performed by Natural Failure
This. This is what I love about doing what I do. What really sealed the deal was the guitarist in the Aquabats rashguard. This wasn't a random song, this shit was INTENTIONAL.
Natural Failure, thank you.
Tenacious D paying tribute to a band they obviously love. Jack Black and Kyle Gass are better singers and guitarists than they get credit for.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" by Against Me!
Like with last week's "Apartment", I love a good mystery in my video, and it drives the point home: "What did that kid do?" Apparently something so horrible, that cops (who are always in the right of course) chase him down and beat him, while the crowd, save for one person, look on.
The video is supposedly all in one take, and I'll buy that. There's no points where you can make a quick cut like OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass". For a song about teenage naivete and maturing into a larger scope of the world, the long take works, as I think it encompasses the aftermath of the protagonist in his one glorious moment after discovering a thing called "anarchy".
Seriously, though? Those cops and that crowd suck.
BONUS VIDEO: "This Gigantic Robot Kills" performed by Natural Failure
This. This is what I love about doing what I do. What really sealed the deal was the guitarist in the Aquabats rashguard. This wasn't a random song, this shit was INTENTIONAL.
Natural Failure, thank you.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Skrill-est
UPDATE: MC Lars posted it up, AND it made RockBandAide.com's RBN Highlights!
WOOOOOOOO!!!
ALSO "STEVEN WELLS (HE WAS THE GREATEST)" FOR ONLY A DOLLAR!!!
MC Lars introduced me to a new term the other day: "Skrill", meaning money. My first thought was "that's probably where Skrillex got his name".
My second thought was "Oh yeah, 'This Gigantic Robot Kills' is skrill indeed!" I'm from the East Coast, so I've never heard that before, ergo I don't know how it's used. Also why I had a version of "TGRK" rejected because I didn't know a Wherehouse was an old record store chain and needed to be capitalized.
So, you may have seen the song , but HAVE YOU SEEN THE ALLOCADES?
Most recently, it's in the RBN Highlights. I'm 2 for 2!
Then, it got the highest honor a Rock Band song can get: a Full Band Full Combo video! That's an FBFC w/ GS! LMFAO!
Suburban Legends retweeted it!
AND IT CAME OUT AT THE PERFECT TIME!
The Aquabats Super Show coming this Saturday!
Suburban Legends with a new album!
AND I HAVE A GIG AT THE VAULT THIS SATURDAY!!!
SATURDAY!!
SATURDAY!!!
WOOOOOOOO!!!
ALSO "STEVEN WELLS (HE WAS THE GREATEST)" FOR ONLY A DOLLAR!!!
MC Lars introduced me to a new term the other day: "Skrill", meaning money. My first thought was "that's probably where Skrillex got his name".
My second thought was "Oh yeah, 'This Gigantic Robot Kills' is skrill indeed!" I'm from the East Coast, so I've never heard that before, ergo I don't know how it's used. Also why I had a version of "TGRK" rejected because I didn't know a Wherehouse was an old record store chain and needed to be capitalized.
So, you may have seen the song , but HAVE YOU SEEN THE ALLOCADES?
Most recently, it's in the RBN Highlights. I'm 2 for 2!
Then, it got the highest honor a Rock Band song can get: a Full Band Full Combo video! That's an FBFC w/ GS! LMFAO!
Suburban Legends retweeted it!
AND IT CAME OUT AT THE PERFECT TIME!
The Aquabats Super Show coming this Saturday!
Suburban Legends with a new album!
AND I HAVE A GIG AT THE VAULT THIS SATURDAY!!!
SATURDAY!!
SATURDAY!!!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
September 7th, 2011 Videos Of The Week
FUCK IT, THE BEST VIDEO OF ALL KINDS OF ALL THE WEEKS IS RIGHT HERE:
BEST ANY VIDEO OF EVERY TIME FOREVER: "Pterodac to School", Dino Hunter MD
You know some of those songs I mentioned back when the Robot Rising EP came out? It's finally coming into fruition. The two in this episode are "Pass The Class" and "College Party", the latter of which has been taken down for a little while. I'll take another look at it, then put it back.
Now, since I missed last week, I figured I owe it to all 0 regular readers to do this.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "Lars Attacks" by MC Lars
I know I start with the live video but I'm fucking with convention ALL OVER THA PLACE!!!
I was going to put another video here, but then I remembered that today, "Lars Attacks!" comes out! I got it last week thanks to his Kickstarter campaign, along with Indie Rocket Science.
I guess I should be talking about the album itself now:
In my mind, there are two types of songs I like listening to:
"Body" music- Stuff I workout or dance to. It's dynamic (from "quiet" to "loud"), intense and upbeat, and that energy transfers into me.
E.G. Punk rock and all it's variations. Also includes dance music, such as guilty pleasures "Like A G6" and "Party Rock Anthem"
"Head" music- Music I work to, like when I'm writing or when I'm cleaning around the house, or music I can put on and wind down to. It's consistent musically, so I can let the rhythms and words wash over me.
E.G. Primarily Rap, and some metal bands fall into this category, such as Mercenary. Chiptune/8-bit music also works here.
"This Gigantic Robot Kills" is "body" music. Some of the songs are straight up rock, and it's filled with lots of high culture (Hamlet, metric system) and pop culture (90's ska, Guitar Hero) references. It's something I can put on at a party.
"Lars Attacks" is "head" music. His rapping is faster, the instrumentals are more reserved, and the material is darker. He's trying to say more in each track, and go for bigger concepts. The goofy optimistic English major still comes through, and that's what keeps it fun to listen to, even through more reflective tracks like "Judas Preist" (about The Gospel of Judas) and "Francis Bacon Slashed The Canvas".
His DIY attitude been nothing short of inspiring, and every interview I've read with him proves one ultimate point: He gives a fuck about his music. Few have been as academic or as dedicated about what they're doing than MC Lars. Even though the RBN stuff is in limbo right now, I look at everything he's doing and think, "You know what? At least he's [touring Europe/playing Warped Tour/working on this awesome new album]", and it's this progress that's made him exciting to follow.
LIVE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Vampires set at the Waterloo Coffee Shop in (presumably) San Diego, CA.
On the direct opposite end of the "Give A Fuck" spectrum, we have a group I found out about through the Mega 64 Forums. Not really a group, so much as an act.
But look at it. Not one fuck given. It's inspiring how little they care about what's cool. That's the kind of energy I'd love to be able to go out with.
BEST ANY VIDEO OF EVERY TIME FOREVER: "Pterodac to School", Dino Hunter MD
Dino Hunter MD - Episode 1 - "Pterodac-to School" from Cannibal Troll on Vimeo.
You know some of those songs I mentioned back when the Robot Rising EP came out? It's finally coming into fruition. The two in this episode are "Pass The Class" and "College Party", the latter of which has been taken down for a little while. I'll take another look at it, then put it back.
Now, since I missed last week, I figured I owe it to all 0 regular readers to do this.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "Lars Attacks" by MC Lars
I know I start with the live video but I'm fucking with convention ALL OVER THA PLACE!!!
I was going to put another video here, but then I remembered that today, "Lars Attacks!" comes out! I got it last week thanks to his Kickstarter campaign, along with Indie Rocket Science.
I guess I should be talking about the album itself now:
In my mind, there are two types of songs I like listening to:
"Body" music- Stuff I workout or dance to. It's dynamic (from "quiet" to "loud"), intense and upbeat, and that energy transfers into me.
E.G. Punk rock and all it's variations. Also includes dance music, such as guilty pleasures "Like A G6" and "Party Rock Anthem"
"Head" music- Music I work to, like when I'm writing or when I'm cleaning around the house, or music I can put on and wind down to. It's consistent musically, so I can let the rhythms and words wash over me.
E.G. Primarily Rap, and some metal bands fall into this category, such as Mercenary. Chiptune/8-bit music also works here.
"This Gigantic Robot Kills" is "body" music. Some of the songs are straight up rock, and it's filled with lots of high culture (Hamlet, metric system) and pop culture (90's ska, Guitar Hero) references. It's something I can put on at a party.
"Lars Attacks" is "head" music. His rapping is faster, the instrumentals are more reserved, and the material is darker. He's trying to say more in each track, and go for bigger concepts. The goofy optimistic English major still comes through, and that's what keeps it fun to listen to, even through more reflective tracks like "Judas Preist" (about The Gospel of Judas) and "Francis Bacon Slashed The Canvas".
His DIY attitude been nothing short of inspiring, and every interview I've read with him proves one ultimate point: He gives a fuck about his music. Few have been as academic or as dedicated about what they're doing than MC Lars. Even though the RBN stuff is in limbo right now, I look at everything he's doing and think, "You know what? At least he's [touring Europe/playing Warped Tour/working on this awesome new album]", and it's this progress that's made him exciting to follow.
LIVE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Vampires set at the Waterloo Coffee Shop in (presumably) San Diego, CA.
On the direct opposite end of the "Give A Fuck" spectrum, we have a group I found out about through the Mega 64 Forums. Not really a group, so much as an act.
But look at it. Not one fuck given. It's inspiring how little they care about what's cool. That's the kind of energy I'd love to be able to go out with.
Friday, May 20, 2011
It's OK, Nobody's Rapturing
The Life Equation is here to save us. If he wants me to put any of this on Rock Band, I'm good to go!
Reading his tour adventures with Weerd Science, MCs Lars and Chris have been a blast so far. Only problem is that I haven't seen any bootlegs of it on YouTube.
The Life Equation by Akira The Don
Reading his tour adventures with Weerd Science, MCs Lars and Chris have been a blast so far. Only problem is that I haven't seen any bootlegs of it on YouTube.
The Life Equation by Akira The Don
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
New Music By Rock Band Friends!
First up is MC Lars and Weerd Science's "How To Be An Indie Rapper"
How to Be an Indie Rapper (featuring Weerd Science) by MC Lars
Lars is a lot of fun, and eloquents as fuck as usual, and good Lord does Weerd Science know how to get my attention. How he'll fare at Warped Tour I don't know, but if there's money in my account, I'm going.
Akira The Don - Jamie by Akira The Don
And closer to the pop side of the spectrum, we have Akira The Don's "Jamie", sampling Sweet Child O' Mine. It sounds like then song you want to shout from your terrace the first time you've woken up before 10 in God knows how long as sniff in the morning dew, then get dressed and go outside on your day off...
Anyways, I'm getting two new songs ready for tomorrow.
How to Be an Indie Rapper (featuring Weerd Science) by MC Lars
Lars is a lot of fun, and eloquents as fuck as usual, and good Lord does Weerd Science know how to get my attention. How he'll fare at Warped Tour I don't know, but if there's money in my account, I'm going.
Akira The Don - Jamie by Akira The Don
And closer to the pop side of the spectrum, we have Akira The Don's "Jamie", sampling Sweet Child O' Mine. It sounds like then song you want to shout from your terrace the first time you've woken up before 10 in God knows how long as sniff in the morning dew, then get dressed and go outside on your day off...
Anyways, I'm getting two new songs ready for tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
YOUTUBE PARTY PARTY HARD!!!
YEAH! I GOTS ME SOME VIDEOS! TGRK maybe delayed, but PARTY ON!
From 0:41 to 0:46? I MADE THAT!!!
Full play video of "This Gigantic Robot Kills"!
Iggy Pop feat. Sum 41. Pretty good song. This exactly what I'd expect a collaboration between the two to sound.
Garrett, your choice to be a homosexual offends Jesus.
ALCOHOLISM! PARTY HARD!!
This was just an excuse to post those first two videos. Sorry.
From 0:41 to 0:46? I MADE THAT!!!
Full play video of "This Gigantic Robot Kills"!
Iggy Pop feat. Sum 41. Pretty good song. This exactly what I'd expect a collaboration between the two to sound.
Garrett, your choice to be a homosexual offends Jesus.
ALCOHOLISM! PARTY HARD!!
This was just an excuse to post those first two videos. Sorry.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
What I've Been Up To
I had something to say about RockSmith, but not now, as I've got an Extra-ing gig to go to.
So, what I've been to:
-Mostly updating "This Gigantic Robot Kills" for RBN 2.0. I added keys and harmonies, which is really easy since he pretty much gave me all the stems for everything.
Pro keys I used the Auto Detect method that you'd use for vocals, and the result was pretty damn good.
Also helping: A basic knowledge of music theory.
-Finishing up a new song, one that I've been kicking around for a while.
-Also, practicing for another gig at The Vault.
That's all for now, might edit with more.
So, what I've been to:
-Mostly updating "This Gigantic Robot Kills" for RBN 2.0. I added keys and harmonies, which is really easy since he pretty much gave me all the stems for everything.
Pro keys I used the Auto Detect method that you'd use for vocals, and the result was pretty damn good.
Also helping: A basic knowledge of music theory.
-Finishing up a new song, one that I've been kicking around for a while.
-Also, practicing for another gig at The Vault.
That's all for now, might edit with more.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Night Of The Living Don
Yeah, you've all heard the news.
BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THE ALLOCADES?
"From what I've played so far, it's great!"- Richard From Illinois
"Ace sounds you got going there. Makes me want to go buy Rock Band just to play it"- Kyle
"I normally don't like fast-hand drum songs, but Steven Wells (He Was The Greatest) is one of the most fun drum charts I've ever played"- Arcanon
"wow people have SD tv's still? does xbox even work on that lol..."- bloodredtornado
That last guy can suck it.
Anyways, Audition Mode has been patched into Rock Band 3, meaning I can start testing "This Gigantic Robot Kills".
But wait a minute, what's this?
Akira The Don and MC Lars going on tour in the UK! With MC Chris!
2 out of those 3 I'm doing/did RBN tracks for. Hmm...
Oh, right, I promised a lesson today.
Gather 'round children, let me tell you 'bout a man called...
STEVEN WELLS (HE WAS THE GREATEST)
It was a simple song to author, and the stems came in two parts: Lead and Rhythm, but all that means is which part of the barre chord is being played. The song is based around 4 barre chords:
G, B, C, A, or:
E---3-----7------8-----5-----
B---3-----7------8-----5----
G---4-----8------9-----6----
D---5-----9------10----7----
A---5-----9------10----7----
E---3-----7-------8-----5----
For the lead part, that is, the intro, chorus and outro ("It's Out Teenage Terror Totty". It was never "Tits..." and we were always at war with Eurasia), play either the entire chord, or the bottom half, like so:
Riff A
E---3---7---8---5---
B---3---7---8---5---
G---4---8---9---6---
Then you can just pad the bottom two strings with your index finger, and hold down the 3rd string with your middle finger.
For the verses, simple palm mute the chords, or just the top half.
The strumming pattern is a constant 8th note pattern, in this
G
Steven Wells he
B
Was the greatest
C
Of all time
A
A force replaceless
G
Napalm Death
B
To their Oasis
C
Pissed Down Neck Of
A
Fool Or Racist
G
Steven Wells he
B
Was amazing
C
Caps Lock down and
A
All guns blazing
G
Wield typewriter
B
Like Berreta
C
No one ever did it
A
Better
Friday, December 3, 2010
Advent 2010: Day 2
Oh shi- Missed a day.
I think I'll leave this here...
I also joined the Playtest group for RBN, so expect some updates from that.
I think I'll leave this here...
I also joined the Playtest group for RBN, so expect some updates from that.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Chris, Lars and Darklord In Brooklyn
Last week at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn MC Chris had a show, with Schafer the Darklord opening, and MC Lars (preview video coming tomorrow) and YTCracker doing a double set. I dragged a friend along with me into the middle of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, THE HIPSTER MECCA!!!
We came out unscathed, although now I have a better appreciation for music you've never heard of and I want to take up smoki- OH GOD. I am of course, saying that ironically.
And, unlike those mentioned in Daryl Hall's follow-up about nerdcore, everyone was actually talented.
First up was Schafer the Darklord. He dressed like he just got out of work from his job as an investment banker, but HOLY CRAP this guy got into it!
He has songs like "Boo! I'm A Ghost" (I'ma haunt your shit) and "Cat People" (meow meow). That's really all I have to say. I respect both his conviction and his ability to work with a backing track so well.
Funny stuff, will look up.
Next was the MC Lars/YTCracker set. It was more Lars than Cracker, but I didn't mind at all! One thing to note was that they're the only act that had a live band: a drummer and a guitarist who'd switch off guitar/bass. I thought the songs would sound weaker, but I didn't notice much of a drop off. It felt more, "loud", I guess.
They still had to sync themselves up with the videos playing in the background, though. I guess rap doesn't lend itself very well to messing around. MC Lars previewed a couple songs from his new album "Lars Attacks!", including a song about "Mad Men" and the title track. Also of note was the fact that this was the only venue where he played "Hipster Girl", so clearly he and my friend are on the same wavelength.
But seriously, people don't fucking lie about Williamsburg. SO MANY WOOL HATS!!!
The Lars took up the guitar and played "Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock".
At long last, MC Chris took the stage, and like he was last year, was funny, awesome, and some son of a bitch had to bring the show to a screeching halt.
If MC Chris every finds himself having to put away the laptop and give up music (which won't happen with a children's album coming out later this year, and his new album Race Wars coming out next year) the man can still make a killing with stand up. Long story short, I've avoided Fallout: New Vegas and found new sources of baking grease thanks to him.
"Fette's Vette" and "Wiid", the standbys were played, as well one that I can't seem to bring myself to enjoy, "Drunk Asshole Stops Show". There's always some guy who has way too much, and it gets on Chris's nerves a lot.
PROTIP: If you hang toward the back, you drink all you damn well please. It took ten minutes for Cracker and Schaffer to escort some people out.
As for my friend, who the most he's heard of "nerd influenced rap" was when I showed him "This Gigantic Robot Kills" on Rock Band Network?
"At first I was like, 'not bad', and then I was like 'This is awesome!'"
Yes it was, buddy. Yes it was.
In other news, BASTARD'S BRINGING BACK THE ADVENT CALENDAR! FIRST UPDATE TOMORROW!!!
We came out unscathed, although now I have a better appreciation for music you've never heard of and I want to take up smoki- OH GOD. I am of course, saying that ironically.
And, unlike those mentioned in Daryl Hall's follow-up about nerdcore, everyone was actually talented.
First up was Schafer the Darklord. He dressed like he just got out of work from his job as an investment banker, but HOLY CRAP this guy got into it!
He has songs like "Boo! I'm A Ghost" (I'ma haunt your shit) and "Cat People" (meow meow). That's really all I have to say. I respect both his conviction and his ability to work with a backing track so well.
Funny stuff, will look up.
Next was the MC Lars/YTCracker set. It was more Lars than Cracker, but I didn't mind at all! One thing to note was that they're the only act that had a live band: a drummer and a guitarist who'd switch off guitar/bass. I thought the songs would sound weaker, but I didn't notice much of a drop off. It felt more, "loud", I guess.
They still had to sync themselves up with the videos playing in the background, though. I guess rap doesn't lend itself very well to messing around. MC Lars previewed a couple songs from his new album "Lars Attacks!", including a song about "Mad Men" and the title track. Also of note was the fact that this was the only venue where he played "Hipster Girl", so clearly he and my friend are on the same wavelength.
But seriously, people don't fucking lie about Williamsburg. SO MANY WOOL HATS!!!
The Lars took up the guitar and played "Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock".
At long last, MC Chris took the stage, and like he was last year, was funny, awesome, and some son of a bitch had to bring the show to a screeching halt.
If MC Chris every finds himself having to put away the laptop and give up music (which won't happen with a children's album coming out later this year, and his new album Race Wars coming out next year) the man can still make a killing with stand up. Long story short, I've avoided Fallout: New Vegas and found new sources of baking grease thanks to him.
"Fette's Vette" and "Wiid", the standbys were played, as well one that I can't seem to bring myself to enjoy, "Drunk Asshole Stops Show". There's always some guy who has way too much, and it gets on Chris's nerves a lot.
PROTIP: If you hang toward the back, you drink all you damn well please. It took ten minutes for Cracker and Schaffer to escort some people out.
As for my friend, who the most he's heard of "nerd influenced rap" was when I showed him "This Gigantic Robot Kills" on Rock Band Network?
"At first I was like, 'not bad', and then I was like 'This is awesome!'"
Yes it was, buddy. Yes it was.
In other news, BASTARD'S BRINGING BACK THE ADVENT CALENDAR! FIRST UPDATE TOMORROW!!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
NERDS?.doc
Blogspot says this is my 250th post!
As a man who's done Rock Band Network tracks for a guy who did an entire Street Fighter Mixtape, and MC Lars, as well as writing a song based on Axe Cop I'm a bit into nerd music.
However, a recent (by the time I was like "Hey, maybe I could write about this...") Garbage Day article from Something Awful, prompted me to rethink things a little.
The main point of the article was that nerd music is more about nerddom than actual musicianship. There's no doubt that some are, dropping in references for the sake of people going "Hey! I know that reference!" (See: XKCD and Family Guy) and making the phat loot.
But I think in the end what matters most is this question: "Would I enjoy this song just as much if it weren't about video games/Star ____/internet memes?".
In the article, the writer, Daryl Hall, gives The Protomen as the "tamest" or "least bad" example of nerd-centric music, stating that their music, while not the worst, is only appealing because it's about Mega Man and they wear Mega Man helmets HEY MEGA MAN.
First: I don't think the story of any Mega Man game goes beyond "Here are some robots, kill them". If they do, then 1. I haven't been paying attention, and 2. that means you give a damn, and that's the kind of attitude that ruined Star Fox and Sonic.
Second, these guys really look more like robot David Bowie mixed with a shitty 80's band trying to stay relevant than Mega Man, but that's not the point I'm trying to push.
It's more of a loose interpretation. It's like they said Robots + Doctors = CLEARLY IT'S A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE!! (According to their Wikipedia page). They're not terrible, but like DH said, it's the Mega Man references that bring people in. Otherwise, they'd be a Survivor sound alike, maybe enjoying breif success after one of their songs is used in a montage scene in a movie.
Are they relatable? Eh. Like I mentioned, they sound like Survivor, but some of the songs get so heavy handed with their story it's like reading a book aloud with the radio on. A couple songs you can play for a non-gaming friend and might make decent workout music, but for the average dude, their get up might be a little hard to swallow. It's not that Aquabats! brand of weird where you can look at it and go "Oh, for kids." or "Oh, DRUGS"
Next, he brings up The Advantage, a video game cover band. These guys I can understand having a problem with. That problem is the same with all cover bands, but while listening to Basket Case play "Basket Case" will remind of the last time you heard "Basket Case", 'cause, you know, you like the song, The Advantage reminds me how I could be doing something more than just listening to Flashman's Theme from Mega Man 2 by downloading an emulator and actually playing the game.
Can someone explain to me the "gold plated batter's helmet" thing? I think I know where it is, but I can't remember...
But is The Advantage relatable? Sure. If I were to go to a remote village where people are too poor to afford water, let alone electricity, let alone video games, and blast the Tetris/Mario/Flash Man's theme, I could go back to that village a month later and they'd still be going doo do do doo do do doo do do dooo, because, as Extra Credits has taught me, the melodies of those old games had to be catchy due to limitations of the old systems.
But because they ONLY play videogame music, a point for Daryl, I guess. If you've never played the game, you wouldn't "get it". Although it'd be kind of badass to see a cover band that covers normal songs AND video game music. Then you got two markets covered.
Lastly, he brings up "nerdcore" or rap about nerdy shit, which he considers "fucking offensive" (or close to it). But I think one thing he misses is that rap/hip-hop is a genre, or a style of music, not necessarily a subject matter. If metal can be about anything from dragons and dungeons to rebellion, and punk covers a range of idealogies both left and right , then why can't rap be about video games or whatnot?
Because it doesn't take the scene seriously?
That kind of shit happened WAY before nerdcore was even a thought. While songs like "An Open Letter To The New York Post" have a lot more thought put into them than "Cant Touch This", Public Enemy look like a bunch of bad men, the kind I walk on the other side of the street as I see them walk toward me while MC Hammer is an inoffensive chap in shiny pants dancing about. One of the "good ones" so to speak. A "house- Well, you get the idea.
Pop sensibility trumps everything else in the end. Then again, "bitches and hos" sell well too, so the genre has been dragged through the muck.
For the relatible question, I'm just going to go over the triumvirate of nerdcore MC's: Chris, Frontalot and Lars real quick:
I haven't listened to much of MC Frontalot, but just listening to some of the song he has this weird harmony where by singing "off beat" he's creating a new rhythm. It's hard to explain. Sort of like he's doing a guitar solo with rhythms instead of melodies. And that's pretty much what rap is.
I outsourced this next bit to my good buddy Koltreg, who wrote a bit on Frontalot since I don't know much about him:
"Frontalot is considered to be the father of nerdcore, which instead of rapping about things like bitches and hos, raps about video games and lusting after goth girls."
But is he relatable? I asked as Koltreg admired my vast genius and broad shoulders.
"Nerd culture is becoming more mainstream. He has about 8 or so songs on really obsucre subjects, but he's got really good songs and can introduce you to something new."
MC Chris is probably the most hit-or-miss, since his songs cover a range: "Hijack" and "006" are typical "I'm awesome" songs. "Wiid" is about pot, but spelled Wii because NINTENDO. "Fette's Vette" is basically a boastful gangsta rap song about Boba Fett where "jetpack" can be replaced with "Bentley" and "bounty hunt for Jabba [the] Hutt" can be exchanged for "Cap mofos and get my hos".
He made a Ghostbusters reference in a "Twin Peaks" song. He actually made a "Twin Peaks" song, I know. What next, a "Deadly Premonition" song? No, because I wanna do a "Deadly Premonition" song called "F.K. In The Coffee". MC Chris is more than welcome to help.
Back to the "Twin Peaks" song, it's pretty self contained. Yeah, it'll help a ton if you watched the show, but most people can assume it's about a murder in a small town that has pie so good, it's a crime.
MC Lars covers the most mainstream topics, such as summaries of "Hamlet ("Hey There Ophelia") and "Moby Dick" ("Ahab"), ska music of the 90's ("This Gigantic Robot Kills") and a kid trained to be a pro gamer ("O.G. Original Gamer")
N.B. I did a "Speed Listen" of the first Protomen album with videos from YouTube and found this shit. That is why people hate nerds.
Thanks to Koltreg for the words on Frontalot, and Daryl "Fucking" Hall for the original article. I'll probably write more on the subject later, but I just wanted to cover the Garbage Day piece.
Hall did bring up a really good point about using familiar themes to expose people to other genres, mentioning metal, bluegrass and jazz. If you read this on Twitter, and know of any "Nerd-Non-Traditional Genre Here" acts, post it in the comments.
As a man who's done Rock Band Network tracks for a guy who did an entire Street Fighter Mixtape, and MC Lars, as well as writing a song based on Axe Cop I'm a bit into nerd music.
However, a recent (by the time I was like "Hey, maybe I could write about this...") Garbage Day article from Something Awful, prompted me to rethink things a little.
The main point of the article was that nerd music is more about nerddom than actual musicianship. There's no doubt that some are, dropping in references for the sake of people going "Hey! I know that reference!" (See: XKCD and Family Guy) and making the phat loot.
But I think in the end what matters most is this question: "Would I enjoy this song just as much if it weren't about video games/Star ____/internet memes?".
In the article, the writer, Daryl Hall, gives The Protomen as the "tamest" or "least bad" example of nerd-centric music, stating that their music, while not the worst, is only appealing because it's about Mega Man and they wear Mega Man helmets HEY MEGA MAN.
First: I don't think the story of any Mega Man game goes beyond "Here are some robots, kill them". If they do, then 1. I haven't been paying attention, and 2. that means you give a damn, and that's the kind of attitude that ruined Star Fox and Sonic.
Second, these guys really look more like robot David Bowie mixed with a shitty 80's band trying to stay relevant than Mega Man, but that's not the point I'm trying to push.
It's more of a loose interpretation. It's like they said Robots + Doctors = CLEARLY IT'S A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE!! (According to their Wikipedia page). They're not terrible, but like DH said, it's the Mega Man references that bring people in. Otherwise, they'd be a Survivor sound alike, maybe enjoying breif success after one of their songs is used in a montage scene in a movie.
Are they relatable? Eh. Like I mentioned, they sound like Survivor, but some of the songs get so heavy handed with their story it's like reading a book aloud with the radio on. A couple songs you can play for a non-gaming friend and might make decent workout music, but for the average dude, their get up might be a little hard to swallow. It's not that Aquabats! brand of weird where you can look at it and go "Oh, for kids." or "Oh, DRUGS"
Next, he brings up The Advantage, a video game cover band. These guys I can understand having a problem with. That problem is the same with all cover bands, but while listening to Basket Case play "Basket Case" will remind of the last time you heard "Basket Case", 'cause, you know, you like the song, The Advantage reminds me how I could be doing something more than just listening to Flashman's Theme from Mega Man 2 by downloading an emulator and actually playing the game.
Can someone explain to me the "gold plated batter's helmet" thing? I think I know where it is, but I can't remember...
But is The Advantage relatable? Sure. If I were to go to a remote village where people are too poor to afford water, let alone electricity, let alone video games, and blast the Tetris/Mario/Flash Man's theme, I could go back to that village a month later and they'd still be going doo do do doo do do doo do do dooo, because, as Extra Credits has taught me, the melodies of those old games had to be catchy due to limitations of the old systems.
But because they ONLY play videogame music, a point for Daryl, I guess. If you've never played the game, you wouldn't "get it". Although it'd be kind of badass to see a cover band that covers normal songs AND video game music. Then you got two markets covered.
Lastly, he brings up "nerdcore" or rap about nerdy shit, which he considers "fucking offensive" (or close to it). But I think one thing he misses is that rap/hip-hop is a genre, or a style of music, not necessarily a subject matter. If metal can be about anything from dragons and dungeons to rebellion, and punk covers a range of idealogies both left and right , then why can't rap be about video games or whatnot?
Because it doesn't take the scene seriously?
That kind of shit happened WAY before nerdcore was even a thought. While songs like "An Open Letter To The New York Post" have a lot more thought put into them than "Cant Touch This", Public Enemy look like a bunch of bad men, the kind I walk on the other side of the street as I see them walk toward me while MC Hammer is an inoffensive chap in shiny pants dancing about. One of the "good ones" so to speak. A "house- Well, you get the idea.
Pop sensibility trumps everything else in the end. Then again, "bitches and hos" sell well too, so the genre has been dragged through the muck.
For the relatible question, I'm just going to go over the triumvirate of nerdcore MC's: Chris, Frontalot and Lars real quick:
I haven't listened to much of MC Frontalot, but just listening to some of the song he has this weird harmony where by singing "off beat" he's creating a new rhythm. It's hard to explain. Sort of like he's doing a guitar solo with rhythms instead of melodies. And that's pretty much what rap is.
I outsourced this next bit to my good buddy Koltreg, who wrote a bit on Frontalot since I don't know much about him:
"Frontalot is considered to be the father of nerdcore, which instead of rapping about things like bitches and hos, raps about video games and lusting after goth girls."
But is he relatable? I asked as Koltreg admired my vast genius and broad shoulders.
"Nerd culture is becoming more mainstream. He has about 8 or so songs on really obsucre subjects, but he's got really good songs and can introduce you to something new."
MC Chris is probably the most hit-or-miss, since his songs cover a range: "Hijack" and "006" are typical "I'm awesome" songs. "Wiid" is about pot, but spelled Wii because NINTENDO. "Fette's Vette" is basically a boastful gangsta rap song about Boba Fett where "jetpack" can be replaced with "Bentley" and "bounty hunt for Jabba [the] Hutt" can be exchanged for "Cap mofos and get my hos".
He made a Ghostbusters reference in a "Twin Peaks" song. He actually made a "Twin Peaks" song, I know. What next, a "Deadly Premonition" song? No, because I wanna do a "Deadly Premonition" song called "F.K. In The Coffee". MC Chris is more than welcome to help.
Back to the "Twin Peaks" song, it's pretty self contained. Yeah, it'll help a ton if you watched the show, but most people can assume it's about a murder in a small town that has pie so good, it's a crime.
MC Lars covers the most mainstream topics, such as summaries of "Hamlet ("Hey There Ophelia") and "Moby Dick" ("Ahab"), ska music of the 90's ("This Gigantic Robot Kills") and a kid trained to be a pro gamer ("O.G. Original Gamer")
All three wanted to be rappers first, and just happen to be nerds. Even Hall conceded that this is people rapping about shit they like. Whether it's about girls, sex or games, people like what they like, and unless they're damn hipsters, they want to share it with the world.
Back to the original point: Is nerd music limiting the horizons of nerds, while dragging another facet of art into it's blubbery folds?
Music was already a part of nerddom in the first place, such as the 8-bit chiptunes The Advantage covers, or the orchestral background music in modern games like God of War. They're just adhering to sound musical theory. With Koltreg's point about nerd culture becoming more mainstream, who's to say what's "nerd" music at all?Or if it will even stay "nerd" music.
As far as limting horizons, that would be pretty difficult in the long run. Sure, you could make a shit ton of money relying solely on direct references (OH HAI FAMILY GUY), but they become dated after a while. This is the kind of nerd music we should be shunning.
Eventually the artists will inject themselves into the music, whether it be political (the line "If you're in the 80's Reaganomics was a scam" from MC Frontalot's "Spoiler Alert"), personal (MC Lars' "23" about the suicide of a former roommate of his), or even if it's outside the music, there are still things they feel strongly about (MC Chris' campaign against Cystic Fibrosis), that they will introduce to the audience.
Want to play a Frontalot song on Rock Band? You'll need the disc first, that comes chock full of a diverse range of music, from classic rock to heavy metal to modern indie.And there are the opening acts at these shows. At an MC Chris show, punk band Whole Wheat Bread opened for him, and they're not nerdy at all, unless you count the school uniforms.
So don't worry, the nerds will see the sun eventually.N.B. I did a "Speed Listen" of the first Protomen album with videos from YouTube and found this shit. That is why people hate nerds.
Thanks to Koltreg for the words on Frontalot, and Daryl "Fucking" Hall for the original article. I'll probably write more on the subject later, but I just wanted to cover the Garbage Day piece.
Hall did bring up a really good point about using familiar themes to expose people to other genres, mentioning metal, bluegrass and jazz. If you read this on Twitter, and know of any "Nerd-Non-Traditional Genre Here" acts, post it in the comments.
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