Nerdapalooza 2010

Ah, Dual Core. I have been a fan of these guys since the drop of their first album, Zero One. It’s been very interesting watching their growth both in the community as performers to where they are now with their new album, Next Level. Dual Core, for those out of the loop, is comprised of the producer and beatsmith galore, C64, and int eighty, the rapper and wordsmith. Next Level will always have a special place in my heart, since the boys of Dual Core did some extra hussling to release it in time for Nerdapalooza 2009.

Anywho, on the topic of the album itself, it definitely shows Dual Core outdoing themselves. It is an amazing album, but frankly it NEEDED to be if it was going to be able to compete with Lost Reality, which was a phenomenal album. I still think Fantastic Four was the best track released in 2008. While I don’t think there’s a single track on Next Level that tops it, the album itself truly shows that Dual Core is a group that is constantly improving, maturing, and developing within the community itself.

Next Level is not just a clever name, Dual Core has truly leveled up, keeping tracks fun with Natural 20s, a soulful collab with YTCracker on I Remember, as well as five other rappers on the monstrous Magnificent 7, and his subtle trademark shoutout to the fans in For You. Where Next Level really grabbed my attention was how it continues the tradition of having mature and socially conscious songs.

As with most tracks by Dual Core, my favorite track on this album took me by surprise. Once, while listening to my iPod on the bus, the track Painting Pictures came on, and I was almost brought to tears by this triumphant story about how the Internet was a positive influence on one person born deaf. The positive elements of the Internet are a topic rarely sung about, so I applaud Dual Core for painting the picture of this little girl who was able to experience and appreciate life and even discovered a way to overcome her handicap. It shows the power of eighty’s powerful lyrics and storytelling skills working with the brilliant and gorgeous beats provided by C64.

This is a phenomenal album that needs to be in your collection. You can get it here and I recommend you throw down the ten bones it takes to get it to you. Can’t wait to see what these guys do next!

[hex]

Ladies and Gentlemen!!

I would like to announce the Nerdapalooza Black Friday Sale!!

T-Shirts are only $7!!

Nerdapalooza 2008 and 2009 CDs are only $7!!

The Nerdapalooza 2008 Poster is only $1!!

AND FREE SHIPPING WITH EVERYTHING!! And as always, you get a free Nerdapalooza sticker with each purchase!! Buy Buy Buy!!

Sale ends… some time tomorrow
<3

Sorry for no Dual Core review, there will be one next week!

[hex]

Quick blog, today: primarily just announcing that the Nerdapalooza Live CD 2009 is now available. Not only is the CD available for purchase (and receiving albums in a timely fashion) over at our store, but we also have a certain number of tracks now available for free promotional download! Here’s the track listing of the non-album tracks:

As you may have noticed, the MC Lars track is not available for download. The reason is because this particular track is available if you purchase the Live CD. By making a purchase of the CD online or at a show, the track will be made available to you. Remember that all profits go to Child’s Play, so there’s really no reason NOT to buy this.

Go here to purchase the entire album!

I don’t know what it is with albums coming from the Funny Music Project community, but these albums take FOREVER for me to take out. Right, Devo?

While I STILL feel horrible for making Devo Spice wait so long, here I take forever to get an album review out for the new kid on the funny block, Insane Ian. Apparently, I am but a recidivist in this realm, but better late than never, eh?

It’s hard to break in as a new artist in the comedy/parody/filk game. Stuck under the shadow of the weirdest of all Yankovics, they constantly have their releases compared. So when Insane Ian approached me to review his album back in the Cretaceous Period, I tried my best to not to compare harshly.

However, I was honestly impressed with n3rds0ngs, Ian’s first release. It had several songs that straight up jumped out at me as tracks I thoroughly enjoyed, including the nerdtacular Death Star, the jaw-droppingly impressive Saving the World As We Know It (Mondays at Nine), and Guitar Hero, which actually made it to the #11 song for Dr. Demento’s Funny 25 of 2008. While there are some tracks that are pretty rough the majority of them are good tracks.

n3rds0ngs is a good indicator of Ian’s talent. One of the biggest detractors to some of the songs is the production, which just feels a bit off in his voice. I think a little investment in some recording tech could really clean up Ian’s overall production value, and would allow his wit to really shine. He’s got great concepts and fun songs, and I think there’s a lot to expect in the coming years from Ian.

I recommend purchasing n3rds0ngs. It’s a good snapshot of what to expect of contemporary comedy music, and something tells me this is a guy who’s entire discography you will one day want. You can purchase it on his website.

Tune in for next week’s Monday Album review, where we take a look at the third installment of the Dual Core discography, Next Level.

[hex]

That’s right folks! We’ve received a metric buttload of interest from performers this year, and it’s time for us to open the floodgates for performers to apply to perform at Nerdapalooza. If YOU are an artist interested  in performing at Nerdapalooza in Orlando, FL, on the last weekend of June, 2010, then this is what you do:

1. Piece together a press kit that has a biography of you or your group, a promotional photo of you or your group, and a few samples of your music (either studio or live). The samples can be in pure audio or video form. A live sample is preferred so we can have an idea of how you perform.
2. Email said press kit to our talent director, Josh, at artist AT nerdapalooza DOT org with the subject “[Your Name Here] Application for Nerdapalooza 2010″
3. Have patience, because Nerdapalooza 2010 is still a few months away, and it’ll take us some time to respond to every artist

If you have any questions about the process, feel free to contact Josh at the above email address. If you have performed at Nerdapalooza before, it might be wise to remind us that you’re interested in performing again with a press kit.

Next in big news is the announcement of the official starting of the Nerdapalooza Video Awards entry submission process. You can read all of it over at the NVA page, however the basics are that you have until March 1, 2010, to get us your entry. We can’t wait to see all the entries!!

Next we take you to the Nerdapalooza Store, where a few changes have been made! First, the Nerdapalooza 2008 Poster, where every artist is pictured, has dropped down to its new price of only $2! Next, the Nerdapalooza 2008 Live CDs are back in stock for $10 each! And finally, the Nerdapalooza 2009 Live CD is available for pre-order, also for $10. Remember, the profits from both CDs go to our charity, Child’s Play, so every purchase goes straight to helping sick kids!

While on the topic of the Live CD, I want to remind everyone that the Live CD Release Party will be November 21st at the AMF Casselberry Lanes. All details are located on the Facebook event page. Also, quick reminder to go to A Comic Shop tomorrow at 2 PM for THE GAUNTLET!! It’s going to be crazy awesome! I also hear I Fight Dragons is going to be there partying before their show at 8 PM at AKA Lounge with mc chris! Woooo!! So glad I have tomorrow off from work!

We’re hoping to interview IFD on Nerdy Show while we have a hold of them tomorrow. If you hadn’t checked it out yet, we recommend downloading the latest episode, which is a tribute to chiptunes. We also got to interview the British chiptunes archmage, Pixelh8, regarding his latest release, And the Revolution. While it sounds like his next project is already under heavy construction, he DID give Nerdapalooza an exclusive track to play!

You Were Born to Save The World (Pure Chip Version)

Thanks, Pixelh8.

Now for our belated version of Follow Friday, I want to start off by reminding you to follow Nerdapalooza on Twitter if you aren’t already!

• Pixelh8 :: for obvious reasons
• Nerdy Show :: we just activated this account and need some love!
• Scrub Club Records and Nerd Rockstar :: for putting on a PHENOMENAL Nerd Invasion!
• Curtis Silver of Geek Dad :: for a sexy article on Nerd Invasion
• Z. of Hipster, Please! :: because without this man, I wouldn’t know what to strive to be
• Geno of GM4A :: because without this man, I wouldn’t have the strength to strive

Well, that’s enough of that! If you haven’t yet, peek at my review of Shael Riley & the Double Ice Backfire’s album Songs from the Pit. Monday, I’ll be releasing my review of Insane Ian’s first full length release, n3rds0ngs. He’s been turning heads in the FuMP community, so this may not be an album you want to miss if you like your music with laughs. Until then, thanks for reading this rather lengthy blog!

Much nerdy love

[hex]

I’m a sucker for pop music. It’s my Kryptonite, you could say. Put on a Brittany Spears or Justin Timberlake track around me if you don’t believe. However, give me a GOOD pop track and I’ll be rocking it non-stop. Throw some nerdy allusions in the mix, and it catches my attention. For almost a decade now, Shael Riley has been the one that I’ve had a music crush on, so when a new release of his drops, I readjust my schedule.

Building up to Nerdapalooza, I had heard murmurs of a new music project of his, and since my first run in with him I haven’t heard a project from him that wasn’t something I could totally dig. When I learned that it would involve his pals, Ty Guenly, Ricky Henry, and Zen Albatross, he had the whole of my attention. I remember also staring at the tape deck of the car I was in whilst running errands for the imminent festival. I remember musing how it had recently become a vestigial tail of our digital evolution.

The irony wasn’t lost on me when Shael handed me a purple cassette tape labeled as Shael Riley & the Double Ice Backfire’s Songs From the Pit. It was the after hours soundtrack to that weekend, and has since been a close musical companion. That weekend was the best introduction for that album: tearing the studio tracks on repeat followed by seeing the band perform a handful of them live.

This album is phenomenal! I truly feel Shael and the boys have outdone themselves. Lyrically, it’s some of Shael’s finest work, with clever lines like “It’s not eugenics, it’s just nepotism, man” from Asian Kids Have All the Best Moves, and the heavy allusions to Mortal Kombat in tipmottobfoehttip. Musically, it has some truly innovative utilization of chiptunes with more conventional instruments heard in pop music. I feel that Songs From the Pit is a landmark album for pop music. It has a few tracks that standout more on first listen including the sinister Publishing Rights featuring Schaffer the Darklord, Asian Kids Have All the Best Moves, and the celebrated cover of Chinese Ninja Warrior. Like previous Shael releases, this is an album that grows on you the more you listen to it, with every track becoming a favorite over time.

What made this album cement itself in my catalogue as a true favorite was when fellow web journalist, Z, tweeted how this entire album felt like a metaphor for the current state of our lower middle class clique. Listening to the entire album again with that in mind made me proud to have a limited copy of the cassette.

If you have ever liked Shael’s music, buy this album. If you want to hear an awesome innovation in chiptunes pop, buy this album. If you like nerdy music, buy this album. If you’re reading this, BUY THIS ALBUM! It’s amazing and is fully recommended for all.

You can actually download a few tracks over at their 61 account!

Nerd Invasion was the event of the weekend, kicking off what I’m calling Nerdvember, and it was a blast. Due to a few technical tweaks, a show that was intended on going until midnight ended up going straight until 5:30 in the morning. While each artist put their heart into their performance, I’m going to have to say my favorite went to Shael Riley’s performance, where he crooned over chiptunes renditions of his tracks (solo, Grammar Club, and Double Ice Backfire). Being 4 in the morning, those insane enough to still be alert when he mounted the stage pulled up chairs, giving the penultimate performance of the night a feel of an information age lounge singer.

Now safe at home, I’m recovering with a few plans in the works to make both Nerdapalooza and some of the music genres a little better. One of the really fun things about the weekend was having a cameo in a Dual Core music video. However, while at the shoot, apparently NONE were aware of the fact that we’re planning a Nerdapalooza Music Video Awards, so I thought I’d remind y’all again and say that details are imminent.

A big announcement is that we are going to be changing the date! Yes, I thoroughly apologize to any who may have already bought tickets to fly out here, but there was such a strong reaction to Memorial Day with the reasoning of proximity to Finals Week. It was something we had thought of, but didn’t think would have THAT big a reaction. As such, we are now pushing to the last weekend of June, so that it would be the 26th and 27th. I’ve done my research now, and it seems that this will be a good weekend, so we won’t be moving it again! Sorry once again for the inconvenience!

Also, our amazing sponsorship kit is now available upon request for any companies or interested parties that would like to sponsor Nerdapalooza. It’s an amazing opportunity to endorse a good cause, for we are a charity show for Child’s Play, and a great way to reach out to your target demographic. A sponsorship kit is available upon request. Just email us over at hex@nerdapalooza.org. If you are an individual and would like to donate to help make Nerdapalooza a success, visit our new donation page. Every donation WILL be remembered and every donor WILL be thanked. We’re still working on the exact recognition system, but until then, we are accepting donations.

Now, for those in the Orlando area, I would like to announce how lucky you are with all the amazing events coming up! As I mentioned, it is officially Nerdvember in Central Florida! We had Nerd Invasion to kick it off, for those of us lucky (or crazy) enough to have gone to it. This weekend coming up we have three events, one on Friday and two on Saturday.

• Friday over at Copper Rocket in Maitland from 9-11 is the birthday party for the original Emergency Pizza Party beauty, Betty Rebel! She is having a helluva party with a whole gaggle of Floridian rappers accompanying her with a special guest all the way from Washington! OH SCHNAPPS!!
• Saturday starting at 1pm at A Comic Shop on the corner of Semoran and University in Winter Park is The Gauntlet for all those who have been following The List. It’s going to be an AMAZING event with the Nerdy Show team in heavy presence with none other than I Fight Dragons chillin’ in the store! How could this be beat?
• Only by everyone heading on over to the AKA Lounge downtown to party with IFD when they open for the Diminutive Duke of nerd rap himself, mc chris! Wow!! This is not a day to miss!
• The following Saturday (Nov 21st) up at AMF Casselberry Lanes off of Semoran is the official Nerdapalooza CD Release Party! We’ll be showcasing artists that performed at Nerdapalooza 2009, so it’s bound to be one amazing event! More details over at this Facebook event!
• Then the Friday after that (Nov 27th), also known as Black Friday, we hop back to A Comic Shop for the Blackest Friday to celebrate the PHENOMENAL Blackest Night story arch going on in the DC Universe. They’ll be open for 36 hours straight with loads of frivolity, followed by…
• The Black Tie Kegger that’s taking place there the next day (Saturday 28th). Rob Tobias, aka mCRT, is having a host of Florida Nerdcorida’s finest performing to celebrate him gettin’ hitched, in a blend of classy and classless. It’s bound to be a great show that you won’t likely forget (despite the amount of alcohol you’ll consume TRYING to).

And finally, I am returning to my duties of reviewing albums, starting today. I’m going to try to have at least one a week, aiming to coincide with Twitter’s Music Mondays. If you aren’t yet, follow @Nerdapalooza on Twitter! Thanks as always for reading, folks! Hopefully this week, I’ll post on time.

[hex]