)---------------------------------( NERDCORE UNDERCOVER LINER NOTES AND RELATED BULLSHIT )---------------------------------(
FOR STARTERS:
You aren’t going to love every track on this compilation. I made my peace with that long ago.
Generally, when I grab a new CD – freely downloadable or otherwise – it breaks down like this: I love two songs, I hate two songs, and the rest of the tracks grow on me over time. Your mileage, of course, may vary, but I hope at least a handful of tracks on this compilation tickle your fancy.
And on the subject of fancy-tickling, I’d be a fool not to explicitly state how excited I am that each and every artist presented was willing to take part in this. I am strictly small-time, as are my foolhardy enterprises, but no one laughed off my request for their hard-fought material, despite how deserving I may have been of such ridicule.
But outside contributions weren’t strictly limited to the featured artists. Lots of other folks helped, like my frequent co-conspirators Brüx and ChurchHatesTucker, the dynamic artistic duo of Denika and Dennis, and my honorable host Antisocial. And I can’t forget High-C, whose Rhyme Torrents project helped to coalesce the community upon which this comp was built. Plus my wife and kid were fairly cool about listening to the same damn songs over and over again for the last few weeks, so they get some credit too.
I also want to thank you for listening. I realize that you probably only downloaded this to hear a handful of artists with which you already have a passing familiarity, but I sincerely hope you find some new favorites as well. While the primary purpose of this project was to have fun and make some music, I’m hoping that a fortunate side effect will be some cross-pollination between the fans of the featured artists. These folks, one and all, need, want, and deserve your support. So catch ‘em live. Friend ‘em on MySpace. Buy their shit. That’s what you call nerd love.
ON QUALITY:
The tracks included in this compilation are in MP3 format for the sake of bandwidth (not to mention convenience). The bitrates of individual track are directly proportional to the quality of the original source files provided. Whenever possible, I simply included the original source file with minimal adjustment on my part.
THE SONGS:
Track 1: My Parents Favorite Music – “Just Try and Sue Us” (Based on "I Wish" by Skee-Lo)
http://www.myspace.com/myparentsfavoritemusic
This song was originally featured on MPFM’s Wheel O’ Ex-Girlfriends back in 2004, which is scheduled for re-release shortly. Steffo and Stellar were nice enough to let me use this classic on the comp, and I couldn’t think of a better song with which to start the proceedings.
Track 2: Beefy – “Move Somethin’” (Based on "Move Somethin'" by Reflection Eternal)
http://www.myspace.com/beefynerdcore
http://www.beefyness.com
Beefy was one of the first people I asked to participate in this project. Not only is Beef a friend of mine, he’s also fond of cover songs, having just released his own covers EP “Pale in Comparison.” He’s currently recoding material for not one but *two* new albums, so I really appreciate him taking the time to do this.
Track 3: Shael Riley – “Umbrella” (Based on Based on
"Umbrella" by Rihanna)
http://shaelriley.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaelrileytheband
Early adopters of this compilation were presented with MC Router’s
“Router-licious” as the 3rd track, but that song, unfortunately, was recently
removed at the artist’s request. (Don’t worry folks, Router still loves Hipster,
please! And Hipster, Please! still loves Router.) But what was I to do about the
gaping hole in ye olde playlist? Thankfully, Shael Riley stepped up with this
cover of “Umbrella” by Rihanna: a song every bit as entertaining as its
predecessor.
Track 4: mc chris and Modd Jobs – “Dare to Be Stupid” (Based on "Dare to Be Stupid" by "Weird Al" Yankovic)
http://www.myspace.com/mcchris
http://www.myspace.com/moddjobs
http:// www.mcchris.com/
Modd Jobs is a very talented producer currently working with mc chris, and they were nice enough to let me use this cover of everyone’s favorite track from the original Transformers: The Movie soundtrack for my little comp. It’s been floating around on mc’s BBS for a couple weeks now, but I’m still delighted to feature it.
Track 5: Nursehella – “Keep It Real (Represent My Nuts)” (Based on "Keep it Real... Represent" by Kool Keith)
http://www.myspace.com/nursehella
‘Hella had signed on to do another cover, but ended up settling on this track. Mostly because it was “the first rap song [she] ever fell in love with [,] and the rap song that single-handedly made this rock n' roll baby change her perception of a genre [she’d] previously turned [her] back to.” This song marks the first of three produced by Karl “Ultraklystron” Olson.
Track 6: funky49 – “Intergalactic Pizza Party” (Based on "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys)
http://www.myspace.com/funky49music
http://www.funky49.com/
funky49 and Emergency Pizza Party were originally slated to collaborate on this track, but then EPP’s much talked about break-up occurred. Undeterred, funky49 decided to take the track on himself. His SuperFiends partner Redvoid helped out with the "Love me or Hate me" inspired synth-line. You'll be hearing more from funk here in a bit.
Track 7: Glenn Case - “Alex Chilton” (Based on "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements)
http://www.myspace.com/glenncase
http://www.glenncase.com
I have to give super-mega props to Glenn for this track because it was a direct request. Glenn and I share a love for the music of Paul Westerberg, and the very idea of Glenn performing a rocked-up classic by one of his musical heroes (Westerberg) about one of *his* musical heroes (Chilton) just seemed so… meta. I try not to play favorites, but this song totally thrills me.
Track 8: Goondocks – “Posse Needs Upgrades” (Based on "Posse on Broadway" by Sir Mix-A-Lot)
http://www.myspace.com/gdocks
http://www.goondocksmusic.com
Okay, so Goondocks were explicit about the nature of this song, but I see it as so much more than a simple parody of the Mix-A-Lot classic; this is a street-level view of *their* Seattle. It’s a city where Dick’s is “the place where the strange hang out [where] the rich used to chill before they moved south” rather than place for the cool kids. Sure it’s funny, but that humor is also tempered with the type of keen insight that fans expect from the Goons.
Track 9: Ultraklystron – “Daydreamin’” (Based on "Daydreamin'" by Lupe Fiasco)
http://www.myspace.com/karlrolson
http://www.karlrolson.com/
Karl has made a name for himself in nerdcore circles thanks to his calculated flow, his flawless production acumen, and, perhaps most importantly, his penchant for uniquely personal rhymes. As such, I’m always blown away with how effortlessly he approaches cover material. The ease with which he can take the words, ideas, and emotions of another and make them sound exceptionally individualistic is yet another credit to Ultraklystron as an artist.
Track 10: LogicOne – “You Don’t Know Me” (Based on "You Don't Know Me" by T.I.)
http:// www.myspace.com/logicthe1st
Logic is the quintessential King of the Comic Shop, and I love how he managed to incorporate that into this cover. He also manages to make a series of namedrops integral to the piece as a whole rather than relegating such undertakings to the domain of filler material like so many other MCs.
Track 11: ZeaLouS1 – “Paparazzi” (Based on "Paparazzi" by Xzibit)
http://www.myspace.com/zealous1
http://zealous1.com/
ZeaLouS literally came out of the dugout a nerdcore heavy hitter, and he has yet to rest on his laurels. He at once makes a harsh track congruent with his own experience without ever loosing its all-important edge.
Track 12: funky49 – “Everything (I Own)” (Based on "Everything I Own" by Bread)
http://www.myspace.com/funky49music
http://www.funky49.com/
When artists pressed me for more info about the kind of covers I was looking for, my standard response was “anything at all.” funky49 took this to heart and came back with a track that drew upon his love of hip-hop and classic rock, as well as his personal experience. funk tells me the final product was inspired by Bread, Joanie Mitchell, Pink Floyd and other artists, as well as a certain former flame.
Track 13: Drown Radio Therapy – “Vapors” (Based on "Vapors" by Biz Markie)
http://www.myspace.com/drownradio
http://www.drownradio.com/
Doctor Popular dug deep into his back catalogue to provide me with this nearly decade old rendition of an often-overlooked Biz Markie gem. It presents the kind of musical madness that you could only expect from a musical genius like Doc.
Track 14: myf - “Paid in Full (feat. Kal-L & DJ Snyder)” (Based on "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim)
http://www.myspace.com/myf1
http://mythrilnazgul.com/
This was what you might call an 11th-hour submission, but let’s be serious here; it’s myf AND Kal-L AND DJ Snyder, so to say it was worth the wait is an understatement. Whether or not these artists are “nerdcore” in the strictest sense of the word is entirely debatable. What’s not debatable is their talent. I can think of three no more deserving parties to put their mark on Eric B. & Rakim’s hip-hop classic.
Track 15: Shael Riley – “I’m Yours” (Based on "I'm Yours"
by Jason Mraz)
http://shaelriley.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shaelrileytheband
http://www.studio-compyfox.de/
Shael Riley is very often acknowledged for his offbeat sense of humor; he is,
after all, the man behind tracks like “The Music of My Groin” and “King of
Bullshit Hill.” Still, I challenge you to find an artist with more talent,
dedication to his craft, and unadulterated love of music itself than Shael. Each
of these elements is clearly demonstrated within this track. It’s also
impossible to talk about this song without giving credit to Studio Compyfox,
whose skillful mastering of the track brought Shael’s superlative effort to an
even higher plateau.
Track 16: Dual Core – “What Have We Done” (Based on "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson)
http://www.myspace.com/dualcoremusic
http://www.dualcoremusic.com
Leave it to international nerdcore duo Dual Core to be the only cats on this comp willing to mine old Michael Jackson cuts for material! The source track in question – Jackson’s “Earth Song” – while not quite such a big deal stateside, was a huge single in c64’s native England. int eighty is quick to give all credit to the producer for this submission’s power and grace, but eighty’s evenly measured and cleverly worded rhymes are just as much a prime component in this brilliant examination of the duality inherent within modern technology.
Track 17: Optimus Rhyme – “Train in Vain (live)” (Based on "Train in Vain (Stand By Me)" by The Clash)
http://www.myspace.com/optimusrhymelive
http://www.optimusrhyme.com/
It was very important for me that this song be included in the compilation for one simple reason: it wholly inspired the project. Hearing one of my favorite bands do a reinterpretation of a track by *another* of my favorite bands was enough to make an impression, but the lyrical skill of MCs Wheelie Cyberman and Broken English coupled with the phenomenal musical performance by Powerthighs, Grimrock, and Stumblebee takes what could have been a half-hearted rendition well into the realm of utter genius. <plug> Be sure to pick up OR’s newest release He Dies in Rocket School over at CD Baby. </plug>
Track 18: Rai – “Shiki No Uta” (Based on "Shiki No Uta" by Minmi)
http://rai-kamishiro.livejournal.com/
I could further expound on Karl Olson’s masterful production on this track (some of his best to date, in my opinion), but I’d rather focus on the lady behind the mic. Rai Kamishiro has a stunningly tuneful voice, a doll collection to die for, and more energy than a terrier on crystal meth. She is also Mech-Godzilla. No shit. This track is a cover of the closing theme from the anime Samurai Champloo, and, if Wikipedia is to be believed, the title translates as “Song of Four Seasons.”
Track 19: YTCracker – “Summer Girls” (Based on "Summer Girls" by LFO)
http://www.myspace.com/ytcracker
http://www.ytcracker.com/
I honestly have no idea what to say about this track. When YT told me that he would be covering this particular song, I thought he was joking. He wasn’t. But as ridiculous as LFO’s “Summer Girls” is, I knew that this would be closing the project the moment I heard YT’s take on it. It’s a stripped-down, almost lazy approach, the likes of which few of us have heard from the man, but it totally works. YTCracker, bitch!
THE WRAP-UP:
And that’s it, folks: 19 delightfully nerdy and undeniably odd covers of classic (and not-so classic) tracks. It features everything from faithful reinterpretations to irreverent rewrites. Not to mention everything in between.
Putting this thing together may not have been as effortless as I like to admit – we did have some bumps along the road and a couple missteps – but I couldn’t be happier with the finished product.
I hope you enjoyed it as well. If you did, holler at me. Let me know, and maybe I’ll do another one of these in the future. If you didn’t? Well, shit, I’ll just leave stuff like this to the professionals and get back to what I do best: totally superfluous writing.
Either way, thanks for playing along. And, to quote that titular yearbook idiom, raise hell this summer.
That is all.
--Z.
http://www.hipsterplease.com
Nerd music. Nerd Culture. Nerd Life.