Really. Until then... enjoy this list! And if you are one of the top 100 (or so) artists, I WILL be contacting you soon re: compilation album (in case I hadn't). ENJOY!! LEAVE THE LOVE (or hate... but either way, you're reading it and thinking about nerd music! yay!!).
much nerdy love, [hex]
10. The OneUps - Video Game Ensemble
In the beginning of video game music covers, much sounded the same. The basic guitar(s)/bass/drums combo, and a keyboard if they were fancy. That still holds true today. However, arguably one of the first groups to emerge trying something new were The OneUps. An amazing group to come about since the rise of video game music, these guys have performed at PAX and MAGFest for several years now, and even have their own yearly summer BBQ, with invites much sought after. An inspiration to other bands with their versatile sound, they have ventured beyond just the literal retranslation of songs, producing amazing tracks like "Bossa de Link" and "Super Mario Sleigh Ride" which have at least helped me get my non-nerd-music-familiar friends to take a longer-than-a-minute listen. What's even better is that no two shows are ever the same, where they'll arrange a song specifically for a show, never to play it again, making each show they perform that special. Coming in at number ten, The OneUps definitely bring video game music to the next level.
(Official Website: OneUpStudios.com)
9. Video Games Live - Video Game Orchestra
Coming in at number nine is none other than Video Games Live, internationally renown and for a reason. An actual orchestra that plays video game music? Yes. It's for real. These guys are truly amazing and showing through and through how seriously video game music can be taken. Conceived back in 2005, their first performance had over 11,000 attendees. They powered through 2007, touring through 7 different countries, and becoming the first American video game concert to perform in Asia. Hitting up four different continents with their love of video games, what strikes me most about the epicness that is VGL is their desire to support smaller video game cover groups in their hometown areas, like 8 Bit Instrumental, Armcannon, and Select Start. Catch this show when it swings by.
(Official Website: VideoGamesLive.com)
8. Harry and the Potters - Wizard Rock
I now have at least one good thing that came from me procrastinating the top 10. I have since learned that Harry and the Potters have made it onto a Trivial Pursuit card... in Sweden! Check the pic here for those that are going "PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!" That is a level of nerdy achievements that I had not even yet fathomed. Even if you're not familiar with the rest of nerd music, it's a pretty good guess that you HAVE heard of Harry and the Potters at some point. Fathers of the recently exploding Wizard Rock movement, they have clung to the DIY ethic and supported the surrounding community in a very inspirational way. The Brothers DeGeorge have come a long way in the five years since they started, and I want to do my bit to acknowledge exactly how awesome they are.
(Official Website: Eskimolabs.com/HP)
7. Daft Punk - Robot Techno
Yes. Daft Punk. These guys have shown that being a robot can work in making it mainstream. Not only that... but these guys were able to do a track with Kanye West (the remix of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" from Discovery). But scrolling around amongst the hundreds of nerd musicians that I've encountered, Daft Punk has been one of the more common name under "influences." These guys have really put a spark under the nerd music movement, and their continuing rise in awesome is a sign of that. Their Alive tour during 2007 and the subsequent album shows the strength of their popularity and ability to perform. But, seriously, the monumental force behind their influence is what earns these guys spot number seven.
(Official Website: DaftPunk.com)
6. MC Frontalot - Nerdcore Hip-Hop
Spot number six goes to MC Frontalot – godfather of Nerdcore hip-hop. Still fronting into 2007, Frontalot not only toured with Optimus Rhyme and MC Lars but also with Schaffer the Darklord, selling out shows and showing that this is one rapper still alive and kicking. Not only (as usual) performing in his rightful seat at PAX, he's also been featured in articles in the Washington Post, London Telegraph, as well as a number of other notable pieces of literature. Releasing his second album, Secrets from the Future Front showed that he still can pump out some sexy songs. While others can claim that they may have been the first to rap about nerdy things, it's indisputable that it was Front who popularized Nerdcore to mold it into what it's growing into. A major influence to the little nerd rappers looking up to him and a talented artist to boot, MC Frontalot is way welcome amongst the nerdy top 10.
(Official Website: Frontalot.com)
5. Armcannon - Video Game Rock
And on to the top five with Armcannon. I'm going to get candid for a second: whenever I need some music to get me charged, and just hop into working... I type in their myspace url and throw on whatever track might be available: BECAUSE THEY ALL RULE. The amazing amount of talent behind Armcannon is mind-blowing. This year, they've performed with Video Games Live, produced an amazing album called Legvacuum, performed at MAGfest, redefined what it was like to "rock," and gave the world Star Wars Frank. Showing that there are still amazingly fresh ways to interpret video game music in the "traditional format," these guys are anything BUT traditional. Metal to the core, these guys are reinventing the genre and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
(Official Website: Armcannon.com)
4. Pixelh8 - Chiptunes
Rolling on through the top 10, we stumble across Pixelh8 in position four. Nerdy to the extreme and committed to the craft, this man taught himself electrical engineering to further his music experimentation. Embracing the "found object" approach to making chiptunes, he has stood out as an exemplary performer through his two previous albums Video Games Ruined My Life and his Handheld EP. However, still using the hardware, Pixelh8, for his latest album Boy With the Digital Heart (which I will review very soon!) is a phenomenal accomplishment. As he states himself that every inch of the album: "every note, every drum beat, every sound programmed by scratch." Touring the UK, getting private shows for companies like Apple in the States, and commissioned to make game music in Japan, this very amazing artist got a big push from Immogen Heap of Frou Frou, when she had him open for her. Exploding on all kinds of fronts, including several performances on BBC Radio, this man is bringing the word "chiptunes" to the mainstream. Oh yeah, and his music is really, really good. ^_^
(Official Website: HiddenYouthRecords.co.uk)
3. Freezepop - Synthpop
Freezepop coming in at number three. That's right! Unless you've been living under a rock in the last year, you are already rather familiar with their "Less Talk More Rokk" featured in Guitar Hero 2. I've been personally rocking these Massachusetts-originated synthpoppers since I heard "Super Sprode" on Amplitude. Since then, I've watched them explode to a level of near-stardom that I'm really excited about. Helping define the modern synthpop/powerpop sound, Freezepop has been very influential in their field of nerd music. What is most amazing though, is that their current trek to stardom hasn't made them unreachable prima donas in an ivory tower. In my continued efforts in music promotion as my own way to support all forms of nerd music, I have been literally shocked at how easy Freezepop has been to work with and talk with, even being able to correspond with Liz Enthusiasm directly. An amazing band both in sound and in character, Freezepop are more then welcome on the top 10.
(Official Website: Freezepop.com)
2. MC Lars - Nerdcore Hip-Hop
One of my milestones in my nerd music history was going to a nerdcore hip-hop show in Reno, Nevada with a cadre of my friends. That show was MC Frontalot, MC Lars, and Optimus Rhyme. It was an amazing show... with only seven other people in attendance. When I entered the show, I saw a big guy at the merch table reading a graphic novel, and at first didn't fully recognize who I'd later find out was Lars. I introduced myself, and a very earnest smile of recognition and appreciation of what I was at least (then) attempting to do for the scene appeared on his face. Later that night, he rocked the faces off of the meager, but committed audience. Controlling the audience in a way I hadn't really seen in the scene before, bringing a pop sound that attracts the big crowds, and literature subject matter that bring a great diversity and intelligence to the scene makes him definitely stand out alone just for his music and stage presence. Now let's bring up his commitment to supporting not just nerdcore but all forms of independent music. Limiting the scope just to nerd music, you have rumors of Lars collaborating with nerdcore artists of all walks of life, but also a "cross-genre" collab with the Great Luke Ski ("The Dementia Revolution") of FuMP fame. Willing to help a fellow indie artist at the drop of a hat, Lars is definitely an amazing artist worth looking up to. Number two goes to him.
(Official Website: MCLars.com)
1. Weird Al Yankovic - Parody and Comedy Music
The undisputed king of comedy and parody rock, Weird Al Yankovic, going strong after two and a half decades of making fun of other artists, the world, and everything else in between. Most nerd musicians looked up to Al when they were growing up and, if they're anything like me, are startled that Weird Al is such an unstoppable artist that he is still going strong into 2007. Releasing Straight Out of Lynwood in late 2006, Weird Al spent most of 2007 on tour selling out arena after arena of shows. An overwhelming influence to so many artists for so many reasons, Al redefines what it means to be a parody artist, both with the quality of his parodies ("White and Nerdy" has almost become an anthem at this point to some circles) as well with his retooling of parodies (style parodies like "Pancreas" following in the tradition of "Bob" and, more popularly, "Dare to be Stupid"). Al's music inspires other artists that being weird, and who you really are, is not only okay, but something that you can actually make a career off of, if you find the right niche. Anywho, however you look at it, Weird Al is an artist that stands out as an amazing artist and definitely deserves recognition. You are the number one nerd musician of 2007. ^_^
(Official Website: WeirdAl.com)
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