The GeekDads

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GeekDad HipTrax #73 May 31, 2011

Show notes

Question: What's got four thumbs and loves chiptunes?

Answer: The GeekDad HipTrax team! (Although we would've also accepted a hideously misshapen mutant with discriminating musical taste.)

Get your bleep on with:

"We Throw Shapes" by Superpowerless

Oliver Hindle and Jaylyn Coffin, the same duo that brought you Tetrastar's amazing Songs We Didn't Write, are back with a shiny new Superpowerless single. "We Throw Shapes" is available for download now via iTunes, and the official video is presently blowing up the YouTubes.

"Tickle Tickle!" by seal of quality

The latest release from our friends at netlabel Pterodactyl Squad is the epic Fate Patterns by French chiptuner seal of quality. Boasting eleven tracks of crisp Game Boys, sharp guitars and delightful vocoder, it's available as a free download and as a limited edition physical pressing.

"Reformat the Planet" by Bit Shifter

While this song shares its name with the phenomenal chip culture/Blip Festival documentary, its source EP recently inspired a tribute project of its own. Though five years old, Information Chase still stands out as a textbook example of the beauty and accessibility of contemporary lo-fi electronica.

All the GeekDad podcasts are sponsored by MapHook.com!

The GeekDads Episode #92: Bob, Are You a Cereal Masticator? May 24, 2011

Show notes

Ken and Matt recap Maker Faire 2011, talk about PotC:OST and X-Men, and get generally silly about a bunch of stuff. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu and Chris Anderson. It is a community of like-minded geeky parents writing about our experiences raising our kids in the digital age, and about our obsessions with technology, family-friendly projects, and pop-culture. The GeekDads podcast is a bi-weekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

GeekDad HipTrax #72 May 17, 2011

Show notes

This edition of Hiptrax is firmly dedicated to cover songs. Of course since this is GeekDad only the strangest and most dorktastic covers will do!

Explore your rock 'n' roll roots with:

"Back in Your Life" as covered by Marc with a C

Though not a geeky artist in the traditional sense, Jonathan Richman blazed a proto-punk trail with his band The Modern Lovers. His music has inspired acts as diverse as punk pioneers the Sex Pistols and lo-fi troubadour Marc with a C thanks to his whimsical, childlike approach to lyricism and his refusal to operate within the bounds of the aggressive musical conventions of the age.

"I Never Go to Work" as covered by Nuclear Bubble Wrap

With a fine blend of off-kilter originals and irreverent parodies, Nuclear Bubble Wrap's Exploding Head Syndrome is a pitch-perfect example of funny music at its finest. Also included in that 2010 release is this slightly amended and thoroughly enjoyable They Might Be Giants cover.

"Melanie" as covered by Shael Riley and the Double Ice Backfire

This track (as well as selections from the aforementioned artists) appears on the new Weird Al tribute album Twenty-Six and a Half. Along with contributions from MC Frontalot, mc chris, Devo Spice and Al's own backing band, it pays due respect to the most successful and influential geek musician of all time.

The GeekDads Episode #91: That Pause Was Air Quotes May 10, 2011

Show notes

Ken, Matt, Curtis, and Jonathan chat about the sale of Skype to Microsoft, Thor, and Maker Faire 2011. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

GeekDad HipTrax #71 May 04, 2011

Show notes

In this edition of GeekDad HipTrax we celebrate Free Comic Book Day. It's like a High Holy Day for geeks where our only obligation is to hit up our favorite comics retailers. Is that really too much to ask?

Those looking to get the skinny on local FCBD events are encouraged to check out these handy resources from our sponsor MapHook. Individual hooks have been put in place for the American northeast, southeast, west coast and the broad, doughy center of our great nation. Check 'em out now for lists of events and participating vendors, and use the free MapHook app to share photo memories of this year's festivities with your fellow comic lovers.

Enjoy the comic book camaraderie of:

"Uncanny (feat. MC Lars)" by Beefy

Admittedly this track from Beefy's 2010 release With Sprinkles concerns X-Men: The Animated Series, which took its fair share of liberties with proper comic book canon. Still, it's an amazingly fun little song that spotlights a great cartoon with an even better theme song.

"Ring Capacity" by Kirby Krackle

This epic Green Lantern tribute served as many fans' proper introduction to Seattle's foremost comic book rockers. With two phenomenal albums under their belt, 2009's self-titled LP and last year's E for Everyone, the boys are now diligently writing for their forthcoming follow-up.

"The Sixth Gun" by Adam WarRock

Earlier this year Adam WarRock honored one of my favorite publishers with his Oni Press Mixtape. In addition to repping Oni classics (like Jen Van Meter's Hopeless Savages) in verse, Adam also managed to turn me on to a new title, specifically Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt's creepily awesome The Sixth Gun.

The GeekDads Episode #90: Was There Celery Involved? Apr 26, 2011

Show notes

Ken, Matt, Natania, Michael, and Jonathan chat about the Apple tracking controversy, Sony's PSN personal data breach, and the loss of Elisabeth Sladen. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

GeekDad HipTrax #70 Apr 19, 2011

Show notes

This edition of GeekDad HipTrax focuses on quirky electronica, a handful of charming musical jewels that you may have overlooked. Like any good parents, Ken and I are here to encourage you to try out these interesting new flavors of geektastic tunage. As the saying goes, you might like it!

Open wide for:

"Dandyceratops" by Dot.AY
Australian chip artist Dot.AY always planned on being a paleontologist, but instead he grew up to make chiptunes. It's a loss for the scientific community, of course, but a big gain for music lovers everywhere. His latest release Ceratopian Society celebrates his twin loves, and is available now via Bandcamp.

"Points" by Comptroller
Scotland's Comptroller just released an amazing new EP entitled Baddies through Liverpool-based netlabel CalmDownKidder. It is their 50th release, and you can score it from their site absolutely free.

"Superimposed" by The Efts
Husband and wife team The Efts have hand-picked eight of their own tunes for the This Music is Probably Too Geeky for You collection. Blending lo-fi electronica and lyrical anti-folk, it's another excellent addition to your nerdy music collection that won't cost you a dime!

The GeekDads Episode #89: Awesomest of Awesome Events Ever Awesomely Possible Apr 12, 2011

Show notes

Ken, Matt and Jonathan chat about the anniversary of the first man in space, the first Space Shuttle mission, and how effective it is to be a pedant. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

GeekDad HipTrax #69 Apr 05, 2011

Show notes

We here at GeekDad HipTrax seem to be slightly preoccupied with Terminator-style dystopias in which mankind's beloved technology has turned against him. This is odd seeing as we are actually a family-friendly music podcast, but, as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don’t' fix it!

So put on a happy face with these uplifting ditties:

"Zero Day" by MC Frontalot

With the aid of noted hackers computer enthusiasts YTCracker and int eighty, MC Frontalot paints a bleak picture of a not-so-distant future in which all of our security exploits have been... properly exploited. A music video for this title track from Front's latest album was recently released.

"Doomlaser" by Nathan Meunier

The first song from video game journalist/bit-popper Nathan Meunier's Robots. Lasers. Awesome. is a dense, urgent affair. Building on the LSDJ-meets-crunchy-guitar style of his debut The Beacon, the album boasts a more polished sound that is as awesome as advertised.

"Brain Damage" as covered by echosignal

Closing out this edition is a selection from the recent Pterodactyl Squad release Dark Side of the Moon – The 8-bit Album. The follow-up to their highly successful Weezer tribute, it recasts Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece as a minimalist, multi-artist chiptune sonata.

The GeekDads Episode #88: Moderately Misplaced Teen Pop Song Mar 29, 2011

Show notes

Ken, Matt, John, and Russ chat about the "Hop" press junket and how to cook a perfect steak in a cooler. Enjoy!

Special thanks to our sponsor Maphook, the location-based social network for geeks!

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