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Wizard Rock and Eggnog Martinis

published
on October 3, 2007
by
Sandra
in genres, music, nerd, and web 2.0
. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

Fusion. Ah, the refreshing creations born of outside-the-box-thinking and unlikely combinations. You know, like eggnog martinis or sloshball….And, um, all the ones that don’t involve alcohol.

I find new musical genres created through fusion or experimentation to be particularly exciting. Traditional categories like rock, pop, classical, etc are so….yawn. Bring on the Crust Punk and the Swamp Blues!

You’ve got the instant classics like: Reggaeton – “the mix of dancehall reggae, hip hop, salsa, cumbia and other Caribbean beats”, and Nerdcore – a “largely white subgenre of hip-hop that celebrates the solitary pleasures of science fiction, computers and bad teenage movies”.

Here are a couple newcomers: Wizard Rock – featuring bands like “Harry and the Potters”, and Yiddish Rap – Yiddish cover songs of…50 cent? So wrong yet so right.

Seems like mashups are popping up everywhere these days. From musical styles to web applications. Guess that’s what happens when you encourage open collaboration and sharing between people, huh? 🙂

Go music 2.0! And, well, everything else 2.0 too.

Nerd is the New Black

published
on October 1, 2007
by
Sandra
in nerd
. 9 Comments Tags: , , , .

I heart nerds. Like, a lot. The condition began in college, when I realized that my obsession with smart people had resulted in a disproportionate number of my friends being Computer Science majors.

One late night in a friend’s room at Triangle, the engineering frat (that feels like an oxymoron), it occurred to me that I spent more time there than at “normal” frat houses. Granted, I was not a sorority girl, but still. I was like, W-T-F? Shortly thereafter, I reluctantly accepted my fate. Clearly, my role in life is the Nerd Hag/Nerd Whore/Nerd Groupie (or whatever your preferred nomenclature might be). Now I wear that hat with pride.

Disclaimer: when I say “nerd” I am using the term loosely and intend for it to include the various subcategories of nerd, as well as other labels like geek, dork etc. Yes, there are some big differences. But I won’t go into that here. Lots of other people cover that territory. Here and here, for example.

Oddly enough, it seems that mainstream society is increasingly embracing nerd culture too. While Revenge of the Nerds was a surprise hit back in the day, these days nerd is everywhere. Consider the recent slew of nerd-friendly and goofy-guy-gets-the-hot-girl themed films and TV shows: SuperBad, Knocked Up, Beauty and the Geek, The Pick Up Artist, Napoleon Dynamite, 40 Year Old Virgin, etc.

Some say this is simply a reflection of society – which is getting more nerdy – and that the entertainment industry is racing to catch up. Like this article. I say Nerd is the new Black. So much so that instead of auctioning off attractive women during fundraisers, some colleges are auctioning off nerds. Because they’re awesome.

Speaking of awesome, let’s not forget the xkcd comics. Here are a few of my favorites:

[slideshow id=576460752318539924&w=426&h=320]

There’s also the wonderful world of sardonic t-shirts (nerd uniform) found at places like T-Shirt Hell and NerdyShirts.

wiid.jpg youtube.jpg

That’s right, talk nerdy to me.

[digg=http://digg.com/arts_culture/Nerd_is_the_New_Black]

Closet Dancing Queen

published
on September 26, 2007
by
Sandra
in video
. Closed Tags: , , .

We all like to get a little funky sometimes. Especially when no one is watching. You KNOW you dance around the house in your underwear à la Risky Business.

Of course, many a candid camera show has achieved success thanks to the unsuspecting victims who thought no one was watching. Not to mention the stuff caught on camera phones and posted on YouTube these days. Yikes.

But, really, when you’re feelin it you’re feelin it. And ain’t a damn thing gonna stop you. Kinda like this guy:

Do-it-yourselfers

published
on September 19, 2007
by
Sandra
in music and technology
. Closed Tags: , .

I’ve always admired do-it-yourselfers, builders, creators…mainly because I am so not one.

Since he was a kid, my brother was a natural at working with his hands. One time, he got in trouble for stealing the garage opener and taking it apart. My sister and I exchanged evil glances as we reveled in the thought of how yelled at he would get. But once our parents realized he had used the parts to build a miniature hand-held fan, they were like Oh. Damn. Nice job! Now he’s an engineer for Caltrans, go figure.

Unlike him, the extent of my talent for making stuff (other than, say, assembling IKEA furniture) starts and ends with shapeless lumps of play-doh. Thus, I prefer to step aside and let those who possess such talent work their magic.

Take the Wah-Wah Boots for example:

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2265253317431829320&hl=en]

Not to mention the this guy and his DrumPants:


What’s next, the Maraca Bra? Harmonica Scarf? My friends and I often discuss the potential awesomeness of the Steering Wheel Drum Kit, but we think there might be a few legal hurdles in the way.

Rock + Arabic + Jazz = Razz

published
on September 17, 2007
by
Sandra
in genres, music, and web 2.0
. 4 Comments

It’s all about evolving music. When you remove the shackles of big labels and constraints of mainstream media and give musicians and artists the freedom they deserve, real creativity begins to emerge, unlikely collaborations spring up, and people actually dare to be different. Hell, whole new genres begin to evolve! Take ‘Razz‘ for example. That is, Rock Arabic Jazz. Razz.

I was born into a family of old-school (think Dixieland and Big Band) jazz musicians, bombarded by rock and alternative (yay flannels) in junior high and high school, and then oddly enough spent most of my when-napster-was-free days in college downloading Arabic songs. I was kind of obsessed. But hey, for a white girl, I can sing (ok, hum) along to sooo many of the songs they play in hookah bars.

Hearing elements of Rock, Arabic, and Jazz music woven together with considerable artistry is delicious. Mix the haunting melodies and unique instrumentals of Arabic music, the beat and drive of rock, and the improvisational twists and turns and sweet harmonies of jazz and holy crap! You’ve got quite a match. Whether you dig this guy’s music or not, it’s hard not to appreciate the art.

Aziz Maraka is a shining example of how music in general – and genres specifically – will continue to evolve. As the world becomes increasingly more interconnected and culturally aware (with a few obvious exceptions in our current administration), the tech-savvy, fearless, and innovative pioneers of today’s young(ish) generations will continue to revolutionize the way music is made.

Web 2.0 will forever change the face of music and I, for one, plan to be sitting in the front row to watch it happen.