The Geekdads

As the summer draws to a close a young man’s thoughts turn to GeekDad HipTrax episode 94. Or maybe that’s just me. Enjoy the following fine selections: “Buggin’ (The Metamorphosis)” by Random This Monday GeekDad was thrilled to premiere the newest video from rapper Random, a wonderful visual interpretation of this Kafka-inspired track directed by Max Isaacson. And just yesterday Ran followed it up with the release of the 2nd volume of his Language Arts collection. “I Like It! (ft. MC Frontalot, Beefy)” by Supercommuter The latest from Seattle chip-hoppers Supercommuter features the Godfather of Nerdcore MC Frontalot along, fellow PacNW geek rapper Beefy, electronic artist Square Wail and the smallest commuter of them all Itty Bitty Bot. Grab your copy right now from Bandcamp for whatever you’d like to pay. “Gravity Falls” by Adam WarRock WarRock will be on the road next month with Tribe One, Jesse Dangerously and Mikal kHill as part of the NOFRIENDS 2012 tour. Be sure to catch ‘em when they come throug

Ken, Matt, and John Booth look chat about Star Wars Celebration, bad Tim Burton movies, and coffee vodka. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

Talking with Diane Duane is like having a conversation with a wind storm; things keep coming at you from all directions, and everything blows you away. If you are a fan of science fiction, fantasy, animation, and just genre entertainment in general, and you're of a certain age like me, you've probably bumped up against Diane's work, even if you don't realize it. In '80s she was at Hannah-Barbera, Filmation, DiC, Sunbow, and Walt Disney. Can you picture the shows she was working on? Captain Caveman, Dinosaucers, Transformers (the ORIGINAL), and Duck Tales to name a few. Then she co-wrote for Batman: The Animated Series (perhaps the Genesis of modern superhero cartoon shows), and Gargoyles. Gargoyles is remembered for having been a well-written series, with a lot of Star Trek: The Next Generation actors doing voice work. And yes, Diane did a ST:TNG story: "Where No Man Has Gone Before." She wrote a seminal series of Star Trek novels about the Romulans that informs fans to this day, and had young adult storie

This edition of GeekDad HipTrax is all about skillful lyricism and delicate acoustic-rooted instrumentation. And also Pokémon. Think of it as HipTrax Unplugged: “Gotta Catch ‘Em All (feat. The Stacey)” by Insane Ian This song, taken from Ian’s larger work “Ultimate Epic Video Game Medley 3rd Strike,” combines Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” with the theme song from Pokémon, a mash-up that obviously resonates here on the internet. It features the vocal stylings of his wife Stacey. “Little Songs” by Grace Kendall Many listeners likely know Grace as Wizard Rocker Snidget, and similarly associate her more with the dulcimer than the ukelele. Still, her Little Songs puts the uke center stage in a 12-track collection of earnest lyrics and simple, infectious melodies. “Good” by John Anealio This classic 90s cover is available as a part of John’s ongoing free Covers project, and it is also featured on my upcoming Hipster, please! compilation Nerd Up the 90s.

Ken, Matt, Dave, and Jonathan look chat about summer vacations, The Hobbit, Batman, and coffee vodka. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

With our fearless leader at last back from vacation, we spend this particular episode of HipTrax reflecting on some exciting new cuts from some of our old favorites. Enjoy: “End Credits (Space Based Funk)” by Pixelh8 Last November Pixelh8 announced his retirement from chip music, but just last week he revealed that he has returned to music-making! A sneak preview of the new single from his forthcoming album is available at his site, but we took this opportunity to revisit the amazing soundtrack from his addictive iOS game Ocarbot. “Language Arts (1st Day of School)” by Random The first volume of Random’s Kickstarter-funded multimedia project Language Arts is currently available for your listening pleasure. There’s also a comic book, a video game and a great video for this debut single. “Sharktopus” by Nuclear Bubble Wrap Nuclear Bubble Wrap affirms their dedication to original material – they announced they were abandoning parody songs last year – with their latest EP, Abracadaver. It’s a seven song co

I am well aware of the summer concert season, but apparently there is also a summer album season. As it seems that everybody is dropping one this month! Check out the new hotness: “Bring Toonami Back” by Richie Branson If the fan outcry to resurrect Cartoon Network’s long-missed Toonami anime block was a phalanx, then surely Richie’s rallying cry was the tip of the spear. (Now you know a bit more about both American otaku and ancient military history; you’re welcome, internet!) You can own this updated version of the iconic track along with six other hip-hop gems on his amazing new N.E.R.D. EP. “Co-op Mode (feat. The BossFights)” by Sci-Fried Sure, I could be stingy with my song leaks, but I like to share ‘em. Especially when they come from Florida’s geek rock royalty Sci-Fried and California’s underground thrash/rap juggernaut The BossFights. This song serves as the title track for Sci-Fried’s forthcoming Co-op Mode, an album featuring other epic musical team-ups with the likes of Warp 11, MC Lars and I

Welcome, one and all, to the GeekDad HipTrax summer music spectacular. We've got thrills, chills and spills. And also Nine Inch Nails! Prepare to be shocked and amazed by the geektastic glory of: "Head Like I-O" by Inverse Phase Inverse Phase's Pretty Eight Machine is likely the best thing you've heard since… well, Inverse Phase's inspired rendition of a certain Cee Lo Greenchart-topper. "Just Passing Through" by Benjamin Briggs Twenty-five years ago Final Fantasy introduced a generation of Western youth to the wonders of the JRPG -- not to mention the wonders of the Nobuo Uematsu soundtrack. And just this month the OverClocked ReMix community paid fitting musical tribute with their 35th album Random Encounter. "Spring Break 199X" by Slime Girls The latest from the Pterodactyl Squad netlabel is the Vacation Wasteland EP, a pitch-perfect collection of summer sounds. From garage-flavored punk to chip-driven surf, it's a must-have for all your warm weather listening.

Ken, Matt, and Jonathan look back at GeekDad Day, the WWDC announcements, and upcoming geeky summer movies. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

This week’s theme is musical adventure, and we include a record four tracks from three amazingly geeky artists! Explore the possibilities with: “Flash” / “Battle Theme” as covered by The Protomen Though not technically released until June 1st, those who pre-ordered The Protomen’s new live tribute Present: A Night of Queen – like our own Ken Denmead – received the album early. The rest of you will have to wait, but we’ve provided a couple of tracks to tide you over. “They Call It Big Blue” by Maximalism While not serving as a member of Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew, Brad Podray participates in a number of other unique musical projects. In his new release Soundtrack for a Great Adventure he provides a selection of ten amazing (and totally free) instrumentals to serve as backing tracks to whatever excitement awaits in your daily life. “…Is About to Explode” by Adam WarRock Having already conquered the worlds of comic book- and television-inspired music, Adam WarRock recently set his sights on the realm

Ken, Matt, Doug, and Jonathan do a Maker Faire recap, and talk a bit about the "controversy" surrounding the GeekDad issue of Wired magazine. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

As the weather warms up the new music just comes rolling in! In this episode we spotlight a trio of fantastic new songs from three of our longtime favorites. Get your geek on with: “Mountain Fortress Delta VII” by The OneUps The newly released Nerdapalooza 2011 Recordings album contains no fewer than three dozen amazing live performance tracks from last year’s festival. Of course you can keep up with all the earth-shattering developments concerning this year’s event over at the official site. “Never Fall (feat. Kirby Krackle)” by Sci-Fried That rowdy geek rock crew Sci-Fried is currently finishing up a new album. Co-Op Mode is a collaborative effort featuring special guests like Warp 11, Insane Ian and Kirby Krackle’s Kyle Stevens. And congratulations to Sci-Fried guitarist Chuck Silver, who just participated in an epic team-up of his own. In the form of marriage! “Let Your Geek Flag Fly” by John Anealio What started out as a fun word game within the hallowed halls of the new GeekDad Community became t

Ken, Matt, and Jonathan spend nearly the entire episode going on and on and on about The Avengers. SPOILERS ABOUND! DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE! Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

GeekDad HipTrax is back with another episode dedicated to giving you a whole lot of music with a nigh unbelievable price tag! Check out awesome (and thriftily priced) jams like: "This Sword" by the modrats York, South Carolina's the modrats bring a healthy dose of punk to the ever-expanding world of geek rock. Their latest, Huzzah!, is a 15-track powerhouse of nerd hymns about everything from gaming to high fantasy that's available for whatever you'd care to pay. "Con Rave Two Step" by Ultraklystron Karl Olson's newest collection of anime- and fandom-inspired rhymes is dubbed Animatic after the traditional storyboarding process used in animation. It is available as a 22-track free download, or you can elect to pick up the deluxe 38-track editionfor a mere $9. "Escape from L.A." by Shrimps John Carpenter, the son of a music professor, composed the minimalist scores for many of his own films out of necessity. Netlabel Pterodactyl Squad recently paid homage to many of these phenomenally atmospheric lo-fi

Ken, Matt, Dave, James and Cory chat about Matt's seeing Avengers, Ken's seeing robots, and Dave seeing the dark side of Hockey fandom. Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

On this edition of HipTrax we take a classic request and pair it with two hot new tracks. If you're a fan of hip-hop, video games or chiptunes, it is not a show to be missed! Rock out with: "Hostage Down" by Dual Core Step into my musical time machine for a trip back to the early days of international nerdcore juggernaut Dual Core. It's the Counter-Strike: Source tribute track that introduced int eighty and c64 to studious hip-hop heads the world over. "Find Me A Physicist! (Stenobot Remix)" by Supercommuter Hot on the heels of (what I've been assured was) an amazing showing at PAX East, Seattle's chip-hop masterminds have treated fans to Remixes Vol. 1, a six-song collection of reworked material from the band's first two full-lengths. Best of all it's absolutely free. "Expand Your Brain" by Tribe One Atlanta's Tribe One announced at last year's Nerdapalooza that he was working on an entire collection of songs rhymed over repurposed Anamanaguchi riffs. Silly me, I thought he was joking!

Ken, Matt, and Jonathan catch up on the aftermath of PAX East and Gamestorm 14. Plus, Ken's going to play with robots, and Matt's seeing Avengers early! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

Here at GeekDad we talk a lot about Kickstarter, and there's a pretty simple reason for that. Though we're contributors to a Wired blog, most of us started out writing for small, independent projects. (Hell, most of us still do!) Kickstarter is an easy way to crowdsource funding for geeky ventures, particularly indie projects, so there's a genuine sense that what we're doing is really just supporting our community. Kickstart your heart with: "You Told Me" by Marc with a C Poor Marc. No sooner was he celebrating the successful funding of his project to release his Normal Bias album on vinyl than he lost one of his musical idols. But rather than wallow in despair, Marc with a C instead elected to release Good Clean Fun, his own tribute to the music of the Monkees. "Sky Palace of the Dragonriders" by Dethlehem My name is Z. and I like long walks on the beach, Dungeons & Dragons and heavy metal. Pittsburgh's Dethlehem offers at least two of those things, and I'm pretty sure they could be convinced to walk

Ken, Matt, Jonathan, and Tony talk about the 5th anniversary (that's wood!) of GeekDad, and the brand new community site. Plus, praise for John Carter! Enjoy! GeekDad.com is the parenting blog at Wired.com, edited by Ken Denmead, Matt Blum, Jonathan Liu, Z 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 biweekly discussion of anything and everything that impacts us as geeks and parents.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the very few people smart enough, knowledgeable enough, charming enough, and yes, famous enough that he might just be the best spokesperson for science alive. He's certainly the best spokesperson for American space exploration, a subject that has never needed advocates more than it does today. I recently had the chance to talk with Dr. Tyson about these matters and much more.