Summon the Kraken Not Stirred

Kraken Not Stirred is a nerd music act which plays various genres and write songs that cover many nerdy topics.  This minion of a deep sea monstrous creator sings songs about science fiction, fantasy, computers, conventions, and general weirdness.  Their newest album is Robots vs Monsters.  It is about robots and monsters performing about their plans for the destruction of humanity.  Each side is represented by different music styles; electronica for robots and metal for monsters.

They each get a few solo tracks to themselves, showing off their skills.  They also fight in rap style battles about who is superior.  They do finally join forces with the mighty Kraken to destroy all the humans and the world.  I real feel good story.

Personally I like the rock of the monsters more.  Just more my style and the robots are a little too monotone for me, but the robots do have a dance party feel.

Something I would recommend for people who want new Halloween music or fans of either electronica or harder rock who want some nerdy music that is for everyone.

You can buy a digital album for $6, physical CD for $8, at Robots vs Monsters T-shirt for $20, or get a World Domination Pack with the album, t-shirt, and button set for $28.  T-shirt and album cover art done by Peter Chiykowski of the web comic Rock, Paper, Cynic.

Kraken will be appearing at a book launch party at Bakka Phoenix Books in Toronto, Canada this Saturday at 2pm with other music acts and webcomic creators.

Hero in Me

Professional cosplayer Santana has released an album featuring nerdy music, Hero In Me, and now I am going to review it.

The whole thing is about empowering yourself and following your own loves.  The album mixes country, pop, and a bit of rock into a unique sound.  Though only three songs on the album are really nerd related.

Cosplaying Just for Me, which has its own video shot by Flashbang Cosplay Capture, is about cosplaying and empowering yourself.  Bit a nice rock vibe to it.  Personally I have a hard time believing someone who sells prints of herself and has a Patreon page for people to give her feed back on what to cosplay next is really “cosplaying just for me.”  Though the song is more than just about cosplaying and is a fun listen.

Gamer Boy, is a love song .  Though I am not sure if she is singing to a boy who play games or an actual Nintendo Game Boy.  I like it either way.

Hero in Me is about another empowering song drawing some geeky related imagery and lyrics.

Three of the other songs on this album are from a previous non nerdy album, nice songs to listen to just not why I am here for.  The other song is Winder Soldier, which as much as I want to believe is most likely not about Bucky Barnes.  Again nice romantic song, just not what I am looking for.

The music and singing are both top-notch though.  Something even non nerds can enjoy.  I recommend it for anyone wanting something a little different from most.

You can get the album as a CD or digital download from Santana’s store, CDBaby, iTunes, or Amazon.

I would love to see more work from Santana in the music genre especially some more nerdy songs add to her repertoire.

Getting Bardcore with the Library Bards

The Library Bards, a comedy duo out of LA, have their first album out, Bardcore , and I felt like reviewing it.  It is a comedy parody album that covers many fandoms so everyone should find something to listen to.

Overall it is a fun album, music is bouncy and light, lyrics are humorous, and you can tell they are enjoying themselves.  Something to play for nerdy friends to party to.  The problem is some of the lyrics seem to feel a little forced and clunky.  Like they are trying to hard to rhyme like the original song instead of having the song make sense.  Now they are a newer act and will get better with time and experience, but right now this album just does not have the full polish of some other comedy musicians.  It is still a fun album to sing a long with, especially if you like the original songs they parody.

Enough with my nitpicking, the best songs on the album to me are: Pokéball (Pokémon p0arody of “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus) a sweet love song using Pokémon imagery and Black and Red (parody of “Zombie” by The Cranberries) which is about Deadpool and Harley Quinn cosplayers, it is both harsh on them and loving, which comes in two versions on the album.

You can buy the album from their site for $14.99.  Plus they have t-shirts for $20.  You can get their song Regeneration (a Doctor Who parody of “My Generation” by The Who) for free on The FuMP right if you hurry.

You can also check out their YouTube channel for music videos  and live performances.

The Library Bards are a nerd parody band consisting of Bonnie Gordon (ABC’s The Quest, R. Mika in Street Fighter V) and Xander Jeanneret (TBS’ King of the Nerds). They take Top 40 hits and transform them into the nerdy versions they should have been in the first place! With their catchy tunes and nerdy lyrics, the Library Bards will be bringing you into the Bard Life in no time!

HYPERSPACE’s Delusions of Grandeur

Delusions of Grandeur is an album from the nerd punk band HYPERSPACE. ”Delusions of Grandeur” is comprised of thirteen nerdy pop punk songs about Star Wars, girls, pop culture, breakups, and other nerdy stuff.  I got a request to review their album months ago and I am just now getting to it.  Sorry guys I am just slow like that.

The album has several nerdy such as wondering if the new Star Wars movie will be any god (Episode 7), tributes to both the Borg and Darth Vader, singing about Chewbacca in Vegas, and summarizing the Goonies movie.  They also have several songs singing about women who they love; Avril Lavigne, Barbara Gordon, Paula (Abdul), Carrie Fisher, and Rave Girl which is about a generic raver.  They have interesting taste in women a.k.a. same as me.   It also contains a cover of Nirvana’s “School” from their Bleach album and two strange little songs marked with parental advisory (Screeching Weasel and Untitled).

The album has a nice punk rock sound.  Kind of unrefined but still well put together.  Though all the songs do sound very much the same, so if you like one song you will must likely like them all.  I do recombine checking it out.

HYPERSPACE was formed in Atlanta, GA in 2011.  Their musical influences include Nerf Herder, Green Day, Nirvana, and Weezer. The album is available for purchase through iTunes, Amazon, CdBaby, GooglePlay, bandcamp and Spotify.

Two Geek Musicians From Two Sides of the Planet Planning to Take Over the World in Song

Meri Amber (Geek Pop artist from Australia) and Kraken Not Stirred (Nerd Rock artist from Canada) play the role of two brains in tanks scheming to take over the world with love or fear respectively, in song. The song features not only the performances of the two geek musicians but also Kraken Not Stirred’s music production and guitar solo. The music video features not only their performances but also comic-style art and video editing by Meri Amber.
You can watch the newly released video here.

Another ear worm from Meri Amber, who provides her usual upbeat style of singing.  This is my first hearing Kraken Not Stirred but I have to say on this he bring both good rapping and guitar riffs.  The music video is all right, would have been more interesting if they had live action brains in the jar instead of just animated ones.
Meri Amber
Meri Amber is a Geek Pop artist from Australia who tours around and performs at many conventions in both Australia and, recently, New Zealand. She has released a number of CDs including the Super EP (songs inspired by ninjas, superpowers, YouTube etc.), her Doctor Who themed album, Pop Goes The TARDIS (songs inspired by Doctor Who), and her 90s themed album, Retro Sherbet (songs inspired by Tamagotchis, Pokémon, Xena etc.). Her next upcoming concert is at Sugar City Con in Mackay (Queensland, Australia).
Kraken Not Stirred
Kraken Not Stirred (otherwise known as Mike Bryant) is an Nerd Rock artist from Canada. Rather than creating his music acoustically, as is often done, he creates his music using a computer and Kitara digital guitar. He has released a large number of singles including The Ballad Of Han Solo, Today Sucked Show Me Cats, Pogo Zombie Is A Jerk, If You Post Spoilers I Will Kill You and Oh, The Places I’ve Been. He’s played at geeky events like Anime North (Toronto, Canada) and Con Funk! (Niagara Falls, Canada)

20 Sided Vice by Megathruster

Megathruster, the new acoustic nerd rock duo from Chris Waffle of Hot Waffles, released their first album a month ago 20 Sided Vice.

It is a 12 track album with half the tracks about your standard nerd topics such as Oregon Trail, playing fighting games and table-top mountains , and one favorite It’s Rough to be a Hufflepuff about being in Hogwarts lesser house.  All of which I like.  The other half are rather sexual in nature with names like Making Love Like A Geek, Settlers of My Pants, and Fuck Mountain.  Not really my cup of tea in that they too blatant, not really something to blare out in public.  But I will say I Want To Be Your Bruce Campbell is a great love song.   However overall I do recommend this for fans of funny songs that have a rock edge.

They have released two music videos from the album.  The first one is It’s Not Out Yet which is a tongue in check song about fans and Hollywood making movies, and stars real-life superhero Guardian Shield.  The other one is  Other People Playing Minecraft, which is about people watching other people playing video games.

You can get digital copies on iTunes and Bandcamp.   For physical CDs, get them from their website.

After the success of Hot Waffles, and a 1000 mile move in the name of love, Chris Waffle thought he would never write songs again. Then, in the waning summer of 2014, a wise wizard knocked on his door and cast a spell calling him back to music. The skies darkened, the clouds rumbled, there was an 80’s era cartoon transformation sequence, and when he awakened from the fog, Megathruster was born.

They’re coming straight from the Pacific Northwest, and singing from the spring 2016 album release “20 Sided Vice.”

You may have seen him at Flappers, the Improv, on Attack of the Show, America’s Worst Driver, and The People vs. George Lucas. You may have heard him at GenCon, on Dr.Demento’s radio show, KROQ, Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle, or in your dreams. But you’ve never seen and heard him like this.

Big Awesome Music Festival During SDCC

The Big Awesome Music Festival (BAMF) is on off-site event during San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) featuring nerdy artists, geeky comedians and podcasters at Ruocco Park behind the convention center on Friday July 10th through Sunday July 12th.  They will have performances from nerdy music artists, geeky comedians, live podcasts, dance party, fandom burlesque, and more.  It will be open from 10am to 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am to 5pm from Sunday.  Music starts Friday and Saturday at 5pm.

The line up for Friday consists of rock band Ki, nerd rockers Kirby Krackle, geek musician Eben Brooks, comedy duo Paul and Storm, nerdy love song writer Allie Goertz, geek mixer DJ Galactic Ray, nerd parody group The Library Bards, and geek rockers Random Gibberish.

Saturday’s line up is nerdcore rapper Mega Ran, sister duo the Doubleclicks, singer-songwriter Molly Lewis, geek punk Nerf Herder, 8-bit mixer DJ DN3, and more by Kirby Krackle and DJ Galactic Ray.

For Sunday they have stand-up comedian Jen Seaman, geek flavored comedian Joseph Scrimshaw, writer Ed Galvez, podcasters Baker Street Babes who will record a live episode, Tim Mattonen, and Josh Chambers.

There will be a bounce house, beers from local breweries, food trucks, and gaming on site each day from 10m to 5pm.  They will have their own artist alley, quidditch matches hosted by U.S. Quidditch on Sunday, a burlesque by the Pixie Stixx Burlesque, and a cosplay contest.

They are using Indiegogo as their ticket system.  Get passes, t-shirt, autographed merch, and more there.

A great place for some music and comedy outside of SDCC in between events.

Press Release: Support Kirby Krackle On Patreon And Receive 2-Exclusive Fan Club Songs Each Month.

“Why should I join the Kirby Krackle Music Fan Club on Patreon?”

This is a question I get asked a lot at shows and conventions, and because Patreon is still pretty new to some people it’s no problem reminding you why every Kracklehead should become a member!

Patreon is an amazing way for fans of an artist to support what they do, and in the process receive amazing exclusive content that they won’t find anywhere else. Besides pioneering the nerd-rock genre in 2009 and independently releasing 6 albums without the help of a label since that time, we’ve had some amazing opportunities over the years to write songs for our favorite companies (Marvel, Cards Against Humanity) and even open for Weird Al Yankovic in 2013 (he was so nice!)…but at the end of the day, we are still an indie-band that only exists with the support and listenership of our awesome fans. We want to create more awesome videos, come see you all at more conventions, and in an effort to do that we decided to partner with Patreon in creating the Kirby Krackle Music Fan Club; a place where fans will receive exclusive Kirby Krackle music and bonus items not found anywhere else!

When you become a member of the Kirby Krackle Music Fan Club by joining our Patreon, you will receive 2 brand-new KK Fan Club exclusive songs each month in the vein of the nerd-rock you’ve come to expect from us over the years at the base level of a $4 membership. If you’re interested in receiving higher reward level options such as live performance videos, “How To Play KK!” tutorials, custom songs, Skype hangout sessions, visits to the studio and much more, we encourage you to take a look at what reward level gets you the most excited!

As we approach the one-year mark for the KK Music Fan Club, we added a new bonus item in the form of “Nerd Rock Kitchen” where as a member you’ll receive recipes and cooking tips for what we like to eat at home when we’re not nerd-rocking in a town near you. This will be a lot of fun, and we’re excited to cook with you.

Thank you to all of our fans around the world for supporting nerd-rock music and what Kirby Krackle is all about. We want every Kracklehead to be able to enjoy our Fan Club exclusive music and content, and look forward to having you on board as a member.

Join this week to receive the new single for May headed out to members soon!

KK

KrackleFest 5

KrackleFest is the annual nerd-rock concert and variety show that Kirby Krackle hosts.  This year it is this Friday March 27th from 9pm – 11:45pm, doors open at 8pm, at the Cavern Club above the Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle, Washington.  This is just two blocks from Emerald City Comic Con this weekend.

This year it also doubles at the official release show for Krackle’s 5th album, Mutate Baby! The album is already out if you want to pick it up.  It features 12 tracks that continue their blend of geek culture and rock beats.

Rock band Sci-Fried and rappers Mega Ran and Death Star will help open the show.  Ms. Briq House and Sin De La Rose of Seattle Area Burlesque will be showing off their nerd themed burlesque talents too.  The event will be hosted by the Air-Raid Podcast.  Also expect to quote the Green Lantern Oath in unison with everyone else.

Pre-ordered tickets are only $10.  At door price is $13, cash only.  Seating is limited to the first 400 to buy and on a first come first served basis.  You must be 21 to buy.

E-mail any questions to seattle_live@hardrock.com.

Anyone around Seattle should try this show.  Great line up in an intimate space.

 

After founding and pioneering the genre in 2009, KIRBY KRACKLE (singer-songwriter Kyle Stevens) has become known as the leader in the new movement of geek-driven musical inspiration known as, “nerd-rock”. Combing a high-energy rock n’ roll show with songwriting referencing pop-culture icons, comic book characters, and video games, Kirby Krackle’s name has become synonymous with meshing pop-culture themes together and powerful musicianship.

 

LeetStreet Boys Will Be Going On Hiatus

LeetStreet Boys is an otaku themed band that gained fans with their music and animated videos.  The “band” consists of singer, songwriter, and face of the band Matt with Frogs the producer, guitarist, and bassist.  They use the idea of a fictious version of their band in their videos, merch, and webcomic, but really they are the two who make all the music.  They first came to fame with  Yuri The Only One in 2008 and have released three albums and plenty more music videos.

Last week Matt made an announcement concerning the band’s future.  They are going to end the band after releasing one more song.

He cites the difficulties in booking at conventions even with their strong fan base.  He has mentioned in the past cons not realizing the difficulty in reproducing the music of the band live when booking.  They have not been able to play live in over a year.  Resulting in a lack of chances to mingle with fans and lost chances to sell their merchandize.

Matt has decided to focus on his career as a music composer and producer.  He has produced music for a number of games, commercials, and other projects.  You can find more info on his work at his website.

You will still be able to buy their CDs, posters, buttons, and games they worked on at their site.  At least till they run out.

If you would like to send your thoughts, comments, or questions to the band, contact them on their website or Facebook page and they will do their best to get back to you.

This looks like more of a temporary situation, well that is probably what they want it to be.  They will hopefully be back with more music in the future.  They just need a little down time.