Geeks, UNITE!

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, I’m a big geek. That’s right, geek, nerd, dork whatever you want to call it that’s what I am. I embrace things that are cheesy, overtly theatrical, and I even have a cult-like devotion to many of those things. I love geek culture to death, but for far too often it’s written off as something to be shunned. I’ll point out that relishing in things such as science fiction, video games, graphic novels, and epic quests make one available to some great portions of pop culture. That’s not all, for people that are geeks often the most articulate and interesting people to talk to because of their passions. You find a geek at a party, never let them go! The question then becomes, How does one embrace their inner geek and what sorts of tunes (for this is a music blog after all…) allow that person to wave the geek flag so proudly?

I’m glad you asked…

Geeks! Rock Hard! (1 hour 18 minutes)

1. Knights Of Cydonia- Muse
Nothing better to start out this star-studded tribute to geekdom by celebrating the marriage of two unlikely things: space and the old west. Muse crafts a sci-fi epic that sounds like one of Ennio Morricone’s estranged children. The energy is bombastic, the lyrics urgent, the harmonies grand, and the stakes dire. Horns and spaced out keyboards add to the overall feel.

2. 2112- Rush
The near 20 minute mini-opera that Rush uses to open their smash hit album 2112 is soaked with geek. The music is typical fair for Rush standards; huge movements, booming bass parts, great synthesizers and some impressive lyrics by Neil Peart. Geddy Lee spins a tail about a far off future where a boy wanders into a forbidden temple only to find a guitar (and with it the gift of music itself). The song resolves its huge hero arch by having the main character take his own life and evil take over the galaxy. Shades of Empire Strikes Back indeed.

3. In The Garage- Weezer
One could argue that geek in rock music was never really big until Rivers Cuomo and the gang put out a little album with a blue cover. Nonetheless, this garage rock staple (complete with harmonica mind you) sits comfortably in our anthems to geekdom. In this tender track, Cuomo all at once name checks everything from D&D to the X-Men while embracing that often bittersweet solitude that results from indulging in such pleasures.

4. Killer Tofu- The Beets
Do you recall 90’s cartoons? You know, GOOD cartoons? Nickelodeon’s Doug was such a cartoon. The brain child of Jim Jinkins, the show followed its title character around in a world not so different from ours. This world also featured The Beets, a band sounding like a conglomerate of everything from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones with some squealing Van Halen thrown in for good measure. This glorious rage against a sinister bean curd will have you geeking out in no time. Odds are that if you actually own an mp3 of this song, you have already resided into your destiny of dorkdom.

5. Teenagers From Mars- The Network
So what if its Green Day and two guys from Devo? The Network craft some catchy new wave and this appropriate cover of the classic Misfits song is no exception. It’s got space, keyboards and a crazy hook. It plays out like a bad B-Movie and that’s what makes it so satisfying. Bille Joe proudly proclaims that we are “Teenagers from Mars!/And we don’t care!” Finding strength in the regions beyond allows this track to more than earn its keep in our mix.

6. The Saga Begins- Weird Al
Weird Al has always been a top choice of the nerdy. Since the 80s, Al has supplied popular culture with some ridiculous parodies that all seem to find themselves just under that Parental Advisory status. Nonetheless, it takes guts to not only take on the 8 minute epic “American Pie,” but to reenact the entire plot of Star Wars Episode I in the process, well that’s just tremendous. And he pulls it off flawlessly, his backing band giving us the same hint of grandeur that Don Mclean gave the original. Al’s version is so good, it makes us forget that the film was so bad, and that’s a gift to geeks everywhere.

7. In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 -Coheed & Cambria
Somewhere back in New York, a band that loved Rush and Zeppelin decided they’d put together a band to sing about an epic that falls somewhere between Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. Coheed & Cambria do just that, and this cut off their album with the same title is no slouch. The ominous notes that open this beast of a song start the tension as Claudio Sanchez relates the tale of an epic battle to us. The song just builds into a haunting wall of sound featuring a dozen backing voices. Man your battle stations indeed, the universe hangs in the balance.

8. I Am A Wizard- Harry & The Potters
I’m not going to lie, Harry & The Potter are far from musically gifted individuals. But part of that is their charm I suppose. It’s somewhat endearing to hear a 13 year old lament about his favorite boy wizard and last time I checked, magic is DEFINITELY geeky. This cut off their first album introduces us to the boy wizard in all his glory. You’ll either smile at the references to J.K. Rowling’s addicting little cash machine of a book, or at this poor boys singing, but you WILL smile.

9. In Search Of 1988- Ozma
Add one part Weezer, and one part The Cars. Hit play, and relish in a song that seems to be stuck in a time warp. Ozma’s infectious little number about 80’s nostalgia name checks both Mario and Luigi. This upbeat ode to geekdom will either make you reminisce about how great the 80s were to grow up in or make you wish you were just that much older.

10. My Spirit Will Go On- Dragonforce
Really, I could have just put [Insert Any Song By Dragonforce] in this slot, but I chose this song in particular because of the wonderfully epic build up in the beginning before the song positively explodes. And its explodes it does, full of double bass, lightning fast guitars, rumbling bass work, outlandish vocals, and crazy lyrics about wizards and dragons. How could we leave this off?

11. Don’t Stop Me Now- Queen
Queen have always been theatrical in every sense of the word. If the world truly was a stage, then Queen put on one hell of a show. This little ditty off their looked over album Jazz and staple in one of the funniest moments of Shaun Of The Dead is a great addition to our collection. It features, Freddy Mercury rambling with sass and aplomb while the band plows full speed ahead. It’s the equivalent of dancing in your underwear only to find that your bedroom window is open and all your neighbors are focused on your intense performance.

12. D.O.A.- The Phenomenauts
These guys are a local band I always catch at The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma. They come from space, and play and incredibly infectious form of rockabilly by way of new wave. “D.O.A.” is not only one of the greatest songs about heartbreak that I know, but every metaphor in this song is some how connected to space. “You blew my dignity out of the airlock/You launched my pride into deep space/You put pain into my orbit/And you blamed it/On the space race.” Angel Nova weaves some incredible wordplay over this bass heavy do-op number. It makes me downright giddy every time they pepper their encores with it.

13. Fanthem- Turbo Justice & The Rockinauts
So this isn’t exactly fair because you guys probably haven’t heard about these Turbo Justice. Formed out by some of my closest buddies, the band is a set of superheros that traverse the stars and vanquish evil at all costs. “Fanthem” is their undying love for all things nerdy. It this great number, they weave in every nuance from Star Wars to Star Trek yet still manage to make the song hooky rather than wordy. And with the chorus of “And if you ever feel like the world is/Turning on you/Remember there is geek inside them too…” they ultimately show the solidarity that comes from geeking out. Definitely a must have.

14. The Final Countdown- Europe
You’ve heard the sugary synth line that won’t leave your brain for weeks. And with lines like “We’re headed for Venus!/We’re leaving ground!” how can you not end with this song? Plain and simple, it’s a song that you should hate, but can’t because it is so irresistible. Perhaps when all is said and done, this is the TRUE essence of geekdom: loving the things you should hate no matter what anyone says.