Nerd Show

I still don’t own the LP for CanOx’s album The Cold Vein, and I probably won’t until they repress it. However, I did pick this up years ago and it does have one of my favorite tracks on Side B, Life’s Ill.

While the really great podcast on Stony Island Audio called Dad Bod Rap Pod spoke with Vast Aire recently around the 20th anniversary of the album, and Metal Gear came up as a true B-side as it never appeared on an album, it’s still too much a prototype track for me to enjoy. Life’s Ill, however, ticks all of the boxes. It’s flowing, natural, with a groove. It’s followed immediately by the instrumental version, which is entertaining in and of itself because you can more easily hear El-P’s production subtleties. Wonderful.

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This is another one of those important albums, through Friends of Friends, that came out of the blue in the early 2010s and made a big impression. November Skies, my pick on Side C, was an early single. This album got a lot of play on Nerd Show and DEF CON Radio alike. It’s no surprise, when listening to the album intently, that you hear how Tomas’ drumming influence is present throughout. Most tracks are innately percussive, and I love it.

Oh, and I did get to meet Tomas at SXSW years ago after a performance of his. He was kind enough to do a radio drop and I still use it from time to time.

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This is a neat time in the career of Depeche Mode. 101 was a very important live performance release because it showed the real chops that the band had for a live set and sound. This little “maxi” single has a few live tracks on Side B, and while Everything Counts is a neat track to remix, the live version of Sacred really showcases their honed skill very, very well. It’s been over three decades since, but I bet they could still pull it off.

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This was a staple in early Nerd Show, as it came out right before the show started. This album, Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm, some Paul Oakenfold, DJ Shadow, and a few others were staples for the first year or so while we tried to figure out what the show was.

I really enjoyed listening to Side A and found it a true throwback many, many years, as I haven’t listened to it in a decade or more. Lots of memories seeing them at House of Blues in Las Vegas and at In the Venue in SLC with friends. Lights, synths, silly dancing. Violent, however, was the standout on this listen because of the story it tells and how it really takes on a life after the vocals end, with a neat, expressive breakdown that puts a nail in the side.

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This one just showed up today, used from a very eclectic seller on Discogs. I’d gone searching for, and finding, El-P’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead and ended up with this and more. I really loved the EP when it came out in 2013 and it got a LOT of spins on Nerd Show and some tracks are on DEF CON Radio. Side A is only two tracks, but of those He Said No really shows this duo’s combined powers. Machinedrum’s muted drum flurry and dubby baseline and Braile’s melodic sensibilities combine for a lush, thick, dense, and filling track that’s a treat.

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There was a period of a few years in the 2000s that d&K could do no wrong. Then it did. They were well known for being the less known Viennese duo for downtempo, deep house, and that vibe. Remixes were also a big part of their work, and this culminated in Fakes, a full LP with some of their best works in one place. I’m really glad I found this one many, many years ago, and tonight I listened to Side D. It includes their remix of Nitin Sawhney’s Homelands, a seminal track in their work. It’s got everything that d&K represent in one track. House kicks, dub bass, lush vocal samples, and percussion for days. It’s a delight every time I hear it.

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This release from the late artist Alias came along at an interesting time in the story of Nerd Show. It needed to find it’s feet a little bit, but the music I was getting from KWCR was unsteady and only a year or so earlier had the stream of music started to work, with our Music Directors doing the hard work to get us some good stuff. Not only that, they needed to know where these kinds of albums would be played. I really enjoy this one, even and especially with it’s more experimental tracks.

I chose Side A tonight, and I was sure that I Heart Drum Machines would be my pick until Prelude to Death Watch played, and I knew that Death Watch would be my pick. It ties up the instrumental and the experimental aspects of the first side, with sweeping guitars, melody, drums, and a somewhat grand feel.

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This artist name always cracks me up, but as Ernest Gonzales’ alter ego, it works really well. It’s a shame that he didn’t expand on the project more than this full album, but boy is it a treat throughout. Side B talked to me, and while I really love Deities, Highway To Hell features Freddie Gibbs, and that’s quite another thing. Not only would the drums and organ and texture of this track work solo, but Freddie’s midwest punch and storytelling take it to another level, making it the track it needed to be.

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It’s been a while since I’d listened to this album, and Side B did not disappoint. It’s super strong while being pretty diverse in sounds. It brought back a lot of memories from hearing this one for the first time, seeing the documentary about how The Range found the vocal samples on YouTube, and then seeing him perform live at Urban Lounge in SLC.

Retune was my favorite this listen, with it’s pitch shifting of the vocals and the general vibe and flow of the track. It’s pleasant and progressive. A wonderful track.

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