Gamer Soundcheck: Music for Nerds

I’ll be the first to admit my music collection is a few degrees short of cool. (Don’t ask why I need the entire ABBA discography, okay? I just do.)

But I’ve learned you can’t fight your inner geek. Sometimes, you’ve just got to embrace him, regardless of when the last time he showered was.

Here’s a look at some of the nerdiest music out there, but not in a bad way. Rather, that’s what these artists were going for.

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MC Frontalot

Sounds Like: Aesop Rock if he’d spent his life working at an IT help desk

Reasons You Need Him In Your Life: MC Frontalot takes that “irony” thing hipsters love so much and gives it a geeky makeover.

Intelligent rhymes, catchy vocals, and themes any geek can relate to (including but not limited to a complete obsession with goth girls and a paralyzing fear of being eaten by a grue) elevate this MC to the king (and founding father) of nerdcore hip hop.

Recommended Tracks: “I Hate Your Blog,” “Indier Than Thou”

Check him out here! 

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MC Chris

Sounds Like: Kanye West during a helium leak

Reasons You Need Him In Your Life: You want to know the only thing more badass than Boba Fett? Boba Fett rapping (coincidentally, about how badass he happens to be.)

MC Chris delivers all this and more in the some of the fastest (and most high pitched) stanzas ever belted into a microphone.

Recommended Tracks: “White Kids Love Hip Hop,” “Kingdom Farts”

>Check Him Out Here!

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Optimus Rhyme

Sounds Like: The Flobots, only their lyrics make sense

Reasons You Need Them In Your Life: More solid hip hop about everything geeks hold dear: programming, Internet forums, and LEDs.

Also, if the prospect of the Autobot’s leader getting his groove on doesn’t fill you with nerdy glee, you might have a problem.
(Or a healthy social life.)

Recommended Tracks: “Ford Vs. Chevy,” “Obey The Moderator”

>Check Them Out Here!

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The Minibosses

Sounds Like: Explosions in the Sky stacking crate upon crate of childhood nostalgia

Reasons You Need Them In Your Life: Admit it — you’ve already got at a couple of game soundtracks on your iPod.

So, you may as well round out the two dozen remixes of DDR music and an acoustic version of the Pokémon theme song with some of the most epic covers of gaming tunes ever recorded.

If you thought the Mega Man 2 boss music was great the first time around, wait until you see what these prog rock geniuses do with it.

Recommended Tracks: “Ninja Gaiden,” “Double Dragon”

>Check Them Out Here!

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The Black Mages

Sounds Like: DragonForce playing a song about fighting a virtual dragon (instead of a real one.)

Reasons You Need Them In Your Life: The Final Fantasy series owes part of its longevity to the greatness of each game’s score. The Black Mages pay proper homage to those great songs in the most mind-blowing fashion possible.

With a discography ranging from Square’s first last fantasy game all the way up to Final Fantasy XI, there’s a power metal J-RPG ditty for everyone.

Recommended Tracks: “Distant Worlds,” “The Man with the Machine Gun”

>Check Them Out Here!

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That’s all I got.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go see a man about a grue.