Getting your Nerd Groove on...farewell thee NZ Music Month.

As we wrap up another awesome NZ Music Month, cram packed full of our incredible local talent and amazing performances all around the country (not to mention all the fabulous events held in our local libraries), I thought I'd take the chance share some of my favourite nerd tunes and soundtracks as found in our collections.

Thunderbirds are go: TV themes for grown up kids. Yes, I've seen the new Thunderbirds, and its not that bad, but I'll always love the classics. This disc also includes theme songs from Joe 90, Stingray and Dr Who. So much British telly musical goodness right here!

I have to be honest and say that when I think of John Williams, the first thing that comes to mind will always be Star Wars. I do have the Imperial March as my phone's ringtone after all ;) But he has had an amazing career, and as you can see in The music of John Williams: 40 years of film music, he is also responsible for music from E.T, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. Such a talented man! 

Loved the recent Dr Who Symphonic Spectacular? Also a fan of Star Trek? Then the Symphonic Star Trek may indeed be the soundtrack for you! Performed for your listening pleasure by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

When I was putting this list together, I was super excited to see we have the Battlestar Galactica: original soundtrack on order. I love me some BSG, theres nothing like a little added Cylon goodness to improve your day ;). Now to put in a suggested purchase for the modern series soundtrack, which is even more incredible.

Seems like I wouldn't be a very good kiwi if I missed Themes from the Lord of the rings trilogy from my list. This has music from all three of the original Lord of the rings movies as performed by The Big Movie Orchestra. I can speak from experience and say this is most excellent background music for sweeping your army to victory in the great table top battle :) 

No Joss Whedon fan could ever miss Dr Horrible's sing along blog. In this amazing all musical web series, Neil Patrick Harris stars as Dr Horrible, a simple man who is just trying to find his place as an arch villain :) It brings a tear to my eye just thinking about the talented singing (and acting) cast. Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer? Bliss!

The science fiction album pretty much has it all....2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Aliens, Back to the future, Battlestar Galactica, Ghostbusters, Star Trek, Star Wars, War of the Worlds and I could go on! Something for every Sci fi fan to be sure....you just may want to skip track 13 of disc 4 (*cough - Jar Jar warning - cough*).

I will leave you now with the always brilliant Felica Day and The Guild in Game On - A Bollywood themed Gamer's Anthem. And if this is your first introduction to The Guild, it is another brilliant web series about online gaming, and a must for any World of Warcraft fans out there. We even have them on DVD for your ultimate viewing pleasure.

This Month I'm Loving...

well any month that isn't February.

I hate February.

And yes I know it's kind of silly to hate a month. But I do.

There's just something about February that is off-putting.  Whether it's the heat, the fact that the holidays and relaxed mood of Christmas is finally over or strange vibes in the air.  There is something about February that is unsettling.

Strangely enough I've discovered that I not the only one to feel this way.  Which is nice  - it's always great to find someone who shares in your insanity, whether it's rational or not.

Luckily for me I've discovered heaps of new things to help ease the unsettled blues as well as getting reacquainted with some old friends.

So how is the month that shall not be named, treating you?

The Lumineers

Music as always is one of the best way's to shake those unsettled blues away and The Lumineers are one of my favourite new discoveries.

These guys (and girl) are amazing.  A folkie-indie-pop band I could easily listen to them all day... oh right I pretty much do.  Their music is catchy and bouncy and just a pure delight.

I can hardly wait for them to do another CD.

My favourites are Ho Hey, Stubborn Love, Flowers in Your Hair and Submarines.

My one and only thrill / Melody Gardot.

At 18 a car ploughed into her while she was out cycling.  What helped in her in during the years of recovery was music.  From her hospital bed she began writing songs.

And this, along with her other 2 albums, are the results.

Featuring nearly all original material she is a jazz-blues singer along the likes of Diana Krall and I have just fallen in love with the song Who Will Comfort Me.  It's just a great foot-tapping jazz song that is sure to make you smile.

Punk goes pop. Volume 4 

Now I'm not a huge punk fan.  But as they say there's punk and then there's punk.

I love the Clash and The Cure and The Pretenders.  Bands who had punk roots in their music but who also sang across other genres.

Now of course there's a wide range of punk styles and bands who fit into other genres.  It seems that punk has become popular - who knew.

This CD features an array of punk artists doing they own unique take on some popular songs.  My absolute favourite is Tonight Alive's version of Little Lion Man which I think is almost better than the original by Mumford and Sons.

Golden age [compact disc] / [by James Goss].

I have a new addiction. 

Yes I know I have a lot of addictions (Supernatural, fanfiction, books, chocolate...)

But audio books or more exactly audio dramas have completely hooked me.  Or at least the TV show based ones have.

I blame it all on Big Finish.  Nearly all their audio's feature a full cast plus sound effects and they are AMAZING!

The Stargate ones were the first and from there I just had to have more and so onto Torchwood and Blake's 7 it was.  The Blakes 7 The Dust Run and The Trial had Benedict Cumberbatch (how could I go wrong) and the Torchwood ones... well let's just say the one of the stories in  Torchwood: the lost files made me cry.

Now I just holding out for some more Stargate ones to be made and maybe some with David Tennant as Doctor Who (cross fingers).  Until then I've got the BBC's Neverwhere with James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch and co to look forward to.

PS: If you've got any recommendations let me know.

Zoo : the graphic novel / James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

I've read the odd comic in the past.

Buffy Season 8, Angel Season 6.  That kind of thing.  But I've never gone out of my comfort zone of comics based on TV shows.

That is until I picked up this one.

James Patterson was part of the appeal.

I've always enjoyed his books (at least his earlier ones) so thought it might be alright and the story held even more appeal.  Dystopian, animals gone wild, man fighting for survival.

Yep definitely my kind of thing.  And books with pictures... well how can you go wrong.  I mean really pictures make things a lot easier


Inside HBO's Game of thrones / Bryan Cogman

Game of Thrones.

If you haven't heard of it you don't know what you're missing.

This show has it all.

Betrayal, treachery, blood-letting, sex, violence and families who give a whole new meaning to family squabbles.

It seems like we (the fans) have been waiting for forever for (too many for's) season 3 to start let alone the next book in the series.

Beautifully illustrated, this book might just help with some of the impatience and fill the void in with your Game of Thrones addiction.

Roll on the 31st March.

The Guild 

I love Felicia Day.

She's funny and quirky and hugely talented and probably one of the biggest and well known geeks around.

From her writing and starring in her online web series The Guild, to guest starring on Supernatural, to staring up her own YouTube TV channel (Geeks & Sundry - check it out); she is a one of the biggest online personalities around.

Think a female Wil Wheaton (who also appears on Geeks & Sundry) with a bit more sass and red hair and you've probably get a glimmer of who Felicia Day is.

Go the Red-Heads!