Making Mixtapes...with El Secreto

We're back with another "Making Mixtapes..." This time with an entry by El Secreto, co-host and co-creator of "Hour 42," a radio show that covers heroes - on the air, in the air and all around us. The show can be heard live, every Sunday at 9pm CST/7pm PST on Blog Talk Radio. You can also follow him on Twitter (@aboynamedart). ES is, like myself, a fan of making mixes and a fellow geek. He was awesome enough to combine the two to make us geeks an awesome mixtape! I'm gonna quit babbling and let the man take it away:


One of the reasons I appreciate our friend MJ inviting me to submit this tape is, I'm always happy to point out the intersection of two of my passions – geekdom and music. As the former has risen to pop-culture prominence, it's important to remember that our fandoms reach out across the musical spectrum. So consider this collection a small sampler, and a reminder that geeks have moved far, far beyond the BAM! POW! Kitsch of the '60s; we're at the bleeding edge of the cool, and only pushing forward.

INTRO - Revenge of the Nerds: We start by paying respect to the old school. Everybody, clap your hands!

1. Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts – Tank!: Hands-down, the best opening theme in anime history.
2. GenErik - Doctorin' The Uprising: Eagle-eared Whovians noted a familiarity in Muse's new hit, one that's taken to the next level in this mash-up. In the interest of equal time, you might want to check out the Dalek “response”: Rotersand's Exterminate, Annihilate, Destroy.
3. Anamanaguchi – Blackout City: Don't sleep on this crew, as the band is coming off an appearance at South By Southwest. (Click on the link to play the track, made with a Super NES of all things!)
4. Neil Patrick Harris – Laundry Day: The song that gave the Whedonverse a new hero and made NPH a certifiable renaissance man.
5. Art Of Noise – Close (To The Edit): Post-apocalyptic dystopia never looked so fun.
6. Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Solid beats from the dynamic duo; watch for them rocking it out in the upcoming Tron: Legacy.
7. Soulwax – Compute: Dark, dense and compelling tech-rock, a sort of anti-Daft Punk.
8. Stan Bush – The Touch: Reason #5,347 why Michael Bay's vision can't touch the original Transformers: The Movie. Really, once this song came on you knew Optimus Prime was going to wipe the mat with the Decepticons.
9. Rogue Traders – Voodoo Child: Best musical placement in Doctor Who history, as The Master and his wife danced like the world was ending, because it was!
10. Party Ben – Galvanize The Empire: Darth Vader meets Q-Tip on the dance floor. Funkiness ensues.
11. The Buggles – Living In The Plastic Age: “Video Killed The Radio Star” is bright, shiny and well-known, but the second single from MTV's first artist is actually more ambitious – and eerily prescient.
12. Smashing Pumpkins – The End Is The Beginning Is The End: This relatively obscure item from the Corgan catalog was sort-of featured in not one but two comic-book films, as part of the Batman & Robin soundtrack and its' opposite number, “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning” the trailer for Watchmen. Hey, I never said they were good films.
13. The Great Luke Ski – Battlestar Rhapsody: Hilarious tribute/parody from an underrated comedy artist.
14. Weird Al Yankovic – The Saga Begins: And who better to take us home than the geek Elvis?

Is this a “definitive” list? Of course not (Devo fans, trust me, no disrespect is meant). But it just goes to show how expansive our musical reach has become. Hope you enjoy the tape!