During PAX Prime I headed into a panel on Nerdcore Rap. It was kind of a history lesson, in a sense, but nothing that I already didn't know. It was moderated by young rapper and producer Klopfenpop. There was a who's-who of nerdcore rappers and producers along with him including, smack dab in the middle, MC Frontalot. The so-called "grandfather of nerdcore" seemed to be a bit on the bored side, or perhaps he was just anxious. He had a full schedule over the several days he was in Seattle, including an amazing Friday night performance and a walk-on during the Paul & Storm set. Not to mention the constant interviews & panel appearances. Plus he's got a new album out, it's called Solved and it's his best yet.
At PAX Prime I had the opportunity to sit down with MC Frontalot at the Gunnar Optiks booth for a quick chat about the new album, his upcoming tour, aging and hair loss. After the video, click through for my full review of Solved.
Solved is the solution to a problem you never knew you had.
Since I've been inundated in the nerdcore scene, I've figured that it's less of a label than more of a movement. The thing is, those involved might not realize that it's a movement. So what are they moving towards? They are changing the face of music as we know it. Someday, the stuff we consider and call nerdcore will be called mainstream by others. I think though, it's a movement where the members are indifferent to the changes that are happening around them, or so you think. MC Frontalot, whether he wants to accept it or not, is at the head of the nerdcore snake. His constant touring, his fifth studio album Solved and his constant movement are helping to bring nerdcore to the forefront of the independent music scene. Like grunge exploded in the early 1990's, I expect nerdcore to do the same shortly.
MC Frontalot's new studio album is going to be to a lot of people what Pearl Jam's Ten was to me. It was my introduction into that genre of music, because of it's availability and quality. Yes, that was their first album, and yes Nirvana came first, but I'm going with emotion here people. Stay with me. Solved is an excellent album, musically and lyrically and while it doesn't really break any new ground in the MC Frontalot library, it does seem to be a smoother and more complete release. There is a feeling of a flowing album in a sense, broken up by a couple spoken word intermissions. The album kicks off perfectly with "Front the Least" (perhaps a sequel to the previous track "Front the Most?) The song sweeps you into an album full of infectious beats and MC Frontalot's signature and very unique singing style. At times robotic, at times a bit disjointed, his lyrics are deep with geek culture and pop references.
The intermissions are an interesting break from the music, in which MC Frontalot is expressing his desire to solve some of his most complex problems. With help from comedians Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, & Eugene Mirman he hopefully solves some of these problems. Though not to give too much away, the solutions aren't exactly the most socially acceptable, though hilarious. While these aren't A-list comedians, they are well known enough to help add some "celebrity" to the album.
The song "Captains of Industry" (which is my title on my business card) highlights the marketing efforts of MC Frontalot though some tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a sarcastic approach to selling out. The track features guest vocals from fellow rapper MC Lars, both opining about each others ability to merchandise properly, at times coming off like the nicest collaboration "diss" track that I've ever heard. For instance, at one point MC Lars says of MC Frontalot, "You want to hear a rap about a game from '82/Good news MC Frontalot's got songs for you!" It goes back and forth like that on the track, the chorus questioning how both of them are in the t-shirt business, rather than the music business. While the song was probably written as self deprecating humor, it lends itself to the truth that nerdcore is becoming a marketable business. It's not just about the music, it's about becoming a brand and spreading that brand.
Solved is quite educational as well. Did you know a garage sale in Brooklyn is called a "Stoop Sale?" This track explains that and some of the very unique items that could be found at such a sale. The track "Nerd Vs. Jock" seems to also educate the listener in the inevitable future of the two social classes years after high school has ended, perhaps also providing a bit of emotional closure for MC Frontalot himself, comfort in the knowledge that most of the jocks are belly scratching cavemen at this point, not evolving past their former glory.
Like most hip/hop albums (no matter the label or genre) the collaboration doesn't stop there. Doctor Awkward and Zealous1 of The Bossfights lend their vocals to what I can only assume is a Voltron themed track, "I'll form the head." This is probably the most entertaining collaboration I've heard in a while and puts together three of the hottest nerdcore rappers in the business today. While MC Frontalot is at the top of the nerdcore rap pack, Zealous1 is very established and rules the west coast scene, while Doctor Awkward is that up-and-coming hot artist that everyone else needs to watch out for.
On the title track "Solved" MC Frontalot finds a little bit of closure, as the track comes late in the album. However, it appears the solution to most problems is more problems. Normally I immediately judge an album on the placement of the title track. If it's first, then that's an immediate negative hit on the album as a whole, without even listening. This was true on MC Frontalot's Secrets From the Future on which the title track was the first song. Though obviously after listening, I removed the negative hit and enjoyed the album and the title track. The final track on Solved, "Just Once" is a light and amusing track lamenting an over-sexed relationship. Just once, perhaps no humping and just hanging out. That's about the gist of it, holding hands in the theater instead of humping in the handicapped stall. It's a delightful track and brings the album to a close with the listener smiling wide in sheer amusement. I guarantee you'll listen to this track a couple times before starting the album over.
WIRED Overall, this is a nerdcore masterpiece, but frankly I've felt that way about all of MC Frontalot's albums. I can't help it. The music gets into my brain like a Ceti eel. The creativity and original songwriting keeps getting more interesting as time goes on, MC Frontalot hasn't hit the wall just yet.
TIRED The proverbial wall is out there. With each album, the production and overall marketing improves with MC Frontalot. The hope is that he manages to avoid hitting a plateau and keeps moving up the invisible musical mountain in front of him.
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If you were asking, "where can I get this nerdcore masterpiece?" You can pick up Solved via MC Frontalot's website, or Amazon.com if you so desire. Problem solved.
Video shot by Duncan Barnes
