12 musical sci-fi gifts that'll rock your geek friends' holiday
We've all got those friends who seem never to be separated from their iPods. Fortunately, there's a ludicrous amount of music that can scratch that itch, and we've collected some of the best for the holiday season.
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William Shatner—Seeking Major Tom There are few things on Earth (or Romulus, Vulcan and Kronos) that can compare to William Shatnerâs rendition of âMister Tambourine Man.â With this latest offering, however, the man, the myth, the legend that is William Shatner is taking it to the next level. Here he covers space-aged anthems by David Bowie, Queen, Pink Floyd, Elton John and more. It doesnât hurt that heâs got Sheryl Crow, Steve Miller, Peter Frampton and others behind him. Your Shatner fan will dramatically speak along with every tune. $13.99
Doctor Octoroc's 8-bit Jesus Yes, folks this is real. Doctor Octoroc deftly created 18 tracks that mash-up the styles and sound effects of a variation of classic 8-bit Nintendo games with Christmas standards. The result is absolute genius and a must-have for your favorite Nintendo nerd on Christmas day. $12.00
Childish Gambino—Camp You might know our artist better as Troy Barnes from NBC's Community, but writer and actor Donald Glover is also the break-out rap star of 2011. Though this one is not for the kids, the album is a perfect gift for your friend who is down that Community might soon be canceled and needs a steady beat and rhymes to keep them going. $8.99
Various Artists—Mink Car On September 11th, 2001, They Might Be Giants released the album, Mink Car. Ten years later, some of the most popular and nerdy celebrities got together and covered the album. All the proceeds of that album go to the FDNY Foundation. It features Hank Green, Wheezy Waiter's band, Driftless Pony Club, MC Frontalot and more. It's a great holiday gift for that buddy who can't get enough of Youtube's cult of personality. $15.00
The Muppets Movie Soundtrack The new Muppets movie is a felt monster success. One of the reasons for that is its hilarious soundtrack. Whether it's chickens covering Cee Lo Green or a barbershop quartet version of Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit," you can't go wrong. If your pal loves Muppets (and who doesn't), you couldn't possibly do any better than this soundtrack. $10.99
Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew—Divide the Plunder Nerds love pirates. Fact. Pirates are basically old timey gangsters of the sea. Fact. Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew combine gangster rap with pirate sensibilities to create one of the most awesome albums in human history. Fact. If you have a friend who would agree with these statements? This is the gift to go with. $11.98
Weird Al—Alpocalypse Anything from Al is both nerdy and good, yes? Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus? Yup, the all get the Weird Al treatment on his latest parody album. Is there any doubt that our Mr. Yankovic is possibly the greatest nerd to ever live? Any geeky friend would kiss you for this gift, but especially if they love polka. $16.85
I Fight Dragons—Kaboom Don't be fooled. This is not your typical nerdcore. I Fight Dragons is pure, pop bliss that just so happens to perfectly incorporate 8-bit sounds. Basically, if you have a friend who likes their music upbeat fun, and a little Nintendo, then this is a no-brainer. $9.99
Kirby Krackle—Super Powered Love What do Robocop, Doctor Who, Super Mario, and a comic book shop all have in common? If you guessed that they all feature in this supremely geeky outing from punk pop band, Kirby Krackle, then give yourself one of those medals Luke Skywalker got at the end of A New Hope. Nerds need music that provides an emotional punch, too, and it doesn't get much better than this. This one is for your supreme nerd culture fanatic. $8.99
Doctor Who—Season 6 Soundtrack Murray Gold's score is a huge part of what makes Doctor Who so epic, and what he did with the latest series is nothing short of magnificent. Buy this album for your friend who likes to pretend that their TARDIS is just around the corner. $16.99
Brentalfloss—What if this CD ... had lyrics Everyone knows the songs from the Legend of Zelda, Contra, Tetris and all the other classic games from days gone by. What everyone doesn't know, is that these tunes have lyrics now thanks to music mastermind, Brent "brentalfloss" Black. Get this album for your video game nerd and watch them shed pixelated tears of joy. $7.99
Star Wars—30th Anniversary Collection Can we all agree that John Williams is basically the greatest film score composer in human history? He is, and what he did with Star Wars is a big part of the reason why you can close your eyes and just listen to those movies and get as much enjoyment as you would watching them. If you have a friend who agrees, then this mammoth collection is just the thing. You know they want to walk down the street to the Imperial March anyway. Don't deny them. $48.99