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Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan William Coulton (born December 1, 1970), often called "JoCo" by fans, is an American folk/comedy singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans. Among his most popular songs are " Code Monkey", "Re: Your Brains", "Still Alive" and "Want You Gone" (the last three being featured in games developed by Valve: ''Left 4 Dead 2'', ''Portal'', and '' Portal 2'' respectively). He was the house musician for NPR weekly puzzle quiz show '' Ask Me Another'' from 2012 until its end in 2021. His album ''Artificial Heart'' was the first to chart, eventually reaching No. 1 on ''Billboard''s Top Heatseekers and No. 125 in the ''Billboard'' 200. Career Coulton's music tends to fit a folk rock style, with elements of pop and indie rock. Early career and geek culture (1990s–2005) Coulton graduated in 1993 from Yale, where he was a member of The Spizzwinks and the Yale Whiffenpoofs. In the 1990s, Coulton was in a short-lived ban ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashioned by African Americans in the United States. The banjo is frequently associated with folk, bluegrass and country music, and has also been used in some rock, pop and hip-hop. Several rock bands, such as the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, and the Grateful Dead, have used the five-string banjo in some of their songs. Historically, the banjo occupied a central place in Black American traditional music and the folk culture of rural whites before entering the mainstream via the minstrel shows of the 19th century. Along with the fiddle, the banjo is a mainstay of American styles of music, such as bluegrass and old-time music. It is also very frequently used in Dixieland jazz, as well as in Caribbean genres like biguine, calypso and mento. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Hodgman
John Kellogg Hodgman (born June 3, 1971) is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as '' The Areas of My Expertise'', ''More Information Than You Require'', and '' That Is All'', he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" advertising campaign, and for his work as a contributor on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. His writings have been published in ''One Story'' (to which he contributed the debut story " Villanova"), ''The Paris Review'', ''McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', ''Wired'' and ''The New York Times Magazine'', for which he is editor of the humor section. He contributes to ''This American Life'', and CBC Radio One’s ''Wiretap''. His first book and accompanying audio narration, '' The Areas of My Expertise'', a satirical tongue-in-cheek almanac that contains almost no factual information, was published in 2005. His secon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game developer, publisher, and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. It is the developer of the software distribution platform Steam and the franchises ''Half-Life'', '' Counter-Strike'', ''Portal'', '' Day of Defeat'', '' Team Fortress'', '' Left 4 Dead'' and '' Dota''. Valve was founded in 1996 by former Microsoft employees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington. Their debut game, the first-person shooter (FPS) ''Half-Life'' (1998), was a critical and commercial success; with its realism, scripted sequences and seamless narrative, it had a lasting influence on the FPS genre. Harrington left in 2000. In 2003, Valve launched Steam, followed by '' Half-Life 2'' in 2004. With advanced physics systems and an increased focus on story and characters, ''Half-Life 2'' received critical acclaim and sold 12 million copies by 2011. In 2006, Valve released '' Half-Life 2: Episode One'', the first of two episodic sequels ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Want You Gone
''Portal 2'' is a physics-based puzzle-platform game created by Valve and released on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Linux in April 2011, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in June 2022. The game, set in the desolate, labyrinthine Aperture Science facility, challenges the player to navigate test chambers created by the artificial intelligence GLaDOS, using a portal gun, a device able to create portals that link two points in space like a wormhole. The game expands on the original ''Portal'' by adding new puzzle elements, such as paint that imparts properties to surfaces, plates that can launch the player and objects over distances, tractor beams and bridges made of light. The game's music includes original scores composed by Valve's Mike Morasky, and two original songs provided by Jonathan Coulton and the band The National. The bulk of the music was released as a freely-available download across three volumes, entitled ''Songs to Test By'', and lat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Still Alive
"Still Alive" is a song featured in the closing credits of the 2007 video game ''Portal''. It was composed and arranged by Jonathan Coulton and was performed by Ellen McLain, who voiced the ''Portal'' antagonist and subject of the song, GLaDOS. The song originated in a meeting between two Valve developers and Coulton about him writing a song for the company, which Coulton accepted as he was a fan of Valve's ''Half-Life'' series, which is set in the same universe as ''Portal''. The song was released on ''The Orange Box'' Soundtrack on December 21, 2007, along with an exclusive vocal mix not heard in the game. The song is displayed on what appears to be a computer console, playing after GLaDOS is defeated by protagonist Chell, with the lyrics revealing that GLaDOS is, in fact, "still alive." The song received praise for its humor and the quality of its performance. It has been featured in multiple venues, including at the 2009 Press Start -Symphony of Games-, a yearly Japan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Code Monkey (song)
"Code Monkey" is a song by Jonathan Coulton, released on 14 April 2006 and part of his album ''Thing a Week Three'' released in December 2006. It is one of his most popular songs and has since been downloaded over one million times.(No author.) "Pop songs based on office life are missing from musical history," ''The Times'' (United Kingdom), Section: Features, What else happened, pg. 2 – Career, June 7, 2007. The song is about a computer programmer who thinks in ape-like terms, and has been described as a "rocking anthem about dead-end programming jobs." The song was accidentally mastered and released in mono on the album ''Thing a Week Three''. Jonathan Coulton later released the song in stereo for his compilation album ''JoCo Looks Back''. Although it does not have an official music video, it is still Coulton's most popular original song, having developed a small-yet-devoted cult following. In other media A music video for the song was created by Mike Spiff Booth using image ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geek
The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In the past, it had a generally pejorative meaning of a "peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, boring, or socially awkward". In the 21st century, it was reclaimed and used by many people, especially members of some fandoms, as a positive term. Some use the term self-referentially without malice or as a source of pride, often referring simply to "someone who is interested in a subject (usually intellectual or complex) for its own sake". The term ''geek'' is often used in association with the terms '' nerd and dweeb.'' Etymology The word comes from English dialect ''geek'' or ''geck'' (meaning a "fool" or "freak"; from Middle Low German ''Geck''). ''Geck'' is a standard term in modern German and means "fool" or " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tegan And Sara
Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. The duo has released 10 studio albums. They have earned a Grammy nomination in 2012 for their video album '' Get Along''. Their 10th album ''Crybaby'' was released on October 21, 2022. Tegan and Sara's memoir ''High School'' was released on September 24, 2019. The TV series of the same name based on the memoir was released on Amazon Freevee in the fall of 2022. History 1995–2002: Background and early work Tegan and Sara started writing songs at 15 years old, using an old guitar they found in their basement, once owned by their then-stepfather. One of the first songs they wrote was "Tegan Didn't Go To School Today", which was written by Sara. They later sang and recorded the song on a cassette tape. The band was first called Pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Bates
Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano professor * Andy (singer) (born 1958), stage name of Iranian-Armenian singer Andranik Madadian Music * ''Andy'' (1976 album), an album by Andy Williams * ''Andy'' (2001 album), an album by Andy Williams * ''Andy'' (Raleigh Ritchie album), a 2020 album by Raleigh Ritchie * "Andy" (song), a 1986 song by Les Rita Mitsouko Other uses * ''Andy'' (film), a 1965 film * Andy (goose) (1987–1991), a sneaker-wearing goose born without webbed feet * Andy (typeface), a monotype font * Andy, West Virginia, US, a former unincorporated community See also *Andi (other) Andi or ANDI may refer to: People and fictional characters * Andy (given name), including people and fictional characters with the name Andi * Andi people, an ethnic group ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects. Her work with the producer Jon Brion in the 1990s was influential on American alternative music. Mann was born in Richmond, Virginia, and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1980s, after playing with the Young Snakes and Ministry, she co-founded the new wave band 'Til Tuesday and wrote their top-ten single "Voices Carry" (1985). 'Til Tuesday released three albums and disbanded in 1990 when Mann left to pursue a solo career. Mann released her first solo album, '' Whatever'', in 1993, followed by '' I'm With Stupid'' in 1995. They received positive reviews but low sales, and placed Mann in conflict with her record company, Geffen. Mann achieved wider recognition when she recorde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Roderick (musician)
John Morgan Roderick (born September 13, 1968) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, podcaster, and politician. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band The Long Winters, was a touring member of the rock band Harvey Danger, and co-hosts the podcasts ''Roderick On The Line'', ''Road Work'', and ''Omnibus''. Early life Roderick was born in Seattle on September 13, 1968, the son of Marcia and David Roderick. His father was a Washington State legislator and World War II veteran. His mother was a computer programmer who eventually rose to an executive position working for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Roderick has three older half-siblings from his father, and a sister, Susan. In 1971, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska. In 1973, Roderick's parents divorced and his mother took John and Susan back to Washington state, but returned to Anchorage shortly after. He graduated from East Anchorage High and moved back to Seattle. Roderick enrolled at Gonzaga Univ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo has been credited as vital in the creation and growth of the prolific DIY music scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s; the duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller and Danny Weinkauf. The group have been noted for their unique style of alternative music, typically using surreal, humorous lyrics, experimental styles and unconventional instruments in their songs. Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and college radio charts. They have also found success in children's music with several educational albums, and in theme music for television programs and films. TMBG have released 23 studio albums. ''Flood'' has b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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