Spoken Nerd Join Forces with Nashville Video Game Music Band The Mad Gear for "Poor Farm" Single & Music Video (self-released)
Last we heard from Nashville emcee Spoken Nerd, he had orchestrated a Synth-Pop-laden, Hip-Hop-infused album GRAPES chock-full of Horror-themed lyrics. Now, Spoken Nerd is back with a fresh set of collaborators: The Mad Gear (T.M.G.) The Mad Gear's current line-up consists of players Cameron Chiles AKA Bruce Irons (drums,) Justin Scott Harriger AKA Shreddy Krueger (guitarist,) Josh Hellvig AKA Big Vig (bass,) Josh Minyard AKA Berserker Joe (keys,) and Chris Watts AKA Rex Skeleton (sax/keys.) Since forming in 2014, T.M.G. have released three albums foll of video game covers, their own video game, The Mad Gear: Go Right & Fight! its companion original soundtrack, and their own animated short, Turbo City Gaiden. The Mad Gear & Spoken Nerd have taken an analog approach to The Game of Life with their first collaborative single, "Poor Farm." They say one of the greatest things about a city like Nashville, Tennessee is the collaborations that are often born within its radius; The Mad Gear have been blazing their own trail since 2014 with video game-inspired tunes that can transform any concert into a realm where you can hear the music the way Mario or Sonic may have heard it within their games.
The team-up between T.M.G. & Spoken Nerd is a perfect fit, like a coveted Power Glove giving Freddy Kruger a High-5. "Poor Farm" illustrates reality with references to both The Game of Life and the Parker Brothers' Ouija Board. Emcee Spoken Nerd doesn't hold back with the opening lines, rhyming, "my economy drowning. Always feeling like I'm on a life raft with a dying thousand..." These bars drive with intensity over The Mad Gear's soundscape as they push the track to the next level with a moving baseline, an eerie saxophone part, and a shredding guitar solo that stands out, yet grooves with the on-brand production that the band is known for. "Poor Farm" is a reference to the Milton Bradley board game, Life. This game would drive players through a series of "life" events, including getting married, getting a job, having kids, and even retiring. FUN FACT: In the version that came out in the 1960's, players would find their retirement at either Millionaire Acres or the less desirable Poor Farm. The Mad Gear & Spoken Nerd's "Poor Farm" music video recently premiered on Ghettoblaster Magazine and the single is now available on stremaing services.