About the Band: Anamanaguchi bring a whole new meaning to the word nerd-core. It’s a band from New York City that features Peter Berkman and Ary Warnaar on guitar, James DeVito on bass, Luke Silas on drums….and a hacked NES and Gameboy. While they are a chiptune-punk band, they are pretty unique in the fact that they also play traditional instruments like a true rock band. If they sound familiar, then you must have played the Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game; they did the soundtrack for it.

Top 3 Tracks:

Blackout City

Mermaid

Dawn Metropolis

Why You Should Listen to It: I think the reason I love Anamanguchi so much is for 2 main reasons: they make it cool to be a geek, and they make me nostalgic for my childhood. Seriously, when I was a kid I was either playing Zelda, Donkey Kong, or watching my brother play games, and this music totally takes me back. Only in a much cooler way. (Plus, I’m way out of my awkward phase now, so that’s cool.)  If you need to get moving, I highly recommend this. It makes for a great soundtrack for that morning walk to campus to get you pumped up for the day, or when you just can’t spend another minute on the treadmill.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like over-the-knee boots!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

The fan orgy that is Comic-Con has finally ended and as I watch my BF pour over the web coverage hoping to find some hidden tidbit about the next Batman movie, I have to wonder, have geeks replaced jocks as the guys we want to be with?

It seems like in the last few years I’ve read a lot of things encouraging the nerd love. There are dating sites dedicated solely to men of this ilk and enough Google hits for “date a geek” to boggle this writer’s mind. Geek culture is out in the open and everyone’s flying their freak flag (even us at College Candy!). And the nerd-set definitely has a few aces in the hole; by nature they prove themselves to be passionately dedicated to their obsession of choice, they tend to be smart, well-read, and (in my experience) they often have a touch of that hopeless romantic we’ve all pined after in rom-coms.

But, on the downside, the odds of that cuddly little nerd ever turning into the gorgeous hunk of man-candy you drool over at the beach (you know you do) is pretty low. And there’s a reason we aren’t inherently attracted to the scrawny, pale types – biologically we are programmed to respond to physical fitness as a trait of an ideal mate. Also, dating a geek generally entails spending a fair amount of time immersed in whatever his particular brand of nerdom is (did I mention my BF is still looking up Batman?) and if his special obsession doesn’t appeal to you, well… I’ve known guys who broke up with girls for favoring Star Trek over Star Wars.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that most of the things I’ve mentioned above are part of the stereotypical geek, and no one will perfectly match up to it. Most of us have our own little nerdy things going on – I have read a certain Hobbit-oriented book no less than seven times - so it’s probably not fair to judge based solely on the geek-factor. But with everyone from movie studios to women’s mags clamoring after these guys, there’s no question we’re living in the age of the geek.

So what do you think, ladies? Are you down with dating the kid in the Chewbacca t-shirt? Are you totally over the geek craze? Would you put up with his love of comics/sci-fi/online gaming? Or do you prefer your men a little more traditional?

Today, July 13th, is “Embrace Your Geek Day.” Here are the top 10 totally embraceable things that we geek out for. And we’re not ashamed to admit it. Online.

10. Harry Potter
Ugh, is there anything sexier than a wizard in glasses? I literally screamed when I saw the preview for “The Half Blood Prince” in theaters.

9. Arrested Development
Seriously, I know every single line to this show. Points if you can do every family member’s imitation of a chicken. (Yeah, I can do that too.)

8. Twilight
Okay, admittedly, I’m not a twi-tard, err, I mean “twi-hard,” but I can’t resist drooling over Robert Pattinson’s perfect hair.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon is a God. Enough. Said.

6. Anything and everything Apple
iPhone, MacBook, iPod. I want it all. I’m pretty sure there’s an app for that.

5. The Sims
Devastatingly addictive. Who doesn’t love building houses, creating lookalikes of your friends and neighbors, and – oh my god I’ve spent four hours straight on this game.

4. Seth Green
And all of his endeavors. Robot Chicken anyone?

3. GeekStuff4U
I don’t know what this is or what it does, but I approve.

2. Hulu.com
Addictive and full of the best of the best things to geek out to. Missed Andy Samberg’s latest Digital Short? Hulu that sh*t.

1. BO. BURNHAM.
Please, please, please, please marry me.

Melanie currently interning in NYC, taking full advantage of all margarita specials and those blonde summer boys. Stalk her on Twitter: @tinkermellie

A while back, the editor of this very site put out a query: “Give me a Top 10 list of your favorite High School Movies.” I told her I wanted in – after all, who doesn’t love to indulge in a little HS drama? So I sat down and started listing. Only I discovered that including just 10 was more impossible than winning 8 medals in one Olympic games. And I am no Michael Phelps.

So, I listed 10. The first list of what would soon become many. After posting, many of you seemed quite angry with my decisions. Your comments were full of ALL CAPS and lots of exclamation points!!!! You were upset that I had left some classics off the list. Perhaps you didn’t notice the “Part 1″ in the title, or perhaps you just needed everyone to know of your love of The Breakfast Club.

Not that it mattered; I was clearly coming back for round 2. So here it is – another 10 gloriously angsty high school flicks. Get that Smart Pop ready, ladies; these high school dramas are gonna rock your lockers!

11. She’s the Man
In a take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Amanda Bynes is Viola Hastings. In the many twists and turns of the movie, she enters her twin brother’s private school, tries to make the soccer team to beat her school’s team and make her sexist ex cry, get rid of her brother’s obnoxious girlfriend, fall for her… er… her brother’s roommate, and much more. Whew! Amanda is such a power girl in this movie. It’s nothing like my high school experience (I never did the drag thing), but totally entertaining all the same.

12. 10 Things I Hate About You
Are you kidding? Seriously? This movie is on the top of every list. Another Shakespeare twist done right.
Kat rocks!! The tough, sensitive chick lands the hot, caring, bad boy; the college of her dreams; and the Fender Strat! I want to scream in pure bliss. You can laugh at me, but I know you’re squealing on the inside. 10 Things I Hate About You is just too good to be true. (See what I did there? Get it? No?)

13. Jawbreaker
High school, like life, is a hierarchy. Some are at the top of the list, some at the bottom of the barrel. So it makes sense that Fern Mayo wanted to be like Liz Purr. It’s completely tweaked that Liz’s BFFLs accidentally killed her, made her death look like a sick sexual perversion, and turned poor Fern Mayo into Vylette, the newest member of the clique. Be careful what you wish for.

14. The New Guy
Umm. Eliza Dushku’s wardrobe montage was kinda whack, but if I could snap my neck like Dizzy and make people scared I’d totes do it! It’s the ultimate makeover; why go from Geek to Chic, when you can go from Geek to The New Guy??

15. Say Anything…
Dear John Cusack,
I’m gonna keep on loving you, ’cause it’s the only thing I wanna do.
Love Always,
Donnette
Here’s the deal: when someone asks what’s the greatest thing you ever did for love what will you say? Lloyd Dobler can say anything (almost). The infamous boom box scene where Lloyd stands outside Diane Court’s window and plays In Your Eyes is a top rated classic, but who can forget the date where he’s shivering because he’s happy. And yes, Diane was so deeply touched by his vulnerability that she “spent the night with him” and told her dad about too. If you’ve forgotten, go watch this movie again! Now!

16. Can’t Hardly Wait
I’m LOLing just thinking about this! Typical-guy-misfit-is-enamored-with-teen-queen-and-waits-until-graduation-to-tell-her-after-her-jock-boyfriend-dumps-her-then-she-finds-herself-and-gets-letter-from-misfit-and-tries-to-find-him-but-he-finds-her-and-she-thinks-he’s-a-drunk-creep-and-people-get-abducted-by-aliens-and-Seth-Green-loses-virginity. Whew! Like I said typical. Ethan Embry paves the way for Seth Cohen, Rusty Cartwright, and Paulie Bleeker. Yum.

17. Strike! (Aka Strike! Aka The Hairy Bird)
On one hand, this movie has way too many names. On the other, it’s a Kirsten Dunst flick. Love her or hate her, the girl’s good. At an all-girl prep school in the early 1960s, the girls are flung to the trough of puberty. Ha. So here’s want goes down: Kirsten Dunst and her clique hold meetings and eat stolen ravioli, they have ISSUES: they discuss boys, school, family, the girls who hate them and all of their seemingly massive pubescent drama. I’m already reminiscing…

Anyway, the school decides to go co-ed and Verena (Dunst) became a one-girl revolution. The girls decide to play some games and do some damage when the boys come to visit. This involves bra-stuffing, drink spiking, sex having, cat fighting – your basic no-holds barred war. And don’t you think for a moment that it ends there. The best is yet to come.

18. Carrie
This movie is the reason why I was nice to everyone in high school. Seriously. Okay no not seriously, but it definitely made me fear anyone with that name. Regardless, it’s a fun one to watch (with people that, you know, like you).

19. The Breakfast Club
GREATEST MOVIE EVER!!! Great cast, great costumes, great plot, great, great, great! Since I have no words I’ll let Brian’s (Anthony Michael Hall) letter speak for me.

Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong, but we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay, telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, princess, and a criminal. Correct? That’s the way we saw each other at 7 o’clock this morning. We were brainwashed.

I am forever devoted to The Brat Pack.

20. Mean Girls

In junior high and high school, I’m sure you’ve encountered these *insert derogatory word here*, but they’ve got nothing on Regina George. She’s sweet and sour, impeccably dressed, and knows how to rock the school. Until Lindsay Lohan comes along. Tina Fey totally hit the mark with this movie and it will forever be a classic. It’s just so…fetch!

If you’re like me then this time of year can be pretty lame. And SAD (that would be Singles Awareness Day). So instead of pining over the great romantic love that you’re not having, do what I’m doing and practice some self love. Spoil yourself!

Here’s my techie grab bag:

Something I Can Use: Although not exciting, if I give myself a gift, I want it to be something I can use. A day at the spa (or, more accurately on my budget, a spa-in-a-box) would be nice, but a new umbrella would be better. It’s cute and shiny. And blocks the rain. And it will make it oh-so-much easier for that perfect man to see me on that gray and dreary day.

Something That Sparkles: I like jewelry. And I’m a geek. Did you know there was a whole section of Etsy dedicated to the combination of those two things? That’s right, geek jewelry. I can’t actually decide what I want because it’s all so full of win. And since it’s Etsy it’s pretty much proven to be unique.

Something That Rings: What better companion on February 14th than a new cell phone? I mean, it’s going to be there for me no matter what (well, unless I drop it into the toilet), and when I’m lonely there’s someone always on the other end. I just have to keep hitting call until I find someone awake. The perfect phone for a lonely geek?  The Sidekick. Or maybe something that lets you reach out and touch somebody. Either way, playing with all the phones in the store is a great way to spend a Saturday. And, who knows, maybe you’ll find another lonely geek lookin’ for (phone) love, too.

Chances are I’m going to hide myself in my apartment and watch Zombie movies until all the signs of love are gone from the store shelves, which, as everyone knows, is the total opposite of romantic. Although if I get bored it would be nice to have this little gadget, since I did get an iPod this year. Oh Claudio Sanchez! Sing to me!

[Photo courtesy of Squishy Sushi on Etsy!]

Here are a few ideas:

Handy?

If your Sig other is a tinker then a new Swiss army tool set could be just thing. I am constantly trying to find a screwdriver to take something apart. I imagine boys do it more often than me. This little beauty is small, it fits on your keychain and isn’t silly and bulky looking. Pair it with their favorite candy and your sweet smile for a great gift.

Retro Gamer?

Try some sw33t wall stickers! These decals will make any geek think of the hours they spent in front of a screen mashing buttons and killing enemes growing up. Plus they are really freaking sweet. Who hasn’t wanted to live in Mario land?

Something more Traditional?

Maybe you want something a little less unique and a little more mainstream. How about a wallet? It’s something they’ll use and yet still maintains that certain nerdy quality to it.

Still not right?

Well if none of that (or the various sites that those ideas came from) appeal to you there are always T-shirts. You can buy a super unique one form Teefury. They’re only available for one day so chances are no one else will have it. Or you can go to a site like Topatoco. They feature the shirts for great web comics like Dr. McNinja.

Cute Add ons?

Where would a Geek be without his spork? Or a Samurai Sword (kinda) for your warrior?

Or you could just meet them at the door wearing nothing but a ribbon; that one always works. Whatever you get, make sure it’s from the heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

So who’s a fan of Adult Swim? I know I am.

Ever wonder who the rapper with the high pitched voice is on ATHF? You know MC Peepants/MC Vald. That would be real Nerdcore rapper, MC Chris.

I know what you’re thinking right now: what the hell is “Nerdcore”? Well think Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy,” but, you know, BETTER.

Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop, but instead of rapping about ho’s, bling, and money, they rap about games, computers, and other fun geek stuff. I mean they talk about boobies too, but it’s just different.

Don’t let the content of the songs throw you off, though; the beats are just as good as the more mainstream stuff on the radio, which means you will find yourself jamming/dancing to songs about compuers in no time. Want a little help? Check out these performers and their more popular jams (well, popular amongst geeks like me).

MC Chris

He’s perhaps the most well known of all Nerdcore rappers due to his work with voice acting, which, you know, makes his voice quite distinctive. He’s easy to listen to and, believe it or not, fun. Very catchy and poppy. For something new to play on that long road-trip home, check out “Fett’s Vette.”

MC Frontalot

He has a slightly different sound to him with a bit mor ]e rhythm based and very smart lyrics. His music is actually something you could listen to all the time. My favorite pick? Check out “Secrets from the Future.”

MC Router

My friend is totally geeked because he got to talk to her online. (It’s the little things.) In any case she’s a hardcore geek girl with techy beats that are fun to dance to. If you are in the mood for some chick music besides Britney and Rhianna, check out “Emmulation Station.”

Image courtesy of boingboing.net

And they’re surprisingly date-able.

I sat down the other night with two of my geekiest friends, Patrick and Jeff (not their real names), to discuss geek love. I asked them why a girl should date a geeky guy, and they gave me an intricate look at the geek lifestyle and how it translates into relationships.

First, we lay down the definition of a geek. They explain to me the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. In their opinion, dorks and nerds are both socially awkward beings –– dorks because they’re too dumb and nerds because they’re too smart. A geek, on the other hand, is the perfect specimen.

“How do you approach a girl you have a crush on?” I ask.

“I do that?” Patrick asks back. Jeff explains to me that geeky guys don’t approach girls they like in order to ask them out. Out of a fear of rejection, they try to be friends first. I ask the guys how well this works out, they agree: not well.

Patrick tells me: “In high school [Jeff] pitched to me the idea of Dungeons & Dragons because he said girls would be there.” I ask Patrick if this worked out and he just gives me a what-do-you-think? look.

According to Patrick and Jeff, geeks are the perfect boyfriends for three main reasons: they are sweet, loyal and smart. It only makes sense that the same guy who memorizes a hundred Star War’s alien species will remember every last detail about his girlfriend and her love for all things Gossip Girl. And the imaginative guy that plays games like D & D (Dungeons and Dragons, for all you non-geeks out there) will also be the guy who comes up with adorable date/gift ideas…and maybe some awesome role-playing in the bedroom. Rar.

“God doesn’t give with both hands,” the old cliché goes. I firmly believe this. In my ten-odd years of dating, I’ve learned that the prettier and more charming the boy, the more vapid the boy’s brain. Those of us not blessed with fashion model looks or disarming charm had to develop (gasp!) personalities to compensate.

Geeks have personality in droves, and the coping mechanisms they developed in high school help them considerably in relationships. They weren’t the most popular kids in school (duh), and their after-school activities weren’t considered cool (audio visual club, etc.), so they formed tight cliques with like-minded friends, thus developing their loyalty. Geeky boys also had to rely on humor to survive; who could make fun of them when they were making fun of themselves first?

All the qualities that make a geek a geek also make a geek a good boyfriend. What girl doesn’t want a sweet, loyal, imaginative, romantic, funny guy who can also fix her computer and explain how a supernova forms? So, while you might have been glued to the football field bleachers in high school searching for the perfect boyfriend, now that you’re out of school it’s time to move away from the jocks and towards the geeks.

The relationship will be far more rewarding.

[Photo courtesy of hollywoodjesus.com]

If you answered yes to any of these questions and still can’t seem to find the perfect holiday present for the techie in your life, here’s a list of gifts that are sure to tickle their flash drive.

• AnnoyATron – ($9.99) – If you know someone who gets a kick out of watching people squirm, buy them a cheap and easy way to be the bane of their co-workers’ (or professor’s) existence! The AnnoyATron is a tiny device that once hidden, emits loud beeping sounds without any real rhythm. After a few minutes, most victims will probably go crazy trying to figure out what they’re hearing. A high tech version of the old cell phone prank. Nice.

• Micro Spy Remote – ($8.99) – Another way to piss people off! This tiny universal remote has the ability to change the channel on almost any television set. Whether your nerd is at the doctor’s, in a bar, or just at a friend’s house, stealthily changing the channels is sure to either A) confuse the hell out of people, or B) make them think they have a ghost. And believe me, when people really think there’s a ghost controlling their TV…it’s hilarious.

• Matias Folding Keyboard – ($59.95) – Sometimes you just need to bring your very own personal keyboard with you everywhere you go.

• GelaSkins – (varies) – Plain old laptops and cell phones are boring. Spice up the life of your favorite geek by giving them a way to customize their gadgets with stunning visual art.

• USB Coffee Warmer – ($24.99) – Does your nerd have a hard time drinking all their coffee before it goes skunky and cold? Do they enjoy the cool taste of ice water all day? If so, get them this little device that keeps things either (you guessed it) hot or cold using the power of USB.

• Open It – ($10.99) – In case the geek in your life needs an all-in-one tool for opening lots of packages containing computer parts…or blow up dolls.

• LED Blow on-off candles – ($11.99) – candles are cool, but you know what’s even cooler? Fake candles that you can blow on or off, plus change the color of their flame. Perfect mood lighting for blissful geek love moments.

Which is probably why Washington State’s Linux Users Group (the university’s largest computer club) has decided put out a memo to all the sororities on campus: “Make us over, and we’ll do your homework.”

In an effort to attract more women to the computer science program (and get a free haircut), the “nerds” of WSU’s Linux Club plan to host a “nerd auction”.

“You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer”, their website explains, “help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner!”

But before the computer loving dudes go through with the auction, they’re looking for a few good sorority girls to make them more appealing.

“If anyone’s going to bid on us, we’ll need some spicing up. And who better to help with that than sorority girls who like nothing better than a makeover?”

While the whole “Beauty and the Greek” (sound familiar to anyone?) event is still in the planning stages, WSU’s computer program has garnered national attention because of it.

Will the idea bring more chicks into the lives of these self-described nerds? Of course!

Will the girls stick around? No f*cking way.

Please.

Telling some guy to get a haircut while he spends 10 hours fixing your busted iBook is totally a win-win situation…for the chick.

Maybe if they got Ashton Kutcher to produce the whole thing and throw in some embarrassing challenges that made them look redonkulous in front a huge crowd…

Either that, or just have everyone eat spiders.

America loves it when people eat spiders.