Metal Lungies

As you can guess as soon as you saw the title, I can’t get enough of this stuff. ABC News was able to dig up Merton for an interview. If you are too lazy to watch the two key facts you need to know is the next video is coming out in a few days, and video #1 is the highest rated youtube of all time. Now, stop being lazy and get edumacated about this meme.

You may remember last week I posted the Chat Roullete Piano Improv video? Well, a lot of the internets theorists were saying that Merton in the video was Ben Folds. It’ wasn’t, but all of this buzz didn’t go unnoticed by Mr. Folds, who decided to perform a hilarious tribute/rendition of the Chat Roullete Improv Piano thing live during a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Be sure to watch it through.

In late December I found out about a little site called ChatRoulette, a site which pairs you with random strangers in the world that have video cameras and have nothing better to do with their lives than talk to strangers (if you didn’t know this you might live under a rock, age can’t be an excuse because old dudes stay posted up on CR). I wish I documented all of my interactions on there, I’ve had Frat Brahs curse me out for a few minutes to talking to Mainland China residents (who were wearing heavy winter coats indoors) about Yao Ming. I’m still trying to convince KnobbzXL to give it a whirl, I think it would transform his life. Anyways, this video is one of the most hilarious things I’ve seen in a bit. It’s some guy serenading random people on the piano, and doing it with amazing wit. I had to play it back a few times (I mean you guys probably don’t remember when I wrote a full paragraph about something, right?!). I hope more videos come out soon.

After the jump I’ve added a few things CR related that I’ve come across over the past few months you might have missed.

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OK so let’s talk about Robot Unicorn Attack.

I got a link from my friend last night who just told me, “play it. beautiful music.”

I didn’t follow the link right away because I was reading a book. I know, I’m lame. But tonight, I noticed two of my roommates were playing this flash game with extreme interest.

Simply put, Robot Unicorn Attack is the next big thing.

In the game, you play as a robot unicorn who jumps over floating pink cliffs, collects rainbow butterflies, and avoids giant metallic stars.You have three tries or “wishes” to go as far as you can. The further you go and the more rainbow butterflies you get, the higher your score.

While all of this is happening, “Always” by the British synthpop duo Erasure loops in the background. This really sets the tone and defines the game’s character. The endless chorus of “Always, I wanna be with you / And make believe with you / And live in harmony, / harmony oh love” while you’re jumping around as a rainbow-shooting robot unicorn (did I mention the rainbows?) is pretty mesmerizing. Half of the discussion about this game is about the music.

Then there are the dolphins. Yes, dolphins. Conversations like this are happening between college kids right now.

Guy 1: Have you gotten to the dolphins yet?
Guy 2: No?
Guy 1: Man up.

The dolphins appear every time you get 5,000 points. Some people have been trying to figure out what the dolphins do, but as one user on the Adult Swim discussion board put it, “they don’t mean anything, just that you are awesome.”

So just to recap: unicorns, stars, butterflies, and dolphins. And everything is pink and baby blue and sparkling all over.

OK. The presentation is stellar and the gameplay is addicting, but what is it about Robot Unicorn Attack that’s eliciting this kind of response from people? The game has been played 1.6 million times and there are endless comments about how “amazing” and “incredible” it is. One person wrote on Facebook, “Robot Unicorn Attack completed my life. Ive never played a game so simple yet so amazing. Everything is so rainbow its great. Live on Robot Unicorn Attack!” Something about this game has struck a cord with young Americans right now.

There’s a layer of darkness underneath the game’s cheery exterior. Before you start, you get messages like “A fiery death awaits you” and “Persistence is futile.” When you lose, the unicorn explodes and you see its severed head with wires sticking out and tears streaming down its cheek.

Maybe there was a unicron on some girl’s binder in second grade. A cute girl. A lost love, perhaps. A robot is an emotionless husk that doesn’t dare to feel or think for itself. Meanwhile, there are butterflies and rainbows everywhere and a voice sings, “Am I here in vain? / Hold on to the night / There will be no shame.”

Put all of that together, and you’ve got the mind frame of the 21 year old who is about to graduate from college into this bleak economy.

Robot Unicron Attack is the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” of my generation. Play it. Feel it.

Aziz Ansari AKA RAAAAAANDY was hard at work on a mixtape with Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, but they will not meet the original release date. The reason? Bitch ass rappers aren’t sending in their verses. RAAAAAAAANDY names names in this scathing diss. Think “How To Rob” 2010, but with verses.

Download: RAAAAAAAANDY – AAAAAAAANGRY

Update: Here’s the final version of the song. The last version was a rough cut that Kanye leaked early.

Download: RAAAAAAAANDY – AAAAAAAANGRY

via Nah Right

To continue our recent spree of hip-hop related commercials (every time we post one of these, someone sends us a suitcase full of cash), here’s Black Milk’s surprising placement in a state-sponsored ad for Michigan products. At 0:22, he says “Fresh Milk!”

The ad does a much better job of promoting Michigan as a travel destination than say, Hex Murda.

via The Smoking Section

Some of you folks may have seen this already on the WaxPoetics site. It’s an old Toyota commercial from the mid 90’s and it features Lootpack. Usually these things don’t really stick with me, but I have been watching this video on loop since yesterday. It’s taken my life, and it might take yours…

Not only did Game do an ad for a local Compton tax service, but according to the ad, the first 1000 customers with their taxes ready before February 15 win breakfast with Game!

Damn, someone should have told Nas.

via Bossip

?uestlove presents rare footage of RZA’s screen test for Parks and Recreation. Wu-Tang forever.

When he’s not unwinding his trademark crime stories, Raekwon is contemplating his mortality. I scanned his yrics and found three specifications for the Chef’s funeral:

1.“Iron Maiden”, Ironman, 1997:

You might get snowed on/when I go, bury me with velour on

Rae considers a track suit to be appropriate burial attire.

2. “State of Grace”, 2005:

When I’m gone, just let off like 40 rifles/aim ‘em at rappers biting off the god’s Bible

Like any self-respecting emcee, Rae looks down on biting.  But Corey takes it a step further, actually commanding people to enlist a firing squad to shoot up his funeral.

3. “House of Flying Daggers”, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2, 2009:

Bury me in Africa with whips and spears and rough diamonds out of Syria

Lou Diamonds doesn’t rock conflict gems, remember?

Anything I missed? Let me know in the comments.