Saturday with Shael: The Finale

This, the final Tuesdays with Riley is again, not on Tuesday. thepaintedslacker apologizes, but I promise that reading this, on any day, will give you a smile, as well as more insight into the genius of nerdrocker, Shael Riley.

You busy?

Hi

Got a few minutes to rock and roll?

I should have said “rock and/or roll”. It would have been more clever.

Yeah

So, let’s jump right into it. The topic was media that has changed your life.

Let’s start with the obvious, music. What music has changed your life and why?

Chris Cornell, Alice in Chains, Weezer, Nobuo Uematsu, Ben Folds, Mindless Self Indulgence.

I guess they’ve all been pretty big influences.

I don’t know if you can hear a lot of it, though. I always think they’re influences.

I used to be in an Alice in Chains cover band when I was, like 14. lol

I think “Angry Chair” is one of the first songs I ever really learned to play well.

Probably the first song I could sing and play at the same time, on bass and then on guitar.

I really don’t listen to Alice in Chains at all anymore, but I did a lot when I was a young teenager.

Actually, I don’t know if they have much influence on my current stuff. Better scratch them from the list. lol

No doubt. We’ll put a line through them…

Right on.

Hmm

Ozma.

I love them too.

I listen to a good bit of chiptune stuff. Bit Shifter. Nullsleep, etc….

Been listening to a lot of I Fight Dragons lately.

I used to listen to the Final Fantasy VI soundtrack on loop for hours in my room.

Just over and over and over again.

That music is just amazing.

Wow. I thought I was a nerd.

You like football, Chief.

Nerds can like football, as long as they make sure to follow the game with a session of Nerdcore Rising… which I watched last week, BTW.

Loved it, what did you think?

I thought it was very well done.

Certainly enjoyed it. Made me nostalgic for 2006.

So, back to FF and video games, what games have changed your life?

That’s some pretty dramatic language. I don’t know if I’d couch it in those terms exactly, but I sure have sunk a lot of time into the Street Fighter series and I guess that was a part of my development as a kid, so maybe you could say that changed my life.

And then I was a music director for the remake of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, so that was great.

The Street Fighter series is my absolute favorite of all time.

How’d you end up doing that?

I’d directed an album of fan arrangements. Capcom found it and sought me out, asking if I could tweak some songs for use in their remake of Super Turbo. We wound up re-doing most songs completely.

Final Fantasy VI was a great game too, aside from having great music.

I’m pretty sure I’m one of, like, fifty people who actually liked the Resident Evil Outbreak series too.

Definitely a precursor to Left 4 Dead.

I love the developments we’ve made in social gaming in recent years.

Never got into most of those, but, WOW about the SF stuff. That’s super rad. SF and MK are my favorites of all time. My wife and I play fighting games every now and again, just to pass the time. More so before the rugrat was born.

That’s awesome.

I never got into WoW.

I don’t see too much of a gamist element there; it’s, like, ALL social. You know?

Yeah.

I played it a bit and I didn’t feel like I was making meaningful choices.

Got bored real fast.

I am not much of an RPG guy, other than Knights of the Old Republic and Kingdom of Loathing.

It’s a shame; I like the concept of the MMORPG genre but I’ve never played one that I liked in execution.

People tell me KoL is pretty cool. It’s a genre parody, right?

Yeah.

Funny, entertaining, I fall in and out of it. Haven’t been on in a year or so.

I did like Forum Warz, but that’s not really an MMO.

Never heard of it.

I used to play BBS door games a TON as a kid.

That was my real introduction to social gaming.

Text-based, ANSI RPGs on dial-up BBSes.

Usurper. Legend of the Red Dragon.

Ever heard of those?

I lived for Legend of the Red Dragon when I was in 6th grade.

Maybe 7th.

I did that kind of stuff a bit.

I used to run a BBS in middle school.

No way!

How’d you get an extra phone line?

I didn’t at first, I just clogged up my parents from when I got home from school until I went to bed.

lol

or until I got yelled at.

It was mostly my friends, so they all knew my hours of operation :)

Yeah. I did my fair share of phoneline clogging.

I did the whole AOL hacknig thing around that time too.

In fact, a friend I introduced into “hacking” and programming got arrested by the feds when we were 16.

He has an FBI probation agent until he was 21.

Yikes!

And the agent was a 6’9 black dude named Adolf

Better than a white one, with that name.

Yeah…

without a doubt.

Who names their kid Adolf?

That what I always said!

Anyway.

So, off topic… as if we were actually on one… how you been feeling?

About the same.

Well, for what it’s worth your in my prayers…

Thanks.

So… how about books, TV, movies? Anything revolutionary in your life?

I’ve never had an epiphany brought on by a piece of media.

I’ve had media that I’ve loved, but it’s never been a dramatically life-changing experience to watch, play, or listen to something.

What has created epiphanies in your life?

I don’t know, man.

Can’t say I’ve had too many.

How about when you met your wife? Haha.

I’ve had dramatic realizations, but they’ve all been from my learning something I didn’t know.

And I can’t think of any specific instances right now.

When I was a kid, though, I saw Vampire Hunter D and I was fucking floored.

I was stunned to learn that animation didn’t have to be just for little kids, that they could show blood and boobs in an animation.

Crazy enough, I’ve only ever seen the second VHD.

I was absolutely enchanted by it.

You gotta see the first.

I don’t know if it’ll have much of an impact on you at your age, but man, it was so amazing as a kid.

Actually, if I’ve ever had an epiphany from a film, it was then.

I will rock it on Netflix.

I got way into anime when I was in Junior High, back when it was mostly available in the US. via fan subs.

I used to watch Sailor Moon every morning in Junior High.

I’d get up ass early to see it.

And I had one friend who was into anime too – he had the fan sub connection.

As I don’t know much about anime, what would you recommend to me for where to begin?

I’m not a big anime fan by today’s standards. I grew out of it really quickly when it became a commercial market and we started getting a flood of severely censored, mediocre series and films.

But I do recommend Serial Experiments Lain for interested adults.

Also Boogie Pop Phantom.

Cool.

I’ll check them… and the first VHD.

For sure.

If you can get fan subs, check out the Japanese Sailor Moon.

The DIC dubs made in the 90s, while not bad in and of themselves, don’t do it justice.

Ok.

And there’s the whole issue of their never having even touched the final season, with its more adult themes.

How about non-anime movies? What do you dig?

Fight Club.

How cliché. :)

Yeah. I know.

It’s my favorite movie, though. Honest.

I could have said Star Wars. That would have been worse, right?

Fair enough. As for FC, I own it, so I can’t talk.

Ever read it?

I have.

I prefer the film.

I haven’t watched it in a long time. I wonder if it would still resonate with me the way it did when I was 18.

I’m actually worried I’d ruin it for myself.

I recently watched it for the first time since college and it doesn’t do much for me anymore at all.

So, don’t watch it.

Yeah. Maybe I should re-watch, though. Get it over with.

Nah. No reason to shy away from the truth.

I’m not sure what my favorite film would be, though, if I didn’t like Fight Club anymore.

I can’t think of even a distant second.

Kung Fu Panda?

Kung Fu Hussle?

Touche!

I’ve never had the attention span for films.

In college, my nerd friends always wanted to have movie marathons.

That’d drive me crazy.

Hmmm… TV? What shows do you follow?

I do like TV, mostly non-fiction.

Good Eats is just about my favorite show ever.

I’m a simple man. lol

I love the old Adult Swim shows.

I love Food Network, but I just got rid of cable. Adult Swim is great.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast? Brilliant.

Home Movies? Awesome.

Aqua Teen? Pretty great.

I’m a big ATHF, Space Ghost, and Metalocalypse fan.

I like a good sketch comedy show too.

SNL has been something I’ve watched on and off since I was a toddler.

The State just came out on DVD.

Nice. I’ll have to check that out.

I like No Reservations a lot, back on the non-fiction side of TV.

And The Daily Show.

Well, this is our last chat for the site for awhile, though I hope to keep up with you from time to time.

Right on.

I feel like we need to bring our chats out with a bang, any suggestions?

You ever get into tabletop gaming?

No, just Magic.

Huh.

So tell me about football.

What’s the appeal? lol

It’s a sport where people hit each other. For me, it’s another thing to geek out about.

Why not boxing?

Or MMA?

Those are all about hitting.

I know all the stats of my squad, follow every little thing.

So it’s a stats thing?

I can understand that.

Stats, news, rumors, everything.

What made you choose your team?

I live near Philly, hence, Philly.

As a kid, I lived near NYC, but I hated the Giants and was indifferent to the Jets.

That’s kind of arbitrary. You didn’t think maybe you’d get more into, say, Orlando’s team than Philly’s if only you’d get to know them?

Orlando doesn’t have a team… but I see your point.

You never had that thought?

To me it seems like school spirit.

I was a 49ers fan as a kid, I drifted here and began following the Birds. It is kinda like school spirit, though.

But my fandom is more accurately a geek thing.

I am more accurately a geek than any other kinda of nerd.

Once I like something I geek out on it totally.

When I was in high school, we had pep rallies that I’d just look as annoyed as possible at – we had to go and I’d only stay if I couldn’t sneak out.

Kids would come up to me and be like “Where’s your school spirit?” I’d tell them it was comepletely arbitrary that I happened to be going to this school; I didn’t chose to go here, so why should I take pride in it?

You sound like one of those scary goth kids in school… ha. Not really though, cuz I feel ya.

You’ve never been into any sports?

I totally had an off-putting, goth mentality. I just didn’t wear black or listen to Depeche Mode.

I’ve never been into any sports.

I’ve tried to like them, but I just don’t see the appeal.

Sports can totally be nerdy nowadays with fantasy teams and sports RPGs.

Maybe you can help me. How can I sit down this Sunday and enjoy a game of football? What kind of mindset should I have going in if I want to enjoy the game?

Pick a team, grab a six pack of GOOD beer and some of your favorite snacking food.

Then, sit down in front of a tricked out HDTV.

Ok. How do I pick my team?

I need to really like them better than their opposition and I’m afraid that’s going to be hard.

Hmmm? I’d say the home team, but since that’s the Giants, screw that :)

What’s wrong with the Giants?

I like their name.

I just hate the Giants, choose them if you wish, but I despise them.

Let’s think about your interests and who may line up with them? You like video games, video game music, anime, and..

I like sex.

And beer.

All booze, really.

I like sex.

Boobs and stuff.

Ooh!

Politics.

And philosophy.

Then choose a team with hot cheerleaders

But that’s not the team; that’s their cheerleaders.

I don’t see the connection.

Politics? Washington Redskins, though they suck.

I can’t get invested emotionally in a team if I only like something peripheral.

I like trolling.

I like to get on Second Life and fuck around with people.

Is there a football team I could back that would be, like, kind of trolling football or something?

Some kind of severe underdog I could like because everyone else hates them?

What would be the team of the provocateur?

How about the Jets, they actually are kicking ass, but they weren’t expected to be good and they talk shit on everybody else.

And they are local to you

See, that’s the most compelling reason to back a team I’ve heard so fart.

*far

hahaha

Alright. Cool. So now I back the Jets. It’s official.

When is the next Jets game on?

Sunday at 4 vs. New Orleans

on CBS

Ok.

Maybe I’ll check that out.

I’ll have to check in with you about how that goes.

So, I need to run… but I have a question?

Ok.

Would you perhaps offer up a track for a remix contest like the one I did this past month? I’d like to make it a monthly thing.

Yes!

I’d just need to post the original song for the listeners and an accapella track for remixing purposes.

Any track you’d like.

Yeah. Probably can do that at some point soonish.

Nice, email me, you gots my info yo!

You got it.

Holla at Beef for me!

Ok.

I’m out, expect his up tomorrow when I get home from work. Thanks for these past few convos, I’ve enjoyed them.

Sure thing. Thanks for having me.

We’ll keep in touch. If you ever come through Reading, PA you’ve got a guest room to stay in.

Thanks a lot.

We can watch a Jets game.

Take care dude, get better!

I’m looking at playing Philly this Winter with Double Ice Backfire.

Thanks.

See you around.

~ by thepaintedman on October 3, 2009.