Jonathan Coulton

Jonathan Coulton wrote the song 'Still Alive' for the video game Portal in 2007. That track, with its dry humor and simple piano melody, became his calling card. Before that, he'd been releasing music through his Thing a Week project, putting out a new song every week for a year starting in 2005.

His songs often lean into geek culture and everyday absurdity. 'Code Monkey' is about software developers, 'Re: Your Brains' is a workplace memo from a zombie, and 'Skullcrusher Mountain' plays with mad scientist tropes. The music itself is straightforward folk-rock, a vehicle for clever lyrics rather than complex arrangements.

He's kept at it, putting out albums like Artificial Heart and Solid State. The Thing a Week experiment showed a workmanlike approach to songwriting, turning out material on a schedule whether inspired or not. He tours occasionally, sometimes with a band that has included John Roderick on guitar.