Backtrace, the geekiest album you'll hear, hits Billboard comedy charts

I saw James Dempsey speak at AltConf this past June (AltConf runs during WWDC for those who want something a little different). James goes way back in Apple lore to the NeXT days, and for his talk he pulled some code to show how Swift didn't just materialize from thin air, it has its origins in NeXT. Dempsey worked at Apple for 15 years, but lately he's been having a good time releasing music with his band, James Dempsey the Breakpoints. Their latest album hit Billboard's charts.

So in case you were wondering if being a developer pays off, then yes. But being an artist who writes and performs music that only developers will grok seems to also be lucrative -- if you're as talented as Dempsey. With songs like Endian Reservations and The Fetch Spec Song, it's clear these are inside jokes. But the music is fun and Dempsey's joy for coding and music-making is evident in this album, which got up to number five on the comedy charts. That's no small task considering Patton Oswalt is also on that chart.

You can check out his AltConf talk here and buy Backtrace on iTunes here. I'm hoping James winds up making a cameo on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. soon.