Rowboats for Robots

This post has nothing to do with rowboats, but everything to do with robots. That phrase just made me smile and when I searched Yahoo with that phrase in quotes, I found that it exists nowhere else on the internet. Now it does. You’re welcome, world. Don’t say I never contributed anything during my time here. "Rowboats for Robots" would make a great album title, but I’d make you pay me a million nickels if you ever used it. Intellectual property, baby. The economy of the future.

“But, why robots today?”, you ask. Because Buster Larkins alerted me to the fact that Beck has a new video out now for “Hell Yes”. It’s really awesome. It’s got really awesome robots. Four robots, in fact. It’s got four robots that nobody has ever seen before. Here’s what Beck’s website had to say about them: They're called QRIOs, so-called "dream robots" developed by Sony Japan as high-tech playthings for children. The QRIO can carry on conversations, adapt to a multitude of environments and - most importantly - mimic human movements, including complex dance routines. Currently, there are only four working QRIOs in the world. And all of them appear in the "Hell Yes" video.

My interest was sufficiently piqued. Then I watched the video. And, I had the same experience as a lot of people, apparently, according to the director: "Most of the people who have seen the video come away thinking that there's no way the QRIOs are real. They think they're like people in robot suits or something."

So, here’s the link to the “Hell Yes” video. And, below are two of my favorite robot songs. There are loads of great songs about robots. These two just get preferential treatment for being the two weirdest songs about robots that I’ve ever heard. Feel free to submit a favorite or a Top 5 or something. These could be the weirdest songs you'll find on this blog for awhile, so, if that's your bag, don't miss out on these two.

Andrew Thompson – We’re in Business (If you weren’t afraid of robots before, maybe you will be now. ‘You might think that they’re you’re friends/They’ll only kill you in the end/Never trust robots’)

TV on the Radio – Robots (These are the drrrrrty robots. Not as scary as Andrew Thompson’s robot, more horny. Robots getting freaky...nearly everywhere.)

I Like 'Em Feisty

There's just something about those Feisty types

Feist - Inside and Out

Feist - Mushaboom

Feist - Secret Heart

It’s autumn time and there’s electricity in the air around The Hideaway these days. Things are happening. And, it’s all because of this Canadian indie-popster chick I’ve discovered named Lesie Feist. She’s positively rocking King Koopa’s world. Outta nowhere, BAM! Sometimes you’ll just be going out for a walk and you’ll stumble upon a rare, beautiful gem. Sometimes that gem is actually a Canadian indie-popster named Lesie Feist.

Apparently, Miss Feist recorded this album in France, with a bunch of musically-inclined Frenchies. It’s definitely got a different feel to it, I’d probably compare it to the Nouvelle Vague album that came out this summer. Feist’s version of the disco classic, “Inside and Out” is stunning. Her voice is just REALLY doing it for me. Mmm mmm mmm! Best thing I’ve heard in awhile. “Mushaboom” is eclectic English-speaking French chanteuse pop at it’s most delectable. Handclaps, horns, tambourines, pianos, acoustic guitar…it’s awesome. “Secret Heart” is a cover of the Ron Sexsmith tune and the song’s melody has been bouncing around my dome since I first heard it. It’s catchy as hell.

Blackalicious = Scrumdiddliumptious

The following could possibly be an excerpt from a dream of mine. I rarely remember my dreams, but it's conceivable that it might go something like this:

Gift of Gab: "Koopa, you know what?, you the man!"
Me: "Nah man, whatever. How could I possibly be the man when everybody knows YOU the man! Please. Don't play like that. Would the man be known to wear tapered leg jeans to work on casual friday because they were the only clean, non-ripped pair he had? No, of course not. The man is someone who would record a rap song where he goes through the alphabet making rhymes with each letter and speeding up the tempo till he's blastin' like an AK-47 by the time he reaches Z."
Gift of Gab: "Well...yeah, you're right Koopa, that track was pretty dope, and, you do look kinda goofy in those jeans. I suppose I am the man. But, you still the coolest, aiight? Tapered leg jeans and all!"
Me: "Hey, thanks bro. I'm won't argue with the man on that one. I'm gonna take my cool ass to TJ Max and pick up some new jeans, but I'll catch you later."

Blackalicious - World of Vibrations

Blackalicious - Supreme People

Blackalicious - Automatique

Recently, a good friend needled me with the accusation that I “swing from Quannum’s balls” during a music debate we were having. (Blackalicious is on the Quannum label, along with DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born & Lateef the Truth Speaker, Lifesavas, Poets of Rhythm, and some others) That's true to a certain extent, but it's only because I've got a genuine connection with the music. Quannum's dope, they put out great music that's usually right up my alley. Then, about a week later, my friend starts bugging me to burn him a copy of the new Blackalicious album, The Craft. Of course I’ll burn it for him, ya know, but it’s like ‘Yo, who’s swingin’ from whose balls now, bro?’ Gotcha…We were having a debate about local bands around Indy and how I think Indy’s music scene is lame and getting lamer. The debate started because The Patio is closing. audible sniffle [little tear trickles down King Koopa’s cheek.] Somehow the debate changed from how The Patio’s closing would cut down on small-to-medium national touring bands coming to Indy, to the quality of the local music scene around here. See, small-to-medium national touring bands are my bread and butter. I’ve never been too impressed with the bands around Indy. Indy has a lot of punkish-type bands and some hip hop groups that are still in their diaper stage. “Punk” is a nice way of saying the band is still working on their musical chops and their songwriting skills, at least in the opinion of this observer. You can’t write 2 minute punk songs for your entire musical career. There’s a reason punk bands always end up “selling out” and changing their sound. They’re maturing as musicians. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great punk songs out there, but punk is also a very simplified style of music that doesn’t require as much depth or complexity as other music styles might. I’m just telling ya how I see it here. The point is that I don’t see the quality of Indy’s local music as being even remotely comparable to the groups that used to come to The Patio, like all the guys from Quannum, for instance. It all boils down to personal preference and what I’m listening to from week to week, month to month, but the idea of going to see more local bands to make up for the loss of The Patio just isn’t cheering me up. I’m hoping that the Music Mill and Radio Radio pick up the slack and bring in those Patio-type bands, but we’ll just have to see what happens.

Back on the farm…today, I’ve got a bunch of cuts for you from The Craft, the new one from Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel. Gift of Gab is one of my favorite rappers, he and Mos Def hold the top spot in my mind depending on the weather that day. I’ve seen him in concert several times, the first time was when he opened up for Ben Harper. Then it was part of a winter festival in Chicago with Karl Denson, Saul Williams, and Nikka Costa (one of the “coolest” shows I’ve seen). Next it was when the entire Quannum label went on tour (best hip hop show I’ve seen). Last time was when he came around with Lateef to The Patio last year. Dude looked kinda ill that night, he had to sit down for parts of the show. I credit Blackalicious’ mindblowing epic “Alphabet Aerobics” with starting my on-again, off-again love affair with hip hop. My college roommate James Yeo got me into their “A to G” EP driving around in his little space pod of a car, going back and forth to the furniture store we "worked" at. I’d never heard anything like it. Anyway, this album is really very solid, probably better than Gab’s solo album from a couple years ago, but it’s not quite as epic or impressive as Blazing Arrow, their last album together. Xcel’s beats and production are sick as hell and underrated, as usual. My favorite track is “Supreme People”, it gets me jukin and jivin anywhere I hear it…shower, car, office chair, wherever…it’s a party starter, people mover, ass shaker. If you download by "World of Vibrations" and "Supreme People" you'll have the album opening dyanmic duo rap medley. I highly recomend. "Automatique" is a sexy, slow-burner of a track. Hotness all around.