Friday radio.blog update: Robot songs
I don’t know many people who can resist a song about a robot. I made a mix of all robot songs and my kids and husband love it. At my new job, I put it up on the network as a shared playlist via iTunes and the company owner complimented me on it. It’s a big hit. Here’s a sampling.
Noyz Toyz - Numerobot
They Might Be Giants - Robot Parade
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot
Styx - Mr. Roboto
Kraftwerk - The Robots
Daft Punk - Robot Rock
April 29, 2005 in Radio.blog |
How can you beat robot songs? Answer: you can’t! All great songs, Susan — thanks for putting them up.
Any other robots out there?
Comment by Steve Evans — April 29, 2005 @ 3:11 pm
How about ‘Intergalactic’ by the Beastie Boys? It’s not explicitly about robots but a robot voice figures prominently…
Comment by Steve Evans — April 29, 2005 @ 3:24 pm
I put it on my mix cd. More because it’s a fave of my son’s than anything. But it doesn’t strictly qualify as a robot song.
Comment by Susan M — April 29, 2005 @ 4:02 pm
I also found this, not technically all robot songs, but still…
this is also pretty good.
Comment by Steve Evans — April 29, 2005 @ 4:07 pm
Here’s what all I had on my mix:
Arling and Cameron - Tokyo Taxi Robot
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
Daft Punk - robot rock
Electric Six - DontBeAfraidoftheRobot
Fatso Jetson - New Age Android
Kraftwerk - The Robots(Single Edit)
Neil Young - Transformer Man
Noyz Toyz - Alphabot
Noyz Toyz - Numerobot
sienna root-words
Styx - Mr. Roboto
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robot
They Might Be Giants - Robot Parade
Calexico - Attack el Robot! Attack
Comment by Susan M — April 29, 2005 @ 4:44 pm
My older brother owns http://www.bigassrobot.com. (Yes, I know it is shocking that such an awesome URL was even available.) Anyway, I just noticed he renamed his latest band that and put up various songs there (my younger brother contributed on bass too). If you’re in a robot mood you could check that out.
BTW — It’s still not clear to me if he is referring to a really big robot or just a normal-sized robot with a really big butt…
Comment by Geoff Johnston — April 29, 2005 @ 4:47 pm
I love robot songs. And mixes. My husband made a mix masterpiece last summer entitled “Songs About Love and Robots” that’s become a family favorite. It includes some of the songs on Susan’s list, plus Grandaddy (I’m on Standby), Centro-Matic (Argonne Limit Co.) and a local band, Little Grizzly (Charlotte, a “sweet and secret engine” that dies), interspersed with clips from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Simpsons and Small Wonder and begins with Jack Palance breathing, “Cyborg love — just like Romeo and Juliet!”
Comment by Allison — April 29, 2005 @ 5:17 pm
ahh…. Small Wonder… has there ever been a better robot sitcom? Thanks for dredging up that one for the memories!
Comment by Steve Evans — April 29, 2005 @ 5:23 pm
So, I was really really really pissed off because I spent the day steam cleaning our carpets MYSELF (yes, I actually rented one of those machines because it’s infinitely cheaper than getting the carpets professionally cleaned.) Let me tell you it was no picnic getting the damn thing out of the car and up the elevator and into my apartment, then arranging for my daughter to be gone four several hours while I attempted ot hook up several hoses and use the damn thing. It required so muich power that I blew the circuits in our apartment three times. Then after all my sweat and toil, with the carpets still drying, my 18 month old dumped an entire jar of green beans babyfood on the still drying carpet. And proceeded to smear it in.
So I did what any totally desperate housewife would do and I immediately called my husband and told him he had to come home from work immediately, because I was seriously going to jump off the balcony. Well, we couldn’t leave work for a few more hours (did I mention that it’s already 6 PM at this point?), so I stuck her with my green beans stains and devil child.
So, what does this have to do with Robot songs?
A few minutes later Brian called and told me that he couldn’t come home early, but that there was something on KB that would make me really really happy. And he was right! Robot songs! Hurrah!
Don’t get me wrong, I am still totally totally pissed off about the whole carpet thing. But at least now I’ve got something to listen to while I clean the carpets. . .for the second time. Not that I’ll be able to hear it over the deafening droll of the steam cleaner. . .but still, I am cheered up more than a little bit to discover that I’m not the only one out there with an interest in robot songs. Where have you people been all my life?
Comment by Shannon Keeley — April 29, 2005 @ 9:09 pm
Oops… I was in such a rage and typing so fast that I made a bunch of errors and it sounds like I said I stuck her (my daughter) with the green beans and a devil child but really I was trying to say that I’M stuck HERE (at home) with the green bean stains and MY devil child. . .who is busy spreading her peanut butter sandwich on the kitchen floor while I blog. At least that is tile and easier to clean up than carpet. I hope that robot songs will cheer me up and will be much cheaper than therapy. Which I clearly need.
Speaking of robots, I just finished reading “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy†last night and the robot character Melvin was awesome. Does anyone know if Melvin has inspired any songs?
Comment by Shannon Keeley — April 29, 2005 @ 9:26 pm
As you all know by now I am severely challenged when it comes to typing and the previous entry should have said deafening DRONE instead of deafening DROLL, which makes no sense whatsoever. If only I had a ROBOT to do my typing for me I wouldn’t make such mistakes. Now my husband is finally home and it’s time to turn on the ROBOT tunes because he is going to help me re-clean that damn carpet. Wish they had a ROBOT for that.
Comment by Shannon Keeley — April 30, 2005 @ 12:25 am
Shannon, I’ll send you a copy of the robot mix along with that toddler mix I made you awhile ago, but you need to email me your address. susan@strangepulse.com
Comment by Susan M — April 30, 2005 @ 1:16 am
Shannon - there has been speculation that the title for “Paranoid Android” may be a reference to Marvin (see here and here).
I saw that movie last night, btw. It was pretty good. I laughed aloud quite a few times. I like the scenes with the Guide and there’s a hilarious jazzy song “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.” Marvin wasn’t at all how I pictured him. I thought the actors were well-cast. The book is much better though. Undoubtedly.
Comment by Heather P. — April 30, 2005 @ 4:17 pm
How about Guided by Voices, “Gold Star for Robot Boy”, off of Bee Thousand.
Comment by Greg — April 30, 2005 @ 5:37 pm
Susan…I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve actually listened to the radio blog, because I couldn’t resist robot songs, and these songs are AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon…may you coexist peacefully with the devil child. :o)
Comment by Karen — April 30, 2005 @ 10:54 pm
“It doesn’t work on me. I’m already a woman.”
Great movie, not as good as the books, and not as good as the BBC television miniseries, but I really liked it.
Glad you like the songs, Karen. No one can resist robots!
Comment by Susan M — May 1, 2005 @ 12:29 am
Susan– do you own Neil Young’s “Trans” or was “Transformer Man” pulled off a comp or something? If you own it…wow…you’re a better music person than I.
Comment by Pris — May 2, 2005 @ 11:32 am
A lot of these songs I got from a certain group of friends who own a TON of music. (*cough* gmail *cough*)
Comment by Susan M — May 2, 2005 @ 12:43 pm
Ok, it’s not a song, but I am compelled to link to the very first Strong Bad email.
Comment by Bryce I — May 2, 2005 @ 2:58 pm
My favorite robot song is probably “R2D2″ by Aphex Twin.
Comment by another — May 2, 2005 @ 11:34 pm
Some great robot music lists! I love the robot music too! Here are somne actual robots singing pop tunes - including Bohemiam Rhaposdy and Rapper’s Delite:
http://hatheadmusic.blogspot.com/2006/11/ll-r00-rd0.html
Comment by HatHead — October 8, 2005 @ 3:07 pm