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Dead Kennedys meets Devo.

This is an overly simplistic yet disturbingly accurate description of the Los Angeles quintet Ima Robot. At their best, the band combines the ferocious speed and strange vibrato vocals of the Dead Kennedys with quirky bouncy melodies of Devo. They perfectly fit into that small group of new New Wave bands like Hot Hot Heat and The Faint, and when they're on, they're ON.

The problem is, Ima Robot isn't good enough to merit a full-length. Or at least, not yet. The one-two punch of openers "Dynomite" and "Song #1 (actually sequenced as the second song, natch)" grab attention with aggressive, driving bass lines and Alex Ebert's high pitched vocals that invite the aforementioned favorable comparison to Jello Biafra.

After those two songs, not much happens. There's a few mediocre pop songs ("Scream"), a nod to George Clinton funk ("Let's Talk Turkey") and relatively few other standouts. They relegate their best track, "Black Jettas" to the bonus area, tacking it on after the horrendous four minute-plus "What We Are Made From". Its a somewhat rewarding journey though, as "Black Jettas" is a great, snappy track that sounds like a disco song reinvented as the soundtrack to an old-school Nintendo game. Yeah, its a bit of a novelty, but its pretty damn fun.

The band has some potential, but their self-titled debut leaves much to be desired. Download "Black Jettas" and wait for "Ima Robot 2: Electric Boogaloo."






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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 3:41 PM (EST)
    My Score:

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    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 at 1:13 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    you're as cold as ice
    you're willing to sacrifice our love
    you never take advice
    but one day you'll pay the price i know

    -foreigner

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 2, 2003 at 5:04 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Eat shit and die
    Fuck your fucking lies
    Killing people overseas
    No given reason why

    -CUNT STAB (RIP 2003-2003)

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 7:53 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    find your own forum - lame. seriously, leave it to the pros.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 6:49 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Now you thought I was just 7-7-0, and 4-0-4?
    I’m worldwide, biiitch act like y’all know
    It’s the abominable-hoe man
    Glob-trot international postman
    Neighbor-dick dope man
    7-1-8’s, 2-0-2’s I send small cities and states
    Iou’s, 9-0-1, matter fact 3-0-5, I’ll jump off
    The g4, we can meet outside
    So control your hormones and keep your drawers on
    ’till I close the door and I’m jumpin your bones,
    3-1-2’s, 3-1-3’s (oh), 2-1-5’s, 8-0 tree’s (oh)
    Read your horoscope and eat some horderves
    Ten on pump one, these hoes is self serve, 7-5-7,
    4-1-0’s, my cell phone just overloads
    -LUDACRIS

    -MorphineSandwich

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 4:45 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    What's this shit called love?

    -The Pagans

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 5:49 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    we used SHAM already - get out.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 4:22 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    "oh but it's a sad reminder when your organ grider has to come to you for rent, and all you've got to give him is use of your sideshow tent"
    -dire straits

    why listen to pretend 80's shit when there's the real thing sitting right there in your parents' cd rack?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 1:09 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Hey! I can play too!

    "I wanna wanna wanna hold you tight/ Get teenage kicks right through the night!"

    The Undertones

    Or maybe:

    "If the kids are united/They will never be divided."

    Sham 69

    word.
    --Cos
    ("Getcher hands off of my woman mutherfucker!")

    Posted by exhaustra on 2003-11-30 21:51:58
    My Score:

    did someone really use the 'n' word?

    GO AWAY.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 30, 2003 at 6:40 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    He's an orgasm adict
    He's always at it
    -Buzzcocks

    Posted by FortyMinutesWest on 2003-11-30 04:10:28
    My Score:

    Ber ner ner ner ner ner ner!

    -Deuling Banjos

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 29, 2003 at 10:59 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    AGGRESSAO, REPRESSAO!!!

    -RDP

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 29, 2003 at 8:56 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    dude serioously, what the fuck is going on

    Posted by funkisdead on 2003-11-29 20:23:58
    My Score:

    This is by far the strangest series of comments, ever.
    Yes, ever.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 28, 2003 at 1:36 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Warriors...You never forget the warriors...Warrioriors
    -BLITZ

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 28, 2003 at 12:44 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    im a dumb nigger

    - person whos typing all these lyrics

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 7:48 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Even a man who is pure at heart
    And says his prayers at night
    Can become a werewolf when the wolfbane blooms
    And the autumn moon is bright
    -GBH

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 5:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Sing, brotha, sing,
    We got no more gigs

    -Sub/Hum/Ans

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 5:43 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Can't you see the writing on the wall?
    No you can't cos there's nothing there at all.
    -THE THREATS

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 5:30 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Ain't no feeble bastard who believes every word they say.

    -DISCHARGE

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 3:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I'm antisocial - I like to spit
    I'm antisocial - Don't care who I hit
    I'm antisocial - I like to swear
    I'm antisocial - And I don't care!
    -CRIMINAL CLASS

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 2:39 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    British Army, blow'em up!

    -CHAOS UK

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 1:32 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Terrorist attack get the SAS!
    -Varukers

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 12:16 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    TERRORIST ATTACK!

    -Broken Bones

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 12:11 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Through the corners of our eyes
    We can see them pass us by
    Looking at us, but not talking to us...
    -SHAM 69

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 12:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    We don't care what you say- Fuck you!

    -DOA

    Posted by i-type-poorly on 2003-11-27 11:11:56
    My Score:

    That album cover tries way to hard to be 80's. This band is stipid.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 27, 2003 at 6:30 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Where have all the bootboys gone?
    -SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 11:38 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    yes, we know, streetpunk lyrics are retarded. now who is the guy from beck's band who is not justin medal johnson.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 7:47 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Killing Machine!

    -The Partisans

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 3:12 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Why, why, why do they die - why do they live at all?
    -SKEPTIX

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 3:06 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I see it your eyesssssssssss

    -PiL

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 3:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    We hate your sloppy music
    We love to sing some punk
    SO STUFF YOUR FUCKING DISCOS
    Way up where they belong!

    -INFA-RIOT

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 1:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Fashion you must change,
    to keep up with the trend!
    the money you have saved up
    is coming to an end!

    -chaos uk

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 11:42 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    i know about justin medal johnson, but who is the other guy from beck's band?

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 11:26 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Smash the discos, smash 'em up!
    -The Business

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 6:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I see someone ELSE listens to KCRW...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 6:32 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    oh, this band freatures becks rhythm section.

    -travis

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 5:23 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    don't tell him!

    Posted by superdude on 2003-11-25 15:58:45
    My Score:

    This review was good, but here's how I would make it better:

    1. Is it Ima, who is a robot, or is there someone saying, "Hey, I am a robot!"?

    2. Jeez, I'd sure like to know

    3. Also, the song 'Lets Talk Turkey,' is that someone saying to another person, "Let's talk turkey," or someone saying to another person, "Let's talk (you), turkey!" or is it someone saying to a turkey, "Let's talk, turkey."?

    3. Boy, I'd like to know

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 3:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    why does major labels sign this crap?

    is it because the word is that this type of music is hip, but it in reality it's not really that hip and doesn't sell any records?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 2:19 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Yeah, definetly some potential behind this band.

    Posted by travis on 2003-11-25 12:28:07
    My Score:

    i dont agree with your score, but i agree that Black Jettas is the best song on this album. I like the first two songs a lot too.

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