Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A

Doctor Popular is the artistic equivalent of an atom bomb; his scope is broad and his effect astounding. Whether he's drawing comics , dropping rhymes , bending circuits , or letting a yo-yo fly , he always brings two things: quality and creativity. To say that I'm a fan is an understatement.
Doc is also one of the nicest cats you'd ever want to meet. He's not merely friendly, he's genuinely pleasant. He is an independent thinker, a man of principle, and, luckily enough, a fellow lover of all things robot.
Doc and I try and keep tabs on each other's endeavors. We exchange emails and read each other's blogs and generally try to be supportive and helpful. And when we realized that both of us were on the same track with our respective podcasts, it only made sense to combine our efforts.
Submitted for your approval is my half of a project we've dubbed Robot Friends – in homage, if you must know, to one of my favorite Drown Radio tracks – and I hope you find it to your liking. Though Doc Pop and I collaborated concerning theme and set lists, our work was mostly independent. After all, we didn't want to ruin the surprise for one other!
This edition of Radio Free Hipster is centered squarely on robots. It contains songs by, about, and referencing androids, cyborgs, bionic men, and hi-tech beasties of all description. It's dedicated to all the technological marvels and fantastic figures that have fascinated, motivated, and scared the hell out of me since my childhood. It's also dedicated to Doc and to all you out there, to everyone who takes part in this fantastic community of like-minded misfits that an eerily similar technology has afforded.
Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A [ mirror provided by Antisocial ] Size: 40.5 MB Running Time: 44:19

Show Notes

Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy ) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
Is this my favorite song of the podcast even though it ain't robot related? I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

Track 1: Optimus Rhyme – “Super Shiny Metal”
“ Man, I love that kid. That bot's got super shiny metal! ”

Z's 1 st interlude: “Everything from benevolent automatons to skull-crushing killing machines.”
I love how robots can play such disparate roles; they can be saviors or enslavers. Robots are just like people. Only shinier.

Track 2: Emotron – “1989”
Emotron songs tend to go there own way after a point. Which, I guess, is how you go from robots to Helen Keller to urinary incontinence. Did I mention he catches his dick on fire?

Track 3: Tenacious D (dialogue) / 1337 GEEK BEAT – “ Hutzumi ” / $6 Million Man Theme
How could I do a robot themed podcast without including MC Router? She's like our very own bad-ass Borg Queen !

Track 4: Chris Taylor – “ Robots Are Great ”
This is not, as far as I know, the same Chris Taylor who developed Dungeon Siege , but we can pretend if you want.

Track 5: 8bit – “ You Ain't No Robot ”
I am currently working under the assumption that 8bit are, in fact, a Bizarro World version of Emergency Pizza Party . I'm just sayin'.

Track 6: Cartman & Butters (dialogue) / Drown Radio – “ Robot Friend ”
After Robot Friends has concluded, Doc is doing a podcast about sex. He is a complicated man.

Track 7: Futuristic Sex Robotz – “The Positronic Pimp”
Once again, this track was a no-brainer. You can't talk robots without talking Robotz!

Z's 2 nd interlude: “Z. is Transformers fanboy.”
Guilty as charged.

Track 8: MEATBEE – “ Theme from Transformers ”
I found this track by accident. Behold the glory of the Intertubes!

Track 9: Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” / The Kleptones – “ Love Song for Yoshimi ”
Okay, so the Kleptones track ain't exactly robotical. It is, however, fan-fuckin'-tastic. (Plus, it enabled me to sneak a mash-up in there.)

Track 10: Johnny 5 (dialogue) / Captured By Robots – “ Speed Food Pyramid ”
When one tries to craft servile automatons to do ones musical bidding, one sometimes has one's guts cut out and becomes enslaved by the aforementioned. Let this serve as a warning.

Track 11: Interrobang Cartel – “ The Robot Song (Data Version) ”
?! Cartel is part Song Fight! , part artistic collective, all awesome.

Track 12: The Protomen – “ Will of One ”
Am I the only one who finds The Protomen's take on the Mega Man story to be astoundingly poignant?

Z's final interlude: “I'm going out with an exclusive track by Rai Kamishiro .”
I'm a big fan of Rai, and she makes it a point to leak a new track to me now and again, to throw me a bone, as it were.

Track 13: Rai – “Mechanical World”
She's actually Mechagodzilla , in case you didn't know, so her inclusion was mandatory. I really dig this track, and I'd like to publicly thank both Rai and her esteemed producer Karl Olson for allowing me to premiere it here.

I grew up in a robot-heavy era. Maybe that explains my fascination. Or maybe it has to do with what robots represent; a creation cast in man's own image, created to thrive where mankind has floundered, a creation both independent of and ultimately reliant upon a flawed creature. It's quite poetic, actually. Almost biblical.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to see what Doctor Popular has done with his half of the project . You can come with. In fact, I insist that you do.