Gigantic Robot Kills (2009)

Product Summary Label: OGLIO/FONTANA UPC: 00643397100320 Release Date: 2/24/2009 Buy.com Sku: 210663532 Item#: M4KHKS Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Where You Been Lars? ~ MC Lars 2. True Player For Real - (featuring Weird Al Yankovic/Wheatus) ~ MC Lars 3. Hipster Girl ~ MC Lars 4. It's Not Easy (Being Green) - (featuring Pierre Bouvier) ~ MC Lars 5. This Gigantic Robot Kills - (featuring Suburban Legends/MC Bat Commander) ~ MC Lars 6. No Logo - (featuring Jesse Dangerously) ~ MC Lars 7. 35 Laurel Drive ~ MC Lars 8. Twenty-Three - (featuring Amie Miriello) ~ MC Lars 9. Guitar Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Does Not Make You Slash) - (featuring Parry Gripp) ~ MC Lars 10. O.G. Original Gamer - (featuring MC Frontalot/Jonathan Coulton) ~ MC Lars 11. We Have Arrived - (featuring K. Flay/YT Cracker) ~ MC Lars 12. White Kids Aren't Hyphy ~ MC Lars 13. Hey There Ophelia - (featuring Gabe Saporta/Brett Anderson) ~ MC Lars 14. (Lord It's Hard To Be Happy When You're Not Using ) The Metric System ~ MC Lars   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info On THIS GIGANTIC ROBOT KILLS's opening track, "True Player for Real," a self-deprecatory parody of hip-hop brag-a-thons, MC Lars announces his "childhood hero" "Weird Al" Yankovic on accordion with a "this means we made it, guys." There's both intentional irony and genuine oh-my-gosh exuberance in his voice, a reaction that explains both essence and appeal of the hip-hop satirist from Berkeley. He's an expert at endearingly poking fun at fads and fops; the title track gently prods those who long for the days of third wave ska while "Hipster Girl" accurately depicts Brooklynites o.d.'ing on trendiness. THIS GIGANTIC ROBOT KILLS breaks little new ground, but that hardly matters as MC Lars is simply one of the best in the nerdcore biz and the record is pure candy fun. MC Lars is up to his usual tricks on full-length album number three, This Gigantic Robot Kills, a caffeine-addled mix of pop-punk, laptop rap, and smart aleck, tongue-in-cheek observation on everything from Brooklyn hipster girls and the green movement to Guitar Hero and the metric system. The title is borrowed from the late Wesley Willis, apparently a fan of Lars' past work (as the included sound bite testifies), who passed away before being able to use the name himself. They're some of his catchiest songs yet, though, and anyone who figured Lars' shtick would be burnt out by now should probably rethink their stance. It's the type of fun that's stupid in a smart way, a geek badge worn with pride next to true respect for every influence that's being thrown together to create genuinely infectious tracks. These disparate influences are evident right away, yet never feel strained, from the victorious opening rap of "True Player for Real," his "self-referential introduction song," that boasts a love for Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C., to the horn-rific title cut that details a gigantic robot taking out Orange County starlets in order to bring back the area's glory days of the '90s' third wave ska revival. As always, you've got to be up on post-millennial pop culture and fads to make sense of every phrase. But tucked in between uber-catchy melodies and burrow-in-your-head beats, there's luckily still plenty to enjoy outside of the smarmy lyrical jabs. It says something about MC Lars' skills, and ensures that This Gigantic Robot Kills rises above being just a set of rap-along tunes for those in the know. ~ Corey Apar Musical Guests Weird Al Yankovic Wheatus Pierre Bouvier Suburban Legends MC Bat Commander Jesse Dangerously Amie Miriello Parry Gripp MC Frontalot Jonathan Coulton K. Flay YT Cracker Gabe Saporta Brett Anderson   Compilation Appearances For The Kids Three Santa Cause Vol 2 Up End Atom:tribute To Atom And His P   Technical Info Release Date : 02/24/2009 Original Release Date : 2009 Catalog ID : OGL710032 Label : Oglio Records Number of Discs : 1 Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Stereo SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00643397100320   Professional Reviews Alternative Press (p.142) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The finest collaboration comes on 'O.G. Original Gamer,' which features fellow geeks MC Frontalot and Jonathan Coulton; the title track is a great example of nerdcore done right."