YSLAR Updates: September ‘10

Another month has passed and September is finally upon us. You know what that means… Dragon*Con!

I will be leaving tomorrow for the weekend long convention and I won’t be back until the middle of next week. I will try to put together a good review like I did last year upon my return. Throughout this weekend you can follow my events via Twitter (@skittle61). Check for the #dragoncon hashtag.


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More from... Dragon*Con

MP3: The Crüxshadows, “Resist/R”

On yesterday’s date, August 28, in the year of 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. made one of the most memorable speeches in modern American history. He had a dream. It seems like a good time to post one of my favorite tracks from Dragon*Con regulars The Crüxshadows which features a sample of the great dialogue.

Is it entirely relevant to add a picture of Rogue with a plethora of bananas in his ear? Maybe not. But the band will be present throughout the convention this weekend and will perform Sunday night. Surely, you will be in attendance as well. I know I will be! The song featured below is called “Resist/R” and it is from their 2002 album Wishfire. They haven’t played it live in a while, but I still think it stands as a good track. You may also be wondering why I didn’t just post this yesterday on the actual anniversary of MLK’s speech. Well, I didn’t want to steal Glenn Beck’s thunder. Because he’s totally not into that.


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More from... Dragon*Con, The Crüxshadows

MP3: Voltaire, “Goodnight Demonslayer”

No Dragon*Con would be the same without Voltaire in attendance. In addition to his big show Saturday night in the Marriott he will also be DJing the Dawn Look A Like contest and present at a number of panels. This year he is also bringing two new CDs with him. Firstly, he has recorded a collection of original country songs titled Hate Lives In A Small Town.

While you may imagine this as a stretch from the staple of the “Goth scene” he has managed to put together some pretty good songs in dedication to the genre without ever really mocking it in any way. The album was originally slated as a solo acoustic venture with Voltaire and his trusty guitar, however it has since evolved into a fully orchestrated piece. Most of the drums are provided by a familiar name, Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls fame. Other contributing musicians are Glenn Sorino, Ken Zwerin on upright bass, Frank Morin on guitar, and Smith Curry on steel guitar and banjo. Check after the break for a tracklisting as well as information on Spooky Songs For Creepy Kids and an mp3.


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More from... Dragon*Con, Voltaire

MP3: The Gypsy Nomads, “Make Out”

Based out of New York, The Gypsy Nomads are a duo borrowing sounds from Celtic, cabaret, and gypsy influences. If you listen carefully some of guitarist Scott Helland’s punk background becomes evident as well.

The other half of this duo, appropriately referred to as “Frenchy and the Punk”, is Samantha Stephenson. The French born vocalist and percussionist contributes her voice to the music in both English and French languages, oftentimes within the same song. The two will be performing Thursday night in the Atrium ballroom at this year’s Dragon*Con, I believe, however they plan to stay and mingle throughout the full weekend. They are promoting their latest full length released this year known as Happy Madness. Check out the leading track from the new disc after the break, a raunchy number titled “Make Out”.


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More from... Dragon*Con, The Gypsy Nomads

MP3: Ego Likeness, “The Devils In The Chemicals”

Friends of You Sound Like A Robot, Steve and Donna of Ego Likeness, will be present at this year’s Dragon*Con. They will be hanging around the full weekend, however their show has been scheduled for Friday night in the Hyatt.

They are currently setting out on a tour along the East coast through the rest of this month, the dates of which can be seen below. West coast dates will likely happen throughout October after the convention has ended. Fans of Steven Archer’s artwork will be pleased to know that while at the con he plans to bring some larger pieces in addition to the smaller ones that normally grace the band’s merch table. Their latest album is called Breedless and is actually a pretty epic collection of songs. Give one of my favorite tracks a listen after the break. It is a pretty intense piece known as “The Devils In The Chemicals”.


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More from... Dragon*Con, Ego Likeness

VIDEO: mc chris, “i heart drugs”

Well the contest mentioned previously put on by mc chris has come to an end and a winner has been announced.

Many videos were entered in the contest, try a YouTube search for “mc chris i heart drugs” if you’d like to check out the other entries. The new official video for the song was created by Skititlez, a fellow prominent member of the official mc chris boards. Though he may have a similar nickname to yours truly I will admit that he is far beyond me in animation skills. Watch the video after the break and as a reminder you can get the mp3 for “i heart drugs” in this previous entry.


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More from... mc chris

YSLAR Updates: August ‘10

Is it August already? Well that means Dragon*Con is only about a month away! Other good news is that the devastating oil spill brought on by BP’s oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is in the process of being sealed for good. Thanks to a capping mechanism the flow was mostly cut late last month. The oil still flowed for nearly three months and new estimates put the disaster as the worst unintentional oil spill in history.

That’s right. With estimates now totaling around five million barrels or over two hundred gallons of oil unleashed into the water it has far exceeded previous accidental oil spills throughout history. The previous largest spill, also in the Gulf of Mexico, was that of the Ixtoc I in 1979. Basically… our problems are not over, nor will they be for generations to come.


Check back to You Sound Like A Robot throughout the month for new contests and postings about the attending bands of this year’s Dragon*Con. Plus other cool stuff, of course.


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MP3: mc chris, “i heart drugs”

One of a kind hip hopper mc chris released a new track the other day. It is actually a parody of Ke$ha’s popular “Your Love Is My Drug”. This song is instead on ode to inebriates and the things that they do called “i heart drugs”.

In the track mc chris explains “I love, I love, I love doing drugs” and on a final note “I hate my beard.” If you haven’t heard the original version, check out this YouTube video. Give the “i heart drugs” mp3 a listen after the break. There is also a fan video contest in the works. The winner gets a shopping spree to the store at mcchris.com. For more information on that, check out mc’s Facebook.


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More from... mc chris

VIDEO: Gogol Bordello, “Pala Tute”

The newest album from gypsy punk rockers Gogol Bordello has spawned its first music video. The opening track from Trans-Continental Hustle, “Pala Tute”, is the subject of the clip.

The band’s members are of various nationalities, most of which stemming from the Eastern Europe area. Eugene Hütz, vocalist and centerpiece throughout Gogol Bordello’s career, immigrated from Ukraine eventually landing stateside in 1991. With a few independent releases behind them they signed with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings to release Trans-Continental Hustle as their major label debut. The video for “Pala Tute” is actually a beautiful one combining clay animation with live action and computer graphics in an awe-inspiring piece of eye candy. Watch it after the break.


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More from... Gogol Bordello

MP3: Kellee Maize, “Mothership”

Kellee Maize is a female emcee based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has garnered a lot of attention using the almighty power of the internet to her advantage. It’s no wonder she’s become one of the top in her genre, she has a lot of talent.

Kellee’s latest album Aligned Archetype has been made available for free on her website as well as Amazon mp3. Check out the widget below to snag yourself a copy. It’s sure worth checking out. The track below is one from the new disc, a piece titled “Mothership”. She explains that the song is about “how the world is transforming spiritually right before our eyes.” Check it out with the rest of the album when you download it.


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More from... Kellee Maize