The Boston Globe
HAL-9000 not invited
By Jim Sullivan, Globe Staff, 2/23/2004
"Quirky" is an overused term in rock criticism and can be interpreted favorably or negatively. In the case of the Los Angeles-based quintet
Ima Robot (right), it's meant in the most positive sense. First, they're not the offspring of Kraftwerk and Grace Jones; hence, they're
not particularly robotic. What they are are busy little glam rock/
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new wave beavers with riffs and vocals buzzing every which way, reminiscent of Sparks, Devo, David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Human Sexual Response, to
name just a few. They're clever, danceable, and melodic. You can hear all of that on their self-titled CD. The guitarist goes by the name Timmy
the Terror. Ima Robot includes Beck's rhythm section, bassist Justin Meldal-Johnson and drummer Joey Waronker. Their singer, Alex Ebert, has
described his fears and joys this way: "I'm inspired by and haunted by ceilings" and "I find myself more and more attracted to
toilets that flush with only a light push." Making this an even cooler bill are tourmates the Sounds and Kill Hannah. It's at Axis, starts
at 7 p.m., is for all ages, and costs $13.13 Lansdowne St., 617-262-2437.
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