Smokey Robotic

The New York Post reports that Smokey Robotic is co-managed by Lohan’s brother, Mike. Everything the LiLo family touches seems to turn to shit and/or meth, but LiLo’s bro has something interesting here. If you like Ghostland Observatory and similar electro-quirk, this is your shit. The Halloween-nature of the video — which was clearly intentional in light of its timed release — is an odd move, in part because it gives the video limited relevance past next Monday. But if you have doubts of Smokey’s talent or versatility, just check out past videos — including the the beautifully done, cartoon animated “S.R.” – on themes of peace, war, race, etc — all amid a choir of serene, gospel-like voices. A comparison of the two songs and videos suggests the group knows exactly how to meld music genres to create something appealing, intriguing and eclectic — even if oddly bizarre. - newdust - indie music blog

Smokey Robotic made today's song; Data Romance tweaked it. I can't give you much information about Smokey Robotic, because they're one of those groups where every member goes by a stage name and the official band biography is a cutesy creation myth. ("The story goes that a woman walked in who was so shockingly beautiful, and somehow dangerous, that the bartender stuttered when he poured her a shot." Etc.) For what it's worth, I can tell you that Data Romance is a guy-and-girl production team from Vancouver, and that they do a nice job of turning Smokey Robotic's original track, a peppy rave-up, into something darker and more conflicted.

Smokey's version of "Outside the Lines" isn't bad, per se, but it doesn't have much more than one dimension: it's a song about going out and having a good time, and it's set to a bouncy, major-key dance beat. These elements aren't exactly in tension. Data Romance swaps out this music for a seething, New-Wave synth line and a snare mixed so low it barely registers. Somehow, this has the curious effect of making the singer sound like he doesn't actually want to hit the club tonight.

You can hear it on the opening lines—"Call on my brother, tell him pick me up and let's ride / It's Friday night, I'm twitching, I can't stay inside." The guy sounds glum, ambivalent, almost resigned to a night out; it's as though he knows the only thing worse than going out is staying in with himself. Suddenly this is a much more interesting song. Smokey Robotic's vision of uncomplicated fun has something to recommend it, but Data Romance's blend of desire and agitation feels closer to real life. - The Atlantic

The thing that makes Smokey Robotic's music such a joy to listen to is the curious mix of genres and styles that makes the groups 'sound'. For example you have the radio friendly "Outside The Lines (Uptown)", the reggae/ rock sounds of "Redzone" and the RnB/Hip Hop influences in "Most Beautiful". Which means that if ( as I did) you try to confine them to one genre then you will constantly be surprised... - Best In New Music

While the sweet sticky icky has always been a part of the hip-hop landscape, the last couple years has seen the elevation of marijuana rap into the mainstream. Well, since Smokey Robotic have already proven to be trendsetters, so maybe in another five years we’ll be hearing odes to needle pushing and the joys of Heroin. (Hey kids, that was a joke. Heroin’s some bad, bad stuff, unless you’re using it as a musical metaphor.)... - DJ Booth

Smokey Robotic is a bit of a challenge to understand, as the band forgoes regular biography in lieu of fantastic fabrications...

What can be said for sure is that the band is comfortable skirting genre to make futuristic collages in their music. “No Reality” is one such collage, an experiment with african rhythms and electronic synths provided by producers Konrad and !llmind...

Redman takes the imaginative quality of the song and matches it with a well timed flow. Add to all of it an insane piece of cover art by Archan Nair, and you’re left with is an ethereal dope package. - College DJ

Now there's tons of shit to do in the village, but every person that walked down the block was obviously going to their show. Their fans are such a different breed too. At least 3 different times in the 10 minutes I was outside I had a random person walk up to me and scream "Smokey?!!!" Again, I'm shocked that this is only their second show. You would think they lace their music with crack with the way these people were acting...

llmind and Konrad are the foundation, plain and simple. Did I mention that Konrad literally plays all the beats live? Oh, he can beatbox at the same fucking time too. I looked over and saw everybody watching him pick their jaws up off the floor, then roar with praise while screaming his name...

Most bands have to take baby steps to get to the top, but Smokey would rather do it his way by taking giant leaps from planet to planet and he'd love to take you along for a ride to another universe. So, get ready to blast off with them because they are not slowing down anytime soon. - Tatoo Hodge Podge

Watch out Hollywood -- there's a new Lohan in town. While Lindsay Lohan is wrapped up in her current legal woes, her younger brother Michael is getting into the acting game with a new short film, 'Razors and Balloons.'

Lindsay's brother, who is credited as Michael C. Lohan, stars in the five-minute black-and-white short set to a song.

The film features no dialogue but shows Lohan repeatedly spitting beer bottle caps from his mouth and moping around in a balloon-filled room. Actress Elba Sette-Camara briefly co-stars as an apparent lost love interest.

Proud big sis Lindsay promoted Michael and the film via Twitter yesterday.

"My lil brother Mike in this new short film!" she wrote, adding a link to the video.

Though her own career has taken a hit, Lindsay is excited for Michael's foray into acting, according to mom Dina Lohan.

"Lindsay thinks her brother is an incredible actor, and she is excited for him to join the business," Dina told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview. "We're working on a movie for him, and I am the executive producer."

Check out Michael C. Lohan in 'Razors and Balloons' below! - PopEater

Lindsay Lohan is facing a drought in her acting career right now but that didn’t stop her from promoting younger brother Michael Jr.’s short film -- and RadarOnline.com has the video.

“My lil brother Mike in this new short film!” Lindsay posted on her Twitter account Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Lindsay & Little Sister Ali Drive Around Santa Monica

Titled Razors and Balloons, the video is shot in black and white and has Michael, who goes by Michael C. Lohan in the credit, repeatedly spitting bottle caps out of his mouth – and losing a tooth at one point.

During the five minute film Michael even shows some skin, going shirtless at one point for a scene with his co-star, Elba Sette-Camera.

PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan's Rehab Retreat: Coffee & Cigarettes

As RadarOnline.com was first to report, Michael is keen on developing his acting career and even has a movie in the works.

"Lindsay thinks her brother is an incredible actor, and she is excited for him to join the business,” Dina Lohan told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview.

PHOTOS: Lindsay Gets Turned Away From a Party

"We're working on a movie for him, and I am the executive producer." - Radar Online

I am loving the sounds of Smokey Robotic. It was only a few days ago that we premiered their new video for "Outside The Lines (Uptown)" and already they have a shiny new video for new track "Forever My Love" for all of you to savour and enjoy.

I caught up with Seer and Konrad from Smokey Robotic to find out a little more about the song and video and this is what they had to say...

Seer: The song began in Brooklyn, traveled to Harlem and was completed somewhere in Vancouver, Canada. My love is forever...so it's only right that the name of the song is forever my love. As far as the video goes, I had a concussion in Mexico during the time it was shot. So, I don't have much to say about anything.

Konrad: The song was like the stars and the moon making love but this love consisted of me having to notch out frequencies of noise for hours on end. My love for engineering songs has truly suffered but was rekindled again when I saw the video. It's kind of like making a baby. Halfway through the pregnancy, you're just like "get this thing over with already!!!," then when it happens and you fall in love again. Overall, creating the song was like picking mangos in a ripe forest or like a shark being in love with a helicopter. The funny thing is, most of us were not in the United States when the video was filmed. Shout out to Pier Pictures! - EQ Music Blog