Following in the footsteps of my Northern Cali co-hort, Logan 5, I present RobotSound's first "threesie," i.e. 3 songs mixed together, accompanied by some thoughtful and often witty commentary. Only I didn't really bother mixing these songs together, instead favoring the "radio technique." Maybe next time =P

For the theme I chose three cheesy songs that got plenty of airplay during my favorite decade, the 80's. Now I'm sure my no-longer-co-worker friend Qwiki would completely disapprove of this post, seeing that he operates under the false assumption that the 80's were musically inferior to the 90's [yah...right], plus, he doesn't particularly care for electronic remakes of 80's pop songs [like, what-ever]. In retrospect however, even while these tunes are obviously products of their time, they have survived the last 20 or so years and have justifiably achieved "classic" status.

Our first track - Bangkok Impact's cover of Esther "Oldfrapp" Ritchie's Like A Virgin. Probably the most tongue-in-cheek of the selections, this version will have you singing along karaoke-style. The rest of the EP it's on, Masters of the Universe, has three other funky electro disco tracks sure to devastate any dancefloor. Now go join your local Kabbalah Center, you meshuggenah goy.

Track 2, ZZ Top's Legs, comes to us via Like A Tim featuring the vocals of the lovely Gina V. D'Orio. This came out in 1998 on the "Yeah Right" LP. This team collaborated once again for Like A Tim's Bass Girl LP which features classic American lovesongs from the 50's and 60's redone with only her vocals, a 303 and some string-y synths. It is both beautiful and haunting.

And finally, the last track is a very faithful rendition of The Sisters of Mercy's Corrosion [aka "Hey Now, Hey Brown Cow"] performed by GDX aka Gerard D. Luxxe. Gerard wears his passion for seminal 80's alterna-bands on his sleeve as he turns in lots of Bernard Sumner/Ian Curtis-sounding vocals on his albums. Another one of his covers to look out for is his take on Martin Gore's take on Compulsion which appears on Suction Records's Snow Robot Vol. 3 compilation. Check out Interdimensional Transmission's online store where you can get your hands on many GD Luxxe and friends' products.

Now before you listen to this mix, please ensure you're equipped with the proper period accessories [rubber bracelets, fishnets, cut-off finger gloves, leg warmers, miniskirts, stiletto heals, big hair, and heavy eyeliner]. Thank you and enjoy. Stay tuned for Vol. 2.