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Ima Robot
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>In the 1990s, singer/rapper <a href="/facts/Alex_Ebert/PYWN43Ib">Alex Ebert</a> and guitarist Tim "Timmy the Terror" Anderson worked together under various names including 13's Lucky, The Window Club, and Eiffel Tower Window Masters before deciding on the band name Ima Robot. The phrase "Ima Robot" came from an inside joke between members of the band, which Ebert has stated "was something that we thought was really, really, really, really funny, and I can't, for the life of me, remember why."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> In 1997, the duo recruited keyboardist/bassist Oliver "Oligee" Goldstein. The trio would perform with various frequently changing members until they recruited drummer Rich Lambert in December 2000 and bassist <a href="/facts/Justin_Meldal-Johnsen/duyNAmVS">Justin Meldal-Johnsen</a> in November 2001. The band recorded numerous untitled demo CDs through the late 90s and early 2000s. </p> <h3>Signing with Virgin Records</h3> <p>In mid- to late-2002, Ima Robot was signed to <a href="/facts/Virgin_Records/FJy6Thzc">Virgin Records</a>. As Ebert described, the first thing <a href="/facts/Virgin_Records/FJy6Thzc">Virgin Records</a> Chairman/CEO said about the band: "The first thing <a href="/facts/Matt_Serletic/P76mfucR">Matt Serletic</a> said was that seeing us was like seeing <a href="/facts/The_Ramones/8zAUgpW7">the Ramones</a> for the first time, and that he felt this kind of energy that we needed to capture and not try to gloss and glean over."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Lambert was let go the day after the band was signed and was replaced by studio drummer <a href="/facts/Joey_Waronker/yoBTtGyS">Joey Waronker</a>. </p> <h3><i>Ima Robot</i></h3> <p>On September 16, 2003, Ima Robot released their first full-length <a href="/facts/Album/C3kkyHHT">album</a>, the self-titled <i><a href="/facts/Ima_Robot_(album)/jsdFW0Ij">Ima Robot</a></i>. The album featured the singles "Dynomite" and "Song #1" (released in the <a href="/facts/UK/kuPAILt2">UK</a> only). </p><p>In 2004, Waronker and "Oligee" left the band. Meldal-Johnsen followed in 2005, with former <a href="/facts/Oleander_(band)/PR3ufkI9">Oleander</a> drummer <a href="/facts/Scott_Devours/K8aLNwgQ">Scott Devours</a>. Tim Anderson's cousin, whom he had never met before Devours, auditioned and took over the drums. Filip Nikolić took over the bass and Andy Marlow started playing the keyboards. In the process of writing their second album, the band recorded the EP "Search and Destroy", which they released and distributed independently at shows starting on April 5, 2006. </p> <h3><i>Monument to the Masses</i></h3> <p>On September 12, 2006, they released their second album <i><a href="/facts/Monument_to_the_Masses/Rw4MsLrq">Monument to the Masses</a></i>, which featured the singles "Creeps Me Out" and "Lovers in Captivity". </p> <h3>Departure from Virgin Records and post-departure</h3> <p>In April 2007, the band won their independence from Virgin Records and continued to work unsigned under the management of Alexis Rivera of Echo Park Records. The song "Gangster" premiered on the band's <a href="/facts/MySpace/dES860Ro">MySpace</a> on April 15, 2008, with its lyrics posted in a blog entry by the band.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> In 2010 the band announced the upcoming release of their new album, <i>Another Man's Treasure</i>, and released the song "Ruthless" on the Internet. </p><p>Ebert remained frustrated with Virgin, saying in a 2016 interview with Transverso Media that, "pretty unironically I ended up feeling like a robot by the end of the process because of the major label thing."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> During that period, they were being represented by the Werewolf Heart label.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>In June 2008, Lars Vognstrup joined the group, having previously played with Nikolić in the band <a href="/facts/Junior_Senior/C8qjFUkT">Junior Senior</a>. In 2009, <a href="/facts/Orpheo_McCord/QePJ2DRT">Orpheo McCord</a> (of <a href="/facts/Edward_Sharpe_and_the_Magnetic_Zeros/8aQf6Vna">Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros</a> and of <a href="/facts/Fool%2527s_Gold_(band)/dH4o8NNU">Fool's Gold</a>), Jason "ComputerJay" Taylor, and Jonas Petri Megyessi joined the band. </p><p>On January 6, 2011, the band played six songs live on <a href="/facts/KCRW/FjJ2N5kS">KCRW</a>'s <a href="/facts/Morning_Becomes_Eclectic/HnDKSmQJ">Morning Becomes Eclectic</a>. This was the first time since <i>Monument to the Masses</i> tours that the new band lineup had played live. Ima Robot's B-side "Greenback Boogie" from the album <i><a href="/facts/Another_Man%2527s_Treasure/s67gDFr7">Another Man's Treasure</a></i> was featured as the theme song of the USA Network legal drama, <i>Suits</i>, for its full duration from 2011–2019. </p><p>The band has been inactive since 2011 as its members have been busy with side projects. Alex Ebert has stated that he is "still in Ima Robot."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="band-members">Band members</h2> <h3>Current</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Alex_Ebert/PYWN43Ib">Alex Ebert</a> – <a href="/facts/Lead_vocals/tGyTlaQe">lead vocals</a> (1998–Present)</li> <li>Timmy "The Terror" Anderson – <a href="/facts/Guitar/QIJdTYa6">guitar</a> (1998–Present)</li> <li>Filip "Turbotito" Nikolić – <a href="/facts/Bass_guitar/lbeoAatH">bass guitar</a> (2004–Present)</li> <li>Jason "One Three/Computer Jay" Taylor – <a href="/facts/Keyboard_instrument/zVUA9QNG">keyboards</a> (2001, 2009–Present)</li> <li>Jonas Petri Megyessi – <a href="/facts/Guitar/QIJdTYa6">guitar</a>, <a href="/facts/Percussion/YojwA7VR">percussion</a> (2009–Present)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Orpheo_McCord/QePJ2DRT">Orpheo McCord</a> – <a href="/facts/Drums/XsmopoW9">drums</a> (2009–Present)</li></ul> <h3>Past</h3> <ul><li>Rich Lambert – <a href="/facts/Drum_kit/XsmopoW9">drums</a> (2000–2002)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Joey_Waronker/yoBTtGyS">Joey Waronker</a> – <a href="/facts/Drums/XsmopoW9">drums</a> (2003–2004)</li> <li>Oliver "Oligee" Goldstein – <a href="/facts/Keyboard_instrument/zVUA9QNG">keyboard</a>, <a href="/facts/Guitar/QIJdTYa6">guitar</a> (1998–2004)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Justin_Meldal-Johnsen/duyNAmVS">Justin Meldal-Johnsen</a> – <a href="/facts/Bass_guitar/lbeoAatH">bass guitar</a> (2001–2004)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Scott_Devours/K8aLNwgQ">Scott Devours</a> – <a href="/facts/Drums/XsmopoW9">drums</a> (2005–2009)</li> <li>Andy Marlow – <a href="/facts/Keyboard_instrument/zVUA9QNG">keyboards</a>, (2005–2008)</li> <li>Lars Vognstrup – <a href="/facts/Keyboard_instrument/zVUA9QNG">keyboards</a>, (2008–2009)</li></ul> <h2 id="discography">Discography</h2> <h3>Studio albums</h3> <ul><li>Untitled <a href="/facts/Demo_(music)/tLBdlyPb">Demo</a> Album (1999)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Ima_Robot_(album)/jsdFW0Ij">Ima Robot</a></i> (September 16, 2003)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Monument_to_the_Masses/Rw4MsLrq">Monument to the Masses</a></i> (September 12, 2006)</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Another_Man%2527s_Treasure/s67gDFr7">Another Man's Treasure</a></i> (October 19, 2010)</li></ul> <h3>EPs</h3> <ul><li>Various Untitled <a href="/facts/Demo_(music)/tLBdlyPb">Demo</a> CDs (199?-2002)</li> <li>"Black Jettas" (LP) (June 19, 2003)</li> <li>"Public Access EP" (CD/LP) (June 20, 2003)</li> <li>"Song #1" (EP) – (March 22, 2004)</li> <li>"Alive" (EP) – (2004) – Radio Only</li> <li>"Search And Destroy" (EP) (2006) – Sold only at shows originally and came free with the purchase of "Another Man's Treasure" from the band's website in 2010.</li></ul> <h3>Singles</h3> <ul><li>"Dynomite" (Maxi Single) (CD/LP) (September 2003)</li> <li>"Creeps Me Out" (June 13, 2006) – Digital Only</li> <li>"Gangster" (April 15, 2008<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a>) – Digital Only</li> <li>"Ruthless" (June 2010<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>) – Digital Only</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000080782">Ima Robot</a> at <a href="/facts/AllMusic_(identifier)/Hb8cU8Fb">AllMusic</a> </li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Ima Robot". Billboard. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68477/ima-robot." target="_blank">https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68477/ima-robot.</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Ima Robot". Billboard. <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68477/ima-robot" target="_blank">https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68477/ima-robot</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Ima Robot Biography | Ima Robot Bio & History". Xfm. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120315214626/http://www.xfm.co.uk/artists/ima-robot/biography" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120315214626/http://www.xfm.co.uk/artists/ima-robot/biography</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Edward Sharpe Is Dead: Alex Ebert on The Magnetic Zeros' Pursuit of Failure, Identity, and Unrealism — TRANSVERSO". Transversomedia.com. April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2020. <a href="http://www.transversomedia.com/articles/edward-sharpe-and-the-magnetic-zeros-alex-ebert-new-interview-persona" target="_blank">http://www.transversomedia.com/articles/edward-sharpe-and-the-magnetic-zeros-alex-ebert-new-interview-persona</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Another Man's Treasure". Imarobot.com. Retrieved January 10, 2013. <a href="http://imarobot.com/" target="_blank">http://imarobot.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"TUNERS". Tuners.io. Retrieved October 24, 2018. <a href="https://tuners.io/tracks/6844" target="_blank">https://tuners.io/tracks/6844</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Ima Robot. Latest Albums". Mtv.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071222185950/http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ima_robot/albums.jhtml" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071222185950/http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/ima_robot/albums.jhtml</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Another Man's Treasure". Imarobot.com. Retrieved January 10, 2013. <a href="http://www.imarobot.com" target="_blank">http://www.imarobot.com</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>