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Confession time: My wife and I are totally and hopelessly enamored of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of the new HBO series, Flight of the Conchords.
If you haven’t seen the show, it’s sorta like Spinal Tap meets Napoleon Dynamite. Actually, it’s more than sorta like that, it’s very much like that, with two giant scoops of geek-ness on the side. So if you dig those two movies, or even one of them, chances are you’ll dig Conchords, too. HBO’s has entire episodes available for viewing on their website—but you really need to start with the pilot to understand the genius of this unique “digi-folk” duo.
Transplants from New Zealand, now living on the Lower East Side of NYC, trying to “make it,” Bret and Jemaine are the actual names of the two stars and co-creators of the series. In a sense then, it’s a little like a reality show, as well. Their geek-mockeries of different MTV video fashions rival those in Spinal Tap and their original tunes (which they’ve apparently been playing and perfecting for the last 5+ years) are side-splittingly quirky.
But enough of my yappin’—don’t believe everything you read here on the _floss… check out the free-styling Hip-hop-opotamus and Rhymenoceros in the clip below and learn a little about real hippos while you’re at it.
Hysterical! I’ve been watching since the pilot and I’m hooked! This coming from someone who watches very little TV. I just pray they don’t “fade to black” in the end. WTG HBO!
posted by nutshell on 7-11-2007 at 4:46 am
I’m equally hooked.
YouTube has a lot of their songs, most of which come from before their HBO show. Since it’s Wednesday, check out ‘Business Time.’
posted by pica on 7-11-2007 at 6:56 am
Thanks for the tip Pica! I just checked it out and forwarded the link to my wife. I just adore the harmonies in the chorus! Hi-larious. I also checked out the David Bowie paradoy… unreal.
posted by David on 7-11-2007 at 10:13 am
I’m from NZ and my friends and i used to go and watch them live at a small pub in wellington. they are fantastic. unfortunately, now that they have gone overseas to make it big (and share their brilliance with all of you) it means us kiwis are deprived of them. I don’t know how many months or years it will be before we get to see their HBO show. ‘Bowie’, ‘Frodo don’t wear the ring’ and ‘busness time’ are my favourites.
posted by Ruth on 7-11-2007 at 3:27 pm
I feel your pain Ruth! But how lucky you got to see ‘em close up and personal like. Maybe someday I’ll get to NZ and see what all the fuss is about, myself. I hear you have kiwis there the size of, well, kiwis!
posted by David on 7-11-2007 at 3:52 pm