I’m a bit miffed that it’s a stuffed zebra. Where’s the fun and danger in that? Mind you, given that the video is an horrific assault assault on the eyes, it’s probably for the best that any real animals were kept away from the set.
While it’s nice to see Rihanna nod to the calypso and soca music of her native Barbados, I can’t take the song seriously when the bridge so obviously steals the lyrical conceit of the following song:
Sad news – Flight Of The Conchords have decided not to make a third (or fourth, or fifth, or sixth) series of their HBO musicomedy series.
A statement posted on the band’s official website said: “We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a 3rd season.
“We’re very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it.
“While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist.”
In a way, we’re happy. The second series wasn’t as quotable, or as likely to reduce us to fits of tittery giggles, as the first. But even when they weren’t firing on all cylinders, Flight Of The Conchords managed to rescue the comedy song genre from the likes of Katy “stating the obvious” Brand, Chris “tedious wordplay” Moyles and Peter “these aren’t jokes, they’re stories I heard down the pub” Kay. Long may their influence last.
It’s the Flight Of The Conchords crew at the Emmys. Hooray!
* Apart from the time Brangelina blanked Ryan Seacrest, who was running after them windmill-style, shouting “Brad! Angelina! Brad! Angelina! Brad!” like a broken Hollywood alarm clock.
Sorry the blog’s been a bit underpopulated for the last couple of days – I’ve been poorly sick. But here’s a few things you might have missed (or seen elsewhere while I was away, natch).
:: Is this the biggest battle of the pop divas in the history of the cosmos?
Big guns Britney, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera and Alesha Dixon (and Leona Lewis) all have singles out this week, while Girls Aloud have squeezed out their fifth studio album. Chart-wise, it looks like X Factor’s not-quite-as-awful-as-you’d-expect version of Hero will be number one again, with Girls Aloud’s The Promise at two and Beyonce’s gramatically-incorrect If I Were A Boy at three. Meanwhile, Out Of Control looks set to beat Razorlight to the top of the album charts, giving Girls Aloud their first ever non-compilation number one. Amazing. [More on the midweeks at Music Week]
:: Jamelia has a comeback single, Break It Down, Tear It Up. It’s miles better than the confused mess of her last album – but is it good enough to put her back where she belongs (somewhere between The Saturdays and McFly on the bill for T4 on the Beach)? The jury is out. [listen / download]
:: Another track from the Killer’s new album, Day & Night, has leaked. No surprises here: Too many synths, Brandon Flowers not very good at singing, the track itself = brilliant.
:: It’s like a blogger’s wet dream – M.I.A. covers the theme tune to The Wire. Sadly, it’s rubbish. [Youtube (youtube)]
:: Is this a new Justin Timberlake single? Hmmm… it sounds a bit like a FutureSex/LoveSounds cast-off to me.
:: The NME has published its annual “cool list” – with entries for Jay-Z, Liam Gallagher, Amy Winehouse and, er, Peter Gabriel. The number one slot, as is customary, goes to someone the NME is trying to justify having put on their front page in April, despite the fact they’ve made absolutely no impact on anyone, anywhere in the intervening six months. This year, it’s Alice Glass from Crystal Castles (they’re like the Human League with all the tunes taken out). As Stereogum points out, the NME have once again confused “cool” with “notorious”. [Stereogum]
:: A Kiss Is Not A Contract – but a baby is a life sentence (in a good way, obviously). Flight Of The Conchords star Jemaine Clement is a dad. Congratulations. [3 News, New Zealand]
:: Lukewarm S Club 7 reunion is lukewarm. [Popjustice]
:: Oh yes, and there was a completely historic, paradigm-shifting, momentous election in the US. Barack Obama is President elect (Yay!!!) and Will.i.am has written a song about it (woop!). And so has Nas (respect) and so has Seal (er, hooray?!)
Here is some good news: Flight Of The Conchords, the New Zealand comedic musical duo, who are not as bad as that description makes them sound, are releasing an album!
Featuring fifteen completely re-recorded songs from their HBO telvision series (literally the best thing on television all last year), it comes out on 22nd April.
You can pre-order on Amazon, and the tracklisting is as follows: Foux du Fafa Inner City Pressure Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros Think About It Ladies of the World Mutha’uckas The Prince of Parties Leggy Blonde Robots Boom A Kiss Is Not a Contract The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room) Business Time Bowie Au Revoir
Bad news: It’s missing the sublime Jenny. Good news: Jenny is all up on that youtube (youtube) thusly:
PS Subpop records is giving away a free download of Ladies Of The World on their media pages. When will the governments realize it’s got to be funky sexy ladies?
I am going away for Christmas now. At least part of it will be spent in prison*.
Normal service will be resumed next weekend, when I’ll run-down the annual totally unbiased Discopop Directory Top 10 albums or singles of 2007 (I haven’t decided which to do first).
In the meantime, here’s a seasonally inappropriate clip from my favourite comedy discovery of the year, BBC Four’s musical spoof show Flight Of The Conchords. In this scene, guitarist Brett is angry at being replaced in his band by a flash-in-the-pan bongos player, and works out his anger in the style of a 1980s Jerry Bruckheimer movie.
I am going away for Christmas now. At least part of it will be spent in prison*.
Normal service will be resumed next weekend, when I’ll run-down the annual totally unbiased Discopop Directory Top 10 albums or singles of 2007 (I haven’t decided which to do first).
In the meantime, here’s a seasonally inappropriate clip from my favourite comedy discovery of the year, BBC Four’s musical spoof show Flight Of The Conchords. In this scene, guitarist Brett is angry at being replaced in his band by a flash-in-the-pan bongos player, and works out his anger in the style of a 1980s Jerry Bruckheimer movie.
Sad news – Flight Of The Conchords have decided not to make a third (or fourth, or fifth, or sixth) series of their HBO musicomedy series. 
Here is some good news: Flight Of The Conchords, the New Zealand comedic musical duo, who are not as bad as that description makes them sound, are releasing an album! 
Dearest reader,
Temporary Fix 