saturday nite now 3 x more awesome
[First off, apologies to those of you who may have attempted to contact me via e-mail over the past couple weeks. Your messages bounced back because my .Mac account got clogged up, and I somehow didn't take notice of the problem until JRDN gave me a heads up (nice work). Having three e-mail accounts to manage greatly increases the chances of technical issues slipping by this oblivious young man. That said, my account overflowed largely because of mp3 files that senders attached to their messages (which I forgot to delete, of course). If you want to submit something to me that's over 1mb or so, please send me either a download link or make use of Dropload. Thanks in advance.]
George Washington joins The Dudes as they take their hilarity to... NBC?!?
Holy crap, I can't believe it took me two weeks to find all this out.
The bad news is that comedy trio The Lonely Island (who I have written about previously, as recently as earlier this month) did not get their sketch pilot picked up by Fox. However, the Dudes have posted two different versions of the lovingly-titled Awesometown on their website for all to watch & judge on its merits. The cut prepared for the network features live stage segments, an unfortunate laugh track, & the first episode of Channel 101 record-breaker The 'Bu (w/Elliot cameo). The shorter "Dudes' Cut" includes racier TLI segments like iTV Buzz Countdown, the music video for "My Pants", a behind-the-scenes look at the production w/Chez's "table dance", and a Kumar cameo (both versions include "Just 2 Guyz"). And yes, the theme song (available in mp3 format) does totally ape The 'Bu #8.
The good, if not shockingly amazing news is that the Dudes have been hired by friggin' Saturday Night Live. As detailed on Chez's blog & in the Chanel 101 public forum (also picked up by Boing Boing shortly thereafter), the Dudes will be moving back east as Jorm & Kiv are joining the writing staff, while former classmate Ardy will become a featured castmember. I haven't bothered to watch SNL much over the past few years as its lousy writing has turned the long-running variety show into a real trainwreck (I'm looking at you, head-writer Tina Fey), the show still has some incredibly talented people like Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph & Fred Armisen (and is thankfully Fallon-free). Hopefully the addition of the Dudes will spark some clever material & help turn the show around (though Mark McKinney failed to do so many years ago), but I'll be way more likely to tune in this season.
Much thanks to videos.anteville.org for finally clueing me into the news.
The new Junior Senior record appropriately begins with handclaps, and lots of 'em.
MP3
Back in 2003, long before I Love the 90's: Part Deux, I randomly stumbled across a colorful cd while browsing around at the Fetus, and its silly-yet-infectious pop grooves nudged me into picking it up on a whim. Two years later, D-D-Don't Don't Stop The Beat is still one fun-ass record IMO. Well hey now, the sophomore album from Danish pop duo Junior Senior has been released in Japan & leaked on the internets. Hey Hey My My Yo Yo (or simply Brand New Album according to Amazon USA) is another party-inducing collection of danceable hooks & goofy lyrics that are designed to put a smile on your face & get your booty moving. Not suprisingly, Matt Fluxblog was a Junior Senior cheerleader back in 2003, and he was probably the first to post "Itch U Can't Skratch", the new album's lead single & probable best track, this past March. The song was likewise posted on Angels Twenty back in May, and is streamable via Junior Senior's MySpace. "I Like Music (W.O.S.B.)" is a Junior-dominated, disco-infused hodgepodge of hand claps (possibly even more than the song wihch precedes it, "We R The Handclaps"), clashing horns & guitars, ooh-ooh-ooh harmonies & a sweeping orchestral melody that brings the song to its feverish climax. Good sh**. MTV Europe has videos from Junior Senior's performance at Roskilde '05 that's worth a looksee. BTW: I too have been "working on something better", as I should have several posts (which I've been writing on-and-off for far too long now) ready to go this week (honestly).
ETA (8/30/05): As I said, no surprise here. Matt Fluxblog checks in today with another track off the new Junior Senior LP, "Take Your Time":
Much of the new Junior Senior record is exactly what you might expect from them, which isn't a bad thing at all, but sorta feels that way when it's contrasted with this track.. It's not exactly worlds apart from what they normally do, but the over the top tweeness is dialed down considerably, they pass the mic to an unknown woman (I have no liner notes, sorry) and the result is something like Off The Wall-era Michael Jackson with vocals by Kate Pierson from the B52s. Excellent stuff, and not nearly as selfconciously joycore as the rest of the songs from the album.
"Self-consciously joycore", huh? Sounds about right, not that I mind. Oh snap, Marathonpacks checks in with "No No No's" as well (via Stereogum).
All I have to say is last nite's Entourage was goddamn Piven-tacular.
[Good luck & stay safe today, New Orleans.]