What the folk
To the uninitiated, Jack Black and Kyle Gass are just a couple of husky bros who toy with acoustic guitars and spew out storyteller-like lyrics. But to discerning fans, these two tons of fun are Tenacious D, the cult comedy-rock band that has been barreling out of wild, wild Los Angeles since 1994.
To date, their best-known singles are “Tribute” and “Wonderboy,” both from their 2001 eponymous debut album. In 2006, fine-tuning the mock rock of their short-lived HBO show – only three episodes ran in 1999 before the channel pulled the plug — the D took their fusion of absurdist stoner comedy and rock opera hysterics to the big screen in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. As always, the unlikely rock stars delivered, churning out memorable scenes – check the one with the button-popping boner – and oddball melodies about, yes, their alleged sexual expertise.
Black and Gass’ combo of nerdy humor and droll hyper-conviction has no doubt inspired other acts, even some from outside the United States. Decoupling from the Tenacious D template, two acts – Flight of the Conchords from New Zealand and the Mighty Boosh from England – have since been saddled with the responsibility of helping keep the masses intellectually entertained. Their bone-dry, Monty Pythonian wit comes without a built-in laugh track and as such, is definitely an acquired taste. But if you’re in the mood for educated wisecracks and clever melodies, these two enigmatic duos hit the folk-comedy button squarely on the nose.
The Flight of the Conchords
Are: Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement
Combined age: 66
Active since: 1998
Behind Flight of the Conchords’ part-dork, part-enfant-terrible swagger lies an undeniable lyrical genius, one that has won the Kiwis a cult following and a Grammy. Marketing themselves as “New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo a capella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo,” the sit-down comedians started at Victoria University of Wellington a decade ago. At the outset, they wanted to compose serious stuff but they weren’t taken seriously. They have since switched to the parody genre and crafted their own form of musical improv.
The sit-down comedians cull their witty melodies from a vast range of styles – including falsettos and a cappella breaks – and work these in with masterful guitar-strumming and the occasional glockenspiel-hammering. And if the themes they tackle in their silly songs – backhanded compliments, sexism, and the Pet Shop Boys — sound a bit off and dweeby, their deadpan delivery and superb production skills round things out. Their brand of not-quite-British, not-quite-Australian “gangsta-folk” makes a potentially corny number like “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” downright earnest. Like, you really can’t help but pay attention because the carefully edited facial expressions are part of the punchline.
In 2004, the band ventured outside their native Wellington and created a radio series for BBC Radio 2, mostly about their search for success in London. Three years later, in June 2007, Flight of the Conchords went from the fringes of Europe to the heart of experimental American programming with their HBO series. Like something really bold planned for a high school talent competition dressed up with a bigger budget, the show, again, revolves around the pair as they try to achieve stardom Stateside. FOTC’s brand of musical comedy is refreshingly surreal and therefore doesn’t translate very well to paper. As Jemaine as David Bowie said in Episode 6: “Oh the media monkeys and their junket junkies will invite you to their plastic pantomime.” Translation: Go witness the madness yourself.
The Mighty Boosh
Are: Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding
Combined age: 75
Active since: 1998
Collectively referred to as the Mighty Boosh – simply the Boosh to maniacal fans – comedians Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt are the creators, writers, and stars of the highly-acclaimed BBC sitcom. Set in a zoo (with Bollo, a talking gorilla; Tony the prawn; and a rock named Jesus), Fielding plays Vince Noir, an androgynous rock star with dishevelled black hair in the tradition of fellow Brit performer Russell Brand. Barratt, by contrast, is Howard Moon, a jazz-loving, likable loser with the sex appeal of a geography teacher. Together, the two protagonists embark on surreal journeys to different locations, including the Arctic to recruit more animals and the jungle, where they are sentenced to death.
Since first airing in 2004, the delightfully eccentric Boosh formula has proven to be quite popular among viewers of a more artistic nature that it has spawned a live tour of the UK, a CD, and The Mighty Book of Boosh, a hardcover peek into the double act’s theatrical world.
As Britishisms abound, The Mighty Boosh isn’t suited for everyone. However, if you like that jokes aren’t always spelled out for you in brightly colored letters – as do Boosh devotees the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and Arcade Fire – then this flamboyant comedy partnership deserves a nod. The unexpected originality and off-beat acting style is totally something only people from that part of the world, not a team of overcaffeinated American comedy writers, can pull off.
