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Flight of the Conchords – S/T (Sub-Pop)

If you are familiar with the Flight of the Conchords from their HBO show of the same name then you will love this album. You will also recognize all of the tunes because they were all showcased on the show.

Even though the show and the album are closely associated, it would be a shame if their albums were only sold to fans of the show. The reason why the show works is two-fold: one being the characters themselves who are funny and their situations tend to be farcical, the other key element the music, which is actually pretty good.

As I listened to the album, I could recall every episode where a song was featured. But unlike watching it performed on the show, this time I actually listened to the words. And they are hysterical.
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State of Mind: The Nature of Music in Pop Culture

Everyone give a warm welcome to James Rodd, our newest contributor. This is his first piece, on what he believes drives pop music and culture. It is also our first staff op-ed article, falling under the series State of Mind. Enjoy, and feel free to comment in agreement or disagreement.

All my life I have heard people, whether it be the media or someone else, say that popular culture is cyclic and repetitive. Basically this means, things that were once “in” and fashionable will come back full circle at some point and be “in” and fashionable once again.

I don’t agree with this at all. In fact, I sincerely hope it is a fallacy because I am not looking forward to seeing my pre-middle aged ass in spandex or leather pants again, reliving my metal head days ca. 1987 – 1995.

Here’s how I see it: pop-culture is an amorphous shape.

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