Pick Your Poison: Monday 8-27-12

If you’re a reader of this site then I hope you’re familiar with New Zealand’s fourth most popular band, Flight of the Conchords. In what were ultimately tragic circumstances, the duo of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement chose to end their HBO show in 2009 after only two seasons. I secretly suspect they failed to realize how popular it would make them and the sort of pressure that would be forced on them to continue making a high quality music-intensive show like theirs. The second season had some small issues and the songs weren’t quite as good either. By pushing them to do a season a year, they were essentially writing scripts and a dozen brand new songs each time, which for even an ordinary band or artist is a lot. That the songs had to be funny probably made it even tougher. But they were a band before the TV show ever happened, and while they’ve done a fair share of touring, we have heard little to nothing from them these last couple years. They are, in essence, retired. Jemaine has gone on to a relatively lucrative acting career, and Bret won an Academy Award earlier this year for one of the many songs he wrote for the soundtrack to The Muppets movie. Great to see them both doing well, but it’d be even better if they got back together for some Flight of the Conchords stuff. Well, wish somewhat granted. The fellas got back together recently to do a video and song for charity. It starts with a classic “band meeting” and ends with the “We Are the World”-type song with much funnier lyrics and featuring a bunch of New Zealand celebrities. As far as charity songs and videos go, it’s actually pretty good. And of course it’s great to see Flight of the Conchords doing anything. Okay, onto today’s Pick Your Poison. Pay attention to mp3s from Chomp (members of Cloud Nothings and Total Babes), Daughn Gibson, Dum Dum Girls, Neil Halstead, and Slow Hands. The Soundcloud section today is stellar, and you should absolutely stream new songs from Chad Valley (ft. Glasser), El Perro Del Mar, Future Islands, Twerps and Ultraista (Nigel Godrich’s band).