Whitest Kids U Know

As you may or may not have figured out already, I'm a very big fan/supporter of improv comedy and underground sketch comedy troupes. I previously wrote a blog about Derrick Comedy and mentioned a group in relation to them called "Whitest Kids U Know" (WKUK) and figured tell you more about them. I came across them many years ago when I saw an ad about them in the Village Voice. Curious what they were about, I checked them out on the internet a low and behold I found myself lying on the floor with tears in my eyes laughing at how ridiculous and hilarious these five guys were. In their videos, they come across with a demeanor that seems like they're trying to say, "Hey! We're not doing anything ridiculous! We're taking ourselves very seriously!" which adds to the hilarity of the out-there humor they have. For example, one of my favorites is "Timmy Poops His Pants" which is simply about a man by the name of (you guessed it) Timmy that while at work (you guessed it again) poops his pants. Though that may or may not seem funny by itself, the rest of the sketch unfolds into a bizarre analysis of what to do with the situation. With their own successful TV show right now, they've been on Fuse for season one, IFC uncensored for season two and are in the midst of their third season on the same network. If you search around on YouTube or IFC, you're bound to find tons of clips, sketches or full episodes of this NY fivesome. They even came out with an audio album a few years ago which without anything to watch, is surprisingly hilarious when you use your imagination to paint the disturbing/bizarre picture that isn't there. I'd love to tell you more about how the third season is going, but unfortunately for where I am, I don't have access to IFC so let me know what you guys think of it so far. I'll post a few videos below and some links to where you can find out more about them.




WKUK Main Site
WKUK IFC Page
WKUK Wiki

Tally Hall

I think it's about time that I mention these guys in my blog. For too long now, this quintet of greatness still stands unnoticed by the public. Based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tally Hall is one of the more eclectic genre jumping bands out there right now with a sound that they can only describe as "wonk rock". In each of their songs, your bound to finds sounds from Brian Wilson to Sublime, The Beatles to Willie Nelson, and everything else in between. With unpredictable sounds, chord progressions and lyrics, Tally Hall will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to guess what your ears are going to hear next, but you'll be glad with everything you've heard. As well as their originals, they're know for their interesting takes on covers such as "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim, "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie, "Smile Like You Mean It" by the Killers and many other obscure tunes from all channels on the radio. They're definitely a band to catch live, due to their ability to reproduce everything from their albums into a live atmosphere. I highly suggest that if you can see them live to see them quickly. Considering they're still playing smaller venues, they can still be more intimate with the crowd, whether they sit in the middle of the audience in a little pow-wow doing ballads, asking the audience to come up with an imaginary ice cream flavor or walking through the crowd crashing on tambourines. Alongside their music, they have a brand of humor in the same vein of their music whether it be in the form of skits or music videos. In due time, it is said that their skits will be put between commercials on either MTV or Fuse. If word continues to spread about Tally Hall, it's very likely they could be the next big thing. Check out their myspace, watch their mini-series on their site, tell your friends and support their music!


Tally Hall Main Site
Tally Hall Myspace
Tally Hall Wiki

Chester French

With incredibly catchy and eclectic songs, this Cambridge, MA duo by the names Max Drummey and D.A. Wallach have been cranking out tunes great for either the dance clubs or just to rock out to. It started as two Harvard grads who while attending school, decided to create songs on their spare time. With their music garnering attention of the likes of Pharrell Williams of N.E.R.D., they were soon booked for multiple shows. Fast foward a few months later, and they've opened up for the likes of N.E.R.D., Matisyahu, and currently with Lady Gaga. I would say they combine the sounds of Junior Senior, the Beach Boys and a missing link that I can't seem to figure out at the moment. I know I'm going to see them at the House of Blues March 30th. Check out some of their live shows on YouTube to see their killer live performances, or surprise yourself by seeing them live! You're bound to hear more of these guys in the near future so keep your ears open!



Chester French Main Site
Chester French Myspace
Chester French Wiki

Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Many weeks ago, when I heard about the band, "Chester French," (who I'll mention in a future post because they're amazing!) they were on a list of "Artists to Look Out For" in Rolling Stone, Spin, or one of the other credible music magazines out there. I checked these guys out on the list and at first glance, I wasn't impressed. This was also at a time where I was very narrow-minded about the music I listened to. I remembered there name the other day and decided to take a listen to them again and see if my musical palate had changed. After listening to the song, "Dawn Of The Dead," I was immediately hooked! Many consider them to be electro rock, with is an accurate description of the group. While getting many of their influences from electronic/dance groups like Daft Punk, Justice and Ratatat, you can hear the subtle 80's one hit wondery in songs like, "Dawn of the Dead," and influence from their contemporaries like Bloc Party which you can hear in songs like, "Epic Last Song." Regardless, these English gents definitely have more than one hit on their hands. No tour for them as of yet, since they finished their '08 tour back in August, but let's hope they come back to tour soon!

Does It Offend You, Yeah? Main Site
Does It Offend You, Yeah? Myspace
Does It Offend You, Yeah? Wiki

Snuggie Blanket

UPDATE: My friend Kira told me about yet another parody for the Snuggie called the "Fuggly" worth checking out. I put it on the bottom for you all to check out. Thanks Kira!

I just saw a link for a parody of this and if you're not familiar with the cult that is, "Snuggie," then I'm about to fill that void in your life. This might actually be THE MOST RIDICULOUS invention ever. God forbid you have to wear a sweater or sweatpants, now you can where something that throws your dignity and integrity RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW!!! In any case, check these videos out in order, the first being the original and the following video being the the hilarious parody. Hope you enjoy!

College Humor on MTV

I've been a fan of College Humor for years now but I've never expected this to happen in a million years! It just goes to show you how popular the fan base of their original videos are, such as the famed original "Jake and Amir" and "Hardly Working" videos that the site is known for. The writing always stays fresh and original, with surprisingly great editing in part with the writing. These videos have become so popular that I've started to hear some of these videos quoted by everyday people as if it's a popular movie or TV show (or rather soon to be). The show was picked up by MTV, which could either take a turn for good or bad. Unfortunately, MTV is infamous for having very inadequate, but entertaining television shows that have a short life span. My guess is that College Humor will last one season, but will soon change to another channel to have more freedom from the censors with what they can write and show. A similar transition happened to the hilarious comedy troupe "Whitest Kids U Know" who had a variety of funny internet videos and were then shortly picked up by Fuse. They too had limits to what they could show and then soon switched to IFC where they had freedom to say and show what they wanted. Speaking of which, "Whitest Kids U Know: Season 3" will premiere this coming Tuesday, January 27 @ 10 pm Eastern on IFC and the "College Humor Show" will premiere February 8 @ 9:30 pm Eastern on MTV. I'll speak more of WKUK in my next blog but hope you tune in to both of those shows! Let me know what you guys think!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Heavy Weights

Just now, I came back from my friend's dorm where a bunch of us watch the classic kids movie, "Heavy Weights". For a PG movie aimed toward kids, it's actually a very well made film and has genuine laughs throughout the movie. Part of the reason why it might be as good as it is might be due to the fact the half the writing credits go to Judd Apatow, which if you don't know who he is, he's most famous for being the brain child of hits like, "Knocked Up," "40 Year Old Virgin," "Freaks and Geeks," "Undeclared," "Step Brothers," "Pineapple Express," "Superbad," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and tons of other works. Though it has its moments of "cheese" here and there, it's definitely not dissapointing. Ben Stiller plays the part of an over-pumped jerk perfect like he does in most of his movies, which makes you love to hate how ridiculous his character acts. Also, no one can deny the hilarity that is Lars, the counselor from unknown origins. Here and there, you'll also see some very familiar faces, like "Goldberg" from the Mighty Ducks series, Allan Covert, who's known mostly for his work in Adam Sandler productions with Grandma's Boy being his most prominent role as the lead, as well as Ben Stiller's father, Jerry Stiller. It's definitely your money's worth if you rent/buy it. One of Disney's great 90's era movie. It's definitely one of my all time favorites.

Heavy Weights Wiki
Heavy Weights IMDB