Hopedaddy on the Air: WFHB Morning Music Mix 2/4/09

Grizzly Bear, "On a Neck, On a Spit," Yellow House *
Mark Kozelek, "Up to My Neck in You," What's Next to the Moon *
Damien Jurado, "Denton, TX," And Now That I'm In Your Shadow *
Ben Kweller, "Sawdust Man," Changing Horses *
M Ward, "Never Had Nobody Like You," Hold Time *
Tim Easton, "Before the Revolution," Ammunition *
Mark Olson and Gary Louris, "The Rose Society," Ready for the Flood *
Emmylou Harris, "Boy from Tupelo," Songbird *
Medicine Wheel, "Telluride," Pure and Simple *
Neko Case, "People Got a Lot of Nerve," Cyclone *
R.E.M., "Voice of Harold," Dead Letter Office *
Her Space Holiday, "New Kid Revolution," Her Space Holiday *
Animal Collective, "My Girls," Merriweather Post Pavillion *
Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, "Big Country," Uncommon Ritual *
Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet, "Eleanor Rigby," Live from WFHB *
The Beatles, "Mother Nature's Son," The Beatles (the White Album) *
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, "Sweetest Waste of Time," Rattlin' Bones *
Jason Fickel, "Bells of Avignon," Kerosene Cologne *
Astrud Gilberto, "Bim Bom," Verve Remixed *
The Bird & The Bee, "Diamond Dave," Ray Guns are Not Just the Future *
Pink Floyd, "San Tropez," Meddle *
The Bad Plus, "Lithium," For All I Care *
Stewart Copeland, "Don't Box Me In," Rumble Fish Soundtrack *
Adrian Belew, "Oh, Daddy," Mr. Music Head *
The BPA, "Spade," I Think We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat *
The Newno2, "Another John Doe," Another John Doe

Hopedaddy's Inauguration Mix (streaming)

WFHB Top 100 of 2008

1. Blind Boys of Alabama / Down in New Orleans / TimeLife
 2. Bob Dylan / Tell Tale Signs / Columbia
 3. Cat Power / Jukebox / Merge
 4. Carrie Newcomer / The Geography of Light / Philo
 5. Taj Mahal / Maestro / Kan Du
 6. Jim White / Transnormal Skiperoo / Luaka Bop
 7. Bon Iver / For Emma, Forever Ago / Jagjaguwar
 8. Catherine Russel / Sentimental Streak / World Village
 9. Sia / Some People Have Real Problems / Sia Music
10. Krista Detor / Cover Their Eyes / Corazong
11. Randy Newman / Harps and Angels / Nonesuch
12. Lucinda Williams / Little Honey / Lost Highway
13. Mavis Staples / Live Hope at The Hideout / Anti
14. Dengue Fever / Venus on Earth / M80
15. Calexico / Carried to Dust / Quarterstick
16. Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs / Dirt Don't Hurt / Transdreamer
17. Lizz Wright / The Orchard / Verve Forecast
18. George Clinton / and his Gangsters of Love / Shanachie
19. Ani DiFranco / Red Letter Year / Righteous Babe
20. The Helio Sequence / Keep Your Eyes Ahead / Sub Pop
21. Eli "Paperboy" Reed / Roll With You / Q Division
22. Vampire Weekend / Vampire Weekend / XL
23. John Mellencamp / Life Death Love and Freedom / Hear Music
24. My Morning Jacket / Evil Urges / ATO
25. TV on the Radio / Dear Science / DGC
26. Greg Brown / Yellow Dog / Earthwork Music
27. Thievery Corporation / Radio Retaliation / ESL
28. Cowboy Junkies / Trinity Revisited / Zoe
29. British Sea Power / Do You Like Rock Music? / Rough Trade
30. Dr. John / The City That Care Forgot / 429
31. Various Artists / The Harlem Experiment / Ropeadope
32. Kentucky Nightmare / Take Her Favour / Kentucky Nightmare
33. Juliana Hatfield / How to Walk Away / Ye Olde
34. Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis / Two Men with the Blues / Blue Note
35. Arlen Roth / Toolin' Around Woodstock / Aquinnah
36. Maceo Parker / Roots & Grooves / Heads Up
37. David Byrne/Brian Eno / Everything That Happens.. / Todomundo/Opal
38. Ray Davies / Working Man's Cafe / New West
39. Solas / For Love and Laughter / Compass
40. Neil Halstead / Oh! Mighty Engine / Brushfire
41. Chicha Libre / Sonido Amazonico / Barbes
42. Rory Block / Blues Walkin' Like a Man / Stony Plain
43. Rodney Crowell / Sex & Gasoline / Work Song/Yep Roc
44. Michael Franti & Spearhead / All Rebel Rockers / Anti
45. Galactic / From the Corner to the Block / Anti
46. Amp Fiddler / Afro Strut / PIAS
47. Tim O'Brien / Chameleon / Proper American
48. Ben Solee / Learning to Bend / Sonablast
49. Hot Chip / Made in the Dark / Astralwerks
50. Thea Gilmore / Liejacker / Rykodisc
51. Ry Cooder / I, Flathead / Nonesuch
52. Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere / Nudge It Up a Notch / Stax
53. Amos Lee / Last Days at the Lodge / Blue Note
54. Richie Havens / Nobody Left to Crown / Verve
55. Alejandro Escovedo / Real Animal / Back Porch
56. Drive-By Truckers / Brighter Than Creation's Dark / New West
57. Mysteries of Life / Great Lakes / Musical Family Tree
58. Amp Fiddler/Sly&Robbie / Inspiration Information / Strut
59. BB King / One Kind Favor / Geffen
60. Lambchop / OH (Ohio) / Merge
61. Black Mountain / In the Future / Jagjaguwar
62. Blue Sky Back / Blue Sky Back / Upstairs Ape
63. Basia Bulat / Oh, My Darling / Rough Trade
64. James Combs / To Know You Is To Save You / James Combs Music

65. Jerry Douglas / Glide / Koch
66. The Watson Twins / Fire Songs / Vanguard
67. Tim Grimm / Holding Up the World / Vault
68. The Stairwell Sisters / Get Off Your Money / Yodel-Ay-Hee
69. Evangelicals / The Evening Descends / Dead Oceans
70. The Waybacks / Loaded / Compass
71. Abigail Washburn / and The Sparrow Quartet / Nettwerk
72. Herbie Hancock / River: The Joni Letters / Verve
73. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals / Cardinology / Lost Highway
74. James Jackson Toth / Waiting in Vain / Rykodisc
75. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks / Real Emotional Trash / Matador
76. The Breeders / Mountain Battles / 4AD
77. Mia Doi Todd / Gea / City Zen
78. Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile / s/t / Nonesuch
79. The Sacred Shakers / The Sacred Shakers / Signature Sound
80. Al Green / Lay It Down / Blue Note
81. Sam Phillips / Don't Do Anything / Nonesuch
82. Of Montreal / Skeletal Lamping / Polyvinyl
83. Devotchka / A Mad & Faithful Telling / Anti
84. Rebecca Martin / The Growing Season / Sunnyside
85. The Horse Flies / Until the Ocean / Pest Control
86. The Black Keys / Attack & Release / Nonesuch
87. Otis Taylor / Recapturing the Banjo / Telarc
88. Wyclef Jean / Carnival Vol II / Columbia
89. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds / Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! / Anti
90. Mason Jennings / In the Ever / Brushfire
91. Elf Power / In a Cave / Rykodisc
92. Giant Sand / proVISIONS / Yep Roc
93. Beck / Modern Guilt / DGC
94. Stanton Moore / Emphasis! on Parentesis / Telarc
95. Throw Me the Statue / Moondreams / Secretly Canadian
96. Marcia Ball / Peace, Love & BBQ / Alligator
97. Moby / Last Night / Mute
98. Medeski Martin & Wood / Radiolarians I / Indirecto
99. Menahan Street Band / Make the Road By Walking / Dunham/Daptone
100. Dan Tyminski / Wheels / Rounder

Hopedaddy on the Air: WFHB Morning Music Mix 1/7/09

Aqualung, "Slip Slidin' Away," Words & Music *
Ron Sexsmith, "Hands of Time," Time Being *
Jason Collett, "We All Lose One Another," Idols of Exile *
Fleet Foxes, "He Doesn't Know Why," Fleet Foxes *
Grant Lee Phillips, "Soft Asylum," Strangelet *
Peter Bradley Adams, "I'll Forget You," Leavetalking *
Glenn Tilbrook, "Untouchable," Transatlantic Ping-Pong *
Josh Rouse, "Under Cold Blue Stars," Under Cold Blue Stars *
Abigail Washburn, "Banjo-Pickin' Girl," Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet *
Leo Kottke, "Snorkel," One Guitar, No Vocal *
Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman, "The Fabled City," The Fabled City *
Jim White, "Static on the Radio," Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me What You See *
R.E.M., "Half a World Away," Out of Time *
Truckstop Honeymoon, "He Ain't Out of Date," Great Big Family *
Cowboy Junkies, "Anniversary Song," Great Big Family *
Luke Doucet, "Bomb's Away," Blood's Too Rich *
Sun Kil Moon, "Neverending Math Equation," Tiny Cities *
Los Super 7, "The El Burro Song," Heard it on the X *
Nil Lara, "Fighting for My Love," Nil Lara *
David Byrne & Brian Eno, "Strange Overtones," Everything that Happens Will Happen Today *
Of Montreal, "An Eluardian Instance," Skeletal Lamping *
Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile, "Ham & Cheese," Meyer/Thile *
Parts & Labor, "Nowheres Nigh," Receivers *
Anthony Smith's Trunk Fulla Funk, "Freaky Revelation," Life as We Know It *

Hopedaddy on the Air: WFHB Morning Music Mix 12/31/08

Scud Mountain Boys, "Massachusetts," In a Ditch *
Pretenders, "Chill Factor," Isle of View *
Pernice Brothers, "Talk of the Town," Nobody's Watching *
Chrissie Hynde & Emmylou Harris, "She," Return of the Grievous Angel *
Neil Young, "Mr. Soul," Sugar Mountain, Live 1968 *
Radiohead, "Faust Arp," In Rainbows *
Spoon, "My Japanese Cigarette Case," Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga *
Blonde Redhead, "Falling Man," 23 *
Wilco, "Impossible Germany," Sky Blue Sky *
Jenny Lewis, "Black Sand," Acid Tongue *
Crowded House, "Lester," Afterglow *
Jeff Buckley, "Forget Her," Grace (Legacy Edition) *
Antony & the Johnsons, "Another World," Another World *
Dungen, "Det Tar Did," 4 *
Bruce Cockburn, "When You Give it Away," Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu *
Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts, "Look Into the Sky," Temporary People *
Love Psychedelico, "Everybody Needs Somebody," This is Love Psychedelico *
M. Ward, "Chinese Translation," Post-War *
Ben Sollee, "Built for This," Learning to Bend *
SMV, "Tutu," Thunder *
Jose Gonzalez, "Killing for Love," In Our Nature *
Beth Orton, Concrete Sky, Daybreaker *
Luke Doucet, "Long Haul Driver," Blood's Too Rich *
Mark Erelli, "Baltimore," Delivered *
The Postmarks, "7-11," 1-12 by the Numbers *
Medeski, Marin, & Wood, "Cloud Wars," Radiolarians I *

Hopedaddy on the Air: WFHB Morning Music Mix 12/24/08 - Uncle Matt Edition

Ray Charles & Willie Nelson, "Seven Spanish Angels," The Essential Willie Nelson *

Mavis Staples, "Wade in the Water," Live: Hope in the Hideout *

Talking Heads, "Take Me to the River," Live: Stop Making Sense *

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, "Nightwatchman," Hard Promises *

Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros, "Get Down Moses," Streetcore *

Waylon Jennings, "Ain't Livin' Long Like This," Waylon Forever *

Alejandro Escovedo, "Guilty," With These Hands *

Spike Jones & his City Slickers, "Pal-Yat-Chee," Spiked! The Music of Spike Jones *

Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, "Cover of the Rolling Stone," Greatest Hits *

Steve Goodman, "Veg-o-Matic," Anthology *

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, "The House That Never Was," Rattlin' Bones *

John Prine, "Bottomless Lake," Aimless Love *

Tom Waits, "Hang on St. Christopher," Beautiful Maladies *

Deep Purple, "Hush," Greatest Hits *

David Byrne & Brian Eno, "Wanted for Life," Everything That Happens Will Happen Today *

Margot & the Nuclear So-and-So's, "Love Song for a Schuba's Bartender," Animal/Not Animal *

Ryan Adams, "Fix It," Cardinology *

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Little Mountain Church House," Will the Circle Be Unbroken II *

Chris Thile, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," How to Grow a Woman from the Ground Up *

Charlie Louvin, "Wreck of the Old 97," Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs *

Nina Simone, "You Don't Know What It's Like," The Future is Unwritten (S/T) *

The Sea and Cake, "Aerial," Car Alarm *

Beastie Boys, "In 3's," The In Sound from Way Out *

King Curtis, "Ode to Billy Joe," Live at the Filmore *

Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, "Shake it Off," Live *

Raphael Saddiq, "Big Easy," The Way I See It *

Medeski Martin & Wood, "Free Go Lily," Radiolarians I

Hopedaddy's Best of 2008: Volume 8 in a Series

Coming soon to an inbox near you:

Disc One

1. What Would Joe Boxleitner!, “When the Haaaammond is Rrrrockin,” (Unreleased).  From one band to another, a glowing endorsement of the next song.

2. The Raconteurs, “Old Enough,” Consolers of the Lonely.  The second project from this “supergroup,” showing that Jack White’s presence doesn’t make every Racs song sound like just another White Stripes tune.

3. Alejandro Escovedo, “Always a Friend,” Real Animal.  Career-defining (literally!) record from St. Alejandro, who sings his rock and roll biography, punk to Americana, song-by-song.

4. Damien Jurado, “Go First,” Caught in the Trees.  With this project, Jurado doesn’t turn down the mopeyness—he amps it up, Crazy Horse style, stomping along, building into full throttle . . . “You can go first, you’re making me nervous with how you leave me here.”

5. David Byrne & Brian Eno, “Strange Overtones,” Everything that Happens Will Happen Today.  A great groove from the first project in over twenty-five years from Talking Heads frontman Byrne and ambient pioneer Eno.

6. Bon Iver, “Skinny Love,” For Emma, Forever Ago.  Justin Vernon lost his band and disappeared to the northwoods of Wisconsin for a “good winter,” writing and recording the foundation of a beautiful and haunting record that tops many of this year’s “Best of” lists.

7. Vampire Weekend, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend.  Perhaps the most hyped band all year, I tried to hate this release but eventually caught the fever.  Paul Simon comparisons?  I still don’t get it.

8. Mates of State, “The Re-Arranger,” Re-Arrange Us.  Perfect pop from husband and wife Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, a spun-too-much entry on Hopedaddy’s FUV Morning Music Mix.  “Love loud, don’t lose loud . . .”

9. Bell X1, “Rocky Took a Lover,” Flock.  The 17^th band out of Ireland to be heralded as the “Next U2,” Bell X1 may have the goods to pull it off.  Despite a big push, this great record flew under the radar this year, never quite getting the accolades it deserves.

10. Matthew Ryan, “American Dirt,” Matthew Ryan Vs. the Silver State.  Appearance #3 on Hopedaddy year-ends for this Tennessee-based straight-ahead singer/songwriter.  Gravel-voiced beauty.

11. Elbow, “The Bones of You,” The Seldom Seen Kid.  Horns, electronics, and walls of guitars make for a glorious sonic landscape . . . and the best imitation of Peter Gabriel I’ve ever heard!

12. Ben Sollee, “A Change is Gonna Come,” Learning to Bend.  ¼ of the Abigail Washburn quartet, soulful singer/ songwriter Sollee is a clever “Andrew Bird of the Cello.”  Here, presumably in honor of the year, he takes (permissible) lyrical liberties with the Sam Cooke classic.

13. Chris Thile/Punch Brothers, “Punch Bowl,” Punch Brothers Punch.  Chris Thile breaks free of the trappings of his pop-tinged Nickel Creek, as Thile & Co. take bluegrass soaring in all directions

14. AA Bondy, “World Without End,” American Hearts.  We stumbled across a set from Gus Bondy behind a pizza joint on a hot Austin afternoon at SxSW.  Brilliant folkie songwriting and a weathered voice that defies his youthful looks.  Maybe my most-frequently played record this year.

15. Hayden, “The Van Song,” In Field & Town.  Somewhere between Neil Young and Beck is Hayden Desser, armed with his detuned guitar and his misadventures into Falsetto.  “The Van Song” is a silly little ditty from his latest release, not perfectly representative, but a smiler that will stick in your head.

16.   Rodney Crowell, “Funky and the Farm Boy,” Sex & Gasoline.  Funky country, if there is a such thing, from veteran Crowell.  “She got tattoo huggin’ her hipbone, y’all!”

17. Luke Doucet, “The Comandante,” Blood’s Too Rich. Canadian singer/songwriter Doucet has been recognized as a quality writer, voice, and guitar player for a few years now, including sideman stints with Canada’s Kathleen Edwards and Sarah McClachlan.  With Blood’s Too Rich, Doucet turns his songwriting AND guitar prowess up a couple of notches, releasing a more Americana project with nods in places to (smoother versions of ) Neil Young and Mark Knopfler.

18. Ryan Adams, “Fix It,” Cardinology.  Love him or hate him, he’s a fantastic songwriter when he’s focused, and he’s focused in Cardinology from beginning to end.  Great rock and roll from the Cardinals, without all of the tiresome Dead-esque noodling.  I guess I’m “love him,” as this is his 6^th appearance in 8 volumes . . .

19. Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet, “Sugar & Pie,” Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet.  A quartet led by a chick banjo player that includes Ben Sollee and Bela Fleck, playing Chinese folk-influenced bluegrass-pop.  What?  Dig it.  Their FHB in-studio performance of “Eleanor Rigby” earlier this Fall sent chills down my spine.

20. Death Cab for Cutie, “Long Division,” Narrow Stairs.  I was set to be disappointed, then not disappointed to be not disappointed by Narrow Stairs, the highly-anticipated follow-up to Death Cab’s breakthrough, Plans.  Still pop-sensible and catchy, Narrow Stairs is anything but happy, and a bit more complex, lyrically and musically.

21. The Avett Brothers, “Murder in the City,” The Second Gleam.  Simple and glorious folk from the recent EP holdover.

Disc Two

1. Fleet Foxes, “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes.  Hopedaddy’s Record of the Year finds this West Coast bearded clan freak-folking, often drenched in reverb, in three and four-part harmony, through eleven heart-stopping songs.  Think At Dawn-era My Morning Jacket.  Buy it and get your freak-folk on!

2. The National, “You’ve Done it Again, Virginia,” The Virginia EP.  This EP is a one-off, full of demos and extras, but frequently as compelling as last year’s standout, Boxer.  The EP includes a live “Nationalized” cover of The Boss classic, “Mansion on the Hill,” worth the purchase price alone.

3. Blitzen Trapper, “Furr,” Furr.  This record races all over the map, from folk to rock to pop to country to . . . ?  A pleasant adventure, including this song about a man whose skin turns to . . . “furr”?

4.  TV on the Radio, “Halfway Home,” Dear Science,.  Post-punky funky electronic visual artist math rock musicians TVotR made a few critics turn their heads two years ago with Return to Cookie Mountain.  With Dear Science, TVotR have hit full-stride, topping many many year-end critics’ lists.  Turn “Halfway Home” to 11 and get lost in the syncopated handclaps and vocal meltdowns.  Brilliant.

5. Sigur Rós, “Inni Mer Syngur,” Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust.  S.R. have been around for a number of years, releasing a series of critically-acclaimed records that are more about the sound than anything else.  This, their most accessible album (if there is a such thing for an Icelandic art-rock band who sings in a partially-invented language), veers between territory marked out by Radiohead and, particularly on this track, Flaming Lips.

6. Beck, “Gamma Ray,” Modern Guilt.  Beck with production from Danger Mouse?  Can’t go wrong.

7. American Music Club, “All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco,” The Golden Age.  Mark Eitzel & at least one original AMC member kept AMC alive this year, with a release of another well-produced lush set, bouncing around from pop to rock to lounge music.

8. The Hold Steady, “Sequestered in Memphis,” Stay Positive.  After years of misplaced Boss comparisons, I finally “got it” this year, as The Hold Steady truly turned positive with this full-fledged beer-fueled no-holds-barred rock record.  After a blistering roof-raising opening set at the ‘Bird this Fall, we couldn’t bear to stick around for more than a couple of songs from the headliner, Drive-By Truckers.

9. Medeski, Martin, & Wood, “Free Go Lily,” Radiolarians I.  Keepin’ it jambandy funkified, this is exactly the vibe they give off live.  This is reportedly the first in a three-part Radiolarians series.

10. The Whigs, “Production City,” Misson Control.  Shallow loud fun from this band, clearly raised on equal parts Clash and Replacements.

11. Nikka Costa, “Pebble to a Pearl,” Pebble to a Pearl.  Daughter of famed producer Don Costa, Nikka Costa has been performing professionally since age 5.  Now 26, she’s perfected her sexy, funky R&B, a bit Winehouse, a bit Macy Gray.  “Pebble to a Pearl” is a clear tip-of-the-funk-hat to Stevie Wonder and his classic “Boogie on Reggae Woman.”

12. Loudon Wainwright, III, “School Days,” Recovery.  On Recovery, Rufus’ papa and M*A*S*H’s “singing surgeon” revisits songs he has recorded over his 30+ career as a singer-songwriter.  Almost all stand the test of time, including “School Days,” an introspective Loudon classic.

13. Marah, “Coughing up Blood,” Angels of Destruction!  Coughing up blood, indeed.  The Last Rock and Roll Band, poised for greatness, releases a stellar record of rock adventure (hailed by critics as the “first essential rock record of 2008”), secures a favorable NYT Sunday review, appears on Conan O’Brien . . . and breaks up three days later.  Hopedaddy will never recover, but will cling to Angels of Destruction!  Hopedaddy’s friends, now perhaps forever relegated to rock footnote.

14. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody,” Only by the Night.  Personally, I like the less-slick more-sassy club version of KoL, but this is a fantastic record of arena rock.  These fellers are poised for The Big Time.

15. Tokyo Police Club, “Your English is Good,” Elephant Shell.  Throwaway harmless turn-it-up rock and roll that I couldn’t put down all year.

16. Kaiser Chiefs, “Never Miss a Beat,” Off With Their Heads.  Only slightly more-cred harmless turn-it-up rock and roll that I couldn’t put down.

17. My Morning Jacket, “Evil Urges,” Evil Urges. Jim James and MMJ re-invent their sound yet again, stretching from electronica to swamp rock to Prince to Zep, often within the structure of a single song.  The legions of fans who claimed to be alienated by the turn of this record just haven’t been paying attention to the evolution of this band.  The title track itself bridges Jim James falsetto parts with staccato guitar straight out of Houses of the Holy.  Stay tuned, they always make it interesting.

18. The Black Keys, “Strange Times,” Attack & Release.  The Black Keys were set to enter the studio for a special recording project with the legendary Ike Turner, when Mr. Turner opted, instead, to drop dead.  Keeping Danger Mouse on board as a producer anyway, the Ohio duo finally changed their sound a bit and put out the most interesting and exciting record of their career.

19. Gilberto Gil, “Gueixa no Tatame,” Banda Larga Cordel.  66-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Gilberto Gil, once a cultural rebel in Brazil (returning later to be the Cultural Minister of Brazil) released a strong record of world, pop, samba, and reggae, tied together by lyrical social commentary on the rapid advance of technology.

20. Flight of the Conchords, “Bowie,” Flight of the Conchords.  The smartest parody since Weird Al, the self-proclaimed “former fourth most popular guitar-based acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo in New Zealand” have the funniest show on television.  “Bowie,” a dead-on spoof, comes directly from the episode where Bret is visited by the ghosts of three eras of David Bowie.