Recommendations Roundup #2: Down Under Edition, Part 4 (TV Shows & Music)
Recommendations Roundup #2: Down Under Edition, Part 4 (TV Shows & Music)
Favorite Aussie & Kiwi Comedies; Aussie Sampling Maestros & Shin-Kicking Bluegrass
Recommendations Roundup #2: Down Under Edition, Part 4 (TV Shows & Music)
This the final part of my Down Under Edition of Recommendations Roundup. See Part 1 for video recommendations; Part 2 for article, book, and poem recommendations; and Part 3 for film recommendations.
TV Show Recs
1) Mr. & Mrs. Murder (Season 1: Prime Video, DVD)
This murder-mystery-comedy featuring a husband-and-wife murder cleanup team could not be more adorable. Witty, whimsical, and wise, Mr. & Mrs. Murder showcases the talents of dapper Shaun Micallef and comely Kat Stewart. It is sorely disappointing that this enchanting show was cut short after a single season, but, fortunately, the episodes are self-encapsulated, so you don’t have to worry about the disappointment of a cliffhanger left unfulfilled (à la Soap, one of my childhood favorites).
2) Kath & Kim (Season 1: DVD)
The iconic Kath (Jane Turner) and Kim (Gina Riley) are the pride of Australia when it comes to comedic genius, but Kel Knight (Glenn Robbins) speed-walking with his man purse, the always-injured Sharon (Magda Szubanski) opening the dolphin-squeaking sliding glass door, and Brett (Peter Rowsthorn) pampering his rottweiler, Cujo, round out this brilliant ensemble cast with aplomb.
3) Flight of the Conchords (Prime Video, DVD)
This offbeat musical New Zealand show features the comedic duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as the classic funny man–straight man combo. The folk band’s incompetent manager, Murray Hewitt (Rhys Darby), often prompts the most laughs (not unlike Andy’s (Ricky Gervais) side-splittingly inept manager (Stephen Merchant) in Extras). Kristen Schaal also turns in an amusing performance as the band’s number-one (and only) fan.
4) FUNTVNetwork (2012)
This is the most unknown, most hysterical, most priceless work of comedic art ever made. The following trailer and short are all we have of this nascent creation, which—in perhaps the greatest tragedy in comedy history—never became the full-fledged series intended.
The first precious gem is the trailer, but it is the second, “Apartment Scene,” that is hands-down THE funniest six minutes and three seconds I have ever watched in my life. It packs more laughs per square second than any comedy—ever. If you have asthma, grab your inhaler and get ready to lose your breath.
Music Recs
1) The Avalanches
The Avalanches are auditory collage artists who weave irresistible, seamlessly mixed musical journeys best relished from start to finish. Their epic 2000 debut album, Since I Left You, marked a watershed moment in modern music history with its introduction of the mesmerizing “Frontier Psychiatrist.”
a) Since I Left You (streaming, CD)
“Frontier Psychiatrist”
b) Wildflower (streaming, CD)
“Frankie Sinatra” (explicit)
c) We Will Always Love You (streaming, CD)
“Wherever You Go”
2) The Pigs
My husband says it is clinically impossible to be depressed while listening to bluegrass music. After working my way through The Pigs’s exuberant repertoire of Aussie-flavored bluegrass, I must agree. This band is criminally under-known, and their music is certain to leave an indelible grin on your face for days as the hilarious lyrics and addictive melodies replay in your head. While difficult to find even at Amazon, all of these albums are available on Spotify and at the band’s website.
I’ll start with their dazzling cover of “Frontier Psychiatrist” as that is how I first discovered them and it segues nicely from the above.
a) Home Brew: 13 Aussie Classics (streaming, CD) (2015)
“Frontier Psychiatrist” cover:
b) Horses (2009)
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
“Hey Christina”
“Macho Moisturizer”
c) Hillbilly Synthesizer (2019)
“Hillbilly Synthesizer”
d) The Great Bluegrass Swindle (2012)
“Gold Digger”
“Milkshake”
e) The Pigs (2007)
“Sofa People”
f) Crazy (2007)
“Crazy”
Conclusion
This concludes my epic Down Under Edition of Recommendations Roundup. I hope I didn’t overwhelm you—I’ll try to reign myself in for future issues :-)
See the compilation of all four parts of this Recommendations Roundup plus a new section on Petitions by clicking below:
© Margaret Anna Alice, LLC
Are you willing to spend 16.4 cents/day (annual) or 19.7 cents/day (monthly) to help me continue fighting tyranny and democide? You gain access to premium content like “rolling” interviews, podcasts, Behind the Scenes, and other bonus content:
Substack now offers group subscriptions! Purchase 4 or more subscriptions for a group, and you get 10% off!
If you’d like to make a one-time donation, you can buy me a Ko-fi:
IPAK-EDU
See the following post for details on IPAK-EDU curricula, and please use my affiliate code (MAA1IPAK) to register for any courses you decide to take:
If you feel the work I am doing is worthwhile and want to make it possible for me to spend more time writing and researching in my aim to unmask totalitarianism and awaken the sleeping before tyranny triumphs, please consider supporting me, whether it be by subscribing, buying me a Ko-fi, or sharing my posts. I thank you for reading, thinking, sharing, and supporting my work in whichever ways you choose.
Want to make a one-time donation? You can treat me to Ko-fi:
Prefer to donate crypto? You can send Bitcoin using the following code:
bc1ql706rr7vj7c7nzxnqfp9rldw8ddfc20f492jk0
Since crypto transfers are anonymized, I won’t know about your donation. Please drop me an email by responding to any of my newsletters if you’d like to alert me to your generous gift.
Remember, a subscription to Margaret Anna Alice Through the Looking Glass makes for an intellectually adventurous gift down the rabbit-hole!
Note: Purchasing any items using Amazon affiliate links included in my content will further support my efforts to unmask tyranny.