In praise of the Gregory Brothers - Autotune The News

Cafe Society
1

Like many of my fellow Dopers, I’m a big fan of the Gregory Brothers Auto-tune The News videos. They are indeed hilarious. But the thing that really gets me is that many of the tunes are really catchy pop tunes, the sort of thing that could and should be a hit song.

One of my favorites is the less-heard Nashville Debate in Song and Dance, which has a really poppy, Jackson 5 sound - in addition to MC Tom Brokaw.

Some of the most trivial bits have the strongest tunes, possibly because of less need to fit the music to topicality. For instance, the mock interview of President Obama by Alexa Chung is a real earworm.

2

That interview of Obama is pretty funny! I like this… I think in part because I hate autotune! Please, make fun of it… make everyone realize just how ridiculous it sounds!

3

Honestly? Their early stuff is fine, but I think they’re only recently hitting their stride. number 12 is a work of utter genius, fitting disparate voices together in a song that seems to work on its own.

The Obama ass-kicking video is pretty good, too.

4

I’d love to hear a dance mix of that song. I wonder if anyone is working with them on one?

5

Actually, I kind of think #5 and #6 are still their best. But their more recent stuff has been more consistently good, yah.

6

My faves are:
#2- Very thin ice… Someone did a verybeautiful piano, music only cover.

And I can’t believe no one has mentioned #10 - Turtle Fence. Now that’s a song!

7

I’m digging through their more obscure stuff, and there are some real pop gems. For instance, the boringly titled “Vlog #3: piano fail(ure). babies. omg song.” has a sweet little pop song that sounds like it could have been written by The Turtles.

8

They have a new video that is one of the most infectious tunes I’ve ever heard.

9

I wish they did more historical autotunes like Winston Churchill.

10

That’s my favorite by a mile. (And I drive a truck! clap clap)

This guy does a cover version on the shamisen, which helps to bring out just how rhythmically complex the songs actually are. See also his description here.

11

Episode 13 features best accidental guest band: Weezer

12

Sorry, but Weezer just doesn’t have the Gregory Brothers gift for melody. Unless doing all these Autotune The News segments have eaten up their collection of tunes and they are having to invite in outsiders.

Weezer hops on the latest Internet meme. What else is new?

13

It starts off slow, but once it gets to Anthony Weiner it really kicks off.

14

The Gregory Brothers have been busy - no official “Autotune The News” videos, but a bunch of really excellent pop tunes from autotuning various viral videos:

Rent: Too Damn High! Song featuring New York gubernatorial candidate Jimmy McMillan

Sanity Song from Jon Stewart’s speech at the Rally To Restore Sanity.

I’M NOT A WITCH - sung by Christine O’Donnell - pretty self-explanatory.

SunnyD and Rum - THE POP SINGLE! - pretty much impossible to explain

15

Supposedly they are working on a program for Comedy Central, thought I doubt they can keep up their consistency on a weekly program.

I’ve fallen in love with the latest “throwaway” songs, Michael Gregory’s Hello Again and Sarah Gregory singing Always Summertime

16

Their latest is a “songification” of Pastor Joe Nelms’ memorable NASCAR pre-race prayer.

17

I also like Can’t Hug Every Cat.

18

I was a little cold on that because “Debbie The On-Line Dater” is a character created by an actress. Give me real characters like Diana or Antoine.

19

I’m pretty indifferent to the source as long as they take a popular video and make a catchy little song out of it.