FILTER Issue 30

When Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie hit the streets in their hometown of Wellington, New Zealand, earlier this year, they had hardly expected the throng of family, friends and fans that would greet them. It was then that the duo realized it wasn’t just a pair of familiar faces; it was a pair of superstars. Strange, considering that this pair of funny-boy musicians considered themselves to be the “worst guitar players in class” in their not-so-distant college years. Call it dumb luck or smart comedy, but the jokesters of Flight of the Conchords have taken flight, tucking an HBO show, debut LP, and even a Grammy under its well-worn feathers. Here, Filter takes you through the ins and outs of foreign-born fame as Clement and McKenzie discuss how they separate their fictional selves from their non-fictional counterparts, their cult following of card-carrying J.R.R. Tolkien maniacs, and the humor of the American Dream.

In the spirit of American cult heroes, our latest tribute looks back to the ruckus of the ’80s to uncover the origins of The Replacements and how a group of street-wise misfits were able to break through the mainstream with hard-knocked, honest rock—launching a legacy that still stands firm today. We also talk to Portishead to get the skinny on how it took the band a whopping 10 years to land a third LP, and we pair Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small with The Shins’ Marty Crandall just to catch a whiff of what happens when you mix Black Metal with indie rock.

Also: The Black Keys and Danger Mouse divulge their freaky roots, She & Him hide their fame away, and Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh puts his portfolio of de-evolutionary art on display, proving he can do a lot more than “whip it good.” Plus: Spiritualized, The Kooks, Jamie Lidell, Everest, The Wombats, The Morning Benders, Constantines, The Fall, Son of Rambow, and a special Big Lebowski tribute from The Abider himself, Jeff Bridges. Mark it 30, Dude.


COVER
Inside Jokes from Outsiders: The Immigrant Songs of Flight of the Conchords

FEATURES
Wandering Stars: Portishead’s Journey to Find its Third

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Good Joke: Metalocalypse meets The Shins

Flirting with Danger: The Black Keys Play Dirty with Danger Mouse

Whippin’ the Middle-American Rugrats: The De-evolutionary Art of Mark Mothersbaugh

The Way I Feel Now Death is Not Around: The Healing of Spiritualized

F-STOP
It’s Good to be Konk: Watching the Sun Rise with The Kooks

She & Him: Simple, Beautiful and to the Point

TRIBUTE
Gettin’ Nowhere, but with Gusto: Revisiting The Replacements (featuring interviews with Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and manager Peter Jesperson)

GETTING TO KNOW
Jamie Lidell
Everest
The Wombats
The Morning Benders

YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW
Constantines

FLICKER
The Fall: A Conversation with Writer-Director Tarsem, plus co-star Lee Pace

Son of Rambow: A conversation with filmmakers Hammer & Tongs, plus co-star Ed Westwick

ENDNOTE
Jeff Bridges sent us a doodle and photo to celebrate 10 years of The Big Lebowski