Neither of the two funniest comedy acts I’ve seen this year are American. The first is Eddie Izzard, a stomach-spasm-inducingly funny British comedian, and the second is one I was introduced to just last week: Flight of the Conchords. This duo, hailing from New Zealand, is unusual in that their act is mostly comprised of songs—both of them are talented singers and musicians. I won’t rave about them too much, as you really have to see—and laugh—to believe.
I won’t link to some of the videos you can find of them on YouTube, as I’m pretty sure that they’re illegally obtained from their HBO comedy special (likewise the Eddie Izzard ones you may, ahem, find there), but I especially like Business Time and Albi (the racist dragon). Also, if only for the name, Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros.
And speaking of HBO, it turns out that Flight of the Conchords have a comedy series premiering on HBO on June 17th! You can see the first episode for free. I’m tempted to order HBO just for this.