Hell no, hell no, hell no-oh-oh-oh-ooo ....

July 13, 2009 6:26 PM

Auto-Tune the News #6. I know the Autotune folks aren't exactly new to Metafilter, but, damn, this one's pretty catchy, and it's about the only time I've loved what came out of Rep. Boehner's mouth.
posted by WCityMike (71 comments total)

The video's 'more info' notes that the underlying beat was remixed from this source material.
posted by WCityMike at 6:28 PM on July 13

Previously. But damned if this new episode 6 puts the other episodes to shame. Brilliant.
posted by eschatfische at 6:29 PM on July 13

An Evening With the Brain Trust Behind 'Auto-Tune the News'
posted by acro at 6:33 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

I laughed ... and yet I didn't make it all the way through.
posted by philip-random at 6:34 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

I know these folks. Actually, I met them a couple of times before I out 2+2 together and said, quote, "zomg, you're the autotune the news people". They're very nice, so. All due success.
posted by GilloD at 6:34 PM on July 13

What, no very thin ice?
posted by littlerobothead at 6:35 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

When are they going to do a Putin autotune?
posted by pravit at 6:38 PM on July 13

I'm kind of confused, because I think this is their worst one. Really makes me wonder about people. #5 rocked; this one picked up a tiny bit halfway through.
posted by gensubuser at 6:39 PM on July 13

Well, it's no rap chop.
posted by brevator at 6:45 PM on July 13 [3 favorites]

Loved Wolf Blitzer's face.
posted by WCityMike at 6:49 PM on July 13 [2 favorites]

Auto-Tune the Nuisance
posted by inconsequentialist at 6:53 PM on July 13

This one is good, but #5 is the gold standard.
posted by ColdChef at 7:02 PM on July 13 [6 favorites]

See, and here I thought #2 was the finest. Brothers, sisters, let's enjoy them together!

Nice to hear a more upbeat tempo though. I was afraid after #5 they had run out of juice. Looks like we'll have much more auto tuned news to look forward to. Shawty!

(also, it makes so much more damn sense that there are 3 of them. For some reason I Thought there were only 2 brothers. Whew.)
posted by cavalier at 7:09 PM on July 13

Wow so so so good, and still getting better.
posted by vito90 at 7:10 PM on July 13

These are awesome, but they probably shouldn't be getting FPP all the time.

I think this post is on very thin ice.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 7:11 PM on July 13 [3 favorites]

Funny stuff, and the first I've heard of these Autotuners. Thanks!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:15 PM on July 13

I love the shit out of Auto-Tune the News, but I agree that it doesn't really belong on the front page again.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 7:17 PM on July 13

I think I liked this one better then #5.
posted by delmoi at 7:17 PM on July 13

(Well, then again the lettuce smoking this was pretty hilarious. They're all pretty good really)
posted by delmoi at 7:21 PM on July 13

These seem to get better and better. Something that doesn't happen often in the world of internet crap.
posted by photoslob at 7:24 PM on July 13

but #5 is the gold standard.

Yeah, #5 is definitely my favourite.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:26 PM on July 13

This was great - thanks!
posted by Staggering Jack at 7:34 PM on July 13

♫ I'm an angry gorilla ♫
posted by nola at 7:35 PM on July 13 [4 favorites]

#2 is #1, #5 is #2, and #6 is #3. QED.
posted by youarenothere at 7:36 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

Hah! Had never seen these. Great stuff.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:41 PM on July 13

Heart dis-EASE! ♫
posted by darkstar at 7:45 PM on July 13

And here I thought Jay Z's word was law.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:52 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

Not to sound like a Michael Gregory fan boy, but check out his "vlog #3" and listen to his song "OMG", it's not funny, but it's really good (in my opinion).
posted by djduckie at 7:53 PM on July 13

It's all about #5 . . . SHORTAY!
posted by ND¢ at 7:58 PM on July 13

The Gregory Brothers. Andrew Gregory's solo music is quite good.
posted by acro at 8:03 PM on July 13

I missed the Angry Gorilla this time around. But we did have Bachmann in there, so there's that at least.
posted by Talanvor at 8:27 PM on July 13

I think #5 set too high a standard. It was the first one I saw; nothing's been the same since...kind of like the Helen Hunt Keyboard Cat.
posted by Partario at 8:46 PM on July 13

I bet Chuck D would call this "CNN for white people".
posted by tapeguy at 8:57 PM on July 13

"CNN for white people" would be a brilliant band name. Just sayin'.
posted by elwoodwiles at 9:33 PM on July 13

Okay, I'd never heard of them either, and I didn't like any of them.

But thanks, anyway!
posted by yhbc at 9:35 PM on July 13

I think #5 set too high a standard. It was the first one I saw; nothing's been the same since...kind of like the Helen Hunt Keyboard Cat.

"This video contains an audio track that has not been authorized by WMG. The audio has been disabled. More about copyright"

Gah!
posted by delmoi at 9:43 PM on July 13

The Autotune the News series is great (and yeah, #5 and #2 for the win!), but you guys also need to check out their historic speech series. John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech is fantastic, as is Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr.

I feel like such a fanboi, but I bought all their mp3s to support them.

The Daily Show seriously needs to pick these guys up.
posted by Laen at 9:48 PM on July 13 [5 favorites]

#4 for EVA

♫ When an angry gorilla CRIIIIIES
Who's gonna be there to dry his eyes?
And when an angry gorilla's depressed
Who's gonna heal him with a soft caress?
Ooh ooh ah ah, the tears are rolling down my cheeks
Ooh ooh ah ah, liquid sorrow that my eyes excrete

And I'm a soulja, but a soulja's got feelings,
Don't know whom to lend my anger to,
And that's why I'm crestfallen and confused ♫

...SHAWTY♫
posted by signalnine at 10:09 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

Even autotuned, Michelle Bachmann is terrible.
posted by boo_radley at 10:09 PM on July 13

The Village Voice mentioned Press Hop, which turned out to be DJ Steve Porter's latest (previously).

Just. Brilliant.
posted by dw at 10:18 PM on July 13

A couple years ago, one of the bands I used to play with performed at Gravity Lounge (R.I.P.) in Charlottesville, VA. Andrew Gregory, who had gone to college with two of the guys in my band, was our opening act. Just him and an acoustic guitar. He's fantastic.
posted by emelenjr at 10:31 PM on July 13

"What you trying to say about IOWA?"
posted by humannaire at 11:21 PM on July 13

Uh. Sorry...any other questions? Anyone want to buy drugs? From me?
posted by humannaire at 11:23 PM on July 13

You know, liquid sorrow that my eyes excrete is one of the best god damn lines. I mean ever.
posted by cavalier at 12:24 AM on July 14

This just confirms my theory that attempting to auto-tune Sarah Palin is completely futile.
posted by 0xFCAF at 12:27 AM on July 14

I thought Michelle autotuned more successfully than Sarah P., actually.
posted by Rat Spatula at 12:28 AM on July 14

Good example of when to let the video footage do the joke for you, and not greenscreen yourself into the fun.

In other words, these would be much better without the "performers".
posted by zardoz at 2:03 AM on July 14

It's close between #5 and #6 for me. The fifth was great, but the ending was a bit so-so, the sixth one was good all the way through.
posted by bjrn at 3:42 AM on July 14

This one is good, but #5 is the gold standard.

If anything is the gold standard, it's Ron Paul segment.

You'll see some real change from the third party at my house poppin' champagne bacardi gettin' crunked out triple rhymin' with Joe Biden while we imbibin' Hennessey. Come on over
drinks on me homie
posted by DU at 5:36 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Awww, no Sanford. Oh well.
posted by Dr-Baa at 5:45 AM on July 14

Another fine one, but like some have commented, #5 is too awesome. The whole lettuce section is about as good as it gets. That said, the waking up dead section is a treat in this one.
First time I came across it I wasn't that taken, but it may well have been seeing 5 that totally changed my mind on it.
posted by opsin at 5:59 AM on July 14

That said, the angry gorilla in #4 was a treat too...
posted by opsin at 5:59 AM on July 14

Let's get them to auto-tune Metafilter, shawty!
posted by orme at 6:06 AM on July 14

#5 gets stuck in my head, on average, at least three or four times a week.

(God bless America.)
posted by Mali at 6:34 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

(It's the smooOOOOOOooOOOooke)
posted by cavalier at 6:52 AM on July 14 [3 favorites]

Jeez, it took me days to get #5 out of my head the first time I heard it. Now it's back. I was singing parts of it all day yesterday in the lab.
posted by darkstar at 7:10 AM on July 14

Yep, listened to #5 over and over; #6 is pretty good but it's not quite there. Is it just me or would it be helpful at times to have subtitles?
posted by TochterAusElysium at 7:41 AM on July 14

Apparently they don't have enough subscribers to get Youtube to share ad revenue, so I added them as a subscription. (And now you can too - I need more lettuce smoking.)

from the article linked above:

The crew maintain day jobs, presumably at least partly because those bastards at YouTube haven't agreed to partner with them to share ad revenue. (Apparently, they didn't have enough subscribers when they applied. What a racket.)

Representative Bachmann, however, can go enjoy her freedom at the bottom of the ocean. Or possibly in one of the new delightful deserts which result from climate change.
posted by jb at 7:57 AM on July 14

Why can't I stop listening to these over and over again every time I see a link to them. I don't know, but it's rather inconvenient.
posted by MetaMonkey at 8:01 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Is it just me or would it be helpful at times to have subtitles?

They include the lyrics in "More Info" section for all their videos.
posted by Dr-Baa at 8:43 AM on July 14

Is there a poor man's autotune somewhere? Like a plugin for Audacity or something? This would be kind of funny to mess around with.
posted by crapmatic at 9:17 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

I wonder if any of the Auto-Tuned subjects have watched these. And what their reactions are.
posted by brand-gnu at 9:51 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

#5 still owns it. Six is good, but not the earworm that 5 was and still is.

But seriously, when we all got used to Stewart and Colbert as the new news, and had adjusted our snark and irony meters accordingly, now here comes A-TTN to make current events even more infotainelicious. This is in no way a bad thing.

The AirAmerica liveblog chat at http://bit.ly/uY0iF covering the Sotomayor confirmation is a related kind kind of immature satirical goodness, but in an equal-opportunity form.

Only now has America begun to realize the full satirical potential of CSPAN-type coverage of our political leadership. It's like discovering a seam of gold running through the parking lot.
posted by Pliskie at 10:00 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Why does Katie Couric always get runner up as best unintentional singer, when she's clearly head and shoulders above the very thin ice, very thin ice...
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:26 AM on July 14

Two Words: JUNKIE EINSTEIN!!!

(I demmand countinous Auto-Tuning for Katie Cou Baby Boo on the CBS Evening news. She's halfway there already...)
posted by djrock3k at 10:51 AM on July 15

It amazes me that these guys have now put out six videos (not to mention at least three related projects) and they've yet to be signed to do something on SNL or the Daily Show or the like. I'm sure there's copyright issues, and it must be hell to produce this snippet so well. But it's fresh and funny, find a way.
posted by Nelson at 6:09 PM on July 15

brand-gnu: "I wonder if any of the Auto-Tuned subjects have watched these. And what their reactions are."

Rachel Maddow had featured the auto-tuners on her show, and then later mentioned that they had auto-tuned her.
posted by WCityMike at 8:56 AM on July 16

Damn that #5 earwig.
posted by darkstar at 1:38 PM on July 19

Auto-Tune the News #2 on Piano
posted by finite at 1:18 AM on August 3

Auto-Tune the News #7: texting. rhyming. pat buchanan fail.
posted by Nelson at 11:55 AM on August 3 [1 favorite]

Damnation. Just about the time I get over #5, Nelson, you go and revive the thread!

(By the way, I just have to say that the one AutoTuner dude is pretty cute. I'd totally be his Baby Boo.)
posted by darkstar at 1:12 PM on August 3