British trio White Lies—guitarist/vocalist Harry McVeigh, bassist Charles Cave and drummer Jack Lawrence-Brown—just released Ritual (Geffen/Fiction), which follows up To Lose My Life…, the band’s commercially successful 2009 debut. The 10-track sophomore LP was co-produced by Alan Moulder (Depeche Mode, Killers) and was written over a five-week period when White Lies wasn’t crisscrossing the globe in support of its first album. Though McVeigh, Cave and Lawrence-Brown are all barely old enough to drink legally in the U.S., the threesome has been playing together as a band since their mid-teens, first as Fear Of Flying, which released two singles produced by Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur), and then under the White Lies moniker. The trio will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with them.
Lawrence-Brown: Here are my current top five.
5. Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place
Utterly bonkers piss-take of low-budget hospital dramas. Mixed with amateur surrealism and a lot of shotguns. Expect women birthing broccoli, exploding patients and possessed cutlery.
4. The Trip
The best thing on TV last year. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves (sort of) in a mainly improvised comedy which documents them driving around the north of England reviewing restaurants for the Observer Food Magazine, with absolutely minimal knowledge of food. It’s also surprisingly dark at times. Expect ABBA sing-a-longs and a thousand Michael Caine impressions.
3. Jam
The darkest comedy sketch show ever made. Our tour manager Gigsy showed us this series first, which is no surprise really once you’ve met him. Every sketch in this show is either very, very creepy or just offensive. Expect lizards coming out of TVs and missing children with some fairly casual parents. Eurgh.
2. I’m Alan Partridge
This is a comedy staple, really. Steve Coogan’s best-known character only made two series, but it’s genius throughout. Charting the downward spiral of a washed-out radio host. Expect living in a caravan and the third best slot on Radio Norwich.
1. Brass Eye
Chris Morris is a genius. This show caused so much controversy when it came out that he was banned from entering some TV buildings. Basically a spoof documentary aiming to take the piss out of British sensationalist journalism, covering sensitive topics such as HIV and drug abuse, which in turn lead to even more sensationalist journalism from the British tabloids. It was aired originally in 1997 and returned for a one off special in 2001 (this episode was the one that really pushed the boat out). It’s a must-see series.
Videos after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH4_mZh-bj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OknH4ILMu8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0RHAL3-9LU
