69 minutes, 19 seconds

Funker Vogt
Always and Forever, Vol. 1 (CD 1 of 2)

You pretty much have to be German in order to say the word "Funker" and not snicker. I even had to stifle a giggle as I typed it. I guess it means "radio operator," or so I recall from reading an interview with them a while back. But it sounds more like it means "someone who stinks up the can."

Truth is, I have mixed feelings about Funker Vogt. On the one hand, some of the songs aren't bad. They have a minor-chord anthemic quality and are usually backed by some pretty impactful beats and occasionally demonstrate thoughtful lyrics. On the other hand, a lot of the songs sound the same. Exactly. The. Same. And the band seems to take itself awfully seriously. Maybe too seriously to have a name that begins with "Funker."

Or maybe it's all just a big act, and they're really having a laugh, as Ricky Gervais's character-within-a-character on the brilliant HBO show Extras would say.

Also today:

69:17 Cruciform Injection, Response Stimuli