Pitchfork

For once, I think it's fair to call it a comeback. Lionel Richie keyboard ballad "Hello" hit #1 in the U.S. in 1984 on the strength of its creepy romantic longing and a video I could practically recreate just by feel. Then came the Starburst commercial, the spot on VH1's "Awesomely Bad" list, and way out of left field (or, more specifically, Sweden), "A Paw in My Face" by the Field, which forced snobs of all stripes to deal with the fact that they had just enjoyed a track built around a snippet from a goddamn Lionel Richie song. All that was left was the post-grunge "American Idol" cover inspired by Incubus. Richie must be dancing on the ceiling right about now.

Illinois-based husband-wife duo Oh Astro showed up in Forkcast last year for their slightly Field-like "Journey to the Center", so it shouldn't be a surprise that these Girl Talk labelmates share an inspiration. "Hello Fuji Boy", as its title hints, is built around nothing more than Richie's "Hello", Fujiya & Miyagi's "Ankle Injuries", and Hot Chip's "Boy From School". Sometimes it's easier to turn crap into gold than to improve upon near-perfection, so "Hello Fuji Boy" doesn't quite live up to two-thirds of its material (or "A Paw in My Face"), but anything built from those basic elements couldn't possibly suck. The video is a creative bit of re-appropriation as well, as clips from the first episode of 1970s children's TV show "The Lost Saucer" are put through a stuttering visual effect. Lionel, looks like you've made it! Oh wait, that was Barry Manilow.

[from Champions of Wonder; out now on Illegal Art]