** King Kong

KINGDOM OF KONG

(Drag City)

As a member of Louisville's influential Slint, King Kong singer/bassist Ethan Buckler helped create a niche for dozens of bleak-sounding indie-rock outfits who emerged in the wake of that group's break-up. But with King Kong, he's been exploring the more lighthearted pleasures of goofball funk, informed by a combination of Southern soul and B-52's kitsch -- 1995's absurd Me Hungry, a concept album about a caveman's love affair with a yak, was a particularly vivid example of Buckler's less serious work with the band. On Kingdom of Kong, Buckler once again dorkily duets with Amy Greenwood over prominent organ and bass lines, but the humorous edge of the group's previous three albums has dulled with age. The disc's saving grace comes at the end, with "Funky Monkey," a tune that employs vibes, bongos, and monkey calls to mime jungle sounds. Perhaps Buckler's next creative coup will come from incorporating Martin Denny-style world music into his white-boy funk.

-- Jay Ruttenberg