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Avg: 4.5 (146 ratings)
- Date Released: September 26, 2006
- Genre: Soundtracks/Other
- Style: Comedy
- Label: Comedy Central Records
A determined post-modernist stand-up averse to cliché, with a bottomless supply of one-liners.
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We Say...
A cerebral comedian from New York City who has gained the cult status normally afforded singer-songwriters with crooked hair, Demetri Martin is like a younger generation's Steven Wright. Whereas that comic had the aura of a hippie philosophy professor, Martin seems the precocious boy wonder with a seemingly bottomless supply of one-liners. He rarely speaks down to his audience — often, Martin places a punch line in advance of a set-up — and is a determined post-modernist averse to cliché. Case in point: Whereas 99 percent of stand-up comedy records begin with an MC introducing the star to hoots and hollers, These Are Jokes starts with Martin's heavily-accented grandmother ("I hope you like this CD he made") and a fuzzy song by Martin himself. "One time I did a show," he sings. "On a stage with a microphone."
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They Say...
Taking Steven Wright's style of letting the absurdist one-liners fly, standup whiz kid Demetri Martin puts an indie spin on Wright's shtick and then breaks the act up with some weird, delicate songs featuring Glockenspiel, guitar, and synth. Mostly straight live standup with a couple studio concoctions tacked on the end, the audio portion of These Are Jokes is hilarious with Martin effortlessly delivering endless streams of strangeness and irreverence while occasionally referencing the recording of his debut CD to the audience with such giddy pride you just want to pinch his cheek. The way Martin sees it, life vests protect you from drowning, bulletproof vests protect you from getting shot, and sweater vests protect you from pretty girls. Swimming is interesting because "sometimes you do it for fun, while other times you do it to not die." The great song "Sames and Opposites" offers "A squirrel is the same as a can/When there's a B.B. gun in my hand" while Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte shows up for some crazy scatting and ridiculous vocal vamping on "Personal Information Waltz." The studio tracks at the end are bizarre -- more Residents than They Might Be Giants bizarre -- and the bonus DVD features some freaky animation, along with a less satisfying set of standup from a less comfortable sounding Martin. Still, it's a bonus; and a bonus to a fantastic debut CD from the quirkier, smarter side of standup.
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You Say...
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| 01. |  |
The Start |
3:01 |  |
| 02. | |
Some Jokes |
7:09 | |
| 03. | |
The Remix |
5:40 | |
| 04. | |
Other Jokes |
1:27 | |
| 05. | |
Sames and Opposites |
8:04 | |
| 06. | |
These Jokes |
5:50 | |
| 07. | |
Personal Information Waltz |
7:12 | |
| 08. | |
One Story |
6:55 | |
| 09. | |
Some More Jokes |
3:30 | |
| 10. | |
The Jokes With Guitar |
13:58 | |
| 11. | |
The Grapes Song |
2:42 | |
| 12. | |
The Wisdom Song |
3:09 | |
| 13. | |
Untitled |
2:15 | |
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