JIM BREUER
Smoke 'n' Breu - (2002)

Comedian Jim Breuer is best-known for his more memorable characters and impressions on Saturday Night Live as well as his portrayal of the perpetually stoned Brian in the cult comedy hit Half Baked. Before both of these incarnations he was a successful standup comedian with an open love of partying and 1980s heavy metal music. These loves are fully represented on his CD Smoke and Breu, with bits about AC/DC, hallucinogenic drugs, and drinking. The CD also offers insights into his three years on SNL with stories about meeting Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro, experiences with fellow SNL actor Norm MacDonald, and the origins of his most famous character, Goat Boy. The entire performance is accompanied by a rock band made up of some of Breuer's childhood friends, which augments many of the jokes and allows the comic to display his uncanny ability to imitate the best heavy metal singers, including AC/DC's Brian Johnson. If there is anything lacking in the recording, it is that there are some gaps where Breuer is obviously performing more physical and visual comedy. It is obvious that the recording was culled from a performance originally staged for television and was simply adapted for this recording, but overall the CD satisfies both the casual fan and the most dedicated Jim Breuer follower. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ii81c9kfozf11wv

HARLAND WILLIAMS
Har-Larious - (2005)

Artist, actor, musician, and — believe it or not — children's author Harland Williams can definitely be Har-Larious, but it takes awhile for him to get there on his Comedy Central debut. He's simply telling jokes at the beginning of this St. Louis-sourced show and they're hit or miss, mostly hit but sometimes uncomfortably miss. He seems tripped-up by the non-reaction some of his jokes receive, but after a couple hit the target, he relaxes and lets loose his inner Harland. This means stringing together nonsensical words to explain improbable situations or interacting with the audience in an acerbic way that suggests Don Rickles on acid. The fact that the whole front row seems to work at the same Arbys sets Williams off on a funny bit that displays his underexposed skills at improv. His bit on the "Al Quedas" attacking buildings with blimps is very funny, but like a whole lot of Har-Larious, seeing the chin-less wonder deliver it would be even better. Mitch Hedberg and Dane Cook got the deluxe treatment from Comedy Central with loaded CD/DVD combos being released before Williams' mere CD. It's a shame, since the audience's enthusiastic laughter at what are just pauses on-disc must mean the rubbery one is doing the facial contortions and awkward movements that play no small part in his rise to cult fame. As it is, Har-Larious is beneficial to the fan since his earlier, self-released albums are hard to come by. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?wfxxq8vuwa1aww0

THE STATE
Comedy For Gracious Living - (1996)

The State is a 1990's sketch comedy that ran on MTV written by and starring the New York-based sketch group of the same name. Though it ran for only three seasons, it quickly achieved a cult following and was one of the best sketch shows of the decade. Though it aired on MTV, the show typically avoided obvious pop culture parody, instead focusing on absurdity. Sketches were often linked together with some kind of connecting piece, a la Monty Python. Many of the members have gone on to create popular comedy shows and films since the group stopped working together in the late 1990s. After three seasons, major networks began courting The State for a Saturday night slot against Saturday Night Live. The group eventually agreed to move to CBS for a series of specials that could eventually become a series. The last show on MTV aired in July of 1995. The group also recorded a comedy album of all new material in early 1996 called Comedy for Gracious Living. It was shelved by Warner Bros. for unknown reasons and has never been released. Well.....here it is!

http://www.mediafire.com/?1y7mr43d00yi9i5

DEMETRI MARTIN
These Are Jokes - (2006)

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. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?uazotfg686md9ar

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
Flight Of The Conchords - (2008)

Taking the torch from Tenacious D and then taking 14 songs from the first season of their HBO series (plus a 15-second outro), Flight of the Conchords' first full-length release for Sub Pop is a strong serving of songs from the dynamic deadpan duo. Unfortunately, since the show included a few songs per episode, 11 of the songs didn't make it past the cutting-room floor, and gems like "If You're Into It," "I'm Not Crying," and "Sello Tape" got the axe, along with the character dedications and motivations "Cheer Up, Murray," "Song for Sally," and "Bret, You Got It Going On." It's forgivable, though; a double-disc set of every song would have been overkill, and most of the favorites make the cut on the CD. Fans still get the neo-soul ballad "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," the hip-hop attempt "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymnocerous," the psychedelic acid trip "Prince of Parties," the dancehall anthem "Boom," and the French pop lullaby "Foux du Fafa." While New Zealander dry humor and matter-of-fact delivery are huge parts of the duo's allure, their adherence to their own style within a variety of genres is the icing on the cake, and to quote Bret's reaction to the stranger who is denied while trying to sell a cake at a pawn shop, "It's a beautiful cake." With each song, they expand their range, paying homage with the strictest attention to details only music geeks will appreciate, be it the Marvin Gaye "What's Going On" instrumentation in "Think About It," the Radiohead "Fitter Happier" vocal impersonations in "Robot," the Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" similarities in "Inner City Pressure," or the many, many faces of David Bowie in "Bowie." Versatility is their strength, and they show it off well. If they weren't great songwriters, lines like "Sometimes my lyrics are sexist/But you lovely bitches and hoes should know I'm trying to correct this" and "The manager Bevin tries to abuse me/Hey man, I just want some Muesli" might provide short-term laughs, but the music is clever and catchy enough to give it merit for repeated listens. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?st8q96b9tzt4d13

EUGENE MIRMAN
God Is A Twelve Year Old Boy With Asperger's - (2009)

Absurdist standup Eugene Mirman was a leading light of the New York City alternative comedy scene, earning a cult following in indie rock circles for his performances in support of bands including Yo La Tengo, the Shins, and Modest Mouse. Born in the Soviet Union in 1974, Mirman was four years old when his family immigrated to the U.S., settling in Boston. After graduating from Hampshire College, where he developed his own major in comedy, Mirman launched his standup career at small Boston venues like the Green Street Grill before relocating to New York City in 2000. One of the first comedians to embrace the Internet as a new creative platform, he soon attracted national attention for his website eugenemirman.com, home to the Marvelous Crooning Child (an animated image of a toddler-age Mirman singing classic rock favorites) as well as many of his short films. Multimedia clips also emerged as a critical element of Mirman's stage act, and his 2004 debut album, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman, was released as a CD/DVD package. Like many standups of his generation, Mirman eschewed traditional comedy venues in favor of indie rock clubs, regularly opening for musical acts as well as the Stella troupe. With Bobby Tisdale and Holly Schlesinger, he also produced the weekly alt-comedy variety showcase "Invite Them Up," and in the spring of 2006 released his first Sub Pop effort, En Garde, Society! His second release for the label, God Is a Twelve Year Old Boy with Asperger's, followed in 2009. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?cvq3fzl7ubia9vq

SARAH SILVERMAN
Jesus Is Magic - (2006)

Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman got her professional start on the cast of Saturday Night Live during the early '90s and later as a featured performer on the groundbreaking show Mr. Show with Bob and David. This platform enabled Silverman to book high-profile gigs for her standup comedy career, along with leading to smaller roles on TV and various movies. In 2005, Silverman's live act was caught in Jesus Is Magic, a no-holds-barred movie featuring Silverman at her rawest, covering every imaginable taboo and pushing the idea of blue humor to its fullest possible limits. A soundtrack of the movie was released in 2006, featuring excerpts from the movie and songs she wrote with Sifl and Olly creator Liam Lynch. A movie starring Sarah Silverman (that silver-tongued genius who makes other female comedians blush with modesty), Bob Odenkirk, and Brian Posehn sounds like a sure-fire thing, especially with some songs written by Liam Lynch, co-creator of the genius Sifl & Olly TV show that MTV so disgracefully canceled. But the truth is, Jesus Is Magic works best when it's just Sarah on-stage alone. The songs sometimes pale when compared with the potency of Silverman's standup delivery, and the soundtrack suffers from erratic shifts in tone and momentum throughout. Sometimes the jokes don't translate well without the visuals, and then there are other moments during Silverman's standup that are just downright raunchy and effective. If you've never heard her standup before, brace yourself. This is just as blue as humor can get without being downright awful and offensive merely for the sake of being offensive. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?bh7tiij2nbucb2u

JIM NORTON
Yellow Discipline - (2003)

Known for his aggressive style, his love of controversial subjects, and his hatred of Derek Jeter, comedian Jim Norton has earned a fanatical following thanks to his busy touring schedule and hilarious contributions to the Opie & Anthony radio show. Raised in suburban New Jersey, Norton fell in love with the work of Richard Pryor at the age of 12. A normal childhood turned into turbulent teen years with Norton dealing with low self-esteem, alcohol abuse, and eventually a successful stint in rehab. He hit the standup circuit in 1989 and met comic Jim Florentine a year later. The two would become friends and roommates, and would tour together for several years while both were pursuing careers in show business. Norton's big break came in 1999 when he became a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated Opie & Anthony radio show. He would officially join the O&A crew five years later as the show was making the jump to XM Satellite Radio. Appearances on television as a Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn panelist and a co-star on Louis C.K.'s HBO series Lucky Louie led to Norton landing his own one-hour HBO special, Monster Rain, which aired in 2007. That same year he released his first book, the autobiographical collection of essays Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch.

http://www.mediafire.com/?vpga5j6mvxlwpqw

ARJ BARKER
Issue Were Here - (1999)

Standup comedian Arj Barker is co-writer of the off-Broadway show the Marijuana-Logues and a regular on the HBO sitcom Flight of the Conchords. Born Arjun Singh and raised in San Anselmo, CA, Arj originally tried performing standup comedy on a dare. Falling in love with it, he became a regular on the West Coast comedy circuit and toured the U.K. and Australia before his breakthrough came in 1997 with an appearance on the Comedy Central show Premium Blend. Arj became a frequent guest of the late-night talk show circuit soon after, and released his debut comedy album, Issue Were Here, in 1999. His own Comedy Central Presents episode aired a year later, and then in 2004 came the off-Broadway premiere of the Marijuana-Logues, a parody of the Vagina Monologues Arj had written with Doug Benson and Tony Camin. In 2007, he joined the cast of the Flight of the Conchords television series, playing the Conchords’ American friend Devjeet "Dave" Mohumbhai. Three years later, he signed with the Warner Bros. record label and released his second album, LYAO. (allmusic.com)

http://www.mediafire.com/?tn0z5nz5wmz

LOUIS C.K.
Chewed Up - (2008)

By 2008 and the release of his first widely available CD, standup comedian Louis CK had already earned a loyal following through steady touring, regular appearances with morning shock jocks, a short-lived cable television sitcom, plus plenty of cable television specials. Chewed Up, the CD, is sourced from one of these specials and like so many other releases of its kind, shows little regard for the album format. None of the sight jokes are edited out, and the television special's long, mostly silent intro is left in for some reason. The performance itself is a different story. Chewed Up is on par with the comedian's early work, recovering after the slight dip he took with 2007's special Shameless. Save some unfunny talk about racial slurs that just can't find their mark, the set is sharp as it transitions from CK's unfiltered, unflattering talk about his kids ("buckets of disease that live in the house") to his even less flattering talk about growing old and the horrible effect it's having on his nether regions. Simple pleasures like the drippy "Cinnabon" ("a six-foot high, cinnamon swirled cake made for one sad fat man") and Walgreens ("a depressing drug store that sells sweatpants and vodka") are explored, and in a welcome, last ditch effort to make this a little more than just an audio rip of the DVD, three very funny outtake bits are added as bonus tracks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?x9qdy7mbxhmmf8x

AUGUST IS COMEDY MONTH!

Based on the amount of downloads of The Zach Galifianakis posting from a few days ago I decided to make August here at Constantinople comedy month. Throughout the month I will be posting a bunch of comedy albums from various comedians that are among my favorites in the business. In the not so long ago past I ran a short lived comedy blog called 2 Drink Minimum. Anyone who has been a follower of Constantinople might remember this blog (there was a link for it on the right side of the page). Well, it was brought to my attention that Laugh.com, which is a website that deals only in comedy recordings looks to shut down blogs that post albums that they sell. It was only after I had posted many of these said albums that I had found this out and instead of going on with the blog I figured it was best to just pull it from the web myself. Being that I am a huge fan of stand up comedy I enjoyed that blog and now I am happy to introduce some great comedy to all you Constantinople-ites this month. Please note that I will only be posting albums that are not available on the Laugh.com site so I am sorry to say that there will be no legends like Carlin, Pryor, Kinison....you get the point. Well with that being said, enjoy and laugh your ass off!!! - DD

ZACH GALIFIANAKIS
Live At The Purple Onion (Audio Track) - (2007)

Zach Galifianakis started his so-called career in back of a hamburger joint in New York. Well-known and loved by the Comedy Central crowd, he is one of the Comedians of Comedy, played director Alan Finger in the series Dog Bites Man and wowed the critics with his acclaimed VH1 show, Late World With Zach. A master of the one-liner, rivaling Steven Wright, with an absurd rambling style reminiscent of Andy Kaufman, Zach s sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy. Off-stage, you will meet Seth Galifianakis, Zach s twin brother. In an emotional interview with Brian Unger, he sheds some light on his brother Zach, revealing how he came to be who he is today. This posting features only the audio track taken from the DVD.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bnaqj94pjnatnwn

BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT
Meat Bob - (1988)

Mr. Goldthwait enjoyed his heyday in the coming-of-age of nightclub comedy era, but sadly his popularity decreased in the mid-'90s, when a subtler approach to comedy — like that of Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen Degeneres — hit the scene. By then he had developed his own loyal following, however, and recorded one of his concerts, Meat Bob Live from 1988; he also can be heard on several of the Comic Relief recordings. Throughout the second decade of his career, Bobcat continued to appear in bit parts in a slew of Hollywood B-movies. He also made countless appearances on popular network television shows throughout the '90s, including Married...With Children, Hollywood Squares, and as well as hosting his own comedy series in a quiz show format called Bobcat's Big Ass Show for FX. Bobcat got his start performing in comedy clubs when he was 15 and still attending high school. When he was 19, he made his first television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. This is not the first time he would make a splash on the late-night talk-show circuit. He is also (perhaps not so fondly) remembered for an Andy Kaufman-esque stint on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that involved setting a chair on fire and ensuing arson charges. The Meat Bob live recording is just two tracks but clocks in at over forty five minutes. This effort was recorded October 10, 1987 in a comedy club called IGBY's in Santa Monica, California. WARNING: Bob uses the same language most parents use when they drop something really heavy on their foot.

http://www.mediafire.com/?rqzgzyyigzy

*** 7" SINGLE ***
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS
Up In Them Guts - (2008)



http://www.mediafire.com/?y3nnzzmjdq2