It felt like a theft of precious sitcom seconds were being wasted on him when I just wanted J.D. and Turk to sing about their “Guy Love.” Needless to say, I didn’t like Aziz on my first impression. Then I hear he’s releasing an online special a la Louis C.K. and once again I had my bitter biases creeping up.

But lo and behold, Aziz isn’t just an actor moonlighting as a stand-up comedian.

He’s not one of these guys that relies on his own ethnic and racial background for material. You aren’t going to hear self-deprecating Pakistani jokes from Aziz, mostly because he’s Indian which quite frankly is racist of you to assume they’re the same thing.

Shot at the Warner Theater in Washington D.C., Aziz is a hip hop aficionado, his set replete with stories of R. Kelly, Jay-Z and 50 Cent. One of his great strengths are his stories that bond the audience through experience. Example: “One night I’m texting a girl, she texts me back I text her back” and after about five back and forths, “I say ‘Alright cool, so you wanna get pizza on Tuesday?’ And then I don’t hear anything!”

This may seem lacking in clever wordplay, shock value or biting sarcasm. But it’s something that has happened to every guy and drove him crazy. When you hear Aziz tell stories like this you’re right there empathizing with every petty frustration that it seems laughable how close the two of you are.

My favorite is a comedy moment that absolutely has to be unwritten. There is honestly no way Aziz could tell this without it being true. Things start merrily along with a lunch date with a friend until suddenly 50 Cent appears in his eyesight. The scene is simply this rapper and former Vitamin Water shareholder believes that his grapefruit soda should be purple. As Aziz puts it, “There are parents who aren’t there when their kids learn what a grapefruit is. I am there in rapper 50 Cent’s life.”

Other hits on this hour long special include a Canadian customs lady whose English is “barely better than Animal from the Muppets Babies,” a dramatic interpretation of R. Kelly’s newest song, and the latest updates on Aziz’s chubby cousin Harris.

Just like Louis C.K. and Jim Gaffigan, Aziz is selling his special Dangerously Delicious for $5 on his website azizansari.com. A shortened and censored version will air on Comedy Central May 20 10:00 PM ET. It’s likely a quarter of the show will be slashed for commercials.

This is what I think of Aziz’s comedy. The words, on paper are neither highly cerebral nor playactingly stupid. The stories often involve banal realities rather than outrageous adventures. It’s Aziz’s personality, the same personality I initially despised on Scrubs, that drives his stand-up. Time will tell that Aziz is not a TV actor moonlighting as a comedian. It might be the other way around.

Check out a preview of Dangerously Delicious here:

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I just listened to Reggie Watts’ A Live At Central Park and I’m not sure who I am anymore. Admittedly, I am a stark traditionalist when it comes to stand-up comedy. I romanticize the idea of someone going on stage with nothing more than a microphone and wit to convey his or her viewpoint to an audience. No gimmicks, no instruments, no bullshit; just jokes.

It’s hard to describe Watts’ convention. Even after listening to the album I still can’t decide if I want to describe the man as comically musical or musically hilarious. Either way, he makes it work. The man seamlessly blends his musical ability with his absurdist sense of humor to create a not only entertaining but insightful show.

I had seen Watts before during one of his many appearances on the Conan O’Brien show and was surprisingly impressed. So after dipping my feet into the pool that is Watts’ insane brain I decided to jump in headfirst and take the plunge. What I learned is that when someone decides to break from convention and nails it, it not only is refreshing, it’s also brilliant. Which is why I enjoyed  A Live at Central Park so much.

Peppered in to the numerous laughs are very insightful and interesting views on the world that if you’re not looking for you may miss the first time around. Not only is his musical ability top notch but his joke structure is on par as well. He captivates you with a single, simple idea and then seamlessly drags you through his world of absurdity to the point that when you reach the end you have no idea how you got there but you’re happy you arrived.

As much as I enjoy watching a seasoned comedian work a club it was very refreshing to see a new face take bold leaps. It takes balls to break from the norm, and whether you enjoy alternative comedy or not, one has to give Watts kudos for having the gonads to try something different.  This CD will be an easy sell to anyone who is a fan of alternative comedy, but for those of us who tread lightly when it comes to the alternative scene hear my words (actually read them). This CD is indeed mind blowing, and completely different from any other comedy album I’ve ever heard It’s pacing, subject matter and different style make it a fun and easy CD to listen to.

To read more about Watts and see what projects he’s up to, check out his personal website here.  You can also follow him on Twitter @ReggieWatts. A Live at Central Park is available on iTunes and Amazon. 

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Off the bat, Andy observes that there are three manly things about him: “I can fix a flat tire, I drive a stick shift and I pee standing up.” Andy goes on to talk about the stalwart braggadocio with which he had to use the first skill on a bleedingly cold 7 degree day. Or at least that would be the case had he not owned the unmanliest of all clothing items, mittens.

When it comes to other manly things the first thing you might think of are balls. Now because this is a family website we’re going to talk about cake balls. Cake balls are not the result of neutered cakes that can no longer birth little baby muffins (one of the comedian’s craziest tangents). In fact they are cake trash. After hearing the process of making them from the baker Andy reflects, “That’s how good cake is. Its trash goes for three dollars a bite.” You got to admit, even humans don’t have that kind of moneymaker. Well they do, but usually you have to stick things in it after it’s done shaking rather than eat what comes out of it.

As any budding male will experience, Andy relates a few ex-girlfriend issues. He tells of this one girlfriend who really liked Twilight. One of the reasons she likes Twilight so much is because the main character is the only girl whose thoughts the main vampire can’t read. So it makes her unique and the whole situation romantic or something. As absurd as that sounds to us real men he says, “I get why the vampire wants to date the girl whose mind he cannot read because I can barely listen to everything she decided to say.” The ultimate downfall for guys who are really vampires is having to listen to a “stream of garbage” whilst knowing that “you’re a vampire so you can’t even kill yourself.”

Andy hits his stride when talking about online dating. Particularly the woeful and embarrassing pitfalls of the subject. “My friends convinced me to try internet dating so I tried that. Everyone says their friends convinced them. Everyone’s a liar.” Andy speaks on the inadequacy complex that seems to stigmatize online dating when asking, “Ok so what’s wrong with you?” One of his dates complains that too many men are assholes and leave once they have sex. I can’t tell you all what happens in between, but I can tell you it ends with him leaving after being called an asshole.

So you know what? Go buy this asshole tri-manly being’s CD called Lucy. It’s being released by Rooftop Comedy on May 15 and since you’re about to get out of school you can treat yourself early. And if you, unlike Andy, are a real man with a real job then you probably need this even worse because I hear the real world has no sense of humor.

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A great deal of your enjoyment will be dependent on your value of somewhat dated material. Some of it is still very contemporary. Black talks about his love of the cold medicine Nyquil, global warming/ozone problems and the length of the Christmas holidays.

On Nyquil he says, “It comes in two colors: red and green. It’s the only thing in this country that tastes like red and green…I knocked the whole thing back. I woke up three days later in Rockville, Maryland.” Jokes like this translate well. His joke on Christmas could be told just as easily today. “It starts on Labor Day now. Thanksgiving is a comma.”

The problem starts when you get to the material that includes President Reagan, Gorbachev, Bush Sr. and the Exxon Valdez environmental disaster. I’m guessing that most people roughly my age will likely tune out. It’s probably fair to say that although Black greatly ridicules the younger generation he has a loyal following from it due in good part to the popularity of his work as a Daily Show correspondent.

But hey, people like my father love Black and will probably enjoy a number of jokes from this era that went unheard. When talking about the expensively priced, brand new stealth bomber he asks, “You know why we’re building it? Because it doesn’t show up on the radar screen. If that’s the case why build it at all? Why not just tell the Russians it’s there?”

Black successfully roasts the poor pool of 1988 Democratic Presidential candidates. “Dukakis makes President Carter look like a speed freak,” and “As long as I live and breathe the first lady will never be named Tipper.” Oh how right the Prophet turned out to be.

Black’s trademark style of brash comedy and angry ranting is still present even in his forty-year-old self. He was just as livid then as he is now and that is something that any Lewis Black fan can appreciate. So if you have an affinity for the man and a relatively good understanding of the late ‘80s, then you should enjoy this album available in stores and online retailers everywhere.

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What I’m saying is that Gossling is a cartoon, and in the best of ways. Eddie has a manic energy, across which he stretches his high thin voice. And when he’s keyed into a particular point, that voice gets higher and more shrill with the bizarre vitality that comes with riding an insane tangent to greater and greater silliness.

Which is not to say he shouldn’t be taken seriously. Gossling is reliably hilarious without ever being predictable. Manic and mercurial, Eddie is a moving target, rarely taking a moment to slow down. One bit that does slow down examines how his inadequacy for mathematics prevented him from being an otherwise ideal candidate for a job at NASA. Grounded in the necessity for scientific exactitude, Gossling runs at lower RPMs to imagine himself “ballparkin’ it” in the aeronautics industry, to excellent comedic effect.

His style mixes well with his material. At some level, his intensity pushes his material over the top, and sells it. For example, when he imagines himself in conventional situations like nine-to-five jobs, it’s easy to imagine him straining against the bonds of professionalism. When he describes getting fired at his job and using a surprise glitter attack on his boss, (“What’d you do at lunch, blow a clown?”), the imagery flows naturally and believably.

But Gossling is at his best when he fuses his madcap delivery with material based in awkwardness, with just a sliver of creepy. This he does for his wife’s “benefit,” leaning into her ear at bedtime and whispering something disturbing in a voice reminiscent of Gollum in Lord of the Rings. It’s as troublingly hilarious as one could hope for, and it’s pure Gossling. And his rendition of a man-boy in a onesie, singing: “Baby likes to jig-gle it for mo-therrrr…” is as discomforting and wicked as it gets, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it out of my head.

Eddie has a light touch that makes his silliness go down easy. His performance is fast-paced and has a way of following illogical logic, corkscrewing from a bizarre premise off to an unlikely side street, without losing the audience. Improbable, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Mixing the dryly sardonic and observational wit of Bugs Bunny with the flaky screwball human failings of Daffy Duck, Gossling’s comedy is an adult-sized take from an inner child and is delightfully unexpected.

You can follow Gossling on Twitter @EddieGossling and read more about him on his website at www.Commedie.com. 

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Brody is a high energy, witty master of observational comedy. And after working twelve years in the stand-up community it’s a pleasant surprise to see his work come to fruition. That’s Not What I Meant, produced in conjunction with Rooftop Comedy, has everything a comedy connoisseur – or not – will love. It’s brilliantly paced, sufficiently lengthy and clever.

What’s truly interesting about this particular album is the voice and cadence in which Brody delivers his material. Right off the bat he creates this intriguing goofy air about him, which captivates the recorded audience and anyone smart enough to take a listen. The way in which he constructs his jokes is not a set-up punch line one-two combo, but rather an over arching story like theme that strings together both witticism and criticism.

Personally, this is my favorite way in which a comedian performs. It feels less like you’re listening to a comedian on stage and more like you’re just listening to a guy entertaining a crowd at a party. The source of Brody’s material is also what makes That’s Not What I Meant a great buy. Most of the material on the CD is derived from his own life and experiences, which gives it an original and authentic feel. He really gives his listeners a tour of the inner workings of his mind and makes you glad you followed him to the end.

The CD is filled with jokes concerning his life growing up in Iowa, his marriage, life as a comic and a hilariously funny tale about how he was kidnapped as a child…yes…kidnapped…like the Lindbergh baby…except we know where Mike is.

So much of stand-up comedy is engulfed in pessimistic cynicism which is not at all a bad thing, but sometimes it’s nice to listen to a comedian who’s not pissed off at the world and not pushing some sort of mentality or agenda on you. Brody is funny simply for the sake of being funny. He loves to make people laugh and that is so evident throughout the CD. He’s not having a mental breakdown on stage, he is simply enjoying the moment, and that makes That’s Not What I Meant a great CD to relax to and take pleasure in.

For more album reviews and exclusive interviews visit our AmericasComedy.com Facebook fan page and follow us on Twitter @AmericasComedy!

When offered the opportunity to write a review for her newest CD release, Equal Opportunity Offender, I eagerly accepted, because truth be told, I wasn’t well versed in her work. I mean, I’ve seen her kill countless times on the Comedy Central roasts but I had never really indulged in her solo stand-up records. I was tired of judging her solely on her roast performances because I hate when that’s all a comedian is known for. Perfect example; Anthony Jeselnik. Ask anyone who he is and 9 times out of 10 someone will say “oh yeah he was hilarious on the roast.” Fuck you. Not to say he wasn’t brilliant on the Roast of Donald Trump but his CD is overwhelmingly more enjoyable.

This is the mentality that inspired me to dip into Equal Opportunity Offender. And I’m glad I did. Because while we live in a world full of “you can’t say that!” Lampanelli takes no prisoners. I mean for Christ sake the first track on the CD is entitled “The Fag Whisperer.” In the CD’s 60 minute entirety she manages to offend damn near every race, ethnicity and sexual orientation while still maintaining a sense of ‘it’s all in good fun.’ That’s what makes her a true master of her craft. While she spews some of the most vulgar offensive material I have ever heard it is so obvious that it comes from a good place. That’s something that is almost impossible to do, even for a stand-up comedian.

Equal Opportunity Offender is also a compilation CD that provides the listener with an hour of Lampanelli’s greatest hits over an illustrious 20-year career. I normally hate stand-up compilation CD’s because they are  poorly recorded and disjointed. However, the way in which Lisa structures her jokes makes this particular CD very easy to listen to. Her material is short, sweet and to the point unlike most popular stand-ups whose sets contain over arching ideas and elaborate set-ups. Not to say that’s a bad thing, it is just a different style of comedy that the “Queen of Mean” wields with perfection.

Equal Opportunity Offender will please anyone who is a fan of laughing and has a thick skin. The fact that it is a compilation album will appeal to every serial Lampanelli fan. If you’re looking for some good ol’ light hearted, family laughs go buy a Jeff Foxworthy CD that you and your youth group can enjoy on the bus ride to your next mission trip. But if you are looking for raunchy, crude “holy shit I can’t believe she just said that” humor, then look no further. Equal Opportunity Offender is available for download on iTunes now (like I really needed to say that.)

For more album reviews and exclusive interviews visit our AmericasComedy.com Facebook fan page and follow us on Twitter @AmericasComedy!

If you are unfamiliar with Gaffigan as a stand-up comedian, you’re probably a horrible person. He’s had a half hour and two full hour specials produced by Comedy Central, a recurring role on That 70’s Show and several movie and TV credits spanning comedy to drama. His stand-up is most identifiable for his high pitched parody of an overly offended audience member reacting to his jokes.

Back in December Louis C.K. sold his special “Live at the Beacon Theater” for $5 exclusively on his website. Gaffigan is the latest comedian to adopt this strategy selling his special Mr. Universe for the same price and donating 20% of the proceeds to the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

On becoming a father for the fourth time he says this: “No one congratulates you on having four kids. After the third kid they start treating you like you’re Amish. ‘Four kids well that’s one way to live.’” The comedy throughout revolves on his own life of being a father, a lazy person and a connoisseur of questionable eating decisions.

Gaffigan really connects with my inner laziness. Whereas some comedians dig deep down and find anger or sadness or embarrassment, Jim reaches deep down and exposes the most American part of us. He says, “I actually live across the street from my health club. Right across the street…It’s open twenty four hours—still can’t get there.”

And what would a Gaffigan special be without food humor? He’s a successful comedian, could probably afford a nutritionist and a healthy organic diet full of vegetables and fruit. And yet he still eats at McDonalds. But he defends himself, almost justifiably. “Maybe instead of buying a Big Mac you read Us Weekly…or you convince yourself that a Starbucks Frappucino isn’t a milkshake. Or maybe you watch Glee.” Like you and me he’s just tired of people getting superiority complexes for refusing to eat at McDonalds. His description of McDonalds is: “Momentary pleasure followed by incredible guilt eventually leading to cancer.”

I’m lovin’ it, Jim.

The best part of  Mr. Universe is that it’s seventy five minutes. That’s fifteen minutes of comedy per dollar. Suddenly an iTunes song or a McChicken seem suspiciously overpriced. Another thing that often goes overlooked in stand-up comedy is that Gaffigan is very economical and sparse with any coarse language. It may seem like a little thing, but I like that I can quote a joke verbatim without having to worry if the person I’ve just told it too is offended by the language. Gaffigan is near the top of stand-up with his latest special. The five dollars gets you three online streams and three downloads and they’re only available at JimGaffigan.Com.

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What makes Glover so spectacular are two things. His great ability to draw his audience in and make them relate to him, and his keen observance of several social oddities and norms. When he’s on the stage he talks conversationally and honestly. Most comedians are an inflated persona of themselves on stage but Donald uses the stage as an escape into honesty from the rapping and TV personas he already has.

There are several moments that reflect this, like when he asks, “Who doesn’t want to be Spiderman?” Or when he discovers a new way to insult people, he reacts, “You can say those words in that order without having to explode?” or “I haven’t heard that one!” It’s those small moments that capture his genuine self that have nothing to do with humor and everything to do with shared experience. We can all imagine wanting to be our favorite superhero or first learning curse words.

On the other hand Glover can move away from childlike kinsmanship into being a shrewd social satirist. Perhaps because he reminds himself too much of one, Glover hates kids, and explains that that’s why he wears condoms. STDs and AIDS, he says, are not as bad as “tiny Hitlers,” adding “The only difference is you can’t go to jail for accidentally dropping AIDS.”

Take another example, like when Donald comments on the nature of communication between men and women. “When a sentence begins with ‘What did you mean by that?’ It’s not going to end with the person going ‘Oh now I know what you mean by that.’” On multiple occasions he uses very simple real life scenarios and idiosyncrasies to connect further with his audience.

Glover’s material is as varied as his career. On the one hand he talks about his nerdy dream of being Spiderman and then ten minutes later he’s going off on homeless people and before you know it he’s explaining to you why Charlie Sheen is the only white person who can say the N-word. The album Weirdo lives up to its name. It feels as though right now the stand-up community needs that weirdness that can talk “nerdy” and the N-word.  Hopefully for comedy fans, Glover will continue growing this branch of his career.

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Koy got his big break back in ‘05 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Since then he has toured the nation appearing at a multitude of comedy clubs and college campuses as well as becoming a regular guest on Chelsea Lately and releasing his first stand-up special with Comedy Central in 2009 called Don’t Make Him Angry. His second special entitled Lights Out premiered Sunday on Comedy Central and is now available for sale on iTunes and ComedyCentral.Com.

Far from being the perfect parent Koy does give one piece of advice to the audience. That is to keep the camera rolling. His own personal philosophy is not so much to capture the tender warmhearted moments of childhood innocence, but to stockpile ammunition. “Get everything on tape. Use it against them!”

Rendered with equal measure is Koy’s fond memories of his mother. Being Filipino she took to some unorthodox practices that, as Koy says, “may not be socially acceptable in America.” Regardless, Koy praises her for her persistent work ethic as a single mother playing roles as both mother and father. And while he portrays her as a sweet and loving woman he also points out that the woman had no problem defending her son by verbally assaulting a shoe store sales clerk, her argument culminating in the epiphany, “I live in your country and I speak two languages, English and Tegala. How many do you speak? One. You are stupid.”

Lights Out is a combination of long personal narratives of a man caught between being a father and a son to some strange characters. Whether it’s his mom calling him up, concerned about “ruppies” or Koy passing on insight that he has gained from having a kid—“some parents need to pull out” – Jo’s life is ultimately on stage here. The stories are dysfunctional, loving and just plain weird sometimes. It’s easy to see from his family why Jo grew up to be a comedian.

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