9.2 on Pitchfork

Despite being signed to Kill Rock Stars and giving his album the hipster-baiting title 9.2 on Pitchfork, standup comedian Ian Karmel's brand of humor doesn't seem primed for indie music geeks only; his observations about food, relationships, and religion have a much wider appeal. His style is boisterous and self-deprecating, particularly about his weight, his non-believing Jewishness, and even his own name (which he says sounds like a "whimsical British candy store"). There are moments when he'll start to get a bit somber and talk about something serious, only to break the brief moment of tension and say something outrageously silly and excited. Highlights include bits about encountering a neo-Nazi at Trader Joe's, being stuck behind an indecisive moron at a Taco Bell drive-through, and the creepiness of referring to a significant other as "baby." ~ Paul Simpson