First up we’ve got this curious and heartbreaking Youtube video in which a group of brave, misguided teens from the frostbitten wastes of Canada go on public access television to give you their vision of the sublime. As the uploader put it, “The band is called Mental Note, and they appeared on a show called Johnny Sizzle’s Entertainment Watch, which aired on the Winnipeg Public Access channel in 1992.” Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Up next is a gem of a remix—a reworking of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” by longtime hipinion.com boarder j_brooks. Now, I hate brooks as much as the next guy, but this remix… well, it’s good. Someone in the thread where brooks outed it described it as “shits like audio ambien,” to which brooks replied, “ambien is like my main musical influence.” Thrilling, no? It sounds like exactly what you’d expect, given that exchange.

Lady Gaga — “Paparazzi (Elite Gymnastics Remix)”

And actually that’s all we’ve got for today. I have to go tend to the sick and wounded (I think I hear Jason calling for a mocha drip), and get that mixed finished up for (we hope) tomorrow. Please send all get-well-soon cards and/or packets of instant coffee via overnight shipping to Girlpants, Inc., at the address in our Contact Us page.

Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comic you might have seen on Conan or Letterman (he is one of the youngest comics to appear on The Late Show). You might have heard or read his Secret Public Journal, a continuing series of anecdotes and wisdom bestowed upon The Bob and Tom Radio Show and available in easy-to-use blog form. Two Drink Mike is Birbiglia’s second album (his first, Dog Years, was self-produced). Two Drink Mike is a CD/DVD set from Comedy Central Records and it’s a birthday cake of goodness for Birbigs fans and newcomers alike. Recorded at the Improv in D.C., this is an hour long set that never drags. Birbiglia has an instantly likable personality, with an alternately laid-back and excited style. His humor is neither squeaky clean nor too blue. He wisely slips in his edgier punchlines when you least suspect them.

With “Whiffle Ball Tony,” his playful critique of the Bush administration, Birbiglia does in 3 minutes what most political comedians take an hour to do, and he does it better and funnier. Birbiglia worked with the late, great Mitch Hedberg for some time and the influence is clear, but never distractingly so. In a moment on “I’m Crazy and Gay Cats,” after segueing from a Karma Chameleon reference to actually singing a line from the song, Birbiglia cracks himself up and mumbles “that’s absurd…” It’s the kind of aside you’d expect from Hedberg, and here it feels like a brief but caring tribute.

Birbiglia’s game plan is to mix homespun nostalgia with modern pop culture (sitting down to a game of Scrabble with Jay-Z), or riff on his own goofy innocence (trying to buy Snapple from a crack dealer). In “Hip Hop Animosity,” he perfectly sums up the plight of the average good-natured single guy with a great bit about dance club culture. He also presents his understandable obsession with pizza, a cautionary tale about drinking at a laundromat, and a curious concern for the sex lives of panda bears. Don’t be scared when he breaks out the guitar toward the end of his set–the three musical bits are all solid. “The Oatmeal Song” tackles (all kinds) of religious rock; “The Guitar Guy at the Party” takes aim at the titular girlfriend-stealing troubadour; the “Thanks For Coming Song” is a recap of the set. (There’s a radio version of “The Guitar Guy at the Party” included as well, but the live track is simply more fun.)

Let me wind this down by praising Comedy Central Records. They’ve been pumping out these fantastic CD/DVD sets that are pretty much revitalizing an underappreciated art form. Two Drink Mike is no different. The DVD includes Birbiglia’s five minutes from Premium Blend, his half hour from Comedy Central Presents, and a segment from Shorties Watchin’ Shorties. I’m not a fan of Shorties (the show in which choice comedy bits from various artists are Flash-animated), but the bit they chose for Birbiglia is a strong one. As for the other videos, he seems a bit more relaxed on the CD, but these are still fun to watch. All in all, this is a golden set.

Rating: 5 toaster strudels (out of 5) [buy]

Try:
“Whiffle Ball Tony“
“You’d Be Surprised”

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