For real.
Jay & Eytan are the first names of Jay Wells L’Ecuyer and Eytan Millstone, a couple of sketch comics and movie makers who decamped from Canada to the newly suburbanized jungle that is New York City earlier this decade. If you’ve ever been to Interrobang Presents: The Comedy Records Showcase at The New York Comedy Club, you’ve probably seen these two—they’re basically there every month. They’re pros—they do the clubs and the theaters and the bars and the film festivals and stuff, and they do them all the time, working like a dog for the boss man, betting on the dice they’re tumbling. But the boss man is them and the dice is jokes and Aerosmith is Jay & Eytan and the love in the elevator is a friendly professional working relationship in this particular example. Wait—could Jay & Eytan be the true Toxic Twins?
Today marks the launch of Jay & Eytan’s second comedy album, So Busy So Tired, on the bluntly named label Comedy Records (which, despite the name, usually releases string quartet tributes to ‘90s alternative bands.) (That’s not true.) So Busy So Tired is a sketch comedy album in the classic tradition of Adam Sandler or National Lampoon’s albums, which is a bit of a rarity in the stand-up-heavy climate of the 21st century. To Paste it’s a refreshing rarity, and what we’ve heard of So Busy So Tired uses both the strengths and weaknesses of the audio-only format to enhance the power of its comedy. Or something. Look, we’ve heard three tracks, and they’ve all provoked a reaction ranging from a single closed-mouth chuckle to legitimate laughter. That seems like something an album on Comedy Records should be able to pull off, right? And this one does, as far as we can tell.
You can hear So Busy So Tired on all the big streaming and download sites, effective today, August 10, 2018. Happy birthday, album!