Werewolves and Lollipops (W/DVD)

On his second "solo" album, this stand-up comic and character actor proves himself to be not just a foul-mouthed everyman and an unrepentant geek, but a rather awesome wordsmith as well. That a comedian might rant about how "Cirque du Soleil is like catnip for old people" or the ridiculous unhealthiness of a popular item at the fast food chain KFC is not surprising. That he'd call the fast food item "a failure pile in a sadness bowl" is, let's face it, pure poetry (and really, actually funny the way he tells it). On the track "I Tell a Story About Birth Control and Deal with a Retarded Heckler," Patton displays some of the finest manipulation of a disturbing audience member you'll ever hear. That the album was released by Sub Pop makes perfect sense, as Patton not only has Catholic music tastes--tossing off references to Hasil Adkins, the Pixies, Minor Threat, and Roky Erickson--but as we all know, stand-up is "the new grunge." --Mike McGonigal