"Not Ready To Make Nice" noicon Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready To Make Nice" from Taking the Long Way
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Taking the Long Way is the seventh studio album by the Dixie Chicks, an American country music band. It was released on May 23, 2006 in the U.S. and on June 12, 2006 worldwide. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., being certified 2x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America as of July 11, 2007. It won 5 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year in February 2007.

History[link]

The first song released from the album was the charity single "I Hope" on September 2005. The song received its debut performance on the Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast telethon on September 9, 2005 and was later made available as a digital download single with proceeds to benefit the Hurricane Katrina relief.

The first physical single from the album, "Not Ready to Make Nice", was released in March 2006. On May 18, 2006, the whole album was leaked onto various file sharing mediums.

Taking the Long Way was the first studio album the band released since the controversy that erupted over them in 2003 following Natalie Maines' remarks critical of then-United States President George W. Bush. The controversy and the Chicks' reaction to it is the major theme at the first tracks of the album.

The first track is "The Long Way Around" which is a manifesto to non-conformity, presented with allusions to The Byrds' "Wasn't Born to Follow" as well as the Chicks' own "Long Time Gone" and "Top of the World." The song also included a direct reference to the backlash and subsequent fall from the charts they experienced during the 2003 Top of the World Tour. The second track is "Easy Silence", a testimonial to the protagonist's husband, who affords her an island of quiet companionship and love in the midst of turmoil. The third track, and first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice", offers an angry statement of purpose and resolve, and makes direct reference to isolated incidents the Chicks encountered following Maines' comments. The fourth track "Everybody Knows" is a return to the classic Chicks sound, but enmeshed in an aura of vulnerabilities and ambivalences.

Track 6 "Lullaby" was featured prominently in the Medium Episode "Twice Upon a Time," Season 2 Episode 22, which first aired on May 22, 2006, the night before the album release date.

Track 9 "Favorite Year" was written with the collaboration of Sheryl Crow, while track ten "Voice Inside My Head" was written with the collaboration of Linda Perry.

Closing track "I Hope", is a song written with Keb' Mo' for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and it was first performed on the Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast telethon in 2005. The song features a guitar solo from John Mayer.

Selections from the album were prominently featured in the Chicks' subsequent Accidents & Accusations Tour, which included an unprecedented number of Canadian dates. A lot of the album tracks are featured in the Dixie Chicks rockumentary, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, alongside 3 non-album cuts; "The Neighbor", "Baby Love" and "Whatever It Takes".

The Neighbor was later released as a stand-alone single single, in support of the rockumentary Shut up and Sing.

Reception[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	(A)[3]
The Guardian	[4]
musicOMH.com	[5]
Now Magazine	[6]
PopMatters	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Slant Magazine	[9]
USA Today	[10]

Public reception[link]

On May 31, 2006, the album took three number one spots on the charts of Billboard magazine. It was number one on the Hot Country Albums, Top Digital Albums, and on the Billboard 200 chart, going Gold in its first week with 526,000 units sold.^[11] The second week, the album stayed in the top spot while taking a 48% decline, selling 271,000 units and bringing the album sales total to 797,000 units.^[12] In its third and fourth weeks, the album dropped to number two on the chart. During weeks five, six, and seven, the album remained as one of the top five albums in the country. During its eighth week, due to several high-profile new releases, the album was pushed out of the top ten to number eleven. However, on week nine, the album bounced back into the top ten. The album has sold 2,290,489 copies in the US as of July 11, 2007.

In Canada, the album was a huge success, staying on the top of the album charts for 4 weeks and 18 weeks on the country album charts. It has sold 292,639 copies there, making it 2x platinum.^[13] At the year end charts, Taking The Long Way was the second best selling album of the year in Canada.

The album has also done well in Australia becoming their highest charting album peaking at #2 and has since gone double platinum (140,000), the album has also spent thirty non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Australian Country Chart and is yet to peak lower than the top 10 more than 40 weeks after its release. Taking the Long Way came in at #20 on the Australian End Of Year Album Charts for 2006. It also finished at #1 on the Australian End Of Year Country Charts for 2006, the lead single "Not Ready To Make Nice", finished at #96 on the End Of Year Single Charts.

As of January 2007, Taking the Long Way is certified 2x platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. Many people say that the drop in album sales is due to radio airplay, or lack thereof, which is partly correct. However, a decline in album sales across the board makes up for much of the difference.

Right after the Dixie Chicks won five Grammy Awards and performed "Not Ready to Make Nice" at the 49th ceremony, the album and the single reached the #1 spot on the U.S. iTunes Music Store. On February 21, it was announced by Billboard that the album sales increased 714% (rocketing from position #72 to #8) with sales of 103,000 copies, compared with only 12,700 copies sold on the week before.^[14] On the Canadian charts, the post-Grammy Awards week saw the album rocket up from position #27 to #5, with 9,000 copies sold.^[15]

Taking The Long Way was very successful in Europe, which has never been an easy market for country music, reaching the top position in Sweden and entering in the top ten in Germany(#5), Austria (#7), Switzerland (#6), Ireland (#7), Norway (#6) and in the UK (#7), becoming their most successful album in Europe to date.

Critical reception[link]

The website Metacritic gave the album a score of 72 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, signifying generally favorable reviews. The users gave the album a score of 8.1 out of 10 based on 121 votes.^[16] According to the website, it is behind Home as the second most well-rated album of the band by the critics (the users gave Home a poor 5.8 score).^[17]

On December 11, Taking the Long Way appeared at #19 on the Rolling Stone list of the top 50 albums of the year: "The Dixie Chicks respond to their rough past few years with brass balls: This disc shows they didn't regret speaking out against the Iraq War, and Natalie Maines sounds almost punk at times. There is also a whole lot of craft -- (Taking the) Long Way is a widescreen pop record with gorgeous country rock, killer power ballads and fierce honky-tonk."^[18] Time elected Taking the Long Way the fifth best album released in 2006 according to the magazine's music critics: "The incident", as they call it, took a commercial toll, but musically the Chicks have never been stronger. The instrumentation on their fourth album keeps a toe in country, yet the songs are the best kind of pop—smart, instantly memorable and fussed over until they sound effortless. "Not Ready to Make Nice" broadcasts their grievances, but "Bitter End" and "So Hard" (a sing-along about infertility) prove that complicated songwriting for the masses still flourishes."^[19]

USA Today elected Taking the Long Way the best album of the year according to the publication's music experts, writing, "It was a calculated risk that paid off. Having alienated much of their country constituency with an ill-timed jibe at President Bush, the Chicks declined to beg for forgiveness, defiantly forging ahead with a forthright description of their situation and attitude, "Not Ready to Make Nice", and releasing it as the album's lead-off single. That alienated even more of the country base, but throngs of new fans — and the majority of USA Today's critics — were enthralled by the stance and, more important, the rich, textured, genre-transcendent music the trio and producer Rick Rubin cooked up." Billboard magazine chose Taking the Long Way as one of 2006's fifteen best albums writing, "Once the darlings of country, the Chicks lost many fans — and the support of country radio — after a 2003 incident in which Natalie Maines made a relatively innocuous comment about President Bush from a London stage. The group has finally re-emerged stronger, more defiant and more creatively ambitious than ever. The first-time pairing with Rubin has resulted in a surprisingly cohesive mix of country and rock tunes, including co-writes with Sheryl Crow and Neil Finn. While many former fans remain critical of the group for its outspoken political views — an apparent no-no in country music — tracks like "The Long Way Around", "Everybody Knows", "I Hope" (highlighted by a John Mayer guitar solo) and the chillingly sad "Voice Inside My Head" are sure to earn the group at least some of its fans back."

Awards and nominations[link]

On December 6, 2005, the first single released from the album, "I Hope", was nominated for the 48th Grammy Awards in two categories (Best Country Song and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal). On February 8, 2006, it lost both awards to Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna, Marcus Hummon and Alison Krauss and Union Station, respectively.

On December 7, 2006, Taking the Long Way was nominated for the 49th Grammy Awards in two categories (Album of the Year, Best Country Album), and the single "Not Ready to Make Nice" was nominated in three categories (Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal). On February 11, 2007, the band won the awards in all of the five categories. Producer Rick Rubin was awarded Producer of the Year for his work with this and other albums.

On April 1, 2007, the album won the Juno Award for International Album of the Year.^[20]

Track listing[link]

All songs were written by Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson, except where noted.

1. "The Long Way Around" – 4:33
2. "Easy Silence" – 4:02
3. "Not Ready to Make Nice" – 3:58
4. "Everybody Knows" (Gary Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:18
5. "Bitter End" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:38
6. "Lullaby" – 5:51
7. "Lubbock or Leave It" (Mike Campbell, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 3:54
8. "Silent House" (Neil Finn, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 5:23
9. "Favorite Year" (Sheryl Crow, Maguire, Maines) – 4:29
10. "Voice Inside My Head" (Maguire, Maines, Linda Perry, Robison, Wilson) – 5:52
11. "I Like It" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison) – 4:34
12. "Baby Hold On" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison, Pete Yorn) – 5:04
13. "So Hard" – 4:29
14. "I Hope" (Maguire, Maines, Kevin Moore, Robison) – 5:25

Certifications/sales[link]

Bonus Tracks[link]

• "Live Wire" (Available with iTunes pre-order) – 3:57
• "Thin Line" (Available as Best Buy exclusive) – 4:52

Singles[link]

• "I Hope" - digital release only
• "Not Ready To Make Nice"
• "Everybody Knows"
• "The Long Way Around"
• "Voice Inside My Head" - promotional single

Unreleased Songs[link]

• "Baby Love" (Maguire, Maines, Robison, Yorn)
• "Come Cryin' To Me" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison)
• "Flowers" (Maguire, Maines, Perry)
• "Whatever It Takes" (Louris, Maguire, Maines, Robison)

Personnel[link]

• Natalie Maines – Lead vocals, background vocals, omnichord
• Martie Maguire – Violin, viola, mandolin, strings, background vocals, string arrangements
• Emily Robison – Banjo, Acoustic and electric guitar,papoose, accordion, sitar, background vocals
• Mike Campbell – Electric and acoustic guitar
• Lenny Castro – Percussion
• Richard Dodd – Cello
• Marvin Etzioni – Mandolin
• Larry Knechtel – Piano, organ, wurlitzer
• Gary Louris – Electric and acoustic guitar, background vocals
• Lloyd Maines – Pedal steel guitar, mandolin, omnichord
• John Mayer – Electric and acoustic guitar
• David Campbell - string arrangements
• Gerardo Hilera – strings
• Smokey Hormel – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Bonnie Raitt – Background vocals
• Benmont Tench – piano, harmonium, harpsichord, Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, wurlitzer, tack piano
• Chris Testa– xylophone, orchestral chimes
• Chad Smith – Drums
• Matt Sweeney – Guitars
• Dan Wilson – Electric and acoustic guitar, piano, bass, background vocals

Charts[link]

Album[link]

References[link]

The Long Way
File:Douglongway.jpg
Studio album by Doug Stone
Released	September 24, 2002 (2002-09-24)
Genre	Country
Label	Audium/Koch
Producer	?
Professional reviews
The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space. Allmusic - link
Doug Stone chronology
Make Up in Love (1999) The Long Way (2002) In a Different Light (2005)

The Long Way is the ninth studio album released by American country music artist Doug Stone. It was his only release for the Audium Entertainment label, and its only single ("POW 369", also recorded by Darryl Worley on his 2002 album I Miss My Friend) failed to enter the Billboard country music charts.

The album's last three tracks are new re-recordings of songs previously included on Stone's earlier albums: "More Love" from the 1994 album of the same name, "Born in the Dark" from 1995's Faith in Me, Faith in You, and "I'd Be Better Off (In a Pine Box)" from his 1991 self-titled debut album.

Track listing[link]

1. "I'm Losing You" (Monty Criswell, Tim Schoepf) – 3:19
2. "The Long Way" (Criswell, Billy Yates) – 3:43
3. "One Heartache at a Time" (Gary Burr, Cynthia Weil) – 3:53
4. "Poor Man's Blvd." (Doug Stone, Chet Hinesley) – 3:41
5. "POW 369" (Steven Dale Jones) – 3:26
6. "Bone Dry" (Will Robinson, Jimmy Yeary) – 3:27
7. "Lying to Myself" (Stone, Scott Shevel, Jimmy Devine, Lisa Zanghi) – 4:10
8. "More Love" (Burr, Stone) – 3:25
9. "Born in the Dark" (Hinesley) – 2:54
10. "I'd Be Better Off (In a Pine Box)" (Steve Clark, Johnny MacRae) – 3:24

Rodney Allan Atkins (born March 28, 1969) is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the Billboard country chart in 1997, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty, which included the number 4 hit "Honesty (Write Me a List)".

If You're Going Through Hell, his second album, was released in 2006. Its first two singles, "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" and "Watching You", each spent four weeks at the top of the country music chart, and were respectively ranked as the top country songs of 2006 and 2007 according to Billboard Year-End. The album, which has since been certified platinum in the United States, produced two more number 1 singles in "These Are My People" and "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)". It's America (2009) included the number 1 single "It's America" and the top 5 hit "Farmer's Daughter", which was added to a later reissue of the album. Take a Back Road (2011) produced his sixth number 1 in its title track.

Atkins has received six nominations from the Academy of Country Music and two from the Country Music Association, winning Top New Male Vocalist from the former in 2006.

Biography[link]

Rodney Atkins was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His biological mother, who was 19 at the time, became pregnant with him after a "traumatic first date".^[2] She hid the pregnancy from her parents and put him up for adoption at the Holston United Methodist Home for Children in Greeneville, Tennessee.^[3] His first adoptive parents, Charles Hutchins and Linda Weems, returned him to the home after he developed a major respiratory infection. Allan and Margaret Atkins, who had lost a newborn about a year prior, inquired after the child, but decided not to proceed due to surgery that Margaret had just undergone. Meanwhile, another couple adopted him, but also returned him soon after when he developed colic. After Margaret Atkins recovered, she proceeded to adopt him.^[3][4] Atkins did not meet his biological mother until 2008,^[2] and has never revealed her identity.^[5]

During his youth, the Atkins family moved frequently, eventually settling in Claiborne County, Tennessee. He attended high school at Powell Valley High in Speedwell, Tennessee. During high school, Atkins played guitar in his spare time at events and festivals. He went to college at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, where he made friends with songwriters and soon began writing himself.^[6] In the mid-1990s, Atkins moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a recording career. He signed with Curb Records in 1996, the same week that LeAnn Rimes did.^[7][8]

Musical career[link]

[edit] Rodney Atkins

Atkins's debut single, "In a Heartbeat", spent one week at number 74 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart dated for August 30, 1997.^[9] Its b-side, "God Only Knows", was also released as a single, but did not chart.^[8] He had also planned to release his debut album on September 17 of the same year, but it was never released due to Atkins' dissatisfaction with his material.^[10] He discussed his dissatisfaction while sitting next to Curb Records owner Mike Curb on an airplane; Curb allowed him to switch producers, and Atkins chose Ted Hewitt, with whom he had been working on demos. Hewitt also changed Atkins' style from a cowboy appearance and a vocal style similar to Roy Orbison to a more polished appearance.^[8] Atkins, Hewitt and Max T. Barnes wrote the track "Don't Think I Won't" on Mark Wills' 1998 album Wish You Were Here,^[11] but he was otherwise inactive until 2002.^[12]

[edit] Honesty

In mid-2002, Rodney Atkins released his third single, "Sing Along". Both it and its followup, "My Old Man", peaked in the lower regions of the Top 40 on the country chart.^[9] He entered the Top 10 for the first time in late 2003-early 2004 with "Honesty (Write Me a List)", which went on to peak at number 4 on the country charts and 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the title track to his album Honesty, which was released by the end of 2003.^[1] "Someone to Share It With" and "Monkey in the Middle" were also issued as singles, with the former peaking at number 41 on the country charts.^[9] Atkins told the Associated Press that he chose to record "Honesty" because he and producer Ted Hewitt wanted a twelfth song for the album, and co-writer David Kent had recommended it to Hewitt.^[13]

Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time gave the album a mixed review. He thought that Atkins seemed too similar in sound to labelmate Tim McGraw, but praised some of the songs for having strong melodies.^[14] A more favorable review came from Matt Bjorke of About.com, who called it a "confident debut from a talented newcomer."^[15]

[edit] If You're Going Through Hell

Having been absent from the country music charts for most of 2004 and 2005, he returned in 2006 with a single entitled "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)", which served as the lead-off to his second released album, If You're Going Through Hell. With this album, Atkins once again changed his musical image. He started wearing baseball caps and performing "songs about his life."^[16] "If You're Going Through Hell" became his first number 1, spending four weeks at the top of the Hot Country Songs charts; it was also the top country hit of 2006 according to Billboard Year-End.^[17]

Following "If You're Going Through Hell" was "Watching You", which Atkins wrote with Steve Dean and Brian Gene White. This song was inspired by Atkins' son, Elijah,^[7] who also stars in its music video.^[18] "Watching You" was also a four-week number 1 hit, and the top country song of 2007 on the Billboard Year-End charts.^[19] "These Are My People" and "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)" also went to number 1, making If You're Going Through Hell the first country album to include four number 1 singles since Tim McGraw's 2001 album Set This Circus Down.^[20] The album's final single was "Invisibly Shaken", which Lee Greenwood previously recorded on his 2003 album Stronger Than Time.^[21] Atkins' version of the song peaked at number 41.^[9] If You're Going Through Hell received a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of one million copies, while "If You're Going Through Hell", "Watching You" and "Cleaning This Gun" all received gold certifications for 500,000 music downloads.^[9][22] These songs also made top 40 on the Hot 100 while they were climbing the country charts, while "These Are My People" reached number 42.^[9] Atkins also received the 2006 Academy of Country Music award for Top New Male Vocalist, and "If You're Going Through Hell" was nominated for Song of the Year.^[23] Atkins toured in late 2007-early 2008 as an opening act on Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour.^[24]

J. Poet of Allmusic gave the album a positive review, praising the "less produced sound" and Atkins' vocals on the singles.^[25] A mixed review came from Country Standard Time, whose Robert Loy criticized Atkins for singing "about what a good ol' boy he is" on several songs, but adding that "it's fairly obvious he's at least as country as anybody else on the charts these days".^[26]

[edit] It's America

Atkins' thirteenth single, "It's America", was released in November 2008. It was the first single from his third album, It's America, released in March 2009. Atkins promoted the album through appearances on Larry King Live and a pre-sale promotion on his website.^[16] On the chart dated May 2, 2009, "It's America" became his fifth number 1 hit. Its followup, "15 Minutes", was released in May 2009 and peaked at number 20 in September. Atkins re-wrote the album's third single, "Chasin' Girls", for his wife to make it more applicable to their life at the time. After executives at Curb saw the lyrics, the re-written version was released as the album's third single,^[27] but did not make top 40. "Farmer's Daughter" followed in early 2010, and after it reached top 5 late in the year, Curb added it to both a re-issue of It's America^[28] and a re-release of If You're Going Through Hell which was sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel restaurants. The latter also included the previously-unreleased song "More Like Your Memory (Always Takes Me Back)".^[29]

It's America received mixed reviews. Todd Sterling of Allmusic and Liz Jungers of Roughstock both criticized it for lacking musical variety.^[28][30] It was more favorably reviewed at Country Standard Time, with critic Jeff Lincoln criticizing the title track as "forced" but saying that otherwise, "Atkins has found his niche of singing about the southern tribe."^[31]

[edit] Take a Back Road

"Take a Back Road", the lead-off single and title track to his fourth album Take a Back Road, was released in April 2011 and became his sixth number 1 late in the year. It also accounted for his highest placement on the Hot 100, at number 23.^[32] The song was co-written by Luke Laird and Rhett Akins, the latter of whom co-wrote "Farmer's Daughter".^[33] "He's Mine" was the album's second single. The song was originally recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus, and Atkins chose to release it because it received positive reactions from fans in concert.^[34] It peaked at number 23 on the country chart in April 2012. "Just Wanna Rock 'n Roll" is the album's third single.^[35]

Country Standard Time called Atkins "the type of wholesome country musician that you would enjoy hanging out with on a Sunday afternoon with your wife and kids."^[36] It received a "B" from Entertainment Weekly, whose Mikael Wood wrote that Atkins "makes for a first-rate correspondent from Anytown, USA."^[37] A less favorable review came from Thom Jurek, who said that "There isn't an original melody, lyric, or production element".^[38]

Family and personal life[link]

He married Tammy Jo McDonald in 1998,^[39] and the two had a son named Elijah.^[40] He also had two stepdaughters, Lindsey and Morgan, from McDonald's previous marriage.^[41]

Atkins was arrested in November 2011 for allegedly trying to smother his wife with a pillow, while his ten year old son watched. He was released on $2,500 bail three hours after the arrest, and was ordered by Williamson County, Tennessee court to take an anger assessment which found no need for any further action.^[42] The altercation was disputed by Atkins' lawyer, who stated that it was purely verbal.^[39] Atkins filed for divorce within twenty-four hours of the alleged assault.^[43] In February 2012, Atkins was cleared of the domestic assault charge.^[42]

Awards and nominations[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Honesty (2003)
• If You're Going Through Hell (2006)
• It's America (2009)
• Take a Back Road (2011)

Number-one singles

• "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)"
• "Watching You"
• "These Are My People"
• "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)"
• "It's America"
• "Take a Back Road"

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website

Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin at Northeastern University on April 11, 2007
Born	(1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 39) New York City, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Years active	Since 2002
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humor, musical comedy, wit/wordplay, sketch comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday Life, American Culture, Random Subjects
Influences	Steven Wright, Eddie Izzard, Emo Philips, Mitch Hedberg, Socrates
Notable works and roles	· Demetri Martin. Person.  · Correspondent on The Daily Show  · Himself/Various on Important Things with Demetri Martin  · Elliot Tiber in Taking Woodstock (2009)
Website	www.demetrimartin.com

Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Early life[link]

Demetri Martin was born to a Greek American family^[1] in New York City, New York, and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He is the son of Lillian, a nutritionist, and Dean C. Martin, now deceased, a Greek Orthodox priest.^[2] Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995. Although he was accepted into Harvard Law School, he went to New York University School of Law after he received a full scholarship.^[3]

Career[link]

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier award with his show If I....^[4] The show was turned into a British television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.^[5] In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where his jokes came from. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he has appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting". He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace.^[6] On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on The Daily Show, talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD titled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.^[7]

He also had a part in the movie The Rocker (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season.^[8] The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that Important Things will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled This Is a Book by Demetri Martin.

Martin was slated to portray Paul DePodesta as Oakland Athletics assistant GM to Billy Beane in the 2011 movie Moneyball, however was dropped and Jonah Hill took his place in the movie.

Plans[link]

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role.^[9] He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

Martin also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.^[10]

After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.^[11]

On August 11, 2011, Fox ordered a presentation of a new animated show they might air.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] If I

If I is a Perrier Comedy Award-winning comedy one-man show written and performed by Demetri Martin at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[12] It was also aired on British television as a special. The show is an autobiographical examination of Martin's life, as seen through various definitions of the word "if."

The title of the special comes from a lengthy palindromic poem that Martin wrote; the words "if I" are at the center of the poem.^[13]

Comedic style[link]

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once.^[14] He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) and he is also a fan of Bill Cosby.^[15]

Personal life[link]

According to a July 2011 interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Demetri had a short-lived marriage to a girl he knew from high school. They began dating after high school and got married when he was in NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. He was aged 25 and in the end of his marriage when his stand-up career began.^[3]

He is extremely allergic to nuts and peanuts.^[16]

Martin moved to Santa Monica, California in 2009.^[17]

Filmography[link]

• Invite Them Up (2005)
• These Are Jokes (2006)
• Demetri Martin. Person. (2007)
• Important Things with Demetri Martin (2009–2010)

Filmography and television work[link]

Written works[link]

• This Is a Book, April 2011, ISBN 978-0446539708.

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]