They Might Be Giants - C/D, S/D, OPO etc

They were kind of a poppier version of bands like Fish & Roses and Orthotonics maybe, if that means anything to anyone.

I just relistened to an old tribute album I had sitting on my hard drive: "Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might be Giants"

Hearing these songs performed by other bands has been eye-opening. They sound totally unnatural; most of these bands (OK Go and The Wrens for two) sound like rather standard indie/alt-rock groups, most of whom try to add some quirks to match the kind of thing that TMBG does, but nearly all of them struggle to figure out how to cram so many syllables into a mostly standard 4-chord rock song. Like no one can get the timing right. Nor figure out how to transition between the verses and the choruses which are often wildly different from each other. It's as if they're trying to cast these as more "normal" rock sounds to reveal how profound they really are minus the "jokey" arrangements but in the process kill most of the profundity that the songs had in the first place.

TMBG are pretty singular. I'm glad I never knew they had a tribute album.

TMBG seems like a band who would be on a lot of tribute records of other acts; dont think it works the other way around

I'm still quietly lobbying for them to be Colbert's house band when he takes over for Letterman, btw.

YES

I mean, yes, this is a great idea, not Yes should be Colbert's house band

Although....

TMBG used to do a thing in their live show where they'd try to find a bunch of local radio stations and would play along to whatever they found. They definitely have the talent to fit whatever the show needs. I would imagine Colbert is a fan.

They're already tied into the Daily Show universe by having done the current incarnation of the TDS theme music.

I have a theory that TMBG do a lot of TV/commercial music without anyone knowing. I think Flansburgh has referred to this in a few interviews; they're listed in the Daily Show credits and for the kids shows they do but I believe they do a lot just as working musicians. I remember an interview long ago where they were asked what they thought when fans accused them of "selling out" - their response was "it's our dream to sell out"

Like, Tim and Eric do a bunch of commercial work but nobody knows it's them

https://www.tmbgifc.com/
apparently the future of music is what TMBG used to do

Three CDs, 1 DVD, 1 T-shirt, weekly new songs in mp3 format all year, random swag and tickets for two to a show for a hundred bucks.
So let's say $20 per ticket, $20 for the shirt and $15 a disc; all eminently reasonable prices and the swag and MP3s are free and you get to directly support the band. It's an equitable deal.

Oh hmph. THey've booked a spring tour, so I guess my Colbert dream will remain a dream.

Wait, all the shows are in Williamsburg, so the dream is alive!

I realize I'm just having this conversation with myself, but the band just posted this on their fb page in response to someone's inquiry about what cities they were playing: "April-May means Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison, Cleveland, Albany, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Boise, Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Columbus OH"

Makes it kind of hard to be a late night show's house band if you're doing that much touring.

they would be a good late night house band. but maybe darnielle will step up

Johnny Fever, I think you should take your Colbert dream public ... or if you already have, then, like, MORE public. Start a campaign! It's a brilliant idea and should happen. The spring tour is just a bump in the road, doesn't mean it can't happen.

Just this morning I was randomly thinking about how many times I saw TMBG as a teenager (6 or 8?) and how many of their shirts I owned (probably 4 or 5?). I love these guys forever, even if I stopped paying attention.

Might have to hit that tour.

the Colbert idea really is great. he's supposedly not starting on CBS until around September, so there's still time that it's plausible!

I'd love to see that too, I think what's kind of lost on a lot of people who haven't seen them live is that they're both really funny in person, especially Flansburgh.

Oh, September really? The dream is alive!

they'd seriously be perfect for the job. personable, talented and versatile, very funny/quick-witted, quirky but can rock if necessary, based in NYC, probably not super expensive?

this has to happen. someone start a tumblr or something

RIP early TMBG booster and showbiz legend Joe Franklin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFRjVXh9_8E

new video by Mark Marek!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okT-EgXUD0M

these lyrics from "Answer" made me laugh out loud:

You wanted tall
I came in under 5'4
Then you asked for dark
I tend to sunburn a lot
As for handsome, well
Can't help you there
So make of it what you will

It may take an ocean of whiskey and time
To wash all of the letdown out of your mind
And I may not be the one you expected but
I am the answer to all your prayers

Dud.

like 'em, don't like 'em, at least watch their cover of Bills, Bills, Bills

it's good!!

http://www.avclub.com/video/they-might-be-giants-covers-destinys-child-221191

i love that song and that band too much to ever watch that

^

They'll need a crane

http://www.avclub.com/video/they-might-be-giants-covers-destinys-child-221191

This is really really good!

stop waving that thing around, i'm not clicking on it

LOL

Hahahahaha!

New album Phone Power is quite good - a few songs sound like obvious duds but there's like 13-14 really solid tunes there. Kinda weird that there's another version of "Black Ops" on there but it's better than the original. As usual the Linnell songs are generally better, two in particular are really really great - "ECNALUMBA" and "Shape Shifter".

Didn't even know about this; will check it out

It's just another collection of last year's weekly Dial-A-Song songs

there was another one? i haven't heard any news since Glean came out

yeah, but if you haven't heard it yet you wouldn't know. it plays like any of their albums and the songs are consistently good. I'd say it's about as good as Glean, maybe better, so if you like that one...

ohh i didn't even realize till now that Glean was a DAS comp. and i thought that was their best album in over a decade!

seconding phone power. i bought it back when it was a non-streaming release (early march?) and it's great. not groundbreaking, but quite albumly sequenced and a lot of really good songs (the first seven tracks are faultless imo).

ohh i didn't even realize till now that Glean was a DAS comp.

The most recent kids album Why?, as well as being a sequel to No!, is also largely / sort of a compilation from last year's Dial-A-Song project - they did a song a week as a tiered subscription download or freebie youtube thing.

I haven't heard any of the kids albums since No! actually... but you've got me interested

Hate to say it, but found Glean to be their worst since Mink Car. Phone Power is a lot better yet still bitty. They were on a huge roll with Join Us and Nanobots though - best albums since the 90s

I lionize the early stuff as much as anyone, but I think this is just as good - it seems to follow the pattern of the best TMBG albums where it's just one great song after another until the final third where things get a bit weird. It's even got those songs that pass you by on the first couple listens until one day you just feel like listening to them on repeat.

new song today. I like it a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-1SqAJHhFc

They'll need a crane

― kurt kobaïan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, June 23, 2015 3:10 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes

not sure I like the new song, but I like when they sing together. it's also a bit outside what they usually do, kind of going back to the sound on John Henry

i forgot which tab i had open and for a second thought this was track four on River of Dreams