We have polled the individual segments of Fingertip THREE TIMES already,
four, actually
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:35 (five years ago) link
2000: POLLING UNDERCOVER FOR THE MAN
Their collaboration with eMusic sees another exclusive album-like-thing, plus various freebies, while another international hit single takes off without a studio album attached.
Boss Of Me - the Malcolm In The Middle theme exists in 0:35, 2:56, 3:10 and an instrumental version used for the closing credits Robot Parade - originally Robot Design as a 1999 website jingle [mp3 link] for The Chopping Block, compiled on Songs For Chop 2016 - released as a free "single" on eMusic in 2000 - this "adult" version" remixed for Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected on 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants best-of - live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show 2001 - re-recorded in child-friendly form for No! 2002 - Banjo version sung by Deeply Felt Puppet Theater released as free mp3 on tmbg.com 2003 - live version on The Spine Hits The Road 2004 - live version at Asheville, NC; 2004-09-28 released on Almanac in 2004, later on a digital "deluxe reissue" of No! in 2012 - yet another studio version in another new arrangement on Here Come The ABCs 2005 Wake Up Call - originally the B-side to Robot Parade on eMusic, later on Unlimited April 2001 and No! 2002 Empty Bottle Collector - Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected as Empty Bottle Blues on They Got Lost I Am A Human Head - Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected on They Got Lost Working Undercover For The Man - originally a Dial-A-Song, then a Quickcam video c. 2000 - studio version on Working Undercover For The Man EP then Mink Car 2001 - live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show 2001 Hey Everybody - played live since 1994, studio version released as a free download on eMusic 2000 Santa Claus [The Sonics cover] - released as a free download on eMusic 2000, compiled on They Might Be Giants In Holidayland EP 2001 Unreliable Narrator (I'm The Substitute) - a 1999 Dial-A-Song; re-recorded and released as a free download on eMusic in 2000; the same recording was used on Malcolm In The Middle as Substitute Teacher; later co-opted as Kids Are Different Now by Spool 409 for Battle Of The Bands on Unlimited What Is A Shooting Star? [Space Songs cover] - originally a Dial-A-Song in July 2000, studio version released free on eMusic in 2000, then Unlimited April 2001 as A Shooting Star Is Not A Shooting Star, then on Greasy Kid Stuff 2: More Songs From Inside The Radio, then on Here Comes Science 2009 Wicked Little Critta - originally a Dial-A-Song, studio version on Unlimited April, then Mink Car - live version (New Haven, CT; 2004-09-22) on Almanac 2004 John Lee Supertaster - free on eMusic 2000, then Unlimited February 2001, then No! - live at the Blue Note, Columbia MO on 13/07/2004 on tmbg.com 2004 - live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA 14/8/2004 on The Spine Hits The Road 2004 and Almanac 2004 AND Amazon-exclusive CD edition of Here Come The 123s in 2008 AAAAND deluxe digital reissue of No! in 2012 Man It's So Loud In Here - a studio version was recorded in the Working Undercover for the Man sessions, used on Dial-A-Song in 1999 & included on a Malcolm promo - a live version (as "It's So Loud In Here") was free on eMusic in 2000 - re-recorded studio version on Unlimited June 2001, Mink Car, and 20 Years Of TMBG best-of - radio edit on Man It's So Loud In Here CD5 - Hot 2002 Remix by The Elegant Too on Man It's So Loud In Here CD5 Oranges - recorded as a jingle for designers The Chopping Block's website c. 2000, released on Unlimited April 2001, collected on They Got Lost 2002 and as "Oranges And Graphic Design" on Songs For Chop 2016 (sung by Flans) - Oranges Instrumental on Songs For Chop - another recording and arrangement released as Chopping Block Testimonial on Unlimited April 2001, collected as "Oranges Testimonial" on They Got Lost 2002 and as "Testimonial" on Songs For Chop 2016 (sung by Linnell with v/o by Flans) - the arrangement of the above, but in song form, was used as CD-ROM backing music on No!, collected as "Oranges And Graphic Design (alternative)" on Songs For Chop - Oranges Instrumental (alternative) on Songs For Chop Ram On [Paul & Linda McCartney cover] - released free on eMusic 2000, included on Unlimited April 2001, recorded for Listen To What The Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute To The Music Of Paul McCartney 2001 Mas Fun - released free on tmbg.com 2003, originally in Malcolm In The Middle episode Traffic Jam Nov 2000 Rotary Club - a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 5B in 2006; also appeared on DialASong.com as "Medieval Pirate Noir" Too Real - a Dial-A-Song later released on Podcast 5B in 2006 Tres Quatro - a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 6C in 2006
John Linnell also played accordion on SHANNON WORRELL's album The Moviegoer this year, alongside other TMBG auxiliary players, but I don't know which tracks. JL's wife produced the album.
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link
"Sensurround" and the highs on Factory Showroom are top-drawer TMBG imho. It was such a drag that they got dropped; they simultaneously got really prolific and yet hard to track down. It was a big deal when those couple of albums were internet-only but I basically never heard most of those tracks. There's a few I know and like - "Man It's So Loud In Here" and "I'm A Human Head" pop into my head a lot and could make it on my ballot. I think if they'd had to pull a single cohesive album together for release they probably could have focused more and made a killer, killer record. Or if they'd become a GBV "here's still more for the cult!" kind of act they could have maybe gotten away with an LP a year full of god knows what. But those stats of how many songs they produced in the late 90s/early 00s, with almost all of them having an implied ".mp3" after the title, somehow fills me with dread...
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 02:23 (five years ago) link
as I noted above, by the 'teens they're releasing mainly on youtube, but making a video clip every week makes it seem less throwaway.
nb for you: the very very first version of Robot Parade is up there! and at nine released versions, that's the fourth-most common song in their discography...
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 04:02 (five years ago) link
man, of all the songs....!
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 04:07 (five years ago) link
best of the Factory Showroom era imo:
"Sensurround""Token Back To Brooklyn" (though you really want the creepy Dial-A-Song version. the long tall weekend version is awful)"Till My Head Falls Off" (the "clearing my throat and gripping the lectern" section is just amazing)"Exquisite Dead Guy""Metal Detector""New York City""Your Own Worst Enemy""Spiraling Shape""The Bells Are Ringing" (admittedly its climax is a bit you-have-to-be-16)"Doctor Worm"
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 04:19 (five years ago) link
^ this is a good argument for that era ruling, Your Own Worst Enemy is the only one I can't remember
having an implied ".mp3" after the title
I think a shift also comes once their day work for Hollywood necessitates / funds having a full studio year-round: where their throwaway material earlier was only to be heard over a phone line, and recorded shittily at home, the new higher fidelity that becomes their standard means that they think less of "throwaways," instead putting out everything at the same standard and seeing what their own whim, and audience response, leads to songs sticking around.
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 06:56 (five years ago) link
Where does a newcomer start ?
― Ross, Thursday, 20 September 2018 07:19 (five years ago) link
This best-of is a pretty great overview of the two decades we're covering here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial-A-Song:_20_Years_of_They_Might_Be_Giants
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 07:30 (five years ago) link
Or, if you're an album kind of person, check out Lincoln or Flood, which I think (?) are still their consensus "best albums" and certainly indicative of what they do. If you dig those, you'll find lots to like in the s/t, Apollo 18, and beyond. If you don't dig those, they're probably not your kind of band.
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 12:11 (five years ago) link
every year or two I make it a point to listen to all this stuff again and Factory Showroom is one of those albums that always strikes me as being underrated, IMO its a case of "weird band gets criticized for making somewhat normal record". Flans is not very good on it - "XTC vs. Adam Ant" has got to be one of their all-time worst songs - but Linnell more than makes up for it. I think a lot of his most expansive and developed songwriting wound up on that album. By the way I cannot believe "Sensurround" did not make the album. In an interview I think they claimed it was because it was too close to another song on the album ("Spiraling Shape"?) but that hardly sounds like an excuse to me
I think if they'd had to pull a single cohesive album together for release they probably could have focused more and made a killer, killer record.
kinda feel like Mink Car was supposed to be that record - like two-thirds of the songs had been released already. but they missed a lot of the best material and a lot of the new recordings didn't have the spark of the earlier ones.
― frogbs, Thursday, 20 September 2018 12:51 (five years ago) link
otm about mink car - i gave it one or two listens iirc and it just did not land at all with me.sensurround was surely also tied up in weird movie soundtrack rights deals, no? it was super common in the 90s for artists to have soundtrack songs that never made it to their own albums, and sometimes even fell in between the cracks of odds-and-sods collections. who knows, maybe it got them on the radar of tv soundtrack people and was worth it in the long run. or maybe the power rangers check was just worth it in itself. if it sounds like anything on the album it's the intro and verse of "till my head falls off," and even then, i mean, just space them out.googling around to remind myself who sings what, i was just floored to discover that their bassist from john henry on is *graham maby!* of joe jackson fame! how the hell did i never know that?
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 13:12 (five years ago) link
damn you're dead on about flans on that album now that i've refreshed myself, i basically hate all his songs except "new york city," which is a cover. i feel like between "sleeping in the flowers," "extra savoir-faire," "pet name," "first kiss" and even "spy" and "out of jail," he was trying to test himself as a writer of more conventional, songwriterly indie-pop songs with nice, clear, singable choruses. it was very much not my thing. though iirc the 9th grade classmate who sold me her copy of John Henry for five bucks declared that SITF was the "only good song" on it, so maybe there was a niche in which this stuff connected.
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 13:23 (five years ago) link
yea Flans has always been the dude expanding into every genre under the sun, and I think in most cases you can clearly track his reference points. for example "Pet Name" (which I like) is pretty much Squeeze by the numbers, isn't it? I get the sense that Flans could talk about 70s and 80s New Wave and punk for hours on end. Linnell on the other hand only sounds like himself, the only real similar stuff sounds like it was clearly inspired by him. for example take this Todd Rundgren song from '95 - I can easily imagine this on Factory Showroom with Linnell drawling out the vocals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqQ6pg0Fy9Y
― frogbs, Thursday, 20 September 2018 13:35 (five years ago) link
Among the later songs I'd like to put in a good word/extremely mildly campaign for "Certain People I Could Name" and "Four of Two"
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Thursday, 20 September 2018 14:22 (five years ago) link
Also "Thunderbird", though the version on "The Spine" ended up being fairly tame.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Thursday, 20 September 2018 14:23 (five years ago) link
Flans lost it after John Henry and never got it back. He's got a few good songs here and there, but nearly all the band's worst songs post-JH are his. The two Mono Puff albums don't measure up to State Songs at all.
Though "XTC vs Adam Ant" is how I learned about XTC, so I can't hate it too much
― Vinnie, Thursday, 20 September 2018 15:58 (five years ago) link
I should say the worst songs are Flans-led - they credit everything to both of them, right? I wonder how much collaboration happens
― Vinnie, Thursday, 20 September 2018 16:01 (five years ago) link
"man they totally Flansled that song"
Or, if you're an album kind of person, check out Lincoln or Flood, which I think (?) are still their consensus "best albums" and certainly indicative of what they do
I deleted the words "Flood is their most beloved album for a reason" bcz based on what I've seen of Ross' taste, he'd get a better feel for aspects of the band he could like from that compilation.
sensurround was surely also tied up in weird movie soundtrack rights deals, no?
since the version They released themselves was a re-recording, this probably wasn't a factor
― Mighty Seething Bat (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 17:05 (five years ago) link
maybe they had a contract that said they could release it themselves, but only as a b-side and it would have to be not as good
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 20 September 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link
checks out
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 17:47 (five years ago) link
for example "Pet Name" (which I like) is pretty much Squeeze by the numbers, isn't it?
Sort of, but I think it's more like "a song that sounds exactly like Squeeze and proves that they can write a Squeeze song that's as good as the median actual Squeeze song, but which on closer listening have aspects that are purely and unmistakeably TMBG." I love it. (And there are a lot of the genre exercises I don't love.)
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 20 September 2018 18:17 (five years ago) link
their bassist from john henry on is *graham maby!* of joe jackson fame! how the hell did i never know that?
Only for three years - from 1999 through the end of this poll, the lineup is the two Johns and the Band Of Dans
kinda feel like Mink Car was supposed to be that record - like two-thirds of the songs had been released already
two thirds? more like 94.117648%
...
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 18:49 (five years ago) link
it looks like They released too many songs in 2001, I keep getting poxy fuled
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
2001: HEYYYY, YOUR POLL'S ALRIGHT Their first physical album in five years was overshadowed by coming out on 9/11, and was also just one part of a massive subscription program, with new & old unreleased songs (plus two live albums) issued in monthly chunks through eMusic.
The cascade of music this year included 75 new songs. Lennon/McCartney wrote 121 in a decade. I've Got A Fang - early version on Unlimited January 2001 - remixed by The Elegant Too for Mink Car - live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show in December 2001 Cyclops Rock - first recording on Unlimited January - re-recorded (with Cerys Matthews) for Mink Car - live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show in December Drink! - originally a Dial-A Song, then recorded as Drink, Drink for Unlimited January - re-recorded as Drink! on Mink Car - live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show, with "spin the dial" Red Red Wine intro - live version labelled Drink - glacially slow on Almanac 2004 Bangs - first version on Unlimited February 2001 - a different mix and vocals on Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace With They Might Be Giants - re-recorded on Mink Car Hovering Sombrero - early versions appeared on Malcolm In The Middle and later TMBG's Clock Radio app; re-recorded for Unlimited February 2001, then on Mink Car - re-recorded as Hovering Sombrero '05 on the Amazon-exclusive version of Here Come The ABCs CD, then DVD/CD reissue In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle [NYC PSA cover] - released on Unlimited February 2001, later on No! 2002 Your Mom's Alright - released on Unlimited February 2001, also on Man, It's So Loud In Here CD5 Clap Your Hands - released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002, previously an instrumental Malcolm cue - live version (Atlanta, GA; 2004-09-25) Almanac 2004, then Free Tunes 2005, also on 2012 digital No! reissue with a swear edited out Clowntown - written for No! but deemed too creepy for kids, released on Unlimited March 2001 - instrumental version C-Town on McSweeney's Monsters Of Mud - released on Unlimited March 2001 Lazyhead And Sleepybones - released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002 Violin - released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002 - live version (Stubbs, Austin, TX July 2004) on The Spine Hits The Road 2004 - another live version (New York, NY; 2004-10-01) on Almanac 2004, also on No! digital deluxe reissue 2012 - new studio performance on DVD of Here Come The ABCs 2005 The Oblongs Theme - TV: The Oblongs, released on Podcast 8A in 2006 What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round? [Monkees cover] - played live occasionally since 1989, recorded & released as a TMBG.com Quickcam video in 2001 I Am a Grocery Bag - released on Unlimited April 2001, then No! 2002 Fibber Island - full version on Unlimited April 2001 - edited down for No! - acoustic version 'performed' by the Puppet Johns on They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast video in 2008 Sleepwalkers - released on Unlimited April 2001, later on No! 2002 (the music was previously What Is Everyone Staring At on Dial-A-Song, bootlegged on cassette in 90s) - re-recorded for Here Come The ABCs 2005 No! - released on Unlimited April 2001, then No! 2002 Tigerella - released on Unlimited May 2001 Mink Car - demo version on Unlimited May 2001 - studio version on Unlimited June 2001, then Mink Car in August - live version (at Pearl St in Northampton Mass. 2001) Unlimited November 2001 All MacGyver On It - Dial-A-Song, then released on Unlimited May 2001 Mr. Tambourine Man [cover of the Byrds' cover of Bob Dylan] - live version as medley with Spy (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show 2001 Tender Is The Mind - TMBG.com Quickcam video, then on Unlimited June 2001 Yeh Yeh [Georgie Fame cover; music written by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick in 1963 and first recorded by Mongo Santamaría on his 1963 album Watermelon Man / Lyrics written shortly thereafter by Jon Hendricks, recorded by Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival] - Unlimited June 2001, then Mink Car August 2001 Museum Of Idiots - live bootleg released on Unlimited June 2001 - studio version recorded for The Spine 2004 My Man - Unlimited June 2001, Mink Car a month later I'm Your Boyfriend Now - originally a Dial-A Song, released on Unlimited June - re-recorded for Cast Your Pod To The Wind in 2007 Save Your Life - by Bog Standard - Battle Of The Bands September 2001 Too + 3 R One - by Too + 3 - Battle Of The Bands September 2001 Words Are Like - by The Crummer Family - Battle Of The Bands September 2001, later collected on They Got Lost 2002 and Idlewild 2014 Chaos By Design - by Colorwheel - Battle Of The Bands September 2001 Headless - by Naykid Eyez - Battle Of The Bands September 2001 Something You'd Like To See - by Little Lisa Whitman - Battle Of The Bands October 2001 Blind - by Demchuk -Battle Of The Bands October 2001 Cut The Strings - by Demchuk - Battle Of The Bands October 2001 Kids Are Different Now by Spool 409 - Battle Of The Bands October 2001
Disappointing Show (TMBG live 2001-09-01) - by The Disappointers - Battle Of The Bands October 2001, collected on They Got Lost 2002, music video inexplicably made in 2013 Mr. Xcitement - b-side on Boss Of Me CD5 - re-recorded for Mink Car August 2001 Hopeless Bleak Despair - the only song on Mink Car not to appear in any form before the album release! Too Cool Girls [with Velcro Horns] - released on Unlimited November 2001, originally in a 2000 Malcolm In The Middle episode To The Bubblecraft! - released on Unlimited October 2001 Ultimate Battle For The Planet Of The Apes - live recording released on Unlimited October 2001 WMOB ID - Unlimited October 2001 Somnabulist Spy Improvisation - live recording released on Unlimited December 2001 Dan Hickey's Actual Drums - live recording (from Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI) on Unlimited December 2001
the remaining tracks from 2001 were all written for and appeared on Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace With They Might Be Giants The Ballad Of Timothy McSweeney MOR Lincoln, Washington, And That Jefferson Guy Mr. And Mrs. Nuclear Koenigstein Slow Softly Oprah People Died Today Art Mover Be Patient Candy Stripers Even My T-Shirt Faster Better Now Garden Of Eden Gazing Out Toward Girls In Their Turning God's Sister Jessica Grassroots Internet Revolution The Life Of Doug R U Together Mona Lisa
Theme From McSweeney's Issue 6 - first on Unlimited in May, re-released as Theme To McSweeney's on They Got Lost I Am 40: Memories of West Street and Lepke - was first released as Robert Lowell, and slightly longer, on January Unlimited. The lyrics are all lines from different Robert Lowell poems. Bathymetry For Two - was first Down To The Bottom Of The Sea on Unlimited February; also released as Down… on They Got Lost CD 2002, tmbg.com 2004, & al. Be Kind And Gentle - was first Budnitz #1 on Unlimited February
It's Getting Late - was first released on Unlimited February Mosh Momken Abadan [The song is credited to composer Riad al-Sunbat and lyricist Ma'mun al-Shinawi. The TMBG version is instrumental] - first appeared on Unlimited May 2001, collected as Mosh Momken Abadon on They Got Lost
Dollar For Dollar - first released on May Unlimited, later collected on They Got Lost CD The Army's Tired Now - collected on They Got Lost CD The Truth In Your Words - collected on They Got Lost CD as Truth In Your Words MIKE DOUGHTY - Frog and Banjo - this TMBG vs McSweeneys track was recorded by John Flansburgh in his Dial-A-Song studio
the european version of Mink Car re-orders some of the tracks, removes some others (also adds Boss of Me and Your Mom's Alright) and is a better listening experience than the US version imo
euro tracklisting:
1. "Man, It's So Loud In Here" – 3:592. "Boss Of Me" – 2:573. "Cyclops Rock" – 2:384. "Another First Kiss" – 3:065. "Bangs" – 3:096. "My Man" – 2:577. "Drink!" – 1:498. "Your Mom's Alright" – 2:59 (with Mike Doughty) (written by John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Elegant Too, Mike Doughty)9. "Hovering Sombrero" – 2:1310. "Yeh Yeh" – 2:40 (written by Rodgers Grant, Jon Hendricks, Pat Patrick)11. "I've Got A Fang" – 2:3212. "Mink Car" – 2:0913. "Hopeless Bleak Despair" – 3:0814. "Older" – 1:58
I think the title track and Hopeless Bleak Despair are the two best songs on the album and having it finish with them and then Older as a coda works well. It's a better album for having Boss Of Me present, though Your Mom's Alright isn't really adding much
― soref, Thursday, 20 September 2018 18:57 (five years ago) link
ok so what's the new song on Mink Car? is it Working Undercover For the Man?
the Euro tracklisting indeed looks better. I like "Your Mom's Alright". It gets stuck in my head a lot. Also I never knew that "Boss of Me" was actually a full song until recently. I think they played it live at two of the shows I was at but only the 30-second Malcolm in the Middle version
(by the way, does anyone know how much of the incidental music on that show was actually done by TMBG? I recall interviews saying that they write a lot of uncredited stuff for TV and commercials, sorta as a 'day job')
― frogbs, Thursday, 20 September 2018 19:00 (five years ago) link
cannot BELIEVE everyone isn't reading every single annotated word of my song posts itt
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 19:16 (five years ago) link
ah!!!! I see it!
― frogbs, Thursday, 20 September 2018 19:17 (five years ago) link
they did all the incidental music for the first two seasons! cues, songs, miniatures, and some existing Giants songs. despite this, there was so much licensed pop music in the show that to this date, nothing past Season 1 has been released commercially in the US, and it took ten years after the S1 DVD for the rest to come out in Australia.
(presumably lots of their work was reused from stock in the later seasons? idk)
oops I missed some:
Instrument Tour- a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 5B in 2006
La Dolce Malcolm- a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 22A in 2007
there were also two different promos of some of their incidental pieces for the show, including
Playground Pokemon (a longer, different arrangement of what became Empty Bottle Collector / Empty Bottle Blues)Four Track Mind (this is the one that became Clap Your Hands)Nice Is Good, Mean Is Bad (also a Dial-A-Song)Mysterion (later on the Flash version of dialasong.com as Mysterioso)Stranger (also on the Flash version of dialasong.com)European Ska Don't Cry SunshineSkatellite Transmission
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 19:35 (five years ago) link
another Malcolm piece:
Monster (live version from 08-19-2000 Brooklyn Show later streamed on the Clock Radio app in 2003)
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 20:50 (five years ago) link
from 1999 through the end of this poll, the lineup is the two Johns and the Band Of Dans
BTW, the band's lineup* has been solid for almost fifteen years now, since Marty Beller replaced Dan Hickey on drums in 2004. (& Beller had been playing with Them on occasion since 2000.)
*bar live horn sections / touring horn players
(Dan Miller joined in 1998, and also toured with Mono Puff that year and The Statesmen the year after; he brought Danny Weinkauf with him from his previous band.)
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 21:28 (five years ago) link
in other Mono Puff contributor trivia, I just learnt that Meredith off of The Office sang as Lady Puff on the second Mono Puff album
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:07 (five years ago) link
guys, we made it
2002: THE END OF THE TOUR Their first children's album/CD-ROM, mostly made of songs released in some form in the last two years, launches their next "day job," as well as the new label they will license releases through from now on. A year of wrapping up, otherwise: the They Got Lost compilation gathers oddities from the 1999-2001 era, the Dial-A-Song: 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants double CD is a major-label best-of covering their whole career, and the documentary Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns screens at festivals. They also tour every month bar January, February and September, and still find time to produce, play for and perform off-Broadway in the musical People Are Wrong! So To Be One Of Us - written for Peter Pan In Disney's Return To Never Land, performed by the cast Now That You're One Of Us - performed by the cast in Return to Never Land Courage the Cowardly Dog - TV: Courage the Cowardly Dog bumper on Cartoon Network, released on Podcast 4A in 2006 I Love To Sing [Bob Lind cover] - "performed" at 2002 TMBG shows by The Deeply Felt Puppet Theatre, released as free download on tmbg.com in 2003, compiled on Four Covers From TMBG 7" in 2012 Bed Bed Bed - original debuted on No!, sung by Linnell - re-arranged in new version, demo sung by Flans in falsetto released on Podcast 35A in 2008 - re-recorded in new arrangement as Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed, sung by Kimya Dawson, on Bed Bed Bed book & EP 2003 - live version with horns and Linnell singing, at the Bowery Ballroom on 1/8/2007, released on Amazon-exclusive CD edition of Here Come The 123s in 2008 The House At The Top Of The Tree - debuted on No! Where Do They Make Balloons? - written and sung by Danny Weinkauf, debuted on No!
At The Agway Boomerang Car Alarms Dear Old Plants Dimension Six Rock Healer's Lament I Know What I Saw Ponytail The Gravel's Coming With Us Xanthus Saves - from PEOPLE ARE WRONG! A 10-Song Sampler Of The Original Cast Recording. Originally developed by Flans and Goldie as a concept album, it became a stage musical by Robin Goldwasser and Julia Greenberg. JF starred and produced, JL played accordion and sax on the cast recording, Goldie starred.
Keep The Customer [Simon & Garfunkel's Keep The Customer Satisfied] - by Robin G & Julia G on The Loser's Lounge Tribute To Simon & Garfunkel
Last Night [Simon & Garfunkel's Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream] - by John Flansburgh on The Loser's Lounge Tribute To Simon & Garfunkel
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Friday, 21 September 2018 15:15 (five years ago) link
428 songs and only fucking up the bbcode on the last two is pretty good going imo
― Gibing The Amethyst (sic), Friday, 21 September 2018 15:19 (five years ago) link
are there any ilxors who have anecdotal evidence of how actual children responded to 'No!' or the other children's albums? (or even listened to those albums when they themselves were children, if we have anyone that young here?) I'd be particularly interested to know if kids enjoyed their 'children's music' more or less than their not-specifically-aimed-at-children music
― soref, Friday, 21 September 2018 18:55 (five years ago) link
my kids like the original version of "The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas" and TMBG's "Whistling in the Dark"
that's all I got
― Οὖτις, Friday, 21 September 2018 19:02 (five years ago) link
my son absolutely loves the song "Hot Dog" but won't watch any other part of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
I remember reading a lot of reviews of the albums to the tone of "I actually don't mind listening to this every single day" which indicates that kids do in fact dig it
― frogbs, Friday, 21 September 2018 19:10 (five years ago) link
good mourning!
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:06 (five years ago) link
Here are straight lists of eligible songs, broken up into the largest chunks that ilxor will allow:
Alienation's For The Rich Cowtown I'll Remember 3rd Street / Space Suit Cabbagetown Penguine Birds Fly Swing Is A Word Counterfeit Fake Sally Boy Candy Bar Hell Hotel Weep Day Indian Ocean Hiya Hi Everything Right Is Wrong / Everything Right Is Wrong Again It's Not My Birthday They Might Be Giants You'll Miss Me The Big Big Whoredom Mainstream USA (Put Your Hand Inside The) Puppet Head / Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head Number Three / Greek #3 The Day When It Rains It Snows Don't Let's Start Nothing's Going To Change My Clothes / Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes Hope That I Get Old Before I Die / I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die Biggest One / The Biggest One 32 Footsteps Boat Of Car Chess Piece Face Rabid Child Youth Culture Killed My Dog (She Was A) Hotel Detective Toddler Hi-Way / Toddler Hiway Which Describes How You're Feeling Become A Robot I'm Def Kings Of The Cave [written for TMBG by The Mundanes' Jim Gillson] Rhythm Section Want Ad Happy She's An Angel Absolutely Bill's Mood Hide Away Folk Family Fake Out In Buenos Aires Snowball In Hell For Science Somebody's Body The Famous Polka The World's Address We Just Go Nuts At Christmastime Kiss Me, Son Of God Kitten Intro Lie Still, Little Bottle Mr. Klaw We're The Replacements Shoehorn With Teeth FRIEDA: Disco Lover FRIEDA: Plastic Rap
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:47 (five years ago) link
"Untitled" (answering machine excerpts) Hello Radio Ana Ng Cage & Aquarium Pencil Rain Piece Of Dirt Purple Toupee Santa's Beard They'll Need A Crane Where Your Eyes Don't Go I've Got A Match Mr. Me Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon I'll Sink Manhattan Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal Road Movie To Berlin ANNABOUBOULA - I'm Not A Little Girl ANNABOUBOULA - Let's Go To Jail Birdhouse In Your Soul Hot Cha Ant Lucky Ball & Chain Hearing Aid Whistling In The Dark Stormy Pinkness Tiny Doctors Particle Man Hi Honey I'm Home 7-11 The Bloodboat Twisting Letterbox Your Racist Friend Theme From Flood Dead Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love Someone Keeps Moving My Chair We Want A Rock Women & Men Minimum Wage James K. Polk Outboard Part Of Man SUZANNE VEGA - Tired Of Sleeping OTIS BALL - Walk On Water The Edison Museum The Statue Got Me High She's Actual Size / Larger Than Life I Palindrome I My Evil Twin See The Constellation Hall Of Heads Hypnotist Of Ladies If I Wasn't Shy Turn Around Mammal Spider Dig My Grave Dinner Bell Narrow Your Eyes Fingertips Siftin' Moving To The Sun Welcome To The Jungle I Blame You The Guitar Rocket Ship Spy Fu Manchu (Frank Black with Linnell / live with TMBG) Tossed (Frank Black with Linnell / live with TMBG) Adda Lee (FB / TMBG live) Czar (FB / TMBG live) Every Time I Go Around Here (FB / TMBG live) I Heard Ramona Sing (FB / TMBG live) Los Angeles (FB / TMBG live) Parry The Wind High, Low (FB / TMBG live) Ten Percenter (FB / TMBG live) Theme From One Step Beyond (FB / TMBG live)
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:51 (five years ago) link
Drinkin' Sodium Mask (Since You Joined) The Corporation Town To Town Lullaby To Nightmares O, Do Not Forsake Me Maine (from State Songs Hello EP) Rock Club King Of Wingo A Self Called Nowhere Why Must I Be Sad? No One Knows My Plan I Should Be Allowed To Think Extra Savoir-Faire Unrelated Thing Subliminal Out Of Jail About Me Wreck It Apart Don't I Have The Right? Christmas Cards Nevada (from State Songs Hello EP) Pennsylvania (from State Songs Hello EP) Oregon (from State Songs Hello EP) South Carolina (from State Songs Hello EP) Snail Shell / Snail Dust Ondine She Was A Hotel Detective Mrs Train Subway Token To Brooklyn / Token Back To Brooklyn The Summer Breeze Your Own Worst Enemy AKA Driver Destination Moon Dirt Bike Sleeping In The Flowers The End Of The Tour Thermostat Window Meet James Ensor When Tornadoes Take Over The World So Long, Mockingbird Nixon's The One Operators Are Standing By You're Watching… Wreck It Apart Tryptophan Unsupervised, I Hit My Head What Bothers The Spaceman? Sensurround Careless Santa
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:53 (five years ago) link
S-E-X-X-Y Till My Head Falls Off How Can I Sing Like A Girl? Exquisite Dead Guy Metal Detector New York City [Cub cover] XTC vs. Adam Ant Spiraling Shape Pet Name I Can Hear You The Bells Are Ringing Rat Patrol Certain People I Could Name Counterfeit Faker They Got Lost Older On The Drag Reprehensible Unforgotten Darlin' Allison Guitar Was The Case Distant Antenna To Serve Mankind Preamble: Fernando Wood (1855-58, 1860-62) (from House Of Mayors EP) Processional [1] (from House Of Mayors EP) DeWitt Clinton (1803-07, 1808-10, 1811-15) (from House Of Mayors EP) Processional [2] (from House Of Mayors EP) John Purroy Mitchel (1914-17) (from House Of Mayors EP) Processional [3] (from House Of Mayors EP) Fiorello LaGuardia (1934-45) (from House Of Mayors EP) David Dinkins (1990-93) (from House Of Mayors EP) House Of Mayors (from House Of Mayors EP) Mr. Hughes Says Imaginary Friend Dedicated What Everybody Knows Backstabbing Liar Poison Flowers Night Security Critic Intro Four Of Two
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:54 (five years ago) link
That's super helpful, thanks! Dumping it all into an excel sheet for my first pass...
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:01 (five years ago) link
Doctor Worm I Am Not Your Broom Rest Awhile (Coca-Cola advertisement) / Always Be Giants Olive, The Other Reindeer LIFE IN A BLENDER - Grand Union I'm Sick (Of This American Life) (pre-gap Hidden Track on It's Fun To Steal) Creepy It's Fun To Steal Taste The Bass Extra Krispy Dashiki Lover Severe Tire Damage Theme First Kiss / Another First Kiss Planet Of The Apes Return To The Planet Of The Apes Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes Escape From The Planet Of The Apes Battle For The Planet Of The Apes Beneath The Planet Of The Apes This Ape's For You Somebody Took My Eyeball Dark And Metric Finished With Lies Theme For TheSmokingGun.com SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - Madden's Theme SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - The Happy Gangster SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - Harry's New Home SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - End Theme THE GRAVEL PIT - Get Tangled
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:04 (five years ago) link
Dr. Evil (She Thinks She's) Edith Head / She Thinks She's Edith Head Brave New World Theme Dan vs. Cog King Weed All Alone Cut The Strings Feast Of Lights On Earth My Nina Thunderbird Illinois (from State Songs album) The Songs Of The 50 States (from State Songs album) West Virginia (from State Songs album) Montana (from State Songs album) Arkansas (from State Songs album) Utah (from State Songs album) Idaho (from State Songs album) Iowa (from State Songs album) Mississippi (from State Songs album) Michigan (from State Songs album) New Hampshire (from State Songs album) Louisiana (a State Song b-side) Boss Of Me Robot Parade Wake Up Call Empty Bottle Collector I Am A Human Head Working Undercover For The Man Hey Everybody Santa Claus [The Sonics cover] Unreliable Narrator (I'm The Substitute) / Kids Are Different Now Wicked Little Critta John Lee Supertaster Man It's So Loud In Here Oranges / Chopping Block Testimonial / Oranges And Graphic Design Mas Fun Rotary Club Too Real Tres Quatro I've Got A Fang Cyclops Rock Drink! / Drink, Drink Bangs Hovering Sombrero Your Mom's Alright Clap Your Hands Clowntown Monsters Of Mud Lazyhead And Sleepybones Violin La Dolce Malcolm Instrument Tour The Oblongs Theme I Am a Grocery Bag Fibber Island Sleepwalkers No! Tigerella Mink Car All MacGyver On It Tender Is The Mind Museum Of Idiots My Man I'm Your Boyfriend Now Save Your Life - by Bog Standard Too + 3 R One - by Too + 3 Words Are Like - The Crummer Family Chaos By Design - by Colorwheel Headless - by Naykid Eyez Something You'd Like To See - by Little Lisa Whitman Blind - by Demchuk Disappointing Show Mr. Xcitement Hopeless Bleak Despair Too Cool Girls To The Bubblecraft! Ultimate Battle For The Planet Of The Apes WMOB ID Somnabulist Spy Improvisation Dan Hickey's Actual Drums The Ballad Of Timothy McSweeney MOR Lincoln, Washington, And That Jefferson Guy Mr. And Mrs. Nuclear Koenigstein Slow Softly Oprah People Died Today Art Mover Be Patient Candy Stripers Even My T-Shirt Faster Better Now Garden Of Eden Gazing Out Toward Girls In Their Turning God's Sister Jessica Grassroots Internet Revolution The Life Of Doug R U Together Mona Lisa Theme From McSweeney's Issue 6 I Am 40: Memories of West Street and Lepke Bathymetry For Two Be Kind And Gentle It's Getting Late Dollar For Dollar The Army's Tired Now The Truth In Your Words MIKE DOUGHTY - Frog and Banjo So To Be One Of Us Now That You're One Of Us Courage the Cowardly Dog Bed Bed Bed / Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed The House At The Top Of The Tree Where Do They Make Balloons? At The Agway from People Are Wrong! Boomerang from People Are Wrong! Car Alarms from People Are Wrong! Dear Old Plants from People Are Wrong! Dimension Six Rock from People Are Wrong! Healer's Lament from People Are Wrong! I Know What I Saw from People Are Wrong! Ponytail from People Are Wrong! The Gravel's Coming With Us from People Are Wrong! Xanthus Saves from People Are Wrong!
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:05 (five years ago) link
Two of these are doubled up above because I missed them, but here are all the covers They have released or played on:
Indiana Wants Me [R. Dean Taylor cover] I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You [after Tommy Dorsey's version] 1999 [live Prince cover] Why Does The Sun Shine? [Space Songs cover] Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [The Four Lads cover] Lady Is A Tramp [Rodgers & Hart] Maybe I Know [Lesley Gore cover] One More Parade [Phil Ochs cover] Concrete And Clay [Unit 4+2 cover] Frankenstein [live Edgar Winter Group cover] Yellow Submarine [misremembered live Beatles cover] This Is Where I Belong [live Kinks cover by Frank Black / TMBG] Whirlpool [Meat Puppets cover] Jessica [The Allman Brothers Band cover] Hello Hello [Gary Glitter cover released by both Hello The Band and Mono Puff] O Tannenbaum [traditional] White Sport Coat [Marty Robbins cover by The Meat Puppets with BVs by the Johns] Dr. Kildare [cover of The Skatalites arrangement, lyrics by Flans, released by Mono Puff] The Joker [live Steve Miller Band cover] 25 O'Clock [Dukes Of Stratosphear cover] The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking) [The Clamdiggers cover released by Mono Puff] Oddball [Frank Black cover released by Mono Puff] Don't Break The Heart [Amy Rigby cover released by Mono Puff] Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May? [lyrics by James J. Walker, music by Ernest Ball, covered by John Linnell on House Of Mayors] Hillbilly Drummer Girl [Young Fresh Fellows cover by Mono Puff] Lines Upon A Tranquil Brow [Songs Of The Pogo cover] New York City [Cub cover] Pretty Fly [Mono Puff cover of piece from The Night Of The Hunter] We've Got A World That Swings [Jerry Lewis & al. cover] Dog On Fire [Bob Mould's Daily Show theme] Daily Show Open [another arrangement of the Mould song] Butcher's Tale [The Zombies cover] North To Alaska [Johnny Horton cover from John Linnell's Montana 7"] All Things Considered [Don Voegeli] What Is A Shooting Star? [Space Songs cover] Santa Claus [The Sonics cover] Ram On [Paul & Linda McCartney cover] In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle [NYC PSA cover] What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round? [Monkees cover] Mr. Tambourine Man [Dylan/Byrds cover] Yeh Yeh [Georgie Fame & al. cover] Mosh Momken Abadan [Riad al-Sunbat cover] I Love To Sing [Bob Lind cover] Keep The Customer [Simon & Garfunkel's Keep The Customer Satisfied by Robin G./Julia G. Last Night [Simon & Garfunkel's Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream by John Flansburgh] [/b]
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:12 (five years ago) link
aw man i used to loooove their "Jessica"
― |Restore| |Restart| |Quit| (Doctor Casino), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:16 (five years ago) link
and for those who want to rank the albums / EPs / etc
1985 Wiggle Diskette flexi-disc 1985 They Might Be Giants cassette-only studio album 1986 "The Pink Album" studio album 1987 Don't Let's Start 12" 1988 (She Was A) Hotel Detective CD3 / 12" 1988 Lincoln studio album 1988 Ana Ng / They'll Need A Crane singles with 2 out of 3 b-sides replicated1989 Don't Let's Start LP / Miscellaneous T (1991) b-sides etc. compilation replicated on bonus tracks of Then: The Earlier Years (1997)1989 Birdhouse In Your Soul / Istanbul (Not Constantinople) singles with the b-side of BIYS also on INC1990 Flood studio album1992 The Statue Got Me High CD5 1992 Apollo 18 studio album 1992 I Palindrome I CD5 1992 The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5 1993 Why Does The Sun Shine? EP 1993 Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST Frank Black live album1993 Hello The Band Hello The Band EP1993 O Tannenbaum 7" 1994 Back To Skull EP 1994 John Henry studio album 1994 Live!! New York City 10/14/94 Live Album 1994 State Songs John Linnell EP1995 John Flansburgh's Mono Puff Mono Puff EP1996 Factory Showroom studio album 1996 S-E-X-X-Y CD5 / 12" 1996 House Of Mayors John Linnell EP1996 The Devil Went Down To Newport CD51996 Unsupervised studio album 1997 Then: The Earlier Years compilation including Dial-A-Song material 1997 The Hal Cragin Years Mono Puff EP1997 The Steve Calhoon Years Mono Puff EP1998 Severe Tire Damage live / studio Album 1998 It's Fun To Steal Mono Puff studio album1999 Long Tall Weekend studio album 1999 State Songs John Linnell studio album2000 Working Undercover For The Man EP 2001 TMBG Unlimited year-long album-a-month subscription service2001 The Flood Show live album2001 The Ritz Show live album2001 Mink Car studio album 2001 Man, It's So Loud In Here CD5 2001 They Might Be Giants In Holidayland compilation EP2001 "They Might Be Giants Vs. McSweeney's" book soundtrack project2002 No! studio album 2002 They Got Lost oddities compilation2002 People Are Wrong! original cast recording
― Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:21 (five years ago) link