Slashdot Mirror
Ask 'They Might Be Giants'
Yes, folks, it's time for another special Slashdot music celeb interview, this time with They Might Be Giants, creators of much excellent music and the famous Dial-a-Song (which has been mentioned on Slashdot before). Anyway, TMBG is a pretty cool band, so go ahead and ask them anything you want -- about their music or Napster or their deal with eMusic or anything else. Post your questions below. Moderators will choose their favorites. Saturday afternoon we'll select 10 of the best ones, and TMBG will have their answers back in the next week or so.
Why do you suck? Why can't you be cool, like Genesis.
Thank you.
A question and a request,
Would you please clarify your position toward audience members taping your performances for their personal enjoyment?
A list of "Bands That Allow Taping" has this entry:
*They Might Be Giants - Although their taping policy has yet to be clarified, John Linell, one of the band members was quoted as saying: "We appreciate the interest shown by tape-traders and bootleggers, but we also appreciate the money from our record sales. I guess you should let your conscience be your guide." There are also new reports (4/99) that Flansburgh said in an interview that they are kind of flattered that folks want to tape their shows and he wishes he could pass out DATs so people could have high quality stuff. So their policy seems to be ambiguous at best.
And for the request, please post a taping policy similar to Phish, Pearl Jam, Panic, Grateful Dead, etc. on your web site. Many tapers consult and honor these performers posted taping policies.
Who's knocking on the wall?
Ok... why did you guys lose the accordian?
I've always wondered where you two get the inspiration for your music and the lyrics... Do muses play croquet with the ideas, or does the scarecrow whisper ideas as he's hiding from you?
and now they're even older.
Ok, while I'm sure there have been appearances of TMBG songs in other movies and TV, I've noticed a greater frequency in the last few years. I mean, the theme to Malcolm in the Middle (and a bunch of background music in several episodes), and the theme to Austin Powers 2 have been fairly mainstream appearances. I know at least one Mono Puff song has appeared in the movies as well (Carrie 2, or something).
What's in store for the use of TMBG songs elsewhere? Will they continue to sneak into pop culture, or will the Johns actually make an appearance in a movie? I recently watched Baseketball and noticed Reel Big Fish performing in several scenes. While I'm not a big fan of them, they've cited TMBG as one of their major influences. Would you appear in a movie?
You can't have one..
...'cause there's no such thing.
How do you feel about the current election problems? If you were to write a song about it, what would it be?
I've been a huge TMBG fan for over ten years, which is about half of my life (Scary thought, no?). I've heard the band evolve from two guys with a Dr. Rhythm drum machine to a full band with a horn section, to a powerhouse of rock. I've heard lo-fi, hi-fi, no-fi (wax cylinders), children's songs, Movie/TV theme songs, and god knows what else.
My question is, what's next? What surprises do you guys have up your sleeves for those of us who are always waiting to hear you do something new and rip the music industry a new asshole with your revolutionary rock stylings?
Do you plan to continue making music for Hollywood? Are there going to be any more side projects (I simply loved State Songs)? What's next for Brooklyn's Ambassadors of Love?
ToiletDuk (58% Slashdot Pure)
ToiletDuk (58% Slashdot Pure)
If it were not for that episode, I probably would not have discovered the glory of TMBG for at least another five years.
ToiletDuk (58% Slashdot Pure)
skinny puppy.
IANTMBG, but I believe up until John Henry they recorded their tracks digitally - recording each instrument separately and then putting them all together. All done on a Mac SE/30 or something like that, IIRC. John Henry was the first album they recorded with a live band. I don't know exactly how they're recording now, but I'm sure it's in some way digital. As to the purist analog soul, as I said, I think they've been pretty digital all along. But feel free to correct me.
What is the proper pronunciation of Oregon?
it's a code phrase. It means "stand on my head and tell me I'm fat"
--
Liberty uber alles.
Why does the Sun shine?
The sun is a mass of incandecent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace.
Bite the hand.
They toured with a full band before John Henry. The last time I saw them live as a two piece was on the Lincoln tour. John Henry just happened to be the first time they did an album with the band that had been touring for the previous album (Apollo 18).
7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
When particle man goes in the water does he get wet, or does the water get him?
MOO;IANAL.
MOO;IANAL.
There used to be a picture linked here.
TMBG were around waaaaaay before their "debut" on the WB. In fact, I'm betting that Tiny Toons had no affect on their careers at all. I think they'll find this question a little juvenile (no offense ;)
Why is the world in love again? Why are we marching hand in hand? Why are the ocean levels rising up?
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
This song is so cool:
you're older than you've ever been and now you're even older,
and now you're even older,
and now you're even older,
you're older than you've ever been and now you're even older,
and now you're older still...
TIME (downbeat)...
is marching on, (downbeat)...
and TIME (downbeat)...
...
...
...
is still marching ON!!
Beautifully simple, but made me laugh. I played that song at my dad's last birthday. Nobody present had heard it before. It was great.
That's all I wanted to say.
-------
Vidi, Vici, Veni
but the expo 67 was in montreal!
i still want my answer!
"Tension is the great integrity" -- R. Buckminster Fuller
but the expo 67 was in Montreal!
i read your post.
Your explanation has not been verified by TMBG. can you point me to somewhere they have verified your claim? i read posts on teh tmbg board with a few explanations.
but i only got modded up to three so i probably won't get to ask them this question because pearls of wisdom concerning "the future of digital music" blaah blaah blaah will take presedence over my lowly lyric query.
xoxo
-freq
"Tension is the great integrity" -- R. Buckminster Fuller
thank you for your reply.
yes it is an old song, but i havn't kept up with "the johns" much lately as i've been too occupied with other musics -- for some reason I listened to lincoln so many times that it is forever embedded in my subconscious.
thanks for info.
ana ng, was actually the other song i had a bunch of questions about... how cryptic really... I always wondered about that one.. i figured out the hole perpendicular thing to asia and the water spiraling the wrong way out the sink, but wahts up with the worlds fair thing?
and what about the sorry state of recent world's fairs? is it because the world has become so much closer together that the rest of the world isn't all that interesting? or is it that people just don't give a fuck anymore?
i'm especially fond of images of the expo 67 when the future was on display there and seemed to hold so much promise, and technology was a cure for all the world's ills. bucky fuller built that big fucking dome in montreal and proved his point to some extent... i wasn't born yet of course, but god why do i keep thinking the best parts of human progress have already passed and whatever the future holds is alot less interesting? could be my perspective...
"Tension is the great integrity" -- R. Buckminster Fuller
You guys drop alot of references to reincarnation in your songs...what is *your* answer to the ultimate question of Life, The Universe, and Everything?
Yeah, I was pretty turned off by that, too. I've got almost all the TMBG albums (including LTW which I bought off of emusic.com), but $10 a month is a lot of money for fan club membership. Max, I'd probably go for $20 a year. (And I could do without the fleece pullover.)
heck, anyone who wants to know more about TMBG should probably take a gander at http://snafu.fooworld.org/people/kate/
no affiliation, I just found it looking for online videos of "Don't Let's Start"
Good question, I just have a couple things to add.
From what I have read, TLC signed one of the worst contracts in modern music history. You can't really blame the RIAA for TLCs terrible management.
I did love the Courney Love Salon article. There was a similar thing written by the producer of Nevermind that went into more detail with better numbers, but for a smaller, less popular band. Could someone dig up a link?
-B
--
Help us build a better map!
When does the next album come out? Any chance of a "greatest hits" collection, something like Misc. T?
Fawking Trolls!
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." - Jed Babbin
When did that episode first air? I thought I remembered seeing it right around the time I graduated HS (1990), but the last decade _has_ been kind of a blur.
Bob and Doug McKenzie, eh?
I'm Peggy.
Yep. That's them singing the MitM tune. Likewise, every once in a while, you'll hear snippets of some of thier other tunes in the midst of the show. Personally, I think its a great match. Quirky compliments quirky.
/.ers, to the copywright issue?
I've heard, though, that there were certain copywright issues with "Instanbul" on Tiny Toons -- hence the reason that rerun hasnt been seen since. I used to watch Tiny Toons regularly JUST to try and catch that episode. Never have. Maybe the days I didn't catch it were the ones it ran.
I know, I must be a bit of a freak. Hell I recently went out of my way and got digital cable JUST to watch the Gummi Bears.
ANYWAY, is there any truth, fellow
Dirk
I keep trying to pick fights, but I can't shake this Excellent karma.
You guys were among the first to release an MP3-only album; for a long time now you've been a pretty technically-inclined group. How did you guys make out, sale-wise, with Long Tall Weekend, and do you plan to do anything similar in the future?
-- bokane
I (and many others) would pay big money for a shoehorn with teeth. How about it?
-aiabx
Just this guy, you know?
Actually, when I saw them a couple of years ago (can't remember when exactly... would have been 97 or 98), they opened with just John and John, introducing themselves as "They Might Be Giants '89: The only They Might Be Giants tribute band that really matters."
It was pretty cool... I thought I'd missed my chance to see just the two of them.
--Moss
--Moss
This is a
Now there are two of them.
There are two _____.
I've always had a vision of the entire band sitting around, joking about stupid superheroes, and then writing some of it down, to create Particle Man. "OK, so if that Particle guy had a fight with Triangle Man, who'd win?" "Well dude, a particle? I dunno what a triangle can do, but it should beat a particle!" "OK!" and so on... is that how it really happened?
-----
#o#
#o#
O Moo.
In today's climate of ultra-serious, loud, loud, loud, loud music, do you ever feel the need to write slightly less obscure, slighty more "sincere"-sounding lyrics to keep up?
John Guitar: Did the roadie at the South Bend show ever give you that hully-gee neato DuPont Styron Maccaferri my wife and I sweated and slaved over?
I've waited about 9 years to ask you about this, sorry if it is a little off topic....
Just how many hours a day do you practice to develop the *&%$ed-up phrasing on the git-ar? Even on the older "simpler" songs like "don't let's start" I find your changes in tone and mood impossible to imitate. So what is the story? Mate with a sampler? Mount a theremin in your heiney? Spend 6 years as a Holiness Church youth camp counsellor while injecting yourself with adenoid squeezins?
SPEAK!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Nobody but nobody questions TMBG. Whenever I have someone listen to you guys for the first time and they look at me all puzzled and ask WTF? (however much they love it) I respond with a hail of `why ask why` and `just enjoy it`. That being said, the one question that I've always posed is, "Is it all incredibly artistic and brilliant beyond my imagination, or do you have far too much fun doing what you love?".
Jester
"I have great faith in fools: Self confidence my friends call it." ~Edgar Allan Poe
It's a glockenspiel, actually ;)
> By the way, what's the name of that song?
We Want A Rock
Oh, yeah, I guess that's why he sings the song called "If I Wasn't Shy". Heh, that was kinda obvious now that I think about it ;)
And why did Triangle win?
- Have a picture
I'm getting married on April 21, 2001. One of the first things my fiancee and I did together was to attend a TMBG concet in Madison. Since then we've been to two other shows of yours. We're both such fans that, even though we're getting married we keep both copies of any doubles of CDs.
My question is: Will you play at our reception? We'd be honored to have you guys perform for all our friends and family.
Thanks,
Kevin Nowaczyk
Or something like the same?
Zax
-- We are Linux. Resistance is measured in Ohms.
I've been told that I look like John Linnell (and it was a compliment strangely enough). Has either of "Everyone's favorite Johns" ever been mistaken for someone else famous? possibly even another John? John F. Kennedy? Jr? Pope John Paul? II? John Paul Jones? John Lennon? John Denver? John Woo?
avoiding any gay undertones they may or may not have?
Better Yet, HOW did Triangle Win?
Which character would each of you be?
I'm guessing you align mainly with Dewey and Malcom...
When are you guys planning on having a new album besides the kids album? It's been a while since you've done too much new content (besides some of the new content on Severe Tire Damage). We need our They!! -mikey
> Are you giants? > Might you be? And I quote: "But what are we going to do unless they are?" - TMBG Straight from the Johns, you really can't argue with that ;)
What an opportunity! I can finally ask you the question that's been eating at my brain like a larval wasp!
Be honest, guys -- was the only purpose of "Self Called Nowhere" to let you do the Boston accent?
I'm sitting in the caah,
by the empty pahking lat,
By the store
where they let me play the ahgan.
Was it by desighn, or just a happy discovery that your lyrics fit that accent so well?
-DA
just want to ask TMBG why I haven't heard much of them in England since the early 90s, was there not a market for their music here? a lot of people I know remember the stuff that was out back then, but until we got 'malcom in the middle' on TV, it was only in the archives that we saw/heard them anywhere.
I've been curious for quite some time what the recording industry actually does for bands. As many posters have noted, the ability to distribute music on the internet is easy. The trick isn't how to distribute it, but how to get people to hear about it, how to get them to like it, and how to get them to listen to it.
What would you say the recording company you signed with has done for you in this respect? Do you think people would know who "They Might Be Giants" are if it weren't for your contract? Has the recording company you signed on with done anything to actually influence your sound and image, or has their support been through $$ for recording and promotions (keeping in perspective the image you want to portray)? Is it possible to get onto a mainstream radiostation without a deal with a record company?
My question probably boils down to a question asked by many slashdotters: is it possible to get on the charts without the aid of a major recording contract?
You've started selling mp3 only CDs online, as well as releasing a number of Dial-a-song tracks? For the earlier albums, there were always a good 18-21 tracks, but with more recent releases, like Factory Showroom, the live Severe Tire Damage, and mp3-only Long Tall Weekend there are fewer tracks.. 12-14.
One might think that you're just not producing as much stuff anymore; but on THEN, you had around 15 bonus tracks, PLUS all the tracks from Miscellaneous T. I guess some fans like myself are voracious for your material and feel a little let down when a new album only features 12 tracks instead of 20.
BTW, tour in the Midwest more! I haven't been ably to see a show since you played at Day on the Hill in Lawrence in 97.
-----
"Defenestration" is to throw out of a window; what's a word for throwing 'Windows' out of something?
You used to release a new album every few years, but Factory Showroom was a good four years ago. I want more! How long do I havev to wait?
PUBLIC SPLIT ON WHETHER BUSH IS A DIVIDER -CNN scrolling banner, 10/15/2004
er, tmbg.org != tmbg.com. it's a fan page.
The whole song Twistin In The Wind is great, no doubt a member's personal tragedy, our gain. But, how do you take a subject and jump start it to music?
The next logical question is who is your guy's fav. artists? Weird Al? INXS? Cars? Huey Louis? Hootie?
This mind intentionally left blank.
The KKK a bunch of sheetheads? You decide!
What Tiny Toons video? When was this?
Because the first time I heard of TMBG was in 1995, from a guy in my 8th grade class playing Particle Man, Istanbul, and Whistling in the Dark.
Just curious.
Have you read the Moderation Guidelines Addendum?
To the moderator who moderated this offtopic: They Might Be Giants has a song, titled "Older" (note the title of this thread). The refrain of that song is "You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older/Now you're even older/Now you're even older/You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older/Now you're even older still". I fail to see how this is offtopic.
To all moderators: if you don't understand a comment, don't moderate it down. It may still actually mean something.
The the metamoderator: sick em! :)
-no broken link
I actually bought tickets to the Hootie concert just to see TMBG. I was very pissed off when they announced the last minute that instead 54'40 was playing instead and would not refund the tickets (since they were for Hootie and the Blowfish, not TMBG. The tickets didn't even say TMBG on them).
I did get to see them on the severe tire damage tour, though. They are a great show and I highly recommend going to anyone who is a fan.
-no broken link
This is news for nerds, not news for geeks.
-no broken link
Those other band members, The Band of Dans, toured with Linnell on his State Songs solo project, and play in nearly every song on the album. State Songs songs are not much different than TMBG songs which are written and sung by Linnell while Flans just plays guitar or something quietly, i.e. James K. Polk. If I didn't know State Songs was a solo project, I'd probably have no idea that it was one.
I didn't mean Flans plays on State Songs, I meant the State Songs are similar to TMBG songs where Linnell sings and Flans just plays some small guitar part, i.e. Also, I saw The Statesmen live, and I thought the 3 Dans were playing with Linnell.
Also, I think Hickey and Weinkauf played with Linnell on his State Songs appearance on Conan. I was curious was Dan Miller wasn't there.
I saw 6 of your 9 shows of November, and recorded about half of them using my Nomad Jukebox. I've bought nearly everything that you officially sell, and I 'steal' anything else you don't make available. I've heard varied accounts of your position on bootlegs, unreleased alternate and live versions. I thought a cool idea for your e-music subscription service would be to allow subscribers to upload bootlegs of concerts for other subscribers to download. Subscribers could be allowed to upload anything you do not sell (or have not sold) through other channels. Uploads could be reviewed by E-music, TMBG or user volunteers before distribution. This would increase content on TMBG Unlimited and make it more attractive to prospective users. It would also legitimize some of the bootlegging going on, which is nice for those of us who would glady buy an album for each concert you've had and rathe, but resort to illegally recording it. I realize there may be copyright issues dealing with the various publishers/record companies you've worked with, something I know little about, so excuse me if my suggestion sounds simplistic or naive. Thanks for your wonderful music, Deltran Municipa
Did you see all the shows? The 2 shows I've seen, the Dans played. I heard that at the DC show, Mark Donato and Mark Lerner may have been there instead, but I'm not sure if that is true or representative of the rest of the shows. Also, you're right Miller was at the Conan show, I think I'm thinking of TMBG's appearance on some show where they played Boss of Me.
On the album credits, it seems only Hickey is listed. Kind of strange.
how long before we get another album from you guys? how about from mono puff?
How do feel about being one of the few groups in history to succeed as both a serious musical group as well as a novelty act?
First of all -- thank you, thank you! Taking all the hours and minutes of pure listening pleasure you have provided me and adding them together would produce a truly staggering number -- very probably whole months of my life have been devoted to listening to your sonic arrangements.
They couldn't have been better spent.
There are, as you could probably guess, a thousand and two questions I could ask, but I'll try to keep to areas of general interest rather than geekish fanboy trivia.
TMBG's "sound" (for lack of a better word) has evolved quite a bit since the early days, but in a way that is thematically consistent -- i.e., it is a true evolution rather than some kind of radical re-invention of intent.
Taking the various solo and side projects into account (Mono Puff, State Songs, etc.), it's obvious that both of you Johns have other ideas and musical interests that don't seem to find their way into the core TMBG repertoire...
How is it then that you are able to maintain this consistent evolution of TMBG "sound" and philosophy? Is it a conscious effort, or is the very act of John and John getting together to make music what defines TMBG? Do you limit yourselves at all in what you produce as TMBG as opposed to when you create music separately? (I'm guessing not. ^_^ )
Thanks guys! Keep up the good work!
-revchango
I know it was lame, but that was intended as an obvious joke ...
How are the developments coming along for the Particle Man? Please don't tell us this is just a song ...
This isn't a question, just a comment: There must be alot of philadelphians reading slashdot (PLUGgers?) since the *two* philly thanksgiving show comments have been modded up high. I was at that show as well. What did everyone think of muckafurgason? Who do you think was behind all the pranks getting pulled on them? Cheers!
-the wunderhorn
Karma: Bored. (Thinking about resurrecting the "Anyone else is an imposter" joke.)
And did Person Man's ever get frustrated because someone kept moving his chair?
--- "1.21 Jigawatts!" -Doc
HA HA! That reminds me of a fake game name I would feed to idiots (err, I mean anyone) on ICQ when I'd go to my friend's house: Bukake Scat Masters. Now he moved and I don't know anyone who uses ICQ (well besides one of my friend's parents, but thats scary) so I just call random people in public Bukake Scat Masters. BTW, That Kia sounds like it could be a real model ;)
"You point your finger at the moon, the fool stares at your finger."
Bouncing here and there and everywhere! They're the Gummi Bears!! Wooo! Sorry, my current position tells me I am a programmer, but the higher ups dictate that I have to some crap for them in EXCEL! AHHH THE INSANITY! JUST LET ME CODE!! Hence, burning the Friday work-hours on /.
"You point your finger at the moon, the fool stares at your finger."
And time is still marching on
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Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
The two of you have collaborated for a long time and produced a lot of great stuff. A lot of other really creative duos/groups flame out or are undone by their egos. How do account for your longevity?
--
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
Listening to your albums, I always thought Linnell had the higher voice and Flans had the lower voice. What a shock it was to see you in concert and realize that it was the other way around. It changed the way I thought of all your songs. Did you guys ever have a similar experience?
--
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
Would it be ok with you if we wrote a reminder of things we'd forget to do today otherwise, using a green magic marker if it's alright on the back of your head?
--
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
Or is it just me?
--
Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
I have to ask, why has (don't know his name) guitarist guy got the strange thing about balloons? Is it a deliberate "quirk" or is it some trauma arousing memory? Why is the same guy *SO* fussy and rude about his guitar tuning to guitar techs? I watched my friend use a $600 rack multi function tuner (it would have been impossible to get it as accurate by ear) and still he literally threw it back complaining and demanding he retune. To sum up.... Is the guy in question JUST AN ASSHOLE!?!?!
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" -William Blake.
Who sang "I Might Be Giant, Too", one of your Dial-a-Song songs? It's one of my favourites, but I've heard it attributed to various people. And what are the lyrics for it? I've looked everywhere!
Where do you see copyright moving in the future? It seems to me that we have either two choices: we can get rid of it altogether or else this world will become a place devoid of Public Domain, full of Dongles and complicated copyright "phone-home" tactics (cf. Road to Tycho). Are creative artists going to have to go back to "patronage of the arts" and working on retainer to be able to live off their creative works? Is this worse or better than the current system, and why?
Do you think it's moral to use second-hand copywritten information if it (a) is not used for commercial or profit, and (b) does not effect the potential market value of said work?
Dlugar
Computer Go: Writing Software to Play the Ancient Game of Go
Why do all your songs sound the same?
Perhaps the most famous song by these guys is the into to the Fox TV series "Malcolm In The Middle". love that show....
Who the hell are you, and where did you put my underpants?!?
NURSE!
Why did Constantinople get the works?
I primarily use napster when I hear of a band whose music I have never heard before. Then I have the chance to download 10-15 songs of theirs to decide if I like the band, before spending money on CDs. Have you used Napster before? If so why did you use it? Also, what bands do you listen to?
Computers don't make mistakes. What they do, they do on purpose.
I play quake3arena as triangleman so this question is important to me. All through the song particle man, triangle man beats people up. But when you talk about universe man he doens't try...did he just not try yet and could we assume he could beat universe man if such an epic battle arose or no?
My Home: Apartment6
hmm lemme see most of the comedians you americans watch are from canada hmm jim carey or what about john candy rick moranis and will sasso?! besides skinny puppy there are quite a few other musicians tool, nomeans no, ahem , celine dion {no i dont listen to her!} and tonnes more as foar as serious actors hmm michael j fox held americas heart for a while oh and pamela lee anderson hmmm yah no originality here
back in the day we didnt have no old school
Nah. universe-man@tmbg.com beats all...
Hacker: A criminal who breaks into computer systems
"Information wants to be paid"
If I were to make a hole perpendicular to Queens NY on a globe, the exit wound would be somewhere in the Indian Ocean, about 600 miles west of Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Is that where one would need to go in order to swim in the glow of Ana Ng's majestic presence?
Cheers.
For example, in November they played 5 shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, and had a different theme to each. One night they played an old-school show with just them and the drum machine. At another show they performed with a 9 piece big band, again another the performed their 1990 platinum CD, Flood, in its entirety. Viva variety!
If I could ask them a question I'd like to know when they plan on releasing the new albums (both the children's album and the rock album). Also, I'd like to know when they plan to tour the western US again.
Adversive
My cat's breath smells like cat food.
If I put my hand inside the puppet head, what will I find?
Your primary target audience is primarily 30 year-old male programmers (read: geeks). This is an audience that doesn't exist as far as most big record labels are concerned. We don't shop at the Gap or watch "Friends". We just aren't sexy. What experiences have you had with record brass in explaining that we are an untapped market and have you ever considered (or attempted) to sell-out and become what pop culture considers hip?
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v.3.12
Why did Constantinople get the works?
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What? WHAT?!! Oh.
Dear sirs,
As the world's tallest midgets, and honest-to-goodness pioneers of self-promotion what do you hope you can establish for yourself (and perhaps other indies) with your continued embrace of the internet? Do you think it offers a future (and dignified retirement) for those artists consciously working outside of the mainstream? Is there potential to smash the corporate controlled distribution system (or at least saw it off at the knees) and redistribute that staggering wealth in a way that produces less vapid müzak?
Or is it just a whole lot more funny to work in relative obscurity for a lifetime realizing success just as you're ready to retire and/or starve to death?
Should we be glad the Blue Man Group sold out? Will singing into your guitar pickup bring the onset of embarrassing lip warts? Will Britney ever get to sing "her' songs, her way?
"I just don't know Gloria"
lisa bonet ate no basil
Some of your songs are covers of pretty obscure songs. ("Why Does the Sun Shine" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" are a couple.) Where do you find these songs? Do you just have your own personal collections of unusual songs, or do other suggest them as songs you should do? Or is it there some other source?
I'm looking for a HEPA media filter for my TV. I'm alergic to reality shows.
What was the insperation to give away Skunk and Morning Maniac? Also who won them, and how are they doing?
How much is the actual annual subscription going to cost? I signed up for the trial period, and like the free gifts being given out if I decide to stay with the paid subscription, but I have been having a hard time finding out what the actual cost will be?
What Would Sutekh Do?
That was the first time I ever heard of em I remember. And after that, the Freshman class in my high-school did a lip-sync during Homecoming to Particle Man, which was a horrible horrible performance... those poor bums.
My post says 64. It's a blend of 'Expo 64' and 'Free the Chicago 7'
What role does Jesus Christ play in your music? If any...
http://www.truechristiansunite.com Home of the 1st TRUE Christian AI -- Hal!!!
There's a copy of that article here
--
Garett
It might be too late for me to post, but I thought I'd try it anyway...
Question:
On your album Factory Showroom, you had a song called "James K. Polk" about the election of 1844. Any chance of your doing a song on this election?
Dear TMBG: I've been a fan since Lincoln (some friends of mine introduced me to "Ana Ng" and I sought out the 12" record) and I've loved everything I've heard since, but since Severe Tire Damage, I've been wondering if you ever plan to release another CD album...and if you did, would you use any of your .mp3 cuts? (BTW John F., love Mono Puff too!)
dthor
"I don't want to be first in line to see Mrs. Train | I expect that it doesn't matter to Mrs. Train | Being confortable with yourself, and being patient and taking your time are the things that Mrs. Train can understand..."
please tell me you're kidding. confusing a shit band like TMBG with the Butthole Surfers is unforgivable.
this is a good question. i really want to hear what they think about this. wish i had moderator points.
pezpunk
Internet killed the video star,
i could live a little longer in this prison
a giant nuclear furnace.
pezpunk
Internet killed the video star,
i could live a little longer in this prison
Nice. That made me want to pull out all of my old TMBG albums.
I first heard TMBG in 1990. I was in college and a friend loaned me a cassette of Flood (Don't tell the RIAA). Although I'm a huge fan now, my initial experience was quite different. I was frankly pissed off that you didn't make any sense. I almost rejected TMBG like a transplant recipient might reject a bad organ (No pun intended, John). But I really liked the music and I kept listening until it made sense... or maybe I just because 'quirky'.
That said, have you felt any pressure to become more mainstream? And if so, is e-music distribution the way to retaining artistic license?
Not that there has to be a reason, but are all of your songs actually about something? My friends and I have all been wondering for years if there are hidden meanings behind songs like "Whistling in the Dark", "Minimum Wage", and "Hall of Heads", or if they are just supposed to be really fun songs (which they are).
I dont know about other people, but when I was younger, I was introduced to your music via The Cartoon, "Tiny Tune Adventures".
How did you guys manage to score that TV spot ??
...TMBG's website is pretty entertaining. Probably the most fun usage of Flash that I've seen.
"Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
By the way, what's the name of that song?
"Ancillary does not mean you get to rule the world." --U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards, speaking to the FCC's lawyer
To TMBG:
You probably know that your fanbase is rabid. To what degree do you relate to your weird following?
Having been to tons of shows over the past ten years, I beleive I can say I am one of these fans.
If you could have it any way, would you want a multitude of lukewarm rockstar-type fans like the arena bands have, or would you prefer to have a small handful of devoted-if-not-borderline-psychotic fans?
What was your favorite Christmas present ever?
Do you think of yourselves as workingman type performing musicians or more as artistically motivated recording artists? Considering the examples of work from "State Songs" and Monopuff...
John Linnell: I am especially interested in your work on State Songs. What motivated your decision to include so much "found audio" on the record? Since so much of your sound on that album seemed to come from highly organic sources (carousel, parades, ambient noise), what do you think of other groups (like the Beta Band) that use similar techniques?
What do you think of some recent pop groups' departures from typical blues oriented progressions into less structured styles? (Radiohead to name one.)
Where is the pop song going and what happened to Stephin Merrit?
P.S.-- Please come South again soon. When you were in Winston-Salem we packed Ziggy's to the rafters. Wake Forest University and NC seem to like you.
____________________________
____________________________
EOF
Whatever happened to Chess Piece Face?
I know about your Tiny Tunes gig, but more recently you guys have done the music (at least the opening) for Malcom in the Middle... Did the producers ask you to do the song, or did you guys pursue the opportunity?
"The box said 'Ready for Windows 95/98/NT or better.' So I installed Linux..."
ha, mod that up!
aucun potage pour vous!
Have you seen the anime music videos done using your songs?
What do you think of them?
When you wrote Spider, Dig My Grave, Particle Man and the other songs that have now been used did you ever imagine anyone wanting to use your music like that.
Now that you are scoring Malcolm in the Middle, would you ever consider scoring an anime show?
--
I could never sleep my way to the top 'Cause my alarm clock always wakes me right up
Companies, like politicians, often find it necessary to redefine words they find discouraging or contrary to maximal profits, often in an Orwellian fashion. To pick two examples and one culprit familiar to most slashdot readers, Microsoft has redefined "kerberos" to mean "kerberos plus proprietary Microsoft extensions" and has redefined "java" to mean "anything that Sun doesn't want java to be". This brings me to my question:
You guys (John and John) can't seem to shake the label "quirky" -- it's there in practically every album review since 1985 and in almost every news report in the same period. Since you (or at least your fans) despise that word so much, do you have any plans to mount a Microsoft-like campaign to wrench that word from the English language and reshape it in your own image?
If I may humbly make a suggestion, I think "quirky" should mean "of or characteristic of people who are sick of being called 'quirky'". The recursiveness of this definition would garner instant appeal among much of your fanbase, and it is similar enough to the existing definition that it could surrepticiously enter the English language without much resistance.
-- Anne Marie
As another poster said, IAMTMBG *laughs*. As far as a 4 track goes I can highly recommend getting the Tascam 244 from a 2nd hand music shop. I got an old one dirt cheap a few years ago and it's great, parametic EQ's, and is really sturdy. The best thing about it is that it's super simple to use, which IMHO is what matters when doing quick and dirty recording.
When it absolutely positively has to be there.
The whole CD vs Records was explained to me like this, the CD sampling rate (44.1 khz) tapers off where human beings can't hear any more, so technically there is no difference in sound quality from records.
Records on the other hand carry a lot more frequencies than we can actually hear, so why sample the ones we can't hear?
When you play a record some of the frequencies that can't normally be heard bounce around the room and come into the hearing range of a "good ear". That why people who love vinyl say that it's sound fuller, more airy etc.
As grappler has said the sampling rate of new formats that are "comming soon" should satify all but the most blind zealots.
I think that 196khz is for multiple tracks. In DVB for example there are sampling rates up to either 256 or 512 khz (can't remember) but that include info for up to 5 tracks of audio.
When it absolutely positively has to be there.
Um, this isnt who you think it is... I posted this question fast, and my password didnt work, so i just posted anonymously.
O to be a dragon, of silkworm size, or immense!
Actually, it may be hard but there are thousands of musicians out there making a decent living off their music. Now, I don't mean they're getting filthy rich and collecting massive royalties, but they're actually playing music, which is a concept I think people are forgetting about. Digital music will not stop people from paying musicians for live performances, and I daresay that will never stop. Phish, TMBG (?), DMB, and a slew of other artists who make their money primarily from touring are not hurt by napster (et, al.) in the slightest, and I won't cry for the losses of Britney Spears and S Club 7. I think the internet will eventually improve the quality of music in general.
Joshua
Terradot
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!
this isn't just nice, this is amazing! good job to whoever did this. I have printed this (hope you don't mind) and I'm hanging it up!
John & John,
Starting out with a cheeseball sound that transfixed the intellectual crowds, you moved on to a full-band type atmosphere. Now, with digital music and the rising popularity of your online presence, what does the future hold? Do you perhaps see a return to the "more pure" sounds of the days past?
Also, do you foresee your solo projects (John Linnell's stuff, and Mono Puff, for those who don't know) taking the digital-presence plunge too?
Beef! Beef! Beef!
My first chance to talk to my all-time favorite band and I can't think for the life of me for a question.
Well here is my obligatory lame 'i can't think of nothing good' question:
Where did you get your inspiration for some of your songs off the early albums suchs as 'Ana Ng', 'Cowtown' and my all time favorite 'Where Your Eyes Don't Go'
Aha! Inspiration Strikes:
While your stance on the emerging digital music market is exteremly interesting, when can we expect a traditional release of some new material designed for us adult fans? I travel a lot in the car and would prefer not to have to spend a large amount of money to upgrade the car to take digital music when I can put a CD in the changer and listen away on my 3 - 4 hours of driving.
As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.
the little ditty at the beginning of that is TMBG (if you watch the credits closely you'll see their name scroll by)
-
Surely an answer that will appeal to the majority of people and the majority of artists must lie somewhere in the middle between the two extremes of "making everything free" and "banning all music swapping".
-
I saw your band with my son in Tallahassee sometime ago. I loved the countdown before you appeared on stage.. ending along the lines of 'you would be negative, too '... Would you ever consider recording that and/or making it available on the Net?
And who came up with person man?
---- Just another spud server.
If you'd been to a TMBG concert, you'd know.
---- Just another spud server.
I thought that was Mr. Horrible?
Are you giants?
Might you be?
What's it like?
What would you say to somone aspiring to be gigantic?
GONE FISHING
When Triangle's wife delivered her first child, it had a penis where the hypotenuse should have been.
GONE FISHING
This has been driving me nuts for a long time, and I doubt that it will make the cut of answered questions, but I'll try anyway. Is "End of the Tour" about a man who kills a car full of teenagers? I've heard this, but only through fan-analysis. Thanks, I've loved you guys for so many years!
They ensured their immortality with the track "Minimum Wage"
I have been a fan of TMBG since Flood came out, by my reckoning that's about 10 years now. I have had 2 opportunities in those 10 years to see a TMBG concert, one of which I missed. Will digital distribution of TMBG music mean the end of touring? I saw TMBG in Moscow ID in '96 I think, and even though they were about 1.5 hrs late, the place was standing room only. With such a good turnout in a podunk town like Moscow, I would think touring would be quite profitable.
I know Mr. Flansburgh has done quite a bit of video directing. What role do moving pictures play for him in relation to music? Is it a seperate entity, a related creative outlet, or an integral part of what you do? During your long career both of you have been embraced by a wide variety of television programs. Your music and likenesses have appeared everywhere- from the "Tiny Tunes", to "Brave New World", to "Malcolm in the Middle". Does this attention get in the way of your musical mission? Why are 'educational'/nonsense lyrics and child-like presentation (puppets, animation, cartoons, etc.) so fascinating to you? Are these trappings also part of the music for you, or are they a simple framework within which to express other ideas?
Mr. Flansburgh, If memory serves me right, you've mentioned how un-internet savvy you tend to be, caliming last February during concerts in Boston and Providence that you've never downloaded MP3's, don't have any friends who have, but apparently people in the audience knew how to and were doing so since Long Tall Weekend was #1. If that's still the case, why the strong push toward a format you're not familiar with? Is it just because your fan base understands it, and that's good enough? Or over the past year, have you become more comfortable?
John and John, How has your respective married lives changed the band?
you might also want to check out mono puff, flansburgh's side project. they have two albums out, 'unsupervised' and 'it's fun to steal'. if you remember the hello cd of the month club, it's essentially hello the band.
I don't want the world, I just want your half.
Is there a meaning behind showing teeth in so many of your videos, or do you just like teeth? Has either of your dentists seen your videos and noted the proud display of your teeth? I'm serious! I think you guys have fine teeth, and I'm sure your dentist(s) would be proud.
I know that without the (sadly) few insertions of TMBG into mainstream culture, the band probably wouldn't be where it is today, but I was wondering how the band views all of it's 'limited fans' ie. those fans that have only heard side 1 of 'Flood' and nothing else in the 15 years that the band has been together. Personally, I don't feel that it's fair to the band to equate them to a Tiny Toons video or Dial-A-Song, though these were both amazingly successful ventures. Also, I'd like to throw in my 2cents and ask that the band please bring the speialty shows to Seattle. The fanbase of TMBG is largely rooted in the geek community (hence the show at GenCon '97 [where I believe I was the only fan to get my admission badge signed], the massive internet presence, and this very interview board) and I wish that there were some way to bring the Big Brass, Fingertips, etc. shows to the Geek Capital of the country. Thanks for all of the wonderful work you've given us over the years, and I would like to say that I will support the band in any venture they undergo. (I signed up for Unlimited and the fleece as soon as it was available!) Thanks, Shteevie
say, have you ever used any OTHER notes on that xylophone?
Referring to your song "What makes the sun shine," are you aware that the sun is not in fact a mass of incadescent gas, but is actually plasma?
who was it filming it? what will be there?
Any chance of seeing mp3s on EMusic encoded at higher than 128kbps? It'd be nice to have the option of downloading higher quality mp3s. I bet even dial-up users wouldnt mind a doubling in file size if it means better quality. After all, we are paying for it, give us at the very least 192kbps! :)
Does it concern you that (in Australia anyway) generally the only place TMBG gets played is on the JJJ network? (FYI - JJJ is the National Broadcaster ABC's youth radio station). What is the airplay like in other countries? Darryl
Who would have though that in the new century, the same stupid mistakes are STILL being made.
Of all your work, what percentage of it do you yourselves actually understand? Sarah
Arrrghghhh.... They Might Be Giants are my all-time favorite band, and I had to miss that concert because I had to be elsewhere, that and I didn't know about it. But that same night, I saw them at a Hootie & the Blowfish concert which I had to pay 30 bucks for.... and after they were kicked off after only half an hour, I cried through two hours of Hootie. When I found out the next Monday about the show, I was horribly depressed, because instead of actually getting to meet my heroes, I had to witness them in front of a crowd of people who probably thought "this opening act is lame". Curses. John & John & gang... please come back to Michigan! I need a second chance to bask in your almighty musical genious!
-~%Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought. Please.
When are we going to get a new TMBG album? I'll buy anything that has TMBG on it, but lately we haven't seen a whole lot of hideously new Giants-goodness. A compilation of old stuff (the big fans probably already have the originals, but they'll still buy it), a compilation of live stuff (just not the same as a studio album or actually seeing them live), a bunch of stuff you have to download (which is as good as ever, but my CD burner sucks so there's noise on the CD I made of it, and my printer sucks so I can't have pretty liner notes like a real album), and now a children's album, which I'll still fight people to the death to be the first to own, but it's just not the same. So when are we getting a brand-new shiny cd produced by an "evil" record company that only wants to make money off its release? Hell, I'll buy every copy you release, I'll pay lofty cd prices while others complain, I'll donate my kidneys, I just think that nothing in the world beats opening a new TMBG cd and listening to it about thirty billion times or until my roommate/cat smashes it over my head, forcing to buy a new one. TMBG are the greatest!!! And Reprehensible is BY FAR the greatest song in human history.
-~%Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought. Please.
okay so like three years ago, I was stuck in a van with a bunch of crazy people, and my friend put on the whole planet of the apes thingie (note technical term) that you did. I was forced to listen to all of it for about eight hours. I hated it at first, I would sit and bitch about it and say how stupid it was, and after hours of listening to it and just giving up all hope of ever getting out of that fucking van, I grew to like it. I may have been manical at that point (after all I had been living off of three hours of sleep for three days)but it was rather awe-inspiring. So here is my question after all that rambling, where the fuck did that all come from. I mean, obviously it was inspired from the movies, but what made you wake up one morning and say, "hey....let's put together a bunch of songs that tribute the Planet of the Apes Movies." If this questions seems dumb, please excuse me. I am not exactly coherent. Gen
Gennie
Do you think folk music is disappearing? If not, why not? Is it going to make a comeback?
What is your favorite sound from a TMBG released song?
Frank Zappa's musical question is still relevant today. TMBG are well known for their fractured take on modern life. Should more music embrace the absurd? Would that add too much camp to the radio and lessen the impact of insightful comedy? Shouldn't most recording artists just lighten up?
Why does the sun shine?
I can't remember why I liked this
--
Liberty uber alles.
I really love your cover of "Why does the sun shine?", as well as the originals in the same or similar vein, like "Mammals" (and even the less direct "Dinner Jacket" and "Whistling in the dark", which (at least to me) seems like a critique of Plato's republic (call me crazy)).
would you consider doing an entire album or even a series thereof that is aimed at interesting presentations of science/history/etc? I really think songs like these have a lot to offer to the effort to show kids (of all ages) what is cool and fun about these topics which are normally presented rather dryly.
Also, so you watch Bill Nye the Science Guy? (I couldn't resist).
Finally, here's a song a friend of mine wrote, sung to the tune of home on the range, just to convince you that if you don't do it, someone else will do it badly:
(lyrics by Robert M. Panoff, may he forgive me for posting them with his name attached)
Oh, E is a field,
Whose divergence will yield
The charge density, times four pi.
It's curl is B dot--
Hence, in statics, it's naught
and a minus sign orients I.
Chorus:
Waves, weves in free space
at the speed of light, c, they do hurl [unfurl?]
They flux energy
As their modes, E and B,
Oscillate, with divergenceless curl
[Okay, okay, so it's not funny unless you have seen the vector calculus forms of Maxwell's equations. You sort of have to see it with the accompanying whiteboard presentation of the math.]
--
Liberty uber alles.
What do you guys listen to right now?
Do you use Napster?
Recently you played at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, where I live. Usually, the HoB is an over-21 club, as it was on that night. Why didn't you play at an all-ages club, since you have a large underage audience?
Switch the . and the @ to email me.
Ummmmm example? I'm a fan of both and I have no idea what you are talking about...
Finkployd
I learned about them my freshman year of highschool (1992) from my psycho roommmate, who in turn had learned of them from some college kids a few years earlier. Tiny Toons is not a blip on the radar screen of their career.
Sure, they were around before Tiny Toons. But who knew about them before Tiny Toons? The people I learned about them from learned about them via Tiny Toons.
--
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
I would think the new audio format coming out (super cd audio? or something like that?) would satisfy even the most demanding analog purist, provided the mastering is done right. I believe it uses something like 24 or 32 bit resolution with 196khz or something ridiculous like that. And, of course, surround sound.
Anyone who can hear the loss in quality with a signal like that must be the the human auditory equivalent of a pentachromat, or something.
-------
Vidi, Vici, Veni
Dude, Expo 67 was held in Montreal!
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
You've experienced both, as I understand it: you have been a "name" band. enjoying celebrity status, but you've also managed to acquire a loyal following who are familiar with your corpus of work and the band's history and approach to music. Would any of you like to comment on your own observations/thoughts about these two ways of being successful within the industry?
Who are "they"?
and
Shouldn't we know by now?
--
+&x
I hate to be rude, but I've noticed over the years that every time I've gone to one of your concerts, Flans comes out afterwards and talks, signs autographs, etc. I've never seen Linnell do this. You are entirely within your rights to come out after the show or not, so I'm not mad, just curious. Is it that you've grown tired of your fans?
Obviously it'll be the customer service department of the Sirus Cybernetics Company, you idiot!
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you.
More live albums? More live tracks? More live LPs? CDs? Tapes? Downloads? More live albums? More live albums?
Malcovich.
Can your IM do this?
If TMBG were to die and be reincarnated as a borderline racist parody of a Japanese car dealership, which of the following models could we expect to find in your borderline racist parody showroom?
Mitsubishi Mini Active Urban Sandal
Subaru Gravel Express
Mazda Bongo Friendlee
Daihatsu Rugger Field Sports Resin Top
Nissan Prairie Joy
Mitsubishi Debonair Exceed
Suzuki Every Joy Pop Turbo
Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear Cruising Active
Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard
Daihatsu Town Cube
Nissan Big Thumb Harmonized Truck
Mazda Scrum
Isuzu Giga 20 Light Dump
Thank you.
Your mouth is like Columbus Day.
Good... bad... I'm the guy with the guitar.
I also wonder if their soundtracking Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle" is also having a positive effect on the band's popularity.
-no broken link
Around what percentage of the TMBG unlimited price do you guys see? Or more generally, how does the deal compare to the ones that you get from more traditional publishers?
Got Rhinos?
No, seriously. Back in '92 in Morgantown, WV. when you were playing at Underground Railroad (aka The Dry House, 123 Plesent Street, or what ever its called today).
Accually, how do you keep creative? After so many years of preforming, and making music, how do you two wake up in the morning and say "I've got this great idea for a song" and jot it down somewhere. Must be quite the challange.
III.IIVIVIXIIVIVIIIVVIIIIXVIIIXIIIIIIIIVIIIIVVIII
I was unbelievably psyched to see you landed the theme music gig for the new FOX show, Malcolm in the Middle. I'm definitely gonna go out and buy the soundtrack :)
my question is: How did you get the job? Was FOX looking for a band with a similarly "quirky" (sic.) or otherwise "subversive" theme? Did you have to audition, and if so, against who? :) And how has doing theme music for a TV show changed (if at all) things for you, in regards to artistic/creative license, merchandising, intellectual property, etc.?
Don't blame me - I voted for Howard Dean. http://dean2004.blogspot.com
I've heard Ween called the evil twins of TMBG. I was wondering what you thought of this? Do you listen to their music? I know that both groups started out with only two guys (John & John vs. Gene & Dean), supplemented by various electronica. Both groups have eventually added more live musicians to their line up. How do you think your similiar genesis influenced your latter development?
Computers don't make mistakes. What they do, they do on purpose.
What do you think the most logical solution to the ongoing debate regarding Napster and MP3 music would be?
---
"Fdisk format reinstall, doo dah doo dah,
I pledge allegiance to the flag...
of the Corporate States of America...
I read (on slashdot I believe) that the band was in search of a new machine for doing dial-a-song. How does the future look for this wonderful service? I've been calling for years to hear the latest stuff, and it can be hard to get on sometimes. Does the popularity make it hard to maintain? Also, what was the largest number of calls you recieved in a single day?
What is your feeling about www.tmbg.org, and www.tmbg.net? Do you ever plan on giving out e-mail addresses, or at least e-mail aliases, a la tmbg.org? A lot of us long time hardcore fans would really love an addy @tmbg.com.
No reason to give this one to the band. They added a full band when they recorded John Henry, and have been a full band ever since. If you want to listen to some new songs with just the Johns, check out 'State Songs', Linnel's solo project. Flans shows up on a few tracks, including South Carolina, which is some of their best shit ever.
Another easy one. It's a confused butchering of a very popular call of the time, "Free the Chicago 7" combined with the fact that the World's Fair in 64 was held in Chicago, I believe. Good question, though.
The reason I suggested that college radio no longer matters is because being a college radio "star" no longer leads to much of anything. It used to be that independant artists could build a huge following if they catch on with campus stations, but these days "alternative" is just a marketing label. MTV and corporate-owned FM radio dominates the culture.
Internet sources, like MP3.com and Wiredplanet.com, might change that, if people start listening to it. Time will tell.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
One band, which backs them up on most of their albums, and another, called the "Band of Dans", because all three of them happen to be named Dan.
I saw them in Minneapolis with the Dand of Dans last winter, and they owned the crowd all night long, although they also did a second encore where just the Johns were on stage signing "Maybe I Know", a dial-a-song classic that is on their MP3-Only album "Long Tall Weekend".
Personally, I think their post-"John Henry" material is some of their best work, every bit as original and creative as the stuff on the pink album, and they have simply evolved beyond their drum-machine-only phase.
The New Wave is now about 15 years old, and 10 years out of style. TMBG seems to know that.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
When they are TMBG, both Johns sing, and both did some writing. Flans does most of the rhythm guitar work, although these days they usually have a stronger guitar player doing the solos, both in the albums and on stage.
Listen to the Mono Puff album "It's fun to steal", which was essentially a Flans project that Linnell had nothing to do with, and you will get a sense of how much Flans influences the TMBG sound.
You very well might have seen Linnell playing with the Band of Dans on some given concert. The Johns seem to have a preference for using the Dans on the road, with good reason. Most of their other backup players seem to be NYC studio rats, or guys who play in other bands of their own, while the Dans are a solid road backup section.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
It is probably not mentioned on their current site because it is a really old song (from their second full-length album) which was not even a hit when it was new.
The album Lincoln is crammed full of these kinds of free assiciation styles.
The 1964 Chicago World's Fair is mentioned in the album, but in a different song. (from Ana Ng: "All alone at the '64 World's Fair, 80 dolls yelling Small Girl After All; Who was at the DuPont pavillion? Why was the bench still warm? Who had been there?")
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
One of the Tiny Toons directors thought it was cool, and decided to write a very unfunny cartoon which used the song.
TMBG not only sings the theme for Malcom in the Middle, but they also do a lot of the incidental music for it.
They also wrote and performed "Dr. Evil", for the second Austin Powers movie. In a tragic crime against humanity, the producers release the soundtrack album without this song, but you can hear it once in a while on They Might Be Giants radio (go to www.wiredplanet.com if you have not already).
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
My first exposure to them was when I was working as a DJ at KRNR at Mankato State University. I wore every single song on their "When It Rains It Snows" EP down to the gray, especially "The Famous Polka".
(kiddies, ask your parents what an EP is)
For the record, other than "Pinky and the Brain", Tiny Toons completely and horribly sucked.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
What are the reasons 'big-name bands' don't abandon the RIAA and share their music via alternative methods of production/promotion/delivery? Why do successful artists not break away from the RIAA 'deals'* that /. and other forums vehemently condemn as a corruption of culture, artist integrity and pollution to the meaning of 'art'?
/. crowd become deluded to believe that even the 'artists' they respect and trust (the "real" artists that we liken our favorites to be - as opposed to the Brittany Spears/Backstread Fahrenheit 411 Boyz/Celine Dion et al) actually 'care about integrity'? Is the 'truth' in fact that even 'our favorite artists' are also a product of the RIAA music-machine? Have these products simply been crafted to appeal to a specific demographic: us?
Have the
If the latter is not the case, why wouldn't those in the position to, not strike out independently now that the possibility exists?
Noting that some artists have contractual obligations, and some others are corrupted by greed (they would then by definition fall into the 'our favorite artists are also products' category).
BTW: I still listen to Flood, thanks for the 'gift'...
*Yes this could be a Catch22.
Do you, like many other bands, feel that the digital revolution and MP3s are destroying your chance to live off your creativity, or will you embrace the new technologies and adapt to their new economy?
arnald
While it's an accepted fact that the Internet will become a means for direct download or fan-to-fan music exchange, the RIAA continues to oppose these inevitable trends. At the same time, bands and musicians need to make money.
Simple question - If bands are to bypass the recording industry, how will they make money? Or if they are to work within the confines of the recording industry, how will the industry deal with the culture of free music exchange on the net?
What's it like doing the soundtrack for a successful sitcom? Are you more constrained, or do they give you a lot of freedom?
of them, actually.. 1. I loved the Istanbul not Constantinople Tiny Toons cartoon. Have you done any work with any aother cartoons? and 2. Do you guys sing the Malcom in the Middle theme? I haven't been following the band for a while, and when I heard the song it sounded like it was either a TMBG song or a cunning replica...
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A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Brian, you didn't get that email. You just borrowed Marco's McSweeneys.
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I'm just an ordinary man with nothing to lose.
I see an ultimate effect of the free distribution of music being the disappearance of musicians who solely compose for money. No more Brittney Spears or Backstreet Boys. What, as professionals musicians, are your thoughts?
hello johns! thanks for the wonderful music! I had a question about two songs. in 'snowball in Hell' you say: "my fantasy is in a Xerox shop..." and in 'sleeping in the flowers' you say "I've got a crush - copy shop clerk - but she won't look up at me." Is this copy shop clerk a real person? keep up the good work! your music is the best!
The song Particle Man leaves a lot of questions about the animosity between the main characters.
Do you have any thoughts of doing a follow up song, perhaps explaining why Triangle Man hates Particle Man, for example?
And in your lyrics you mention things like "they have a fight, Triangle wins". I would really like more detailed commentary of the battle and strengths of each foe.
Oh, and Flood is one of the greatest works of art produced this century.
I have been a fan of TMBG since around Apollo 18, when I began collecting the albums... And one of my favorite things about your CDs was/is the cover-art.
I understand that when CDs first came out, some fans were upset that the LP cover-art was reduced in size to fit on CD jewel cases. Now I believe I understand that fear, for it appears that the cover-art has not only shrunk this time, but vanished due to the new MP3 format of your songs.
'Long Tall Weekend', though it had an electronic post-card, would be more of a treasure to me if I had something tangible from it. The 'Working Undercover For The Man' CD (exclusive from E-Music for buying the MP3s, in case you readers are wondering where it came from) though understandably case-less, was the last I saw any cover-art and though it was a sparsely decorated, folding, paper CD-holder it felt much more special and rewarding to own than just the MP3s.
I guess my question is twofold: Do you think that CDs and their cover-art are going to be left behind, and do you think that there is a way you can make up for this potential loss to TMBG fans?
How is it that you or anyone else can make money on EMusic.com? I mean, I can see how if someone pays $8-$9 to download an MP3 album, but what about when people subscribe for $10 a month and can download any and all MP3's on EMusic? How is it anyone profits from that? Also, if I got on an EMusic.com subscription and downloaded all of your albums, would you get more money than if I just downloaded a few songs?
Schnapple
Last year, at your concert in Boston, you mentioned that you had never managed to successfully download an MP3, and no-one you *knew* had managed to download an MP3.
One year later... have you managed yet?
rOD.
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Rod Begbie done this, and he's not
in the song "Purple Toupee"
:)
what does the line "free the expo 67" really mean?
i've always wondered.
now you must tell me.
thank you
"Tension is the great integrity" -- R. Buckminster Fuller
- McSWEENEY'S ISSUE #6
For those of you who don't know, McSweeney's is a cool quarterly literary magazine mainly populated by young authors. The last issue had a Ted Koppel (not a robot) on the cover.Featuring the music of They Might Be Giants In January, we will have ready, we hope, our new issue. This new issue will be like a regular nice issue of McSweeney's, except the good thing here will be that there will be a soundtrack disc included in the package. This music will correspond to each and every story or drawing in the issue. One piece of music for each piece of writing or artwork. This music will be made by a band called They Might Be Giants, though they will likely also ask other musicmakers, such as M. Doughty and Philip Glass, to compose songs for this soundtrack. It will be fun; you will see.
Is this true? If so are they going to be original songs or just older songs already published?
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RumorsDaily
Why do I need Flash to even visit your Website?
I'm old enough to remember when discussions on Slashdot were well informed.
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
Why does Triangle Man hate Person Man?
...is going to be first up against the wall when the revolution comes?
Got Rhinos?
All your music is so creative, original, and if I may say so, very emotionally charged on a large range of emotions. Do you think that today's popular music has lost its soul, in favor for exploiting only negative emotions and pop culture?
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
"I can see my house from here!" - ST:
i saw TMBG in lansing, mi at warehouse records. they played an all-acoustic set and then sat down on the front of the stage with the handful of people that were in the place at the time and signed autographs and talked with us for about an hour. TMBG are probably coolest group of guys you'll ever meet. i think it's absolutely awesome that they've embraced the digital age. i'd like like to know how successful digital distribution has been for them and if they think that an indi artist can make a go of it in this market.- -
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the amazing bc
latin/funk flugelhorn & trumpet
the amazing bc
just another guy doing IT
webnaut, music junkie, holes-in-head
Many of the people that I know that like your music are also very intelligent. That probably leads to higher-than-average incidence of people wondering about the origins of many of your songs, since "smart" people tend to be ery curious and interested in solving puzzles.
j ustbefine?") it doesn't seem like so much.]
I realize that some of these things have been discussed in interviews, and still others have been widely speculated about, etc. I, for one, like a puzzle, like trying to figure out what a particular line might refer to, etc. So I have a couple of questions related to that.
One, do you feel the same way when you listen to music with intriguing lyrics? Do you ever wish you could get access to the artist to find those things out? Does it frustrate you when you can't get the definitive answer?
Two, being at the other end--does it bother you for people to ask you all the time "what does [this line of this song] mean?", etc? Have you ever considered just putting explanations up somewhere? Would you consider that too time-consuming, too much like having to explain a joke that someone didn't get, or spoiling the fun of the puzzle?
[Sorry to put so many questions together--if you run all the syllables together when you ask them (e.g. "i'dhavealotofeyesinmebynowwouldn'ti?wouldn'tthat
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Liberty uber alles.
Isn't this question in their FAQ? Goes on for bloody pages too!
Matthew @ Bytemark Hosting
Got Rhinos?
How are things financially for the band now that you're off a major label and releasing music on independent labels and through emusic.com? Do you feel like you have more control over the artistic process now than before?
Knowing what you know now, if you were a new band starting out, would you be going after major label support or would you use these new distribution methods?
Thanks!
-S (who's seen TMBG about 12 times but was horribly dissapointed he missed the recent Boston, MA show because he had a horrible flu bug)
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
I have been a TMBG fan since they first started playing around NYC in the early '80s. I bought the first album at a live show right after it was printed and I have watched (and listened) to them grow ever since. TMBG continues to make some of the smartest, funniest, and often touching music around..... But like so many others, I dont understand the conversion to full band. The energy and humor that is so evident when the Johns are alone on stage seems to dissapate in direct proportion to the number of backing musicians..... My question: On the first album you both sang that TMBG appeared to others as a "Rythm Section Want-Ad" but that you liked it that way and that "no others need apply." Why did you make the decision to take on backing musicians?
Er, sorry, I was thinking of an unrelated thing. But I should be allowed to shoot my mouth off.
Not that the world screams, "kiss me, son of god," to Person Man, either. Since being hit on the head with a frying pan (which mussed his purple toupee), he spends his time wondering, "sad, sad, sad, sad, why must I be sad?" If he wasn't shy, he could just say, "no more Mr. Nice Guy," tell his boss that he's been fired, and spend his time sleeping in the flowers. But the big big whoredom scares him....
Universe Man? He's not the biggest one, and has no one to blame but his fat self. What a piece of dirt. Everybody and their racist friend believes that he's usually kind to smaller man. But you should be allowed to think: he's his own evil twin. Where your eyes don't go, a part of him is hovering, a part that's a hypnotist of ladies, a part that keeps moving my chair, a part that's the guy who hit me in the eye. But just narrow your eyes, turn around, and say: "Dig my grave! Come on and wreck my car! You're not going to change my clothes any more!" and you'll see that though squares may look distant in your rear-view mirror, you're actual size, and Universe Man often trembles as he steps aside.
So you and the girl with the crown and the scepter on WLSD must say that it's totally over now: since when the tour runs aground there aren't any more people around, Particle Man must win. But I say to all you women and men: I hope you haven't turned off your hearing aids (and that you open up your letterbox tomorrow), because now that I have everything, I see the things the stone has shown to me: Particle Man thinks, "a famous person wears the same size waterskis as me," "she's an angel," but he don't get around how she gets around. He just lays his head on the railroad track and stares at the sky all painted up, all those masses of incandescent gasses, each a gigantic nuclear furnace. He knows she's got something special that someone left behind, but he doesn't know that he's only one of many whose shoes are laced with irony.
A few more that aren't my favorite ones: I can't hear the call of the hall of heads, the lion's on the phone, dominoes (some call them snake eyes, but to me they look like nice), I've checked out the hotel detective (and I'm not about to forget about anything, and she certainly don't own the place), and the damn little bottle won't lie still.
So who can't I get rid of? Who can't I step on? Who must I not stop?
Spider. He is my hero. We love you, spider.
So, should I get beat up for stating my beliefs? Or, Mr. DJ, do we have a deal?
Bruce
Bruce
You are the real Bruce Perens.
I know that many artists would discount #2 right off the bat. These artists, however, are the ones that either don't want to bother with touring, or just don't have the talent to play outside a closed studio. There are loads of bands that actually do make a good living off touring, e.g. DMB, MMW, Bela Fleck, Phish, etc. It's no coincidence that these are the same bands who want their fans to trade music freely; they know that it only helps their business in the form of free publicity.
So, what stance does TMBG take on this issue?
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
"I can see my house from here!" - ST:
I was at the Philadelphia show (day after thanksgiving) when that doofy guy jumped on stage and started flailing about. You whispered into his ear before security took him away. I was just curious what you said to him. Other than that and the few sound glitches (ouch) that was an incredible show. Thanks guys.
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As a musician myself I must ask my role models this burning question:
Digital or Analog?
Indeed I know there lurks a purist analog soul in TMBG, but who better to get the most out of digital mixing??
Also, if the boys could reccommend a good portable 4-Track I'd be much obliged.
Jason Maggard
"I might be giant, too."
If music *could* be distributed securely online, would you as an artist be willing to do so INSTEAD of signing with a label?
If not, would you be willing to do so and pressure your label?
Finally, if secure transmission of music wasnt possible (as it doesnt seem to be now), are you willing to live with the possibility of people copying your music for free digitally, just to get more people to listen to it?
GPL'd web-based tradewars themed space game
Part of what draws me so deep into TMBG's music is the deeper meanings that your lyrics instill in myself. Although all lyrics by any artist may be taken many ways, it has always seemed to me that TMBG's lyrics promote thinking deeper about the song, its meaning, and the feelings of the songwriter.
:) Thanks for answering!
In a world where much of the new, "popular" music coming out (Spears, Aguilera, Martin, et al) which promotes the "party time" atmosphere and "think with your crotch, not with your mind" mentality, how does TMBG shape their mission in songwriting and performances to keep their unique, mind-intensive style going? How do you keep from falling into that "lesser-meaning-lyrics" groove?
On a side note, when are you coming back to Iowa?
Blog,Twitter
Hi guys - I've been a big fan of TMBG for some time, and a long-time subscriber to your mailing list.
Prior to the introduction of the $10 a month EMusic "TMBG Unlimited" service, TMBG frequently provided free MP3 downloads of unreleased songs and live versions not available on Dial-A-Song to those fans on the TMBG mailing list.
Now that the service has been introduced, membership seems to be a requirement for any new MP3 downloads. All the e-mails that I've received from TMBG lately have essentially been advertisements for this new service, with little or no free material offered fans. Because I don't like getting what is essentially glorified spam for Emusic in my mailbox, I've actually unsubscribed myself from your mailing list.
I understand that you guys have to make money and all, but are you concerned at all that you may be posing what could be construed a membership fee to be a member of the "official" TMBG fan community, asking fans to pay for material you had previously provided for free?
I'm perfectly willing to pay money for new TMBG albums and music, but I'm concerned that asking fans to pay $10 a month to have access to new TMBG tunes may cause you to lose more fans than you gain.
I'd personally like to think that it does, but I've heard some pretty powerful arguments against it as well.
Got Rhinos?
Got Rhinos?
I saw your concert in Philly and was surprized to see all the extra people on stage. I felt like the group did not mesh as well as when it was just the two of you. Was this a one tour thing or do you plan to keep the extra members? Besides the shake up when that one guy climbed up on stage, it felt like you guys were not as energenic as when it was just the two of you. The songs were all there, but the energy was missing. Even the croud seemed quiet.
What do you think the answer is? Is the day of the professional artist over? Is it still possible to make the music you love and make enough to pay the bills? If so, how? How do you see the record industry changing over the next ten years?
Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.
Honestly, I'll bet a lot of people out there first heard you when Tiny Toons did that music video day with two of your songs (Istanbul and Particle Man, to the slashdotters who don't know).... how much do you think your carreer owes to that episode? How did that get handled, were you simply approached by WB with a proposal and a contract to sign, or was it more complicated?
Thanks, Matt
Joshua
Terradot
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!
Joshua
Terradot
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!
There are rumors that there is a "good" John and a "bad" John. Is this true? If so, would the John's care to reveal who is who?