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.

Comments

Managed to download an MP3 yet?

[rodbegbie]

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.
--

free the expo 67

[freq]

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 :)

Re:free the expo 67

[Fjord]

This is also in the FAQ.

Essentially, the whole song is about confusing and mixing up events in one's past, especially historical events from the late 60's. "Free the expo 67" is confusing "Free the Chicago 7" and the "Libre Quebec" speech at the expo 67. This is similar to merging Martin Luther King and Malcom X together in the line "Martin X was mad when they outlawed bell bottoms".

TMBG to soudtrack McSweeney's Issue 6?

[DoorFrame]

I received this email a while ago:

• McSWEENEY'S ISSUE #6
  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.

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.

Is this true? If so are they going to be original songs or just older songs already published?

Flash, bang, wallop...

[Simon Brooke]

Why do I need Flash to even visit your Website?

Re:Professional musicians

[Hard_Code]

You mean:

"Some of your friends are probably already this fucked."

by Steve Albini? (produced Nirvana's "In Utero")

Pondering Lyrics

[KingJawa]

Why does Triangle Man hate Person Man?

Who...

[zpengo]

...is going to be first up against the wall when the revolution comes?

Here's MY question...

[Anonymous Coward]

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?

Tours

[Masem]

I've seen you twice now on tour: once when you were headlining for (of all bands) Hootie and the Blowfish (and I felt very sorry for the treatment that you got from those people while you were doing something like "Spy"), and when you were the main feature, leaded off by a heavy-metal group called "Chainsaw Kitties" that pretty much left the audience bored. Do you have a choice of whom you tour with? Or does some manager above you make all those decisions?

indi question.

[BiLlCaT]

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.
----------------------------------------- -
the amazing bc
latin/funk flugelhorn & trumpet

"Historico-logical" background of songs

[msouth]

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.

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'tthatj ustbefine?") it doesn't seem like so much.]
--

Re:Pondering Lyrics (it's in the FAQ!)

[mattbee]

Isn't this question in their FAQ? Goes on for bloody pages too!

Readers?

[zpengo]

You guys are geeks -- do you read Slashdot?

How are things in the post .mp3/emusic.com age?

[sdo1]

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)

Rythm Section Want Ad ?

[declana]

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?

I'm Def

[spam-o-tron mk1]

I'm sitting on the curb of the empty parking lot of the store where they let me play the organ, thinking, don't let's start with that kind of rabid childish crap. You're saying that everything right is wrong again, which I wouldn't dismiss as just whistling in the dark if youth culture hadn't killed my dog. But since I'm in absolutely Bill's mood right now, I'll tell you this: Triangle Man's just a counterfeit fake. He's just a self called nowhere. Which, incidentally, describes how I'm feeling all the time.

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

Business Models

[Anonymous Coward]

The way I see it, people who make a living in music have two major business models to choose from. Under US law in particular, they can choose to (1) ban all unauthorized copying and trading or their material, and make their money off selling records, CD's, tapes, MP3's, or in general anything "materialistic" that can transfer music from one person to another. Or, they could (2) let people freely trade the music for personal use, and make their money off live shows.

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?

Creative process

[Masem]

What's the process by which you come up with and create your songs, at least prior to getting to the recording studio? Certainly with a wide enough berth of unusual topics that your songs cover, there's probably numerous ways that this works, but is there some common occurence that causes these songs to be written, such as a theme you want to do, or a melody that needs to be written?

Stage Crashers

[irqzero]

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.

Digital or Analog???

[HamNRye]

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."

Internet distributable music

[iamsure]

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?

On Deeper Music

[tarsi210]

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.

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? :) Thanks for answering!

EMusic deal limiting access?

[gorsh]

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.

The Future

[zpengo]

Do you guys really think that online music has a chance, or are you doing this out of idealism?

I'd personally like to think that it does, but I've heard some pretty powerful arguments against it as well.

Metallica

[zpengo]

What's your take on the Metallica situation? Do you think that their actions are justified, or are they just a bunch of old men who want whatever few dollars they can squeeze out of the public?

Older

[(void*)]

Now that you are much older than you ever were when you guys started out, what would you have changed about your gig, with the benefit of hindsight?

Why the extra pieces?

[markwusinich]

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.

Professional musicians

[yamla]

These days, it seems that virtually no professional musicians actually make a decent living. Courtney Love has said that she is pretty much playing for free already. TLC declared bankruptcy. And these are just two examples. Yet during this time, the record industry is reporting record sales, record profits.

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?

Tiny Toons Music Videos

[Pxtl]

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?

Your thoughts on voluntary payments.

[mgoyer]

So far you've received $11.20 from fans through Fairtunes.com. While that isn't a huge amount, what are your thoughts on a voluntary payment system? Do you think the potential exists for a voluntary system to take off? Would you support a voluntary payment system?

Thanks, Matt

Street Performer Protocol

[joshuaos]

TMBG, do you know about the Street Performer Protocol, and if so, what do you think of it? Do you think it is a viable business model for the production of art, and if not, what changes do you think need to be made?

Joshua

Terradot

Copyright?

[joshuaos]

Do you think the concept of copyright will survive the presence of a global internet? If so, how do you see it being inforced and to what degree, and if not, what do you see replacing it?

Joshua

Terradot

good vs bad john

[ashileedo]

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?