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Ask They Might Be Giants About Almost 30 Years of Music
Back in 1982, John Flansburgh, John Linnell, and a drum machine formed They Might Be Giants. Over the last 29 years TMBG have released 15 studio albums, won 2 Grammy Awards, and have become one of the most nerd-loved bands ever. In addition to projects like Dial-A-Song, TMBG were one of the first bands to create their own online music store, and have been making podcasts on a semi-monthly basis since 2005. The band has agreed to answer all your questions about the naming conventions of Turkish cities, building spiritual bird houses, and the music business. As usual, ask as many questions as you'd like, but please keep it to one question per post.
Assuming you still listen to other bands and acts in your free time, by what method do you acquire new music? I've seen your albums in vinyl and I know you were the first major label artist to release an entire album exclusively in MP3. My preferred method is buying vinyl that gives me an MP3 download on the side. So what is your collection mostly of CD, iTunes, MP3s (lossless?) or do you personally enjoy the slight comeback of vinyl?
My work here is dung.
Thirty years are coming to an end and now you're even older...
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
With all these activities mentioned above, is the band solvent? Are all those other activities worth it financially?
Where I'm coming from: back before the Joshua Tree album, even with all of U2's success up to that point, they said in an interview that they "had to tour a lot just to stay solvent."; which surprised me so much that I remember that statement 20 years later. It's not that I'm counting your money or anything, it's more of trying to understand the business. As David Sanborn once said, "People see your face on an album and think you're automatically a millionaire."
I think I can safely say that there is a large demand for a TMBG edition of Rock Band. Is there anything preventing this from happening?
What is the most rewarding thing to you personally from the 30 years of being a band? A particular fan letter? A particular performance? Just being able to do what you love?
My work here is dung.
Y'all started out with adult crowd and somehow got into kid's songs. (My daughter's a big fan). Which is easier: songs for the alphabet, math, or science?
Is it a rule, that there's an exception to every rule?
I just saw you guys in Nashville. You look fantastic. It's impossible to believe you've been rocking out for as long as I've had a full-color range of vision. How are you both so amazingly well preserved?
Some of your fans felt that the album "here comes the science" was pushing a specific agenda that was never previously a part of your music. Do you feel that the (perceived) partisan tones on that album are real or imagined, and if they are real do they reflect a change in the attitudes of TMBG as a band or the individual members thereof?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
As a roadie here, I've heard less than flattering comments from local stagehands that have worked your live shows... Are you guys dickwads? or is it your production management? or were you just having bad days?
Regardless... Thanks for the music
RB
When you pick your lineup, how do you sift through your catalogue and decide what it is you'd like to play? For example, (I saw you guys last night in Richmond) I didn't hear anything from Mink Car, The Spine, and I know you have over 300 songs to choose from.
-TMBG IFC
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
I loved being able to play TMBG for my boys instead of Raffi and other crap. No question, just saying thanks.
When you play shows today, a lot of your older fans expect to hear tracks from Lincoln, Flood, and TMBG. Do you resent having to play the same thing over and over, or do you enjoy playing them as much as we enjoy hearing them? Do you ever play your other well-known tracks, like "Dog on Fire" or "You're Not the Boss of Me"?
Are there are any songs you regret recording? Something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now comes off oddly, or in poor taste?
I came here for this. TMBG is great, but the stuff they are doing for Kids music is beyond compare. My three year old son loves Here Comes Science (Meet the Elements!), Here Come the 123s and Here Come the ABCs (Alphabet of Nations!). He also likes "No!" but that's slightly different.
Question(s): Do you (John & John) have any plans to continue making educational songs? If so, what subjects are you thinking about tackling?
My first exposure to your music was seeing the video for "Don't Lets Start" on a Dr. Demento video countdown on MTV in the mid to late 80s. Looking back, I don't really find that song all that weird, but then again I have spent all of that time being influenced by your music.
Were you always out to hit that weird nerve? Where you surprised to be picked up by the Good Doctor, who is perhaps best known for promoting parodies and songs that are humorous and/or ridiculous? Did this influence the evolution of your sound at all?
Thanks,
Matt
(/local/home/curiosity)-#who -u|grep thecat|cut -c 44-49|xargs kill -9
That episode of Tiny Toons with you music I think was one the greatest moments in Warner Bros Cartoons. Surpassing even the Kill the Wabbit mini opera. Would you ever do more collaborations again?
~
Artists don't always see eye-to-eye with their audience. I've heard anecdotes and stories from other artists where they expressed surprise that a piece that meant a tremendous amount to them was ignored by their audience, while a throwaway piece became immensely popular. Can you point to songs of albums that produced a reaction from your fans that was the opposite of what you expected?
If someone from CERN offered you the use of some faster-than-light neutrinos in order to send some advice to the 1982 versions of yourselves, what would that advice be?
And as a followup, would the 1982 yous have listened?
If I have a date with a girl in Istanbul, where will she be waiting?
With her racist friend.
- Mike
After almost 30 years, can you, with any degree of certainty, tell us whether or not they ARE or ARE NOT, in actuality, giants?
I have a non-scientific theory that you guys are atheists like me. I would like to put it to the test. I'm basing my theory on the following lines:
"A fact is just a fantasy unless it can be checked."
"I like those stories about angels, unicorns and elves."
I interpret those lyrics to mean that religion is a fantasy and angels are simply fun stories. Am I correct?
P.S. My daughter is only 3.5 but is now interested in science and I can't thank you enough for helping me to light that spark!