What is your rarities CD?
Rarities CD is available on-line! "They Got Lost" is They Might be Giants' first full length compilation of top-quality rarities. This disc draws from a wide array of sources- including "On The Drag" (as featured in our current live shows) the very best of our various EMusic efforts (with tracks from the "Battle of the Bands" project and a couple of tracks from "Long Tall Weekend"), to our jingles for This American Life and the Chopping Block. It even includes a totally spontaneous song from a live show. Most of the original 21 tracks have never been available on CD in any form. They Got Lost includes: Reprehensible, Rat Patrol, I'm Sick (of this American life), Disappointing Show, Words Are Like, All Alone, Rest Awhile, Oranges, Truth in Your Words, Down to the Bottom of the Sea, I Am a Human Head, Empty Bottle Blues, They Got Lost, The Army's Tired Now, Oranges Testimonial, Theme to McSweeney's, Dollar for Dollar, Mosh Momken Abadon, Token Back to Brooklyn and Certain People I Could Name. "They Got Lost" and special value bundles only available on-line! HREF="http://store.yahoo.com/tmbg-catalog/"> http://store.yahoo.com/tmbg-catalog/
How did you celebrating your 3rd decade as a band?
We did a concert in Central Park NY AUG. 15, 2002! Yes, believe it or not, John and I are returning to the same place we started, Central Park, twenty years ago to the month! It seems like a very fuzzy yesterday to me that John and I were carrying the majestic but ponderously weighty Farfisa organ over the rock walls that border the cab route going through the middle of the park. I recall we played "Cowtown" and "Space Suit" (with Linnell playing the clarinet) Other songs I vaguely remember are "Penguin" (sample lyric:"penguin, penguin, all alone and lost, standing, sitting, looks for a place to park") and "Cabbagetown" (which ultimately became an Elektra b-side) It would be 1983 before we played out again (where we would incorporate the cutting edge technology of the 4-track reel-to-reel tape recorder) but the first one was there, and you are all invited to celebrate its anniversary! Oh, the glamour! Later today is the big Central Park show and wanted to make sure y'all had the details. Official doors are at 6. "People Are Wrong's" mini set goes on at 7, then Moldy Peaches at 7:40 and TMBG at 8:30. There is a strict curfew at 10, so don't worry about being out too late- the old ladies of the upper east side will not stand to hear the vague rumblings of frivolity from a public space that they think they own. Speaking of money, there is a "suggested donation"- just like the NYC museums- but it is NOT an admission. You are free to contribute as much or as little as you desire. It Is a FREE concert, make no mistake.
What Is People Are Wrong?
Check out the preliminary "PEOPLE ARE WRONG" web site at http://www.peoplearewrong.net (It's still being built, but we're excited). "PEOPLE ARE WRONG" is coming in a limited editon BENEFIT CD. Free MP3s I have posted two songs from "People Are Wrong" for your listening pleasure: "Sixth Dimension Rock" and "At the Agway." Go to this link: http://www.peoplearewrong.net It's just two weeks until the debut of the off off Broadway run of the original rock opera "People Are Wrong" at Joe's Pub. It is written, produced and performed entirely by members of the Loser's Lounge, the talent-rich New York City music tribute collective founded in 1993 by former Psychedelic Fur Joe McGinty. The troupe, which has released several CDs, produces a half dozen shows a year that pay musical homage to such cult icons as Dusty Springfield, Neil Diamond and Burt Bacharach. Playing the lead, Xanthus, is David Driver (Rent), whose rich baritone reaches Elvis Costello-like brilliance. Other accomplished cast members include Maggie Moore (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Sean Altman (Rockapella), Tricia Scotti (the Ronnie Spector band) and Julia Greenberg (The Cowlicks and the show's coauthor). McGinty and Jeremy Chatzky, who played in Hedwig's band, are the show's co-musical directors. The plot revolves around two stressed-out yuppies known only as "the Homeowners" (Flansburgh and Greenberg), who purchase an upstate summer home in an attempt to escape their urban woes. Any hopes of bucolic tranquility, however, are dashed once the couple falls under the dark spell of Xanthus, their ponytailed gardener-cult leader. This New York story is based on a real-life incident that Flansburgh and his wife, coauthor Robin Goldwasser, experienced at their Catskill home. "There is a hidden economy upstate that consists of ripping off dopey New Yorkers," explains Flansburgh. "We needed to get some landscaping done and made the mistake of hiring this eccentric, New Age guy who, in the most benign way, was a rip-off artist." I am producing this show, and am starring in the role of Russ, the homeowner. The show was written by Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser (of Dr. Evil and In The Middle fame) and our Loser's Lounge pal Julia Greenberg. Joe McGinty's Loser's Lounge band is backing up the whole show. The last shows sold out fast, so if you are planning to check this out, we recommend you reserve your tickets in advance. We also want to encourage everyone out there to help out the show by purchasing a copy of the limited edition 10 song sampler CD (produced by yours truly and shipping mid Sept.) Simply email us your name and address along with your credit card #(Visa, Mastercard, or AmEx), and its expiration date- that's important - and make sure you write your name as it appears on the card). The price is just $12 with a $2 shipping and handling charge (we're using the US mails folks- it's cheap!). Order THE BENEFIT CD VIA EMAIL at peoplearewrong@aol.com. Operator IDA is standing by to process your order, But shipping is MID. SEPT.
Tell us something about the RHINO BOX SET "DIAL-A-SONG: 20 YEARS OF THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS"
As it says on the back of the box- It's "not a rarities collection of Dial-A-Song demos, but rather a comprehensive anthology of the very best recorded work of They Might be Giants spanning the first 20 years of the band's career. This deluxe 52-song, 2 disc set also includes a full-color booklet with complete lyrics, discography, and essays by the band and This American Life's Sarah Vowell." If you were looking for a way to turn your friends on to the world of TMBG, or just want a good "overview" of our catalog-this is the set for you. John and I put together this set of songs. Of course it is a very subjective business as to what material should be included, but I think we did a pretty good job. Disc one is essentially our better known songs- not just singles but songs that have become more notorious for other reasons (including the previously soundtrack-restricted "Dr. Evil" and "Boss of Me" ) and the second disc is a survey of our more unusual material (from "Fingertips" to "I Can Hear You") and less celebrated songs that we think are simply good ("She's An Angel" and "How Can I Sing Like A Girl?") As this is essentially a retrospective, there is not a lot of new material for you hardcores out there, but we have included a number of unreleased tracks that capture some unique aspects of the band. The high spirits and frighteningly low fidelity of an early show is captured in a live recording of "Stormy Pinkness" recorded in Berlin in 1989 with the audience stomping the floor and chanting "Love! Love! Love!" The elaborate Dan Hickey drum solo from "She's Actual Size" is captured in a new live recording from this year's No! Show at one of our Fillmore appearances in San Francisco just a few months ago. The other unreleased tracks are the original Pat Dillett-produced demo of "Spy" (which we always liked better-it also includes Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser's bloodcurdling scream) and the "adult version" of "Robot Parade" with Dan Miller showering us with a blizzard of shred. A really cool thing about this set is the package, designed by Barbara Glauber. Two really long CDs and a nice full color book that still fits on your shelf, the package has "phone and phone book" motif with doodles, along with the unexpected presence of a couple of big black ants. Very enigmatic and quite beautifully photographed. There are two essays-one about the band by the charming Sarah Vowell and one by us about the influence of Dial-A-Song on our songwriting sensibility-and some nice archival photos including a pic from our very first gig together in the summer of 1982 at the Sandinista rally in Central Park.
SO how did you get on ABC’s Nightline?
ABC's Nightline broadcast a "GIGANTIC" clip from the documentary on us. Ted Koppel and the kind folks at ABC's Nightline UpClose turn their attention from all that silly war news to cover the good stuff- like AJ Schnack's documentary on They Might Be Giants "Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns." See AJ get interviewed by ABC's poet emeritus Robert Krulwich! If you are in many major markets, you can also check out TMBG's very first TV commercial for Dial-A-Song and No! starring the voice of Chris Anderson from Muckafurguson and People Are Wrong! TMBG will be on TECH TV. Us Johns will be performing some live songs as part of Tech TV's "Call-For-Help" Marathon on Dec 26th at 9pmEST on TechTV (although times may change).
Are you doing any special shows or tours for your album No!?
Yes! TMBG will be performing a special afternoon gig for kids and their parents on March 8th at 2pm at the prestigious and posh Town Hall in NYC. It is a low volume affair, with a special emphasis on kid-friendly songs, including many of the favorites from No! Of course, regular non-parental people are welcome, but please be aware this is a relatively short show by TMBG standards (the wee ones seem to get restless after an hour unless the performers are actually in a purple dinosaur outfit) and we don't want anyone confusing this for our regular gigs. Watch us not swear!
What is this children’s book you are working with?
TMBG children's book coming this fall from Simon & Schuster! With new 4-song CD! This beautiful book is in the works right now, and words can not describe how excited we are about the way it's turning out. The brilliant Marcel Dzama, illustrator for McSweeney's magazine and fine artist extraordinaire, is doing the paintings for the book. The working title is "Bed, Bed, Bed." It's a picture book designed for helping parents get the wee ones off to slumberland, and has four chilled out songs, three totally new and a special total make-over of the song "Bed, Bed, Bed, Bed, Bed" (new melody, new chords, kickin' it lullaby stylee) with Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches singing the lead. All the songs are new and unreleased. To see photos of bands we have just signed to the Idlewild label, go to http://www.nyheter.nu/kultur/
What is happing with Dial - A – Song?
Spring is here, Love is everywhere, and Dial-A-Song is back! Yes, thanks to a dutiful friend of TMBG, another working Record-A-Call 675 phone machine is now breathing new life into TMBG's Dial-A-Song at 718 -387- 6962 (and that doesn't spell anything!). Hear the brand new song "Impossible" this weekend. If you see any Record-A-Call 675s on ebay or elsewhere TELL US. We need them. Of course we are open to other suggestions about MP3-based phone answering software for D – A - S but most suggestions have led to all sorts of entirely unworkable scenarios (offsite services that cost per call, changing the DAS number, systems designed for business that have very limited message space or extremely low fidelity, systems not designed to be changed frequently - yes, it could be worse!)
What is the current work your doing with children books about? Any music for them we should know about to look forward too?
TMBG children's book coming this fall from Simon & Schuster! With new 4-song CD!
This beautiful book is in the works right now, and words can not describe how excited we are about the way it's turning out. The brilliant Marcel Dzama, illustrator for McSweeney's magazine and fine artist extraordinaire, is doing the paintings for the book. The working title is "Bed, Bed, Bed." It's a picture book designed for helping parents get the wee ones off to slumberland, and has four chilled out songs, three totally new and a special total make-over of the song "Bed, Bed, Bed, Bed, Bed" (new melody, new chords, kickin' it lullaby stylee) with Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches singing the lead. All the songs are new and unreleased.
Any gossip of up coming projects that are hush hush but you might want to give us a notice of to watch for in the near future?
We are embarking on a new rock album/original DVD project. No working title, but the project will be underway soon. A new song does appear on Lovecaat Music Highlights Volume 3 called Deep Down At The Bottom Of The Sea. We also do a new cover song of George Harrison on a tribute album to him out now on Koch Entertainment Records.
What is They Might Be Giants Clock Radio about?
TMBG's Clock Radio at www.tmbg.com. This is the ultimate streaming experience. Two full bands of songs (AM is recordings, FM is live) and special announcements on the EBS band. Hours and hours of TMBG pleasure await you. Includes the boss-boggling "mute" feature that kills the volume when people come snooping around. Works with PC & Mac! Brought to you by the cool cats at the Chopping Block! "Am I Awake" (the theme to "Resident Life") is now properly posted on TMBG's Clock Radio, and ready for your streaming enjoyment. Please do tell a friend about this excellent and totally free project. We want everyone to know about how cool this is....Also we just recorded a set of new and old summer songs with our minibrass band ensemble (including a cover of the Beach Boys classic ballad "Caroline, No") for NPR's great radio show Studio 360, and we have a preview posted on the EBS band of TMBG's Clock Radio at tmbg.com. Check it out now, my fellow travellers, and if you dig it, please tell your friends- because freedom isn't free!
This band tours often and worth everything to see them.
