Podcast appearances and mentions of John Flansburgh

They Might be Giants have had a platinum album, they've had gold albums, they've won Grammy awards, they have written theme songs, they've written children's songs, for the last 40 years they done pretty much whatever they want. They're currently gearing up for tour and John Flansburgh was nice enough to stop by the show! John and Doc talk about TMBG longevity, the dedication to TMBG fans, the use of technology in their careers, how John's cats find their way into social media posts, the upcoming concerts and so much more! Meanwhile, Mike and Doc accept the fact that the show is a bit of a platypus show (listen to the show you'll get it). Introduction: 0:00:20 Birthday Suitwearer 1: 8:59 Ripped from the headlines: 14:00 Shoutouts: 32:57 Another Guest Turned Us Down and I Don't Like the Way They Turned us Down: 37:05 John F. Interview: 42:32 Mike C Top 3: 1:13:58 Birthday Suitwearer 2: 1:35:49 Birthday Suitwearer 3: 1:38:00

A very special guest on John Flansburgh's Mono Puff album becomes a very special guest on the Don't Let's Start podcast! Nancy Lynn Howell, singer of Don't I Have the Right, talks to us about recording the song with Flansburgh, the special occasion where she performed it live, and we get to hear rare, exclusive recordings of her short-lived super group with Laura Cantrell and Robin Goldwasser! Plus we highlight a handful of tracks from her wonderful discography to discuss. Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/c/dontletsstartpodcast

Now I wanna talk to everyone about Mono Puff b-sides and demos! Alongside the album Unsupervised (by They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh) came The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking) single! It's full of odds and ends, balls and...friends?? First, Flansburgh covers a fellow b-side from fellow song genius Mr. Frank Black, the one and only Oddball! We listen to both versions and discover that every Oddball is different! But there's much more going on in a hidden gem called Tryptophane! And if we're not calm, we soon will be when we groove out to the long, hypnotic, slow funk mystery of The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Remade)! Slow, slow, Satan, slow! And if that wasn't enough, we keep grooving on and moving on to the demos that made up Unsupervised! All your friends are here: Dr. Kildare! What Bothers The Spacem(e)n! Nixon's The One, and so much more! Plus a special seedy discussion of Plain As The Lie On Your Lips, a rare John Linnell song written alongside Flansburgh's own torch song, Don't I Have The Right! The hour has come and gone and talk is cheap, so get listenin'! Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontletsstart/support

Kirk picks apart not one, not two, but twenty one micro-songs by the great They Might Be Giants.What's that blue thing doing here? Who's knocking on the wall? And for that matter, who's that standing out the window? It's time to answer those questions and many more, as Kirk delves into The Might Be Giants' singular collection of mini-songs, "Fingertips." It's a stylistic smorgasbord of sound, with everything from jazz to rock to lounge to... honestly, genre doesn't exist and "Fingertips" proves it. Each tiny song shines for its brief moment of life, and then lives on forever in your imagination. Written by: John Flansburgh and John LinnellAlbum: Apollo 18 (1992)Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | SpotifyALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:"Particle Man," "Birdhouse In Your Soul," and "Minimum Wage" by They Might Be Giants and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon from Flood, 1990"Extra Savoir Faire" by TMBG from John Henry, 1994The 2002 documentary Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)“The Simpsons Main Title Theme” by Danny Elfman, 1989“Joy To The World” - lyrics by Isaac Watts as performed by Nat “King” ColeOUTRO SOLOIST: Kirk HamiltonKirk is the host of Strong Songs. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he likes to play the drums. He thinks he's getting good but he can handle criticism.----LINKS-----RECAST RECOMMENDATION: "Samba Party" by Matteo Mancuso from The Journey, 2023SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Paypal | Patreon.com/StrongsongsMERCH STOREstore.strongsongspodcast.comSOCIAL MEDIAIG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_HamiltonNEWSLETTERnewsletter.kirkhamilton.comJOIN THE DISCORDhttps://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8SmSTRONG SONGS PLAYLISTSSpotify | Apple Music | YouTube MusicSHOW ARTTom Deja, Bossman Graphics--------------------DECEMBER 2024 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONSElizabeth CulverMeryl AllisonRobyn MetcalfeCesarBob TuckerCorpus FriskyBen BarronCatherine WarnerDamon WhiteJay SwartzRushDaniel Hannon-BarryChristopher MillerJamie WhiteChristopher McConnellDavid MascettiJoe LaskaKen HirshMelanie AndrichJenness GardnerNathaniel BauernfeindPaul DelaneyDave SharpeSami SamhuriJeremy DawsonAccessViolationDave FloreyDECEMBER 2024 HALF-NOTE PATRONSChristopher Selby SpinkPhilip KellyDaniel NervoKevin StaffordLawrenceSy JacobsirritableIan PiddAndrew HoferJordan GatenbyMelissa KuhnsAshleySeattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral EnsembleKevin MarceloSamantha CoatesJamesMark NadasdiJeffDan CutterJoseph RomeroOl ParkerJohn BerryDanielle KrizClint McElroyMordok's Vape PenInmar GivoniMichael SingerMerv AdrianJoe GalloLauren KnottsDave KolasHenry MindlinMonica St. AngeloStephen WolkwitzSuzanneRand LeShayMaxeric spMatthew JonesThomasAnthony MentzJames McMurryEthan LaserBrian John PeterAaron WilsonDent EarlCarlos LernerMisty HaisfieldAbraham BenrubiLee R.Chris KotarbaLynda MacNeilDick MorganBen SteinSusan GreenGrettir AsmundarsonSean MurphyRandal VegterKaya WoodallRobert Granatdave malloyTim RosenwongAlan MaassNick GallowayHeather Jjohn halpinPeter HardingDavidJohn BaumanMartín SalíasStu BakerSteve MartinoDr Arthur A GrayCarolinaGary PierceMatt BaxterLuigi BocciaE Margaret WartonCharles McGeeCatherine ClauseEthan BaumanKenIsWearingAHatJordan BlockAaron WadeJeff UlmDavid FutterJamieDeebsPortland Eye CareRichard SneddonJanice BerryDoreen CarlsonDavid McDarbyWendy GilchristElliot RosenLisa TurnerPaul WayperMiles FormanBruno GaetaKenneth JungZak RemerRishi SahayJeffrey BeanJason ReitmanAilie FraserRob TsukNATALIE MISTILISJosh SingerAmy Lynn ThornsenAdam WKelli BrockingtonVictoria Yumino caposselaSteve PaquinDavid JoskeBernard KhooRobert HeuerDavid NoahGeraldine ButlerMadeleine MaderJason PrattAbbie BergDoug BelewDermot CrowleyAchint SrivastavaRyan RairighMichael BermanLinda DuffyBonnie PrinsenLiz SegerEoin de BurcaKevin PotterM Shane BordersDallas HockleyJason GerryNell MorseNathan GouwensLauren ReayEric PrestemonCookies250Angela LivingstoneDiane HughesMichael CasnerLowell MeyerStephen TsoneffJoshua HillGeoff GoldenPascal RuegerRandy SouzaClare HolbertonDiane TurnerTom ColemanDhu WikMelmaniacEric HelmJonathan DanielsCaro FieldNaomi WatsonDavid CushmanAlexanderChris KGavin DoigSam FennTanner MortonAJ SchusterJennifer BushDavid StroudBrad CallahanAmanda FurlottiAndrew BakerAndrew FairL.B. MorseBill ThorntonBrian AmoebasBrett DouvilleJeffrey OlsonMatt BetzelNate from KalamazooMelanie StiversRichard TollerAlexander PolsonJustin McElroyArjun SharmaJames JohnsonKevin MorrellColin Hodo

As part of Science Friday's 33rd anniversary show, we're revisiting our listeners' favorite stories, including this one from 2009.In the album “Here Comes Science,” the band They Might Be Giants tackled the scientific process, plasma physics, the role of blood in the body, and the importance of DNA, all in song. Band members John Linnell and John Flansburgh discuss the album and play some science tunes. The transcript for this segment is available at sciencefriday.com.  Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

On this week's Talkhouse Podcast, we've got two of what I'm going to call alt-rock lifers, guys with vast catalogs and the stories to match, who've ridden the highs and lows over the years and continue to make fantastic music for dedicated fanbases: John Flansburgh and Matthew Caws. Flansburgh is half the core of They Might Be Giants, one of the two Johns—along with Linnell—who started making quirky pop records about 40 years ago. They've released nearly two dozen albums, wriggling their way into the mainstream on occasion, from “Birdhouse in Your Soul” to the Malcolm in the Middle theme to popular albums aimed at kids. It's been a remarkable ride that shows no signs of stopping; They MIght Be Giants is still on tour, still making new music, and still seeming to have as much fun as they ever did. Their latest record is called Book—it's available in many formats including, you guessed it, a giant book—and there are some sparklers on it, including one in particular that the guys talk about in today's episode. Check out “Brontosaurus.” The other half of today's conversation is Matthew Caws, singer and guitarist of the fellow New York band Nada Surf. Nada Surf had a really odd start to what's turned into a long and fruitful existence. Their first album featured the song “Popular,” which turned into something of a novelty hit / summer anthem back in 1996. It wasn't particularly representative of the band's smart, layered pop—which is no knock on “Popular” itself—which confused their record label, Elektra. But after a bit of a slow period, Nada Surf found their way into indie-rock hearts with 2002's Let Go, and they've earned a place in those hearts ever since. The tenth Nada Surf album came out earlier this year, and it's among their best. It also features a surprisingly high number of more uptempo songs, as Flansburgh mentions in this chat. Check out “Second Skin” from Nada Surf's newest album Moon Mirror.   In this chat Flansburgh and Caws take a deep dive into the genesis of “Popular,” which Caws had no idea would be a hit but is happy to still play. They also chat about Flansburgh's love of the new Nada Surf record, both of their time on the same major label in the 1990s, and whether it's appropriate for a band to take a group bow at the end of a good show. Enjoy. 0:00 – Intro 2:42 – Start of the chat 2:58 – Welcome to Fresh Air 9:45 – The unusual origins of "Popular' 17:45 – Nada Surf's ignoble split with Elektra Records 22:40 – John's theory on Matthew's doubled vocals 32:21 – The ups and downs of sharing your political point of view as a musician Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to John Flansburgh and Matthew Caws for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

We laid low, but now we're back, and you'll be happy as a scarecrow listening to our so-long episode finishing up John Flansburgh's debut album Unsupervised from his supergroup Mono Puff!  Who'll teach you all about the history of Dr. Kildare (the man, the show, the song)? We will! I can read your mind, you want us to then discuss the quiet resentment of So Long, Mockingbird, correct? I don't mind!  Because you've been so good all year long, we're going to fulfill your one Christmas wish and unwrap Careless Santa! What's perfect these days? How about our discussion of Don't I Have The Right?, featuring an interview with singer Nancy Lynn Howell!? The only thing we ask is that you trust us, as we naively march along with To Serve Mankind, and peruse the Twilight Zone episode that inspired the song! When you look back and weigh everything we've done, you will realize this episode can only end with a secret oval office recording of our confidential discussion of Nixon's The One! If you leave us we'll be destroyed, so press play NOW! Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontletsstart/support

John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants discusses the evolution of the band's pioneering approach of music and technology to create innovative media and strengthen connections to their devoted fanbase. Topic Include: October Australia tour selling out TMBG's last tour of Australia John's car accident – broken ribs They Might Be Giants' unconventional approach Early adopter approach, the gift economy Pioneering technological approaches The importance of Dial-A-Song Daily updates, the Dial-A-Song machine behaviours Where are the Dial-A-Song machines? TMBG's impressions of Napster Challenges of the music industry in early 2000s Touring used to be a losing proposition Spotify and digital music returns for artists Vinyl is becoming a large return for TMBG What TMBG albums haven't been reissued on vinyl? Loss of album artwork TMBG tapes and digital files 8-track version of “Book” TMBG never did a CD-ROM or enhanced CD TMBG approach and involvement with AI Music genres that lend themselves better to AI BBL Drizzy AI track Strangest song: playing “Saphire Bullets of Pure Love” backwards Backwards “Saphire” coming out on special 7” TMBG Instant Fan Club This Might Be a Wiki – TMBW.net Managing product flippers from Instant Fan Club A friend who used to be in Skull & Bones The story of 1st release “Wiggle Diskette” Distributing and nailing Wiggle Diskette on lamp posts around NYC 1985 TMBG cassette – reviewed by People Magazine Interview wrap up Aussies get your TMBG tickets here. Extended, Commercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Did you miss us when we were away? Jordan "Mono" Cooper and Dave "Puff" Fox are back to go song by everlovin' song through Mono Puff's totally rocking debut album, Unsupervised! We've got devils, we've got spacemen, step right up, people! First there's nowhere we can go except into a context-heavy discussion of Don't Break The Heart, the Amy Rigby classic given a John Flansburgh reimagining! But don't stray too far, because next up, if you listen real close to your radios you just might isolate the sound of us hearing and understanding Distant Antenna!  Dude, if you're sick of waiting, things will be looking rad if you surf right over to The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking)! Then walk far from the crowd, past the trees and step up to the plate to find out What Bothers The Spaceman! And finally, we revisit and say Hello Hello to the rompiest stompiest glam rock cover song you've ever heard! Tell all your friends we're back! Join us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontletsstart/support

"Hang In There With Me" If you're an artist, you either move West or you move East. In the case of the Pennsylvania-born Amy Rigby, she went east. Landing in New York in the late seventies, Rigby absorbed the music of the city and took assiduous notes about punk rock, indie scenesters and the rhythms of the age. I'm zipping through time here, but if you want to know about Rigby's New York years, read her fabulous memoir Girl To City, which I think is one of the best books about music ever written. She later married Will Rigby of The DB's and played in bands like The Shams and Last Roundup, but it wasn't until the mid-'90s with her solo debut Diary Of A Mod Housewife that she began to flex her songwriting muscle. Hilarious, heartfelt and in many ways conversational, Rigby's work is intimate and familiar and over the course of her winning discography which includes albums like The Sugar Tree, Little Fugitive and her brilliant new one Hang In There With Me, Rigby has proven herself to be one of the most tunefully engaging songwriters on the planet. Her songs have been covered by everyone from Ronnie Spector to John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, she's been praised by everyone from Mojo Magzine to Steve Earle and along with her husband Wreckless Eric, she's made a handful of flawless records. Hang In There With Me is a sterling set of more Rigby classics and frankly, she's never sounded better; nobody writes with such a perfect balance of candor and finesse. www.amyrigby.com www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.bombshellradio.com (http://www.bombshellradio.com) www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Twitter: @emberseditor IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

I hear the phone ring, and it's John Flansburgh's solo project Mono Puff calling! Back in the day, we were distracted by They Might Be Giants, but now we're hear to sing the praises of this strange yet cohesive collection of side-project gold! Your appreciative hosts Jordan and Dave go into the formation of Mono Puff, the inspiration behind the band name, an investigation into the band members, and ask deep, challenging, philosophical questions like: could these be TMBG songs? We strap on our gig bags and rock out to Guitar Was The Case, then strap on our sad bags as we ponder our mortality during Unsupervised, I Hit My Head. We had a real good time, AND SO WILL YOU! Join your friend Joe on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontletsstart/support

Ahead of They Might Be Giants' Milwaukee shows, John Flansburgh reflects the band's start in the 1980s and the twists and turns along the way.

John Flansburgh discusses They Might Be Giants' latest single ‘Lazy', and shares details of their upcoming UK tour, The post John Flansburgh – They Might Be Giants appeared first on The Strange Brew .

While most music-focused kids picked up guitars or drums in the 60's and 70's, John Flansburgh says he was pulled toward the machinery that made art possible. With a reel-to-reel in hand before age 10 and an early love of graphic design, the detailed processes of printmaking, photography and analog recording seemed downright magical to his captivated, creative young mind. Once he reconnected with fellow singer/songwriter and high school pal John Linnell in the early 80's, the duo were off to the races as They Might Be Giants: an indescribable mix of surrealist humor, snappy history lessons, and power-pop sweetness. On today's show, John F. recounts catching one of Elvis Costello's earliest performances, inheriting a "profoundly haunted" record collection from a deceased cousin, and how a broken wrist and a ransacked apartment led to the groundbreaking launchpad for TMBG's storied career: Dial-A-Song. For tour dates, social media and more, visit theymightbegiants.com. 

They Might Be Giants – old school fiends John Flansburgh and John Linnell – have been making elliptical, funny and adventurous records for over 40 years and writing music for children, advertising and TV comedies. We talk to John Linnell here about songwriting, early shows in art spaces, the way you saw the world when a "wiseacrey teenager" and what you can expect from their autumn tour. Which, incidentally, will include the "pointlessy difficult exercise" of performing Sapphire Bullets Of Love every night in reverse which they'll film and run backwards and then send the clip to audience members so they can gauge its accuracy ("like watching people sing for whom English is a second language"). Some illuminating moments here ...... the rich vein of '50s music outside of rock and roll. ... communicating by posting cassettes and how they built a following with an ansaphone.... working in a record store in Massachussetts. ... playing on the same bill as Steve Buscemi at New York performance venues in the '80s and gigs involving papier mache hands and masks. ... why children are "a tough crowd" and the unsettling news that their albums for kids were outselling their usual records. ... the fine art of survival after a 1990 worldwide hit.... and Yoko Ono, Pere Ubu, Elvis Costello and the disturbing effect of Frank Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh. They Might Be Giants tickets here …https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/they-might-be-giants-tickets/artist/945181Visit us on Patreon to see how you can help us continue the conversation: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They Might Be Giants – old school fiends John Flansburgh and John Linnell – have been making elliptical, funny and adventurous records for over 40 years and writing music for children, advertising and TV comedies. We talk to John Linnell here about songwriting, early shows in art spaces, the way you saw the world when a "wiseacrey teenager" and what you can expect from their autumn tour. Which, incidentally, will include the "pointlessy difficult exercise" of performing Sapphire Bullets Of Love every night in reverse which they'll film and run backwards and then send the clip to audience members so they can gauge its accuracy ("like watching people sing for whom English is a second language"). Some illuminating moments here ...... the rich vein of '50s music outside of rock and roll. ... communicating by posting cassettes and how they built a following with an ansaphone.... working in a record store in Massachussetts. ... playing on the same bill as Steve Buscemi at New York performance venues in the '80s and gigs involving papier mache hands and masks. ... why children are "a tough crowd" and the unsettling news that their albums for kids were outselling their usual records. ... the fine art of survival after a 1990 worldwide hit.... and Yoko Ono, Pere Ubu, Elvis Costello and the disturbing effect of Frank Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh. They Might Be Giants tickets here …https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/they-might-be-giants-tickets/artist/945181Visit us on Patreon to see how you can help us continue the conversation: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They Might Be Giants – old school fiends John Flansburgh and John Linnell – have been making elliptical, funny and adventurous records for over 40 years and writing music for children, advertising and TV comedies. We talk to John Linnell here about songwriting, early shows in art spaces, the way you saw the world when a "wiseacrey teenager" and what you can expect from their autumn tour. Which, incidentally, will include the "pointlessy difficult exercise" of performing Sapphire Bullets Of Love every night in reverse which they'll film and run backwards and then send the clip to audience members so they can gauge its accuracy ("like watching people sing for whom English is a second language"). Some illuminating moments here ...... the rich vein of '50s music outside of rock and roll. ... communicating by posting cassettes and how they built a following with an ansaphone.... working in a record store in Massachussetts. ... playing on the same bill as Steve Buscemi at New York performance venues in the '80s and gigs involving papier mache hands and masks. ... why children are "a tough crowd" and the unsettling news that their albums for kids were outselling their usual records. ... the fine art of survival after a 1990 worldwide hit.... and Yoko Ono, Pere Ubu, Elvis Costello and the disturbing effect of Frank Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh. They Might Be Giants tickets here …https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/they-might-be-giants-tickets/artist/945181Visit us on Patreon to see how you can help us continue the conversation: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants join to announce their cover of Irving Berlin's "Lazy" for the 2024 Public Song Project. The band will be releasing their song on streaming platforms later this month, and will be putting out limited edition 7" records. They join us with an exclusive preview of the song.With the deadline for the Public Song Project less than six weeks away, now is the time to get your songs recorded! Submissions can come in all shapes and sizes -- we are more than happy to accept songs recorded entirely on your cell phone or laptop! But if you want to step things up a bit, one great resource is your local public library. Today we're joined by representatives from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Westport Public Library in Connecticut to hear about free recording studios, an instrument loan program, thousands of sheet music books, and more resources for exploring the public domain and recording your songs. Guests include Christine Schonhart, the director of Brooklyn Public Library's central library; Jenna Li, Lead Media Lab Specialist for New York Public Library; Brendan Toller, Marketing Manager of Verso Studios at the Westport Public Library.You can find more about these resources on the Public Song Project homepage, as well as more information about how to participate: https://www.wnyc.org/story/public-song-project-2024/.

From the legendary They Might Be Giants, John Flansburgh returns to the charts! Catch them on their upcoming tour! Topics: Trainscotting. Backstage Hummus. Beyonce Country. Ketchup Shake Up. Dale VS Dolly.Go to whochartedpod.com to support the show and unlock the entire archive ad-free, as well as the weekly bonus show TWO CHARTED!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a prologue for our upcoming deep dive into They Might Be Giants' 1980s demos, we spoke with the legendary Michael Small, the People Magazine writer who first reviewed TMBG's demo tape in 1985 and gave them their first huge exposure, telling (or warning) the world about the madness to come! Michael tells us about the first time he heard the tape, the songs that got stuck in his head, appearing in the documentary Gigantic, his relationship with They Might Be Giants over the years, and more exciting tales of music journalism! He also tells us about his incredibly fun new show, I Couldn't Throw It Out, which recently interviewed John Flansburgh! Links below! Michael's podcast: https://www.throwitoutpodcast.com/ Michael's TMBG review: https://tmbw.net/wiki/images/a/a3/PeopleDemoReview.jpg Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/DontLetsPod --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontletsstart/support

From November 12, 2018: John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants called in for a chat about the They Might Be Giants Radio Network, of which I was a charter member. We also talked about my cassette (yes, mine, specifically) of Flood  and being mistaken for another bespectacled duo.

Intro/Outro: Holding On To You by twenty one pilots2. They Might Be GiantsSong 1: Impossibly New (Live)Song 2: Ana NgSong 3: Too Tall Girl1. Death Cab for CutieSong 1: Title and RegistrationSong 2: Roman Candles (Acoustic)Song 3: Your New Twin-Sized BedAndrew ranks Bella's Top Ten ArtistsLink to Bella's ShowLink to Bella's interview with John Flansburgh

Make a little birdhouse in your soul for an amazing hour with John Flansburgh and John Linnell, otherwise known as They Might Be Giants! What a thrill and a treat to have them join us in studio the morning after they played the Hollywood Bowl to discuss their 40+ year history together, motion smoothing, Frank Zappa, Don Fagen and much, much more! Watch another hour with the Johns and get tons of other stuff when you subscribe to OFFICE HOURS+. Get a FREE seven-day trial at patreon.com/officehourslive. Get tickets to see Tim Heidecker live on tour in the USA this Summer! Dates and more info at timheidecker.com/live. Find everything Office Hours including the merch store at officialofficehours.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They Might Be Giants continue their world tour celebrating 40 years as a band, as well as their Grammy-nominated multimedia project, BOOK. John Flansburgh and John Linnell join to reflect on their career, recent projects, and upcoming shows. They will be performing at the Pleasantville Music Festival on July 8.  

0:00:00 Introduction Richard Saunders 0:04:46 Walking with Canadian Dinosaurs Join a merry band of skeptics as they wander the vast exhibits of one of the world's foremost natural history museums. Interviews with Vincent Stevens, Adrienne Hill, Celestia Ward and Lilith Thompson. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is Canada's only museum dedicated exclusively to the study of ancient life. In addition to featuring one of the world's largest displays of dinosaurs, it offers a wide variety of creative, fun, and educational programs that bring the prehistoric past to life. https://tyrrellmuseum.com 0:23:00 The Book of Tim. With Tim Mendham Alien Honeycomb Tested By Mark Plummer A report about the time skeptics examined what was claimed to be an alien artefact, possibly part of a UFO! A reading from The Skeptic, Vol. 1 No. 1 http://www.skeptics.com.au 0:31:58 A Dive into a Trove A wander through the decades of digitised Australian newspapers on a search for references to The Fox Sisters http://www.trove.nla.gov.au Also   10 Years Ago The Skeptic Zone #238 - 12.May.2013 Dr Rachie reports on what our state (New South Wales) politicians, on both sides, have to say about the Australian Vaccination Network - A Week in Science with Dr Paul Willis - Maynard chats to John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-238-12-may-2013

In the early 1980s, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS received an unlabeled cassette tape of this mysterious song which they later misattributed to Deep Blue Something (of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" fame). According to John Flansburgh: "You know, when you're in a rock band, you get a lot of interesting tapes in the mail, but this is by far the most interesting one we've ever gotten. Not really, but, it's got our name in it—it's kind of strange." For decades, this mythical song has only barely existed in the form of old fan-made bootleg recordings. Until now. "I Might Be Giant, Too" is the fourth #SONGO of 2023 by Catscan! thecatscanwebsite.com --- In the days to come See the ruins rise While the giants sleep In the ruined skies Will the giants come down to earth? And somewhere under the sun We will find the days to come You already kiss a broken sky They might be giants This world might go too far I should be saving the tears I need an ocean to get to you I might be giant, too Poor mother earth Her pain is deep (She's going to die) The giants know Her heart is sweet (She's under a sky) Who knows how long for her? And somewhere under the sun Now it doesn't seem so far I'm further from your heart They might be giants This world might go too far I should be saving the tears I need an ocean to get to you I might be giant, too I left the light on I turned the screws I changed the channel, now I can't find you I paint by numbers I catch disease I want to be bigger now So I can be free I know, I know They might be giants I know, I know What did you find Inside the grave? Bones lain with silence Lost in their place You search, I close my eyes And hearts beat under the earth Every echo ends a tear You carry summer's last rose in your heart They might be giants This world might go too far I should be saving the tears I need an ocean to get to you They might be giants This world might go too far I should be saving the tears I need an ocean to get to you They might be giants This world might go too far I should be saving the tears I need an ocean to get to you I might be giant, too

Musician Eric Gaines makes his first podcast appearance to talk about the Glean sleeper hit "Good to Be Alive." With two percussionists chatting, of course we get into the weeds on percussion and percussion technique in response to the arrangement of this tune. We break down the song throughly, and also talk about how much more poignant this song has become in the past year for Mr. John Flansburgh. 

We've heard the ceaseless screaming and we're back to free this demon and finish John Henry! They Might Be Giants' real rock record ends on a high note (not literally) with five fun and freaky songs. Turn it down? No! Turn it up and listen to our hot and heavy discussion of Thermostat. We might not be reliable as we talk and interrupt each other looking at what's under the hood of this song. Then we're checking out Window and the possible women, men (ok only men) Linnell may be making fun of in this song. We discuss how a stranger could have loved the lone John Flansburgh song in this batch, the cautionary tale, Out of Jail! We blast our missive and shout shout shout shout scream out our love of Stompbox! And if you're still around, finally, we reach the end of the road as we reveal the surprising inspiration behind End of the Tour that makes the picture abruptly change! I swear and I swear it's a great episode! Plus, we're sailing along once again with the people who played on John Henry, guitarist Jay Sherman-Godfrey and trumpet player Steven Bernstein! Is this episode bursting in flames or is it just me? KILL ME NOW! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

This week on Record Club, Ryley and Jakob are discussing the latter's favorite band, the eclectic, irreverent, and always fun They Might Be Giants, zeroing in on their sophomore record, 1988's masterful Lincoln. They break down many of the band's biggest songs and talk about everything that makes the writing of John Linnell and John Flansburgh so exciting and emotional, and why they're such an easy band to love if you're a music nerd. Let us know what this album (and band!) means to you in the comments on YouTube.

John Linnell is one half of the beloved musical duo They Might Be Giants.  For 40 plus years, John Linnell and John Flansburgh have been making fun, quirky, memorable music.  Really good music.  For adults.  For kids.  For everyone.  Their friendship dates back even longer to growing up just outside of Boston.  My conversation with John Linnell is about that friendship and the early years of a musical partnership: a first gig that actually involved the then new Sandinista government, getting their video on MTV at a time when no one in their Brooklyn neighborhood had MTV and then creating one of the coolest ideas in music, Dial-A-Song. More than 40 years of music and friendship.  They Might Be Giants, indeed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Commence Official TMBG Podcast Exploration! Jordan and Dave are back in our prison cells, thinking these words about five more songs off of They Might Be Giants' John Henry! We barely contain our secret smiles as we shriek to the lovely music of No One Knows My Plan! We attempt to cook up an angle on what the plan may be...And we must be silent because we have a special guest, trumpet player Steven Bernstein, telling us all about his incredible work on John Henry all throughout this episode! Then we're on our way to discuss the ground-shaking song Dirt Bike! We all hail philosopher John Flansburgh and his mind-bending song that may be about a cult, or a band, or a cult band, or a band of cults? Don't bother to call this room, we're too busy talking about how Destination Moon blows us away! We have stuff we need to talk about as we discuss the various moon-based pop cultural artifacts that may have inspired John Linnell! Then we look down the stairwell and into the bottomless pit of our souls as we get hopelessly lost following a vanishing dot on the map of Boston, Massachusetts, I mean...A Self Called Nowhere! Let me take you there! Finally, we gather round and sit and stare at Meet James Ensor, TMBG's famous song about Belgium's famous painter. We discuss Ensor's life and body...of work, and try to understand the man. You had better check it out! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA's racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin's war on Ukraine. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Putin's Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Kremlin Must Be in Crisis” They Might Be Giants - Gab On (Theme to the Slate Political Gabfest) Here are this week's chatters: John: The Cormac McCarthy Journal Emily: The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age, by Danielle Keats Citron; The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City, by Nicholas Dawidoff David: David chattered about dining outside in Texas. Listener chatter from Lara Lowenstein: The Mountain Dogs For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John interview John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants about their work and the Gabfest's new theme song.     Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA's racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin's war on Ukraine. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Putin's Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Kremlin Must Be in Crisis” They Might Be Giants - Gab On (Theme to the Slate Political Gabfest) Here are this week's chatters: John: The Cormac McCarthy Journal Emily: The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age, by Danielle Keats Citron; The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City, by Nicholas Dawidoff David: David chattered about dining outside in Texas. Listener chatter from Lara Lowenstein: The Mountain Dogs For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John interview John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants about their work and the Gabfest's new theme song.     Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson LA's racism & redistricting scandal, the Andy Warhol copyright case at the Supreme Court, and developments in Putin's war on Ukraine. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “Putin's Newest Annexation Is Dire for Russia Too” Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: “The Kremlin Must Be in Crisis” They Might Be Giants - Gab On (Theme to the Slate Political Gabfest) Here are this week's chatters: John: The Cormac McCarthy Journal Emily: The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age, by Danielle Keats Citron; The Other Side of Prospect: A Story of Violence, Injustice, and the American City, by Nicholas Dawidoff David: David chattered about dining outside in Texas. Listener chatter from Lara Lowenstein: The Mountain Dogs For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John interview John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants about their work and the Gabfest's new theme song.     Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Research by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for ROCKTOBER '22! What better way to kick it off than by bringing back the legendary John Flansburgh, co-founder of They Might Be Giants!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

By random whim, we have recorded another episode! Jordan and Dave discuss four songs with four fascinating unreliable narrators from They Might Be Giants' 1994 album John Henry! We blurt our merest ideas and shoot our mouths off about the singer's predicament in I Should Be Allowed To Think! There's no word in English to describe our appreciation for Extra Savoir-Faire! Through archival live show clips, we discover who John Flansburgh means to put down in this very modest song! We've both been thinking about Why Must I Be Sad, and now we understand what it's saying! We examine the Alice Cooper songs that John Linnell is referencing/mocking/tributing/??? in this heart-wrenching/funny/mean/sincere/??? tale. And finally, we gaze (with our ears) on Spy, and take a few educated guesses at just who is flying that spy plane, baby. I am not allowed to share my feelings on what a fantastic episode this turned out to be! COME ONNNN! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

They Might Be Giants is an alternative rock band that formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell.  They are known as an absurdist, surreal alternative band popular on modern rock charts and college radio.  They are also known in the DIY music genre and in children's music.  Flood is their third studio album and has been certified platinum.  It is their best selling album, and considered their signature work. During the 80's Flansburgh and Linnell started recording their songs onto an answering machine and advertised the phone number in The Village Voice and other newspapers as “Dial-A-Song.”  The answering machine would play one track at a time, sometimes uncompleted work, sometimes mock advertisements.  It became quite popular, but it was an answering machine, so the quality wasn't great.  One of their slogans was “Always Busy, Often Broken.” It was a local Brooklyn number, so long distance fees applied.  The band advertised it with the line, “Free when you call from work.”TMBG have released 23 studio albums, 10 compilations, 10 live albums, 8 EP's 7 videos and 11 singles.  They have also released five children's albums – Tiny Toon Adventures exposed them to a younger audience, and they leveraged it to expand their career. They made heavy use of the internet since the early 90's, creating one of the first artist-owned music stores in 2004, and have made podcasts on a monthly basis from 2005 to 2014.Bruce brings us this unusual album. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) This is a cover originally written in 1953 on the 500th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans.  Lyrics are by Jimmy Kennedy, music by Nat Simon, and performed by the Four Lads.  The TMBG version was featured in the first season of MTV's Liquid Television and in an episode of "Tiny Toon Adventures."Your Racist FriendIn discussing this song, John Flansburgh told Songfacts, “You can't confront every person who's making an ass of themselves.  But there are times when you want to.  So it's really about a subtler idea than over-the-top expressions of race hate.  It's more just about the culture.”Somebody Keeps Moving My ChairI think we can all identify with the premise of this song, that there's a lot of unpleasantness that we have to deal with, and we can do that for the most part.  But when somebody keeps moving your chair that is beyond the pale. Theme from FloodThis brief piece starts off the album and leads into “Birdhouse In Your Soul.”  It seemed like a good addition to include, since most of the songs are short.Birdhouse In Your Soul This is the lead single from the album, and is their highest charting single in both the US and the UK, hitting number 3 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 6 on the UK singles chart.  The lyrics are narrated from the perspective of a blue nightlight shaped like a canary.  We found it fascinating that there are 18 key changes in this song! ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:"The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman (from the television series "The Simpsons”)Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie made their TV series debut in this month in 1990, though they had shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show prior to that. STAFF PICKS:I Remember You by Skid RowBrian starts off this week's staff picks with an acoustic/power pop hair ballad from the band fronted by Sebastian Bach.  Bassist Rachel Boland and guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo penned this song which was their third single from their debut album.  It is about the girl from days gone by that you just can't forget. Fly High Michelle by Enuff Z'nuffRob's staff pick was inspired by a tragedy caused by a drug overdose.  Donnie Vie wrote this song in remembrance of a friend who had passed, and it was the biggest hit of the group's career.  The band takes their name from their bassist, Chip Z'nuff.Pure by The Lightning Seeds Wayne features this track from Liverpool's The Lightning Seeds.  The group is the product of producer Ian Broudie, and is really more of a solo project with musicians brought in to create a touring band.  The name comes from a misheard lyric from Prince's “Raspberry Beret.”Girl Like You by The SmithereensBruce's staff pick is the first single from the Smithereens third album,  appropriately (?) named 11.  Madonna was supposed to sing the harmony vocals but didn't show up for the recording session.  The band got Maria Vidal to do the vocals. It hit number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. NOVELTY TRACK:Swing the Mood by Jive Bunny and the MastermixersThis mashup of swing and early rock songs was on the charts in January 1990.

Co-hosts Jon Uleis and John Walker close out this podcast mini-series with a visit from lawyer, writer, and raconteur Jamie Lincoln Kitman, aka They Might Be Giants's longtime manager. Jamie offers an insider's view of several pivotal points in the band's career, as well as some poignant insights into the strength of John Flansburgh and John Linnell's supernaturally fruitful partnership and how the band has survived decades in this meat grinder of an industry. We also find out about Jamie's history as a car nut and why he went from law school to the wild world of post modern rock. This is a can't miss interview for fans of TMBG and a great note to end the show on, if we do say so ourselves. Dig it! Follow Jon Uleis on twitter and instagram: @movingtothesun Follow John Walker on twitter and instagram: @giannidubya

The transition from 1980s new wave and hair rock to 1990s far less follically-minded indie pop wasn't always a smooth one. But enigmatic, idiosyncratic, and frequently non-grammatical duo They Might Be Giants made it all go down so easy with instantly catchy hooks and frequently hilarious lyrics. The band's tongue-in-cheek non-sequiturs and unconventional instrumentation masked a knack for writing songs that made us hum the first time we heard them. Nowhere is that more evident than in their major label breakout hit “Birdhouse in Your Soul” from their 1990 album Flood, which is likely the first -- and only -- song ever sung from the POV of a night light. Yes, you read that right: The lyrics are from the perspective of a blue night light shaped like a canary -- something that only co-Giants John Linnell and John Flansburgh could pull off. In this 12th episode of The Story Behind the Song, host Peter Csathy interviews Linnell about how his mind found its way to concoct the addictive “Birdhouse in Your Soul.” As always on this podcast, Peter's guest also discusses their personal choice for our journey into a second song; in this case Linnell selects the band's recent surreal, sobering song “If Day For Winnipeg,” from their 2021 album BOOK. Linnell spoke with Peter from his flat in Brooklyn as he prepped for They Might Be Giants' forthcoming 40th anniversary tour (snag tickets here). Listen to the podcast now or check out full video of the discussion at Consequence. Then, make sure you're subscribed to The Story Behind the Song to catch each episode of the monthly series. You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at CREATV Media.

“We've been doing this for nineteen years now,” said a reflective John Flansburgh in 2001, perhaps not aware that They Might Be Giants would “do this” for another nineteen years and then some, with no signs of stopping. And thanks to this recently unearthed, 21-year-old phone interview, you can hear the most gregarious John hype the band's then-upcoming album Mink Car, detail a little onstage guitar experimentation, and ponder whether having music in a car commercial equals selling your soul (he doesn't think so). Caffeinate appropriately and check it, like, totally out! Follow Jon Uleis on Instagram and Twitter! @movingtothesun Follow John Walker on Instagram and Twitter! @giannidubya

We proudly present a conversation with Jonathan Feinberg, TMBG drummer for the Apollo 18 tour and the O Tannenbaum single! Jon talks to us about auditioning for They Might Be Giants, recording the Christmas classic, making demos with John Flansburgh, touring with the band, and the unpredictable rollercoaster ride that happened after his time with TMBG! Featuring tons of archival audio of the Apollo 18 tour, plus Jon's own incredibly fun pandemic songwriting, and other surprising surprises! Pull up a drum stool, kick back and crash! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

On the 12th anniversary episode of Beginnings taped back in December, I talk to John Linnell of They Might Be Giants! Raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts, John Linnell began writing music with his friend John Flansburgh in high school, and after playing in a number of bands formed TMBG with Flansburgh in 1982. From 1986's self-titled album to today, the band has released over fifty albums, compilations and EPs, has won two Grammys and was even nominated for a Tony Award. John hasn't produced a lot of solo work, but his State Songs album is great, and I wish his Roman Songs EP (sung entirely in Latin) would have been released in the '90s so I could have played it in Latin class to the bemusement of my teacher. Most recently, They Might Be Giants have released a 144 page book and album entitled BOOK, and much like everything else from their 40 year career, it's wonderful! This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh joins the Sound of Success this week to discuss the band's 40-year-career and its 23rd studio album, BOOK, out now. He talks to Nic about how Flansburgh and bandmate John Linnell make it work four decades later, the glory of the Beatles and why 'Get Back' is so damn long, his unpleasant introduction to Frank Zappa live, his love for Missy Elliott, Tierra Whack, Wet Leg, Mitski, and more.

A versatile musician and the co-founder of the Brooklyn-based alt rock band “They Might Be Giants” known for their uniquely experimental and absurdist style using surreal, humorous lyrics and unconventional instruments in their songs. John is a singer/songwriter, who plays accordion, baritone, bass saxophone, clarinet and keyboards. TMBG has released 23 albums and has two Grammy Awards. John shares the impact his parents' record collection had on him, the way his band found success in children's music and he gives insight into TMBG's newest album: “Book” with partner John Flansburgh.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Record Store Day Podcast. On Episode #59 Paul chats with John Flansburgh, one of two Johns in the mighty New York music and multimedia duo known as They Might Be Giants, about their career and band philosophy on the occasion of TMBG's recently released album and book, both called Book. RSD's Carrie Colliton reports on the state of the physical media world. For the latest RSD news go to RecordStoreDay.com. Sponsored as always by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, and Tito's Handmade Vodka. Please subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. "Record stores can't save your life but they can give you a better one" - Nick Hornby (High Fidelity)

Throughout nearly 40 years of recorded work (that's over twenty albums!), one thing has remained consistent about indie rock mainstays They Might Be Giants: the creative partnership of John Flansburgh and John Linnell. In the first episode of this brand-new podcast mini-series about the music of the band, self-trained TMBG scholars/enthusiasts Jon Uleis and John Walker try to define the things both songwriters bring to this long-running project by picking a few favorite tracks by each. Join us! Also, email us! (9secreteps@gmail.com)

John Flansburgh and John Linnell tell Marc the unlikely story of how a couple high school friends became a two-man band at the height of the New Wave performance art era in crime-ridden New York City and somehow carved out four decades of mainstream success as They Might Be Giants. The Johns also talk with Marc about children's music, selling out, the early days of MTV, Malcolm in the Middle, and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast.

This week, you're all gonna be in this experimental film! Provided, of course, that you're a fan of They Might Be Giants (TMBG) (and are OK with film being... tape? Nevermind). What is it about this quirky musical group that has kept fans interested for over 30 years? Next week, we'll put on our robes and wizard hats to talk about fans of tabletop RPGs! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Origins:** > They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. > > — [Wikipedia - They Might Be Giants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants) TMBG is known for having an unconventional, experimental kind of music, has released 19 studio albums (including _Flood_ which has been certified platinum), has created theme music for several television shows, and has produced children's music. Think you haven't heard of them? Try one of the following: - Boss of Me (theme song of _Malcolm in the Middle_) - Dog On Fire (opening theme of _The Daily Show with Jon Stewart_) - The theme song for _Oblongs_, and _The Wrong Coast_ - Birdhouse in your Soul, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), and Particle Man **Most Active:** Given that They Might Be Giants has been a band since the 1980s, it's not surprising that the [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F07n3s) data shows a pretty low amount of interest over time. To be fair, unlike many of the fandoms we've covered, interest in TMBG was already quite low in 2004. There was a huge spike in interest in July 2004 which corresponds to the the release of their album _The Spine_, and some smaller bursts of interest probably related to different album releases. Interest now is about 1/10th of the interest from 2004. **Size of Fandom:** They Might Be Giants has sold over 4 million records. Given that information and their 19 studio albums, a rough estimate of fans would give us between ~200 000 and 4 million. A different (much lower estimate) that gives an idea of the dedication of fans might be the _They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club_: > The Instant Fan Club returned for 2015 with an announcement in November 2014. There were initially 2,500 subscriptions available, which were meant to be available until January 5, 2015. All 2,500 spots were filled by December ... In addition to the regular level of membership ($98) and the Super-President tier ($250) introduced in 2012's fan club, the 2015 IFC offers a third option "for folks on a budget", Dial-A-Song Direct ($30). > > — [this might be a wiki - They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club](http://tmbw.net/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants_Instant_Fan_Club) TMBG has [over 330 000 likes on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/theymightbegiants/), over [65 000 followers on Twitter](https://twitter.com/tmbg?lang=en), and over [2200 subscribers on r/tmbg](https://www.reddit.com/r/tmbg/). **Around the world:** From the [Google Trends data again](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F07n3s), most fans of They Might Be Giants hail from English speaking countries: By and large, fans are from the United States, but there is also some interest in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand. **Did you know that...** - TMBG is [the unofficial band of the TV Tropes Wiki](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/TheyMightBeGiants)? - Melissa Joan Hart (_Clarissa Explains It All_, _Sabrina: The Teenage Witch_) got a job because of TMBG: > "I actually got the job for Clarissa Explains It All because of They Might Be Giants. The producer asked me about music, and I told them I liked TMBG (instead of popular bands like New Kids on the Block). He loved it, I got the job

Episode #36: Felice Ecker started music marketing agency Girlie Action Media in 1994. Since then, their clients have included everyone from Bikini Kill to Morrissey. Today on The Future of What, we talk to Felice about her success as an independent entrepreneur in our new Spotlight feature, where we hear advice from influential figures in the business. While Felice brought the wisdom of a successful decades-long career, her longtime client and our guest John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants brought laughs and anecdotes from TMBG's long and thriving existence. Music: “The Black Table” - Milagres “Brave Motion” - Hands “Belly of June” - Horse Feathers

Starting in the mid-1980s, They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh and John Linnell used an unusual method of DIY distribution to share new music with their fans. In this bonus clip from this week's episode, hear them tell host Ophira Eisenberg how they hacked their answering machine, and why.  Did you know Ask Me Another has a voicemail box? Call us at 563-ASK-ME-22 (563-275-6322) and record us your own song!