Podcast appearances and mentions of John Linnell

An episode of giant proportions!Here's what's in store for today's episode: * To kick off the episode, we're diving into the origins of They Might Be Giants back in 1982 in Brooklyn—and of course, we have to talk about their legendary Dial-A-Song fan hotline, which they kept running all the way until 2008!* TMBG is entirely supported by their fan club rather than a record label—and as a special perk, they create a personalized song for each paying member!* Also, their whole fan base is definitely 90% autistic. * Both Johns of TMBG have openly identified as neurodivergent, with John Linnell specifically describing himself as autistic.* Next, we dive into the autistic coding in certain TMBG songs—like Upside Down Frown, which seems to be about masking, and Dr. Worm, which is absolutely a special interest anthem.* Rejection sensitivity, pattern matching, burnout, info-dumping, and sensory overload are all major autistic themes that show up throughout their music, woven into their lyrics in a way that feels both deeply personal and incredibly relatable.* A lot of their work also features history-infodumps, with one of the most famous examples being their 1990 hit Istanbul (Not Constantinople)—a perfect example of their love for educational, hyper-specific storytelling.* Finally, we explore the deep autistic connection and sense of community built through music—especially how TMBG's fan club structure fosters that, creating a space where like-minded fans can bond over their shared love for the band's unique, neurodivergent-friendly artistry.“I can't ignore music when it's in a room. If I'm in a restaurant and I hear music, I feel oppressed by it.” - John Linnell“I have a latent desire for maximum efficiency of movement, which is motivated by laziness. I spend a fair amount of time thinking of the easiest way to do things.” - John Linnell“Yeah, that's an autistic song right there. That's the kind of song you come up with after reading Wikipedia at three in the morning.” - MattDid you enjoy this episode? We explored the deep autistic coding in They Might Be Giants' music, from themes of masking, rejection sensitivity, and sensory overload to their love of history-infodumps and special interest anthems. Tune in as we break down fan favorites like Dr. Worm and Upside Down Frown, and discuss how TMBG's fan club structure fosters autistic connection and community. Share your thoughts using #AutisticCultureCatch!Show Notes:Angela's TMBG is Autistic companion playlist: Musical References of TMBG: Stuff is the Way: ​​Favorite TMBG Quotes: https://www.reddit.com/r/tmbg/comments/189sult/what_are_sole_of_your_favorite_lyrics_from_they/Best TMBG Songs: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jeanlucbouchard/they-might-be-giants-best-songshttps://www.moonhooch.com/Related Episodes:QuestLove is AutisticFollow us on InstagramFind us on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLearn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPPJoin Matt's Autistic Connections Facebook GroupLearn more about Angela at AngelaKingdon.com Angela's social media: Twitter and TikTokOur Autism-affirming merch shop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com/subscribe

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

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.

1. Secure the scene 2. Call an ambulance 3. Assess the injuries It's time to put your First Aid training to the test as Dan and Hank discuss their recent, worst double bike crash ever in BikeRides history. Bike Crash related tracks forthcoming from La Lucura; Alasondro Alegre; Sun Room; Declan Murry Brown; Gracie Addison; The Coronets; John Linnell; The Tennessee Mafie Jug Band; Keith Cameron; Primitives.

This episodes special guest is the delightful John Linnell from They Might Be GiantsI met with John and we had a wonderful chat, talking about growing up, school, clubbing, great records and so much moreHope you enjoy this chat and if you do please feel free to support the podcast herehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/stuwhiffenorhttps://supporter.acast.com/offthebeatandtrack orwww.patreon.com/offthebeatandtrackPlease also subscribe and follow the podcast on the social media links belowOff The Beat & Trackwww.offthebeatandtrackpodcast.comhttps://twitter.com/beatandtrackpodhttps://www.facebook.com/offthebeatandtrackpodcast/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/offthebeatandtrack. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/offthebeatandtrack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. 

Dean chats with John Linnell, one half of the iconic band They Might Giants. Listen in to hear about the vision for their 1992 album Apollo 18, John's backyard astronomy practice, and a mini-lesson from Dean on astronomy misconceptions!Homework Assignment: Write to Dean with your astronomy questions and he might answer them in a future episode! Use subject line, "Hey Dean!" Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodFind Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up, More from Dean: www.astrodean.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/.

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.  

We believe in the power of the patient voice to provide inspiration and hope to others in similar situations. That's why we were thrilled to sit down with John Linnell, an individual who lives with COPD and who, since his diagnosis, has been advocating for COPD awareness, resources, and research.   John Linnell, COPD Patient John was diagnosed in 2005 and his journey led him to key roles in advocacy, in which he is active. John is a member of the Board of Directors for the US COPD Coalition and is an Advocacy Captain for the COPD Foundation. He serves on the Executive Board of Directors for EFFORTS (an international support group for the COPD community), a member of the Governing Board for the COPD PPRN (Patient Powered Research Network), and the Board of Directors of Right2Breathe, a nonprofit emphasizing early diagnosis and patient education. John also sat as a Consumer Reviewer for CDMRP (Congressional Directed Medical Research Programs) for the Department of Defense and now mentors new Consumer Reviewers.   John was a Co-investigator for a 3-year PCORI-funded study at Johns Hopkins: “Impact of a Peer Support Program Amongst COPD Patients and Their Caregivers”.   CMS/Medicare recently appointed John to a term as a patient representative on a Technical Expert Panel for the 2024 Impact Assessment of CMS Quality and Efficiency Measures. He also was asked to join the Patient Engagement Collaborative for the FDA. He also is a Patient Scholar for DIA (Drug Information Association) and spoke at their annual international conference this past year.   In addition, John is a frequent speaker and/or panel member at numerous national conferences dealing with both respiratory issues as well as advising digital health start-up enterprises as a Patient Advisor.

Baxie talks to Grammy Award winner John Linnell from They Might Be Giants! John talks about the band, their new music, and playing with Sparks at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. He also ties to solve the long-standing mystery of who is better? XTC or Adam Ant! Listen on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and on the Rock102 website!

Meisa Salaita, director of the 2023 Atlanta Science Festival, details their events at the intersection of Art and Science. Plus, John Dickson, artistic director of Coro Vocati, discusses the Atlanta chamber chorus ensemble's upcoming "Dear People" concerts. And They Might Be Giants are playing the Eastern this Saturday, and City Lights senior producer Kim Drobes catches up with singer and accordionist John Linnell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

Episode 89 The Theremin Part 2: Recordings After 1970 Playlist Ultimate Spinach, “(Ballad of The) Hip Death Goddess” from Ultimate Spinach (1968 MGM Records). This American psychedelic rock band was from Boston, Massachusetts, although they had a sound that had more an affinity with the free spirit of San Francisco. The Theremin has a prominent part in this song, following the vocalist and filling in some interesting instrumental parts. Bass and Feedback, Richard Nese; Vocals, Drums, Tabla, Bass Drum, Bells, Chimes, Keith Lahteinen; Vocals, Electric Guitar, Guitar, Kazoo, Barbara Hudson; Vocals, Electric Piano, Electric Harpsichord, Organ, Harpsichord, Twelve-String Guitar, Sitar, Harmonica, Wood Flute, Theremin, Celesta, Ian Bruce-Douglas; Vocals, Lead Guitar, Guitar Feedback, Sitar Drone, Electric Sitar, Geoffrey Winthrop. 8:11 Hawkwind, “Paranoia Part 2” from Hawkwind (1970 Liberty). Hawkwind was a pioneering space-rock and psychedelic group from the UK. They were known to use a theremin during their early years—1969 to 1973 and revived its use on stage in later performances using a Moog Etherwave model in the 2000s. This first album features a theremin added to much of the sonic textures, sometimes overtly but often run through effects to provide a looming background, as in this song. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish, but I think there is a theremin providing some of the droning background and then sporadic bursts of tones beginning around 4:25. 14:54 McKendree Spring, “God Bless the Conspiracy” from 3 (1972 Decca). Electric Violin, Viola, Theremin, Michael Dreyfuss; Electronics (Ring Modulator), Tom Oberheim; Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Dulcimer, Fran McKendree; Electric Bass, Larry Tucker; Electric Guitar, Martin Slutsky. This progressive band with experimental leanings was a quartet without a drummer. Dreyfus later said, “In God Bless the Conspiracy and No Regrets I was able to play viola and Theremin at the same time by bringing my body closer to the Theremin (to change pitch) while playing a harmony part on the viola,”(2006). He played a Theremin beginning 1969. He may have used a Moog theremin, such as the Troubadour. 6:53 Linda Cohen, “Horizon Jane” from Lake Of Light (1973 Poppy). Folky album from Philadelphia featuring several electronic musicians. Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Piano, Polytonic Modulator, Jefferson Cain; Classical Guitar, Composer, Linda Cohen; Flute, Stan Slotter; Producer, Electric Guitar, Matrix Electronic Drums, Modulator, Sitar, Synthesizer, Craig Anderton; Minimoog, Theremin, Charles Cohen. 3:36 Ronnie Montrose, “Space Station #5” from Montrose (1973 Warner Brothers). Ronnie Montrose added a custom-built Theremin to his equipment with the pitch antenna mounted on his aluminum (silver) Velano guitar so that he could play both at the same time. Volume for the theremin was controlled by a black box mounted on a mike stand, to which he stood nearby. He was recording with it throughout the 1970s. Here is a great live clip you where you can see how he played it. Note the end of the clip where he put the theremin guitar up against the speaker and wails on the volume control of the theremin control box. Bass, Bill Church; Drums, Denny Carmassi; Guitar, Theremin-Guitar, Ronnie Montrose; Vocals, Sam Hagar. 5:36 Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, “Time Captives” from Journey (1974 Passport). Fender Bass, Percussion, Vocals, Phil Shutt; Bentley Rhythm Ace, Vocals, Arthur Brown; Electric Guitar, Vocals, Andy Dalby; Mellotron, ARP 2600, EMS VCS 3, Piano, Theremin, Percussion, Vocals, Victor Peraino. 8:37 Michael Quatro, “Get Away” from In Collaboration with The Gods (1975 United Artists Records). Brother of Detroit rockers Suzi and Patti Quatro, he had a flare for progressive rock and electronic keyboards in the 1970s. The Theremin makes frequent appearances on this album, this track in particular. Arranger, Piano Baldwin, Electric Piano Gretsch Electro, Piano Tack Piano, Sonic Six Synthesizer, Effects Univox Phaser, Univox Stringman, EC-80 Echo, Elka Electric Piano, Hammond Organ, Minimoog Synthesizer, Univox Mini-Korg, Electroharmonix Boxes, Mellotron Violin, Cello, Flute, Effects Wah-Wah Pedals, Effects Syntha-Pedal, Bass Nova Bass, Horns, Organ Pipe Organ, Sounds Ring Modulation, Maestro Theremin, Electronic Effects, Percussion , Michael Quatro;Bass, Lead Vocals, Arranged By Arranging Assistance, Dave Kiswiney; Drums, Kirk (Arthur) Trachsel; Guitar, Teddy Hale. 4:04 Melodic Energy Commission, “Revise The Scene” from Stranger In Mystery (1979 Energy Discs). This is the first album from this Canadian space-rock, psychedelic and folk troupe from British Columbia. The Theremin was a key instrument in their ensemble and was custom-built by group member George McDonald. His Theremin would eventually be known as the Galactic Stream Theremin and would take some 25 years to build and evolve into a six antennae instrument for “tuning into the performers body motions.” During this recording, a simpler, more traditional version was used. Gas & Steam Bass, Bells, Tambourine, Mark Franklin; Dulcimer, Bowed Dulcimer, Khaen, Gongs, Flute, Randy Raine-Reusch; Hydro-electric Guitar, Custom-made Theremin, Aura, Wall Of Oscillation, George McDonald; Percussion, Tablas, Brass Tank, Glockenspiel, Roland SH5 Synthesizer, Organ, Paul Franklin; EMS Synthi AKS, Delatronics, Electric Guitar, Del Dettmar; Wordy Voice, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Roland SH 1000 Synthesizer, Gongs, Vibraphone, Kalimba, Stone Drum, Egyptian Shepherd's Pipe, Xaliman. 6:13 The Nihilist Spasm Band, “Elsinore” from Vol. 2 (1979 Music gallery Editions). Canadian group that used all hand-made instruments, including the kit-made Theremin by Bill Exley. Bass, Hugh McIntyre; Drums, Greg Curnoe; Guitar, John Clement, Murray Favro; Kazoo, John Boyle; Pratt-a-various, Art Pratten; Vocals, Theremin, Bill Exley. Recorded live at the Toronto Music Gallery, February 4th 1978. 5:14 Yuseff Yancy, Garret List, “Sweetness” Garrett List / A-1 Band, “Sweetness” from ‎Fire & Ice (1982 Lovely Music). Alto Saxophone, Byard Lancaster; Maestro Theremin, Electronics, Youseff Yancy; Vocals, Genie Sherman. 4:11. Todd Clark, “Into the Vision” from Into The Vision (1984 T.M.I. Productions). Guitar, Cheetah Chrome; Theremin, Bat-wing Guitar with ARP Avatar, Todd Clark; Found Vocals, William Burroughs. 8:38 Danielle Dax, “Yummer Yummer Man” from Yummer Yummer Man (1985 Awesome). UK artist Danielle Dax. Wah Guitar, Steve Reeves; Guitar, Slide Guitar, Organ, David Knight; Producer, arranger, lyrics, Vocals, Theremin, Tapes, Danielle Dax; Drums, Martyn Watts; Music by Danielle Dax, David Knight. Dax is an experimental English musician, artist, and producer, born as Danielle Gardner. 3:16 Mars Everywhere, “Attack of the Giant Squid” from Visitor Parking (1989 Audiofile Tapes). Cassette release from this space-rock band from the 1980s. Electric Guitar, Electronics, Tape, Ernie Falcone; Synthesizer, Theremin, Keyboards, Tom Fenwick. 5:03 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, “Vacuum of Loneliness” from The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (1992 Caroline). This NY band uses an original Moog Vanguard (circa 1960). This rock and blues band was active from 1991 until 2016. Baritone Saxophone, John Linnell; Drums, Russell Simins; Guitar, Vocals, Judah Bauer; Tenor Saxophone, Kurt Hoffman; Trumpet, Frank London; Vocals, Guitar, Moog Vanguard Theremin, Jon Spencer. Here is a video of a live performance of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with a Moog Vanguard Theremin (just after the 39-minute mark). 3:02 Calvin Owens and His Blues Orchestra, “Vincent Van Gogh” from That's Your Booty (1996 Sawdust Alley). Trumpet solo and vocals, Calvin Owens; Maestro Theremin, Youseff Yancy; Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Eddy De Vos, Kurt van Herck, Peter Vandendriessche; Backing Vocals, B. J. Scott, Frank Deruytter, Mieke Belange, Yan De Bryun; Baritone Saxophone, Bo Vander Werf, Johan Vandendriessche; Bass, Ban Buls, Roman Korohek; Cello, B. Piatkowski, X. Gao; Drums, Cesar Janssens, Laurent Mercier; Guitar, Marty Townsend, Yan De Bryun; Keyboards, Rafael Van Goubergen; Organ, Peter Van Bogart; Saxophone, Jimmy Heath; Tenor Saxophone, David "Fathead" Newman, Shelly Caroll Paul; Trombone, Marc Godfroid, Yan De Breker; Trumpet, Andy Haderer, Rüdiger Baldauf; Violin, D. Ivanov, E. Kouyoumdjian; Vocals, Archie Bell, Otis Clay, Ruby Wilson. 6:23. David Simons, “Music For Theremin And Gamelan (1998-1999), parts I and II” from Fung Sha Noon (2009 Tzadik). Theremin, Rob Schwimmer; Gamelan, Theremin, Sampler, MIDI Controller, Percussion, Marimba, Zoomoozophone, 43 Pitch Zither, Harmonic Canon, Slide Guitar, Chromelodeon harmonium, David Simons; Gamelan, Barbara Benary, Denman Maroney, John Morton, Laura Liben. 6:09 (part I) and 6:29 (part II) Lydia Kavina, “Voice of the Theremin,” composed by Vladimir Komarov from Music from The Ether, Original Works For Theremin (1999 Mode). TVox Tour model theremin, Lydia Kavina. Arranged, mixed, performed by Lydia Kavina. 8:11 Lydia Kavina, “Free Music #1,” composed by Percy Grainger from Music from The Ether, Original Works For Theremin (1999 Mode). TVox Tour model theremin, Lydia Kavina; mixed and spatialized, Steve Puntolillo. This work was originally written for theremin although Grainger had many ideas around how this type of “free music” should be played. This native Australian was fascinated by the sounds of the real world and invented a mechanical machine for making such sounds. In 1938, Grainger said, "...Out in nature we hear all kinds of lovely and touching 'free' (non-harmonic) combinations of tones, yet we are unable to take up these beauties and expressiveness into the art of music because of our archaic notions of harmony.” His adaptation of free music for theremin was an attempt to create sounds that were new to music. This version was multitracked by Kavina and an old acquaintance of mine, sound engineer Steve Puntolillo, to recreate the parts for four theremins. 1:19 The Kurstins, “Sunshine” from Gymnopedie (2000 Rouge Records). Composed by Roy Ayers; Minimoog, ARP String Ensemble, Organ, Guitar, Sampler, Drums, Rhodes Electric Piano, Greg Kurstin; Moog Theremin, Theremin Vocoder, Moogerfoogers, Pamelia Kurstin. 3:47 The Kurstins, “Outside” from Gymnopedie (2000 Rouge Records). Composed by Greg Kurstin; Minimoog, ARP String Ensemble, Organ, Guitar, Sampler, Drums, Rhodes Electric Piano, Greg Kurstin; Moog Theremin, Theremin Vocoder, Moogerfoogers, Pamelia Kurstin. 3:55 Hecate's Angels, “Shrink-Wrapped Soul” from Saints And Scoundrels (2004 redFLY Records). Los Angeles-based Pietra Wexstun is a composer, singer, keyboard and theremin player. Vocals, Farfisa organ, piano, theremin, sound effects, Pietra Wexstun; bass, Bill Blatt; guitar, Stan Ridgway; drums, Elmo Smith. 3:52 Pamelia Kurstin, “Barrow In Furness” from Thinking Out Loud (2007 Tzadik). From Kurstin first solo record. Composed, Produced, Theremin With L6 Looping Pedals and Microsynth Pedal, Guitar, Piano, Pamelia Kurstin. She played the Etherwave Pro Theremin by Moog fo this recording. Pamelia Kurstin, video with she and Bob Moogdiscussing the Etherwave Pro when it was introduced. Kurstin uses the Etherwave Pro Theremin by Moog Music. 5:12 Barbara Bucholtz, “SixEight” from Moonstruck (2008 Intuition Records). Bucholtz was a German theremin player and composer. She played a TVox Tour model theremin. Drums, Sebastian Merk; Music By, Contrabass Flute, Sampler, programmed, engineered, produced, and recorded by Tilmann Dehnhard; Trumpet, Arve Henriksen. 4:01 Herb Deutsch, “Longing” from Theremin One Hundred Years (2020 Electronic Sound). Composer, Herb Deutsch; Piano, Nancy Deutsch; Moog Melodia Theremin, Daryl Kubian. Recording from 2012. The beloved Herb Deutsch, who died recently at age 90, was an early collaborator with Bob Moog on the creation of the synthesizer. Herb became acquainted with Bob by purchasing a Theremin kit—a Moog Melodia model, in the early 1960s. He was primarily responsible for convincing Moog to add a keyboard to his modular unit. Also, this is taken from a terrific compilation of modern Theremin artists to benefit the New York Theremin Society. Check it out. 3:38 M83, “Sitting” from M83 (2016 Lowlands Festival). This is a live recording from Holland. “Sitting” was a song on M83's first album in 2001. But it didn't have a theremin part until they decided to spice-up the live interpretation of the song in 2016. Jordan Lawlor uses a Moog Theremini when M83 performs this in concert. He puts down his guitar, grabs some drum sticks, beats a rhythm on some electronic drums while dancing in place and moving his hands around a theremin. You can hear the theremin in this track but don't mistake it for the keyboard tones that Gonzalez is playing on his modular system. A longer sequence of theremin begins at 1:38 in the audio. You can view the video here, beginning at 26:54 into the show. M83 is a French electronica band founded in 1999 by Anthony Gonzalez, who remains the only sole member from the original outfit. Performing members on this live tour included: Anthony Gonzalez, lead vocals, modular synthesizers, keyboards, guitars, piano, bass, drums, percussion, programming, arrangement, mixer, production; Loïc Maurin, drums, percussion, guitar, bass, keyboards; Jordan Lawlor, guitars, vocals, multi-instrumentalist; Kaela Sinclair, Dave Smith and M-Audio keyboards, vocals; Joe Berry, piano, synthesizers, electronic wind instrument, saxophone. 4:03 Radio Science Orchestra, “Theme from Doctor Who” (2019). This UK-based band unites theremin, ondes martenot, Moog and modular electronics, for its performances. They've played such events as the TEDSummit, the British Library, and Glastonbury Festival. They made a concert recording with Lydia Kavina in 2009 of the Theme from Doctor Who. This version was made more recently and appears to also include Kavina. She plays the TVox Tour model theremin made by her husband G. Pavlov. 2:18 Thorwald Jørgensen, Kamilla Bystrova, “Moderato” from Air électrique: Original Music For Theremin And Piano (2020 Zefir). Jørgensen is an accomplished Dutch classical theremin player. Piano, Kamilla Bystrova; Liner Notes, Design, Moog Etherwave Pro Theremin, Thorwald Jørgensen. 2:10 Dorit Chrysler, “A Happy Place” from Theremin One Hundred Years (2020 Electronic Sound). Issued with the magazine's 7” vinyl and magazine bundle Electronic Sound Magazine, issue 70. Written, produced, and performed by Dorit Chrysler. 2:06 Dorit Chrysler, “Calder Plays Theremin Side A” from Calder Plays Theremin (2023 NY Theremin Society/Fridman Gallery) Written for Theremin Orchestra in 5 Movements, Chrysler's work is based on a commissioned sound piece by The Museum of Modern Art in conjunction with the exhibition Alexander Calder: Modern from the Start. Chrysler identified two of Alexander Calder's sculptures, Snow Flurry, I (1948) and Man-Eater with Pennants (1945), to interact and “play” multiple Theremins on site. I believe the Theremin are various Moog models. Calder Plays Theremin is a co-release of the NY Theremin Society and Fridman Gallery. 8:48   Opening background tracks: Ronnie Montrose, “Open Fire” (excerpt) from Open Fire (1978 Warner Brothers). Bass, Alan Fitzgerald; Drums, Rick Shlosser; Guitar, Custom-built Theremin mpounted to his electric guitar, Ronnie Montrose; composed by Edgar Winter, Ronnie Montrose. 2:09 Hooverphonic, “‎L'Odeur Animale” from The Magnificent Tree (2000 Columbia). Guitar, Raymond Geerts; Keyboards, Bass, Programmed by Alex Callier; Vocals, Geike Arnaert; Maestro Theremin, trumpet, Youseff Yancy; Fairlight, Effects, Dan Lacksman. 3:46. Opening and closing sequences voiced by Anne Benkovitz. Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes. See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation: For additional notes, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.

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

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

September was a ton of fun with new episode styles, very philosophical and inspirational stories, and a deep dive into Brooke's favorite topic: conservation tourism. In case you missed an episode or were on the fence about listening to the full thing, check out these clips from each episode to see if you might want to go back and listen to it in its entirety. Episode Recaps: Ep. 89 | How to Conserve & Restore Our Islands with Dena Spatz, PhD, David Will, and Nick Holmes, PhD Ep. 90 | Coexisting with Europe's Large Carnivores with John Linnell, PhD Ep. 91 | How to Become a Conservation Traveler Ep. 92 | Bringing Rhinos Back to Hwange with Mark ‘Butch' Butcher Ep. 93 | Rhinos, River Dolphins, & the Ethics of India's Tiger Reserves with Harshini Jhala Our Rhino Conservation Campaign with The Katie Adamson Conservation Fund is still running! Purchase a specially designed hoodie or t-shirt for rhino conservation! Proceeds are donated to KACF. https://rewildology.com/shop/ If you're liking the show, please hit the follow button and share with someone you think would enjoy this episode. Sharing is the best way to help the show grow! Check out ways to support the podcast! https://rewildology.com/support-the-show/ Recording gear provided by Focusrite: https://store.focusrite.com/en-gb/categories/focusrite/vocaster/vocaster-one Discover more ways to watch, listen, and interact: https://linktr.ee/Rewildology Join the Rewildologists Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rewildologists Follow Rewildology Instagram: https://instagram.com/rewildology/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewildology Twitter: https://twitter.com/rewildology YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxNVIeC0km8ZGK_1QPy7-iA

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.

To take us on a journey through coexistence and the evolving philosophy of conservation, in this episode we're sitting down with John Linnell, PhD, Senior Researcher Scientist and Professor at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. John and I have one of the most philosophical conversations I've had yet on the show. We explore large carnivores' history across the European continent using the lynx as a model species, what the term coexistence means to him, where the Rewilding Europe initiative fits into carnivore restoration, and what conservation actually means in 2022. See full show notes at rewildology.com. If you're liking the show, please hit the follow button and share with someone you think would enjoy this episode. Sharing is the best way to help the show grow! Check out ways to support the podcast! https://rewildology.com/support-the-show/ Recording gear provided by Focusrite: https://store.focusrite.com/en-gb/categories/focusrite/vocaster/vocaster-one Discover more ways to watch, listen, and interact: https://linktr.ee/Rewildology Join the Rewildologists Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rewildologists Follow Rewildology Instagram: https://instagram.com/rewildology/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewildology Twitter: https://twitter.com/rewildology YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxNVIeC0km8ZGK_1QPy7-iA

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

Meredith Pryce makes her debut on the show to talk about this beloved early b-side. We talk about the 80's children's book and how John Linnell is lying that he never heard of it, we talk about what makes this song the best b-side in their entire career and we find a million great covers in a million styles.

A discussion of the band They Might Be Giants, formed in New York in 1982 by Lincolnites John Flansburgh and John Linnell

Large terrestrial carnivores, like wolves, bears and lynx, are the poster children for conservation and rewilding efforts. Also, they are usually right in the epicentre of the human-wildlife conflict which always sparks emotions. That makes it easy to use them to politicize conservation.In many previous podcasts, our discussions about rewilding inevitably led us to talk about the issues surrounding large carnivores. But this episode is solely dedicated to our coexistence with these predators. And that's because today's guest is Dr John Linnell, who conducts interdisciplinary research on the interactions between humans and wildlife to mitigate conflict.John works as a senior scientist at the Department of Terrestrial Ecology at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and as a professor at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management at the Inland Norway University of Applied Science.Support the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/tommysoutdoorsRecommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/the-best-nature-books/T-shirts: tommysoutdoors.com/tommys-outdoors-t-shirts/Follow Tommy's Outdoors onTwitter: twitter.com/outdoorspodcastInstagram: instagram.com/tommysoutdoorsFacebook: facebook.com/tommysoutdoorsTikTok: tiktok.com/@tommysoutdoorsYouTube: youtube.com/tommysoutdoors See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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

Making 23 albums since 1987 has kept They Might Be Giants pretty busy, but that didn't stop songwriters/frontmen/BFFs John Flansburgh and John Linnell from developing a few solo or spinoff projects. What can be gathered from these scattered releases? What is the meaning of John without John? And, most importantly, where do these walking, talking song machines find the time? All those questions and a lot more are addressed as co-hosts Walker and Uleis welcome comedian-podcaster-actor-songwriter and TMBG devotée Will Hines to the show. Bonus fun: Will also shares a few thoughts about his many appearances on the influential Comedy Bang Bang podcast! No trumpets left untrumpeted and no Beatles comparisons left unturned. Follow Will on instagram! @williebhines Follow Jon Uleis on twitter and instagram! @movingtothesun Follow John Walker on twitter and instagram! @giannidubya

As improbable as it seems, They Might Be Giants is turning 40 next year. John Linnell is one half of that duo, the other half being John Flansburgh. Linnell is a singer-songwriter who plays accordion, baritone and bass saxophone, clarinet, and keyboards. He also released a solo EP this year ... sung entirely in Latin. (And yet he still wonders why some people think he's a nerd.) Join us for a delightful and delightfully wide-ranging chat about the history of the band and Linnell's own life. Brooklyn news and views you can use: bkmag.com Email: hello@bkmag.com Follow along on Facebook: Brooklyn Magazine Twitter: @brooklynmag Instagram: @brooklynmagazine Follow Brian Braiker on Twitter: @slarkpope

Why Not Both is an exploration of how our multiple passions shape our identity, hosted by musician and therapist Pam Shaffer and produced by writer and photographer Laura Studarus. For our fourth season, we partnered up with Under The Radar to explore the lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives. Over the last several decades, They Might Be Giants have done everything from making award winning children's music to iconic Dunkin Donuts commercials to their latest record BOOK (which is also, coincidentally, a book). We got to talk to John Linnell about the importance of exploring new creative paths once you feel comfortable in your own artistic identity as he narrated how TMBG evolved from its origins as a high school collaboration. Ultimately it comes down to just making the stuff that you want to see in the world and knowing that there is very likely someone, or many someones, who are simply thrilled that you did. Thanks again for listening! Make sure to subscribe, leave us a nice review, and hang out with us on Insta and Twitter. You can also support us on Patreon. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/why-not-both/support

In this episode, I spoke with Cody-Rose Clevidence about their latest publication, Aux Arc / Trypt Ich, out with Nightboat Books. We dug into language, exploring motif, grief, love—all that good stuff.  Cody-Rose Clevidence is the author of BEAST FEAST (2014) and Flung/Throne (2018), both from Ahsahta Press, Listen My Friend This is the Dream I Dreamed Last Night from The Song Cave and Aux Arc / Trypt Ich as well as several handsome chapbooks (flowers and cream, NION, garden door press, Auric).  They live in the Arkansas Ozarks with their medium sized but lion-hearted dog, Birdie and an absolute lunatic cat.   Cody-Rose's Instagram Buy Aux Arc / Trypt Ich! Poets, books, etc. mentioned in this episode: Cody-Rose Clevidence's BEAST FEAST  Turquoise waters of the Ozarks "Apophatic" was the word I was trying to remember! I can't read this work because of the paywall, but it seems like it might be useful in exploring Manley Hopkins's contemplations of God.  H.D. Homer Algernon Charles Swinburne William Wordsworth English literature's Romanticism  Gerard Manley Hopkins Stephen Taylor's Building Thoreau's Cabin Jerome Rothenberg (editor), Technicians of the Sacred  Jerome Rothenberg (editor), Shaking the Pumpkin: Traditional Poetry of the Indian North Americas Guy Deutscher's The Unfolding of Language Guy Deutscher's Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's Metaphors We Live By   Editor and Social Media Manager: Mitchel Davidovitz Host and Producer: Avren Keating Sound of Waves Breaking: "Arkansas" by John Linnell. At last, one half of TMBG makes it onto the pod.

They Might Be Giants have a new album and art book available now - both entitled "Book." The book "Book" was born through a series of brainstorms with longtime TMBG collaborator and legendary graphic designer Paul Sahre. "Book" finds TMBG expanding their world-view through multiple mediums while continuing to refine their songwriting craft. Two-time Grammy winners, TMBG started with Dial-A-Song Service powered by a lone phone machine out of their Brooklyn apartments, since then they have made 23 albums and have infiltrated your television sets with original themes and incidental music for numerous shows and commercials. They have a new song every day on their smartphone app. John Linnell joins us.

John Linnell and John Flansburgh, members of the band They Might Be Giants, talk about their work and their latest project, BOOK -- an art book featuring photography and lyrics set in concrete poetry, plus an album of music released on CD, vinyl and cassette. 

At the heart of They Might Be Giants, there are two Johns: John Flansburgh and John Linnell. The two singer/songwriters have been writing and recording together since 1982 — nearly 40 years. In that time, the band's released 22 albums, won two Grammys, and have cultivated a fanbase that is passionate, fun-loving... maybe a little nerdy. Their newest project, BOOK, is a record, but it's also... a book. It's a hardcover collection of photos of the band's longtime home of New York City, by street photographer Brian Karlsson. The photos are set alongside lyrics from the band. The Johns sat down with our correspondent Jordan Morris to talk about their early years, their songwriting process, and their "lost album" — plus, have they heard the crust punk version of Ana Ng? We'll play it for them!

John Linnell discusses the new They Might Be Giants album and book, BOOK, the band's dark whimsy, late night talk shows, photos and typewriters, If Day, The Larry Sanders Show and Scott Thompson, future plans, and more! Supported by you on Patreon, Pizza Trokadero, the Bookshelf, Planet Bean Coffee, and Grandad's Donuts. Support Y.E.S.S. and Black Women United YEG. Follow vish online. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/kreative-kontrol. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Finally splashing down from our lunar mission, Jordan and Dave close the (space?) book on They Might Be Giants' Apollo 18 by resurrecting and inspecting the demos and dial-a-songs made for the album! We begin with a viewing "party" of the infamous Apollo 18 Promo, featuring the hit song "Integrity Project", and a pre-Power Point Power-Point-esque slideshow, with funny jokes and cool stuff! DON'T LET'S START POD "EXPLAINS" THE POWER SPHERES, 20,000K YOUTUBE HITS! Yeah, man! Then we discuss a WALLOPING NINETEEN demos and dial-a-songs, including the WALLOPING I Palindrome I written by Mr. John Flansburgh, a shockingly funky (so pack your bag!) She's Actual Size written by Mr. John Flansburgh, and a mind-bending nightmare version of Turn Around (written by Mr. John Linnell)! We also nitty the picks of the Apollo 18 B-side demos (you better believe they are WALLOPING), including the Fun-derful (Ⓒ Jordan Cooper) Welcome To The Jungle demo, and the terrifying tale of Music Jail, "Free Bird's Rebirth." Throughout the jam-packed episode Jordan and Dave discuss songwriting methods, "what is a demo", running into Mr. John Flansburgh at a record store, "what is a praline", camel misunderstandings, and so much more! Coming to you faster than you can say 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...blast off! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

Utah by John Linnell.    Join Harry and Ben as they review minute 113 of Zack Snyder's Justice League. 

Welcome to Spectacular Vernacular, Slate's new podcast about language! In our inaugural episode, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday marvel at Zaila Avant-garde's historic win at Scripps National Spelling Bee. They also chat with They Might Be Giants', John Linnell, about creating his new pandemic project in Latin. And finally, they do some fun language puzzles, and you can play along at home.  Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. You can also use that email address to let us know if you'd like to take part in a future episode, where we'll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay.   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Spectacular Vernacular, Slate's new podcast about language! In our inaugural episode, hosts Ben Zimmer and Nicole Holliday marvel at Zaila Avant-garde's historic win at Scripps National Spelling Bee. They also chat with They Might Be Giants', John Linnell, about creating his new pandemic project in Latin. And finally, they do some fun language puzzles, and you can play along at home.  Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com. You can also use that email address to let us know if you'd like to take part in a future episode, where we'll bring in listeners for some challenging wordplay.   You can listen to John Linnell's new EP here. Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Cheyna Roth.  Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Months ago, I rounded up three IFC-member friends to talk about John Linnell's new EP Roman Songs, and now that the EP has been released to the masses, so may this episode! Old friends Cari Hearn and Spencer Parks are joined by new friend and high school Latin teacher Dessa Asp to talk about Roman Songs! Woot!

Make sure to listen to our second pledge break for a very special announcement that could put YOU on an episode of GFY...It’s all about that classic trio of music, movies and medicine this week on our second #MaxFunDrive episode of Go Fact Yourself!Justin McElroy’s podcast career spans multiple shows including the hugely popular “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” and “The Adventure Zone.” Through it all, he’s never lost sight of the things he owes his career to: a lifetime of insulting his brothers and the recently shut down Yahoo Answers service.Justin will compete against his wife Dr. Sydnee McElroy. She shows off her medical expertise on the podcast “Sawbones” (which she hosts with Justin!) and “Still Buffering” (which she hosts with her siblings). Sydnee’s also asked to display her knowledge in other unconventional places… mainly at family functions and to strangers who want her to check their moles. This episode is a special Max Fun Drive edition of trivia competition. To become a Max Fun Member and support Go Fact Yourself for as little as $5 a month, go to Maximumfun.org/joinWhat’s the difference: Oh Rob!What’s the difference between a robbery and a burglary?What’s the difference between rob and steal?Areas of ExpertiseJustin McElroy: Wood working, the show Sleep No More and the band They Might Be GiantsSydnee McElroy: Archie comics, the movie Grease 2 and making slimeAppearing in this episode:J. Keith van StraatenHelen HongJustin McElroyDr. Sydnee McElroyWith guest experts:Maxwell Caulfield, actor and filmmaker with dozens of credits across Broadway, TV and film -- including Grease 2.John Linnell, founder of Brooklyn alternative rock legends They Might Be Giants.Go Fact Yourself was devised and produced by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, in collaboration with Maximum Fun. Theme Song by Jonathan Green.Maximum Fun's Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.Associate Producer and Editor is Julian Burrell.Mask-wearing and vaccine-getting by YOU.

Lydia Sekscenski, Dana Williamson and myself dissect the 1996 solo EP by John Linnell, released for the Hello Recording Club. We discuss every track, talk about the mayors, the music, and find a few covers.

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)

When we woke up this morning... "Peeing In Her Butt" wasn't even a glimmer in our Covid-fogged brains. Yet here we are. Please enjoy yet another unsolicited rant on our political, religious and overall world views lumped in with a story about kegs of microbrew, 2 old ladies recklessly endangering lives in an RV, and high caliber musicians being forced to cater to our drunken whims. We'd like to take this moment to formally apologize to John Linnell of They Might Be Giants. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fhebadmormons/support

They Might Be Giants With A Timely Reminder: “Science Is Real” Fans of the band They Might Be Giants are likely to be familiar with the band’s version of the 1959 Tom Glazer song “Why Does The Sun Shine?” As they sing, “The sun is a mass / of incandescent gas / a gigantic nuclear furnace.” In their album “Here Comes Science,” the band revisits that song, and follows it with a fact-checking track titled “Why Does the Sun Really Shine?” In the lyrics, they describe the science of plasma. The album also includes an ode to the elements, descriptions of what blood does in the body, and songs describing the scientific process. In a reminder that resonates for the start of 2021, one song is titled “Science is Real.”   In this archival segment from 2009, John Linnell and John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants join Ira in the studio to discuss the album, and to play some science songs. Name That Call: Test Your Animal Sound Trivia Can you differentiate the cry of an Antarctic Weddell seal from the song of an emperor penguin? How about the bellows of a howler monkey from a warthog’s rumbling roar? The animal kingdom is filled with diverse calls and sounds, and for World Wildlife Day earlier this week on Tuesday, we curated them—in a quiz. SciFri’s digital producer Daniel Peterschmidt teamed up with Google Earth to create an interactive quiz that hops you around the world and highlights the many (sometimes surprising) sounds that species make. Daniel challenges Ira to an animal sound showdown. Test your knowledge and explore the wide world of screeches, howls, and growls with the Science Friday Google Earth Animal Sound Quiz! The Luxury Ostrich Eggs Of The Bronze And Iron Age Upper Class Today, if you want to show off that you’ve made it, you might buy a top-of-the-line Rolex watch, or line your garage with Ferraris and Rolls Royces. But in the Iron and Bronze age, one of the luxury goods of choice was to put a highly decorated ostrich egg in your tomb. These status symbols have been found in multiple European Iron and Bronze Age locations, despite ostriches not being indigenous to the area. A team of scientists wanted to know the origins of these eggs—and just how they made it from Africa into the hands of the Iron and Bronze Age elite. Mediterranean archaeologist Tamar Hodos, an author on the study recently published in Antiquity, explains how the team determined that these eggs came from wild ostriches, rather than captive birds, and what this reveals about the ancient luxury trade. See a gallery of these ostrich eggs below!

We get deep into some amazing tunes and some amazing lives in this week's episode, folks! And we enjoy spiced warmed wine while we do it! First, Kat has total heart eyes for iconic music duo and genre-defying geniuses John Flansburgh and John Linnell of the band They Might Be Giants! Then, Micaela takes us down an inspiring and emotional road while teaching us about the incredible actor Robin Williams! We also sneak into Micaela's roommates room for wine, listen to feminist-driven hip-hop, and share book recommendations! CONTENT WARNING NOTE: This episode discusses depression and a death by suicide. At the bottom of this description are some resources you can use for free if you or a loved one need help. Please reach out if you're in pain. You are loved. Follow us on instagram and twitter: @Crushworthypod Email us at: crushworthypodcast@gmail.com **Timestamps** 00:00:24 | Welcome & Intro's 00:02:30 | Self-Love Circle 00:08:12 | Crush Corner pt. 1: John Flansburgh and John Linnell 00:28:50 | Crush Corner pt. 2: Robin Williams 00:57:06 | Infatuation Station ------- Materials Referenced: They Might Be Giants Wiki: http://tmbw.net/wiki/Main_Page The TMBG Song "Destination Moon": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y10aEKRXu8 The TMBG Instant Fan Club: http://tmbw.net/wiki/They_Might_Be_Giants_Instant_Fan_Club TMBG on "Blue's Clues": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jXhz39FVHc Robin Williams' Biography: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robin-Williams A Compilation of Robin Williams' Voices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMcLAqH3R-Q Ashnikko's YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/user/ashnick333 Goodread's Page on The Power by Naomi Alderman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29751398-the-power **The following links are here if you need them. If you're in pain, please reach out. We love you. - M&K** The Text Suicide Hotline (FREE): https://www.crisistextline.org/suicide?msclkid=38154f8045561fb3aa6a11e199b52ffb The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (FREE): https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crushworthy/support

Nevada by John Linnell, Bernie Wins Nevada, Great Day for Democracy, Culinary Workers Union Health Care, Corporate Media Election Participation, Social Democracy, Democrats Abandoned Working Class, The High Cost of Doing Nothing, Who Reaps the Profits? Who Pays the Price? By Leon Rosselson #BernieSanders Bernie-2020.com https://flipboard.com/@unrelatedthings/bernie-2020-ra491jtgy Twitch.tv/unrelatedthings

My Patreon subscribers have voted and approved that I can throw this baby in the main feed - this was the very first special Patreon exclusive episode, with (now many-time guest) Spencer Parks and myself talking about the first three tracks on John Linnell's 1999 solo album State Songs (Illinois, Songs of The Fifty States, West Virginia), an album which has just been released for the first time on vinyl. This is from last January, and the next special episode about tracks 4-6 with guest Adam Goren aka Atom and His Package is coming in 2 weeks or less! Go visit the Patreon page at Patreon dot com slash ThisMightBeAPodcast!

Josh sits down with Gary Leib to discuss his work on the film, specifically on key scenes like the title sequence, "Old Jewish Ladies," and "Who is Harvey Pekar?" Gary's background as an alternative cartoonist (Idiotland) and musician, and his long-standing partnership with Doug Allen. How Gary got into animation and initially hooked up with Ted Hope and Good Machine. John Kuramoto's vital contributions to the animation. Getting to know Harvey at Sundance, and what it was like when American Splendor won the Grand Jury Prize. Why Gary can't toot his own horn in the age of Trump. Shout-outs to Rubber Radio, John Linnell from They Might Be Giants, Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, Fantagraphics, Denis Kitchen, Spain, Zap Comix, Love God, Tim Streeto, Fellini's Amarcord, and HBO's Maud Nadler. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scenebyscene/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scenebyscene/support

Direct from Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants, this is the only authorized and official podcast from the band. Often imitated, never remunerated. Specializing in original, live and/or rare material from the band, please enjoy TMBG's finest podcast!

It's no secret that Kevin and Kornflake are longtime fans of Brooklyn's ambassadors of love, They Might Be Giants. (Their matching Doctor Worm tattoos sort of gave it away.) And since John Linnell (you know, the keyboard/accordion half of the band) has a birthday this week, we're sharing a few TMBG memories, and flipping through a giant (well, it might be giant) stack of TMBG albums. Including: Kevin and Kornflake on the radio, Doornail and Kornflake on a bus, Kornflake providing a shirt for John Flansburgh (you know, the guitar half of the band) at a TMBG show, a drunk idiot crashing onto Kevin at another TMBG show, and much more. So to borrow a title from a TMBG record: join us. Let's see if we can get this whole Istanbul/Constantinople business figured out. Plus: Another Kornflake on the Road segment, in which we enter the nasty world of pantomime. (Or perhaps it's just "panto." We're still confused.)

Your panacea's in a podcast app! We built a little podcast out of some crazy garbage! I've got a match; your embrace and my podcast! Tracks 10-18 of the 1988 album Lincoln by the band They Might Be Giants get examined by the friends Dave & Jordan, and you'll be shocked & appalled at how much there is to talk about! Our hosts chit their chats about so many topics stemming from these songs, such as the nature of psychopaths, nature, paths, one of the times Jordan met John Linnell, introducing children to Satanism, Dave's distaste for slap bass, seedy New York tales of CBGB's, and so much more! You'll wish the episode never ended! And it doesn't! I'll repeat it for those who may not have already guessed: DON'T MISS THIS EPISODE! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dontletsstart/support

Our first Patreon exclusive episode is live! Greg chats with guest Spencer Parks about the first three tracks on John Linnell’s 1999 solo album State Songs. $5 a month gets you an extra exclusive every month!

Paul uncovers another interview from the vault, this time a 2013 cracker with They Might Be Giants founder John Linnell. They discuss the classic albums ‘Flood’ & ‘Lincoln’ plus the making of the bands 16th album, ‘Nanobots’ & adapting the groups recorded repertoire into the live environment. This interview is a great reminder that you should really research about who wrote what before going in balls deep. https://www.theymightbegiants.com

This episode is dedicated to COPD patients around the world struggling to breathe. In this episode I chat to fellow patients John Linnell and Meredith Lores about what World COPD Day means to them.

This episode is dedicated to COPD patients around the world struggling to breathe. In this episode I chat to fellow patients John Linnell and Meredith Lores about what World COPD Day means to them.

John Linnell of They Might Be Giants talks to Jason Barnard about new single “The Communists Have The Music” and his songwriting. This podcast interview features John talking about a selection of key They Might Be Giants tracks. The Communists Have The Music (Single, Lojinx, 2018) Let's Get This Over With (I Like Fun, Idlewild, 2018) […] The post John Linnell – They Might Be Giants appeared first on The Strange Brew.

Host Lior Phillips chats with John Linnell, one of the Johns from They Might Be Giants. Lior and John dig into the genesis of the Dial-A-Song project, touring with the Pixies early in the band's career, the majesty of the contra-alto clarinet, and They Might Be Giants' new album, I Like Fun. This episode was brought to you by our friends at Vivid Seats. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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

They Might Be Giants singer John Linnell and historian Amy Greenberg are guests on this episode. Through hard work and strategic lying, the 11th president managed to accomplish everything on his agenda. But is being effective the same as being great?

In a special episode of The DiRT, we talk to John Linnell of They Might Be Giants with guest interviewer Jay, an opinionated millennial. Hear the Giants' plans for their upcoming cross-country tour, their 19th studio album, making a music video every week, and calculated breakups.

American band They Might be Giants, famous for charting singles 'Birdhouse in your Soul' and 'Istanbul', have also made an album all about science. It's called 'Here Comes Science', and aims to teach children about things like biology and physics, featuring songs like 'My Brother the Ape' and 'I Am a Paleontologist'. The band dropped by Cambridge as part of a tour promoting their new album 'Glean', so Naked Scientist Georgia Mills took the opportunity to speak to founding member John Linnell about songs, science and controversy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

American band They Might be Giants, famous for charting singles 'Birdhouse in your Soul' and 'Istanbul', have also made an album all about science. It's called 'Here Comes Science', and aims to teach children about things like biology and physics, featuring songs like 'My Brother the Ape' and 'I Am a Paleontologist'. The band dropped by Cambridge as part of a tour promoting their new album 'Glean', so Naked Scientist Georgia Mills took the opportunity to speak to founding member John Linnell about songs, science and controversy... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This week guest interviewer Bill Childs, host of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child,  sits down with John Flansburgh and John Linnell from They Might Be Giants to hear about the impact of the Batman theme and a evolving charm of a song from a record inspired by the Pogo cartoon. Along the way they also chat about kid record […]

This week guest interviewer Bill Childs, host of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child,  sits down with John Flansburgh and John Linnell from They Might Be Giants to hear about the impact of the Batman theme and a evolving charm of a song from a record inspired by the Pogo cartoon. Along the way they also chat about kid record […]

Direct from Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants, this is the only authorized and official podcast from the band. Often imitated, never remunerated. Specializing in original, live and/or rare material from the band, please enjoy TMBG's finest podcast!

Flood is my Beatles on Sullivan, my self-titled Velvet Underground record and Run-DMC on MTV. It was the first time I remember being keenly aware that an ever-expanding musical universe existed beyond the confines of the rock and Motown the radio played on the way to and from soccer practice.  It was a strange and idiosyncratic world of misplaced accordions, horn-rimmed glasses and lyrics that only began to take on some semblance of meaning after repeat listens. So I listened, over and over again on the cassette tape a friend had record on, the mystery only deepened by the lack of official art work.  I was in college by the time I realized I’d been getting key lyric to “Particle Man” wrong all these years—singing it at full volume in a car full of people who knew better. The sense of discovery is inextricably linked to the They Might Be Giants experience. It’s a tie that bonds so many of my generation, discovering in those days just before the mainstream adoption of the internet that maybe we weren’t so weird after all — or, perhaps more appropriately, that there were other weirdos out there just like us. Dial-A-Song is the most literal manifestation of the phenomenon, an old answering machine purchase by the band to get its music out into the world as John Linnell healed from a broken wrist and Flansburgh recovered from an apartment robbery. The duo advertised a phone number in the back of the Village Voice readers could call to hear the band’s songs. The band resurrected the project this year, through the decidedly less intimate medium of YouTube, with the ambitious goal of releasing a new song each week for the full calendar year. In this 100th episode, we discuss Dial-A-Song, the importance of partnerships and the role of discovery in art.

Direct from Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants, this is the only authorized and official podcast from the band. Often imitated, never remunerated. Specializing in original, live and/or rare material from the band, please enjoy TMBG's finest podcast!

As a Long Island teenager in the 1980s, Mike Pesca called an answering machine every week to hear a new They Might Be Giants song. Every Monday in 2015, he’ll premiere a new TMBG song before it gets released on the band’s revived Dial-a-Song line. Members John Flansburgh and John Linnell talk with Mike about the project, their career, and their plans for the new year. For the Spiel, it’s time to name the Gentleman of the Year. Get The Gist by email as soon as it’s available: slate.com/GistEmail Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/slate…id873667927?mt=2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Direct from Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants, this is the only authorized and official podcast from the band. Often imitated, never remunerated. Specializing in original, live and/or rare material from the band, please enjoy TMBG's finest podcast!

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!

Direct from Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants, this is the only authorized and official podcast from the band. Often imitated, never remunerated. Specializing in original, live and/or rare material from the band, please enjoy TMBG's finest podcast!

John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants take an hour out of their busy tour schedule to talk with Simon and Brian about their new album Nanobots; their approach to songwriting; the Dial-A-Song service; writing music for children; their collaborations with production team Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley on songs like 'Birdhouse in Your Soul', and more.

The last time I spoke to John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, it was about the group's science album for kids. This time we talked about the whole TMBG phenomenon: their beginnings and ultimate success, aesthetic aims, being taken seriously while also goofing around, and Sleestaks. TMBG turns 30 this year and is about to launch a national tour with some retrospective elements. So this seemed like a good time to look back on their singular career.

What science do you listen to? We talk to one of the creators of some of our favorite science tunes. John Linnell from the band They Might Be Giants joins us to discuss their science album titled Here Comes Science. show notes at: http://laboutloud.com/

The Nine of Diamonds is essentially a Neem song. The Neem, my band back 10 years ago in St. Louis, wrote a bunch of State Songs (before John Linnell) and we got through only about eight or nine, seven of which we recorded. (New Jersey is lost forever.) So this song is about South Carolina. […]

They Might Be Giants, featuring interview with John Linnell

This painting is the second version of A ploughing scene in Suffolk (A summerland). The owner of the first version of 1814 , John Allnutt, a Clapham wine merchant and collector, became unhappy with the sky in his painting and asked another artist, John Linnell, to overpaint it. Some years later, around 1825, Allnutt admitted: ‘I was foolish enough’ to have Constable’s original sky ‘obliterated’ and that, ‘though extremely beautiful’, the new sky ‘did not quite harmonize with the other parts of the picture’ (Beckett I, p. 83). He asked Constable to restore the original sky and, ‘if he could do it without injury to the picture’ reduce the height of the painting to match another work in his collection (Augustus Callcott, Open landscape: Sheep grazing c.1812, York City Art Gallery). Graciously, Constable took back Allnutt’s pictureand painted a second and slightly smaller version for him – this painting. He did this free of charge because he was grateful to Allnutt for ‘buying the first picture he ever sold to a stranger’ (Beckett I, p. 83). Constable, or his assistant Dunthorne, made extensive underdrawing on this canvas, working directly from the 1814 original, following the first version closely. He gave this painting a cooler tonality, and added the rain falling in the distance. Ian St John has suggested that the bird hovering in the sky is ‘a bird of prey such as a kestrel or sparrowhawk, birds still common in the vale’ (St John 2005, p. 31). The work was finished before January 1825 when Allnutt visited Constable’s studio to view the new version. Allnutt visitedagain the following year, when he brought a present of three sorts of a particularly beautiful ultramarine, which was a generous gift, as the pigment was a rare luxury. In October 1826 Constable visited Allnutt at Clapham and spent an enjoyable day with the Allnutt family, viewing their picture collection and taking a walk on Clapham Common. He wrote in his journal on his return that ‘Nothing could be more polite & kind’, and observed that ‘the truth is I could find that he has been much imposed on by artists in general – & that he was pleased with my conduct’ (Beckett I, p. 85). After Constable’s death Allnutt continued to purchase his works, including pictures from the Constable sale in 1838: Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds 1820(National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa) and Helmington Dell 1830 (Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City, Missouri)(Beckett I, p. 85).

Buns and Chou talk rock and roll with They Might Be Giants co-founder John Linnell.

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