They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a musical duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band.[6] The duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller and Danny Weinkauf. They have been credited as vital in the creation and growth of the prolific DIY music scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.[7]
Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and college radio charts. They have also found success in children's music with several educational albums and in theme music for television programs and films.
John Flansburgh and John Linnell first met as teenagers growing up in Lincoln, Massachusetts. They began writing songs together while attending Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School but did not form a band at that time. The two attended separate colleges after high school and Linnell joined The Mundanes, a new wave group from Rhode Island. The two reunited in 1981 after moving to Brooklyn (to the same apartment building on the same day) to continue their career.[12]
At their first concert, They Might Be Giants were introduced as and performed under the name El Grupo De Rock and Roll (Spanish for "the Rock and Roll Band"), because the show was a Sandinista rally in Central Park and a majority of the audience members spoke Spanish.[13] They had previously chosen a name that, according to John Flansburgh, was "so bad that John [Linnell] and I have made a vow that we will never tell anyone, even our children."[14] Soon discarding this name,[15] the band assumed the name of the 1971 film They Might Be Giants (starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward), which is in turn taken from a Don Quixote passage about how Quixote mistook windmills for evil giants. According to Dave Wilson, in his book Rock Formations, the name They Might Be Giants had been used and subsequently discarded by a friend of the band who had a ventriloquism act.[16] The name was then adopted by the band, who had been searching for a more suitable name.
A common misconception is that the name of the band is a reference to themselves and an allusion to future success. In an interview, John Flansburgh said that the words "they might be giants" are just a very outward-looking forward thing which they liked. He clarified this in the documentary movie Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) by explaining that the name refers to the outside world of possibilities that they saw as a fledgling band. In an earlier radio interview, John Linnell described the phrase as "something very paranoid sounding".[17]
The duo began performing their own music in and around New York City at the East Village Pyramid Club[18] – Flansburgh on guitar, Linnell on accordion and saxophone and accompanied by a drum machine or prerecorded backing track on audio cassette. Their atypical instrumentation, along with their songs which featured unusual subject matter and clever wordplay, soon attracted a strong local following.[19] Their performances also featured absurdly comical stage props such as oversized fezzes and large cardboard cutout heads of newspaper editor William Allen White.[20] Many of these props would later turn up in their first music videos. From 1984 to 1987, They Might Be Giants were the house band at the Pyramid Club[15] and Darinka, a Lower East Sideperformance art club[21] run by Gary Ray. They played on the stage there one weekend a month and by the end of their three-year stint, their performances were selling out. On March 30, 1985, TMBG released their 7" flexi-disc, dubbed "Wiggle Diskette" at Darinka. The disc included demos of the songs "Everything Right Is Wrong Again" and "You'll Miss Me".[22]
In 1983 within the same timeframe, Linnell broke his wrist in a biking accident, and Flansburgh's apartment was burgled, stopping them from performing for a time. During this hiatus, they began recording their songs onto an answering machine and then advertising the phone number in local newspapers such as The Village Voice, using the moniker "Dial-A-Song".[23] They also released a demo cassette, which earned them a review in People magazine. Authored by Michael Small,[24] the review caught the attention of Bar/None Records, who signed them to a recording deal.[25]
From the 1980s until 1998, Dial-A-Song consisted of an answering machine with a tape of the band playing various songs. The machine played one track at a time, ranging from demos and uncompleted work to mock advertisements the band had created. It was often difficult to access due to the popularity of the service and the dubious quality of the machines used. About this, one of Dial-A-Song's many slogans over the years was the tongue-in-cheek "Always Busy, Often Broken".[26] The number, (718) 387–6962, was a local Brooklyn number and was charged accordingly, but the band advertised it with the line: "Free when you call from work".[27]
In 1990, Throttle magazine interviewed They Might Be Giants and clarified the meaning of the song "Ana Ng": John Flansburgh said, "Ng is a Vietnamese name. The song is about someone who's thinking about a person on the exact opposite side of the world. John looked at a globe and figured out that if Ana Ng is in Vietnam and the person is on the other side of the world, then it must be written by someone in Peru".[36]
In 1991, Bar/None Records released the B-sides compilation Miscellaneous T. Though consisting of previously released material (save for the "Purple Toupee" B-sides, which were not available publicly), it gave new fans a chance to hear the Johns' earlier non-album work without having to hunt down the individual EPs.
Apollo 18 was also notable for being one of the first albums to take advantage of the CD player's shuffle feature. The song "Fingertips" actually comprised 21 separate tracks that add up to 4:35 in total with the longest one being 61 seconds.[39]
Recruiting a band (1992–1998)
Following Apollo 18, for live shows, Flansburgh and Linnell decided to move away from recorded backing tracks and recruited a supporting band (Kurt Hoffman of The Ordinaires on reeds and keyboards, longtime Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone, and drummer Jonathan Feinberg).
John Henry was released in 1994. Influenced by their more conventional lineup, this album marked a departure from their previous releases with more of a guitar-heavy sound not dissimilar to the grunge music of the time.[40] It was released to mixed reviews amongst fans and critics alike.
Following John Henry, TMBG's next album, Factory Showroom, was released in 1996. It also is the last album they released through Elektra and their first album produced by Pat Dillett who has co-produced every album with them since then.[41]
In 1998, they released a mostly live album Severe Tire Damage from which came the single "Doctor Worm," a studio recording.
In 1998, Danny Weinkauf (bass)[42] and Dan Miller (guitar) were recruited for their recording and touring band. Both had been members of the bands Lincoln[43] and Candy Butchers which were previous opening acts for TMBG. Weinkauf and Miller continue to work with the band to the present day.
Beyond Elektra and move to Restless Records (1999–2003)
For most of their career, TMBG has made innovative use of the Internet. As early as 1992, the band was sending news updates to their fans via Usenet newsgroups. In 1999, They Might Be Giants became the first major-label recording artist to release an entire album exclusively in MP3 format. The album, Long Tall Weekend,[44] is sold through eMusic.
Contributing the single "Boss of Me" as the theme song to the hit television series Malcolm in the Middle, as well as to the show's compilation CD, brought a new audience to the band. Not only did the band contribute the theme, but songs from all of the Giants' previous albums were used on the show: for example, the infamous punching-the-kid-in-the-wheelchair scene from the first episode was done to the strains of "Pencil Rain" from Lincoln. Another song to feature in the series was "Spiraling Shape". "Boss of Me" became the band's second top-40 hit in the UK which they performed on long-running UK television programme Top of the Pops and, in 2002, won the duo a Grammy Award.[48]
On September 11, 2001, they released the album Mink Car on Restless Records. It was their first full album release of new studio material since 1996 and their first since parting ways with Elektra. The making of that album, including a record signing event at a ManhattanTower Records, was included in a documentary directed by A. J. Schnack titled Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). The film was released on DVD in 2003.
In 2002, they released No!, their first album "for the entire family".[49] Using the enhanced CD format, it included an interactive animation for most of the songs. They followed it up in 2003 with their first book, an illustrated children's book with an included EP, Bed, Bed, Bed.
Podcasting, independent releases, and children's music (2004–2015)
They Might Be Giants performing at Bar None, in Brooklyn, NY, 2006
In 2004, the band released its first new "adult" rock work since the release of No!, the EP Indestructible Object. This was followed by a new album, The Spine, and an associated EP, The Spine Surfs Alone. It was at this time that Dan Hickey was replaced by Marty Beller, who had previously collaborated with TMBG. For the album's first single, "Experimental Film", TMBG teamed up with Homestar Runner creators Matt and Mike Chapman to create an animated music video.[50] The band's collaboration with the Brothers Chaps also included several Puppet Jam segments with puppet Homestar and the music for a Strong Bad email titled "Different Town". In 2008 they recorded a track for the 200th Strong Bad e-mail, where Linnell provided the voice of The Poopsmith.[51][52]
Flansburgh and Linnell made a guest appearance in "Camp", the January 11, 2004, episode of the animated sitcomHome Movies. They voice both a pair of camp counselors and members of a strange hooded male bonding cult.[54] On May 10, 2004, they made a guest appearance on the final episode of Blue's Clues called "Bluestock" alongside Toni Braxton, Macy Gray, and India.Arie. They Might Be Giants were in a letter for Joe and Blue.
They Might Be Giants perform a free show at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, CA on March 25, 2005
Following the Spine on the Hiway Tour of 2004, the band announced that they would take an extended hiatus from touring to focus on other projects, such as a musical produced by Flansburgh and written by his wife, Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser, titled People Are Wrong!.
2005 saw the release of Here Come the ABCs, TMBG's follow-up to the successful children's album No!. The Disney Sound label released the CD and DVD separately on February 15, 2005. To promote the album, Flansburgh and Linnell along with drummer Marty Beller embarked on a short tour, performing for free at many Borders locations. In November 2005, Venue Songs was released as a two-disc CD/DVD set narrated by John Hodgman. It is a concept album based on all of the "venue songs" from their 2004 tour.
The band contributed 14 original songs for the 2006 Dunkin' Donuts ad campaign, "America Runs on Dunkin'",[57] including "Things I Like to Do", "Pleather", and "Fritalian".
Their twelfth album, The Else, was released July 10, 2007, on Idlewild Recordings (and distributed by Zoë Records for the CD version), with an earlier digital release on May 15 at the iTunes Store. Advance copies were made available to stations by mid-June 2007.[60] The album was produced by Pat Dillett (David Byrne) and the Dust Brothers (Beck, Beastie Boys).[61] On February 12, 2009, They Might Be Giants performed the song "The Mesopotamians" from the album on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[62]
On November 3, They Might Be Giants sent out a newsletter stating, "The Avatars of They", a set of sock puppets the Johns manipulate for shows, would have an album in 2012, suggesting another children's album. However, a new adult album titled Join Us was released on July 19, 2011.[66][67]
On October 3, 2011, Artix Entertainment announced that the band would be performing in-game for a special musical event to commemorate the 3rd birthday of their popular MMORPGAdventureQuest Worlds. They were featured in AdventureQuest World's special third birthday event as John and John.[68]
On March 5, 2013, the band released their sixteenth adult studio album, Nanobots, on their Idlewild Recordings label in the US and on British indie label Lojinx in Europe.[69][70] After Nanobots they released their studio album Glean on April 21, 2015.[71]
New albums and Dial-A-Song revival (2015–present)
Dial-A-Song was revived in 2015, with a new phone number ((844) 387–6962)), the website, and a radio network.[72] In late 2017, the band announced via Twitter that Dial-A-Song would return again, in a modified format, starting in January 2018.[73]
The band released their newest children's album, Why?, on November 27, 2015. It was their fifth children's album and the first children's album to be released under their own label, Idlewild Recordings.
On March 8, 2016, the band released Phone Power, their nineteenth studio album and the third containing songs from the 2015 revival of their Dial-a-Song service. This was the first TMBG album to be sold as a "pay what you want" download, available ahead of the physical release on June 10.[74][75] In 2016, They Might Be Giants were involved in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical; they contributed the song "I'm Not a Loser".[76]
The band's twentieth album, I Like Fun was released on January 19, 2018.[77] Their twenty-first and twenty-second studio albums, My Murdered Remains and The Escape Team, were both released on December 10, 2018. My Murdered Remains contains songs from Dial-A-Song.[78]
In October 2019, the band recorded a new version of their song "Hot Dog" for the third season of the Disney Channel preschool series Mickey and the Roadster Racers, re-titled as Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures for that season. It premiered on Disney Junior on October 14, 2019.
On November 12, 2021, They Might Be Giants released the album Book. Some lyrical themes in the album seem to have been inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.[79]
In August 2020, the band recorded a song for a CNN documentary about the electoral college called "Who Are the Electors?".[80][81]
The band announced a 30th anniversary Flood tour for 2020; however, it was postponed, and dates were rescheduled several times due to the COVID pandemic. Shortly after resuming live tours again in June 2022, John Flansburgh was involved in a car accident while on his way home from the June 8 concert. He suffered several broken ribs but had a positive prognosis from doctors. Several tour dates were again postponed while he recovered; however, the tour was later resumed.[82][83]
In November 2022, Book was nominated for a 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of "Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package".[9]
Solo projects
John Flansburgh made a solo band Mono Puff. The band's bassist was Hal Cragin and drummer was Steve Calhoon. Mono Puff has released two albums, Unsupervised (1996) and It's Fun to Steal (1998) in addition to four EPs and one single.[84]
John Linnell made a solo five-song EP in 1994. The EP was later expanded into the State Songs album solo project in 1999[85] which peaked #18 on the CMJ 200 chart and was on the chart for four weeks.[86] During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, John Linnell also released another solo EP, Roman Songs, which has four songs sung in full Latin. Linnell stated that a Latinist and friend of his who he calls "Schoolmaster Smith" helped him translate English lyrics into Latin with him for the project.[87]
Music style
The group has been noted for its unique style of alternative music, typically using surreal, humorous lyrics, experimental styles, and unconventional instruments.[88] Their music is often described as "quirky" by listeners.[89] Shervin Lainez in a IMDb news article about the band said, "... They Might Be Giants ... have been releasing music that's both snarky and sweet, morbid and whimsical, a little pop and a little avant garde."[90]
Members
Lead members
John Flansburgh– vocals, lead songwriter, guitar (1982–present), bass (1982–1992)
John Linnell– vocals, lead songwriter, accordion, keyboards, woodwinds (1982–present)
Current backing band
Dan Miller– guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1998–present)
12"BOOK Book/CD Set". They Might Be Giants. Retrieved April 3, 2023. Our latest album and musical project BOOK has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Record Package. Congratulations to designer Paul Sahre and photographer Brian Karlsson for putting it all together with us. And wish us luck!
12Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.152
↑Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.301
↑Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.212
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
