Errors-To: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Reply-To: tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Sender: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Precedence: bulk From: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org To: tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Subject: tmbg-list Digest #20-6 tmbg-list Digest, Volume 20, Number 6 Friday, 6 August 1999 Today's Topics: Non-TMBG: Candy Butchers fans TMBG: MC Search & Flans TMBG: hello everyone TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) Re: TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) Re: TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) TMBG: Another video compilation? TMBG: hidden tracks Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks Re: TMBG: successful conversion Re: TMBG: hidden tracks TMBG: BNW tonight Re: TMBG: BNW tonight and virtual stuff Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks Re: TMBG: BNW tonight Re: TMBG: Another video compilation? TMBG: different dans Administrivia: If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing send mail to tmbg-digest-request@tmbg.org for instructions on how to be automatically removed. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. --------------------------------------------------------------------- tmbg-list is digested with Digest 3.5b (John Relph ). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 00:13:17 -0700 Message-Id: <199908050713.AAA28434@xprt.net> From: murmur@xprt.net (Kerry Biggs) Subject: Non-TMBG: Candy Butchers fans I have two original copies of the full-length advance CD for the Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers forthcoming album "Falling Into Place", due out on August 31, 1999. The best two offers by noon PDT Saturday will get these cds, mailed out ASAP. Kerry http://www.xprt.net/~murmur/myboots.txt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 00:18:54 -0700 Subject: TMBG: MC Search & Flans Message-ID: <19990805.001855.-928915.1.Garrett27@juno.com> From: Garrett M Liggett Someone recently posted speaking of trying to find out who MC Search is and I found this in TMBG articles in case it interests you (revealing that he is from 3rd Bass). I don't know if you found out the name from here - in which case you've already seen this - or I thought you said Flansburgh was referring to himself somewhere rather than a journalist mentioning it like here. "John Flansburgh meets us at his front door from behind an armful of groceries. He is the one that looks like MC Search from '3rd Bass'. John Linnell is the one that looks like John Cale." I hope this helps at least a tiny bit in your search. no pun intended...originally Garrett Liggett ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 10:59:47 -0600 (MDT) From: FITZ RANDOLPH TIMOTHY VAIL Subject: TMBG: hello everyone Message-ID: Hello everyone, I'm new to the list, blah blah blah. I just wanted to say that i just got Long Tall Weekend, and it's awesome. I didn'y like "On Earth My Nina" at first, but now i really like it.strange. i have another question that someone might know the answer to... my friend has a band, and they want to sell a 4 song demo they just recorded at their shows. when i showed them my "They'll Need a Crane" mini-CD, they thought it was really cool... does anyone know a place that will master those little discs? Okay, I guess that's about it... -tim fitzrandolph fitzrand@colorado.edu ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990805180815.83338.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Nathan Mulac DeHoff" Subject: TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 11:08:13 PDT This album, by They Might Be Giants (TMBG), has been hailed as the first-ever MP3-only release. The question as to whether or not this format is a good idea is one that can spark much debate, and also one that I don't want to get into at the moment. Suffice it to say that it's a clever way of releasing songs that might otherwise have never made it to the public. These songs are: Drinking This is an instrumental, and is somewhat reminiscent of Their earlier song "Siftin'". It's a neat way to start the album; I prefer having an opening theme of sorts to starting an album with the song that's supposed to be a "hit" (not that _Long Tall Weekend_ really has any of those). She Thinks She's Edith Head The amusing story of a girl who thinks she's someone else is told over a very simple but catchy tune. The song has some interesting effects, including the use of monoaural vocals. Maybe I Know This song was originally recorded by Lesley Gore, but the Johns changed the gender-specific pronouns. As is the case with many songs covered by TMBG, this one has a theme of delusion, making it quite appropriate for a band called They Might Be Giants. Rat Patrol It's a somewhat over-the-top (for the Johns, anyway) "acid rock" kind of song, with heavy electric guitar. I generally don't care too much for this style of music, but John Linnell's voice helps to make this number fun. It lacks some of the charm of the original a cappella version, though, such as an incomparable pair of lines: "Floorboards creak and footsteps heard/Floorboards creak and footsteps heard." To use a tired cliche, they don't write 'em like that anymore, do they? Token Back To Brooklyn What I can't really understand is why this is on here. It was already released, and not just as an EP B-side or something, but as the hidden track on Their last major studio release. That aside, however, this is a good, if short, song, with creepy, dreamlike lyrics. Older The Johns once said that They wouldn't release this song, and would only play it for live performances, but They apparently changed Their minds (which is a good thing, considering how few concerts I attend). This is a simple song, even for TMBG, but that's sort of the point. Operators Are Standing By It's a cute little song, but there really isn't much else to say about it. Dark And Metric This was a good choice for this album, as it would have been a bit of an odd choice for a regular studio production, but is certainly worth listening to. The clever lyrics, which often border on being nonsensical (except to John Linnell, perhaps), include a clever line that seems to be a favourite among fans: "Just because you're floating doesn't mean you haven't drowned." Reprehensible This is one of the best-arranged TMBG songs, with an old-timey, jazzy sound to it. The lyrics are also well-done, with a slick style that complements the music. Certain People I Could Name It's a nice companion piece to "Reprehensible." Both songs were recorded for _Factory Showroom_, but rejected. Also, both of them have clever arrangements and lyrics, which flow quite well. Counterfeit Faker It might have a similar name to a bonus track on _Then_, but the arrangement is considerably different. It's a country number, and, like "Rat Patrol," John (but Flansburgh this time, instead of Linnell) provides an amusing interpretation of the vocals that are normally associated with this sort of song. They Got Lost If you've heard the version of this song on _Severe Tire Damage_, this track doesn't have all that much new to offer you, aside from a much slower pace, and different band members. In some ways, however, this is a better production than the other version, which sounds a bit rushed. As for the lyrics, they're the sort that are amusing the first time you hear them, but don't really stand up to the proverbial test of time all that well. Lullaby To Nightmares This song, which appropriately appears here as the thirteenth track, was originally performed by John Flansburgh's Hello the Band (sort of an early incarnation of Mono Puff), with vocals by Joshua Fried. Josh's take on the song was more nightmarish, and sounded more like a lullaby. In the _Long Tall Weekend_ version, the lyrics don't really match the music. I'll leave it to you to decide whether this is a good or a bad thing. On Earth My Nina Perhaps the oddest track on the album (and that's saying quite a bit when the album in question is a TMBG one), it's basically a reversed version of "Thunderbird," but the lyrics still make sense, in a strange kind of way. The effect produced is interesting and haunting. The Edison Museum The lyrics provide an interesting perspective on the title attraction, making it seem like a sort of haunted house. Nick Hill does a great job of singing it, with an emphatic, enthusiastic voice. TMBG is one of those bands that seems to attract completists. For people who fall into this category, and have the ability to play MP3 files, this album is a good way to hear some rare songs. It's rather short, but it's also fairly cheap, so that's not much of a problem. I wouldn't really recommend it as an introduction to the band, though; most of this stuff is pretty far from the mainstream (not that that's a bad thing, but it might disturb first-time listeners). -- Yours 'til my head falls off Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <37A9E6DC.F5EF171F@tmbg.org> Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 15:32:44 -0400 From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) Nathan Mulac DeHoff wrote: > Lullaby To Nightmares > This song, which appropriately appears here as the thirteenth track, was > originally performed by John Flansburgh's Hello the Band (sort of an early > incarnation of Mono Puff), with vocals by Joshua Fried. Josh's take on the > song was more nightmarish, and sounded more like a lullaby. In the _Long > Tall Weekend_ version, the lyrics don't really match the music. I'll leave > it to you to decide whether this is a good or a bad thing. Except for one thing. Joshua Fried may have written it. But it is, in all ways, a TMBG song. The arrangement on Long Tall Weekend is almost identical to the live version they played way back in 1993, only this one has an extra verse and a shorter instrumental. I'm not sure when the Hello the Band version was recorded, but I've never considered this a cover, so much as a TMBG song that was written by someone else. The musical background in this version sounds almost exactly like The World's Address... -- Lawrence Solomon http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~lps/ zaph@tmbg.org "Just because you're floating doesn't mean * This space inadvertently you haven't drowned." -They Might Be Giants * left with stuff in it. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990805194418.39056.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Nathan Mulac DeHoff" Subject: Re: TMBG: Review of _Long Tall Weekend_ (also posted to the newsgroup) Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 12:44:15 PDT Lawrence P Solomon wrote: >Nathan Mulac DeHoff wrote: > > > Lullaby To Nightmares > > This song, which appropriately appears here as the thirteenth > > track, >was > > originally performed by John Flansburgh's Hello the Band (sort of > > an >early > > incarnation of Mono Puff), with vocals by Joshua Fried. Josh's > > take >on the > > song was more nightmarish, and sounded more like a lullaby. In > > the >_Long > > Tall Weekend_ version, the lyrics don't really match the music. > > >I'll leave > > it to you to decide whether this is a good or a bad thing. > >Except for one thing. Joshua Fried may have written it. But it is, >in >all ways, a TMBG song. The lines between TMBG, Mono Puff, and Hello are incredibly thin. Is "Don't I Have The Right" a TMBG song, or a Mono Puff one? Both bands performed it. The same can be said about several other songs. I think "Unsupervised, I Hit My Head" was originally intended to be a TMBG song. Flans originally covered "New York City" with Mono Puff. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that "S-E-X-X-Y" was originally intended to be a Mono Puff number. I think we can safely consider "Lullaby" to be both a TMBG AND Hello song. >The arrangement on Long Tall Weekend is almost identical >to the live version they played way back in 1993, only this one has >an >extra verse and a shorter instrumental. The Hello version has both verses. >I'm not sure when the Hello the Band >version was recorded, but I've never considered this a cover, so much >as a >TMBG song that was written by someone else. I have no problem with that consideration (especially since the tune was written by Flans). >The musical background in this version sounds almost exactly like The > >World's Address... You know, I thought it sounded familiar. That's probably why. -- Yours 'til my head falls off Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 12:45:07 -0700 Subject: TMBG: Another video compilation? Message-ID: <19990805.124509.-860127.0.Garrett27@juno.com> From: Garrett M Liggett I was continuing on through more articles/interviews and came across this which piqued my interest. This was from an article in 1996. Does anyone know what compilation is being spoken of? ---snip--- Pitchfork: A couple years ago, a video compilation came out and I meant to buy it, but I don't think it's available anymore. Flansburgh: It is. You can still get it. ---snip--- Garrett Liggett ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 14:26:59 -0600 (MDT) From: FITZ RANDOLPH TIMOTHY VAIL Subject: TMBG: hidden tracks Message-ID: I'm sure this is answered in a FAQ somewhere but... "token back to brooklyn' on LTW reminded me that its a hidden track on Factory Showroom, which got me wondering, co any of my other TMBG cds have hidden tracks? Are there any hidden tracks on the other releases or singles? -tim fitzrand@colorado.edu ------------------------------ Message-ID: <37A9F594.D7216D00@fruhead.com> Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 15:35:32 -0500 From: Chad Maloney Subject: Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks FITZ RANDOLPH TIMOTHY VAIL wrote: > "token back to brooklyn' on LTW reminded me that its a hidden track on > Factory Showroom, which got me wondering, co any of my other TMBG cds have > hidden tracks? Are there any hidden tracks on the other releases or > singles? Other than Spitting Contest, right? Everyone knows about that one... - Chad ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 17:03:28 -0400 From: Sarah Subject: Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks Message-id: <37A9FC1F.368DC5D7@wmich.edu> Mr. Baloney wrote: > FRITZ, the cat wrote: > > "token back to brooklyn' on LTW reminded me that its a hidden track on > > Factory Showroom, which got me wondering, co any of my other TMBG cds have > > hidden tracks? Are there any hidden tracks on the other releases or > > singles? > > Other than Spitting Contest, right? Everyone knows about that one... > > - Chad Oh yeah.... that's definitely the best Track on John Henry... my personal favourite indeed :) Sarah, "Here we go again" (I wonder how many new people we can confuse this time......) -- Current Theme Song: "Bottle of Blues" by Beck http://www.angelfire.com/me/momerath ICQ# 41332779 AIM: MomeRath9 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 17:05:50 -0400 From: Sarah Subject: Re: TMBG: successful conversion Message-id: <37A9FCAD.17EF4CE0@wmich.edu> > X: i have seen the light! > X: hehe > X: i will preach the word to others so that they to may enjoy the > wonderful music known only as tmbg! First... the mysterious Mister X... next THE WORLD!!!! MUWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!! Sarah, always glad to hear that the music of TMBG has touched another soul in this cold, dark universe -- Current Theme Song: "Bottle of Blues" by Beck http://www.angelfire.com/me/momerath ICQ# 41332779 AIM: MomeRath9 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990805211704.16131.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Nathan Mulac DeHoff" Subject: Re: TMBG: hidden tracks Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 14:17:03 PDT Chad Maloney wrote: >FITZ RANDOLPH TIMOTHY VAIL wrote: > > "token back to brooklyn' on LTW reminded me that its a hidden > > track >on > > Factory Showroom, which got me wondering, co any of my other TMBG > > >cds have > > hidden tracks? Are there any hidden tracks on the other releases > > or >singles? > >Other than Spitting Contest, right? Everyone knows about that one... Don't forget "Careless Santa"! Seriously, though, there's a hidden track on Mono Puff's _It's Fun To Steal_, which can be found in the same way as "Token" on FS. Then there are the Planet of the Apes tracks on _Severe Tire Damage_. These aren't really hidden all that well, since most players will tell you that there are 24 songs on the disc, and the Johns announced that these songs would be on there at every given opportunity. (One particularly amusing commercial for the album plainly announced that there were "six secret hidden tracks.") I think it was due to legal reasons that these songs weren't listed on the album sleeve. I guess the Gloria track on the "Hotel Detective" EP could count as a secret track, since it isn't listed on the cover. -- Yours 'til my head falls off Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <004301bedfb8$b4b83460$4d4c0904@aah1084-access> From: "Amy :)" Subject: TMBG: BNW tonight Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 23:06:38 -0400 Wow, I was expecting Cog to give Dan a run for his money, then realized I was thinking of a drum machine, not a drumming robot. And even if Cog would have won the contest, Dan WAY out-cooled him - he and Flans both looked great. Oh, and I can't remember who said last week that they thought Linnell looked older, but I agreed. Tonight, however, I thought he looked a lot younger than he has lately - maybe he'll be the subject of one of the upcoming shows? "How Men Defy Time"? Amy :) [Attachment omitted, unknown MIME type or encoding (text/html)] ------------------------------ From: gray42@juno.com Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 23:14:28 -0400 Subject: Re: TMBG: BNW tonight and virtual stuff Message-ID: <19990805.231440.-136727.0.gray42@juno.com> On Thu, 5 Aug 1999 23:06:38 -0400 "Amy :)" writes: > Wow, I was expecting Cog to give Dan a run for his money, then > realized I > was thinking of a drum machine, not a drumming robot. And even if > Cog would > have won the contest, Dan WAY out-cooled him - he and Flans both > looked > great. My virtual computer friend disagrees, it thought Cog was much more sexxy, tho' i don't share the same opinions. :P Oh, and I can't remember who said last week that they > thought > Linnell looked older, but I agreed. Tonight, however, I thought he > looked a > lot younger than he has lately - maybe he'll be the subject of one > of the > upcoming shows? "How Men Defy Time"? he's younger, and then he's younger still... Ah, I thought the contest was great, I was rolling in my seat (and practically onto the floor). Robot voice Linnell was GREAT :D "John, who's side are you on anyway?" The show also got me thinking, what If you set up a virtual version of yourself in a very different virtual life (a convincing one), and the virtual U's memory was transplanted into your own head, what would that be like? > > Amy :) Mysterio Gal (NIPPPLES!!!!!!!!!!) "His father wanted to build a platform, that rotated clockwise, to get the kid to look him in the eye!" --SIRMILLARDMULCH MST3K#88182 ICQ#9585405 gray42@juno.com, send attachments to mr_realgal@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/4871 The Official Project Omicrom website: www.geocities.com/SoHo/Square/9007 ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 22:53:49 -0500 From: Bob Scott Message-ID: <37AA5C4D.231F4C14@conpoint.com> Organization: They Might Be Giants, Unofficially http://www.tmbg.org Subject: Re: NON-TMBG: hidden tracks Sarah wrote: > Mr. Baloney wrote: > > > FRITZ, the cat wrote: > > > "token back to brooklyn' on LTW reminded me that its a hidden track on > > > Factory Showroom, which got me wondering, co any of my other TMBG cds have > > > hidden tracks? Are there any hidden tracks on the other releases or > > > singles? > > > > Other than Spitting Contest, right? Everyone knows about that one... > > > > - Chad > > Oh yeah.... that's definitely the best Track on John Henry... my personal > favourite indeed :) But last time, Spitting Contest was on Apollo 18! And before that, it was only available on disc 2 of Then! Is it jumping CDs again? Bob "Liquid potatoes!" Scott ------------------------------ From: LimeZinger@aol.com Message-ID: <14451a73.24dbb4b3@aol.com> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 23:46:59 EDT Subject: Re: TMBG: BNW tonight In a message dated 8/5/99 10:10:09 PM, kel@e-server.net writes: > Tonight, however, I thought he looked a > >lot younger than he has lately - maybe he'll be the subject of one of the > >upcoming shows? "How Men Defy Time"? linnell was freakin' beautiful. :) and when they showed that shot of just him.. i couldn't help but wonder if we will be innundated with "LINNELL IS SO HOT!" messages from new fans? ..probably not, but... sarah ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 00:58:46 -0400 From: "Mark D. Beissel" Message-ID: <37AA6B86.EB8@ameritech.net> Organization: They Might Be Giants, Unofficially http://www.tmbg.org Subject: Re: TMBG: Another video compilation? Garrett M Liggett wrote: > > I was continuing on through more articles/interviews and came across this > which piqued my interest. This was from an article in 1996. Does anyone > know what compilation is being spoken of? > > ---snip--- > Pitchfork: A couple years ago, a video compilation came out and I meant > to buy it, but I don't think it's available anymore. > > Flansburgh: It is. You can still get it. > ---snip--- Well, the old video compilation:-) It has their first six videos on it. The cover art is the same as Misc. T. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990806055322.76474.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Keem Bearlee" Subject: TMBG: different dans Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 22:53:20 PDT Nobody mentioned that they switched to the other set of Dans.... -Kimberly _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ End of tmbg-list Digest #20-6 *****************************