They Might Be Giants
John Flansburgh and John Linnell
Background information
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock College rock Geek rock Children's music
Years active	1982–present
Label(s)	Bar/None Barsuk Restless Elektra Rounder
Website	Official website
Members
John Flansburgh John Linnell

They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an American alternative rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh that formed in 1982. Best known for an experimental style of pop music sometimes described as "geek rock", the group has found success on the modern rock charts, in the children's music genre, and in theme music for several television programs and films. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 506 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): They Might Be Giants Geek rock Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an actor and musician from Brooklyn, New York (though born and raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts). ... A promotional photograph from the late 1990s. ... Brooklyn (named for the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ... NY redirects here. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music[1] or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... In the USA, college rock was a term used to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... John Flansburgh and John Linnell, Geek Rock Icons Geek Rock (also known as nerd rock, but distinguishable from the hip hop genre Nerdcore) is a musical subgenre of alternative rock, although unlike many genres, the term is somewhat loosely applied as far as the style of music performed is concerned. ... Childrens music provides an important and entertaining means of teaching children about their culture, other cultures, good behavior, facts and skills. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bar/None Records was a record label based out of Hoboken, New Jersey. ... Barsuk Records (pronounced Bar-SOOK) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, started and still managed by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld in 1994 to release their bands material. ... Restless Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label which was started by Enigma Records, but was acquired in 2001 by Rykodisc who were, in turn, acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2006. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Rounder Records is a Cambridge, Massachusetts based independent record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin, and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students. ... John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an actor and musician from Brooklyn, New York (though born and raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts). ... A promotional photograph from the late 1990s. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music[1] or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... A promotional photograph from the late 1990s. ... John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an actor and musician from Brooklyn, New York (though born and raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts). ... See also: 1982 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1982 Record labels established in 1982 other events of 1982 list of years in music 1980s in music // January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... John Flansburgh and John Linnell, Geek Rock Icons Geek Rock (also known as nerd rock, but distinguishable from the hip hop genre Nerdcore) is a musical subgenre of alternative rock, although unlike many genres, the term is somewhat loosely applied as far as the style of music performed is concerned. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... Childrens music provides an important and entertaining means of teaching children about their culture, other cultures, good behavior, facts and skills. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about motion pictures. ...

TMBG's most well known songs include "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (from the 1990 album Flood), "Don't Let's Start" (from 1986's They Might Be Giants), and "Ana Ng" (from 1988's Lincoln). Their appearances on the show Tiny Toon Adventures also gained recognition for the song "Particle Man" and for their cover version of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". Their song "Doctor Worm" was a surprise hit in Australia, ranking 13th in the Triple J Hottest 100 for the year 1998. Two TMBG albums have been certified gold: Flood and the 2005 children's music album Here Come the ABCs. For the EP by this name, see Birdhouse in Your Soul (EP). ... Flood is the third studio album by They Might Be Giants, and their first with a major label, Elektra Records. ... Dont Lets Start is a They Might Be Giants song originally from the album They Might Be Giants, but it has also appeared on Then: The Earlier Years and Dial-A-Song: 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants. ... They Might Be Giants is the eponymous first album from They Might Be Giants, also known as the Pink Album. It was released in 1986 (see 1986 in music). ... Ana Ng is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... Lincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... As featured in Tiny Toon Adventures Particle Man is a song by the band They Might Be Giants. ... In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the title to a song originally performed by The Four Lads in 1953, and was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. ... Doctor Worm is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual top 100 list, based on the votes of Australian youth radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. ... Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has sold a certain number of copies. ... Here Come The ABCs is a 2005 DVD & Audio CD release by They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. ...

Their song "Boss of Me" served as the theme to the Fox Television Network comedy series Malcolm in the Middle and earned them a Grammy Award in 2002. They have also contributed theme songs to Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Higglytown Heroes. Boss of Me is a single released by the band They Might Be Giants. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company is a television network in the United States. ... Malcolm in the Middle is a five-time Emmy, Grammy-winning and thrice-nominated Golden Globe American situation comedy created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. ... The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media has been awarded since 1988. ... Comedy Central is a cable television and satellite television channel in the United States and as of January 15, 2007, in Germany[1]. In the course of 2007, Dutch channel The Box will be transformed into the Dutch version of Comedy Central. ... The Daily Show (currently The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) is a Peabody and Emmy-winning half-hour American satirical news television program produced by and run on the Comedy Central cable television network. ... For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ... Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a childrens television series, that premiered in prime time on Disney Channel on May 5, 2006. ... Higglytown Heroes is a childrens television series currently airing on the Playhouse Disney portion of the Disney Channel, or, on some cable networks, the Playhouse Disney channel. ...

The band was the subject of the 2003 documentary film Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns), directed by AJ Schnack. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary profiling the band They Might Be Giants, featuring interviews with Frank Black, Sarah Vowell, Dave Eggers, and others. ... AJ Schnack is an independent filmmaker. ...

History

Linnell and Flansburgh (often nicknamed "the two Johns" or "John and John") first met as teenagers growing up in Lincoln, Massachusetts. They began writing songs together while attending Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School but never officially formed a band. The two attended separate colleges after high school (Flansburgh attended Pratt Institute), 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.^[1] Lincoln is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. ... Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (LSRHS) is located at 390 Lincoln Road in Sudbury, MA and is commonly described as A different kind of place. ... Pratt Institute is a specialized, private college in New York City with campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn. ... The Mundanes were an early-1980s Rhode Island-based New Wave band featuring future They Might Be Giants member John Linnell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area  Ranked 50th  - Total 1,214* sq mi (3,144* km²)  - Width 37 miles (60 km)  - Length 48 miles (77 km)  - % water 32. ... Brooklyn (named for the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ...

Then: The Earlier Years (1982–1989)

Taking their name from the 1971 movie They Might Be Giants, the duo began performing their own music in and around New York City -- Flansburgh on guitar, Linell on accordion and saxophone, and accompanied by a drum machine and/or a 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. Their performances also featured absurdly comical stage props such as oversized fezzes and large cardboard cutout heads of newspaper editor William Allen White.^[2] Many of these props would later turn up in their first music videos. They Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the Broadway play of the same name (both written by James Goldman) starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Accordion (disambiguation) This article is about the instrument as a whole. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. ... A Boss DR-202 Drum Machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. ... The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply a tape. ... The fez is a red felt hat in the shape of a truncated cone; a black tassel hangs from the crown. ... William Allen White Born in Emporia, Kansas, on February 10, 1868, William Allen White was a nationally known newspaper editor for much of his life. ...

At one point, Linnell broke his wrist in a biking accident and Flansburgh's apartment was burglarized, forcing them to take a break from performing. 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".^[3] They also released a demo cassette, which earned them a review in People magazine. The review caught the attention of Bar/None Records, who signed They Might Be Giants to a recording deal. ^[4] An answering machine, also known as an answer machine (especially in UK and British commonwealth countries), ansafone (tradename [1]), ansaphone (tradename [2]), answerphone or telephone answering device (TAD), is a device for automatically answering telephone calls and recording messages left by callers when the party called is unable to answer... The Village Voice is a weekly newspaper in New York City featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City. ... Established by rock band They Might Be Giants (TMBG), Dial-A-Song consists of an answering machine with a tape of the band playing various songs. ... Bar/None Records is a independent record label based out of Hoboken, New Jersey. ...

They Might Be Giants eponymous first album, also known as the "pink album"

The duo released their self-titled debut album in 1986, and it became a college radio hit. The video for "Don't Let's Start" became a hit on MTV, earning them a broader following. Image File history File links TheyMightBeGiants-TheyMightBeGiants. ... Image File history File links TheyMightBeGiants-TheyMightBeGiants. ... They Might Be Giants is the eponymous first album from They Might Be Giants, also known as the Pink Album. It was released in 1986 (see 1986 in music). ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ...

In 1988, they released their second album, Lincoln, named after the duo's hometown. It featured the modern rock hit "Ana Ng". Lincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. ...

See also: Then: The Earlier Years

Then: The Earlier Years is a double album by the band They Might Be Giants. ...

Move to Elektra (1990–1992)

In 1989, They Might Be Giants signed with Elektra Records, and released their third album Flood the following year. Flood earned them a gold album, largely thanks to the success of "Birdhouse in Your Soul" which reached number three on the US Modern Rock chart, as well as "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Flood is the third studio album by They Might Be Giants, and their first with a major label, Elektra Records. ... Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the title to a song originally performed by The Four Lads in 1953, and was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. ...

Further interest in the band was generated when two cartoon music videos were created by Warner Bros. for Tiny Toon Adventures: "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Particle Man".^[5] The videos reflected TMBG's high "kid appeal", resulting from their often silly or absurd songs and poppy melodies. Warner Bros. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1991, Bar/None Records released the B-sides compilation Miscellaneous T. The title referred to the section of the record store where TMBG releases were often found as well as to the overall eclectic nature of the tracks. Though consisting of previously released material (save for the "Purple Toupee" b-sides, which were not available publicly), it gave a chance for new fans to hear the Johns' earlier non-album work without having to hunt down the individual EPs. Miscellaneous T is a 1991 (see 1991 in music) b-side and remix compilation album by the rock band They Might Be Giants. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. ...

In early 1992, They Might Be Giants released Apollo 18. The heavy space theme coincided with TMBG being named Musical Ambassadors for International Space Year. Singles from the album included "The Statue Got Me High", "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)", "I Palindrome I", and "My Evil Twin". 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" was actually comprised of 21 separate tracks — short snippets that not only acted together to make the song, but that when played in random order would be interspersed between the album's full-length songs. (Due to mastering errors, the UK and Australian versions of Apollo 18 contained "Fingertips" as one track.) Apollo 18 is They Might Be Giants fourth studio album. ... The Lion Sleeps Tonight began as a 1939 African popular music hit Mbube that, in modified versions, also became a hit in the US and UK. Mbube (Zulu for lion) was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939. ... Random redirects here. ...

Recruiting a band (1992-1998)

Following Apollo 18, Flansburgh and Linnell decided to move away from the two-guys-with-samples nature of their live show, and recruited a supporting band that consisted of former Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and drummer Jonathan "JD" Feinberg. Pere Ubu are an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. ... Tony Maimone is a bass guitarist. ...

Through subsequent touring, the new "band" began to function as a collective unit, motivating the Johns to record new albums in the band format. This decision caused much controversy amongst die-hard fans. Some went as far as to stand outside of the concerts discouraging people from watching the performance, claiming it wasn't the "true" They Might Be Giants.^{[citation needed]}

John Henry was released in 1994, TMBG's first album as a full band. Influenced by their more conventional lineup, this album marked a departure from their previous releases with more of a guitar-heavy sound.^[6] It was released to mixed reviews amongst fans and critics alike. John Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. ...

Their next album, Factory Showroom, was released in 1996 to little fanfare. The band had moved away from the feel of John Henry and includes the more diverse sounds of their earlier albums, despite the inclusion of two guitarists, the second being Eric Schermerhorn who provided several guitar solos. The song "Spiraling Shape" was featured in the movie Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy, as well as an episode of Malcolm In The Middle. Factory Showroom is the sixth studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. ... Brain Candy (1996) is the first (and so far only) feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a popular but distinctly alternative Canadian comedy troupe. ... Malcolm in the Middle is a five-time Emmy, Grammy-winning and thrice-nominated Golden Globe American situation comedy created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. ...

They left Elektra after the duo refused to do a publicity show, amongst other exposure-related disputes.^[7]

In 1998, they released a mostly-live album Severe Tire Damage from which came the single "Doctor Worm". Severe Tire Damage is primarily a live album by They Might Be Giants, released in 1998 (see 1998 in music). ... Doctor Worm is a song by They Might Be Giants. ...

Beyond Elektra (1999–2003)

In 1999, the ever-changing backing band lineup settled on "The Band of Dans", forming a full house line-up of Johns and Dans for almost five years. The Band of Dans was a trio of guys named Dan: guitarist Dan Miller, bassist Danny Weinkauf (both formerly of the band Lincoln) and drummer Dan Hickey. Dan Miller is a guitarist who is currently (as of May, 2006) working as a backing member of They Might Be Giants. ...

For most of their career, TMBG have 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^[8] was sold through Emusic's "TMBG Unlimited" service. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format and algorithm, designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio to most listeners. ... Long Tall Weekend was an Internet-only album by They Might Be Giants and was released in 1999 (see 1999 in music). ... eMusic is an online music store that operates by subscription. ...

Also in 1999, the band contributed the song "Dr. Evil" to the motion picture Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Over their career, the band has performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks, including The Oblongs, the ABC News miniseries Brave New World and Ed and His Dead Mother. They also performed the theme music "Dog on Fire", composed by Bob Mould, for the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. More recently, they composed and performed the music for the TLC series Resident Life, the theme song for the Disney Channel program Higglytown Heroes, and a song about the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog.^[9] Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... The Oblongs. ... ABC News logo ABC News is a division of ABC television and radio networks (ABC), owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Brave New World was ABC TV mini-series about the possibilities in the 21th century. ... Bob Mould (born October 16, 1960, in Malone, New York) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for influential rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. ... The Daily Show (currently The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) is a Peabody and Emmy-winning half-hour American satirical news television program produced by and run on the Comedy Central cable television network. ... TLC Network is a cable TV network in the US that carries a variety of informational and reality-based programming. ... For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ... Higglytown Heroes is a childrens television series currently airing on the Playhouse Disney portion of the Disney Channel, or, on some cable networks, the Playhouse Disney channel. ... Courage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series about a dog named Courage and his owners Muriel Bagg, a kindly old Scottish woman, and Eustace Bagg, a grumpy old farmer, living together in a farmhouse in the middle of the town of Nowhere, Kansas (often described as The...

During this time the band also worked on a project for McSweeney's, a publishing company and literary journal. The band wrote a McSweeney's theme song and 35+ songs for an album that was meant to be listened to with the journal, with each track corresponding to a particular story or piece of artwork. Labeled They Might Be Giants vs. McSweeney's, the disk appears in issue #6 of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. McSweeneys is a publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers, author of You Shall Know Our Velocity, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius , How We Are Hungry and What Is the What. ... Timothy McSweeneys Quarterly Concern is a semi-quarterly literary journal published by the McSweeneys publishing house. ...

Contributing the TMBG single "Boss of Me" (sample (help·info)) 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, 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 MITM episode was done to the strains of "Pencil Rain" from Lincoln. "Boss of Me" became the band's second top-40 hit in the UK, and in 2002, won the duo a Grammy Award.^[10] Malcolm in the Middle is a five-time Emmy, Grammy-winning and thrice-nominated Golden Globe American situation comedy created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. ... The 44th Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002. ... The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media has been awarded since 1988. ...

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 Manhattan Tower Records, was included in a documentary directed by AJ Schnack titled Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). The film, released in 2003, won rave reviews and several awards, and was featured in dozens of film festivals. The film was released on DVD in 2003. This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music) on eMusic. ... Restless Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label which was started by Enigma Records, but was acquired in 2001 by Rykodisc who were, in turn, acquired by the Warner Music Group in 2006. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... This article is about the retail music chain. ... AJ Schnack is an independent filmmaker. ... Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary profiling the band They Might Be Giants, featuring interviews with Frank Black, Sarah Vowell, Dave Eggers, and others. ...

In 2002 They Might Be Giants released their first album "for the entire family," No!. Using the enhanced CD format, No! included an interactive animation for each song. They followed it up in 2003 with their first book, an illustrated children's book with an included EP, Bed, Bed, Bed. No! is the first album of childrens music by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. ... Enhanced CD is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both compact disc and CD-ROM players. ... Bed, Bed, Bed was a book and EP package for children released by They Might Be Giants in 2003 (see 2003 in music) through Simon & Schuster. ...

Recent activity (2004-Present)

In 2004, the band created one of the first artist-owned online music stores, at which customers could purchase and download MP3 copies of their music, both new releases and many previously released albums. By creating their own store, the band could keep money that would otherwise go to record companies. (TMBG MP3 Music Store)

Also in 2004, the band released their first new "adult" rock work in three years, the EP Indestructible Object. They followed that up with a new album, The Spine, and an associated EP, The Spine Surfs Alone. 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. 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 entitled "Different Town."^[11] This article is about the sound recording titled Indestructible Object. ... The Spine is the tenth full-length They Might Be Giants studio album. ... The Spine Surfs Alone is a 2004 EP by They Might Be Giants, released as a companion to their album The Spine on the same day of the latters release. ... Experimental Film is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... It has been suggested that Teen Girl Squad and Cheat Commandos be merged into this article or section. ... The Brothers Chaps: Mike and Matt Chapman (left to right). ...

Drummer Dan Hickey left the band around this timeframe and was subsequently replaced by Marty Beller, who had already played with TMBG for kids' shows and other projects. Marty Beller is the current drummer for They Might Be Giants. ...

TMBG also contributed a track to the 2004 Future Soundtrack For America compilation, a project compiled by John Flansburgh with the help of Spike Jonze and Barsuk Records. The band contributed "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too", a political campaign song from the presidential election of 1840. The compilation was released by Barsuk and featured indie, alternative, and high-profile acts such as Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips, and Bright Eyes. All proceeds went to progressive organizations such as Music for America and MoveOn.org. Future Soundtrack for America is a benefit album for Music for America and MoveOn. ... Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel on October 22, 1969), is an American director of offbeat music videos and commercials, and an Academy Award-nominated director and producer in film and television, most notably the 1999 black comedy film Being John Malkovich and the 2002 film Adaptation. ... Barsuk Records (pronounced Bar-SOOK) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, started and still managed by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld in 1994 to release their bands material. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Barsuk Records (pronounced Bar-SOOK) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington. ... Death Cab for Cutie is an American band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. ... The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983) are an acclaimed American alternative rock band. ... Bright Eyes is a band consisting of singer-songwriter/guitarist Conor Oberst, multi-instrumentalist/producer Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, and a rotating lineup of collaborators drawn primarily from Omahas indie music scene. ... A group of MoveOn volunteers helped the get-out-the-vote drive in Cincinnati in the run-up to the 2004 U.S. presidential election. ...

Flansburgh and Linnell made a guest appearance in Camp, the January 11, 2004 episode of the animated sitcom Home Movies. They voice both a pair of camp counselors and members of a strange hooded male bonding cult. January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... This article is about the cartoon. ...

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!. Robin Goldie Goldwasser is the co-writer of the musical People Are Wrong with Julia Greenberg. ... Poster from People Are Wrong from the People are Wrong website: Bringing together some of the finest talents from the rock world and New York theater, People Are Wrong! is a manic and joyful celebration of melody and musical fable. ...

They Might Be Giants perform a free show at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, CA on March 25, 2005.

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 Bookstore locations. Image File history File links They Might Be Giants free show at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, CA on March 25th, 2005. ... Image File history File links They Might Be Giants free show at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, CA on March 25th, 2005. ... Amoeba Music in San Francisco The inside of the San Francisco store Amoeba Music is an independent music chain in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, California. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Borders Group (NYSE: BGP) is an international bookseller based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ...

With their popularlity rising among children, the band announced on their website that anyone under the age of 16 is currently barred from TMBG concerts (except, of course, shows intended for a younger audience). Their stated reasons mention a number of elements uncharacteristic of their typical concerts (such as pot smoking and violent, drunken audience members). Is fuckin awesome. ...

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. Venue Songs is a 2004 album by the group They Might Be Giants. ... John Hodgman John Kellogg Hodgman[1] (born June 1971) is an American author and humorist whose work has been published in the The Paris Review, The New York Times Magazine, and McSweeneys Quarterly Concern. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Since December 2005, TMBG has been making podcasts on a monthly, sometimes bi-monthly, basis. These podcasts are available on iTunes and their dialasong.com website[2]. Each edition includes remixes of previous songs, rarities, covers, and new songs and skits recorded specifically for the podcast. iTunes is a digital media player application, introduced by Apple Computer on January 10, 2001 at Macworld Expo in San Francisco,[1] for playing and organizing digital music and video files. ...

TMBG has also contributed fourteen original songs for the 2006 Dunkin' Donuts ad campaign, "America Runs On Dunkin'," including "Things I Like To Do" and "Pleather". 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dunkin Donuts is an international coffee and doughnut retailer founded in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA by William Rosenberg. ...

Recently, the band has produced and performed three original songs for new Playhouse Disney series: one for Higglytown Heroes and two for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. They will also be providing original songs for the soundtrack to the Henry Selick-directed movie of Neil Gaiman's childrens' book Coraline.^[12], and the title track to the upcoming Disney movie Meet the Robinsons. For Playhouse Disney In The UK, See Playhouse Disney (UK) Playhouse Disney is part of the Disney Channel morning programming block. ... Higglytown Heroes is a childrens television series currently airing on the Playhouse Disney portion of the Disney Channel, or, on some cable networks, the Playhouse Disney channel. ... Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a childrens television series, that premiered in prime time on Disney Channel on May 5, 2006. ... Henry Selick (November 30 1952 - ), is an American stop motion animation director who directed both The Nightmare Before Christmas, and James and the Giant Peach. ... Coraline is an upcoming film based on Neil Gaimans book, ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960, Portchester, Hampshire) is an English author of numerous science fiction and fantasy works, including many graphic novels. ... Coraline (2002) is a short novel for children and adults by the British author Neil Gaiman. ... The Walt Disney Company (more commonly known as Disney; NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... Meet the Robinsons is a computer-animated film and the 46th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. ...

They are currently working on a new album with longtime producer Pat Dillett (David Byrne) and The Dust Brothers (Beck, Beastie Boys)^[13], which has yet to be named, as well as a follow-up to Here Come the ABCs entitled Here Come the 1-2-3s^[14]. David Byrne (born May 14, 1952 in Dumbarton, Scotland) is a musician best known as a founding member and the principal songwriter of the New Wave band Talking Heads. ... The Dust Brothers are the New York-based producers E.Z. Mike (Michael Simpson) and King Gizmo (John King), famous for their creation of sample-based music in the 1980s, and specifically for their work on the groundbreaking albums Pauls Boutique by the Beastie Boys and Odelay by Beck. ... Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell, July 8, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known by his simple stage name of Beck. ... The Beastie Boys are a hip hop group from the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. ...

The band's name

The band took their name from the 1971 film They Might Be Giants (starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward). They Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the Broadway play of the same name (both written by James Goldman) starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. ... George C Scott as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubricks George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was a film/stage actor, director, and producer. ... Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

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. ^[15] The name was then adopted by the band who had been searching for a 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 (paraphrasing) 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 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".^[16]

Discography

Throughout their career, They Might Be Giants has released 11 studio albums, 6 live albums, 25 EPs and singles. They have also collaborated on many other projects. ^[17] The following is a complete discography of the American band They Might Be Giants. ... A Studio Album is an album of regular studio recordings. ... A live album is a musical recording containing recorded concert performances. ...

Charting singles

The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... Ana Ng is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... Lincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. ... Birdhouse in Your Soul is one of the all-time biggest hits of the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. ... Flood is the third studio album by They Might Be Giants, and their first with a major label, Elektra Records. ... Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the title to a song originally performed by The Four Lads in 1953, and was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. ... The Statue Got Me High is an EP by They Might Be Giants. ... Apollo 18 is They Might Be Giants fourth studio album. ... John Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. ... Boss of Me is a single released by the band They Might Be Giants. ... Music from Malcolm in the Middle is the soundtrack to the television series, Malcolm in the Middle released in 2000. ...

Song samples

Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

Music videos

The band has made music videos for many of their songs, including:

• "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" (1986)
• "Don't Let's Start" (1986)
• "(She Was a) Hotel Detective" (1986)
• "Ana Ng" (1988)
• "Purple Toupee" (1988)
• "They'll Need a Crane" (1988)
• "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (1990)
• "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (animated) (1990)
• "The Statue Got Me High" (1992)
• "The Guitar" (1992)
• "Snail Shell" (1994)
• "Doctor Worm" (1998)
• "Boss of Me" (2001) (abridged version premiered on FOX; some airplay on MTV2 and other stations; featured in an episode of VH1's Pop-Up Video)
• "Experimental Film" (2004) (animated, with Homestar Runner characters)

Other videos include: Dont Lets Start is a They Might Be Giants song originally from the album They Might Be Giants, but it has also appeared on Then: The Earlier Years and Dial-A-Song: 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants. ... Ana Ng is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... Theyll Need A Crane is an EP made by They Might Be Giants. ... Birdhouse in Your Soul is one of the all-time biggest hits of the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. ... Istanbul (Not Constantinople) was the title to a song originally performed by The Four Lads in 1953, and was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon. ... Boss of Me is a single released by the band They Might Be Giants. ... Pop-Up Video was a popular VH1 show that popped up bubbles ( ) — officially called info nuggets — containing trivia and spry witticisms throughout music videos. ... Experimental Film is a song by They Might Be Giants. ... It has been suggested that Teen Girl Squad and Cheat Commandos be merged into this article or section. ...

• "Rabid Child" (1986) (home video, not released publicly, clip can be seen in Gigantic)
• "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (1990) (produced by and featured on Tiny Toons)
• "Particle Man" (1990) (produced by and featured on Tiny Toons)
• "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas)" (1997) (animated/live action, premiered on KaBlam!)
• "Doctor Worm" (1999?) (animated, premered on KaBlam!)
• "Courage the Cowardly Dog" (2002) (computer animated, aired on Cartoon Network)
• "Dee Dee and Dexter" (2003) (animated by Klasky-Csupo, aired on Cartoon Network)
• "I'm All You Can Think About" (2004) (animated in Macromedia Flash by John Linnell)
• "Damn Good Times" (2005) (animated, appears on tmbg.com)
• "Bastard Wants to Hit Me" (2005) (animated, appears on tmbg.com)
• "Dallas", "Los Angeles", "Anaheim", "Vancouver" "Asheville" "Glasgow", "Albany", "Pittsburgh", "Asbury Park", "Brookln" and "Charlottesville" (2005, on the Venue Songs DVD)

Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary profiling the band They Might Be Giants, featuring interviews with Frank Black, Sarah Vowell, Dave Eggers, and others. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... KaBlam! is an American animated television series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000. ... Klasky Csupo, Inc. ... // == Macromedia Flash == ==]] Using Macromedia Flash 8 (bundled in Studio 8) in Windows XP. Maintainer: Adobe Systems (formerly Macromedia) Latest release: 8 / September 30th, 2005 OS: Windows (no native Windows XP Professional x64 Edition support), Mac OS X, Linux (i386 only, via wine [1]) Use: Multimedia Content Creator License: Proprietary Website... Venue Songs DVD/CD was a compilation album released in 2005 by They Might Be Giants on their own label, Idlewild Records. ...

Trivia and miscellany

• Cover art for the album Lincoln, designed in collaboration with Brooklyn musical inventor Brian Dewan, featured two podiums holding portraits of Linnell's and Flansburgh's grandfathers. Dewan also performed and sang on many of their songs, both on their albums and live.
• In 1998, TMBG fans rushed an online poll and voted John Linnell (as a write-in candidate) into 9th place in People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People". Because of the number of unusual write-in candidates (Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf received the most votes), People declined to incorporate the online poll results into their print edition.^[18]
• Lyrics of They Might Be Giants songs are used as lorem ipsum on page 208 of Scott McCloud's book Understanding Comics.
• TMBG will be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
• The internet MMORPG Kingdom of Loathing is rife with references to TMBG.

Brian Dewan is one of New York Citys foremost musical inventors and innovators. ... People, a weekly magazine of celebrity and popular culture news, debuted on February 27, 1974. ... Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The cartoon Scott McCloud as he appears when narrating his own works such as Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics. ... Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a 215-page non-fiction graphic novel by Scott McCloud, widely considered the definitive text to date on the theory of comics (or sequential art) as an artform and a communications medium. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... An image from World of Warcraft, the largest commercial MMORPG as of 2007, based on active subscriptions. ... Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) is a humorous multiplayer browser game designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications (including creator Zack Jick Johnson and writer Josh Mr. ...

Notes and references

2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

External links

Official sites

• Official They Might Be Giants web page
• Official band-operated download site
• They Might Be Giants' Dial-a-Song (now primarily dedicated to the They Might Be Giants Podcast)
• The official Gigantic film web page
• The official TMBG Kids web page
• "Experimental Film" video on Homestarrunner.com

It has been suggested that Teen Girl Squad and Cheat Commandos be merged into this article or section. ...

Unofficial fansites

• This Might Be A Wiki — a MediaWiki about TMBG. As of October 5, 2006, it contained 11,814 pages, 2496 articles, and had 1310 registered users.
  • TMBW:Fan Communities — List of many TMBG internet discussion forums
• Theynow.com — A fanmade TMBG podcast
• The unofficial They Might Be Giants site

MediaWiki is a wiki software package licensed under the GNU General Public License. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Articles

• "They Might Be Giants release First MP3 Only Album" by Rich Menta, MP3 Newswire, 1999

MP3 Newswire is one of the earliest news sites focused on digital media technology. ...

Other

• They Might Be Giants at Last.fm
• They Might Be Giants Lyrics

Last. ...

Internet Movie Database

• They Might Be Giants at the Internet Movie Database
• John Linnell at the Internet Movie Database
• John Flansburgh at the Internet Movie Database
• They Might Be Giants at the Internet Movie Database