Brighten my day!? There was the annoying noise, so I couldn't understand the lyrics. It looked to me like the accompaniment oughta've been by Louis Armstrong.
The whole thing made no sense ... ahhhhh, was it something religious?
The Tonight Show version was great. At the time most rock/pop bands treated the band there as a hindrance of some sort, but TMBG really took to it and jumped at the opportunity to have Tommey Newsome write up some arrangements and get Doc wailing. The results were great.
No, Sam Harris says we shouldn't call ourselves geeks. In fact, we shouldn't call ourselves anything. Just stay under the radar, and be really smart, and really annoying.
They're still touring and going strong, and their live shows ROCK. You can buy and download shows at They Might Be Downloads. They just released a new album as well. Long live John and John!
I've seen those guys several times in concert and they're so much fun... and for the record, their song "Why does the sun shine" is one of my (and my 2 year old son's) favorite songs ever.
I was fortunate enough to see them in Indianapolis Thursday and they were every bit as good as I remembered. Ironically,(or perhaps not) the opening band was named "Oppenheimer".
Safety dance being weird? How about "Pop goes the world" by Men Without Hats. I thought that was more demented than Safety Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjIrrL8gaNQ
Much of Bjork. And I'm a big fan of Weird Al, Stone Temple Pilots (a few weird ones), and there are more that are ruined by hideous music, but the KING of creepy, weird videos must be seen to be believed:
These guys draw the line dividing laugh and scream really well: I'm not sure that any song from Lincoln would exactly "brighten [my] day," though: the topics they write about are not especially joyous.
As a parent, you can imagine my triple, no, quintuple-take, when I realized that TMBG are also doing themes for children's cartoons, including not only the title music for Higgly Town Heros, but also an alphabet song with an animated Higgly-duo of themselves.
For TMBG fans, I recommend the documentary, "Gigantic: a Tale of Two Johns." Celebrities who laud the band include Michael McKean, Ira Glass, Sarah Vowell, Janeane Garofalo, Harry Shearer, Andy Richter, Senator Paul Simon and many others. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304081/combined
For a site that attracts a high percentage of atheists, I'm amazed at the numbers here who've been infected by the culturally normative belief that this pop/rock noise is, in any sense, good, that is to say, that it is music, rather than noise.
It seems to me to be analagous with the situation regarding religion, which most of us here do recognize as crap.
My three years old nephew recently had a Blue's Clue DVD playing when I noticed that the band playing was TMBG. I said something about having played these guys on my radio show twenty years ago when in college. (Hi! We're The Replacements!)
An other time, he had Spongebob on. There was a song about a snail. I realized the person singing was Stew. (Look up the band,'The Negro Problem'.)
I wonder how many other musicians I like who are doing kid's songs. And, yes, I know about The Wee Hairy Beasties. I am a fan of the various offshoots of The Mekons and of Kelly Hogan.
Someone left the cake out in the rain.
And I don't think that I can take it.
Because it took so long to bake it.
And I will never have that recipe again.
Oh no!
Someone shut the fence off in the rain
And it might sound kind of eerie
but it proves my chaos theory
and I don't think I'll be coming back again.
Oh no!
Big TMBG fan, though I'm surprised you didn't pick a song off of Apollo 18, since the album cover has a giant squid fighting a whale in space (and maybe even winning?)
This video was great... but what are the numbered buildings in the background? I was always half expecting hydraulic arms to extend and assemble some super-aircraft Thunderbirds style, or the obligatory yellow ramjet-bedecked search-and-rescue aircraft to be spat out.
Speaking of Thunderbirds, I bought a book on the weekend detailing unfulfilled projects in the British aerospace industry since WW2 - much of the concept/design art looked like it was given to Gerry Anderson to play with when HM Govt. decided not to build it any more.
If you really want TMBG mindfuckery, try "The Statue Got Me High". For added effect, play it while watching the tunnels-of-light sequence at the end of 2001.
So many great TMBG moments to choose from...but I have to go with "Dead" as one of my favorite existential anthems:
"Did a large procession wave their torches
as my head fell in the basket
or was anybody dancing on the casket?
Now it's over, I'm dead
and I haven't done anything that I want
Or I'm still alive
and there's nothing I want to do."
Honorable mention, for all you bio/science geeks out there, must go to "Mammal." You've got to love a pop song that includes the lines,
"So the warm blood flows
with the red blood cells
lacking nuclei
through the large four-chambered heart
Maintaining the very high metabolism rate they have
Mammal, mammal..."
Does anyone know if John or John has ever mentioned any religious beliefs, or lack thereof? They strike me as likely nonbelievers, but I have not seen any evidence either way...
THIS ISN'T SCIENCE!
This is FUN!
Science is FUN!
Therefore, this is SCIENCE.
Huh, huh, Am I right?
I had this album years ago, but lost it somewhere. Thanks for the memories.
Brighten my day!? There was the annoying noise, so I couldn't understand the lyrics. It looked to me like the accompaniment oughta've been by Louis Armstrong.
The whole thing made no sense ... ahhhhh, was it something religious?
LOL! I have to agree, I don't really get this one either. OTOH, the fifth video in the menu below it, "In the Dark", has a guitar-playing squid!
TMBG?
Teenage Mutant Battousai Gophers?
Ah, go back to Camelot, Harris.
#5
They Might Be Giants, the unofficial house band of the geek universe.
Ana Ng and I are gettin' old and we still haven't walked in the glow of each other's respective wisdom. Still a good tune, though.
This Rocks! and it definitely made a little birdhouse in my soul. thanks :)
"I don't want the world, I just want your half."
Sorry kids, but I like "Birdhouse in your soul" better. And since we dont have souls..watch the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW_hSNHZiBc
Actually, I would like to direct your attention to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IChyTGIV6uM
It's great ( same song Birdhouse) Doc Severinsen is is conducting and he gets into the song. Classic!
Much enjoyed! I saw them live about three years ago. Fun show. Might have been in Istanbul, definitely not Constantinople though.
The Tonight Show version was great. At the time most rock/pop bands treated the band there as a hindrance of some sort, but TMBG really took to it and jumped at the opportunity to have Tommey Newsome write up some arrangements and get Doc wailing. The results were great.
That worked just as intended.
Are there really people who don't like TMBG? And even people who don't know TMBG? And you people call yourself geeks.
Fine choice! One of my favorite music videos.
No, Sam Harris says we shouldn't call ourselves geeks. In fact, we shouldn't call ourselves anything. Just stay under the radar, and be really smart, and really annoying.
They're still touring and going strong, and their live shows ROCK. You can buy and download shows at They Might Be Downloads. They just released a new album as well. Long live John and John!
I've seen those guys several times in concert and they're so much fun... and for the record, their song "Why does the sun shine" is one of my (and my 2 year old son's) favorite songs ever.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Oyz7e8iQ6Uo
it's one of those nerdgasm moments the first time you hear it.
Wow, I've heard TMBG often, but never realized how weird their videos are. These make the Safety Dance look rational.
@ #20. Now that shit was funny!!!
They also give away free mp3s at times on their website. They'll let you know in the newsletter if you sign up. Live performances, stuff like that.
I was fortunate enough to see them in Indianapolis Thursday and they were every bit as good as I remembered. Ironically,(or perhaps not) the opening band was named "Oppenheimer".
Ah. This is what happens when nerds decide to be rock stars...
Safety dance being weird? How about "Pop goes the world" by Men Without Hats. I thought that was more demented than Safety Dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjIrrL8gaNQ
Or "Hyperactive" by Thomas Dolby, especially the head shrinking part on the psychotherapists couch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vPPDFUlJ70
And Peter Gabriel had his moments, like "Shock the Monkey:"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oaSZxd9jOY though, frankly, he wasn't that weird...
Oh. Oh. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarten had some weird moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSkyEyBczU
Much of Bjork. And I'm a big fan of Weird Al, Stone Temple Pilots (a few weird ones), and there are more that are ruined by hideous music, but the KING of creepy, weird videos must be seen to be believed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC73PHdQX04
"Ana Ng" is great, but it's "Older" which really speaks to me.
These guys draw the line dividing laugh and scream really well: I'm not sure that any song from Lincoln would exactly "brighten [my] day," though: the topics they write about are not especially joyous.
As a parent, you can imagine my triple, no, quintuple-take, when I realized that TMBG are also doing themes for children's cartoons, including not only the title music for Higgly Town Heros, but also an alphabet song with an animated Higgly-duo of themselves.
For TMBG fans, I recommend the documentary, "Gigantic: a Tale of Two Johns." Celebrities who laud the band include Michael McKean, Ira Glass, Sarah Vowell, Janeane Garofalo, Harry Shearer, Andy Richter, Senator Paul Simon and many others.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304081/combined
<3 <3 I don't even have to play the video to know that's "Ana Ng", my favorite TMBG song. (And I've seen them a few times.)
The first verse is only possible if the fellow lives in Argentina.
(Though I suppose it fits in a way as the song is a bit Borgesian)
For a site that attracts a high percentage of atheists, I'm amazed at the numbers here who've been infected by the culturally normative belief that this pop/rock noise is, in any sense, good, that is to say, that it is music, rather than noise.
It seems to me to be analagous with the situation regarding religion, which most of us here do recognize as crap.
Man, how can you people disagree with my opinions about music, which are thoroughly objective and rational! You must secretly believe in God.
(Snark aside, this video always makes me smile. Especially the dance during the chorus.)
My three years old nephew recently had a Blue's Clue DVD playing when I noticed that the band playing was TMBG. I said something about having played these guys on my radio show twenty years ago when in college. (Hi! We're The Replacements!)
An other time, he had Spongebob on. There was a song about a snail. I realized the person singing was Stew. (Look up the band,'The Negro Problem'.)
I wonder how many other musicians I like who are doing kid's songs. And, yes, I know about The Wee Hairy Beasties. I am a fan of the various offshoots of The Mekons and of Kelly Hogan.
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artists/weehairybeasties
There is something really funny about a poster going by the name of Richard Harris complaining about "crap" music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o53oM6hCJSA
Someone left the cake out in the rain.
And I don't think that I can take it.
Because it took so long to bake it.
And I will never have that recipe again.
Oh no!
Jesus Fucking Christ!
Shouldn't that be:
Someone shut the fence off in the rain
And it might sound kind of eerie
but it proves my chaos theory
and I don't think I'll be coming back again.
Oh no!
Big TMBG fan, though I'm surprised you didn't pick a song off of Apollo 18, since the album cover has a giant squid fighting a whale in space (and maybe even winning?)
This video was great... but what are the numbered buildings in the background? I was always half expecting hydraulic arms to extend and assemble some super-aircraft Thunderbirds style, or the obligatory yellow ramjet-bedecked search-and-rescue aircraft to be spat out.
Speaking of Thunderbirds, I bought a book on the weekend detailing unfulfilled projects in the British aerospace industry since WW2 - much of the concept/design art looked like it was given to Gerry Anderson to play with when HM Govt. decided not to build it any more.
If you really want TMBG mindfuckery, try "The Statue Got Me High". For added effect, play it while watching the tunnels-of-light sequence at the end of 2001.
I just want to say Yay TMBG!
So many great TMBG moments to choose from...but I have to go with "Dead" as one of my favorite existential anthems:
"Did a large procession wave their torches
as my head fell in the basket
or was anybody dancing on the casket?
Now it's over, I'm dead
and I haven't done anything that I want
Or I'm still alive
and there's nothing I want to do."
Honorable mention, for all you bio/science geeks out there, must go to "Mammal." You've got to love a pop song that includes the lines,
"So the warm blood flows
with the red blood cells
lacking nuclei
through the large four-chambered heart
Maintaining the very high metabolism rate they have
Mammal, mammal..."
Does anyone know if John or John has ever mentioned any religious beliefs, or lack thereof? They strike me as likely nonbelievers, but I have not seen any evidence either way...