TMBG Podcast 38A

They Might Be Giants Podcast 38A just went up yesterday and it's spreading the word on a fantastic video. Elliot Cowan's video for "Employee of the Month" has been cast through the internet and is placing itself in your iTunes or other feed reader. You can also listen to an interview with Elliot talking about his career and touching on his "Employee" video over on Spoiler Alert Radio.

Interview and Podcast 37A

Over the weekend, the folks from Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child had an interview with John and John before a show. After a round of questions on Benjamin Franklin, we find out that Here Comes Science will concern itself with ideas in science and not famous scientists themselves, though Flansburgh reveals that at one point he was working on a song about Nikola Tesla. Also revealed in the interview is the story of "Doctor Worm"'s origin.


Released yesterday is They Might Be Giants Podcast 37A. This special Halloween themed episode has some scary poems, some scary songs, and some songs related to Homestar Runner. Along with the recent "200 SBemails", a new song titled "Crystal Fortress" is played, which will appear in a future Homestar Runner project.

Included in this episode is the topical "Vote or Don't," a new song exclusive for the podcast. As US election day is upon us, the most recent TMBG newsletter includes a healthy "guide to voting" which you can re-forward to all of your friends. (And why not keep in the info on the podcast and show dates as well?)

Speaking of show dates, news is that the November 29 show at Le Poisson Rouge will be an Apollo 18 show featuring a full play-through of They Might Be Giants' fourth album.

Strong Bad, Podcast, and NPR

The two Johns have collaborated with the chaps behind Homestar Runner several times before in projects from music videos to jam sessions. This week, they provide an opening number for Strong Bad's monumental 200th e-mail video. You can download the song by clicking the 'A' in "Emails" at the end. You might also remember that a song was provided for the e-mail "different town."

Just after the release of They Might Be Giants Podcast 36A is a special 36B. A "rare glimpse of the secret coolness that was Hello," says a newsletter announcing the installment, in this episode host John Flansburgh plays through his Hello Recording Club's 1993 Sampler which includes music from Frank Black, The Residents, Eugene Chadbourne, and others from the Hello catalog.

Finally, we have a double dosing of NPR as TMBW links to a segment from All Things Considered on music for kids and adults. Informed by Stefan Shepherd over at Zooglobble, the piece plays a few clips from bands including They Might Be Giants.

If you are looking for more TMBG than clips, the band's second appearance via the public radio organization this week may be just what you are looking for. Linked to by The Pitch's Wayward Blog, a They Might Be Giants live set on Mountain Stage was re-broadcast this week and you can listen online. [EDIT: An curious e-mailer asked me to clarify that this is actually a rather old performance, but it was played again on Tuesday.]

Podcast 36A, interviews, and more

I have so many links this week I may need to start updating more frequently again. Starting out from the weekend, TMBG's Sunday appearance on Out Of The Box on Q104.3 has been archived on the show's site for both streaming and downloading. John, John, and Marty were interviewed and played some songs live in the studio.

Plush You, a blog dedicated to handcrafted plush items, interviewed TMBG collaborator Hine Mizushima this week. The interview gives us some info on her creative background and explains how she got involved in making videos ("With the Dark," "The Secret Life of Six") for They Might Be Giants.

In movie news, it seems that there won't be as much TMBG in Coraline as everyone originally thought. ShockTillYouDrop.com visited the set of the movie sat down with director Henry Selick. Selick states that the film was initially going to feature more songs but it has since been limited to "a few moments of music." Chud.com, who attended the same set visit, lets us know that only one of the songs They Might Be Giants wrote for the film will ultimately make it on screen. You may remember that "Careful What You Pack" came from these unused songs. In addition to relaying some behind the scenes interactions with the band, Selick informs us that Bruno Coulais is scoring the film, in case you pondered if TMBG had involvement in that as well.


Coraline won't get wide release until next year, so if you're looking for a TMBG fix, hit up the They Might Be Giants Podcast. Released yesterday as an early preview on their MySpace page, Podcast 36A has been sent out. Songs from the podcast include a few from their ringtone projects, a Beatles cover, and more. The podcast-announcing newsletter states a 36B is on the way.

Wrapping up a post too long for its own good is the rumor mill. "Tippecanoe And Tyler Too" was played in today's podcast and Flansburgh reminds everyone to go out and vote (for the people they're going to vote for). It looks like John may be getting a little more active than that in spreading the good vibes for his candidate of choice. A Twitter post from a one Mr. Noah Carter indicates that They Might Be Giants will be making an appearance at a supporter-organized fundraising event for Barack Obama.

So who is Noah Carter? I have no idea either, but he's listed as one of the hosts of the event along with several relatively famous people from the New York area. The event itself is in Brooklyn on October 6th and TMBG has a show in New York on the 5th so this wouldn't be out of their way. It's also not noted if they will be performing or just showing face.

"Davy Crockett" and new Disney dates

While July may have mostly been a quiet month for They Might Be Giants, they're ending it with a bang. A new music video has been uploaded to the Family Podcast feed for "Davy Crockett (In Outer Space)." The video uses some great animation ideas including the use of chalk and felt with 2D and 3D effects. The song is included in the Disney Music Block Party CD, for which TMBG will be touring.

A new TMBG newsletter sent out today reminds everyone that they will begin this very Block Party tour this weekend and into next week in five shows. Not mentioned is that, due to Barenaked Ladies canceling their appearances, They Might Be Giants have added three additional dates on the kids festival in late August.

In non-Disney show news, the band used the newsletter to announce two free audience appreciation shows at the Mohegan Sun. As usual, TMBW has a big list of all of upcoming shows, so look for the locations nearest you.

Finally, the newsletter makes mention that Dan Miller was recently married. Making the rounds online is an article from The New York Times about the courtship and wedding. The article also includes links to a song written by Dan for his bride and another article concerning the wedding dress. Congratulations Dan!

"Can You Find It?" ends first run of Family Podcast

The most recent episode of the They Might Be Giants Friday Night Video Podcast was released at the break of the weekend last week after some apparent feed trouble. Continuing the Spaceman and Robot month of June, John and John in their gear start us off with "Can You Find It?" from Here Come the ABCs.

After some robot jokes, the broom introduces "The Secret Life of Six" while incognito. Once this video, from Here Come the 123s, has completed, our friend Addison the Sock once again prompts Flansburgh to read off some kids' show tour dates. As spaceman and robot Johns sing us out, a message appears that informs us the Family Podcast will be taking a break until the fall.

The podcast had an impressive first run totaling 27 episodes. Starting with two episodes last year, the show has only missed one Friday since its launch on the first Friday of January. Be sure to remain subscribed to the iTunes or web feed to automatically be informed of when the podcast comes back.

"Go for G!" and more on Family Podcast

They Might Be Giants' Friday night video podcast makes its weekly appearance today with a new episode. With Spaceman and Robot month continuing, the Johns in their spaceman and robot outfits introduce "Go for G!" from Here Come the ABCs. In what must be a celebration of the festive month, "I am a Robot," in which a robot and little girl recite the alphabet, is played yet again.

After this pair of videos, we are treated to another of Linnell's hilariously deadpan robot jokes and a third video for the night: "Eight Hundred and Thirteen Mile Car Trip" from Here Come the 123s. Ending the episode, spaceman Flansburgh and robot Linnell sing us out with their goodbye song.

Robot podcast, Flans interview

The newest installment of the Family Podcast is now available online. Continuing Spaceman and Robot month, Flansburgh and Linnell greet us in their spaceman and robot outfit, respectively. Up first is "I am a Robot," a DVD only track from Here Come the ABCs. Then, in the fashion of May Day, the Johns tell some hilarious robot jokes.

We soon meet Addison the Sock, who introduces a Disney tour announcement from Flans. Rounding out the episode, spaceman Flansburgh and robot Linnell sing "A Shooting Star is Not a Star."

The Charlotte Observer has a short word with John Flansburgh in preparation for TMBG's upcoming shows in Charlotte, NC this weekend. As two of the three concerts are sold-out children's shows, the article focuses in that area, asking of children's music from Flans' childhood and the pluses of children's and TV work.

Spaceman and Robot month on Family Podcast

It's June this week and They Might Be Giants are celebrating Spaceman and Robot month on the Family Podcast. Spaceman Flansburgh and robot Linnell host the Friday night video podcast and start us off with "Nine Bowls of Soup" from Here Come the 123s.

After the video, John and John give us a performance of "Robot Parade" from No!, sung by robot Linnell instead of Flansburgh as it usually is. The puppets have sung three other songs in the podcast, viz.: "Fibber Island," "Older," and "I Am Not Your Broom."

The spaceman and the robot then sing us out, letting us know it's time for them to go for another week.

Family podcast, net neutrality album

They Might Be Giants' Friday Night Family Podcast updates again today. This episode starts us off with puppet Linnell and the broom introducing "Even Numbers" from Here Come the 123s. After the video, Linnell and the broom perform a rendition of "I Am Not Your Broom" from TMBG's first album for kids, No! Closing out the episode, puppet Flansburgh joins Linnell to give a goodbye chant.

After a few weeks of delaying, the Disney Music Block Party Tour website is finally up and running. There, you can get all of the information you've been looking for including who's playing where, how much tickets cost, and other details.

A while back, there was word that They Might Be Giants would be contributing to an album in support of net neutrality. While TMBG and other acts were mentioned as on the compilation, there wasn't any other information about the project. Today CMJ has posted an article with more information about the album, which is titled Rock the Net: Musicians for Net Neutrality. According to the article, the album will drop on July 29 and we see from the track listing posted that the opening track will be They Might Be Giants' "We Live in a Dump." ClickZ has posted an album cover as well. Both articles link to the Rock the Net website which currently has zero information about the album.

"E Eats," "Apt. 4" on podcast

The newest installment of They Might Be Giants' Family Podcast is online with two great videos. The episode starts with the puppet Johns taking questions from viewers in a segue to their first video, "E Eats Everything" from Here Come the ABCs.

The broom from last week's podcast introduces the next song in the lineup, "Apartment Four" from Here Come the 123s. Rounding out the podcast, John and John sing us goodbye and for the first time we see a credits screen at the end of the episode.

Podcast 35A released to joyous praise

TMBG Podcast 35A has just been released for your listening pleasure. There is a great collection of songs on this podcast, including the new instrumental "No Left Turn," a demo of "Subliminal," and Dial-A-Song fan favorite "Rock Club" (or something like that). Not even half of the songs hidden inside the podcast, there are still more to be heard in 35A.

You can download the podcast on iTunes and the web.

"Zeroes" podcast, TIME, radio interview and songs

They Might Be Giants' Family Podcast is back today with "Zeroes." Sung with the help of Hannah Levine, who also sings "One Dozen Monkeys," the song describes the many uses of the zero while the video features several birds, such as the one on the Here Come the 123s cover, helping to demonstrate.

After the video, the puppet Johns sing a quick little song and tell some jokes. I think it's great to see little songs like this in the podcast where they won't necessarily be taken so seriously and are a fun little diversion. The video ends with the podcast's goodbye song.

They Might Be Giants were profiled by TIME concerning their children's work. The article is mostly an overview, but you may want to check it out, if only for the excellent photo of the Johns and their puppets.

Several audio-only videos of TMBG on radio station WNRN have been posted to YouTube. A two part video from last year has an interview with John, John, and Marty on the drums. Part one covers working on The Else and an in-studio performance of "Contrecoup." Part two has them discussing their reasons for releasing The Else online a month before its retail release and they play the previously linked "Star Hill Music Hall."

Also uploaded by the station are several in-studio performances from way back on September 12, 1997. The songs include "Cowtown," "New York City," "Older," and what is possibly the very first performance of "Doctor Worm." They're interesting arrangements and are all well worth listening to.

Family Podcast returns

They Might Be Giants' Friday Night Family Podcast is back today after a week off. This episode begins with a reminder that Mothers' Day is Sunday, so remember to make your mother a card! "Alphabet of Nations" from Here Come the ABCs is then introduced and shown.

The second video of the episode is for "High Five!" from Here Come the 123s. Sung by drummer Marty Beller, this was also the first video from the first podcast nearly half a year ago. The puppet Johns close out the podcast as usual with a quiet goodbye song.

Podcast 34A released

Podcast 34A in the They Might Be Giants podcast for people was released today on iTunes and the web. Having been up for preview on their MySpace page over the weekend, it was entered into the feeds today. This episode is full of recent ("Figure Eight"), unreleased ("Prisoners of Graphic Design"), remixed ("Twisting"), and demo ("Doctor Worm" and more) recordings from They Might Be Giants and Mono Puff.

A MySpace post from over the weekend tells of the podcast preview on their profile page and reminds of their remaining announced shows. The theymightbegiants.com blog also mentions the preview and gives us the heads up that the They Might Be Giants podcast for families might be put on hold this week.

"One Everything" on Family Podcast

They Might Be Giants' Family Podcast celebrates Arbor Day today with a new episode. The puppet Johns begin the video in their car riding gear with a song about the holiday. In observance of Arbor Day, "C is for Conifers" from Here Come the ABCs is the first music video played, giving us facts about the tree type in song form.

In keeping with the environmentally conscious theme, "One Everything" can be tenuously be linked as well. Either way, the fantastic video for the song from Here Come the 123s is next in line on the podcast. Featuring one of the most endearing globes I've seen, the song covers some big concepts for children, let alone adults. After the video, the Johns close up the podcast with a goodbye chant.

"Triops Has Three Eyes" sees Family Podcast

Hot on the heels of Podcast 33B is the They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast for the week. The episode begins with Flansburgh in France (which you may remember he visited recently) as he introduces the featured video "Triops Has Three Eyes" from Here Come the 123s.

"Triops" is one of my favorite songs on the album and its video is just as good. Created by David Cowles and Phil Lockerby, the animated piece introduces us to the triops with cameos from our favorite Johns.

After the second video for the night, "Letter/Not a Letter" from Here Come the ABCs, Linnell joins Flans to say goodbye in the language of the land. They also give us the heads up that next Friday's podcast will be celebrating Arbor Day.

A new TMBG newsletter was sent out promoting their two recent podcasts. The e-mail also reminds everyone that tonight's concert will be streamed live online starting at 8 o'clock though an interview with the band will begin one half hour earlier.

Get TMBG Podcast 33B now!

They Might Be Giants' Podcast 33B has just been released. Get it through iTunes or the web!

This podcast, hosted by John Flansburgh, contains some great album tracks, demos, and live recordings by the band. Songs include "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from the Meet the Robinsons soundtrack, a demo version of "What Bothers the Spaceman?" by Mono Puff, and Here Come the 123s' Amazon exclusive "One Two Three Four" among others.

Make sure to keep your eyes (however many you have) on the Family Podcast too as there is a new installment in the video podcast due tomorrow.

Family Podcast counts "Ten Mississippi"

The puppet John and John show off their newly learned ability to fly in today's installment of the They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast. Flying over a certain southern state, they introduce "Ten Mississippi" from Here Come the 123s. A quick ditty for keeping time, the song is sung by the Deeply Felt Puppet Theater.

The Johns segue into "Alphabet Lost and Found" next in another funny puppet segment and leave us sweetly singing their goodbyes.

"Ooh La! Ooh La!" jumps onto Family Podcast

The latest Friday Night Family Podcast by They Might Be Giants comes to us live from Club Whatnot. As the Johns shout over the music, they introduce the first video of the night: "Ooh La! Ooh La!" from Here Come the 123s. Sung by Flans and Robin, the song is a schoolyard chant with a video that features the Double Dutch jump rope game.

The second video in this episode is Here Come the ABCs' "Pictures of Pandas Painting." The puppet Johns end the podcast from the club shouting hilariously as they try to hear each other. All wrapped up for another week, only seven days until the next episode.