They Might Be Giants is an American
alternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in 1982 by
John FlansburghJohn Conant Flansburgh is an American musician. He is half of the longstanding Brooklyn, New York-based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, for which he writes, sings and plays rhythm guitar...
and
John LinnellJohn Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...
. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a
drum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are Flansburgh, Linnell,
Marty BellerMarty Beller is the drummer for They Might Be Giants. He has two solo albums. He also wrote and sang songs from TMBG's albums, Here Come the ABCs: "Alphabet Lost And Found", Here Come the 123s: "High Five!" and Here Comes Science: "Speed and Velocity".Beller became the full time drummer for the...
, Dan Miller, and
Danny WeinkaufDanny Weinkauf is a New York based musician and composer who is a member of They Might Be Giants , a band which won a best children's album Grammy award for the album Here Come the 123s. He has been TMBG's bassist since the late 90s. He previously performed in a band called Lincoln along with Dan...
. They are best known for an unconventional and experimental style of
alternative musicAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. Over their career, the group has found success on the
modern rockAlternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
and CMJ charts. More recently they have found success in the
children's musicChildren's music is used here to refer to music composed and performed for children by adults. In European influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has historically held both entertainment...
genre, and in
theme musicTheme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for several television programs and films.
TMBG have released 15 studio albums.
Flood has been
certified platinumMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and their children's music album
Here Come the ABCsHere Come the ABCs is a 2005 DVD and audio CD release by They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. The CD and DVD were originally released separately, but since have been released together as a combo....
has been
certified goldMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The band has won two
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s,
oneThe Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
in 2002 for their song "
Boss of Me"Boss of Me" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was written as the theme song for the television show Malcolm in the Middle, and was released as the single from the soundtrack to the show. In 2002, "Boss of Me" won the band their first Grammy Award, in the category of...
", which served as the theme to
Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
. They won their
secondThe Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children was an honor presented to recording artists for quality children's music albums at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
in 2009 for their album
Here Come the 123sHere Come the 123s is the 13th studio album by They Might Be Giants. It is the sequel to the group's 2005 album Here Come the ABCs. The songs are edutainment music aimed at kids, this time dealing with numbers. Like ABCs, there is a CD and DVD...
. The band has sold over 4 million records.
History
Linnell and Flansburgh first met as teenagers growing up in
Lincoln, MassachusettsLincoln is a town in the historic area of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,362 at the 2010 census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits...
. They began writing songs together while attending
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High SchoolLincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is a public, regional high school located at 390 Lincoln Road in Sudbury, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Its current superintendent/principal is Scott Carpenter.-History:...
but didn't form a band at that time. The two attended separate colleges after high school (Flansburgh attended
Pratt InstitutePratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
), and Linnell joined
The MundanesThe Mundanes were an early-1980s Rhode Island-based New Wave band featuring future They Might Be Giants member John Linnell. They released one single called Make it the Same, featuring three songs, "Make it the Same," "Funnier Than Love," and "Empty Boulevards."The band had six members: John...
, a
New WaveNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group from
Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. The two reunited in 1981 after moving to
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
(to the same apartment building on the same day) to continue their career.
Earlier years (1982–1989)
Taking their name from the 1971 George C. Scott
movieThey Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the play of the same name starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. Occasionally cited mistakenly as a Broadway play, it never in fact opened in the USA...
of the same name, the duo began performing their own music in and around New York City — Flansburgh on
guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Linnell on
accordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and
saxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and accompanied by a
drum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
and/or a prerecorded backing track on
audio cassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. 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
fezzesThe fez , or tarboosh is a felt hat either in the shape of a red truncated cone or in the shape of a short cylinder made of kilim fabric. Both usually have tassels...
and large cardboard cutout heads of newspaper editor
William Allen WhiteWilliam Allen White was a renowned American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement...
. Many of these props would later turn up in their first music videos. From 1984-1987, They Might Be Giants were the house-band at Darinka, a
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
performance club. One weekend a month they played on the stage there and by the end of their three year stint sold-out every performance. On March 30, 1985, TMBG's released their 7" flexi-disc at Darinka which included the songs "Everything Right Is Wrong" and "You'll Miss Me".
Dial-A-Song
At one point, Linnell broke his wrist in a biking accident and Flansburgh's apartment was burgled, forcing them to take a break from performing. During this hiatus, they began recording their songs onto an
answering machineThe answering machine or message machine, also known as the telephone answering machine in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) and previously known as an ansaphone, ansafone, or telephone answering device is a device for answering telephones and recording callers' messages.Unlike voicemail,...
, and then advertising the phone number in local newspapers such as
The Village VoiceThe Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, using the moniker "Dial-A-Song". They also released a demo cassette, which earned them a review in
PeopleIn 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine. The review caught the attention of
Bar/None RecordsBar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
, who signed They Might Be Giants to a recording deal.
Dial-A-Song consisted of an answering machine with a tape of the band playing various songs. The machine played one track at a time, ranging from demos and uncompleted work to fake advertisements the band had created.
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Dial-A-Song was often difficult to access due to the popularity of the service and the dubious quality of the machines used. In reference to this, one of Dial-A-Song's many slogans over the years was the tongue-in-cheek "Always Busy, Often Broken". The number (718)-387-6962, was a local Brooklyn number and was charged accordingly, but the band advertised it with the line: "Free when you call from work".
Longtime listeners to Dial-A-Song have counted at least 500 distinct songs and variations recorded by They Might Be Giants, making them one of the most prolific rock bands in history in terms of published material.
In March 2000, TMBG started dialasong.com, which was more reliable than the original, phone-based version, as it utilized a flash document to stream the songs. This was replaced in August 2006 however, with a page promoting the They Might Be Giants podcasts.
John Linnell stated in an interview in early 2008 that Dial-A-Song had died of a technical crash, and that the Internet had taken over where the machine left off. On November 15, 2008, the Dial-A-Song number was officially disconnected, though it has at times been used in a similar style by independent artists.
First albums
The duo released their
self-titled debut albumThey Might Be Giants is the eponymous debut album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants, also known as The Pink Album. It was released by Bar/None in 1986....
in 1986, which became a college radio hit. The video for "Don't Let's Start", filmed in the New York State Pavilion built for the
1964 New York World's FairThe 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
in
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, became a hit on
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, earning them a broader following. In 1988, they released their second album,
LincolnLincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1988 . The album is named after John Linnell and John Flansburgh's boyhood home of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The two men pictured are Linnell's great-grandfather, Lewis T...
, named after the duo's hometown. It featured the song "
Ana Ng"Ana Ng" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as the lead single from the band's 1988 album Lincoln. Although the song was their first US chart appearance, hitting #11 on the US Modern Rock chart, the single was never officially released in the US...
" which reached #11 on the US Modern Rock chart.
Move to Elektra (1990–1992)
In 1989, They Might Be Giants signed with
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, 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"Birdhouse in Your Soul" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released in March 1990 as a single from the album Flood. It reached #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart and remains their highest-charting single in both...
" which reached number three on the US Modern Rock chart, as well as "
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"Istanbul " is a swing-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. The tune is reminiscent of "Puttin' on the Ritz," written by Irving Berlin in 1929, but the song is said to be a response to "C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E," recorded in 1928 by Paul Whiteman and His...
".
In 1990,
Throttle magazine interviewed They Might Be Giants and clarified the meaning of the song "Ana Ng": John Flansburgh said, "Ng is a Vietnamese name. The song is about someone who's thinking about a person on the exact opposite side of the world. John looked at a globe and figured out that if Ana Ng is in Vietnam and the person is on the other side of the world, then it must be written by someone in Peru".
Further interest in the band was generated when two cartoon music videos were created by
Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
for
Tiny Toon AdventuresSteven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
: "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "
Particle Man"Particle Man" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song is the seventh track on the band's 1990 release, Flood. It has become one of their most popular songs, despite never being released as a single.- Lyrical content :...
". The videos reflected TMBG's high "kid appeal", resulting from their often absurd songs and poppy melodies.
In 1991, Bar/None Records released the B-sides compilation
Miscellaneous TMiscellaneous T is a b-side and remix compilation album released by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants in 1991. It is a US re-release of Don't Let's Start which was only released in the UK and West Germany. The differences include cover art, track order, and the song "Hello Radio",...
. 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-sidesA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, which were not available publicly), it gave new fans a chance to hear the Johns' earlier non-album work without having to hunt down the individual EPs.
In early 1992, They Might Be Giants released
Apollo 18Apollo 18 is They Might Be Giants' fourth studio album. It was released in 1992 and named after the Apollo missions, the last of which was Apollo 17....
. The heavy space theme coincided with TMBG being named Musical Ambassadors for
International Space YearThe International Space Year was 1992, the five-hundredth anniversary of 1492, the year of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. First proposed by US Senator Spark Matsunaga, the designation of 1992 as International Space Year was endorsed by 18 national and international space agencies,...
. Singles from the album included "
The Statue Got Me High"The Statue Got Me High" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was released as the lead single from the band's 1992 album, Apollo 18. The song reached number 24 on the Billboard magazine Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", "
I Palindrome II Palindrome I is an EP from They Might Be Giants. The title song also appears on Apollo 18 , released in 1992 by Elektra Records.The "I Palindrome I" track itself contains numerous visual, musical, word, letter and conceptual palindromes....
" and "
The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)The Guitar is a song and EP by They Might Be Giants. The title song also appears on Apollo 18 , released by Elektra Records.-Track listing:# "The Guitar" - 4:13...
".
Apollo 18 was also notable for being one of the first albums to take advantage of the CD player's shuffle feature. The song "Fingertips" actually comprised 21 separate tracks — 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.
Recruiting a band (1992–1998)
Following
Apollo 18, Flansburgh and Linnell decided to move away from the guitar & accordion (or sax) plus backing tracks on tape nature of their live show, and recruited a supporting band that consisted of live musicians (Kurt Hoffman of the Ordinaires on reeds and keyboards, longtime Pere Ubu bassist
Tony MaimoneTony Maimone is a bass player, producer, and engineer who lives in Brooklyn, New York.He was a member of Pere Ubu from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, often playing with drummer Scott Krauss...
and drummer Jonathan Feinberg).
John HenryJohn Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants' fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. It was released in 1994. It is the first album in which John Linnell and John Flansburgh utilized a full band, as opposed to playing most or all of the instruments themselves....
was released in 1994. Influenced by their more conventional lineup, this album marked a departure from their previous releases with more of a guitar-heavy sound. It was released to mixed reviews amongst fans and critics alike.
Their next album,
Factory ShowroomFactory Showroom is the sixth studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1996 through Elektra Records....
, was released in 1996 to little fanfare. The band had moved away from the feel of
John Henry, and
Factory Showroom includes the more diverse sounds of their earlier albums, despite the inclusion of two guitarists, the second being
Eric SchermerhornEric Schermerhorn, is an American guitarist and composer. Born in Massachusetts on April 11th 1960, he has since lived in NYC and Los Angeles. He played with Iggy Pop on the American Caeser and Naughty Little Doggie albums, and David Bowie on the Tin Machine It's My Life....
who provided several guitar solos.
They left Elektra after the duo refused to do a publicity show, amongst other exposure-related disputes.
In 1998, they released a mostly-live album
Severe Tire DamageSevere Tire Damage is a primarily live album by They Might Be Giants, released in 1998 . It also features a few studio tracks, including a new single ....
from which came the single "
Doctor Worm"Doctor Worm" is a song by They Might Be Giants. It first appeared on the primarily live album Severe Tire Damage, being one of only three studio-recorded songs on the album. It was also released as a single and featured in a music video directed by band member John Flansburgh.The lyrics describe a...
", a studio recording.
Beyond Elektra (1999–2003)
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
mp3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format. The album,
Long Tall WeekendLong Tall Weekend is a downloadable album released by They Might Be Giants in 1999. It was released exclusively on-line through eMusic . It was the first major full-length album released exclusively on the Internet by an established major label band. Many of these songs were outtakes from the...
. is sold through
EmusiceMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. It is headquartered in New York City with an office in London and owned by Dimensional Associates. As of September 2008 eMusic has over 400,000 subscribers....
.
Also in 1999, the band contributed the song "Dr. Evil" to the motion picture
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
. Over their career, the band has performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks, including
The OblongsThe Oblongs is an American animated television program aimed at teenagers and adults. It is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in creator Angus Oblong's picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children...
, the
ABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
miniseries
Brave New WorldBrave New World was an ABC TV mini-series aired in 1999, about the possibilities in the 21st century.They Might Be Giants were asked to help out with some music for the show like Older, All Alone and the theme song for the show.-External links:...
and
Ed and His Dead Mother. They also performed the theme music "Dog on Fire", composed by
Bob MouldRobert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
, for
The Daily Show with Jon StewartThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
. More recently, they composed and performed the music for the TLC series
Resident Life, the theme song for the
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
program
Higglytown HeroesHigglytown Heroes is a children's television series currently airing on the Disney Junior portion of the Disney Channel, or, on some cable networks, the Playhouse Disney channel...
, and songs about the cartoons
Dexter's LaboratoryDexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
and
Courage the Cowardly DogCourage the Cowardly Dog is an American animated television series created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network. Its central plot revolves around a somewhat anthropomorphic dog named Courage who lives with his owners, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, an elderly, married farming couple in the "Middle of...
.
During this time the band also worked on a project for
McSweeney'sMcSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers.Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: the quarterly literary journal,...
, a publishing company and literary journal. The band wrote a McSweeney's theme song and forty-four 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 ConcernTimothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern is a literary journal, first published in 1998, edited by Dave Eggers. The first issue featured only works rejected by other magazines, but thereafter the journal began to include pieces written with McSweeney's in mind. McSweeney’s has since published works by...
.
Contributing the single "Boss of Me" as the theme song to the hit television series
Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, as well as to the show's
compilation CDMusic from Malcolm in the Middle is the soundtrack to the television series, Malcolm in the Middle released on November 21, 2000.-Track listing:#"Boss of Me" - They Might Be Giants #"Washin' + Wonderin'" - Stroke 9...
, 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 episode was done to the strains of "Pencil Rain" from
Lincoln. Another song to feature in the series was "Spiraling Shape". "Boss of Me" became the band's second top-40 hit in the UK which they performed on long running UK television programme
Top of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, and in
2002The 44th Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002. The biggest was Alicia Keys, winning 5 Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'". U2 won 4 awards including Record of the Year and Best Rock Album.-Award winners:...
, won the duo a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
.
On September 11, 2001, they released the album
Mink CarMink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released in 2001 on Restless Records, on the same morning as the September 11 attacks....
on
Restless RecordsRestless Records was started in El Segundo, California in 1981 by Enigma Records and primarly released alternative, metal and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade Records and Mute Records...
. It was their first full album release of new studio material since 1996, and their first since parting ways with Elektra. Other events on that day might have had a detrimental impact on sales; this is speculation. The making of that album, including a record signing event at a
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
Tower RecordsTower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
, was included in a documentary directed by
AJ SchnackAJ Schnack is an independent filmmaker. He directed Kurt Cobain: About a Son, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival...
titled
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)Gigantic is a documentary profiling the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, featuring interviews with Frank Black, Sarah Vowell, Dave Eggers, Jon Stewart, and others. It was directed by AJ Schnack and premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2002. It was released in theaters...
. The film was released on DVD in 2003.
In 2002 they released
No!No! is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released in 2002 on Rounder Kids. It is their first album of children's music....
, their first album "for the entire family". Using the
enhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, 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....
format, it included an interactive animation for most of the songs. They followed it up in 2003 with their first book, an illustrated children's book with an included EP,
Bed, Bed, BedBed, Bed, Bed is a book and EP package for children released by the musical group They Might Be Giants in 2003 through Simon & Schuster. The book is composed of the lyrics of the four songs on the album, with illustrations by Marcel Dzama...
.
Podcasting, independent releases, and children's music (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. With the redesign of the band's website in 2010, the store was reincarnated.
Also in 2004, the band released their first new "adult" rock work since the release of
No!, the EP
Indestructible ObjectIndestructible Object is the title of a They Might Be Giants EP, released April 6, 2004 by Barsuk Records. The title comes from a famous work by Man Ray, also known as Object to Be Destroyed. The track "Memo to Human Resources" and a different version of "Au Contraire" went on to be featured on...
. This was followed by a new album,
The SpineThe Spine is the tenth full-length studio album by They Might Be Giants. The album was released on July 5, 2004 in the UK, and July 13 in the U.S.....
, and an associated EP,
The Spine Surfs AloneThe 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 latter's release. It can be purchased as MP3 downloads . You can also order this EP in CD form from TMBG's official online store...
. It was at this time that Dan Hickey was replaced by
Marty BellerMarty Beller is the drummer for They Might Be Giants. He has two solo albums. He also wrote and sang songs from TMBG's albums, Here Come the ABCs: "Alphabet Lost And Found", Here Come the 123s: "High Five!" and Here Comes Science: "Speed and Velocity".Beller became the full time drummer for the...
who had previously collaborated with TMBG. For the album's first single, "
Experimental Film"Experimental Film" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It is the first song on their 2004 album The Spine and, although never released commercially, is the album's lead single. The song has been seen by some critics as a return to the band's earlier sound...
", TMBG teamed up with
Homestar RunnerHomestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
creators
Matt and Mike ChapmanThe Brothers Chaps are Michael "Mike" Chapman and Matthew "Matt" Chapman, creators of the Homestar Runner series of animated cartoons. The brothers are originally from Indiana, but now live in Atlanta, Georgia.-Matthew 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". More recently they recorded a track for the 200th
Strong BadStrong Bad is one of the major characters of the Homestar Runner series of animated Flash web cartoons. He is portrayed by Matt Chapman, the principal voice actor and co-founder of the series. Strong Bad enjoys pranking the other characters of the series, along with his ever-diligent lackey pet...
e-mail, where Linnell provided the voice of The Poopsmith.
TMBG also contributed a track to the 2004
Future Soundtrack For America-External links:**, the companion book from McSweeney's...
compilation, a project compiled by John Flansburgh with the help of
Spike JonzeSpike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
and
Barsuk RecordsBarsuk Records 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, who created the label in 1994 to release their band's material. Its logo is a drawing of a dog holding a...
. The band contributed "
Tippecanoe and Tyler Too"Tippecanoe and Tyler too", originally published as "Tip and Ty", was a very popular and influential campaign song of the Whig Party's colorful Log Cabin Campaign in the 1840 United States presidential election...
", 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 CutieDeath Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
,
The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
, and Bright Eyes. All proceeds went to progressive organizations such as
Music for AmericaMusic for America was a political organization which used concert events and the social networks which surround bands and musical "scenes" as a way to promote progressive political values and participation among Millennial Generation Americans.-Foundation:...
and MoveOn.org.
Flansburgh and Linnell made a guest appearance in "Camp", the January 11, 2004 episode of the animated
sitcomA situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Home Movies. They voice both a pair of camp counselors and members of a strange hooded male bonding cult. On May 10, 2004, they made a guest star appearance on episode 140 of
Blue's CluesBlue's Clues is an American children's television show airing on the Nickelodeon family of channels. The show premiered on September 8, 1996 and airs on Nick Jr. and other channels, although production of new episodes ceased by 2006. Versions of the show have been produced in other countries,...
called "Bluestock" alongside several other stars, such as
Toni BraxtonToni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
,
Macy GrayMacy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
, and India Arie. They Might Be Giants were in a letter for Joe and Blue.
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" GoldwasserRobin "Goldie" Goldwasser is an American singer and playwright. She is the co-writer of the musical People Are Wrong! with Julia Greenberg. She has a character in the play, as does the producer, her husband, John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants and Mono Puff...
, titled
People Are Wrong!People Are Wrong is a 2004 Off-Broadway musical written by Robin Goldwasser and Julia Greenberg, and stars John Flansburgh, Robin Goldwasser's husband, from the band They Might Be Giants. It played Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre from October 22, 2004 until December 11, 2004...
.
2005 saw the release of
Here Come the ABCsHere Come the ABCs is a 2005 DVD and audio CD release by They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. The CD and DVD were originally released separately, but since have been released together as a combo....
, 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 BookstoreBorders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
locations. In November 2005,
Venue SongsVenue Songs is a 2004 album by the group They Might Be Giants. Although technically it is a live album, as all the tracks were performed live, it is different than a standard live album in that, instead of live versions of the band's popular songs, it is composed of all new songs...
was released as a two-disc CD/DVD set narrated by
John HodgmanJohn Kellogg Hodgman is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All, he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in...
. It is a
concept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
based on all of the "venue songs" from their 2004 tour.
TMBG
coverIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
ed the
DevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
song "Through Being Cool" in the 2005
Disney movie,
Sky HighSky High is a 2005 American comedic superhero family film about an airborne school for teenage superheroes. It was directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, and Mark McCorkle...
.
Since December 2005, They Might Be Giants have been making
podcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s on a monthly, sometimes bi-monthly, basis. Each edition includes remixes of previous songs, rarities, covers, and new songs and skits recorded specifically for the podcast.
The band contributed 14 original songs for the 2006
Dunkin' DonutsDunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
ad campaign, "America Runs on Dunkin'", including "Things I Like to Do", "Pleather" and "Fritalian". In the aired advertisement, Flansburgh sings "Fritalian" along with his wife, Robin Goldwasser. In a 2008 commercial, "Moving" is played.
The band have produced and performed three original songs for
Playhouse DisneyPlayhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
series: one for
Higglytown HeroesHigglytown Heroes is a children's television series currently airing on the Disney Junior portion of the Disney Channel, or, on some cable networks, the Playhouse Disney channel...
and two for
Mickey Mouse ClubhouseMickey Mouse Clubhouse is a children's television series, that premiered in prime time on Disney Channel on May 5, 2006. The program was originally part of the Playhouse Disney daily block intended for preschoolers...
. They also recorded a cover of the
DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
song, "
There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" is the theme song to two Disney attractions, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World and Innoventions at Disneyland...
" for the movie
Meet the RobinsonsMeet the Robinsons is a 2007 American computer-animated family film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 30, 2007. The forty-seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, the film was released in both the United States and the...
and wrote and performed the theme song for
The Drinky Crow ShowThe Drinky Crow Show is an American animated television series created by Eric Kaplan and Tony Millionaire, based on the latter's comic strip Maakies. The pilot episode aired on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim on May 13, 2007. The series premiered on November 23, 2008 and...
. The band was recruited to provide original songs for the
Henry SelickHenry Selick is an American stop motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline...
-directed
movieCoraline is a 2009 stop-motion 3D fantasy/horror children's film based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novel of the same name. It was produced by Laika and distributed by Focus Features. Written and directed by Henry Selick, it was released widely in US theaters on February 6, 2009, after a world premiere at...
of
Neil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's children's book
CoralineCoraline is a horror/fantasy novella by British author Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers...
, but were dropped because their music was not "creepy" enough. Only one song, entitled "Other Father Song", was kept for the film with Linnell singing as the titular "Other Father".
Their 12th album,
The ElseThe Else is the 12th studio album by rock duo They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Records in 2007. The album was produced in part by The Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band....
, was released July 10, 2007, on Idlewild Recordings (and distributed by
Zoë RecordsZoë Records is an independent record label in the United States. It is a part of the Rounder Records group.Zoë predominantly distributes albums by folk rock and alternative pop artists...
for the CD version), with an earlier digital release on May 15 at the iTunes Music Store. Advance copies were made available to stations by mid-June 2007. The album was produced by Pat Dillett (
David ByrneDavid Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
) and The Dust Brothers (
BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
,
Beastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
). On February 12, 2009, They Might Be Giants performed the song "The Mesopotamians" from the album on
Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
.
In the rest of 2007, They Might Be Giants wrote a commissioned piece for Brooklyn-based robotic music outfit
League of Electronic Musical Urban RobotsThe League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, or LEMUR, is a Brooklyn-based group of artists and technologists developing robotic musical instruments. Founded in 2000 by musician and engineer Eric Singer, LEMUR's philosophy is to build robotic instruments that play themselves...
and performed for three dates at the event, and covered the Pixies "Havalina" for
American Laundromat RecordsAmerican Laundromat Records is an indie label based in Mystic, CT.The label has produced several tribute albums, including Dig For Fire - a tribute to PIXIES, Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young, and High School Reunion - A Tribute to Those Great 80's Films...
Dig For Fire - a tribute to PIXIES compilation.
The band's 13th album,
Here Come the 123sHere Come the 123s is the 13th studio album by They Might Be Giants. It is the sequel to the group's 2005 album Here Come the ABCs. The songs are edutainment music aimed at kids, this time dealing with numbers. Like ABCs, there is a CD and DVD...
, a DVD/CD follow-up to 2005's critically acclaimed
Here Come the ABCsHere Come the ABCs is a 2005 DVD and audio CD release by They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. The CD and DVD were originally released separately, but since have been released together as a combo....
children's project, was released on February 5, 2008. On April 10, 2008, They Might Be Giants performed the song "Seven" from the album on
Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. In 2009, the album won the
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for "Best Musical Album For Children" during the
51st Annual Grammy AwardsThe 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
.
The band's 14th album was
Here Comes Science-Personnel:They Might Be Giants*John Linnell – lead vocals on 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20; backup vocals on 10, 16; keyboards; etc.*John Flansburgh – lead vocals on 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19; backup vocals on 5, 17; guitar; etc....
, a science-themed children's album. This album introduced listeners to natural, formal, social and applied
scienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s. It was released on September 1, 2009 and nominated for a
Grammy AwardThe 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
on December 1, 2010.
On November 3, They Might Be Giants sent out a newsletter stating "The Avatars of They", a set of sock puppets the Johns manipulate for shows, will have an album in 2012, suggesting another kids album. However, a new adult album titled
Join Us was released on July 19, 2011.
On October 3, 2011
Artix EntertainmentArtix Entertainment, LLC. is a game development company that works primarily with browser-based role-playing games. As of September 2010, the company has over 110 million users in their games.-History:...
announced that the band would be performing in-game for a special musical event to commemorate the 3rd birthday of their popular
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
AdventureQuest Worlds.
Name
The band took their name from the 1971 film
They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is a 1971 film based on the play of the same name starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. Occasionally cited mistakenly as a Broadway play, it never in fact opened in the USA...
(starring
George C. ScottGeorge Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
and
Joanne WoodwardJoanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, television and theatrical producer, and widow of Paul Newman...
), which is in turn taken from a
Don Quixote passage about how Quixote mistook
windmills for evil giantsTilting at windmills is an English idiom which means attacking imaginary enemies, or fighting unwinnable or futile battles. The word “tilt”, in this context, comes from jousting....
. 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
ventriloquismVentriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
act. 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 (A Tale of Two Johns)Gigantic is a documentary profiling the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, featuring interviews with Frank Black, Sarah Vowell, Dave Eggers, Jon Stewart, and others. It was directed by AJ Schnack and premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2002. It was released in theaters...
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".
On the compilation album
Miscellaneous TMiscellaneous T is a b-side and remix compilation album released by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants in 1991. It is a US re-release of Don't Let's Start which was only released in the UK and West Germany. The differences include cover art, track order, and the song "Hello Radio",...
, on track 13 ("Untitled"), a confused caller to TMBG's Dial-a-Song named Gloria talks to an unknown third party (presumably unaware that the entire conversation is being recorded) about the mystery of "There May Be Giants", as she mistakenly refers to the band.
In the commentary for the "Experimental Film" music video on Homestarrunner.com, Strong Bad incorrectly refers to "They Might Be Giants" as "those super giant guys".
In the
Terry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
DiscworldDiscworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
novel
Soul Music, a group of musically gifted dwarfs call themselves 'We're Certainly Dwarfs' as an homage to TMBG. This is confirmed by the author in
The Discworld CompanionThe Discworld Companion is an encyclopaedia of the Discworld fictional universe created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs.The book compiles a precise definition of words, lives of historical people, geography of places and events that have appeared in at least one Discworld novel, map, diary,...
.
To promote
Flood, TMBG performed "Your Racist Friend" on
The Today Show, where
Bryant GumbelBryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
called them "They Must Be Giants". On the
Severe Tire Damage album track "They Got Lost", John Flansburgh refers to this error when he jokingly introduces themselves as "They Must Be Giants", to audience laughter.
Discography
Throughout their career, They Might Be Giants have released 15
studio albumA studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, 13
compilationAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
s, 7
live albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s, 18
EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, 5 videos and 6
singlesIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. They have also collaborated on many other projects.
- They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is the eponymous debut album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants, also known as The Pink Album. It was released by Bar/None in 1986....
(1986)
- Lincoln
Lincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1988 . The album is named after John Linnell and John Flansburgh's boyhood home of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The two men pictured are Linnell's great-grandfather, Lewis T...
(1988)
- Flood (1990)
- Apollo 18
Apollo 18 is They Might Be Giants' fourth studio album. It was released in 1992 and named after the Apollo missions, the last of which was Apollo 17....
(1992)
- John Henry
John Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants' fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. It was released in 1994. It is the first album in which John Linnell and John Flansburgh utilized a full band, as opposed to playing most or all of the instruments themselves....
(1994)
- Factory Showroom
Factory Showroom is the sixth studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1996 through Elektra Records....
(1996)
- Long Tall Weekend
Long Tall Weekend is a downloadable album released by They Might Be Giants in 1999. It was released exclusively on-line through eMusic . It was the first major full-length album released exclusively on the Internet by an established major label band. Many of these songs were outtakes from the...
(1999, Internet-only)
- Mink Car
Mink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released in 2001 on Restless Records, on the same morning as the September 11 attacks....
(2001)
- No!
No! is the ninth studio album by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released in 2002 on Rounder Kids. It is their first album of children's music....
(2002)
- The Spine
The Spine is the tenth full-length studio album by They Might Be Giants. The album was released on July 5, 2004 in the UK, and July 13 in the U.S.....
(2004)
- Here Come the ABCs
Here Come the ABCs is a 2005 DVD and audio CD release by They Might Be Giants, aimed at young children learning the alphabet. The CD and DVD were originally released separately, but since have been released together as a combo....
(2005)
- The Else
The Else is the 12th studio album by rock duo They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Records in 2007. The album was produced in part by The Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band....
(2007)
- Here Come the 123s
Here Come the 123s is the 13th studio album by They Might Be Giants. It is the sequel to the group's 2005 album Here Come the ABCs. The songs are edutainment music aimed at kids, this time dealing with numbers. Like ABCs, there is a CD and DVD...
(2008)
- Here Comes Science
-Personnel:They Might Be Giants*John Linnell – lead vocals on 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20; backup vocals on 10, 16; keyboards; etc.*John Flansburgh – lead vocals on 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19; backup vocals on 5, 17; guitar; etc....
(2009)
- Join Us (2011)
- Album Raises New and Troubling Questions (2011)
Charting singles
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
Album |
| US Modern Rock |
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|
Australian ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
|
| 1988 |
"Ana Ng "Ana Ng" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as the lead single from the band's 1988 album Lincoln. Although the song was their first US chart appearance, hitting #11 on the US Modern Rock chart, the single was never officially released in the US...
" |
#11 |
- |
- |
Lincoln Lincoln is the second album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1988 . The album is named after John Linnell and John Flansburgh's boyhood home of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The two men pictured are Linnell's great-grandfather, Lewis T...
|
| 1990 |
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" |
#3 |
#6 |
- |
Flood |
| 1990 |
"Twisting" |
#22 |
- |
- |
Flood |
| 1990 |
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople) "Istanbul " is a swing-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. The tune is reminiscent of "Puttin' on the Ritz," written by Irving Berlin in 1929, but the song is said to be a response to "C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E," recorded in 1928 by Paul Whiteman and His...
" |
- |
#61 |
- |
Flood |
| 1992 |
"The Statue Got Me High "The Statue Got Me High" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was released as the lead single from the band's 1992 album, Apollo 18. The song reached number 24 on the Billboard magazine Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
" |
#24 |
- |
- |
Apollo 18 Apollo 18 is They Might Be Giants' fourth studio album. It was released in 1992 and named after the Apollo missions, the last of which was Apollo 17....
|
| 1994 |
"Snail Shell" |
#19 |
- |
- |
John Henry John Henry is the name of They Might Be Giants' fifth original album, although it is the sixth disc in their discography. It was released in 1994. It is the first album in which John Linnell and John Flansburgh utilized a full band, as opposed to playing most or all of the instruments themselves....
|
| 2001 |
"Boss of Me "Boss of Me" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was written as the theme song for the television show Malcolm in the Middle, and was released as the single from the soundtrack to the show. In 2002, "Boss of Me" won the band their first Grammy Award, in the category of...
" |
- |
#21 |
#29 |
Music from Malcolm in the Middle Music from Malcolm in the Middle is the soundtrack to the television series, Malcolm in the Middle released on November 21, 2000.-Track listing:#"Boss of Me" - They Might Be Giants #"Washin' + Wonderin'" - Stroke 9...
|
| 2001 |
"Man, It's So Loud in Here -Track listing:United States track listing#Man, It's So Loud In Here - 3:51#Man, It's So Loud In Here - 3:59#Man, It's So Loud In Here - 3:42Australian track listing#Man, It's So Loud In Here - 3:51...
" |
- |
- |
#87 |
Mink Car Mink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released in 2001 on Restless Records, on the same morning as the September 11 attacks....
|
| 2010 |
"Birdhouse in Your Soul "Birdhouse in Your Soul" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released in March 1990 as a single from the album Flood. It reached #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart and remains their highest-charting single in both...
"(re-entry following the song's use in an advertisement for Clarks Shoes) |
- |
#70 |
- |
Flood |
Music videos
The band has released 23 main music videos off their 'adult' albums:
- "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" (1986)
- "Don't Let's Start
"Don't Let's Start" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, from their eponymous debut album They Might Be Giants. It was the first single released from the album, released as a maxi-single. The song is one of the band's most popular and well-known songs, despite failing to chart...
" (1986)
- "(She Was a) Hotel Detective
-12" track listing:- Personnel :*John Flansburgh – vocals, guitar*John Linnell – vocals, bass saxophone, baritone saxiphone, synthesizers*Anne Moore – vocals*Peter Pairman Thomson – backup vocalsProduction*Al Houghton – engineer...
" (1986)
- "Ana Ng
"Ana Ng" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as the lead single from the band's 1988 album Lincoln. Although the song was their first US chart appearance, hitting #11 on the US Modern Rock chart, the single was never officially released in the US...
" (1988)
- "Purple Toupee
-Track listing:# "Purple Toupee"# "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"# "Lady Is A Tramp"# "Birds Fly"The latter three tracks would later be included on Miscellaneous T.- External links :*Purple Toupee EP on This Might Be A Wiki...
" (1988)
- "They'll Need a Crane
They'll Need a Crane is an EP and song by They Might Be Giants. "They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 on the Late Night with David Letterman.-Track listing:#"They'll Need a Crane"...
" (1988)
- "Birdhouse in Your Soul
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released in March 1990 as a single from the album Flood. It reached #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart and remains their highest-charting single in both...
" (1990)
- "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (animated) (1990)
- "The Statue Got Me High
"The Statue Got Me High" is a song by American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was released as the lead single from the band's 1992 album, Apollo 18. The song reached number 24 on the Billboard magazine Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
" (1992)
- "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
The Guitar is a song and EP by They Might Be Giants. The title song also appears on Apollo 18 , released by Elektra Records.-Track listing:# "The Guitar" - 4:13...
" (1992)
- "Snail Shell" (1994)
- "Doctor Worm
"Doctor Worm" is a song by They Might Be Giants. It first appeared on the primarily live album Severe Tire Damage, being one of only three studio-recorded songs on the album. It was also released as a single and featured in a music video directed by band member John Flansburgh.The lyrics describe a...
" (1998)
- "Boss of Me
"Boss of Me" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was written as the theme song for the television show Malcolm in the Middle, and was released as the single from the soundtrack to the show. In 2002, "Boss of Me" won the band their first Grammy Award, in the category of...
" (2001)
- "With The Dark" (2007)
- "The Shadow Government" (2007)
- "I'm Impressed
"I'm Impressed" was the second single from Yourcodenameis:milo's album They Came from the Sun, and was only available as a digital download.-Track listing:# "I'm Impressed" – 4:39# "I'm Impressed " - 3:48...
" (2007)
- "The Mesopotamians" (2007)
- "Can't Keep Johnny Down" (2011)
- "Cloisonne
Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in recent centuries using vitreous enamel, and in older periods also inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and other materials. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné...
" (2011)
- "In Fact" (2011)
- "You Probably Get That Alot" (2011)
- "Spoiler Alert" (2011)
- "Marty Beller Mask" (2011)