Mailing List Archive/2002-09-19
Check it, like, out at http://www.tmbg.com/chat/
See a TMBG live show from the privacy of your own modem:
http://www.dcn.com/contest/band_page.jsp?artist_id=543
See TMBG and This American Life's Ira Glass speak at our upcoming Chicago McSweeney shows!
Hello friends- Flansburgh here. This is a special "New CDs!" edition of the newsletter, because there are so many new things out this week on CD. Hope this doesn't overwhelm you, but here's what's happening-
out now! rhino's new release dialasong: 20 years of they might be giants anthology
out now! flansburgh's production people are wrong! 10 song sampler CD
back in stock! tmbg's on-line only rarities disc they got lost with a special deal-e-o
renewed and refreshed www.dialasong.com awaits with many unreleased songs
full links below...
JUST OUT THIS WEEK! RHINO BOX SET "DIAL-A-SONG: 20 YEARS OF THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS" As it says on the back of the box- It's "not a rarities collection of Dial-A-Song demos, but rather a comprehensive anthology of the very best recorded work of They Might be Giants spanning the first 20 years of the band's career... This deluxe 52-song, 2 disc set also includes a full-color booklet with complete lyrics, discography, and essays by the band and This American Life's Sarah Vowell." If you were looking for a way to turn your friends on to the world of TMBG, or just want a good "overview" of our catalog-this is the set for you. John and I put together this set of songs. Of course it is a very subjective business as to what material should be included, but I think we did a pretty good job. Disc one is essentially our better known songs- not just singles but songs that have become more notorious for other reasons (including the previously soundtrack-restricted "Dr. Evil" and "Boss of Me" ) and the second disc is a survey of our more unusual material (from "Fingertips" to "I Can Hear You") and less celebrated songs that we think are simply good ("She's An Angel" and "How Can I Sing Like A Girl?") As this is essentially a retrospective, there is not a lot of new material for you hardcores out there, but we have included a number of unreleased tracks that capture some unique aspects of the band. The high spirits and frighteningly low fidelity of an early show is captured in a live recording of "Stormy Pinkness" recorded in Berlin in 1989 with the audience stomping the floor and chanting "Love! Love! Love!" The elaborate Dan Hickey drum solo from "She's Actual Size" is captured in a new live recording from this year's No! Show at one of our Fillmore appearances in San Francisco just a few months ago. The other unreleased tracks are the original Pat Dillett-produced demo of "Spy" (which we always liked better-it also includes Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser's bloodcurdling scream) and the "adult version" of "Robot Parade" with Dan Miller showering us with a blizzard of shred. A really cool thing about this set is the package, designed by Barbara Glauber. Two really long CDs and a nice full color book that still fits on your shelf, the package has "phone and phone book" motif with doodles, along with the unexpected presence of a couple of big black ants. Very enigmatic and quite beautifully photographed. There are two essays-one about the band by the charming Sarah Vowell and one by us about the influence of Dial-A-Song on our songwriting sensibility-and some nice archival photos including a pic from our very first gig together in the summer of 1982 at the Sandinista rally in Central Park.
To hear John and I talk with Sarah Vowell about the actual Dial-A-Song service, along with some fascinating recordings of Lyndon Johnson, check out this audio stream of NPR's This American Life
http://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/98/90.html
ORDER THE RHINO DELUXE BOX SET "20 YEARS OF TMBG" RIGHT NOW WITH A 15% DISCOUNT
http://www.rhino.com/features/78139p.html?P=RHItmbg
JUST OUT THIS WEEK! ORIGINAL CAST 10 SONG SAMPLER OF "PEOPLE ARE WRONG" This brand new disc is just off the presses and only available here and at "People Are Wrong!" shows. I recently recorded this disc with the cast of Greenberg and Goldwasser's "People Are Wrong!" and the Loser's Lounge band, with John Linnell guesting on saxophones and accordion. We know there are a lot of people far away from NYC who can't see this show, so we have made this sampler available now (while we work on the definitive "cast album" which should be out in the spring). It includes final mixes of all four songs available as free MP3s at www.peoplearewrong.net and six other stand out tracks. It's just $12 (and $2 postage) for the disc, in a lovely jewel case. All proceeds go to further productions of "People Are Wrong!" For bookkeeping reasons we have to keep TMBG orders separate, but the orders go though TMBG's totally secured and serene ecommerce site- here's the link
http://store.yahoo.com/tmbg-catalog/peoplearewrong.html
LAST TWO EVENINGS OF "PEOPLE ARE WRONG!" AT JOE'S PUB in NYC - MONDAY 9/23 and 9/30 at 7:00 & 9:30 pm. Tickets available through TeleCharge: 212.239.6200 telecharge.com. To forego service charges go to the Public Theater Box Office 425 Lafayette Street (below Astor Place) in New York City OR make "dinner reservations" at 212.539.8770
NOW IN STOCK with A SPECIAL OFFER! "THEY GOT LOST" RARITIES CD IS NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE! "They Got Lost" is They Might be Giants' first full length compilation of top-quality rarities. This disc draws from a wide array of sources-including "On The Drag" (a staple of our live show) the very best of our various EMusic efforts (with tracks from the "Battle of the Bands" project and a couple of tracks from "Long Tall Weekend"), to our special one-offs for This American Life and the Chopping Block. It even includes a totally spontaneous song from a live show called "Disappointing Show" which rivals Loretta Lynn's free-range ramblings as she careened towards nervous collapse. Most of the original 21 tracks have never been available on CD in any form. They Got Lost includes: Reprehensible, Rat Patrol, I'm Sick (of this American life), Disappointing Show, Words Are Like, All Alone, Rest Awhile, Oranges, Truth in Your Words, Down to the Bottom of the Sea, I Am a Human Head, Empty Bottle Blues, They Got Lost, The Army's Tired Now, Oranges Testimonial, Theme to McSweeney's, Dollar for Dollar, Mosh Momken Abadon, Token Back to Brooklyn and Certain People I Could Name.
"They Got Lost" and special value bundles only available on-line!
http://store.yahoo.com/tmbg-catalog/
Purchase "They Got Lost" with one of our many new t-shirt designs (like our "No!" shirts -in kids sizes too- or the "Ladies Hayseed" (known less modestly as "babydoll" stylee) and save big bucks. Throw in a copy of "Mink Car" or "No!" to your order and you'll be convinced we've lost our minds. Operator Dot is standing by to guarantee you total customer satisfaction.
OK GO ALBUM OUT NOW! Our friends have asked us to plug their new releases as well, so know that OK Go's new five star album is in stores now, and available at Amazon.com. It includes their breakout hit "Get Over it" (as seen on Conan O'Brien) and many of the great songs they have played in their extraordinary live shows with TMBG. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006I0BD/wnnx/102-5678462-7623315