Mailing List Archive/2006-02-10

NEWS

Download free MP3 Valentine at tmbg.com

TMBG's podcast tops one million downloads in its first 6 weeks

New original TMBG ring tones at theymightbegiants.com

PODCAST 3A OUT TODAY! Now in mono!

-Miniature Sidewalk Whirlwind, Valentine, The Long Grift, Love Is Eternity, and much more!

-plus The Last Car performing So Easy to Love, Running Strong, Tell Us Mr. T

-plus Cecil Portesque's 6 Questions with this weeks special guest the Deranged Millionaire!

WHAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS' PODCAST

Just to clear up some misconceptions some people have about podcast:

1. They Might be Giants podcast is an entirely free subscription service

2. You do not need an iPod--it is ready to enjoy from any computer or MP3-playing device.

3. You will need an iTunes-like program in you computer, but that is also a free download Go to the easy instructions at the bottom of this email to get the hook up.

The official TMBG podcast is a about-every-month-or-so MP3 music special featuring new exclusive material from the band, rare tracks and special live performances. The show is hosted by public radio's Cecil Portesque, and produced by TMBG archivist Julian Dufy.

Everybody at Team TMBG is really excited by all the interest in the They Might be Giants podcast. We would ask that if you enjoy the podcast that you tell your friends about the service - perhaps even forward them this email. Don't break the chain!

A NOTE FROM LINNELL

Heigh Ho!

John Linnell here. John F. and I have spent the past several decades pondering ideas for a They Might Be Giants songbook. We think there are people out there who want an attractive volume of their favorite songs to set atop the piano, or to rest in their laps as they sit crosslegged on the floor with their tenor banjos. Maybe some people are curious about the exact words, melodies and chords which for some reason are not clear enough from the recordings. Just what was that background harmony, anyway? And the snare perididdles: are they some kind of secret code?

Recently we've moved closer to an agreement with our publisher for a general, non-album specific collection of Giants material, but we're still not completely sure what form it should take. I personally don't see much use for the standard piano arrangement of songs with the melody included in the right hand. Do people still like that? Do people even want piano arrangements of songs that were recorded mainly with guitars and drum machines in the first place? I guess what I'm wondering is what the ultimate function of said book would be. My impulse would be to provide the words, melody and chords for every song, and then after that include extra bits that would enhance one's enjoyment , like highlighted instrumental parts and maybe some performance tips.

So here is your opportunity to voice your opinions: just e-mail your comments and ideas about what kind of TMBG songbook would best suit your needs to TMBGDot@aol.com and we will read and take your suggestions to heart. Or we could just go ahead and do whatever we were going to do, heedless of popular demand. We think with your help, maybe we could serve you better.

All the best,

Mr. L.

A NOTE FROM FLANSBURGH

Everyone knows I love to relax: braiding the hair of my new Project Runway Barbie, adding story after story to my Sims dreamhouse, and changing channels constantly between reruns of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the Senate NSA hearings on C-SPAN. Of course, I do enjoy surfing the net. In an idle moment I thought-what exactly were the albums Sony sent out with that virus-loving spyware encoded in them? One short google search later I found a list of the couple of dozen releases. I know the bands weren't aware of the spyware, but looking at the titles I couldn't help but notice a ominous theme running through a third of the album titles.

The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia) Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia) The Bad Plus, Suspicious Activity (Columbia) Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia) Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia) Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia) Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten (Epic) The Dead 60s, The Dead 60s (Epic)

Creepy, right? Well, back to my Sims….

On the topic of the NSA, we've just recorded a special set of ringtones for your downloading pleasure. There are three to choose from, and the way it goes into your phone is pretty stealth. Go to theymightbegiants.com and check it out.

Also want to tell you TMBG is planning a southern run in the end of April. We should be out for about a week or 10 days. Dates to come shortly. I'll be performing in People Are Wrong! for one special night at Joe's Pub on date here, ticket link here

Hope to see you there! John F.

HOW TO ROCK A PODCAST This is the direct link to subscribe:
phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=105708952

If you've never podcasted before, you might want to check out your iTunes application (Mac or PC). Just open the application and click on the "Podcasts" button. Under "advanced" select "subscribe to podcast" and paste this link in the field: www.tmbg.com/_media/_pod/podcast.xml

If you don't have iTunes software, go to www.apple.com/itunes/download to download it now for free.

Or if your browser is set up for rss feeds, you might be able to just click here: www.tmbg.com/_media/_pod/podcast.xml to just view and play the mp3 file through your browser or default rss reader.

VALENTINE
Your goal's desecration
Your soul's isolation
More damned than some vandals in a shrine
You're a harsh apparition
Here's the strange declaration:
The world wants to be your valentine!

You got a burnt application
The wrong formulation
A heart frosty as this Balentine
It's a sad indication
This reckless invitation
The world wants to be your valentine!


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