Severe Tire Damage/Press Release

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THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS[edit]

Page 1 of press release

SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE[edit]

"Our songs remind you of songs you've never heard." -John Linnell, TMBG

They Might Be Giants return with their first live album, SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE
SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE is a collection of songs spanning their entire career, plus several new songs, including the new single, "Doctor Worm."

After headlining over 1,100 shows and turning the odometers over on four vans and two cars, They Might Be Giants have the unlikely distinction of being alternative rock's journeymen. Their wildly energetic live show has always included some of the most spontaneous musicianship around. And despite a decade of touring, the band's live shows are still everchanging -- a fact reflected by the introduction of five new tunes on SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE, including "They Got Lost," a manic ode to the band's traveling woes.

The idea to release a live album came to TMBG's John Linnell and John Flansburgh after an inspired "live in studio" session with the Spin Radio Network at the legendary Pachyderm Studios outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. The touring band had been on the road for months and were in top form, with a rhythm section and horn players. Flansburgh remarks on the album's live song selection: "We tried to pick the songs that have evolved. 'She's Actual Size' or 'Why Does The Sun Shine?' are really full-blown and totally different live than the original records."

Musical highlights on the album include Jim O'Connors startlingly beautiful trumpet solo in the introduction to "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and the slide guitar-driven "She's An Angel." The album is full of audience favorites including "Birdhouse In Your Soul," "S-E-X-X-Y" and "Ana Ng." Also included are some uncredited bonus tracks, created spontaneously by the band live on stage and inspired by the "Planet Of The Apes" movie series. Flansburgh reflects: "The Planet of The Apes tracks are perhaps the least significant work of our careers, but, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, it's not always important to be important."

One of the few truly original bands on the scene today, TMBG have witnessed a half dozen rock culture costume changes over the years, and yet they remain undistracted. "We aspire to create records in which each song has such a strong voice or sensibility -- something that takes you away from just thinking 'those guys are different," says Linnell.

The scope of songs on SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE not only illustrates They Might Be Giants' development as performing musicians but as skillful and ingenious songwriters. The band will be coming your way shortly to recreate it all yet again. Call us to catch up with them!

Felice, x110 felice@girlie.com      Heidi, x104 heidi@girlie.com      Pam, x107 pam@girlie.com

270 Lafayette Street, Suite 1302 • NY, NY 10012      Girlie Action Media, Inc.      (PH) 212.334.3200 • (FX) 212.334.4413

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LAND OF THE GIANTS?[edit]

Page 2 of press release

Nationwide SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE tour[edit]

TMBG will be doing a nationwide tour this fall.
Dates begin September 1 and run until, well, until it ends.

Video Compilation And DVD To Be Released[edit]

After getting his start in the video directing business with They Might Be Giants, guitarist John Flansburgh has worked with many rock notables including Soul Coughing, Frank Black, Ben Folds Five and Edwin Collins. Now he is working on the video for the new They Might Be Giants single "Doctor Worm." The clip will be included in the DVD and long-form video compilation to be released in conjunction with SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE.

John Linnell 9th Most Beautiful Person[edit]

People Magazine On Line's "Most Beautiful People" survey surprised us all this June when it announced TMBG in-house sex symbol John Linnell came in 9th in the poll. We're not saying the oddballs didn't come out of the woodwork (a Howard Stern regular topped the poll) but all in the TMBG family are proud and slightly bewildered by the outpouring of public sentiment.

NPR Half Hour Program On Dial-A-Song[edit]

The much acclaimed "This American Life" program on National Public Radio recently did a half hour feature dedicated to They Might Be Giants Dial-A-Song service. Featuring interviews with John and John, as well as excerpts from the service, the show celebrated the band's unique decade long song project. Dial-A-Song still awaits your call at (718) 387-6962.
It's free when you call from work.

And Coming This September Dial-A-Song On Line Service[edit]

TMBG will be launching their Dial-A-Song on line at www.dialasong.com.
This totally free service will feature a different They Might Be Giants song every day. All the tracks are unreleased, and while there is a backlog of fifty or so songs currently "in rotation," the on line service, like the regular phone line, will be constantly updated with recordings that preview the groups upcoming CDs.

Restless Brand

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS – FACT SHEET[edit]

Page 3 of press release

They Might Be Giants are John Flansburgh and John Linnell, from Brooklyn, New York. They have been recording as a duo since 1986. They Have been touring with a full band since 1992.

Random Facts[edit]

  • TMBG recorded the song "I Can Hear You" from the lp Factory Showroom, without the use of electricity, on a wax cylinder recorder at the Edison Laboratory.
  • TMBG have performed over 1000 shows, including 100 in support of their last album, Factory Showroom.
  • When touring, John and John travel in Ford Crown Victorias, which look like unmarked police cars.
  • TMBG are constantly touring in the U.S. and Canada and have toured Europe five times, Japan four times, and Australia and New Zealand thrice.
  • TMBG have made 10 videos, and won a MTV Breakthrough award for "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)".
  • John Flansburgh has directed videos for Soul Coughing, Edwyn Collins, and Frank Black, as well as TMBG's "The Guitar".
  • TMBG maintain their Dial-A-Song Service, with a different new song every hour. Dial-A-Song is still just a regular call to Brooklyn. (718)387-6962.
  • TMBG's new website can be found at www.tmbg.com
  • The Hello Recording Club, which offered a four-song EP by a different performer each month, was begun in 1993 by John Flansburgh and Marjorie Galen.
  • John Linnell recorded an EP for Hello called The House of Mayors, consisting of songs about and by Mayors of NYC. In 1994, Linnell recorded an EP of Statesongs for the Hello Recording Club.
  • The band's name comes from a movie from the early seventies, "They Might Be Giants," starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. It is of no greater significance.
  • John Flansburgh's side project, Mono Puff, has released two albums, Unsupervised(Rykodisc; 1996), and the brand new It's Fun To Steal (Bar None; June, 1998).
  • John Linnell played on both the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's and Frank Black's debut albums.
  • John linnell was voted the 9th Most Beautiful Person in People magazine's 3rd Annual "Most Beautiful People" on-line readier's poll.

TV Appearances[edit]

  • 1 appearance on The Larry Sanders Show
  • 3 appearances on Conan O'Brien
  • 3 appearances on David Letterman
  • 2 appearances on Tonight Show
  • 1 appearance on Today Show
  • 1 appearance on Good Morning America appearance
  • First television appearance: The Joe Franklin Show, 1985 (3 appearances total)

Selected Discography[edit]

They Might Be Giants perform with:

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