No!/Press Release

NO! TMBG's FIRST LP FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY ARRIVES JUNE 11. ALL ROADS LEAD TO NO!

Enhanced CD From Idlewild Recordings/ Rounder arrives in Stores June 11th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Often imitated, but never duplicated, Brooklyn's They Might Be Giants has always been on the vanguard of the rock scene. As their career enters its twentieth year, TMBG has 10 albums, 13 music videos, a half dozen TV theme songs, countless tours and numerous media appearances to their credit. Most recently the band received a Grammy for "Boss of Me", the highly memorable theme song they wrote and performed for the hit Fox TV show "Malcolm In The Middle."

Now, with the release of "No!" They Might Be Giants has once again boldly stepped into uncharted territory - and this time the whole family is invited! "No!"- the title taken from the universal mantra of all children - is bursting with 17 great new songs, incorporating the bands wide range of signature sounds and varied styles. It is the first release from TMBG's own imprint, Idlewild Recordings, distributed through Rounder/Universal. In keeping with their tradition of creatively incorporating new technologies into their work, every "No!" CD includes an animated "enhanced" section that is the visual compliment to TMBG's musical expression. For a sneak preview of the album and the enhanced CD features, go to www.giantkid.net.

With ideas and images straight out of their overactive imaginations, TMBG draws on the deeply felt influence of Dr. Seuss, "Pogo" cartoonist Walt Kelly and Schoolhouse Rock.

"Since we started performing, people have been wondering when we'd do this kind of project," says John Flansburgh, who created They Might Be Giants with his musical partner John Linnell. "We've always tried to hold on to our kid-like impulses, and our songs have always had a lot of unusual imagery in them. Now that we're established as a band, we felt it was a good time to explore this genre of music, and hopefully bring something of our own to it."

From the simplicity of "Clap Your Hands" and "Robot Parade," to the story-like-songs "Four of Two" and "Lazyhead and Sleepybones" to the dream-like "Violin," the songs on "No!" are sure to delight both kids and their parents. No strangers to intriguing word-play, They Might Be Giants deliver some memorable examples here including "Where Do They Make Balloons?" a sweet song that ponders the curious origins of an all-time kid favorite.

"Fibber Island" invites you to strum rubber guitars and sew buttons on cars, and "John Lee Supertaster" extols the virtues of a guy whose super-powers make flavors explode in his mouth. There's even a cover of a mid-sixties PSA that warns children of the dangers of crossing the street, called "In The Middle, In The Middle, In the Middle."

"We created the music on "No!" to appeal first and foremost to kids, who don't need to have any in-depth knowledge of adult culture to enjoy these songs," says John Linnell.

When TMBG began the project, Linnell's then one-and-a-half-year-old son Henry started requesting the songs on "No!," and now at three-years-old, he wants to hear them even more. "At first we were imagining an audience between five and 10-years-old," says Linnell, "but apparently there's another generation of younger kids who are also ready to enjoy these songs."

Knowing that kids love surprises, each "No!" CD is specially enhanced. Not only does it play on your CD player, but slip it into any computer and experience a visual extravaganza featuring "enhanced" sections that illustrate and animate most of the songs. The game-like enhancements allow the listener to interact with the animated sequences, and even direct the action. Each animated song also incorporates a scrolling "sing-a-long" bar at the bottom of the screen featuring the lyrics. The CD is both PC and MAC compatible, and was created in collaboration with the graphic design group The Chopping Block, who has designed many of TMBG's award-winning web sites.