They Might Be Awesome!
They've written entertaining songs about a night light (from the night light’s perspective), the mammalian cardiovascular system, a purple toupee, and freshwater crustaceans. They've successfully woven the names of four famous Mesopotamians--Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal, and Gilgamesh--into a catchy pop tune reminiscent of the Monkees. Who could possibly execute these astounding feats of music artistry (and more!) so deftly for over two decades and counting?
Why, They Might Be Giants!
I am a huge TMBG fan. For those of you not in the know, "TMBG" is They Might Be Giants (see above), a Brooklyn duo-turned-duo-with-a-band started by childhood friends John Flansburgh and John Linnell ("the Johns"). They've been making music for 25+ years, amassing an incredible and extremely devoted following along the way.
When I asked for a brother, the Johns are the kind I wish I'd gotten: cute, smart, goofy, and unbelievably talented. Their quirky and often dry sense of humour is perfectly suited to mine, and I enjoy their fun and brainy alt-rock tremendously. Some may find them a bit odd; I consider them absolutely brilliant and odd, which to me is a huge part of their charm. They do their own thing, not worrying about what's popular or what people might think--quite a challenge in the music industry, I would imagine. I can't think of another group that has veered all over the road in terms of musical styles and subject matter like TMBG, let alone without seriously crashing and burning. Throw some theme songs, commercials and children's albums on top of that and you've got yourself one truly amazing, creative, and versatile band. Their longevity is proof that whatever it is they're doing, it sure works.
I fell under the spell of TMBG and the Johns the first time I ever saw/heard them. The year was 1986 or 1987, and I was in the living room watching TV when I paused on the video for “Don’t Let’s Start.” It was all scrambled on some pay channel (Nickelodeon, perhaps?) and although I couldn't really see it, I remember being utterly transfixed by what I was hearing. Unfortunately, I had no idea who was responsible for the extraordinary sound. Personal computers and the internet were pretty much non-existent at that time, so I never did find out whose song it was.
A year or two after that first garbled glimpse of TMBG I saw “Ana Ng” on MTV. Because of the widespread media exposure, I was able to determine who was responsible for both songs. I went out and picked up the Lincoln (1988) cassette, which I listened to all through high school. I missed out on the college alt-music scene—which would have included Flood, Apollo 18, and John Henry, albums I would most certainly have bought had I known about them.
The next TMBG manifestation came twelve years after Lincoln was released, when Malcom in the Middle began its run on FOX. I instantly recognized the theme song as TMBG’s. I watched MITM religiously, partly because I loved the theme song so much and partly because I just plain liked the show. (I recently began watching it again when it started another run on Nick at Nite.) However, even though I eagerly awaited the theme song each week, I never sought out more TMBG material (which to this day still confounds me).
In late 2008 or early 2009, trailers for the movie Coraline started running on TV. While I had planned to see it anyway (we loved The Nightmare Before Christmas), hearing the distinctive voice of John L on the “Other Father Song” made us more anxious to see it: we saw Coraline in 3-D the day after it opened. (It was great!) And that’s when I, an otherwise “normal” person, suddenly found myself completely consumed by TMBG madness.
A year or two after that first garbled glimpse of TMBG I saw “Ana Ng” on MTV. Because of the widespread media exposure, I was able to determine who was responsible for both songs. I went out and picked up the Lincoln (1988) cassette, which I listened to all through high school. I missed out on the college alt-music scene—which would have included Flood, Apollo 18, and John Henry, albums I would most certainly have bought had I known about them.
The next TMBG manifestation came twelve years after Lincoln was released, when Malcom in the Middle began its run on FOX. I instantly recognized the theme song as TMBG’s. I watched MITM religiously, partly because I loved the theme song so much and partly because I just plain liked the show. (I recently began watching it again when it started another run on Nick at Nite.) However, even though I eagerly awaited the theme song each week, I never sought out more TMBG material (which to this day still confounds me).
In late 2008 or early 2009, trailers for the movie Coraline started running on TV. While I had planned to see it anyway (we loved The Nightmare Before Christmas), hearing the distinctive voice of John L on the “Other Father Song” made us more anxious to see it: we saw Coraline in 3-D the day after it opened. (It was great!) And that’s when I, an otherwise “normal” person, suddenly found myself completely consumed by TMBG madness.