Don't Let's Start: A Podcast About They Might Be Giants
A podcast dedicated to the band They Might Be Giants, hosted by friends Jordan Cooper and Dave Fox. Each episode explores the band's career, albums, and songs in depth, with a mix of analysis and humor.
Episodes
79: FACTORY SHOWROOM Wrap-Down: I'm Ready to Faint
Get away! Unless you want to hear us talk about the demos and alternate versions of songs They Might Be Giants cooked up from the Factory Showroom era! There's too many lo-fi delights to list here, but let's just say, incidentally, you might want to buy your Token Back to Brooklyn, head to New York City, and hitch a ride on a Rocket Ship! What are you, some sort of Alternate Take of I Can
78: Brooklyn Steel, May 2026: We Worked So Hard on These Songs
From May 28th to May 30th They Might Be Giants performed at Brooklyn Steel, only a short drive, or an absurdly long walk, away from Jordan and Dave. We interrupt our Factory Showroom run once again to bring you our official unofficial report. What songs were performed? And WHO performed them?!? (TMBG?) Listen and find out!
77: THE WORLD IS TO DIG Excavation!
Look what the cat has dragged in! They Might Be Giants have released a new album, The World Is To Dig! And here's what you get: our reaction! Do we dig it? Did it make us sleep or go feral? Is it an overnight sensation or flawed garbage? (Ok that's a bit harsh, I'm just trying to make wordplay from the song titles, people!) Get down with Jordan and Dave's brains, put that telescope
76: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 6: One Degree Shy Of Sadistic
Why? Because it's extra, baby! In this episode we're kicking back onto our seductive red leather couch to discuss a few songs left off of They Might Be Giants' sixth album Factory Showroom that managed to slide right into the S-E-X-X-Y EP! Our big earth-shaking discussion is Sensurround, a catchy, crafty and collateral-damage filled John Linnell classic! We don't know where he got
75: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 5: They Hear The Sound
Factory Showroom Part 5, made in Jordan's bedroom! Don't Let's Start, your simple key to happiness is back! We heard your instructions and followed your directions, so pull away your earplugs because we are finishing Factory Showroom, They Might Be Giants' sixth album, by just barely hearing the final two tracks! First, this is a warning, but we devote over an hour to the vintage l
74: BONUS: EYEBALL Reflection
They Might Be Giants have released new music, so we are duty-bound to pause our Factory Showroom series and provide you with our very raw, unsullied, virgin-eared reaction! We discuss our initial thoughts on the Eyeball EP, including the very Linnellian Linnell title track by Linnell, the Snuggle fresh-scented The Glamour of Rock, the tell-nothing instrumental biography of Peggy Guggenheim, and th
73: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 4: Putting All Reason Aside
We said we'd be back in just five minutes, but you could tell that we were lying! Welcome to our hypnotic and strange series on Mr. Factory Showroom, our sixth They Might Be Giants album! Which is not to say you'll like it!First, there's no way to stop the excellence of our segment on Spiraling Shape! Everyone says it's great! Then, in 1990, They Might Be Giants released James K. P
72: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 3: Music Fills The Room
Hope you're glad to hear from us! We're ringing the bell on the door and fighting for our place in rock and roll...podcasts! I can't believe it's true, but we're marching on through They Might Be Giants' 1997 album Factory Showroom, discussing a precious and few three more songs! First up is the best podcast segment of your life as we discuss New York City, the cherished cu
71: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 2: I Dare Not Make A Sound
If you thought we were out of style and long forgot, you were wrong! Watch us shine as we discuss the next three very songular songs on Factory Showroom, the sixth album by They Might Be Giants! How'm I s'posed to let you know the way we feel about them?Tell me how can we do our How Can I Sing Like A Girl segment without being stigmatized by the rest of the world? Our fingers point at each other's
70: FACTORY SHOWROOM Part 1: We Can Never Go Home Again
This is the way the description part goes! We are X-tra excited to clear our throats and begin our viewing of They Might Be Giants' 1996 album Factory Showroom! Unnoticed by few, beloved by many! First, we can't get away from a song that really fell between the grating, only appearing if you rewind to track 0 on the original CD, Token Back to Brooklyn! Then you gotta understand what S-E-X-X-Y is a
69: GRAB BAG #3: Can You Keep A Secret?
Episode 69 and feeling fine! In this calm before the storm of Factory Showroom, we reach into the big old floppy grab bag and yank out five rare, special, unique, singular and startling songs not officially released by They Might Be Giants. We dare not reveal which ones, but let's just say they feature Johns Linnell and Flansburgh singing about some strange and varied topics. Don't delay a
68: Letterbox 3: I Won By Not Even Trying
That sexy E-Mail fairy has arrived again and left behind a huge backlog of letters from you, you, and also you! Topics addressed include our opinions on The Spine and The Else! What song would we leave off John Henry? What other bands are we experts on? Plus listener insights into Dinner Bell, Fake Out in Buenos Aires, Hell Hotel, It's Not My Birthday, and Mono Puff stuff! We also discuss some
67: Interview with Don't I Have the Right singer Nancy Lynn Howell!
A very special guest on John Flansburgh's Mono Puff album becomes a very special guest on the Don't Let's Start podcast! Nancy Lynn Howell, singer of Don't I Have the Right, talks to us about recording the song with Flansburgh, the special occasion where she performed it live, and we get to hear rare, exclusive recordings of her short-lived super group with Laura Cantrell and Robin
66: MONO PUFF - UNSUPERVISED B-Sides & Demos: More To Go Around
Now I wanna talk to everyone about Mono Puff b-sides and demos! Alongside the album Unsupervised (by They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh) came The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking) single! It's full of odds and ends, balls and...friends??
First, Flansburgh covers a fellow b-side from fellow song genius Mr. Frank Black, the one and only Oddball! We listen to both versions and d
65: MONO PUFF - UNSUPERVISED Part 3: I Hate You So
We laid low, but now we're back, and you'll be happy as a scarecrow listening to our so-long episode finishing up John Flansburgh's debut album Unsupervised from his supergroup Mono Puff!
Who'll teach you all about the history of Dr. Kildare (the man, the show, the song)? We will! I can read your mind, you want us to then discuss the quiet resentment of So Long, Mockingbird, correct? I don't mind
64: MONO PUFF - UNSUPERVISED Part 2: Go, Satan, Go
Did you miss us when we were away? Jordan "Mono" Cooper and Dave "Puff" Fox are back to go song by everlovin' song through Mono Puff's totally rocking debut album, Unsupervised! We've got devils, we've got spacemen, step right up, people!
First there's nowhere we can go except into a context-heavy discussion of Don't Break The Heart, the Amy Rigby classic given a John Flansburgh reimagining! But d
63: MONO PUFF - UNSUPERVISED Part 1: When I Digress
I hear the phone ring, and it's John Flansburgh's solo project Mono Puff calling! Back in the day, we were distracted by They Might Be Giants, but now we're hear to sing the praises of this strange yet cohesive collection of side-project gold!
Your appreciative hosts Jordan and Dave go into the formation of Mono Puff, the inspiration behind the band name, an investigation into the band members, a
62: Interview with "Weird Al" Yankovic!
A while back Jordan and Dave produced an obsessive, second-by-second breakdown of "Weird Al" Yankovic's They Might Be Giants style parody, Everything You Know Is Wrong, off of his 1996 album Bad Hair Day. This meticulous analysis became our most popular YouTube video, and it turns out one of those precious YouTube views was none other than Mr. Al Yankovic himself! Now Al comes on our show to react
61: 80s Demos - Part 3: Welcome To Hell Hotel
Salutations! Or have you seen this episode? Jordan and Dave's pain is your karma as they exchange some fighting words and complete their archival dig through the 1980s demos of They Might Be Giants (for now.) We're here to make you happy, as half of this episode is our long awaited and belated Hell Hotel discussion! Is the song based on a Twilight Zone episode? Is that an Outer Limits reference? W
60: 80s Demos - Part 2: At Least Your Dog Is Free
We've got another big delicious slice of They Might Be Giants' legendary 1985 demo tape! This episode covers tracks 10 through 20, and there's still more left to chew on! We find out newly discovered, frighteningly revelatory information on Cowtown and Chess Piece Face!
We take the many demo versions of Youth Culture Killed My Dog for a walk! Then we crank the volume way up to hear the subtle sec
59: 80s Demos - Part 1: I'm Already Dead
We're back...in time! Jordan and Dave take out their dusty scrapbooks and look into the They Might Be Giants of years past. First we discuss their very first release, the Wiggle Diskette, a very limited vinyl distributed all over NYC in 1985. Then we continue on with the first batch of songs on TMBG's infamous 1985 demo tape!
But do you think we stop there? Oh ho ho, foolish listener, doth thee n
58: Impossibly News - The Latest on TMBG and We
Should auld acquaintance be forgot....Presenting a special urgent and heartfelt final broadcast for 2023! Jordan and Dave destroy the past and focus on the latest They Might Be Giants news, discoveries, rumors and revelations! We also tell you about our podcast operation, with a big announcement about a planned Patreon membership for 2024! OH IT'S GOOD NEWS!
Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontle
57: Interview with People Magazine's Michael Small!
As a prologue for our upcoming deep dive into They Might Be Giants' 1980s demos, we spoke with the legendary Michael Small, the People Magazine writer who first reviewed TMBG's demo tape in 1985 and gave them their first huge exposure, telling (or warning) the world about the madness to come!
Michael tells us about the first time he heard the tape, the songs that got stuck in his head, appearing
56: Letterbox Special 2: How To Age Gracefully
In this episode, Jordan and Dave read e-mails from who? E-mails from you! Topics include They Might Be Giants love songs! Fingertips theories! Reactions to our John Henry episodes, including theories on End of the Tour and Destination Moon! Condoms! Metallica! The Rheostatics! Frank Black! David Lynch! Comic books! Horror movies! The future of the podcast! Dave's new album! Jordan's old...! That's
55: Interview with I MIGHT BE GIANT, TOO songwriter Peter Stewart!
Save your tears! We are back with a very special surprise guest, Peter Stewart, the man, the mystery, the legend behind the previously anonymous, though no less epic song They Might Be Giants! Unofficially titled I Might Be Giant, Too by TMBG fans, this intense rock ballad was heard on They Might Be Giants' Dial-A-Song service and over the speakers at their live shows around the world since 1989!
54: JOHN HENRY Wrap-Down: Wreck It Apart
Jordan and Dave are back to destroy the music you love! We spend this interminable episode listening to and mentally processing the vast number of rare dial-a-songs and officially released full band demos They Might Be Giants created in the build-up to 1994's album John Henry! Highlights include the extremely different Sleeping in the Flowers dial-a-song, the very brief and very funky full band re
53: JOHN HENRY - Part 7: You're Already Dead
Being patient while we take our time are things our listeners can understand, and thank you for that! But now...Skull's out for summer! We finally finish what we started, as we're done with John Henry, the album! But what of John Henry's officially released b-sides? In this episode we listen to, learn about and love the Back to Skull EP (AKA Snail Shell EP), a tantalizing trilogy of songs about mu
52: JOHN HENRY - Part 6: It's Totally Over Now
We've heard the ceaseless screaming and we're back to free this demon and finish John Henry! They Might Be Giants' real rock record ends on a high note (not literally) with five fun and freaky songs. Turn it down? No! Turn it up and listen to our hot and heavy discussion of Thermostat. We might not be reliable as we talk and interrupt each other looking at what's under the hood of this song.
Then
51: JOHN HENRY - Part 5: They've Got Plans For Everyone
Commence Official TMBG Podcast Exploration! Jordan and Dave are back in our prison cells, thinking these words about five more songs off of They Might Be Giants' John Henry! We barely contain our secret smiles as we shriek to the lovely music of No One Knows My Plan! We attempt to cook up an angle on what the plan may be...And we must be silent because we have a special guest, trumpet player S
50: JOHN HENRY - Part 4: O, Do Not Forsake Me with Wilbur Pauley!
It's our 50th episode! While we feel 1,000 years old, we discuss O, Do Not Forsake Me, the gothic centerpiece of They Might Be Giants' John Henry! Jordan and his indolent friend Dave try to piece together the possible references (or are they misbegotten notions?) in the song! But what do we know? Joining us in the second half of the episode is lead singer of O, Do Not Forsake Me, Wilbur Pauley!
W
49: JOHN HENRY - Part 3: You Will Never Understand Me
By random whim, we have recorded another episode! Jordan and Dave discuss four songs with four fascinating unreliable narrators from They Might Be Giants' 1994 album John Henry! We blurt our merest ideas and shoot our mouths off about the singer's predicament in I Should Be Allowed To Think! Guitarist Jay Sherman-Godfrey joins us once again to talk about recording the song!
There's no word in Eng
48: JOHN HENRY - Part 2: Unconnected And Free
I proclaim that John Henry Part 2 has arrived! We only just begin our journey on the dark roads of John Henry, They Might Be Giants' fullest length rockingest album! First we spin your head round and round all afternoon as we get freaky with Sleeping In the Flowers, in an England-size segment drowning in information, entertainment, and infotainment!
Then Jordan smiles because Dave is funny, as we
47: JOHN HENRY - Part 1: Now I'm Where A Snail Has To Be
We Hate They Might Be Giants!...For making such a great album in 1994 named John Henry! IT'S TOO GREAT! Welcome to part 1 of our John Henry Prestige Limited Series. Before getting to the songs, Jordan and Dave (with backup from archival audio of John and John!) get into a discussion that's even longer than the entire album all about the changing music scene in 1994, TMBG's experience recording Joh
46: WHY DOES THE SUN SHINE? EP: Spy vs. Spy
Yo ho! We're back from our 93 million miles away space trip to visit the land beyond, and we have a special job discussing They Might Be Giants' 1993 release, the Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas) EP! Their first studio recording with their new full band, this bright and shiny release is a jaunty, spirited and eclectic mix of cover songs and one early version of an or
45: Interview with TMBG drummer Jonathan Feinberg!
We proudly present a conversation with Jonathan Feinberg, TMBG drummer for the Apollo 18 tour and the O Tannenbaum single! Jon talks to us about auditioning for They Might Be Giants, recording the Christmas classic, making demos with John Flansburgh, touring with the band, and the unpredictable rollercoaster ride that happened after his time with TMBG! Featuring tons of archival audio of the Apoll
44: Pass the Dude, Stump the Band: TMBG Live 1990-1992
In the midst of the Apollo 18 tour in 1992 They Might Be Giants transformed from a duo backed by a tape to a real band with real instruments. Jordan and Dave discuss this rock puberty, and all of the complications, consternations, and celebration that went along with it! With many archival audio clips from live concerts and interviews, hear from John and John themselves about why and how this tran
43: Interview with Laura Cantrell!
We present to you now the full interview with singer/songwriter/TMBG vocalist Laura Cantrell, of which only glimpses of were heard in our Apollo 18 episodes! In this limited supply expanded edition you'll hear Laura discuss her musical origins, her first bands, meeting They Might Be Giants, recording The Guitar, shooting the music video for The Guitar, touring with TMBG, and more!
Plus we get ver
42: Letterbox Special! Volume 1
This episode is not about us! It's about YOU! Jordan and Dave sit their beautiful bodies down in front of mid-priced microphones and answer some of YOUR e-mails about They Might Be Giants, and what makes us tick! Topics include: TMBG break-up songs! Severed heads! Frank Zappa! The riddles of Which Describes How You're Feeling! The sorrow of She's An Angel! The mysteries of the Birdhous
41: BOOK Release Party!
The big day has arrived! Not only have They Might Be Giants released a new album, but for the first time on our podcast, Jordan and Dave are along for the experience! We sit down and spill some ink in a more casual chat (no research! no outline!) to discuss our first impressions of TMBG's new album BOOK, and dig into its contents, chapter and verse!
They open the book of BOOK, a massive and m
40: Interview with Kurt Hoffman!
A while back Jordan and Dave masked up to have an outdoors, socially-distanced interview with They Might Be Giants collaborator Kurt Hoffman! Kurt is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and visual artist whose footprints are all over TMBG, from opening for them on their Flood tour as part of the legendary group The Ordinaires, to recording on Apollo 18 and John Henry-era songs, to playin
39: APOLLO 18 Wrap-Down: One Door Shut, Another Door Closes
Finally splashing down from our lunar mission, Jordan and Dave close the (space?) book on They Might Be Giants' Apollo 18 by resurrecting and inspecting the demos and dial-a-songs made for the album! We begin with a viewing "party" of the infamous Apollo 18 Promo, featuring the hit song "Integrity Project", and a pre-Power Point Power-Point-esque slideshow, with funny jokes and cool stuff! DON'T L
38: APOLLO 18 - Part 6: I Will Leave And I'll Return
Tranquility base! Jordan and Dave are stuck circling the various moons and planetoids surrounding They Might Be Giants' 4th album Apollo 18, as we hitch a ride on our superfueled freaksicle and explore the out of circulation b-sides sifted off of the album and cast out into the void!
First we have some exclusive and fascinating insight on the I Palindrome I EP photography by one of the photog
37: APOLLO 18 - Part 5: I Heard A Sound
Hey now everybody! After being lost in deep space, Jordan and Dave can't leave They Might Be Giants' fourth album Apollo 18 alone! We're once again joined by second engineer Edward Douglas, plus special guests PETER STAMPFEL and ELMA MAYER, who make unforgettable appearances on Fingertips! You won't remember why you liked our discussion of Hypnotist Of Ladies, but you will!
Then, everything catch
36: APOLLO 18 - Part 4: All Dressed In Black
This episode covers ONE TWO THREE FOUR! songs off of Apollo 18, the ONE TWO THREE FOURTH album by They Might Be Giants! We are once again joined by Edward Douglas (the one two three IVth), the 2nd engineer on the album! First, Jordan lies and Dave sighs as we discuss the convoluted, controversial and cryptic bad feelings of Which Describes How You're Feeling!
From one guy in the sky to the one ma
35: APOLLO 18 - Part 3: I Don't Want A Bean
Turn it up! Take one step through the doorway and un-narrow your ears because our latest episode is waving hello! In this episode we explore four shockingly different They Might Be Giants songs off of their fourth album Apollo 18, and we are joined once again by Apollo 18 studio engineer Edward Douglas!
Hey! Who's that commenting on The Guitar? Is it Jim? NO! It's LAURA CANTRELL, our special gues
34: APOLLO 18 - Part 2: Your Turn To Burn
Ladies and gentlemen! Jordan and his evil twin Dave are back, along with genuinely good triplet engineer Edward Douglas, to discuss They Might Be Giants' out of this world fourth album Apollo 18!
We begin with a space-shattering revelation about the Apollo 18 album art! Then we've grown so grateful for the devilishly catchy My Evil Twin! Mammal (MAAAAMMAL!) is next and...do you hear that? Let me
33: APOLLO 18 - Part 1: Words Fail
That's one small step for MAN O NAM! After being in deep sleep, Jordan and Dave awaken in their silver spaceship Apollo 18, also the name of They Might Be Giants' indisputably fourth album! We get too into the background of the album's conception, title, artwork and the production style, and helping us along to fact check and offer unique insight is special guest Edward Douglas, credited as second
32: GRAB BAG #2: People With Thoughtful Opinions
In this episode Jordan and Dave pull five random They Might Be Giants songs without a home out of the grab bag and discuss the ever-lovin' bejesus out of them! One of these songs is an exclusive recording of an extremely rare TMBG song that nobody has ever heard before, secretly provided to the podcast by a generous benefactor! What will all of these songs be? Will some be new? Will some be old? W
31: Scream As If You're In Hell - TMBG Live in the 80s!
Take a trip with us back to slimy New York City in the late 1980s for a whirlwind tour through They Might Be Giants' most inspired, hilarious, and sometimes tragic on-stage moments! Dave and Jordan discuss 80's TMBG live show staples like The Stick, Countdown, Scream As If You're In Hell, and MORE SURPRISES!
We also travel around the slimy world and experience the horror of a typical UK rock show
30: Interview with Gary Ray, owner of Darinka!
Jordan and Dave are back and staying the hell away from each other! So in this episode we present an interview conducted last year with Gary Ray, the founder and owner of Darinka, the venue that They Might Be Giants (and many other eclectic acts) called home from 1984-1987!
Gary talks to us about founding the club, booking They Might Be Giants, the TMBG Wiggle Diskette release party, his appearan
29: Bowery Ballroom, 2/8/2020 - We're Only Here To Judge
'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams...Bowery Ballroom in New York City, the night of February 8, 2020! It was on the Bowery when Jordan, Dave, and incredibly special guests, nighttime ladies Kristen (Jordan's girlfriend) and Krissy (Dave's wife) all saw a They Might Be Giants Flood 30th anniversary concert and lived to tell the tale!
28: Interview with Brian Doherty! Pt. 2
We're back with part 2 of our interview with TMBG drummer Brian Doherty! Unnoticed by few, in this episode Doherty discusses his work on They Might Be Giants' Factory Showroom, Severe Tire Damage, John Linnell's State Songs, playing with Mono Puff, and tons of TMBG touring stories, including the experience of opening up for Hootie and the Blowfish! Brian also talks about playing with alt rock musi
27: Interview with Brian Doherty! Pt. 1
Meet Brian Doherty! Jersey City's famous drummer! Part 1 of an in-depth interview with Brian Doherty! Brian played drums for They Might Be Giants from 1993 to 1996, performed on the albums John Henry, Factory Showroom, as well as various EPs, and more! In part 1, we discuss the first bands Brian played with, meeting and rehearsing and touring with John and John, recording John Henry, making th
26: FLOOD Wrap-Down: Then That Phone Rang Off The Hook
Flood fans, you're in for a treat, a fresh-baked, yummy one! Dave and Jordan, the hosts, take you, the listeners, through the countless-yet-countable (21) demos and Dial-A-Song recordings that made up almost all of the songs on Flood! We think it's worth the money and hurt as we gasp in shock at the alternate lyrics of the Birdhouse In Your Soul demo!
We can't say why we enjoy the phone version o
25: FLOOD - Part 6: The Things We Cherish Are Small Indeed
This is a recording! We may not be able to drive out the way we drove in, so we have to leave our exploration of Flood through these b-sides and remixes left scattered in the middle of the road! Not that there's anything middle of the road (whew) about James K. Polk, the original Flood-reject version that showed up on the Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP and was just a small glimmer in They Might
24: FLOOD - Part 5: River Becomes An Ocean
Pod Cast, where are you? Right here! Behind you! The ship has run out of ocean, as Dave and Jordan, the Kings of Liars, conclude their discussion/investigation/true crime mini-docu-series about all of the songs on They Might Be Giants' popular Flood album!
First, we play a quickly aborted round of Derby Day in celebration of Hot Cha, then discuss the complicated backstory behind the song! It's to
23: FLOOD - Part 4: Wrong Ideas That Appeal To You
All hail, the Flood Boat! Jordan and Dave hit some deep and treacherous waters as they hit a Linnell-valanche with some of the trickiest and head-injuring songs on Flood! If I were a podcaster I'd stammer on my podcast all about We Want A Rock!
We're not done with you yet! Would you mind if there's some horrible business left for us to attend to as we discuss the slightly irritating situations in
22: FLOOD - Part 3: Nobody Knows, Particle Man
It's the loveliest podcast that you've ever attended! When we discuss Flood do we get wet? We've got a Universe Man-sized episode for you where we cover an entire THREE songs from They Might Be Giants' THIRD album Flood! Content warning: you may not be able to stand there listening to us talking about Your Racist Friend!
Then we're doing the things a podcaster can as we take on Particle Man, disc
21: FLOOD - Part 2: Dancing On The Casket
Our handmade boat ride through Flood continues! In this episode, we continue to celebrate and interrogate They Might Be Giants' big-time third album! We confidentially ponder and rattle on about Lucky Ball & Chain, then you can't go back to before TMBG released this next song! We devote much of the episode to an unbelievably in-depth discussion about Istanbul (Not Constantinople), tracking the
20: FLOOD - Part 1: Bluebird of Friendliness
Live, from the Electric Well! Actually-your-friends, Dave and Jordan, are back, and rocketing forward at lightning speed past the '80s (for now) and towards They Might Be Giants' brand new record for 1990, Flood! We discuss all things Flood, except for 17 of the 19 songs, which are coming up in the next episodes!
We discuss the origins of the title and album art, TMBG's signing (and singing) with
19: GRAB BAG #1: TMB Songs
Oh boy, oh boy! During our interview with Bill Krauss, Bill showed us an old handwritten list of songs from the mid 80s with the title "TMB Songs." In this episode, we review this list and pick out a handful of rare and forgotten songs to discuss! We also ponder some exclusive never before seen song titles that fans have never known about! This episode also includes unheard moments from our interv
18: Interview with Bill Krauss!
Reel 'er in, we've got a BIG ONE! Mr. Bill Krauss, producer of THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, LINCOLN, and other iconic 80s TMBG material joined us for a sit-down! We talked to Bill about his origins in music, getting involved with They Might Be Giants, recording the early demos and albums, being TMBG's live sound-man, stories about being on the road with the band, and tons more! Absolutely Bill's Cool!
Jo
17: THEN: THE EARLIER YEARS: Disc 2: Hip Hip Horrific Is Our Thing
There's something coming. A new podcast episode on the horizon. It's coming very slowly. BUT NOW IT'S HERE! Our new episode is in the can, the big trash can! Jordan and Dave weep weep weep with joy and terror as they guide you through the bonus tracks on Then: The Earlier Years, disc 2!
They Might Be Giants have a lot of goodies and strange-lings in store! Jordan tries to find the inspiration for
16: THEN: THE EARLIER YEARS DISC 1: Don't Remind Me Of Yesterday
Here's something novel for this podcast: LET'S ALL CELEBRATE TMBG! This episode discusses the were-we-ever-so-young 80's compilation from 1997, Then: The Earlier Years, notably the freaky and mysterious bonus tracks on disc 1! Dave and Jordan discuss the critics of Critic Intro! They say everything about Now That I Have Everything!
They tap out rhythms with a smile on their face to Mainstream U.S
15: Interview with Julie Kantner from The Turtlenecks!
We've got a lot of insight into a real special slice of TMBG esoterica today, as we interview Julie Kantner, incredible songwriter and past member of John Flansburgh's college dorm band, The Turtlenecks! Jordan and Dave talk to Julie about songwriting, playing live, and we devote a lot of wide-eyed attention to the six-song Turtlenecks EP from 1981, put up by Julie on her Bandcamp page! We learn a
14: MISCELLANEOUS T Wrap-Down: I'll Find Your Answering Machine
Our options for Miscellaneous T tracks to discuss get whittled away as Dave and Jordan confront the very few ***exclusive*** Dial-A-Songs and demos for Miscellaneous T! We dip back into our ongoing Dial-A-Song historical discussion! We also chill the f out a bit and answer some e-mails, discuss a wide variety of questionably compelling TMBG topics, talk about our favorite non-TMBG b-sides in our a
13: MISCELLANEOUS T - Part 3: Flowers Die And So Will I
Dave and Jordan finish their stride through the b-sides compiled on Miscellaneous T! For Science is real, and they talk about the cocky character clamoring for the Venus vixen! Then we discuss lucky track number 13 and dig into more Dial-A-Song history, plus make extremely educated guesses about the inner lives of Gloria and The Guy!
And from the phone machine to the phone inside her ribcage, we
12: MISCELLANEOUS T - Part 2: The Sweetest Spot
Dave and Jordan soak up Miscellaneous T some more! They get drenched by rising flood waters in I'll Sink Manhattan! The sound upon the roof isn't only water, it's Dave and Jordan trying to wade through It's Not My Birthday! Then they cry a river of tiny tears as they grasp at the meaning of the three-word Hello Radio!
Then...THIS JUST IN: Mr. Klaw's secret identity REVEALED, and YOU WILL NOT BELI
11: MISCELLANEOUS T - Part 1: The Tiny Lights Shines Twice As Bright
Mister Cooper and Mister Fox talk about the first five tracks of Miscellaneous T, the jaw-dropping and unpredictable They Might Be Giants B-side compilation! We get BESIDE ourselves discussing the very nature of the B-side! D & J deal with Hey Mr. DJ I Thought You Said We Had A Deal!
Then Pal Jordan tells Pal Dave about TMBG's obsession with Pal Joey and why they covered Lady Is A Tramp! Thou
10: Interview with Joshua Fried! Pt. 2
Part 2 of our scintillating discussion with Joshua Fried! In this episode we talk about all of the songs on 1993's Hello the Band EP, a CD of totally great songs that Fried created with John Flansburgh for the Hello CD of the Month Club! We talk about the subliminal secret of Sodium Mask, who brought the funk on Since You Joined The Corporation, the wisdom of Tom Vu for Town To Town, the wonderful
09: Interview with Joshua Fried! Pt. 1
We interviewed somebody! In preparation for our big Miscellaneous T episode, we sat down across a table from Joshua Fried, best known to They Might Be Giants fans as the man behind The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix!) Fried tells us about his early years in music, his work with performance art troupe Watchface that him and John Flansburgh used to collaborate with, and then a special detailed
08: LINCOLN Wrap-Down: The Kind That Never Fades Away
Do let's stop talking about Lincoln...but only after we wrap it all up in this special episode where Dave & Jordan dig into some of the curious Dial-A-Songs and demos that would eventually become Lincoln! This episode begins what will be a continuing multi-part discussion of TMBG's Dial-A-Song service, plus we share some fun recommendations in our Unrelated Thing segment, and answer a huge hef
07: LINCOLN - Part 3: Love Is Sad
Your panacea's in a podcast app! We built a little podcast out of some crazy garbage! I've got a match; your embrace and my podcast! Tracks 10-18 of the 1988 album Lincoln by the band They Might Be Giants get examined by the friends Dave & Jordan, and you'll be shocked & appalled at how much there is to talk about!
Our hosts chit their chats about so many topics stemming from these songs,
06: LINCOLN - Part 2: Our Only Home Is Bone
We have an obligation...to release part 2 of our discussion about Lincoln! In this episode, Dave & Jordan (tm) finally move past Ana Ng and extract curious wonder and delicious meaning from songs such as Purple Toupee, Piece of Dirt, Pencil Rain, and plenty more! Other topics include Linnell's early music career, Dave's Coffee Wisdom (tm), and the ethics of a Roy Orbison hologram tour, and so
05: LINCOLN - Part 1: The Edge of Hearing
Four score and seven years ago, Dave and Jordan released the previous podcast episode. Now we're back! We discuss They Might Be Giants' unimpeachable second album, Lincoln, and we end up devoting an entire hour to the intricacies of the lead single and might-be-masterpiece, Ana Ng. Jordan regales Dave with 1964 World's Fair factoids and triviods, Dave goes to a pharmacist to try to get those trivi
04: Holidayland & Other Christmas Tidings
Merry Flansmas! Happy Hanuk-WHAAA?? Dave and Jordan dig into the uniquely strange THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS IN...HOLIDAYLAND EP, then take a very fantastic and harrowing voyage to the Island of Misfit Christmas Songs banished from Holidayland! They even discuss the Hello Family Santa Special, which is really overkill, if you ask me. Will Dave learn the true meaning of Christmas? Will Jordan learn the d
03: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - Side 2: Happiness Bled
All Dave and Jordan know could be defaced as they complete their exhaustive musical excavation of the first They Might Be Giants album! Covering tracks 10 through 19, your hip hip horrific hosts discuss topics like the band's disinterest in broadcasting emotionality through their musicality, the unconscious guilt of the egocentrism of the Artist, and which tracks lay down the dopest beat! Better l
02: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - Side 1: The Line Dividing Laugh and Scream
Dreams Realized! In episode 02, Dave and Jordan go uncomfortably in-depth into the candy-colored song explosion that is the very first side (tracks 1-9) of the very first They Might Be Giants album! The two real-life friends discuss the differences in songwriting styles of the Johns, make a valiant attempt to trace the many reference points sprinkled throughout the lyrics, and stare deep into the
01: That's How The Snowball Started
It's the first episode of Don't Let's Start: A Podcast About They Might Be Giants! Jordan and Dave are longtime friends with a lot of thoughts about the band They Might Be Giants. This introductory episode finds Jordan and Dave learning about how each other got into the band, they reminisce about Dave's first TMBG live show at Tramp's on December 31, 1998 (with sound clips!), and talk about plans
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