Help me make a They Might Be Giants mixtape.

March 3, 2008 9:29 AM

Help me make a They Might Be Giants mixtape.

Dear Hive,

We all love Flood, Lincoln, and Apollo 18. I've found newer albums a mixed bag. I liked some songs on John Henry, but by Factory Showroom, I gave up.

Now the boy and I love Here Come the ABC's.

Looking at reviews, it seems that there are some great, catchy, quirky songs on newer albums. Please recommend songs for a post-Apollo 18 TMBG mixtape.

posted by sisquoc15 to media & arts (25 comments total)

Dr. Worm, Till My Head Falls Off, New York City, Pet Name, Experimental Film, Another First Kiss, Bangs, Drink!, At The End of the Tour, No One Knows My Plan
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 9:34 AM on March 3

Subliminal?
posted by iamkimiam at 9:47 AM on March 3

My favorites, in order by album, post-Apollo 18:

Factory Showroom:

-How Can I Sing Like A Girl?
-Metal Detector
-New York City
-Spiraling Shape
-The Bells Are Ringing

Severe Tire Damage (my first introduction to TMBG, and its versions of these songs are so much better than the original recordings):

-Doctor Worm
-They Got Lost
-Birdhouse in Your Soul
-XTC vs. Adam Ant
-Ana Ng
-First Kiss
-She's Actual Size

Mink Car:

-Bangs

Unfortunately, I haven't listened to anything other than Dial-A-Song and A User's Guide to since those.
posted by limeonaire at 9:50 AM on March 3

Oh my God, and yes, ditto At the End of the Tour.
posted by limeonaire at 9:50 AM on March 3

Actually, give all of Factory Showroom another shot. It's one of my favorite TMBG albums.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 9:52 AM on March 3

Mink Car (2001) is actually pretty awesome and even (dare I say) danceable. In addition to Another First Kiss (very sweet), also check out Cyclops Rock, Man It's So Loud in Here, Mr. Xcitement, My Man (a great return to their lyrical roots, with transoceanic cable as a metaphor for the human nervous system), and Working Undercover for the Man.

The Spine (2004) is for the most part a major step down, but Prevenge is fun and two songs you cannot miss are It's Kickin' In and Damn Good Times.
posted by kittyprecious at 9:59 AM on March 3

Apart from newer stuff, consider adding in some of their side projects. I find they are composed of both incredibly great and fairly blah songs at about the same ratio as their newer albums. Check out Mono Puff (first album first), John Linnell's State Songs, and if you can find them, John Linnell's House of Mayors (The title track is awesome), and Hello the Band's EP (Town to Town is one of my favorites, but it's very difficult to find).
posted by Durhey at 10:00 AM on March 3

Man It's So Loud in Here is my favourite song off Mink Car by a country mile. I had that song stuck in my head for days.
posted by Nelsormensch at 10:12 AM on March 3

Ditto Nelsormensch. Now I need to listen to it!
posted by Shepherd at 10:14 AM on March 3

My Favorites, post Apollo:
XTC vs. Adam Ant (Factory Showroom)
Through Being Cool (Skyhigh soundtrack)
Man, It's So Loud In Here (Mink Car)
Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal (Miscellaneous T)
Experimental Film (The Spine)
There's also a lot of good stuff you can get on They Might Be Giant Clock Radio you can't get anywhere else.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 10:15 AM on March 3

I nth "Man It's So Loud In Here". I've found that I like every other song on Mink Car (starting with Bangs (#1)), which means that Wicked Litta Critta is in the wrong place in the track listing.

Ant from the Indestructible Object EP is pretty good. Starts quiet and ends up ridiculous at the end.

I remember some good stuff from the Road Songs project, but can't recall any of them except for Stone Pony (might be called Asbury, I don't own the set). On a recent TMBG podcast (32A?) there's a live version of Asbury/Stone Pony that leads into a smoking version of Birdhouse. Live instruments, especially bass, make that song magnificent.

And hunt down djBC's mashup of "Don't Let's Start" called "They Might Be Starting".
posted by dr. fresh at 10:21 AM on March 3

I vote for everything everyone else has suggested so far, and will add, from the latest album (The Else): The Mesopotamians and from Factory Showroom: James K. Polk. Must haves IMHO.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 10:22 AM on March 3

It's so funny how widely opinion varies on the recent albums... there's not a thing I'd recommend on The Spine, unfortunately, and I can't say I ever thought of Mink Car as awesome, although some of it eventually grew on me after repeated listens (see below). Then again, I am in the vast minority of rabid TMBG fans when I say that John Henry is one of my favorite TMBG albums ever. Anyway, here's my vote for an (extended) mix CD:

AKA Driver
Spy
No One Knows My Plan
Destination Moon
Meet James Ensor
The End Of The Tour

Till My Head Falls Off
New York City
James K. Polk

Doctor Worm
They Got Lost
She's An Angel (Live)

(She Thinks She's) Edith Head
Working Undercover For The Man

Bangs
Yeh Yeh
Hopeless Bleak Despair

Take Out The Trash
Climbing The Walls
The Mesopotamians
posted by somanyamys at 10:24 AM on March 3

Just in case GregNog does not drop in here, you should not miss his "favorite songs" listing from the TMBG concert AskMe.
posted by jessamyn at 10:24 AM on March 3

Dr. Worm (Severe Tire Damage)
Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon (Miscellaneous T)
Destination Moon (John henry)
James K. Polk (Factory Showroom)
Meet James Ensor (John henry)
No One Knows My Plan (JH)
New York City (FS)
Spiralling Shape (FS)
Out Of Jail (JH)
The End Of The Tour (JH)
Why Does the Sun Shine (STD)
Ana Ng (STD version)
posted by yeti at 10:27 AM on March 3

Nthing New York City, The End of the Tour, and the Severe Tire Damage album (especially She's Actual Size and Why Does the Sun Shine?). And if you like Lincoln, you really need to give all of Miscellaneous T a good listen.

I also really enjoy Sensurround and We've Got a World That Swings, off the S-E-X-X-Y single.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:40 AM on March 3

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "NO!" yet. It's classified as a children's album, but there are a lot of catchy ear worms on it as well. Also don't miss TMBG's cover of "Why Does the Sun Shine?"

Some of my favourites from NO! are : "4 of 2", "In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle" and "Where Do They Make Balloons?"
posted by aedra at 10:46 AM on March 3

They did a version of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" on some compilation album, it is pretty much the best.
posted by troika at 11:05 AM on March 3

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too is on Future Soundtrack for America. It was a benefit for MoveOn.org put out in 2004.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 11:21 AM on March 3

John Henry
-A Self Called Nowhere

Factory Showroom
-Till My Head Falls Off
-How Can I Sing Like a Girl
-James K. Polk

Mink Car
-Wicked Little Critta
-Bangs
-Hopeless Bleak Despair
-I've Got a Fang

No!
-The Edison Museum
-Robot Parade

The Spine
-Au Contraire
MUST BE PARED WITH
-Damn Good Times
-Stalk of Wheat (great end song, especially considering the prescience of Linnell's dwindling enthusiasm)

The Else
-Withered Hope (nostalgic re-tread of classic TMBG themes as from Mr. Me, They'll Need a Crane)
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:30 AM on March 3

Hey, thanks, jessamyn! One thing I'll note from that list I posted a few weeks ago: I recommend the version of Istanbul that's on Severe Tire Damage. Given that you already dig Flood, you might think an alternate version is unnecessary. It is not; I think the Severe Tire Damage version is way, way better. The whole thing has an undercurrent of wonderfully sinister joy, like something devils probably swing-dance to in hell.
posted by Greg Nog at 11:34 AM on March 3

Here's a primer I made for non-fans of the band, which may help you brainstorm.
posted by bryanjbusch at 11:42 AM on March 3

Seems like most of the must-hears are included (although "Nightgown of the Sullen Moon" which you can find on Then is my favorite TMBG of all time), but if you like old-school TMBG, "Venue Songs" includes some amazing tracks. "Albany", "Glasgow", "Hollywood" are my favorites.
posted by Gucky at 12:17 PM on March 3

Wait, who is this for? A hopeful-lover? Yourself? A child? What kind of music do they prefer? Are they always in the mood to rock, or are they more mellow? These are all very important questions when compiling something as wacky as TMBG's catalogue.

Here's my post-1996 faves anyway:

JOHN HENRY
- I Should Be Allowed To Think (this can be cut depending on how jaded the receiving party already is)
- Meet James Ensor
- Stomp Box
- The End Of The Tour

FACTORY SHOWROOM
- New York City (good to include if the mix is for a lover or would-be lover)
- Spiraling Shape

SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE
- Dr. Worm

LONG TALL WEEKEND (unreleased songs collection that is severely underrated)
- Drinkin' (short instrumental, good as an aural palate cleanser)
- Maybe I Know
- Older (this version is the superior over the one that ends up on Mink Car)
- Lullaby To Nightmares

MINK CAR
- Bangs
- Cyclops Rock
- Man It's So Loud In Here

(I suggest just keeping these three songs as one opening clump. They give off a lot of energy.)

- Hovering Sombrero
- My Man

NO!
- Robot Parade (you can also try the alternate, kind of insane, Adult version of this song)
- No!
- Where Do They Make Balloons?
- Bed Bed Bed
- Sleepwalkers

THE SPINE
- Memo To Human Resources
- Museum Of Idiots
- It's Kickin' In
- Damn Good Times

THE ELSE
- I'm Impressed
- Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth

CAST YOUR POD TO THE WIND (The Else bonus album)
- Brain Problem Situation
- She Was A Hotel Detective In The Future (can be combined with [She Was ] Hotel Detective, and "She Was A Hotel Detective" from the Back To Skull EP for a cute trilogy.)
posted by greenland at 1:20 PM on March 3

Even though it's not post-Apollo 18, you didn't mention the self titled 1st album. That one's my favorite. I'd definitely check it out. Especially Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes and Rhythm Section Want Ad.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 1:05 PM on March 5