Don't Let's Start: A Podcast About They Might Be Giants

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...

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. Th...

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...

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 !...

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 E...

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 w...

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...

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...

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 Apol...

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...

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 v...

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 Bird...

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...

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 pla...

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'...

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...

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 c...

This episode covers ONE TWO THREE FOUR! songs off of A pollo 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...

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 g...

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 m...

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 seco...

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...

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 s...

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 appear...

'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!...