Conference marvin::uk_music

a video was on the chart show on saturday...

I quite liked the single ( can't remember its name tho')

a bit(slightly) like REM 


...Art.

Re: .0
>>>    Are there any more records?

I have a tape (/EP?) of their's called "She was a Hotel Detective", which is a
little bit strange & not at all like the video that prompted me to buy
something by them, nor as good :-(  Interesting, but I wouldn't really 
recommend it. 

Re: .1
"She was..." is definitely not like any REM I've ever heard, I don't think that
I could catagorize it, but at times I was reminded of rap, B52's, rock, etc... 
As I've said though that "She was.." is completely different to the other song
of their's that I've heard.

Re: general
The video I saw just had one guy playing acoustic guitar & the other doing
strange things with his voice (strange in much the same sense that the
Sugarcubes are), but it was really GREAT.  It's over about a year but I think
that the video was set on some open space, concrete I think.  Could someone
identify the song & which album it came from so I can rush out & buy it.

Thanks,
-Brian.

Released so far is the debut `They might be giants', the diffcult second 
`Lincoln', and the EP/B-side compilation `Don't lets start'.  Soon to be 
released is a fourth album `Flood'.  A great band.  They're touring soon, to
promote the new album I guess.  Dates were in NME two weeks ago (that was 
useful, wasn't it!).

As for videos, I've seen a video for the single `Don't lets start', which was
probably the one the previous reply was asking about, and a video for `They'll
need a crane', which featured a backing band of octogenerians.

Lee

        Ah, at last, a note about a group I'm very familiar with.  I
    became acquainted with TMBG two years ago when my favorite college
    radio station (KFJC 89.7 which is a *must* listen if you ever get to
    the greater San Jose area) was playing "Don't Lets Start".  I
    immediately was hooked.
    
        The group consists of two Johns (Flansburgh and Linnel).  They are
    based in New York these days, but I think their roots are in Boston. 
    RADIO_RADIO has a note about them started by one of their school
    teachers, and some of their acquaintances have entered notes in the
    conference (possibly not in the TMBG topic) there too.
    
    As has been stated they have four albums
    
    They Might Be Giants
    Lincoln
    Don't Lets Start
    Flood.
    
       Flood has been released in the U.S. but I haven't seen Don't Lets
    Start out here.  I believe Don't Lets Start is a compilation of their
    EPs.  I know of and own three of their EPs on 3" CD.  They are:
    
    Don't Lets Start with:
      Don't Lets Start
      We're The Replacements
      When It Rains It Snows
      The Famous Polka
    
    (She Was A) Hotel Detective with:
      (She Was A) Hotel Detective
      Kiss Me Son Of God
      For Science
      The Biggest One
      Mr Klaw
    
    They'll Need A Crane with:
      They'll Need A Crane
      It's Not My Birthday
      I'll Sink Manhattan
      Nightgown of the Sullen Moon
    
    Hotel is the least approachable EP, but I still like most of the tracks
    on it.  I'd recommend the all of the EPs and therefore the Don't Lets
    Start album.
    
        They're a lot of fun in concert.  They use a tape backup and play
    mainly the guitar and accordian portions of their songs while singing
    live.
    
        I highly recommend this group epecially if you're into off the
    wall, catchy pop tunes with wonderful plays on words.  Their creativity
    and imagination shine through every release.  And if you want to spend
    some pounds, you can call their Dial-a-Song number at (718) 387-6962.
    
    Tony

    Thanks everyone.
    
    Tony, re your last paragraph about catchy, off the wall stuff -
    that's exactly what I like!
    
    I went out at lunchtime and found their first lp, which I haven't
    played yet, and I've seen 'Don't lets start' in the shops, which
    I intend to buy, and I'll get 'Flood' when I see it.
    
    All this was prompted by seeing a video on the chart show a couple
    of weeks ago - I can't remember the song title, but it was again
    very catchy. The only part of the video I can remember was a bunch
    of people parading around with placards saying 'No rock videos'.
    Anyone know what song this is?
    
    Bob

    
    they were rumored to be coming out to australia?? 
    any idea anyone?

    I read they named their LINCOLN album after the place where they met.
    Lincoln Massachussets, near Boston. They were hosting a video show and
    came out with an acoustic guitar and an accordian and sang a song about
    how the sun was a cloud of gas. i think they took the words from a
    textbook. 

    Well, I'll answer my own question - the video I saw accompanies
    their current single, 'Birdhouse In Your Soul', which seems to be
    getting played on the radio quite a bit, usually accompanied by
    inane babble from a cloth brained DJ about the odd lyrics.
    
    Is 'Flood' out yet in the UK? My local record shop doesn't know
    anything about it.
    
    Bob

    Yes,
    
    Apparently John and John met while in high school at Lincoln-Sudbury
    High School just outside of Boston.  I've seen them twice in concert
    and they are real troopers.  The first time I saw them, their parents
    were in the audience.  They are definitely fans...
    
    If you can get a hold of Flood, I urge you to do so.  The sound
    quality is excellent (this is after all there first Major Label
    release).  It's Digitally recorded even.  There very first album is
    definitely worth getting as well.  
    
    In interviews, John and John claim to have hundreds of songs that they
    had written in high school which they plan on recording eventually.
    Flood has many songs on it that they've done in concert in the past.
    
    See this band.
    
    John
    

    Heard on 'Kaleidoscope', R4, yesterday. 'Flood' is out in the UK
    next week.
    
    Bob

`Flood' is out now.  It's up to the standard of their previous work, and has
some great folky tunes on it.  Hightlights being the deranged lyrics of 
`Istanbul (not constantinople)' and the twisted ballroom/mall glitz of `Minimum
wage'.  Well worth getting.

Lee

    Is that a definite, Lee? Latest from Our Price, late last week,
    was that release of Flood had been put back a couple of weeks because
    the single is doing unexpectedly well (up 17 to no.17 last week,
    pop-pickers).
    
    Bob-on-my-way-to-a-record-shop-if-it's-true...!

Sure is GREENB!

1.	Theme from Flood		11.	Hearing Aid
2.	Birdhouse in your Soul		12.	Minimum Wage
3.	Lucky Ball and Chain		13.	Letterbox
4.	Istanbul (not Constantinople)	14.	Whistling on the Dark
5.	Dead				15.	Hot Cha
6.	Your Racist Friend		16.	Women & Men
7.	Particle Man			17.	Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love
8.	Twisting			18.	They Might be Giants
9.	We Want a Rock			19.	Road Movie to Berlin
10.	Someone Keeps Moving my Chair

Rabid Child.

    
    Istanbul (Not Constantinople) is, of course, an old music hall song
    much beloved of my grandmother, as all afficianados of Elvis Costello's
    father's oeuvre would know. (Anyone remember the Trace MacLeod Late Show
    interview with EC? "My oeuvre...???" Classic).
    
    What I want to know is, why did it take the world 12 months to catch on
    to TMBG? And have you read any article on them which didn't refer to them
    as "two Johns"? Not that that's significant...
    
    They get my vote for the most prosaic choice of title since Husker Du.
    
    
    Chris

    Yes, Chris, I remember that Costello Late Show - in fact, I still
    have it on tape.
    
    Well, I listened to Flood last night, and my first reaction to it
    is that while it seems to be very good, it's maybe not as lovable
    as Lincoln. Then again, it's difficult to tell after just one play
    if it will reach classic status.....
    
    Bob

    Just thought I'd put this in.

    "We want a rock" is surely the cleverest song of the 90s so far.

    Anyone else up for a visit to the Town and Country to see 'the two
    Johns' (sorry) on June 17th?
    
    Bob

    Well Bob, after buying "Flood" and really enjoying it, I recently
    also took ownership of "Lincoln" (purportedly the most popular album
    on U.S. College radio in 1988, eclipsing even "The Joshua Tree"),
    and I have to say that, even after half a dozen listens, I'm struggling
    to get into it.  Can't quite pinpoint why ... maybe it's just *too*
    varied?  Or is that their voices kinda grate on me a little?  Hmm,
    dunno really, but I was expecting better.

    I would say by comparison that whereas 'Flood' is a very well-produced,
    but still quirky, record, 'Lincoln' has a higher quirk factor and
    sounds more like a home recording.
    
    Bob

    I brought the Guitar one yesterday.  Its awful, if anyone wants it mail
    me.