I guess this would more properly be titled, Side Projects and Previous Gigs. In today's edition of Audience Participation, I am compiling a brief list of my favorite tracks from the various side projects and previous gigs the various members of They Might Be Giants have been involved in over the years. The catch is, I'm not just gonna list my very favorite tracks in general because then, the list would either be really long or completely dominated by State Songs. (I think I'll have to devote one of these to State Songs at some point.) Instead I'm just gonna pick five favorites, one each from five different projects.
For Audience Participation purposes you can include anything any member of the band (I'll even take past or present) has been involved in. And you can totally pick all of your tracks from one project if you want to. I just wanted a little variety in my list. Basically, anything goes. Do what you want. Oh wait, that's a different band. (Sorry, obscure joke.)
5. Processional #3 - This is my very favorite part of House of Mayors. It kicks some serious ass. It kind of reminds me of what I like about the Dropkick Murphys but without all the parts that I don't like (primarily the vocals). Rock accordion! My second choice off this album would be the title track. It reminds me of The Hall of Presidents at Disney World, as it is supposed to I believe.
4. More Than a Feeling - No, none of the members of the band were in Boston, but Marty was in a band called Meow with David Driver and they recorded this cover of More Than a Feeling that I kind of adore. Their version is a bit less synthesized than the original and the vocals are a little...harder I guess would be the word for it, but David can sure hit the necessary high notes. I'm not really sure why it appeals to me so much but it does. My second choice would be an original called Walk Me Home.
3. Backstabbing Liar - There are actually a lot of the Mono Puff songs that I enjoy but I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite. I have to admit though, a lot of Mono Puff just sounds like Flans' TMBG tracks to me. Regardless, this is a great song. Second choice: Don't Break the Heart.
2. Sucker - I was far too late to the party to ever experience Lincoln when they were together but fortunately for me their album lives on for me to enjoy. And enjoy it I do. Oddly, this tends to be the album I turn to when I am in a really bad mood. It helps. There is actually only one track on the album I don't care for, but among the others this is the one I love best. It's a close call but I think my second choice would be Unhappy.
1. South Carolina - It's a rock song about a bike crash. A really good rock song about a bike crash. This is kind of proof of my theory that John Linnell can write a great song about absolutely any subject if he puts his mind to it. I really will have to do a whole entry devoted to State Songs at some point but for now my second choice is West Virginia.
Your picks? Anybody?
P.S. I could really use some suggestions for future topics for Audience Participation, if anyone has any ideas. My brain has been running a little dry of late which is why these things keep being so late.
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This is an especially interesting and informative Audience Participation topic to me, as I have only just began to delve the deep supply of side projects and previous gigs. I've been listening to a lot of the Mundanes lately, but I'll admit I've only heard one or two Mono Puff songs, four or five State Songs, nothing from Lincoln or House Of Mayors, and I'd never even heard of Meow until you wrote it up there. Unfortunately it's been a while since I listened to the State Songs and Mono Puff songs I HAVE heard, so I can't remember for certain which ones I liked the most. I know there were a couple of State Songs I really enjoyed, but I listened to them on MySpace and haven't been back on in a while...
ReplyDeleteSo I can't quite fully participate in this one yet, but I will list a couple of my favorite Mundanes tracks:
Make It The Same
After You
Funnier Than Love
Anyone Can Fill My Shoes
I Can't Be Sure
Portable Trouble Spot
Reckless Mind
Empty Boulevards
And I don't mean to be a nuisance or anything else negative (so I hope I'm not being), but I still suggest interview quotes for an audience participation topic. If you'd rather go with something else, it's no big deal, of course, just thought I'd mention it in case you just happened to have forgotten. :} Other things you could possibly use are favorite instrumental tmbg song (I think you mentioned using that when you were doing your 30 days/30 things you like about TMBG) or something really oddly specific like you'd talked about doing at some point (favorite TMBG song/s beginning with the letter F, for example). I don't know. Those are all I can think of at the moment.
I haven't forgotten about the interview quotes. Far from it actually. I think it's a great idea. It's just that I don't have mine all grouped together anywhere and writing up a list of favorites is going to require me going back through a lot of old interviews to find quotes. Which I have been putting off doing because I have been wanting to do a larger scale interview cataloging project but I don't know where to begin. I will get there someday, I promise.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely do the favorite instrumentals thing soon. That is a great idea, that I had completely forgotten about. I might even use that one next week. And I think I'll do a strangely specific one as a Christmas present just for you :-)
I am like the complete opposite of you. I have listened to mountains of side projects and past projects and things one of the guys happens to play on. I even have not just one, but two of Stan Harrison's solo albums. But I have barely ever listened to The Mundanes. I don't know why. I have heard at least all of the Make It The Same single once, because we have the record but I think that might be it. And I have it all sitting right here on my computer, just waiting for me. I think you may have just inspired me to spend some quality time with The Mundanes tomorrow.
I'm a loyal State Songs fan. And though I'll swear my allegiance to the song of Montana, and of course I love West Virginia and Maine, I'd have to say I have some rather offbeat State Songs favorites.
ReplyDeleteI'm partial to New Hampshire; it sounds so self-conscious, whether it be unreliably narrated or autobiographical. But really, I adore Idaho. I had State Songs in my car this past summer, and as I was driving at night Idaho came on. I can't recall where on the interwebs, but I remember reading a post that said that Idaho is what driving at night sounds like. Tis true. Anyway, I just like Linnell's voice on Idaho.
Also, Louisiana? Anyone? Just me? Okay.
Additionally, Processional #1 from House of Mayors. Love it. It's sort of hauntingly pretty, as the House of Mayors "iconic" melody is.
I don't own Lincoln's album, but I love the song Sucker. I'm guessing that the album has your recommendation. And don't worry, I'm /always/ late to the metaphorical party.
I only own Mono Puff's album Unsupervised, and... I don't know, is It's Fun To Steal a better album? I do like the songs I know from It's Fun To Steal (I discovered the Clock Radio a couple of weeks ago... oh God, late to THAT party). I truly believe Unsupervised, I Hit My Head is a great song. I hadn't the pleasure of hearing it live ever, which upsets me.
I was also somehow mentally convinced that So Long, Mockingbird was a cover. It's not. I am partial to said song as well. And now that I know it's not a cover, it sounds distinctly Flansburgh, lyrically. How did I miss that?
Also, I haven't heard much of The Mundanes (*cringes at blond Linnell*), but can we talk about that adorable... was it Astroids? Young Linnell playing Astroids. Um. Yes. But should I try to reach out and find The Mundanes? Is it worth it?
Anyway. Have we done favorite songs TMBG's covered yet? Besides the obvious, of course.
This was a very interesting post for me too as I haven't searched out many of the side projects. For me, TMBG started as a unique and appealing duo and though I think it's fantastic that they later expanded to a full-band sound (that move opened up SO many new doors for them and I really, really love the full band), I remain kind of partial to keeping the Johns together. All feels right with the world as long as they're collaborating. I think from the beginning it's been their chemistry that I find so irresistible.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, the songs that other band members have written are generally fantastic, and obviously each has individual talent. That's probably reason enough to give their other projects a listen. In particular, of the side projects with which I'm completely unfamiliar, I'd most like to check out Lincoln. I've enjoyed a lot of the Mono Puff and tracks from House of Mayors that I've heard on Clock Radio over the past year or so. I'm sure I'll formally add those albums to my collection eventually. And I really like State Songs, so my list of top side project tracks at this time would probably consist entirely of tracks from that album. They pretty much all sound like Linnell-dominant TMBG songs to me, and perhaps I am comforted a bit by the fact that the Dans are there for a couple of them. :-) My favorites are Montana and Maine (hard to choose between those). But South Carolina is probably a close third and is my kids' clear favorite. My oldest was wishing aloud at the last two family shows that the band would play that one. :-) I'm also kind of strangely partial to Utah. I like the organ, I guess.
As for the Mundanes... pretty typical early '80's new wave from the little I've heard, but they were before my time. I wasn't a real new-waver until about 1984, at which point my older sister was dating a college radio DJ and I was heavy into the college radio charts. Though I enjoy watching any videos of a young Linnell, I don't think I have any particular interest in the music at this point. If Linnell was writing for the Mundanes, he came a long way between 1980 and 1985.
Haha, oh, okay! I understand what you mean. I'm sorry, it's just that when you said you are running out of audience participation ideas I thought maybe you'd forgotten about that particular one. I won't mention it anymore, don't worry. :) Haha, and woohoo for instrumentals and strangely specific topics! :D
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that I'm familiar with the only side project/previous gig you don't really know. I think the main reason they were the first one I came across and listened to entirely is because of their availability on the site linked on the wiki. I do recommend the Mundanes' music, though, at least the ones I mentioned. I don't like it as much as TMBG, of course, but I like it. I really know almost nothing about New Wave as a genre, so for all I know there are dozens of songs out there that sound like the Mundanes', but I found several of them to have fun, unique melodies and/or rhythms, as well as lyrics I could relate to, which was appealing to me.
Linnell's blonde phase IS a cringe-worthy thing to see, as Erin mentioned, but I've only seen a couple of YouTube videos in which he was blonde. And the Asteroids video is ridiculously cute, as she also mentioned. :}