I had meant to do an Audience Participation on They Might Be Giants instrumentals ages ago and then I completely forgot. But since someone so kindly reminded me, here it is.
TMBW has 129 songs labeled as instrumentals. A quick pass through my iTunes turned up 30 and that wasn't counting any Mono Puff, House of Mayors, State Songs, live only tracks or any of the songs from Partly Cloudy Patriot, which all seem to make up a majority of the remainder of the 129 (and which, for the most part, are all also in my iTunes, I just skipped them). I also skipped a few things that were technically on the list because I considered them to have just a little bit too much vocal presence to be an instrumental. It seems to be a lot of theme songs and incidental music from Malcolm in the Middle that I am missing, for the most part.
So here follows my list of favorite instrumentals, which I declare to be accurate, as far as I know, because I have not actually heard all 129 songs, merely most of them.
Be Kind and Gentle - A short but rich little track from the McSweeney's album, also know as Budnitz #1 from Unlimited. It features lovely guitar instrumentation, an interesting keyboard part and a simple bass line to carry it from one end to the other. And it's got a nifty little ending.
Severe Tire Damage Theme - Horns! Yay, horns! It's so peppy. I wonder if I put this on my alarm clock if it would energize me when I wake up in the mornings?
Drinkin' - Wonderful sax and guitar parts. This has a very retro feel to it. And I enjoy songs with beats of silence for some reason.
Theme from McSweeney's - There is so much going on in this song. I really like the quote about it on the wiki about Linnell switching on to something with this song. That is so accurate. I would have loved to have seen the rest of the guys faces when he presented this to them. Hello. Wake up. Get your fingers movin'.
Too Cool Girls - This makes me want to swing dance. And I don't even know how to swing dance. Horns. Happy, happy horns. Snappy drums. And don't even get me started on the bass part. My only complaint about this song is that it is too short. I could listen to this all day!
All right, there is my two cents. Anybody else want to take a stab?
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Oh hai, it's me again.
ReplyDeleteI love the Severe Tire Damage theme. I almost wished it was a longer track, but I think it would lose some charm if it surpassed thirty-nine seconds. My brother and I always joke that it sounds like Mario Party music. No? Nobody's familiar? Okay.
I once did an analytical assignment for band on Space Suit. I'm partial to Space Suit.
I've never heard Drinkin'. I enjoy that they have a song named "Playground Pokemon," though I've never heard that one either.
...That's all I've got for now.
Space Suit is an excellent tight little piece of music. Like Drinkin', it's another piece where the silence is loaded. And that wandering accordion line is a beauty. (I can't help but wonder, Erin, if you were familiar with the concept of the neapolitan II chord before you studied Space Suit, or not until. Good choice for analysis! :-) )
ReplyDeleteI'd like to put in a vote for Spacesuit as well, and another for Mas Fun. I love the accordion melodies in these.
ReplyDeleteIn no particular order:
ReplyDeleteMosh Momken Abadon
Letter Shapes
Rolling O
Space Suit
Drinkin'
The Other Side Of The World
No Plan B
Theme From McSweeney's
Too Cool Girls
And it seems like there may be a couple more, but those are the ones I can think of at the moment. :)