I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 24

#47: Fingertips


vs


#48: Boss Of Me

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 23

#45: Maybe I Know


vs


#46: The Mesopotamians

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 22

#43: Man, It's So Loud In Here


vs


#44: James K. Polk

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 21

#41: Ana Ng


vs


#42: Can't Keep Johnny Down

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 227

Today's song is...


R U Together


This weird little song seems like it was specifically designed to appeal to the bass lover in me, even if it is 100% completely synthesized. I think this is one for the file of "songs one of the Johns created entirely while fooling around with a keyboard with a synth." But it's got an amusing sample so that's cool too.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 5-8 Winners

Another batch of winners from Round 2.


Museum Of Idiots

Certain People I Could Name

They Might Be Giants

No One Knows My Plan


Some very narrow wins here. I look forward to seeing the next rounds.

There's A Picture Opposite Me - 6/29/11

I just want to point out that as of last week, this game is officially one year old! And I think I successfully made it 52 weeks without ever missing a post, even on the weeks I had no ideas, so "Huzzah" for that. Now if I could just back log some pictures again so I'm not scrambling to do one at six o'clock at night, I'd be golden.





Please send submissions to theroommustlistentome@gmail.com

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 20

#39: The Famous Polka


vs


#40: Careful What You Pack

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 19

#37: Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head


vs


#38: Till My Head Falls Off

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 18

#35: New York City


vs


#36: I'm Your Boyfriend Now

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 17

#33: Asbury Park


vs


#34: Ant

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 226

Today's song is...


La Dolce


I have just listened to this song for the first time when it popped up for today's song, and I have to say, it is now one of my favorite instrumentals. Horns! Such wonderful horns! I really like the rhythm of it and the drum part. But mostly I like the horns.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 1-4 Winners

The first sets of Round 2 has closed and we have our first unanimous win (poor Au Contraire). Can't decide if these choices are getting easier or harder on the second round. I think it's harder. Here are the first four contestants for Round 3, which will be starting on Sunday.

We Live In A Dump

I Palindrome I

Purple Toupee

Why Does The Sun Shine?


The total number of votes continues to be low on this round so remind your friends that they've only got a day left to vote on sets 5-8.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 16

#31: We Want A Rock


vs


#32: She's An Angel

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 15

#29: Pet Name


vs


#30: Letterbox

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 14

#27: Birdhouse In Your Soul


vs


#28: Rhythm Section Want Ad

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 13

#25: Alphabet Lost And Found


vs


#26: Reprehensible

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 225

Today's song is...


The Famous Polka


Remember that one time we were at that kids show and they played this and Flans randomly decided to sing the lyrics at the end?! Or the time they did the super fast version after the regular version and it was hilarious because they only played about half the notes in order to make it go faster. Or that show in Lancaster when they played the last song but Flans wasn't ready for the show to end so he busted into this spontaneously, and I had never heard it live before. There are some really good memories attached to this song.

Actually, I just really love this song, in general, mostly for the accordion part, but also to a lesser extent the guitar. It's fast and fun and crash through the stage dancy (literally). I love how every member of the band gets a solo and a shot at the "see how fast I can play" game, when they play it live. I pretty much love everything about this song (except the fact that it just knocked Paleontologist out of the running in the song brackets, but even that, I guess I can understand.)

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 57-64 Winners

And with this, Round 1 has officially ended! So many tense battles and difficult choices. Some surprising winners and some that were no surprise at all. For my part, some beloved songs have been left behind but I am excited to see where the next round takes us. Here is the final batch of songs moving on.

Twisting

Drink!

Dead

The Guitar

Bed Bed Bed

Doctor Worm

Cloissonné

Cowtown


Tomorrow is the half way point of Round 2 and we shall see the first winners from that round. Voting on those rounds has thus far been on the light side so send your friends this way to defend their favorites (or coerce them into defending yours).

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 12

#23: Spiraling Shape


vs


#24: You'll Miss Me

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 11

#21: Thunderbird


vs


#22: The End Of The Tour

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 10

#19: Working Undercover For The Man


vs


#20: They'll Need A Crane

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 9

#17: (She Was A) Hotel Detective


vs


#18: I've Got A Match

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 224

Today's song is...


Kids Go!


I admit it. I am really quite fond of this song. It really does make me want to "get up and go, go, go!" I like the big brassy horn arrangement and I'm even fond of the DJ style dance break (my favorite part of the book that goes with the song is the page that says *dance break*). Can I tell you how excited I was when I found out Pascal Campion was illustrating this book? (I was REALLY excited.) Monkeys, monkeys, dancing monkeys everywhere. Did you know that there are official dance moves for this song too? If you go to the PBS Kids page that features the song and the original video for it, there is a link to a PDF detailing dance moves so you can dance along with the kids in the video. I would dearly like to see someone choreograph a video with these dance moves. Possibly with monkeys. Someone get on that, please.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 49-56 Winners

We narrowly escaped another tie-breaker and have another excellent batch of songs through to the next round.

Don't Let's Start

Experimental Film

On The Drag

Dinner Bell

Lie Still Little Bottle

Dark And Metric

Particle Man

Turn Around


Round 1 closes for good tomorrow evening and we'll continue on with Round 2 in the morning. Thanks to everyone who has been voting. Only 22 more days until Join Us!!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 8

#15: No One Knows My Plan


vs


#16: Memo To Human Resources

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 7

#13: Prevenge


vs


#14: They Might Be Giants

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 6

#11: Certain People I Could Name


vs


#12: Your Racist Friend

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 5

#9: Museum Of Idiots


vs


#10: Am I Awake?

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 223

Today's song is...


Theme From Flood


There is a bit of conceit, I think, in having your album open with a theme song sung by a choir. But in this case, just the right level of conceit. Because I can not imagine the album opening any other way. It's like saying, "Get ready, prepare yourself, this is going to knock your socks off." And then it does. Because it is such a good album, it deserves its own theme song sung by a choir to herald its beginning.

This song works surprisingly well live too, because everyone sings along. Having now seen something like a hundred billion Flood shows I have discovered that this song not only works well to open the album, it's also a great closer to a show. It's the perfect sum up of everything you've just heard.

Gary tells the story of the first time he listened to Flood, on cassette, in the car with his parents, almost 20 years ago. They listened to the whole thing and the tape cycled around and started playing this again and his mother declared that this was the first song on the album that she had actually enjoyed (with no memory that it had already played, I believe.) TMBG music may not be for everyone, but perhaps this is proof that the catalog is so huge that absolutely everyone can find at least one song they enjoy.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 41-48 Winners

This batch weathered a near tie and some very low turn outs on a few votes. Perhaps the next choices involving these songs will be easier. Or not.....

Ana Ng

Can't Keep Johnny Down

Man, It's So Loud In Here

James K. Polk

Maybe I Know

The Mesopotamians

Fingertips

Boss Of Me

The second to last batch of Round 1 closes tomorrow and the second batch of Round 2 goes up. Last I checked there was another near tie looming. Voting is getting intense!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 4

#7: Fibber Island


vs


#8: Why Does The Sun Shine?

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 3

#5: Purple Toupee


vs


#6: It's Not My Birthday

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 2

#3: I Palindrome I


vs


#4: Au Contraire

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 2 - Set 1

#1: We Live In A Dump


vs


#2: Hovering Sombrero

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 222

Today's song is...


Flying V




I love the piano in this song. I really, really love it. And I find listening to Linnell slip and fudge his way through it live to be endlessly entertaining. This is the only song (that I know of) that I may have actually heard live but I'm not sure. No one has ever posted the setlist from my very first TMBG show and I only remember a few of the songs that were played. But they played this song at all of the other Borders in-stores they did that week so it seems likely they also did it at mine. I just couldn't say but I wish I knew for certain.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 33-40 Winners

It was bound to happen eventually I guess, but one of these sets ended in a tie. Without a pre-planned tie breaker scenario in place, I have turned to John and Rebecca's son Liam to break the tie. For the record, if this happens again, Liam is going to be my go-to tie breaker.

Here are the results:

Asbury Park

Ant

New York City

I'm Your Boyfriend Now

Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head

Till My Head Falls Off

The Famous Polka

Careful What You Pack


Tomorrow the first group of Round 2 goes up. You'll also have your last chance at voting on sets 41-48. Another tie-breaker may be necessary there. We shall see.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 64

#127: Cowtown


vs


#128: AKA Driver

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 63

#125: Cloissonné


vs


#126: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 62

#123: Cyclops Rock


vs


#124: Doctor Worm

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 61

#121: Bed Bed Bed


vs


#122: Clap Your Hands

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 60

#119: One Dozen Monkeys

vs

#120: The Guitar

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 59

#117: Nonagon


vs


#118: Dead

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 58

#115: Drink!


vs


#116: Take Out The Trash

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 57

#113: Sleepwalkers


vs


#114: Twisting

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 221

Today's song is...


Bangs


Another perfectly great song that I never think about. I even tuned out while listening to it before I started writing this (though I was thinking about ideas for a Can't Keep Johnny Down video, so that should be excusable). I am rather fond of the drums and the harmonies in this song. And it is automatically on my list of songs I would like to hear live because, as I have said before, my goal is to hear every song on the Dial-A-Song collection and this is one of the dozen or so I have left.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 25-32 Winners

This round included some very close contests, a few results that were no surprise at all and a couple of things that truly made me say "Ouch." Your choices.

Alphabet Lost And Found

Reprehensible

Birdhouse In Your Soul

Rhythm Section Want Ad

Pet Name

Letterbox

We Want A Rock

She's An Angel


I also find it interesting that thus far nothing has won unanimously. Not even Birdhouse. Which supports my believe that no song out there is universally loved or despised and every song is at least one person's favorite. Stay tuned for the first appearance of the final songs in the competition tomorrow. There are some very popular songs still left to go so terrible choices are inevitable.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 56

#111: Turn Around


vs


#112: Pittsburgh

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 55

#109: Pirate Girls Nine


vs


#110: Particle Man

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 54

#107: Electric Car


vs


#108: Dark And Metric

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 53

#105: Anaheim


vs


#106: Lie Still Little Bottle

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 52

#103: Now Is Strange


vs


#104: Dinner Bell

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 51

#101: I'll Sink Manhattan


vs


#102: On The Drag

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 50

#99: Experimental Film


vs


#100: Four Of Two

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 49

#97: Mrs. Train


vs


#98: Don't Let's Start

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 220

Today's song is...


Road Movie To Berlin


I used to be totally indifferent to this song and now it's one of my favorites. It was one that had to grow on me over time. I think seeing it live about a dozen times helped too. Ultimately, it was the charm of the quiet, mellow song that is just a little bit sad and then suddenly turns into a bombastic musical explosion that won me over. I can not listen to this song without banging my head along to the beat in the bridge. And then it slides back into the quiet, beautiful melody at the end. When played live, at the end of a front-to-back Flood show, there is something haunting and bittersweet about ending the set on the lyric "So sneak out this glass of bourbon and we'll go." I have a recording from the Flood show I saw in Chicago, where a lone fan in the audience cries "Don't go!" as the music fades out.

Like so many songs, my head is filled with memories of this played live. Going back and listening to a few recordings of shows I was at, I am reminded how incredibly beautiful it is to be in a room of people all singing along with this song. From Chicago, where Flans, as he usually does, rather forcefully inserts the missing verse, so that the audience singing along wont skip ahead, to the LPR show where there is no need for that at all, because the entire audience slides into the missing verse effortlessly. I can vividly recall Danny, relaxing with a beer on the horn riser in Chicago waiting for the bridge to hop up and play again. And more humorously, in Richmond, taking advantage of the short break the first verses allowed to use one of the amps to scratch his back, earning the most comical "what the hell are you doing?" from Dan Miller on the opposite side of the stage.

But my favorite memory is always Marty and his tambourine assistant. In Albany, just before the song starts Marty is gesturing to one of the techs to come over. They mistake his meaning initially but eventually one of them comes over behind the drum riser to see what he wants. Marty instructs him to crouch down behind the riser and hold his drum sticks, which the guy does. The song starts with Marty on the tambourine. But in the beat of silence before the bridge he reaches his hand with the tambourine in it back, the tech takes it and slaps the sticks in his hand and he swings his arm back around to come crashing in on the bridge. Then he repeats the process in reverse for the final verse. It is the funniest thing to watch and yet, of course it makes the transition, which would otherwise be awkward and likely result in something being dropped and missing beats, smooth as butter. And forever after if you looked behind the drum riser during this song, you would find someone, usually Victor, crouched behind Marty holding a tambourine up in the air. It's one of those things you wouldn't know to look for unless you had seen it half a dozen times already, and it never, ever failed to make me smile.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 17-24 Winners

These results were less surprising than yesterday's (except maybe for one.) Not quite as much heartbreak involved either.

The winners:

(She Was A) Hotel Detective

I've Got A Match

Working Undercover For The Man

They'll Need A Crane

Thunderbird

The End Of The Tour

Spiraling Shape

You'll Miss Me


One more day to vote on sets 25-32. What are you waiting for? And the penultimate group of Round 1 sets will go up in the morning.

There's A Picture Opposite Me - 6/22/11

Admittedly, this one is a total given, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity on the way back from Toronto.

Song of The Day - Day 219

Today's song is...


Trap Door


This is one of those amazing songs where it's entire existence is a mystery. I would dearly like to know it's origin story. But until then I shall be content listening to it in all its mysteriousness because I really quite enjoy it. It conjures up all these great images of the guys escaping a disaster show through a trap door on the stage.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 48

#95: Boss Of Me


vs


#96: Speed And Velocity

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 47

#93: Los Angeles


vs


#94: Fingertips

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 46

#91: The Mesopotamians


vs


#92: Flying V

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 45

#89: Maybe I Know


vs


#90: E Eats Everything

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 44

#87: James K. Polk


vs


#88: Rabid Child

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 43

#85: Snail Shell

vs

#86: Man, It's So Loud In Here

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 42

#83: Can't Keep Johnny Down


vs


#84: Old Pine Box

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 41

#81: Ana Ng


vs


#82: Everything Right Is Wrong Again

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 9-16 Winners

The second group of sets has now closed, adding eight more songs to the next round. Some of these results genuinely surprised me. At least one broke my heart. The following songs are moving forward.

Museum of Idiots

Am I Awake?

Certain People I Could Name

Your Racist Friend

Prevenge

They Might Be Giants

No One Knows My Plan

Memo to Human Resources

Look for another set of pairings in the morning and the results of sets 17-24 tomorrow evening.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 40

#79: Careful What You Pack


vs


#80: Hot Dog!

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 39

#77: I Am A Paleontologist


vs


#78: The Famous Polka

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 38

#75: Whistling In The Dark


vs


#76: Till My Head Falls Off

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 37

#73: Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head


vs


#74: Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 36

#71: I'm Your Boyfriend Now


vs


#72: Mr. Me

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 35

#69: The Bloodmobile


vs


#70: New York City

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 34

#67: Put It To The Test


vs


#68: Ant

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 33

#65: Asbury Park


vs


#66: Older

Vote Now!

Song of The Day - Day 218

Today's song is...


Extra Savoir-Faire


The best thing about this song is the horn/sax arrangement. It's lovely. But I feel like the melody is too repetitive. I keep wanted something else to happen in the song. Oh, but you know what else I like? Flansburgh's falsetto on the "do" of "there's nothing left for me to do here." That part is good too.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 1-8 Winners

These are the first songs that will be moving on to Round 2 (which doesn't start until the 25th.)

We Live In A Dump

Hovering Sombrero

I Palindrome I

Au Contraire

Purple Toupee

It's Not My Birthday

Fibber Island

Why Does The Sun Shine?

Tuesday is the final day to vote on sets 9-16, so more first round results tomorrow evening. Also, look for sets 33-40 to go up tomorrow morning.

Song of The Day - Day 217

Today's song is...


Trucker's Coffee


John Flansburgh, you are a strange, strange man and this track is proof of it. But it is OK, because we love you all the more for it. And secretly, we all know that the "song" is kind of awesome.

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 32

#63: She's An Angel


vs


#64: The Cap'm

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 31

#61: Seven


vs


#62: We Want A Rock

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 30

#59: Letterbox


vs


#60: She Thinks She's Edith Head

Vote Now!

I'd Like This Song To Be Number One - Round 1 - Set 29

#57: Where Do They Make Balloons?


vs


#58: Pet Name

Vote Now!