Song of the Day - Day 411

Today's song is...


What Are We Doing To Pigs


Believe it or not, this is one of the TMBG songs I was familiar with before I knew TMBG because I had seen the segment on The Daily Show. I remember being kind of shocked later to realize this this tiny bit of ridiculousness was them. But it must have made quite an impression on me because I still remembered it a couple years later when I found out they had written it. I think I must have seen it multiple times.

Song of the Day - Day 410

Today's song is...


Courage The Cowardly Dog


I really enjoy this song. I never saw the TV show. I have no idea what it is about. But I really love the melody and the lyrical rhythm of the song. It is highly enjoyable.

Song of the Day - Day 409

Today's song is...


Hell Hotel


How can you not love Hell Hotel? It's a little bit disco, a little bit weird and a lot John Flansburgh. It's also the standard joke in my circle whenever you are talking about songs that might be played live or included on something and need a completely ridiculous "that is so never going to happen" selection. I kind of feel like even if you aren't that fond of the song, you have you have to have a soft spot for it because, come on, it's Hell Hotel!

Song of the Day - Day 408

Today's song is...


Koenigstein


I had completely forgotten about the existence of this song. Though it has potential to get annoying after repeated listenings, there is something about it I quite enjoy. I think it is the contrast of the sparse but interesting musical arrangement with the manipulated vocal. Plus when playing it in my iTunes library with the songs in alphabetical order it plays into Flansburgh singing Kumbaya live with an audience which is just funny.

Song of the Day - Day 407

Today's song is...


Radio They Might Be Giants 2


Bass, cymbals, feather. "Feather." Hehehe.

Song of the Day - Day 406

Totally forgot yesterday's song. Don't even have a good excuse. So here is is.

Today's song is...


Indiana Wants Me


I can barely make this sound like Flansburgh in my head. I think, if I didn't know he was singing, I would not recognize him at all. Also the song reminds me quite a bit of Message To You by the BeeGees.

Song of the Day - Day 405

Today's song is...


Santa Claus


Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa brings you a twangy guitar and lots of TMBG merch and not nothin', nothin', nothin' :-)

Song of the Day - Day 404

Today's song is...


All Alone


I am entertainment by the voice Linnell uses in this song. Initially I feel bad for the poor little germ all alone in outer space but by the end of the song it seems the little guys has developed sinister undertones and I don't feel so bad for him any more. Also, I love the story about Linnell writing it between lunch and dinner because because it is exactly the sort of song I would expect him to be able to write between meals.

There's A Picture Opposite Me - 12/23/11

This holiday edition of TAPOM is a couple of days late but I hope you'll forgive this poor retail employee who has literally been running around like the proverbial chicken with no head.

Please send submissions to theroommustlistentome@gmail.com

Song of the Day - Day 403

Today's song is...


Fake Believe




Admittedly, I prefer the other Fake Believe song but this one is nice too. It saddens me to think how many kids (and adult for that matter) listening to this song probably do not get the Little Lord Fauntleroy reference and perhaps never will. But I will ignore that feeling and yodel like a cowhand instead.

Song of the Day - Day 402

Today's song is...


Narrow Your Eyes


One of my favorite Flansburgh songs. This one is beautiful and wrenching. There are a lot of Flans' lyrics I don't get or that just don't grab me and then sometimes he gets them so right it's scary. I don't know how many times I listened to this song without really hearing it before it suddenly hit me one day how gut-wrenchingly honest it is. In my mind this is the Flansburgh mate to They'll Need A Crane. With a great bass line and accordion part and some nice tambourine tossed in too.

Song of the Day - Day 401

Today's song is...


America's Most Wanted Theme


Oh, the mysterious America's Most Wanted Theme. Is it Rockfish (in which case I just broke my own rule of using different names for the same song as two different SOTDs)? Or some other tune entirely? We may never know.

Song of the Day - Day 400

Today's song is...


I Can Hear You


This was an early favorite of mine. The cleverness of the lyrics about all these places where it is hard to hear someone recorded on a format that is itself not the clearest, just knocked me over in my early TMBG listening days. I distinctly remember asking Gary if he thought they would play this when we saw the Factory Showroom show at Mohegan Sun and neither of us were sure. And they did and I was happy.

Song of the Day - Day 399

Today's song is...


200 SBemails


As I believe I have said a number of times, I have never gotten into Homestar Runner making this song and the other TMBG contributions my only experiences with it. So the significance is rather lost on me. But I like the rather over dramatic bombastic quality of the song.

Song of the Day - Day 398

Today's song is...


Don't Spare The Rock


It has been a while since I heard this one but I remember liking it. And I have definitely enjoyed the radio show it goes with the times I have caught it. Good stuff.

Song of the Day - Day 397

Today's song is...


Robert Lowell


I had forgotten all about this one. It needs more of my attention. I like it. There is some really interesting stuff going on musically. And I'm kind of surprised I like it as I am often turned off by some of the more electronic sounding stuff that is going on here, but apparently not in this case. Intriguing.

Song of the Day - Day 396

Today's song is...


Clowntown


I gotta admit, I am not one of those people who finds clowns creepy and this song still makes me shudder when I hear it. I find it has more to do with the voice Flans is singing in and the general tone of the song than the subject matter. Though I will agree that nude clowns do not belong in a song for children. But I really like the percussion. Like, a lot. Which makes it unfortunate that I find the song creepy or I might listen to it more.

Song of the Day - Day 395

Today's song is...


Los Angeles





My very favorite venue song. Of all of them, this is the one that sounds the most complete and like it could stand on its own and make sense outside of the venue songs project. I love the fake British accent Linnell uses and I am a big fan of the guitar riff. And the video is pretty cute too. This is also probably the venue song I have seen live second most often, though never in it's original venue which is sad. Maybe someday.

Song of the Day - Day 394

Today's song is...


The Second Longest Night


I think, technically, this song doesn't qualify for SOTD based on my own criteria but it's my blog and I can allow any song I want. And this one is just fun so it got a pass. The lyrics seem well made for a song to be sung by John Linnell even though they were not actually intended for anyone in particular. And there is something about the way the primary and backing vocals on the chorus go together that appeals to me.

There's A Picture Opposite Me - 12/14/11

Today's photo is courtesy of my Playmobil advent calendar :-)

Please send submissions to theroommustlistentome@gmail.com

Song of the Day - Day 393

Today's song is...


Pirate Girls Nine




I'll let you in on a little secret. There is something about this song that creeps me out a tiny bit. I think maybe it's the part about all the little girls sharing an earring and stinking but I am not sure. But I don't quite have the same warm fuzzy cute feelings about it that I do with most of the kids songs. Despite it being about pirates and pirates being really cool. But I sure do love counting along with Linnell and Dan. "One-Two-Three-Four-Five-Six-Seven-Eight-Nine!"

Song of the Day - Day 392

Today's song is...


Homunculus


A song I have never examined too closely, but MAN, those are some odd non-sensical lyrics. I am sure if I spent some more time with them I might be able to make some sense of them but just glancing at them now they look like a bunch of pretty unconnected sentences. I think I always get distracted by the melody and don't really worry too much about what the lyrics are. Perhaps I'll stick with that.

Song of the Day - Day 391

Today's song is...


Nice Is Good, Mean Is Bad


I think of this one as "the Barney song". Just because it reminds me of one (which I think it is supposed to). But it actually makes me laugh whereas Barney songs do not. But I believe that has a lot more to do with the fact that Flansburgh is singing.

Song of the Day - Day 390

Today's song is...


Purple Toupee


I am honestly shocked I haven't done this one yet but the list says no. For the longest time, I considered this the last of the "big" songs I hadn't heard live. Not sure why I considered this to be a "big" one. It's a fun, great song but it really stands out more because of how long it took to hear it at a show. And the horror filled experience of finally hearing it when our friend Stacy wasn't there and it's her favorite song that she had been waiting for since she got into the band. Still scarred by that one. Good thing they played it again so we could all properly appreciate it. I've always enjoyed the twisted history and word play present in the song. Just a good, fun song.

Song of the Day - Day 389

Today's song is...


Savoy Truffle


Will I be lynched if I tell you guys I like this version better than the original? Something about Linnell's voice on this track just makes me go "mmmmhmmmmm."

Song of the Day - Day 388

Today's song is...


Podcast-ay


I miss the days when podcasts had their own theme songs. Actually I just miss podcasts.

Song of the Day - Day 387

Today's song is...


What He Said There


Another Partly Cloudy Patriot song about which I have nothing to say. Probably about time I listened to that whole book again.

There's A Picture Opposite Me - 12/7/11

Hey, look I finally got another submission and TAPOM is back!! This one is from CapitalQ and made me giggle aloud. Thanks Q!

Please send submissions to theroommustlistentome@gmail.com (Pretty please :-))

Song of the Day - Day 386

Today's song is...


I'll Sink Manhattan


Unlike so many TMBG songs which feature downer lyrics set to peppy melodies, I find this song just to be a downer. Sad lyrics set to a sad tempo. I suppose there is a level of dark humor to it but it's not one I chose to listen to a whole ton. But there is a certain brilliance to the lyrics I have to admit.

Song of the Day - Day 385

Today's song is...


The Lady and the Tiger


I think it says something about how incredibly strong an album Join Us is, that I love this song, I mean really LOVE this song, and yet it doesn't quite even crack my Top 5 songs on the album (though numbers 5-7 fluctuate a lot). There are two things that really stand out to me about it. First is the lyrics. So many good lines. "Point taken cat, I can well see that." That one is my personal favorite but I also like, "Felines and dames in flames will hardly serve your aims. Do you surmise it's wise, to have laser beams emitting from your eyes?" and "But in my dreams it seems, my eyes are always shooting laser beams." Just the way the words rhyme and flow together is incredibly pleasing. And the other thing that stands out is the horn arrangement which is just phenomenal. And of course the drums are pretty kickin' too. Actually, the whole song is just kick-ass in general :-)

Happy Birthday, Danny!!

The bass, the bass, the bass is Danny Weinkauf! And today is our favorite bass player's birthday, so please join me in wishing him a totally rockin' birthday and another fantastic year ahead. Whisper it like you're screaming!

I've been struggling all day to come up with a way to put into words the sentiment I'd like to express. But I've come to the conclusion that nothing I could write would be as meaningful as the simple birthday greeting that Danny left me on my birthday was to me. In the words of one of my dear friends, Danny is "everything that is great about rock and roll and none of the stupid parts". He is talented, generous, caring, funny and a really damn nice guy. He truly is the best.

So I'll just say thank you. Thanks, Danny, for being you. Thanks for sharing your enormous talent with the fans. Thanks for bringing such boundless energy, joy, and straight up rock n' roll to every performance. Thanks for the hundred little kindnesses I've seen you bestow upon delighted fans. Thanks for knocking people's socks off leaping off that drum riser. Thanks for every single one of those wicked bass solos and for making the bass line in Ana Ng something I look forward to in every show. Thank you for another memorable year of being a TMBG fan and the prospect of another fantastic year ahead. Thanks for always being enormously kind and endlessly tolerant of the crazy fangirl with the pigtails. And thank you for each and every one of those smiles aimed in my direction. It's a little thing, but it means the world to me. I sincerely hope you have the very best birthday a body could ask for.

And don't tell the other guys, but you'll always be my favorite ;-)


























Happy Birthday, Danny! Rock on! Keep on reaching for new heights!

Song of the Day - Day 384

Today's song is...


Metal Detector


I used to be indifferent to this song, and then I heard Linnell talking about it on Studio 360. He was telling the story about how he got the idea from a book written by a somewhat delusional individual about treasure hunting in Casco Bay, which is near where I grew up. And all of a sudden everything clicked for me. And ever since, I have really loved this one. Sometimes just knowing the story behind a song makes all the difference for me.

I also really fell in love with the sonics of it. All those electronic noises, mixed with the heavy guitar, accordion, drums and bass. But what I really love is the version with the horns. That one just sounds so cool. And the one and only time I heard the song live, that was how I heard it. I wish it hadn't been so early in my fan-hood and I could remember it better, because I would have appreciated it so much more later on. This one is definitely high on my list of songs I've heard once that I would desperately like to hear again.

"Every seashell has a story to tell if you're listening." Great line. Really great line. And "discarded folderol" is a fantastic phrase. John Linnell really has a way with words (*stating the obvious*).

Song of the Day - Day 383

Today's song is...


Olive, The Other Reindeer


Does it bother anyone else that the lyric say "and now this song must end" and then the song continues on for another minute? Otherwise it's a very cute song. I always liked the concept of the Olive book even though I never read it. I just liked the idea of the dog who wanted to be a reindeer. And here Linnell...excuse me, I meant Mr. Hart.... has written a sweet little song about it, set to an organ. With an electronic instrumental end. Ok, it's a little odd, I admit, but fun.

Song of the Day - Day 382

Today's song is...


Different Town


I have a feeling this song would make more sense to me if I was at all familiar with the Homestar characters. The melody is chipper though.

Song of the Day - Day 381

Today's song is...


You'll Miss Me


This used to be me second least favorite song. And then I gained a small amount of appreciation for my least favorite song and it rose in the ranks a little, leaving this poor song at the bottom. I feel bad for it. It's not a bad song. It's just too screamy. If it makes the song feel any better, I rather like the demo version. But I'm sure that doesn't make up for the album version being at the bottom of my list. Oh well. Can't please them all.