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Category Archives: They Might Be Giants

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26 songs, signifying A-Z, in one hour, from the Muppets to hardcore punk. Join us in this race against time. Download or listen below.

 

Soul-Alphabet

 

How to Sing Like a Fat Guy

An instructional workout cassette. Grab some beer and donuts and listen.

Skinny Guy painting by Gene Dillon.

Skinny Guy painting by Gene Dillon.

Astonishing Debuts 1976-1996 / Freaks and Geeks

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Cristy, William, and Baby Chaos identify their favorite stand-out debut albums from 1962 through the present, playing tracks from the greatest first albums released between 1976-1996. All accompanied by astute analysis, personal anecdotes, factual misunderstandings, and a rambunctious toddler. Listen to the first hour here.

They are then joined by Chelsea Bandita and Milkwagon, and help co-host Surfabilly Freakout in a human mash-up called Freaks and Geeks. Surf and rockabilly music old and new, some from places with no beaches whatsoever.

Appetite for Stupidity

This is the best-selling debut album of all time, according to Wikipedia this morning. #2? Boston. Neither made our list. An oversight? On whose part? Ours or the world’s?

Country-Ass Music

Like his heroes George Strait and Ketih Whitley, William is unapologetically Country. His songs, while rooted in the present, call to mind simpler times when the back porch was where folks gathered to network. The first track on this show, ‘Trash,’ paints a picture of rural life that speaks to his small town sensibilities. ”This song identifies who I am,” he says. ”It shows character and that’s important where I’m from. You learn to say ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, sir,’ and to open the door for the ladies.”

Download the MP3 straight to your truck.

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Legal Issues

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Songs about legal matters, lawyers, police, jail, punishment, release, and songs with actual courtroom scenes. A judicious mix, but listen and judge for yourself.

Monkeys!

Songs about monkeys. With Cristy, William, and Ba. Our second show in a row with a legitimate listener calling in a legitimate request—this time it was a two-year-old. Peel a banana, sit back on your favorite branch, and enjoy.

Keith Richards. Image courtesy of homercat.blogspot.com, who probably stole it from somewhere else.

Keith Richards. Image courtesy of homercat.blogspot.com, who probably stole it from somewhere else.

Bad Parties Part 2

For the holiday season, we bring you the second installment of Songs About Bad Parties. Get in the spirit, download, listen, and sulk in the corner.

This party just took a turn for the douche.

This party just took a turn for the douche.

 

 

 

Rockets!

Songs about rockets! Blast off!

 !

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Actually a song about a car, not a rocket, but forward-looking nonetheless.

The Rock Inbox: New Music

As Rock Genre Directors at WEFT 90.1 FM, once a month we would set about opening our mail, criticizing the type treatment used by the mostly micro-label CDs we received, and digging for buried musical treasure. All on the air, with envelopes ripping and bubble wrap popping. And lots of playing songs that were new to us, even if they might be stale to others.

Send your CD to Rock Geek Enterprises, P.O.Box 91, Urbana IL 61803.

28 February 2009: Vampire Weekend, Davis Schneiderman, Robyn Hitchcock, &c.

20 June 2009: Martin Newell, The Bird and the Bee, Robyn Hitchcock, &c.

1 August 2009: Common Loon, Paul Kotheimer, &c.

19 September 2009: Phoenix, Electric Tickle Machine, Apples in Stereo, Vivian Girls, &c.

15 January 2010: Surprises both fresh and rancid.

12 April 2010: Broken Bells, Gorillaz, MC Frontalot, &c.

14 June 2010: Dead Weather, Seth Augustus, Karen Elson, &c.

19 July 2010: Wolf Parade, Hot Hot Heat, Black Keys, Sadies, Dark Night of the Soul, &c.

16 August 2010: An attempt to work through the entire alphabet: new releases by bands starting with letters A—Z…

30 August 2010: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Wavves, Aloe Blacc, &c.

20 September 2010: Of Montreal, Philip Selway, &c.

18 October 2010: Janelle Monae! (Followed by a live performance by Community College on the WEFT Sessions)

15 November 2010: Decemberists, and what else do you need, really?

13 December 2010: John Steinbacher joins William while Cristy takes a holiday

17 January 2011: with Todd Hunter

7 March 2011: Chain and the Gang, Bare Wires, &c. Wow.

18 April 2011: Dopestylevsky, Mammals of Zod, Paul Kotheimer, Gary Heidt, Shipbuilding Company, Deerhoof, &c.

6 June 2011: Raphael Saadiq, Chad VanGaalen, &c.

20 June 2011: Fist of Kindness, Five-Eight, Wombats, the Head, Hammer No More the Fingers, &c.

18 July 2011: Bloc Party, Mike Watt, &c.

22 August 2o11: Rome, Material Issue, &c.

12 December 2011: We were late and called in to ask a baby boomer to start our show, with predictable results. Thanks, Mick.

 23 January 2012: They Might Be Giants, The Asteroid Galaxy Tour, &c.

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Numbers: Song with Numbers in the Titles 28-52

The Count.

The Count.

We keep keeping on with this theme—songs named after numbers in numeric order—which has the two problems of being endless and progressively more difficult. Like life, only endless. Here we climb from 28-52.

Previous shows in this series: