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    Entries in TMBG (4)

    Monday
    Jul232012

    Review: No! (Deluxe Edition) - They Might Be Giants 

    There may be better kids music albums released since the turn of the (twenty-first) century, there have been better-selling ones as well, but a pretty strong case can be made for saying that No! by They Might Be Giants is the single most important and most influential kids music album of the past decade or so.

    Yes, today's kindie superstars like Dan Zanes, Laurie Berkner, Justin Roberts, Ralph's World, and more had all released an album (or more) for families before TMBG's first album foray out of the world of pints of beer and into the world of half-pints of milk.  And other artists like Trout Fishing in America, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (and many others preceding them) had been releasing albums for years.  But I think in terms of cultural impact (and, as a result, the impact on the genre itself), nothing matched that of the yellow-covered collection from Brooklyn's rockers.

    The band is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the album's summer 2002 release with a deluxe edition of the album, adding on 7 bonus tracks, including one newly-recorded expanded version of a TMBG classic.  (More on that in a moment.)  It's easy to look back and say that the move into kids music was an obvious one for the band -- their songs often had a playful melodic sense and even though many of their songs had a darker undertone, some of their biggest hits ("Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)") were completely kid-friendly.  But at the time, lots of people wondered exactly what the band was thinking, reaching for a kids' audience.

    It was only after the album outsold their previous release (Mink Car, for adults, and released on September 11, 2001) that the band -- and the rest of the musical world -- realized that this was a genre that held much more financial and creative potential.  As the band's fans (like me) had grown up and become parents, the selections of kids music available to us were limited, and even more limited in terms of their sound.  With No!, the band thrust into some small part of the mainstream the idea that musical sounds for kids could be every bit as broad (and loud) as that for adults.

    No! begat the band's deal with Disney, which yielded three excellent albums and lots of visibility for the band.  It also launched dozens of albums by musicians with names small and large.  No matter how long their creators had been working on them, I don't think TV shows like Yo Gabba Gabba! or Jack's Big Music Show or Imagination Movers get greenlit without the Brooklyn duo showing there was a market for this music and parental attitude.  I don't know if it is "cool" to make music for kids (and I don't really care personally), but it is no longer uncool and for an industry that is still often image-based, that is a not insignificant victory.

    As for the album itself, it's so embedded in my brain (and the brains of my family), that trying to listen to the album again and listen critically after literally hundreds of spins is difficult.  My original review of the album, originally written nearly a decade ago, and one of the first posted to the website nearly seven years ago, while clunky in its narrative, still hits the key points: somewhat restricted instrumentation, skewed world viewpoint, and some excellent songs.  In retrospect (and after listening to maybe a couple thousand kids albums since then), one of its strongest aspects is the lack of any overt lesson songs.  It's not quite "no hugging, no learning," but the album's chief virtue is its own inquisitiveness and adventurousness, rather than any message within any specific song.

    As for the bonus tracks, none are essential save one, a newly recorded version of "Alphabet of Nations."  This is a track, sharp listeners will note, that didn't make an appearance for another 3 years, on the album's follow-up, Here Come the ABCs.  No matter -- the Johns have taken their song, barely a minute long in its original form, and recorded the 2:30-version they play live.  More countries, even more fun.  The other six tracks are live versions of songs, some from No!, a couple from other albums.  They're good tracks, but none are essential -- feel free to download "Alphabet" and any of the other tracks whose samples move you.

    That assumes, of course, that you already have the original.  If you don't, I'm not entirely sure how you've found your way to this site (or why you've read all this way).  If you don't, finish reading this paragraph and go get the thing.  Because in addition to being a culturally significant album, it's also a damn good one, too.  Inventive and witty, with no small amount of danceability.  Most days I'd argue it's not TMBG's best kids' album, but there are also days when I think that it is.  That's no small bar to leap.  I'm reading too much into this, but the fact that the next to last track on the original album is essentially kids' music's "A Day in the Life" makes No! the Sgt. Pepper's of kids' music.  Highly recommended.

    Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review, as well as offered the opportunity to premiere tracks from the album.

    Wednesday
    Jul112012

    Listen To This: "Robot Parade (Live)" - They Might Be Giants

    Now I get to offer you a stream of a live version of "Robot Parade," yet another of the fun bonus tracks from They Might Be Giants' deluxe rerelease of their classic 2002 kids' album, No!.  Posted with permission of the band, it's fun for all ages...
    Tuesday
    Jun262012

    They Might Be Giants' "Alphabet of Nations"... For You, By You!

    I was excited when this was announced a few weeks back, and I'm just as excited today.  Why? Well, it's release day for the deluxe reissue of They Might Be Giants' classic 2002 kids' album No!.  (You can pick up the album via iTunes and in many other places.)

    I would suspect that many readers already have the album, but the fancy reissue also comes seven bonus tracks, including a brand new version of "Alphabet of Nations."  "Brand new," you say?  "What's wrong the original version?"  Well, nothing, but as anyone who've seen the band perform the song live (or on Conan O'Brian) can attest, the extended version they perform is just extra... awesome.

    Hey, at the request of the band I've removed the download and stream of "Alphabet of Nations," but I'll be uploading another track for your downloading/streaming pleasure shortly.  I assure you, the version of "Alphabet of Nations" is worth your 99 cents at your favorite e-music-supplier.

    The band's hosting a challenge on Tumblr and Twitter, crowd-sourcing images from around the world to include in a brand-new video they're creating for this new version of the song.  They're looking for you to post photos on Twitter with the hashtag #TMBGnation or tumblr at http://tmbgnation.tumblr.com/.  By July 10, they're looking from 3 photos posted from people from, or hailing from these specific countries:

    Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, China, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Ecuador, Fiji, France, the Gambia, Guatemala, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mongolia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Suriname, Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

    They're looking for portraits of faces (big smiles!), flags, celebrations of culture, and/or action photos.  (And even if you're from a country not on a list, they still want to see those photos. We're all from West Xylophone, right?)  Go, go, crowdsourcing iPhone users!

     

    Tuesday
    Jun052012

    They Might Be Giants To Reissue Deluxe Version of No! (Plus Free mp3!)

    Yes, I'm excited and I'll use a few more exclamation points!

    It is not hyperbole to call They Might Be Giants' 2002 album No! a seminal album in kids music, one of a handful of albums that actually altered the direction of the genre.

    It was also a darn fine album.

    So am I geeked to hear that the band is reissuing the album with bonus tracks to celebrate its 10-year anniversary?  Darn tootin' I am!

    On June 26, 2012 exactly 10 years (and, er, 15 days) to the day after it was originally released, you can pick up No! in all its glory along with seven bonus tracks.

    The bonus tracks include some live recordings ("Robot Parade" and "Clap Your Hands") as well as a brand new extended studio recording of "Alphabet of Nations."  (I can confirm that this new version is no less excellent than the original.)  The rest of the tracklisting I'm not at liberty to reveal at the moment, but I think TMBG fans of all ages will be pleased.

    Anyway, I am pleased as punch to offer a download of "Clap Your Hands," one of the live bonus tracks, courtesy of the band (or feel free to simply stream it below).  If that doesn't merit an exclamation point or four, I don't know what does.  Yeah!

    They Might Be Giants - "Clap Your Hands (Bonus Live Version from No! Deluxe Reissue)"