This week, I'm joined by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants to look at their incredible body of music video work (481 videos and counting on their YouTube page!), and get treated to so many incredible mind-bending stories directly from the source!
We discuss TMBG's track and video they made for my Hedwig covers charity album, the fascination with death and aging in their lyrics, the moment when both Johns first realized they were connecting with an audience of strangers, borrowing expensive drum machines when they started, foolish life decisions, the East Village scene of the 80s, playing on the same bills as Butthole Surfers & Steve Buscemi, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, long-distance collaborations, the multitudes of songs written for their Dial-A-Song answering machine service, the John Updike world the band came from, having architectural dads, the pros of being ultra-prolific, the different ways they would record their songs, microtones, the children's records era for TMBG, working with their first director Adam Bernstein, TMBG being accepted by early MTV, using left-over film from Jonathan Demme movies and windup 16mm cameras for their early videos, where they got the 6ft. head props used in their stage shows, John getting music video fatigue, the parameters the band set early in their career (no solos, not a lot of intros, no fadeouts), Spike Jonze, the epic tale of TMBG playing on The Tonight Show with Doc Severson, & more.
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS:
theymightbegiants.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTZ0pVJExw6z0XjqEzchX8g
REVOLUTIONS PER MOVIE: Host Chris Slusarenko (Eyelids, Guided By Voices, owner of Clinton Street Video rental store) is joined by actors, musicians, comedians, writers & directors who each week pick out their favorite music documentary, musical, music-themed fiction film, or music videos to discuss. Fun, weird, and insightful, Revolutions Per Movie is your deep dive into our life-long obsessions where music and film collide.
Revolutions Per Movie releases new episodes every Thursday on any podcast app, and additional, exclusive bonus episodes every Sunday on our Patreon. If you like the show, please consider subscribing, rating, and reviewing it on your favorite podcast app. Thanks!
PATREON:
The show is also a completely independent affair, so the best way to support it at patreon.com/revolutionspermovie. By joining, you can get weekly bonus episodes and series such as A Very Opinionated Look At Urgh! A Music War & What Makes The Midnight So Special?, physical goods such as a limited edition 7\" Flexidisc, and other exclusive goods that I send out to you for supporting the show. It helps the show to keep going and is greatly appreciated!
TIP JAR:
SOCIALS:
@revolutionspermovie
BlueSky: @revpermovie
THEME by Eyelids 'My Caved In Mind'
www.musicofeyelids.bandcamp.com
ARTWORK by Jeff T. Owens
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