Ep464: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Nate Goyer

Music, Music History, Music Interviews

4.7 • 579 Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2024

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants discusses the evolution of the band's pioneering approach of music and technology to create innovative media and strengthen connections to their devoted fanbase.

Topic Include:

October Australia tour selling out
TMBG's last tour of Australia
John's car accident – broken ribs
They Might Be Giants' unconventional approach
Early adopter approach, the gift economy
Pioneering technological approaches
The importance of Dial-A-Song
Daily updates, the Dial-A-Song machine behaviours
Where are the Dial-A-Song machines?
TMBG's impressions of Napster
Challenges of the music industry in early 2000s
Touring used to be a losing proposition
Spotify and digital music returns for artists
Vinyl is becoming a large return for TMBG
What TMBG albums haven't been reissued on vinyl?
Loss of album artwork
TMBG tapes and digital files
8-track version of "Book"
TMBG never did a CD-ROM or enhanced CD
TMBG approach and involvement with AI
Music genres that lend themselves better to AI
BBL Drizzy AI track
Strangest song: playing "Saphire Bullets of Pure Love" backwards
Backwards "Saphire" coming out on special 7"
TMBG Instant Fan Club
This Might Be a Wiki – TMBW.net
Managing product flippers from Instant Fan Club
A friend who used to be in Skull & Bones
The story of 1^st release "Wiggle Diskette"
Distributing and nailing Wiggle Diskette on lamp posts around NYC
1985 TMBG cassette – reviewed by People Magazine
Interview wrap up

Aussies get your TMBG tickets here.

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Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0
Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, this is John F of They Might Be Giants, and you're listening to Nate on the Vinyl Guide.
0:04.9	Hey there, recordheads.
0:06.0	Make sure to check out BagsUnlimited.com for your vinyl record supplies.
0:10.8	BagsUnlimited.com supplies record stores and collectors around the world with protective
0:15.5	sleeves, archival storage supplies, record storage boxes, protective vinyl shipping mailers, and tons of other
0:21.7	durable solutions that'll keep your records safe for years. Just go to BagsUnlimited.com and check
0:27.3	out their audio and record supplies. That's BagsUnlimited.com. And now on with the show.
0:35.1	Welcome to the Vinyl Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds.
0:39.9	Here's your host, the biggest record nerd of them all, Nate Goyer.
0:43.5	Ah, well, here we are.
0:44.7	Hey, everyone, it's Nate.
0:46.4	Welcome to episode 464 of the Vinyl Guide.
0:49.9	The podcast for record collectors and music nerds and everyone, we are thrilled,
0:53.8	absolutely thrilled today, to have with us, John Flansberg, they might be giants.
0:59.7	John and I are going to be talking about their upcoming sold out and quickly selling out tour of Australia.
1:05.4	The story behind, they might be giants last trip down under, and how John's car accident impacted their plans. John and I are also going to dive into They Might Be Giants' last trip down under and how John's car accident impacted their plans.
1:12.4	John and I are also going to dive into they might be giant's unconventional, innovative,
1:17.3	forward-thinking approach to the music industry, from being early adopters of the gift economy,
1:23.3	to pioneering tech, to their beloved dial-a-song service. Plus, John and I are going to talk all
1:28.6	about Napster, Spotify, the resurgence of vinyl, and John's going to be sharing some insights
1:34.3	into the return of They Might Be Giants' albums on vinyl, and much more. We're going to talk
1:40.1	all about it today. And hey, I'm reaching out to the newbies who are listening to the show,
	...

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