Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.

It's Bullseye, I'm Jesse Thorn. Next up this week they might be Giants. They're being

interviewed by my friend and our correspondent Jordan Morris. Jordan co-hosts my other show,

Jordan Jesse Go. He's also a lifelong TMBG fan.

At the heart of they might be Giants. There are two John's, John Flandsburg and John

LaNelle. The two singer-songwriters have been writing and recording together since 1982.

They're in their 40th year, 40. In that time the band has released 22 albums, won two

Grammys and have cultivated a fan base that is passionate, fun loving and yes, a little

nerdy. They released the first-ever download-only record. They ran a hotline where fans could

call to hear demos of songs they were working on. Their newest project book is a book and

it's also a record called Book. They might be Giants sound can be a little hard to pinpoint.

On some albums it's abstract and goofy.

And sometimes it's Brudy Melancholic Powerpop, like on this song, Anna Ink.

They might be Giants. Welcome to Bullseye. Thank you Jordan. The art book that accompanies your new album,

Book, both of which I loved by the way, both the album and the book of Book are both fantastic.

The art book is made up of, it's a lot of things, but it's a lot of photos kind of in and around New York City.

And it kind of got me thinking about the New York City that the band started in back in the 80s.

I'd like to hear more about that New York and specifically if you can remember the first venues you guys played.

Sure. Well, I guess, now I always forget.

Dr. Bees was the first indoor venue. Dr. Bees was the first place we played as they might be Giants, I guess.

Right. And that was in, that was in Soho back when it was a less expensive neighborhood.

So there were these little closity sized clubs because there was another one that we played in around the same time,

...