During a tour leg, They Might Be Giants dropped into the studio for Jack-Off with Jack Shit to share some respectable opinions on the incompetence of American attempts at the Aussie accent, and graced us with quirk-heavy renditions of ‘Older‘ and ‘The Communists Have The Music‘.
For frontmen who share the most common name in the world, the guys from They Might Be Giants are far from basic. John Flansburgh and John Linnell have amassed a cult following over a four decade career for their eccentric sound and wacky projects.
Those who think they’ve never heard of They Might Be Giants are probably wrong – they’re responsible for the catchy Malcolm in the Middle and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme songs. But aficionados and fans alike would recognise them for their experimental projects, distinct style and alt-rock classics like ‘Istanbul’ and ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’.
Their lengthy chat reflected on the band’s biggest communicative innovation, Dial-A-Song, where people could ring an answering machine to listen to their album. The two Johns could listen back to voicemails filled with thoughts and opinions. It’s been rebooted as a website now with no dialling necessary.
When they weren’t getting told off by host Jack Shit for knocking the sound panel, the Grammy award-winning pair also shared their thoughts on Conan O’Brien, fan ‘recidivism’ and their lyrics getting lost-in-translation overseas.