Open Mike Eagle - "Cowtown" (They Might Be Giants Cover)

Open Mike Eagle delivers a spaced-out rendition of They Might Be Giants' "Cowtown," a cut from the duo's 1988 classic Lincoln.

YUNOREVIEW: APRIL 2015

The magical monthly segment where I briefly touch down on a gauntlet of albums I didn't get a chance to review this past month. These are just my short, straightforward, passionate, biased opinions.

They Might Be Giants- "Spoiler Alert"

If there's one thing that's worth admiring about They Might Be Giants, it's the band's sharp sense of humor. That's the primary player in this new video from their latest album, Join Us. It features the track "Spoiler Alert." Check out a review we did for the album right here.

Stream Mink Car Cover

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, a cover album of They Might Be Giants' Mink Car--which was originally released on September 11th, 2001--will be getting a release on the 11th of this month. The physical edition will be getting a 1000-copy run, and all proceeds will go to the FDNY foundation.

Some of these covers are just as fun as the originals, and I get half of the artists on here are jealous Nuclear Bubble Wrap got to cover "Older." Some of my favorite YouTube personalities even end up on this album, too. Jonathan Mann dishes out a precious version of "Finished With Lies, " and Craig Benzine's Driftless Pony Club turns it up to eleven with their version of "Cylcops Rock."

Stream the entire album above, and get a hold of the physical version on the 11th if you dig on it.

They Might Be Giants- "Can't keep Johnny Down"

One of many new fan videos for the They Might Be Giants track "Can't Keep Johnny Down," which was chosen as "BEST" by submission judge John Hodgman.

This track comes from They Might Be Giants' new LP, Join Us. Watch a review of it right here.

They Might Be Giants- Join Us

If the rock history books stay accurate, Brooklyn's They Might Be Giants will go down as being one of the most idiosyncratic bands of all-time--even if that idiosyncrasy seems to wane a little bit on Join Us. This record isn't completely devoid of fun or flavor. The Johns' usual buffet of strong melodies, catchy hooks, and esoteric lyrics is here. If anything on this album will keep longtime fans happy, it's that.

However, the sound here is really lacking the bold and kooky flavor I'm usually in line to be served. It sounds like something that would get plainly cited as a more mature direction. To me, it's just less. Less fun, less color, less spirit.

I wasn't offended by this album, and there's a good chunk of songs on here that are so good they make the sound of Join Us irrelevant. Still, not every track scratched that itch.

WATCH THE REVIEW

Stream New They Might Be Giants Tracks

Stream: Four new TMBG songs MP3: They Might Be Giants- Can't Keep Johnny Down

Gearing up for their latest album, Join Us, They Might Be Giants are streaming four tracks from the LP on Spinner. Check 'em out via the link above.

I know a lot of people who visit this blog might not be familiar with They Might Be Giants, and that's fine. The band's discography is vast and their history is vast-er. So I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend an album or two. Let's have a song, too!