Ep464: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants

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

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 1st release “Wiggle Diskette”
• Distributing and nailing Wiggle Diskette on lamp posts around NYC
• 1985 TMBG cassette – reviewed by People Magazine
• Interview wrap up

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