They Might Be Giants did a wonderful appearance on NPR's Science Friday to promote their album Here Comes Science, and finished off with two possible future albums, both of which have my vote:
* There Goes Your Liberties (a history of civil liberties and the War on Terror)
* Here Comes the Syndicalists (a history of the labor movement in America)
I have a feeling they were kidding, but guys, if you're listening, those are great ideas!
They Might Be Giants: Here Comes Science (broadcast Friday, September 25th, 2009)
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Their last good album was over a decade ago. Their song about only having two songs in them, and they just wrote number three, turned out to be prophetic.
@Cory Here, here!
hahah i like the old school art :)
Just got the new album today. Great stuff! Oh, indecently my daughter likes it, too.
I heard a few of their new songs on Radiolab and I'm not thrilled. It's good thing to get kids interested in science, but their "My Brother the Ape" song implies an extremely close relationship between species; I know for a fact that some creationists think evolution is bunk because they think the theory insists that there are actual non-human primates in every human's traceable family tree.
We've all seen the anti-evolution nonsense about grandpa being a gorilla.
@#4 Frowelishnu: If your daughter likes the album indecently, maybe it's best if you keep that private. :P
I've enjoyed this band a lot myself over the years as an adult, but I honestly think their real forte is kids' music. My daughter really loved their Here Come The ABCs.
I've always thought John & John would be perfect to set the Bill of Rights to music.
Nothing is catchier or more commercial than a song about the Haymarket Square Riots, I'm here to tell you.
@Lobster But there is an extremely close relationship between us and other apes. With chimps for instance, we share 96% of our DNA with and our last common ancestor was only 6 million years ago.
As a 20+ year fan of TMBG, I'm thrilled that BB and many other significant blogs are promoting this album. Sure, TMBG have had their ups and downs in their recording career, but this is the album they were born to make. Some will quibble with a few shaky science spots here and there, but they are missing the point. Science education in the US is in crisis, and this album is a solid attempt to offset that.
My four year old son left me stunned this morning when we were discussing one of my favorite songs "Put it to the Test". I explained (simply) why scientists needs to perform tests, and he wondered aloud (without prompting) which ball was best for kicking and if he could set up a test to answer his question. He suggested lining them all up in the yard (away from the fence so we don't lose any!) and kicking each to see which traveled farthest. Scientific? Kinda. Learning about setting up tests to prove thesis or divine an answer? You betcha! I love that TMBG facilitated that moment for us. They don't deserve a Grammy, they deserve a Nobel.
Syndicalism was the dominant trend in socialist politics world-wide up until the Russian revolution of 1917. Had the authoritarian communists failed, syndicalism might have remained a strong thread and the authoritarian communist approach would have remained marginal (where it belongs).
I'm glad libertarian socialism is making a comeback. I'd love to hear a tmbg syndicalist album!
Note to self: no more late night commenting.
My daughter *incidentally* enjoys the album.
Thanks Nosehat.
We got the disk last week and kids and I have been singing non-stop. My 8 year old has been doing free form lyrics in to the tune of "I am a paleontologist", I think he wanted his version of the song to sound more science like and has been singing instead "I am a scientologist". A good time was had by all as I tried to explain to him why I couldn't stop laughing.
TMBG are amazing, but it just struck me how utterly monsterous is the prevalent sentiment online that the bad thing about the 'War on Terror' is that Americans' civil liberties get mildly curtailed. :(
jacobian:
I second that. We need more radical unions and more radical union rock! The Strike have broken up and Utah Phillips is dead. What American syndicalist bands are left? The Riot Folk collective? Anne Feeney? David Rovics? The Rust Belt Ramblers? All great bands, but they probably don't have the pop appeal of TMBG.
I've been a TMBG fan since back in the day. I am also a sixth grade science teacher. As soon as I heard about this album, (on Boing Boing)I bought it. This week I will use the sun song in a lesson plan. This album has been a major yay.
That. Would. Be. S o o o o o o o o o soooo cool.
Another vote for labor movement rock.
Art Carnage: Nice troll, but where have you been for the last 10 years? The Spine and The Else are some very strong albums with loads of great material (including another song, Stalk of Wheat about being out of ideas, which clearly the Johns are not.) Their kids albums are awesome too and this one is the best one yet. Love the update on Why Does The Sun Shine? Love Science Is Real! Love Meet The Elements!
Love the ideas for future kid's content too! (Yes, I am full of love today it seems.) =D