Fittingly given this is our 90s week here at GIITTV, AV have sent us a video (of one 90s act covering another), They Might Be Giants covering cult classic “Tubthumping” By Chumbawamba, watch it below.
They Might Be Giants new album, Join Us is the recording their fans have been waiting 20 years for! Impossibly catchy, sometimes strange and always original, the new album, which is released on 18th July. They play a few UK dates this week.
On Join Us we find the band has returned to their singular sensibility that made them an instant phenomenon in the world of alternative rock. Join Us is an electrifying mix of clever, maddeningly catchy songwriting and studio mastery. The album was created in the brand new private studio of their long-time collaborator Patrick Dillett (David Byrne, Mary J. Blige, Tegan and Sara, Doveman).
The record opens with Can’t Keep Johnny Down; a summer-perfect pop single that will instantly get stuck in your head. Immediately following is the caffeinated fuzz of You Probably Get That a Lot. When Will You Die features TMBG’s own formula for punk. The short and sweet Judy Is Your Viet Nam tells an anthemic tale of unrequited infatuation. There’s electronic ballad Never Knew Love, which puts a new and simple twist on the love song and folk pop track Old Pine Box, which showcases the band’s signature harmonies. The wit TMBG are known for is at its finest on album closer You Don’t Like Me, which has lyrical gems like “I can see the future like it’s in the past”.
They Might Be Giants unlikely success story started nearly three decades ago with their Dial-A-Song service. High energy, low budget videos broke them into heavy rotation on MTV and the rest would soon become alternative rock history. Along the way the band has become the recipients of two GRAMMYs and a platinum record (1990’s Flood). They recorded numerous themes including the GRAMMY-winning Malcolm In the Middle and many more.
Notorious for their energized live show, They Might Be Giants will launch the first international tour in over a decade this autumn, hitting 6 countries and over 50 US cities. Stay tuned for more details!
UK Live Dates
15th July Koko London
16th July Latitude Suffolk
