Listening to life requires infinite desire and infinite patience. Given time, every song has a story to tell. Here are mine. Tell me yours?
Memories, news, reviews. Old and new.
Wish. Listen.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Week 1: Songs & Stories (2/11)
Dancin' Like a Fool In Your Mom's Basement
Current track:Doctor Worm from the album Severe Tire Damage(1998) -- They Might Be Giants
I'm interested in things
It's true! Does anyone else remember dancing flailing wildly and spinning around in your parents' basement to TMBG videos on MTV? (Wait...I take that back. I'm NOT old, I swear! Back away slowly....) Okay then, how many of you have dated more than one drummer? Hands? (...and if you are a drummer, I'm betting that the number of bands you have been in is at least equivalent to any potential response to that question.) Doctor Worm sounds like every drummer I've ever liked. You know...the ones that I didn't ditch at the prom.
It is impossible for me to listen to this song without catapulting myself back in time. Even though TMBG played Doctor Worm for the first time in 1997, it reminds me of a lot of their earlier material. In my opinion, it could easy slide right into the track listing for Lincoln or Flood. Compare the following video to the one for Ana Ng and imagine adding a horn section to the latter; you'll see what I mean:
...and allow me to say that I approve of the liberal use of horn sections in alt-rock.
Without caring intending to sound too corny, TMBG has a special place in my heart. I have seen them live more than any other band, to date. Then again, the fact that They tour relentlessly might have something to do with that. As a result, you start getting used to the "regulars" that appear at all of the shows within a 300-mile radius.
...like this guy. No, not that one...the one leaning against the Coors Light sign like he knows something I don't know. I met him at the free show in D.C. a few years ago. I wish I could remember his name; he was a real stand up guy. Annoying Girl made a beeline for him to offer flattery in the hope of jumping in front of me to steal a front-row space. He gave up the spot that he had been holding for 4+ hours to accommodate both of us.
TMBG shows offer lots of memorable moments like the one above: I used to pass sketch/notebooks for people to sign while camping out in line. Linnell once yelled at my boyfriend for clapping along with Sleepwalkers; he had to start the entire song over again. (I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since.) A careless roadie killed Flansburgh's custom Mojo guitar during a concert in Pittsburgh. I haven't seen him use it at a large venue since then.
The confetti canons that have become a staple at TMBG shows failed during my birthday-present show, last year.
Bottom line: Listening to TMBG's Doctor Worm gives me yet another great excuse for acting like a fool kid in public, not that I really needed another excuse. This stuff is auditory sunshine, though. I dare you not to dance...or date ANOTHER drummer.
Current track:Doctor Worm from the album Severe Tire Damage(1998) -- They Might Be Giants
I'm interested in things
It's true! Does anyone else remember dancing flailing wildly and spinning around in your parents' basement to TMBG videos on MTV? (Wait...I take that back. I'm NOT old, I swear! Back away slowly....) Okay then, how many of you have dated more than one drummer? Hands? (...and if you are a drummer, I'm betting that the number of bands you have been in is at least equivalent to any potential response to that question.) Doctor Worm sounds like every drummer I've ever liked. You know...the ones that I didn't ditch at the prom.
It is impossible for me to listen to this song without catapulting myself back in time. Even though TMBG played Doctor Worm for the first time in 1997, it reminds me of a lot of their earlier material. In my opinion, it could easy slide right into the track listing for Lincoln or Flood. Compare the following video to the one for Ana Ng and imagine adding a horn section to the latter; you'll see what I mean:
...and allow me to say that I approve of the liberal use of horn sections in alt-rock.
Without caring intending to sound too corny, TMBG has a special place in my heart. I have seen them live more than any other band, to date. Then again, the fact that They tour relentlessly might have something to do with that. As a result, you start getting used to the "regulars" that appear at all of the shows within a 300-mile radius.
...like this guy. No, not that one...the one leaning against the Coors Light sign like he knows something I don't know. I met him at the free show in D.C. a few years ago. I wish I could remember his name; he was a real stand up guy. Annoying Girl made a beeline for him to offer flattery in the hope of jumping in front of me to steal a front-row space. He gave up the spot that he had been holding for 4+ hours to accommodate both of us.
TMBG shows offer lots of memorable moments like the one above: I used to pass sketch/notebooks for people to sign while camping out in line. Linnell once yelled at my boyfriend for clapping along with Sleepwalkers; he had to start the entire song over again. (I don't think I've ever seen that happen before or since.) A careless roadie killed Flansburgh's custom Mojo guitar during a concert in Pittsburgh. I haven't seen him use it at a large venue since then.
The confetti canons that have become a staple at TMBG shows failed during my birthday-present show, last year.
Bottom line: Listening to TMBG's Doctor Worm gives me yet another great excuse for acting like a fool kid in public, not that I really needed another excuse. This stuff is auditory sunshine, though. I dare you not to dance...or date ANOTHER drummer.
![100_0153[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/3224973797_969733f02c_m.jpg)
