End of the Month Music Bitchfest - March 2015

They Might Be Giants

Dial-A-Song Round Up! pt. 3

"I Can Help The Next In Line" is a short and relatively sparse (slightly porn-y) disco biscuit from Linnell. The video is fantastic and bolsters what's lacking in the song, not that that really improves the song. This is the first thing from DAS that actually sounds like DAS, if you dig, and that's not entirely a good thing; it's feels sort of like it's missing something, like it's just a demo*. Maybe an extra verse or instrument. Not bad, and it really does a great job of growing on you, but it doesn't stack up to what's come thus far.

"Good To Be Alive" feels a bit like "Answer" in that it's more "grown up" than a lot of the other tracks offered here. The lyrics are pretty straightforward and seemed to be about someone recovering from some accident or misfortune even before I saw the video, which takes the general theme of the lyrics and makes that ambiguous misfortune into a Yeti attack.

"Unpronounceable" sounds a bit like a theme to an early 90's TGIF show. As far as its staccato arrangement, it absolutely meets the original DAS specs. There's some great production around the edges for headphone folks and some awesome soaring guitars. Something a bit similar about the popcorn in "Good To Be Alive" and the general beat of this, so I'm hoping those two aren't back-to-back on Glean. This was an instant favorite for me.

Just as "Underwater Woman" became one of my favorite DAS tracks almost immediately. Incredibly sad with perfect emotive bass and subtle horns. There's also a startlingly literal video** to accompany it that has some TMBG fans up in arms. No one likes literal interpretations of They Might Be Giants songs.

And, finally, released just yesterday, a dub-flavored, summery Flans jam called "I'm A Coward". Enjoying it more every time I listen to it and I dig that math.

Now, the kvetching...another downside that floated up from the toxic part of my mind is how normal these tracks are. Fully produced, polished and accompanied by an actual music video...they feel too clean. I want more weird. When I first heard about Dial-A-Song returning, I was expecting a lot more stuff like "Lesson 16", "Turtles of North America" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future" (and it's accompanying commentary), and, while I'm genuinely enjoying most everything that's comes out, I was hoping for a bit more oddities.

Although, according to Flans, the last few weeks of December are going to be rife with panic and weirdness, so I'm not giving up yet. 

Anyway, another incredibly strong bunch of songs, the majority of which will appear on They Might Be Giants' 17th studio album, Glean, coming April 21st. Glean review should show up here in a few weeks.

And, Alessandro Cortini released his third (and final?) Forse album. Good for him. If you like ambient stuff and/or his first two releases, check it totally out.

Review is HERE!!!!!

* As fully produced and mixed and fleshed out as it is.

** Created by Mark Marek, who's worked with TMBG in the past on their "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" EP cover art and the "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" music video.