This is the way the description part goes! We are X-tra excited to clear our throats and begin our viewing of They Might Be Giants' 1996 album Factory Showroom ! Unnoticed by few, beloved by many! First, we can't get away from a song that really fell between the grating, only appearing if you rewind to track 0 on the original CD, Token Back to Brooklyn ! Then you gotta understand what S-E-X-X-Y is all about. Jordan and Dave talk more than enough around the clock with nobody else about this start...
May 23, 2025•2 hr 25 min
Episode 69 and feeling fine! In this calm before the storm of Factory Showroom, we reach into the big old floppy grab bag and yank out five rare, special, unique, singular and startling songs not officially released by They Might Be Giants . We dare not reveal which ones, but let's just say they feature Johns Linnell and Flansburgh singing about some strange and varied topics. Don't delay and press play! Join Us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 30 min
That sexy E-Mail fairy has arrived again and left behind a huge backlog of letters from you, you, and also you! Topics addressed include our opinions on The Spine and The Else ! What song would we leave off John Henry ? What other bands are we experts on? Plus listener insights into Dinner Bell , Fake Out in Buenos Aires , Hell Hotel , It's Not My Birthday , and Mono Puff stuff! We also discuss some of the latest and most contagious news from the world of They Might Be Giants! Join us on Patreon...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 26 min
A very special guest on John Flansburgh's Mono Puff album becomes a very special guest on the Don't Let's Start podcast! Nancy Lynn Howell , singer of Don't I Have the Right , talks to us about recording the song with Flansburgh, the special occasion where she performed it live, and we get to hear rare, exclusive recordings of her short-lived super group with Laura Cantrell and Robin Goldwasser ! Plus we highlight a handful of tracks from her wonderful discography to discuss. Join us on Patreon!...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Now I wanna talk to everyone about Mono Puff b-sides and demos! Alongside the album Unsupervised (by They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh) came The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking) single ! It's full of odds and ends, balls and...friends?? First, Flansburgh covers a fellow b-side from fellow song genius Mr. Frank Black, the one and only Oddball ! We listen to both versions and discover that every Oddball is different! But there's much more going on in a hidden gem called Tryptophane...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 44 min
We laid low, but now we're back, and you'll be happy as a scarecrow listening to our so-long episode finishing up John Flansburgh's debut album Unsupervised from his supergroup Mono Puff ! Who'll teach you all about the history of Dr. Kildare (the man, the show, the song)? We will! I can read your mind, you want us to then discuss the quiet resentment of So Long, Mockingbird, correct? I don't mind! Because you've been so good all year long, we're going to fulfill your one Christmas wish and unwr...
Nov 14, 2024•2 hr 41 min
Did you miss us when we were away? Jordan "Mono" Cooper and Dave "Puff" Fox are back to go song by everlovin' song through Mono Puff's totally rocking debut album, Unsupervised ! We've got devils, we've got spacemen, step right up, people! First there's nowhere we can go except into a context-heavy discussion of Don't Break The Heart , the Amy Rigby classic given a John Flansburgh reimagining! But don't stray too far, because next up, if you listen real close to your radios you just might isolat...
Sep 12, 2024•2 hr 28 min
I hear the phone ring, and it's John Flansburgh's solo project Mono Puff calling! Back in the day, we were distracted by They Might Be Giants, but now we're hear to sing the praises of this strange yet cohesive collection of side-project gold! Your appreciative hosts Jordan and Dave go into the formation of Mono Puff, the inspiration behind the band name, an investigation into the band members, and ask deep, challenging, philosophical questions like: could these be TMBG songs? We strap on our gi...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 59 min
A while back Jordan and Dave produced an obsessive, second-by-second breakdown of "Weird Al" Yankovic's They Might Be Giants style parody, Everything You Know Is Wrong , off of his 1996 album Bad Hair Day . This meticulous analysis became our most popular YouTube video, and it turns out one of those precious YouTube views was none other than Mr. Al Yankovic himself! Now Al comes on our show to react, reflect, and remark upon our work, and talk about the writing and recording process behind the T...
Jun 08, 2024•30 min
Salutations! Or have you seen this episode? Jordan and Dave's pain is your karma as they exchange some fighting words and complete their archival dig through the 1980s demos of They Might Be Giants (for now.) We're here to make you happy, as half of this episode is our long awaited and belated Hell Hotel discussion! Is the song based on a Twilight Zone episode? Is that an Outer Limits reference? Why wasn't this song ever on an album? Who is Sebastian C.? WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THIS ? We also liste...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 56 min
We've got another big delicious slice of They Might Be Giants ' legendary 1985 demo tape! This episode covers tracks 10 through 20, and there's still more left to chew on! We find out newly discovered, frighteningly revelatory information on Cowtown and Chess Piece Face ! We take the many demo versions of Youth Culture Killed My Dog for a walk! Then we crank the volume way up to hear the subtle secrets in the demo recordings of Alienation's For The Rich and The Day ! After a proper history lesso...
Mar 21, 2024•2 hr 1 min
We're back...in time! Jordan and Dave take out their dusty scrapbooks and look into the They Might Be Giants of years past. First we discuss their very first release, the Wiggle Diskette , a very limited vinyl distributed all over NYC in 1985. Then we continue on with the first batch of songs on TMBG's infamous 1985 demo tape ! But do you think we stop there? Oh ho ho, foolish listener, doth thee not know of whom we be? Our minds become a blur of common sense as we discuss every demo and alterna...
Feb 24, 2024•2 hr 13 min
Should auld acquaintance be forgot....Presenting a special urgent and heartfelt final broadcast for 2023! Jordan and Dave destroy the past and focus on the latest They Might Be Giants news, discoveries, rumors and revelations! We also tell you about our podcast operation, with a big announcement about a planned Patreon membership for 2024! OH IT'S GOOD NEWS! Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast
Dec 18, 2023•58 min
As a prologue for our upcoming deep dive into They Might Be Giants ' 1980s demos, we spoke with the legendary Michael Small , the People Magazine writer who first reviewed TMBG's demo tape in 1985 and gave them their first huge exposure, telling (or warning) the world about the madness to come! Michael tells us about the first time he heard the tape, the songs that got stuck in his head, appearing in the documentary Gigantic , his relationship with They Might Be Giants over the years, and more e...
Nov 04, 2023•1 hr 14 min
In this episode, Jordan and Dave read e-mails from who? E-mails from you! Topics include They Might Be Giants love songs ! Fingertips theories! Reactions to our John Henry episodes, including theories on End of the Tour and Destination Moon ! Condoms! Metallica ! The Rheostatics! Frank Black ! David Lynch! Comic books! Horror movies! The future of the podcast! Dave's new album! Jordan's old...! That's it! Plus, we discuss the latest TMBG news and weather! This episode is our precious gift to all...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Save your tears! We are back with a very special surprise guest, Peter Stewart , the man, the mystery, the legend behind the previously anonymous, though no less epic song They Might Be Giants ! Unofficially titled I Might Be Giant, Too by TMBG fans, this intense rock ballad was heard on They Might Be Giants' Dial-A-Song service and over the speakers at their live shows around the world since 1989! We don't need an ocean to get to Peter, because over Zoom we talk to him all about the inspiration...
Jul 02, 2023•1 hr 36 min
Jordan and Dave are back to destroy the music you love! We spend this interminable episode listening to and mentally processing the vast number of rare dial-a-songs and officially released full band demos They Might Be Giants created in the build-up to 1994's album John Henry ! Highlights include the extremely different Sleeping in the Flowers dial-a-song, the very brief and very funky full band recording of Dirt Bike , the hauntingly acoustic Spy , the Nixon crooning version of O' Do Not Forsak...
Jun 19, 2023•2 hr 27 min
Being patient while we take our time are things our listeners can understand, and thank you for that! But now...Skull's out for summer! We finally finish what we started, as we're done with John Henry, the album! But what of John Henry's officially released b-sides? In this episode we listen to, learn about and love the Back to Skull EP (AKA Snail Shell EP), a tantalizing trilogy of songs about murderesses, femme fatales and intimidating ladies! First we have more of our discussion with the femm...
Apr 30, 2023•1 hr 48 min
We've heard the ceaseless screaming and we're back to free this demon and finish John Henry ! They Might Be Giants ' real rock record ends on a high note (not literally) with five fun and freaky songs. Turn it down? No! Turn it up and listen to our hot and heavy discussion of Thermostat . We might not be reliable as we talk and interrupt each other looking at what's under the hood of this song. Then we're checking out Window and the possible women, men (ok only men) Linnell may be making fun of ...
Feb 24, 2023•3 hr 13 min
Commence Official TMBG Podcast Exploration! Jordan and Dave are back in our prison cells, thinking these words about five more songs off of They Might Be Giants' John Henry ! We barely contain our secret smiles as we shriek to the lovely music of No One Knows My Plan ! We attempt to cook up an angle on what the plan may be...And we must be silent because we have a special guest, trumpet player Steven Bernstein , telling us all about his incredible work on John Henry all throughout this episode! ...
Dec 22, 2022•3 hr 9 min
It's our 50th episode! While we feel 1,000 years old, we discuss O, Do Not Forsake Me , the gothic centerpiece of They Might Be Giants' John Henry ! Jordan and his indolent friend Dave try to piece together the possible references (or are they misbegotten notions?) in the song! But what do we know? Joining us in the second half of the episode is lead singer of O, Do Not Forsake Me, Wilbur Pauley ! Wilbur tells us all about his vocal group Hudson Shad , how he got started in music, and how he got...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 43 min
By random whim, we have recorded another episode! Jordan and Dave discuss four songs with four fascinating unreliable narrators from They Might Be Giants ' 1994 album John Henry ! We blurt our merest ideas and shoot our mouths off about the singer's predicament in I Should Be Allowed To Think ! Guitarist Jay Sherman-Godfrey joins us once again to talk about recording the song! There's no word in English to describe our appreciation for Extra Savoir-Faire ! Through archival live show clips, we di...
Oct 02, 2022•2 hr 38 min
I proclaim that John Henry Part 2 has arrived! We only just begin our journey on the dark roads of John Henry, They Might Be Giants ' fullest length rockingest album! First we spin your head round and round all afternoon as we get freaky with Sleeping In the Flowers , in an England-size segment drowning in information, entertainment, and infotainment! Then Jordan smiles because Dave is funny, as we mean what we say about the not-tender ballad Unrelated Thing . We're not joking when we tell you t...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 58 min
We Hate They Might Be Giants !...For making such a great album in 1994 named John Henry ! IT'S TOO GREAT! Welcome to part 1 of our John Henry Prestige Limited Series . Before getting to the songs, Jordan and Dave (with backup from archival audio of John and John!) get into a discussion that's even longer than the entire album all about the changing music scene in 1994, TMBG's experience recording John Henry in Bearsville, New York, and their clashes with Elektra Records. We also discuss the albu...
Jul 22, 2022•2 hr 13 min
Yo ho! We're back from our 93 million miles away space trip to visit the land beyond, and we have a special job discussing They Might Be Giants ' 1993 release, the Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas) EP ! Their first studio recording with their new full band, this bright and shiny release is a jaunty, spirited and eclectic mix of cover songs and one early version of an original classic. Review: 7.5 stars. Actually, one GIANT star! After a medium-sized investigation of...
May 10, 2022•2 hr 2 min
We proudly present a conversation with Jonathan Feinberg , TMBG drummer for the Apollo 18 tour and the O Tannenbaum single! Jon talks to us about auditioning for They Might Be Giants, recording the Christmas classic, making demos with John Flansburgh, touring with the band, and the unpredictable rollercoaster ride that happened after his time with TMBG! Featuring tons of archival audio of the Apollo 18 tour , plus Jon's own incredibly fun pandemic songwriting, and other surprising surprises! Pul...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 18 min
In the midst of the Apollo 18 tour in 1992 They Might Be Giants transformed from a duo backed by a tape to a real band with real instruments. Jordan and Dave discuss this rock puberty, and all of the complications, consternations, and celebration that went along with it! With many archival audio clips from live concerts and interviews, hear from John and John themselves about why and how this transition took place! Topics discussed by all include their final duo shows, Stump the Band, Spin the D...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr 51 min
We present to you now the full interview with singer/songwriter/TMBG vocalist Laura Cantrell , of which only glimpses of were heard in our Apollo 18 episodes! In this limited supply expanded edition you'll hear Laura discuss her musical origins, her first bands, meeting They Might Be Giants , recording The Guitar , shooting the music video for The Guitar, touring with TMBG, and more! Plus we get very deep into each song on her beloved Hello CD of the Month Club EP , produced by John Flansburgh !...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 49 min
This episode is not about us! It's about YOU! Jordan and Dave sit their beautiful bodies down in front of mid-priced microphones and answer some of YOUR e-mails about They Might Be Giants , and what makes us tick! Topics include: TMBG break-up songs! Severed heads ! Frank Zappa! The riddles of Which Describes How You're Feeling ! The sorrow of She's An Angel ! The mysteries of the Birdhouse In Your Soul demo! The Frank O'Toole Show! Have we discovered the singer of I Might Be Giant, Too ? What i...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min
The big day has arrived! Not only have They Might Be Giants released a new album, but for the first time on our podcast, Jordan and Dave are along for the experience! We sit down and spill some ink in a more casual chat (no research! no outline!) to discuss our first impressions of TMBG's new album BOOK , and dig into its contents, chapter and verse! They open the book of BOOK , a massive and mysterious hardcover art project! They bookmark the possible lyrical themes running through the album! T...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 25 min
