A while back Jordan and Dave masked up to have an outdoors, socially-distanced interview with They Might Be Giants collaborator Kurt Hoffman ! Kurt is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and visual artist whose footprints are all over TMBG, from opening for them on their Flood tour as part of the legendary group The Ordinaires , to recording on Apollo 18 and John Henry -era songs, to playing keyboards and brass as part of their 90's touring band, plus a handful of hidden projects we di...
Sep 28, 2021•2 hr 6 min
Finally splashing down from our lunar mission, Jordan and Dave close the (space?) book on They Might Be Giants' Apollo 18 by resurrecting and inspecting the demos and dial-a-songs made for the album! We begin with a viewing "party" of the infamous Apollo 18 Promo , featuring the hit song " Integrity Project ", and a pre-Power Point Power-Point-esque slideshow, with funny jokes and cool stuff! DON'T LET'S START POD "EXPLAINS" THE POWER SPHERES, 20,000K YOUTUBE HITS! Yeah, man! Then we discuss a W...
Sep 08, 2021•2 hr 29 min
Tranquility base! Jordan and Dave are stuck circling the various moons and planetoids surrounding They Might Be Giants ' 4th album Apollo 18, as we hitch a ride on our superfueled freaksicle and explore the out of circulation b-sides sifted off of the album and cast out into the void! First we have some exclusive and fascinating insight on the I Palindrome I EP photography by one of the photographers! Then our bus drives by Cabbagetown as we talk about so many big ideas relating to the song! Jor...
Jul 28, 2021•2 hr 10 min
Hey now everybody! After being lost in deep space, Jordan and Dave can't leave They Might Be Giants ' fourth album Apollo 18 alone! We're once again joined by second engineer Edward Douglas , plus special guests PETER STAMPFEL and ELMA MAYER , who make unforgettable appearances on Fingertips ! You won't remember why you liked our discussion of Hypnotist Of Ladies , but you will! Then, everything catches on fire in the Don't Let's Pod studio as Jordan and Dave understand every single word of all ...
Jul 03, 2021•2 hr 47 min
This episode covers ONE TWO THREE FOUR! songs off of A pollo 18 , the ONE TWO THREE FOURTH album by They Might Be Giants ! We are once again joined by Edward Douglas (the one two three IVth), the 2nd engineer on the album! First, Jordan lies and Dave sighs as we discuss the convoluted, controversial and cryptic bad feelings of Which Describes How You're Feeling ! From one guy in the sky to the one made of dots and lines, Jordan tells Dave everything he already knows about The Ramones as we explo...
Mar 10, 2021•2 hr 11 min
Turn it up! Take one step through the doorway and un-narrow your ears because our latest episode is waving hello! In this episode we explore four shockingly different They Might Be Giants songs off of their fourth album Apollo 18 , and we are joined once again by Apollo 18 studio engineer Edward Douglas ! Hey! Who's that commenting on The Guitar ? Is it Jim? NO! It's LAURA CANTRELL , our special guest for this episode! Laura talks all about meeting TMBG and recording vocals on the song (her full...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 9 min
Ladies and gentlemen! Jordan and his evil twin Dave are back, along with genuinely good triplet engineer Edward Douglas, to discuss They Might Be Giants ' out of this world fourth album Apollo 18 ! We begin with a space-shattering revelation about the Apollo 18 album art! Then we've grown so grateful for the devilishly catchy My Evil Twin ! Mammal (MAAAAMMAL!) is next and...do you hear that? Let me try again: Mammal (MAAAAAAMMAL!) (there it is again!) is next, as we discuss the surprising sadnes...
Jan 15, 2021•2 hr 9 min
That's one small step for MAN O NAM! After being in deep sleep, Jordan and Dave awaken in their silver spaceship Apollo 18 , also the name of They Might Be Giants ' indisputably fourth album! We get too into the background of the album's conception, title, artwork and the production style, and helping us along to fact check and offer unique insight is special guest Edward Douglas, credited as second engineer on the Apollo 18 studio sessions! Every time Dave looks in Jordan's eyes he wants to tal...
Dec 31, 2020•2 hr 29 min
In this episode Jordan and Dave pull five random They Might Be Giants songs without a home out of the grab bag and discuss the ever-lovin' bejesus out of them! One of these songs is an exclusive recording of an extremely rare TMBG song that nobody has ever heard before, secretly provided to the podcast by a generous benefactor! What will all of these songs be? Will some be new? Will some be old? Will some be silver, some be gold? Listen now! We also discuss the very latest TMBG news , give impor...
Sep 13, 2020•1 hr 57 min
Take a trip with us back to slimy New York City in the late 1980s for a whirlwind tour through They Might Be Giants ' most inspired, hilarious, and sometimes tragic on-stage moments! Dave and Jordan discuss 80's TMBG live show staples like The Stick , Countdown , Scream As If You're In Hell , and MORE SURPRISES! We also travel around the slimy world and experience the horror of a typical UK rock show audience, the classic "German indifference", and the risky folly of bringing (drunk?) audience m...
Jul 27, 2020•2 hr 25 min
Jordan and Dave are back and staying the hell away from each other! So in this episode we present an interview conducted last year with Gary Ray , the founder and owner of Darinka , the venue that They Might Be Giants (and many other eclectic acts) called home from 1984-1987! Gary talks to us about founding the club, booking They Might Be Giants, the TMBG Wiggle Diskette release party , his appearance in Gigantic , opening up for TMBG in recent years, and more! We also talk about tons of bands a...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 31 min
'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams...Bowery Ballroom in New York City, the night of February 8, 2020! It was on the Bowery when Jordan, Dave, and incredibly special guests , nighttime ladies Kristen (Jordan's girlfriend) and Krissy (Dave's wife) all saw a They Might Be Giants Flood 30th anniversary concert and lived to tell the tale! Join us after the show for a secret shadow government meeting in the empty back room of a diner jus...
Mar 10, 2020•2 hr 5 min
We're back with part 2 of our interview with TMBG drummer Brian Doherty ! Unnoticed by few, in this episode Doherty discusses his work on They Might Be Giants' Factory Showroom , Severe Tire Damage , John Linnell's State Songs , playing with Mono Puff , and tons of TMBG touring stories, including the experience of opening up for Hootie and the Blowfish! Brian also talks about playing with alt rock music legends like Frank Black , XTC , Ben Folds and R.E.M. ! He discusses the various Broadway sho...
Feb 22, 2020•2 hr 38 min
Meet Brian Doherty! Jersey City's famous drummer! Part 1 of an in-depth interview with Brian Doherty! Brian played drums for They Might Be Giants from 1993 to 1996, performed on the albums John Henry, Factory Showroom, as well as various EPs, and more! In part 1, we discuss the first bands Brian played with, meeting and rehearsing and touring with John and John, recording John Henry, making the Snail Shell music video, and many tales from the private backstage world of TMBG! Hold on to your hi-h...
Feb 15, 2020•2 hr 12 min
Flood fans, you're in for a treat, a fresh-baked, yummy one! Dave and Jordan, the hosts, take you, the listeners, through the countless-yet-countable (21) demos and Dial-A-Song recordings that made up almost all of the songs on Flood! We think it's worth the money and hurt as we gasp in shock at the alternate lyrics of the Birdhouse In Your Soul demo ! We can't say why we enjoy the phone version of Istanbul (Not Constantinople) , maybe we just liked it better that way! Your Racist Friend doubles...
Feb 10, 2020•1 hr 49 min
This is a recording! We may not be able to drive out the way we drove in, so we have to leave our exploration of Flood through these b-sides and remixes left scattered in the middle of the road! Not that there's anything middle of the road (whew) about James K. Polk , the original Flood-reject version that showed up on the Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP and was just a small glimmer in They Might Be Giants' eye of the fan-favorite song it would later become! Jordan's oratory fills Dave with fea...
Feb 04, 2020•1 hr 52 min
Pod Cast, where are you? Right here! Behind you! The ship has run out of ocean, as Dave and Jordan, the Kings of Liars, conclude their discussion/investigation/true crime mini-docu-series about all of the songs on They Might Be Giants ' popular Flood album! First, we play a quickly aborted round of Derby Day in celebration of Hot Cha , then discuss the complicated backstory behind the song! It's totally off the hook! Then we keep our stereo on and cook up some interpretations for Women & Me(...
Jan 25, 2020•2 hr 25 min
All hail, the Flood Boat! Jordan and Dave hit some deep and treacherous waters as they hit a Linnell-valanche with some of the trickiest and head-injuring songs on Flood ! If I were a podcaster I'd stammer on my podcast all about We Want A Rock ! We're not done with you yet! Would you mind if there's some horrible business left for us to attend to as we discuss the slightly irritating situations in Someone Keeps Moving My Chair ? Sometimes Jordan feels sorry for Dave having to listen to his dark...
Jan 09, 2020•2 hr 24 min
It's the loveliest podcast that you've ever attended! When we discuss Flood do we get wet? We've got a Universe Man-sized episode for you where we cover an entire THREE songs from They Might Be Giants ' THIRD album Flood! Content warning: you may not be able to stand there listening to us talking about Your Racist Friend ! Then we're doing the things a podcaster can as we take on Particle Man , discuss the possible and possibly impossible inspirations for the song, its astonishing popularity and...
Nov 16, 2019•2 hr 48 min
Our handmade boat ride through Flood continues! In this episode, we continue to celebrate and interrogate They Might Be Giants' big-time third album! We confidentially ponder and rattle on about Lucky Ball & Chain , then you can't go back to before TMBG released this next song! We devote much of the episode to an unbelievably in-depth discussion about Istanbul (Not Constantinople) , tracking the history of the song (and even the city!) and John and John's interest in it, the dense production...
Oct 09, 2019•2 hr 6 min
Live, from the Electric Well! Actually-your-friends, Dave and Jordan, are back, and rocketing forward at lightning speed past the '80s (for now) and towards They Might Be Giants ' brand new record for 1990, Flood ! We discuss all things Flood, except for 17 of the 19 songs, which are coming up in the next episodes! We discuss the origins of the title and album art, TMBG's signing (and singing) with Elektra records, and attempt to break down the new kind of production that was brought to the albu...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 49 min
Oh boy, oh boy! During our interview with Bill Krauss , Bill showed us an old handwritten list of songs from the mid 80s with the title "TMB Songs." In this episode, we review this list and pick out a handful of rare and forgotten songs to discuss! We also ponder some exclusive never before seen song titles that fans have never known about! This episode also includes unheard moments from our interview with Bill! This is the first in a series of grab bag episodes where we discuss random mystery s...
Aug 21, 2019•2 hr 1 min
Reel 'er in, we've got a BIG ONE! Mr. Bill Krauss , producer of THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, LINCOLN , and other iconic 80s TMBG material joined us for a sit-down! We talked to Bill about his origins in music, getting involved with They Might Be Giants, recording the early demos and albums, being TMBG's live sound-man, stories about being on the road with the band, and tons more! Absolutely Bill's Cool! Join us on Patreon!: patreon.com/dontletsstartpodcast...
Jul 18, 2019•2 hr 15 min
There's something coming. A new podcast episode on the horizon. It's coming very slowly. BUT NOW IT'S HERE! Our new episode is in the can, the big trash can! Jordan and Dave weep weep weep with joy and terror as they guide you through the bonus tracks on Then: The Earlier Years , disc 2! They Might Be Giants have a lot of goodies and strange-lings in store! Jordan tries to find the inspiration for Kitten Intro! Dave tells a heartbreaking true tale about Weep Day ! Dave and Jordan battle brains o...
Jun 24, 2019•2 hr 25 min
Here's something novel for this podcast: LET'S ALL CELEBRATE TMBG! This episode discusses the were-we-ever-so-young 80's compilation from 1997, Then: The Earlier Years , notably the freaky and mysterious bonus tracks on disc 1! Dave and Jordan discuss the critics of Critic Intro ! They say everything about Now That I Have Everything ! They tap out rhythms with a smile on their face to Mainstream U.S.A. ! Then they skip all the 80's stuff and get to talking about Flood... FAKE OUT! In Buenos Aire...
Jun 03, 2019•2 hr 37 min
We've got a lot of insight into a real special slice of TMBG esoterica today, as we interview Julie Kantner , incredible songwriter and past member of John Flansburgh 's college dorm band, The Turtlenecks ! Jordan and Dave talk to Julie about songwriting, playing live, and we devote a lot of wide-eyed attention to the six-song Turtlenecks EP from 1981, put up by Julie on her Bandcamp page! We learn about some of the earliest unheard Flansburgh (and Linnell !) songs, and hear a lot of crazy and f...
May 03, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Our options for Miscellaneous T tracks to discuss get whittled away as Dave and Jordan confront the very few ***exclusive*** Dial-A-Songs and demos for Miscellaneous T! We dip back into our ongoing Dial-A-Song historical discussion! We also chill the f out a bit and answer some e-mails, discuss a wide variety of questionably compelling TMBG topics, talk about our favorite non-TMBG b-sides in our award-winning Unrelated Thing segment, and (are you ready?), introduce an ALL NEW award-winning segme...
Apr 24, 2019•1 hr 38 min
Dave and Jordan finish their stride through the b-sides compiled on Miscellaneous T ! For Science is real, and they talk about the cocky character clamoring for the Venus vixen! Then we discuss lucky track number 13 and dig into more Dial-A-Song history, plus make extremely educated guesses about the inner lives of Gloria and The Guy! And from the phone machine to the phone inside her ribcage, we marvel at the musical dexterity of The Famous Polka ! The haunting tale buried deep inside When It R...
Apr 11, 2019•1 hr 55 min
Dave and Jordan soak up Miscellaneous T some more! They get drenched by rising flood waters in I'll Sink Manhattan ! The sound upon the roof isn't only water, it's Dave and Jordan trying to wade through It's Not My Birthday ! Then they cry a river of tiny tears as they grasp at the meaning of the three-word Hello Radio ! Then...THIS JUST IN: Mr. Klaw 's secret identity REVEALED, and YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE who it is! CLICK HERE NOW! Share and subscribe! After discussing the sexxy and stripped down ...
Mar 29, 2019•1 hr 49 min
Mister Cooper and Mister Fox talk about the first five tracks of Miscellaneous T , the jaw-dropping and unpredictable They Might Be Giants B-side compilation! We get BESIDE ourselves discussing the very nature of the B-side! D & J deal with Hey Mr. DJ I Thought You Said We Had A Deal ! Then Pal Jordan tells Pal Dave about TMBG's obsession with Pal Joey and why they covered Lady Is A Tramp ! Thoughts fall from their thoughts as they try to reveal the scope of Birds Fly ! Then they skip over T...
Mar 22, 2019•1 hr 55 min
