the wrens vs. they might be giants

In 1986, They Might Be Giants released their first album (I bought a copy! It came on a spool of magnetized wire. See, it was a long time ago...).

Anyway, a scant three years later, the wrens started making vastly inferior pop noises in front of microphones and TMBG are to be held at least partially responsible.

Now, lo these many years later, our friend David Miller has put together a They Might Be Giants tribute album (yeah, we know, another tribute. But this one’s actually really pretty darned good. Check out the Receptor song, for starters).

It’s called ‘Hello Radio: the Songs of They Might Be Giants’ and the running order looks something like this:

1) Self- ana ng
2) The Long Winters- pet name
3) David Miller- narrow your eyes
4) Charles Douglas- she's an angel
5) Frank Black- road movie to berlin
6) The Wrens- they'll need a crane
7) Steve Burns- dead
8) OK Go- letterbox
9) Recepter- boat of car
10) This Radiant Boy- don't let's start
11) Jason Trachtenburg- doctor worm
12) Fluid Ounces- it's not my birthday
13) Brett Kull- another first kiss
14) Hotel Lights- the end of the tour

Notice anything? I mean, besides that Self, the Long Winters, Frank Black and a bunch of others are on there? That’s right, kitty cats, us too. And besides being super happy with the whole thing, it also makes this the fourth official new recording we’ve done since we finished the meadowlands 20 or 30 years ago (the others being one of the bonus tracks on the meadowlands U.K./Euro version, one song on the Five Mod Four split, and a song we did for a friend’s wedding).

Progress came quicker to the Middle Ages.

Anyway, fittingly, it’s just been released on Bar/None Records, the label that released all those early TMBG albums. And that also means that 14 or 15 years after sending our demo to Bar/None, we’ve finally been signed!
Ok, we’re kidding around but we really did send a demo back then and it really does mean something cool to us now to be on a Bar/None album of some sort.

Bar/None Records

Video for "She Sends Kisses"

Way back in September of last year, Jason Sievers, a wonderfully talented animator in Boise, Idaho, emailed us and asked if we’d be interested in
doing a video for one of the songs from our hit album, ‘Frampton Comes Alive’.

After clearing up misunderstandings, Jason spent the better part of this last year working on a stop-motion animated video for ‘she sends kisses’ (like a lot of us, he does this on the side, around the job & family stuff).

Anyway, without much further ado, here’s Jason’s video...except to say, be sure to check out his website where you can see others he’s done for the Posies, Built to Spill and a bunch of really nice others. Oh, and don’t miss the Devil cartoons:

http://www.hardmath.net/


Charles solo benefit show added for this weekend...

But grim reaper willing, charles will be playing solo on Saturday in Brooklyn at a benefit show for Emergency Communities, a relief organization based in Brooklyn, NY and Arabi/New Orleans, LA who continue to provide community-based relief (meals, medical care, legal advice & education) following Hurricane Katrina.

Their website sums up their mission statement far better than we ever could:

http://www.emergencycommunities.org/

Doors are at 8PM (music starts at 9pm. Free beer from 9:00 – 10:00 courtesy of Greenpoint Beer Works). It’s $20 to get in but with all proceeds going directly to Emergency Communites’ efforts to help rebuild the Gulf Coast.

The venue: www.supremetradingny.com
213 N 8th st, Williamsburg, Brooklyn,
just three blocks from the Metropolitan stop on G train (the L is not operating this weekend. Surprise).

Charles solo show cancelled for 7/20/06

Howdy,

Just a quick last-minute kind of thing: Charles’ solo show originally set for tonight, 7/20/06, at Pianos in New York, NY has been cancelled. Pedalboy apparently has a cold/flu thing that’s almost certainly a result of his combination iffy hygiene and
all-candycane diet.

He is wracked by Catholic guilt at canceling though and urges anyone within the sound of this email and the Lower East Side to hit Pianos at around 8:30 to catch our pals, the Bon Savants. They’re a wonderful band from Boston who deserve a whole lot better than being on a bill with charles.

http://www.pianosnyc.com/

http://www.bonsavants.com/flash.html

greetings from asbury lanes

22_asburylanes_19s

untitled

Wrens in 1934

Wrens, 1993

Wrens in TLH, 04/2005

Drummer-free Wrens


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